## **The Mothers’ Union**
# **Southwell & Nottingham Diocese**
**(Registered charity, number 249878)**
## **Annual Report & Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2020**
**Page Contents** 2-6 Trustees’ annual report 7 Independent examiner’s report 8 Receipts & payments account 9 Statement of assets & liabilities 10-12 Notes to the accounts
# **The Mothers’ Union Southwell & Nottingham Diocese Trustees’ annual report for the year ended 31 December 2020**
**Full name** The Mothers’ Union Southwell & Nottingham Diocese
## **Registered charity number** 249878
## **Principal address**
Jubilee House, Westgate, Southwell, Nottinghamshire, NG25 0JH
## **Trustees**
P Brewin, Diocesan President D Mellors, Vice-President Newark A/D H Catchpole, Vice-President Nottingham A/D E Toplis M Pates V Mellors S Baird-Smith, from Feb 2020 I Garratt L Porter, until March 2020 S Bancroft P Wainwright, until Dec 2020 J Hodson S Brotherhood, until Feb 2021 S Massey
The Board of Trustees meets three times a year. The Members of the Board of Trustees are: The Diocesan President, the two Archdeaconry Vice-Presidents, the Unit Co-ordinators, and the Deanery Leaders.
## **Independent examiner**
John O’Brien, employee of Community Accounting Plus, Units 1 & 2, North West, 41 Talbot Street, Nottingham, NG1 5GL
## **Governance and management**
The charity is operated under the rules of the Royal Charter of the Mothers Union charity number 240531, dated 15 June 1926 and last amended 4 July 2006. Overall management of the charity is the responsibility of the trustees who are elected and co-opted under the terms of the constitution. Deanery Leaders are elected by branch leaders, Diocesan President and Unit Co-ordinators by members of Diocesan Council, and each Vice President by Members of Council in their Archdeaconry. Day to day project activity is managed and carried out by volunteers.
## **Public benefit statement**
The Trustees confirm that they have complied with the duty in section 17 of the Charities Act 2006 to have due regard to the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit, 'Charities and Public Benefit'.
## **State of the Diocese**
The membership of Mothers’ Union Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham is 622 plus 44 honorary life members for the year ended 31 December 2020 with 31 active branches and 2 branches in abeyance.
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## **The Mothers’ Union Southwell & Nottingham Diocese**
## **Objectives and Activities**
The Mothers’ Union is a worldwide society whose aim is the advancement of the Christian religion in the sphere of marriage and family life. There are 5 objectives:
## **1) TO PROMOTE and support married life**
Several members are involved in Marriage Preparation and Marriage Enrichment courses in co-operation with their incumbents. Members meet regularly in branches, deaneries and archdeaconries. Meetings provide for social and pastoral needs of members, often including lunch or afternoon tea. Speakers are invited to speak on a range of subjects of general interest and to raise awareness of issues and
current and future projects. Diocesan Speakers' topics include this year’s theme, Building Hope and Confidence.
A team of volunteer’s co-ordinate hospital visits within the diocese. Services are held in local Care Homes.
The Mothers' Union diocesan website (set up in 2011) has kept members informed of local MU issues and has links to the Diocesan website. It also has links to the central Mothers' Union website. This enables members to access worldwide news and information about the organisation. Many subscribe to the monthly ‘e’ newsletter from Mary Sumner House.
All members receive a triannual newsletter 'Link up' to keep members informed of Mothers' Union projects and news from around the Diocese. We also have a Linkup web page with all our latest news, events and uploaded reports and articles https://mulinkupsouthwellandnottingham.wordpress.com/
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## **The Mothers’ Union Southwell & Nottingham Diocese**
## **2) To ENCOURAGE parents to bring up their children in the faith and life of the Church**
Our trained Parenting facilitators continue to offer to facilitate parenting groups. Shorter half day workshops have also been well received.
Many members are involved in Messy Church, Sunday Schools and Toddler groups in their parish churches. Volunteers at Time Travelling! (a Diocesan project for school-age children run in the Cathedral and in several parish churches) include a significant number of MU members. This year Time Travelling will be one of the beneficiaries of the funds we raise.
The Hand in Hand resource has continued to be promoted throughout the diocese. It is an ongoing resource to help parents share their faith in the home. Labelled for Life is a resource designed to give parents, carers and teachers the confidence to handle the commercial and sexualised influences that children might face.
The MU Magazine ‘Families First’ is available to members direct and is also widely available to purchase in the Sainsbury’s chain of supermarkets. It continues to serve as an outreach tool, providing interesting and accessible information on all aspects of family life for parents who are not yet members.
Incumbents have been signposted to MU resources for Mothering Sunday & Father’s Day.
## **3) TO MAINTAIN a worldwide fellowship of Christians, united in prayer, worship and service**
The Indoor Members Prayer Circle keeps in regular contact with elderly members who are no longer able to attend meetings.
