Mothers’ Union Diocese of Leicester
Registered Charity Number: 250038
Trustees’ Annual Report & Consolidated Accounts
For the year ended 31 December 2020
Mothers’ Union Diocese of Leicester, Charity Number 250038
Le al and administrative information g
Registered Charity Name: The Mothers’ Union (Diocese of Leicester Branch)
Charity Number: 250038 Address: St. Martins House 7 Peacock Lane Leicester LE1 5PZ Trustees: Yvonne Smith Diocesan President (Chair) RoseMarie Manning Life Vice-President Susan Wilson Life Vice-President Ros Dobbin Ruth Fryer Annette Hall Pamela Harvey Diane Johnson Diocesan Chaplain Janice Lunn Linda Poole Diane Wightman
The Trustees are constituted as follows:
Diocesan President elected by Diocesan Council Up to two Life Vice-Presidents chosen by them Seven Trustees elected by Diocesan Council Diocesan Chaplain appointed by Diocesan President and Diocesan Bishop One Deanery Leader elected by Deanery Leaders Administrator: Heather Powell Honorary Treasurer Susan Wilson Bankers: CAF Bank Ltd 25 Kings Hill Avenue Kings Hill West Malling Kent ME19 4JQ Independent Examiner: Robert P. Appleby, MA, FCA Rutland House, 23–25 Friar Lane, Leicester, LE1 5QQ
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Mothers’ Union Diocese of Leicester, Charity Number 250038
Trustees’ Annual Report 1 January to 31 December 2020
Mothers’ Union Diocese of Leicester is a charity federated to similar charities bearing the same name, and with the same Aim and Objects and sharing the same ethos and direction as the central charity. It is governed by its own constitution (last revised February 2011). The elected Board of Trustees makes major decisions and carries out or enables practical projects. The elected Chair of Trustees (Diocesan President) attends Provincial Conference and reports back to the Diocese. One part-time administrator is employed for 9 hours per week. All trading is channelled through Mothers’ Union Enterprises Ltd.
The aim of Mothers’ Union is to advance the Christian religion in the sphere of marriage and family life and this is focused on five objectives: to promote and support marriage; to encourage parents in their role to develop the faith of their children; to maintain a worldwide fellowship of Christians united in prayer, worship and service; to promote conditions in society favourable to stable family life and the protection of children; to help those whose family life has met with adversity.
There are 900 Mothers’ Union members in Leicester Diocese. Most are members of branches in Anglican churches throughout the Diocese; others pay their subscription and receive mailings direct from our Leicester office. Members are involved in local projects and ministry as well as supporting the work of the central Mothers' Union. Involvement includes prayer, volunteer time, donating goods or money. All our events and projects welcome involvement from members and non-members alike. We try to encourage new membership wherever possible and keep our local work under review to try to be as effective as possible.
2020 was dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected all our planned activities from 20[th] March to the end of the year.
In 2020 we had to cancel the annual holiday on the east coast that we had arranged for needy Leicestershire families. The families involved were sent Christmas cards and their names will be carried forward to 2021. Members were encouraged to support local initiatives to help homeless, vulnerable and elderly people in their immediate area. Although knitted teddies and baby jackets were still needed, it was not practical to collect and redistribute those items during the latter nine months of the year.
Our Supporting Homeless in Leicestershire project.fund enabled us to respond to requests from a number of people who had been rehoused because of COVID-19 issues, such as not being able to stay with friends. There were also requests for household items, from older people as well as families. Trying to locate goods to purchase was challenging when shops were closed. Some people were so low in mood that sometimes just a few items requested helped them believe that through all the chaos of 2020 there were people who still cared enough to help.
Prayers were circulated to encourage members to pray and raise awareness during the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence in November/December 2020. A trustee represents Mothers’ Union on the Diocesan Panel for Social Responsibility, where another member also takes the lead on the issue of modern-day slavery. Our Diocesan President is involved in the Diocesan group planning to welcome several overseas bishops and their spouses to the Diocese in advance of the Lambeth Conference for Anglican bishops originally scheduled for summer 2020 but postponed to summer 2022.
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Mothers’ Union Diocese of Leicester, Charity Number 250038
One prayer service was held in Leicester Cathedral; two others and a Quiet Day had to be cancelled because of COVID-19 restrictions. We maintain a prayer chain to support anyone in need. We maintain contact with members who are housebound by sending greetings cards and letters. Since March our Diocesan President has conscientiously contacted branch and deanery leaders regularly in order to find out how they and their members have been coping during nine months of extremely restricted activity. In turn, branch leaders have faithfully maintained contact with their members.