Many fund-raising events have taken place to support the Relief Fund, Literacy Projects and CCMP (Church and Community Mobilisation Process). 'Make a Mother's Day' campaign sells ethical gifts for Mothering Sunday.
We have 5 allocated overseas link Dioceses and we are building up these relationships to support their members in prayer and fellowship. We also maintain links with the Diocese of Matana in Burundi and Natal in South Africa.
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## **The Mothers’ Union Southwell & Nottingham Diocese**
MU Publications have been sold throughout the diocese to support our projects and also provide resources for use in branch meetings as well as greeting cards and gifts.
## **4) To PROMOTE conditions in society favourable to stable family life and the protection of children**
The diocese has embraced the national Bye, Buy Childhood campaign which seeks to protect children from excessive and inappropriate marketing. MU believes children should be valued as children and not targeted as adult consumers. The campaign challenges consumerism, seeks to empower parents in making positive choices in how they handle their finances and to challenge retailers, advertisers and the Government.
The Mothers’ Union is working in partnership and promoting a new website Parentport which gives parents and carers information on what they can do if they have seen or heard something in the media that is inappropriate for their children. The campaign 16 days of Activism against Gender based violence was once again well supported.
## **5) TO HELP those whose family life has met with adversity**
We provide caravan holidays for families who have difficulty in coping and cannot afford a holiday. The ‘Away from it All’ holidays are proving extremely beneficial to families and individuals who have not had any kind of break in the last three years, often due to difficult circumstances beyond their control. We had 15 families who were
due to go away in 2020 to Mablethorpe. These holidays had been paid for but due to the Covid pandemic had to be postponed until Spring Bank Holiday week 2021 once Government restrictions allowed. We sent those families a £50 Co-op Gift Card to buy some treats when they were due to be away and another at Christmas.
We run a Contact Centre in Retford where children can meet their non-custodial parent in a safe environment.
We support National Police Aid Charity. We provide toiletries for homeless people and women's refuges. Many members use their knitting skills to make premature baby clothes, trauma teddies and vests for African babies. We continue to make 'Prayer Shawls' to be given to those who are sick to bring assurance of Prayer and God's comfort.
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## **The Mothers’ Union Southwell & Nottingham Diocese**
## **COVID-19**
Since the onset of COVID 19 in March 2020 face to face branch and officer meetings have been unable to take place. We have been able to continue with officer meetings using zoom, but all fundraising activities have had to be cancelled.
Members have been very busy with various projects. These include:
Hospital – items made
- Scrub bags and scrubs;
- Linus blankets for children’s wards;
- Baby blankets;
- Baby jackets;
- Premature baby hats.
## Overseas
- Fish and Chip baby vests for Police Aid Convoy;
- Donations for Wullinkamma Arribaja baby clinic & nursery / school.
## Gifts of Love
- Bags of toiletries supporting refugees.
## On the Street
- Crafting woolly hats for rough sleepers.
## **The charity’s policy on reserves**
The charity aims to keep at least enough in the unrestricted funds to cover 3 months’ ordinary expenditure.
The main risk to the charity would be a severe drop in membership and/ or fundraising. We try to manage our costs effectively and encourage new members to join e.g. the increase in deanery and diocesan member numbers.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees:
Signed _____________________________________________ Date __________ P Brewin, Trustee
Signed _____________________________________________ Date __________ E Toplis, Trustee
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## **Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of The Mothers’ Union Southwell & Nottingham Diocese for the year ended 31 December 2020**
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of The Mothers’ Union Southwell & Nottingham Diocese (the charity) for the year ended 31 December 2020.
## **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 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 Act.
## **Independent examiner’s statement**
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no 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 respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or
2. the accounts do not accord with those records.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Signed _________________________ Date ______________________ John O’Brien MSc, FCCA, FCIE Employee of Community Accounting Plus
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## **The Mothers’ Union Southwell & Nottingham Diocese Receipts & payments account for the year ended 31 December 2020**
|_2019_
Total
**Unrestricted**
Funds
**Funds**
£
**Note**
**£**
**Receipts**
16232
Subscriptions & donations
**2**
-
11839
Diocesan funds
10165
24821
Charitable funds
-
4840
Literature sales
3177
10211
Deaneries & branches
**3**
-
169
Bank interest
96
989
Sundry receipts
**4**
754
69101
**Total receipts**
**14192**
**Payments**
20711
Charitable funds
-
478
Diocesan funds
622
13936
Management & administration
**5**
12534
1614
General expenses
**6**
108
3647
Literature
2088
507
Link Up & marketing
-
16220
Mary Sumner House
-
11231
Deaneries & branches
**3**
-
68344
**Total payments**
**15352**
757
**Net receipts/(payments)**
(1160)
62148
Cash funds at start of this period
12943
-
Transfers between funds
**9**
2000
62905
**Cash funds at end of this period**
**13783**|**_2020_**
**Restricted**
**Total**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**£**
**£**
15528
15528
266
10431
18386
18386
-
3177
3874
3874
-
96
-
754
**38054**
**52246**
13540
13540
-
622
-
12534
-
108
-
2088
-
-
15361
15361
6569
6569
**35470**
**50822**
2584
1424
49962
62905
(2000)
-
**50546**
**64329**|
|---|---|
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## **The Mothers’ Union Southwell & Nottingham Diocese Statement of assets and liabilities at 31 December 2020**
|_2019_
£
**Cash assets**
**Note**
18271
Nat West current account
22651
CBF deposit account
21983
Cash & bank balances for deaneries & branches
62905
**Other monetary assets**
393
Stock (books & cards)
1275
Prepayments
**7**
1668
**Liabilities**
Creditors:
(912)
Independent examination
(6361)
Advance receipts - 2021 subscriptions
(7273)|**_2020_**
**£**
22293
22748
19288|
|---|---|
||**64329**|
||863
8530|
||**9393**|
||(912)
(7746)|
||**(8658)**|
These financial statements are accepted on behalf of the charity by:
Signed ___________________________________ Dated ___________ E Toplis, Trustee
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## **The Mothers’ Union Southwell & Nottingham Diocese Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2020**
## **1. Receipts & payments accounts**
Receipts and payments accounts contain a summary of money received and money spent during the period and a list of assets and liabilities at the end of the period. Usually, cash received and cash spent will include transactions through bank accounts and cash in hand.
## **2. Subscriptions & donations**
These comprise numerous donations and subscriptions from members, collected centrally or through the branches and deaneries.
## **3. Deaneries & branches**
|Receipts
Payments|**Gross**
**£**
45765
(48460)
**(2695)**|**Transfers**
**to Centre**
**£**
41891
(41891)
**-**|**Net**
**£**
3874
(6569)|
|---|---|---|---|
||||**(2695)**|
## **4. Sundry receipts**
||**£**|
|---|---|
|Archdeaconry days
Diocesan members admin|465
289|
||**754**|
## **5. Management & administration**
|Accountant payments
Secretary payments
Treasurer payments
Jubilee House rent
Gifts to Leaders
Insurance
Independent examination fee
Stationery & telephone
Payroll charges
Trustees expenses - travel|**£**
1500
5720
1500
651
157
461
912
1339
187
107|
|---|---|
||**12534**|
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## **The Mothers’ Union Southwell & Nottingham Diocese**
## **6. General expenses**
|**General expenses**|||
|---|---|---|
|||**£**|
|Archdeaconry days||108|
|||**108**|
||||
|**Prepayments**
AFIA caravan deposits||**£**
8530
**8530**|
## **7. Prepayments**
## **8. Trustees’ and officials’ remuneration**
During the year trustees and officials received the following sums:
- J Hempstead, £1,500, as Diocesan Accountant;
- K McNish, £5,720 as Diocesan Secretary;
- G Noon, £1,500 for Treasurer’s services;
- 4 Trustees also received a total of £170 for travel and other expenses;
- 2 other officials also received a total of £62 for travel and other expenses.
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## **The Mothers’ Union Southwell & Nottingham Diocese**
## **9. Funds analysis**
|**Funds analysis**||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Restricted funds**
Charitable funds:
Action and Outreach
Access & Contact Centre
AFIA
Count Your Blessings
Prison Work
Time Travelling
Parenting fund
Subs & donations:
Worldwide
MSH Appeal
MSH Fabric
Overseas
Wheels Appeal
Literacy
B+IDF
MSH Subs
Diocesan Projects
Big Summer Appeal
Make a Mother Day
Discretionary fund
Other:
Deaneries & Branches
Families First|**Opening**
**balance**
**£**
150
4125
18643
-
196
-
2210
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
754
1902
-
-
-
21982
-
**49962**|**Receipts (Payments)**
**£**
**£**||**Transfers**
**£**|**Closing**
**balance**
**£**|
|||-
2275
12833
2148
-
951
-
1427
1200
80
843
120
520
69
11273
-
25
150
266
3874
-|-
(632)
(9809)
(2148)
-
(951)
-
(1427)
(1200)
(80)
(663)
(120)
(520)
(69)
(11107)
-
(25)
(150)
-
(6569)
-|-
(1000)
(1000)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-|150
4768
20667
-
196
-
2210
-
-|
||||||-
180
-
-
-
920
1902
-
-|
||||||266
19287
-|
|||**38054**|**(35470)**|**(2000)**|**50546**|
The transfers to the unrestricted fund from the Access and Contact Centre and the AFIA funds are to reflect the costs of managing these areas of work.
## **10. Glossary of terms**
**Restricted funds:** These are funds given to the charity, subject to specific restrictions set by the donor, but still within the general objects of the charity.
**Prepayments:** These are services that the charity has paid for in advance, but not used during the accounting period.
**Creditors:** These are amounts owed by the charity, but not paid during the accounting period.
**Advance receipts:** These are amounts received by the charity in the accounting period, for use in a future period.
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