Further progress has been made in our attempts to establish contact with our five Mothers’ Union prayer partners in Kenya, Nigeria (2), Solomon Islands and Zambia. Having established contact with Mothers’ Union in the Diocese of Mombasa, Kenya, in 2019, we now have communication with the Diocese of Eastern Zambia and Market Harborough Branch have sent Mothers’ Union badges in response to their request. We continue to pray for them all, encouraging all members to particularly remember them at the end of June and beginning of July each year when our group appears in the Mothers’ Union Wave of Prayer schedule.
In company with many charities and organisations, central Mothers’ Union’s finances took a major hit in the pandemic and in April 2020 all dioceses were asked to help financially if they could. We gave £5,000 from our accumulated reserves. An appeal was also made to members and many of our members responded. We continued to support the work of the central organisation by selling Mothers’ Union cards and gifts among our members and friends. Our Diocesan MU Enterprises Representative orders in bulk, but individuals can also put in orders.
Many of the large events organised by central Mothers’ Union have taken place online, giving access to more members. One of the biggest successes has been online Midday Prayers each day, led by central staff or members. Members have been joining in from all over the world.
During 2020 one of our trustees, Linda Poole, continued to serve as a non-executive trustee on the central Mothers’ Union Enterprises Board. The updating of our diocesan records on the central database of members was completed.
In due course it will be necessary for us to revise our constitution but, until the COVID-19 restrictions come to an end, we need to wait before changing our formal structure. On 21[st] April 2020 a new part-time Administrator, Heather Powell, took up employment with us. Heather has not yet been able to access office space in St Martins House as the building has been closed since March 2020 as a result of Leicester being under continuous restrictions.
Our assets at 31 December 2020 were £3,663 less than at the start of the year. We are grateful to all our members for their financial support during this challenging year. We acknowledge, with thanks, a legacy from the late Dorothy Wells. The Trustees have examined the current level of unrestricted reserves, £22,367, and assess this to be satisfactory to secure the charity’s immediate future. Falling membership is a concern, even though some expenditure falls with it.
Assessment and mitigation of risk is undertaken by the Finance and Administration Working Group and regularly reported to the Trustees. The Trustees are paying due regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit as we seek to meet our charitable objectives. We follow the Leicester Diocese Safeguarding Policy with the additional request that members make themselves aware of who the Safeguarding Coordinator is in the parish where they are working.
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Mothers’ Union Diocese of Leicester, Charity Number 250038
Prepared by Susan Wilson, Diocesan Treasurer
The report was approved by the Trustees on 12[th] May 2021.
Yvonne Smith, Diocesan President and Chair of Trustees On behalf of the Trustees
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Mothers’ Union Diocese of Leicester, Charity Number 250038
Consolidated Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2020
| General | Central | Local | Total | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fund | Funds | Funds | 2020 | 2019 | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Income | 10,339 | 19,318 | 2,025 | 31,682 | 44,872 |
| Expenditure | 6,364 | 19,318 | 4,663 | 30,345 | 40,778 |
| Surplus/(Deficit) | 3,975 | - | (2,638) | 1,337 | 4,094 |
| Balances brought forward 1 January | 23,392 | - | 33,822 | 57,214 | 53,120 |
| Donation to MSH Covid-19 Impact Appeal from reserves | 5,000 | 5,000 | - | ||
| Balances carried forward 31 December | 22,367 | - | 31,184 | 53,551 | 57,214 |
| General | Central | Local | Local | Total | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Income | Note | Fund | Funds | Funds | 2020 | 2019 | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |||
| Subscriptions | 4,465 | 12,949 | 17,414 | 18,673 | |||
| Insurance | 178 | 178 | 205 | ||||
| Diocesan General Fund | 1,794 | 1,794 | 1,810 | ||||
| Gift Aid Income Tax recovered | 1,707 | 1,707 | 2,536 | ||||
| Gift Aid Small Donations Scheme | 105 | 105 | 344 | ||||
| Legacy | 1,000 | 1,000 | - | ||||
| MU Enterprises sales commission | 1 | 552 | 552 | 596 | |||
| Recycling | 390 | 390 | 666 | ||||
| Investment income | 113 | 30 | 143 | 188 | |||
| Repayment of bank charges | - | 5 | |||||
| Faith & Policy events | - | 250 | |||||
| Expenses refund | - | 22 | |||||
| Diocesan events | - | 30 | |||||
| Other income | 35 | 35 | 124 | ||||
| Overseas Development Fund | 1,639 | 1,639 | 2,972 | ||||
| Relief Fund | 485 | 485 | 2,703 | ||||
| Britain & Ireland Development Fund | 659 | 659 | 1,106 | ||||
| MSH Summer of Hope | - | - | 271 | ||||
| MSH General Fund | 3,586 | 3,586 | 1,114 | ||||
| Away From It All Holiday Project | 2 | 912 | 912 | 6,709 | |||
| Supporting Homeless in Leicestershire | 827 | 827 | 2,611 | ||||
| Memory Giving | 256 | 256 | - | ||||
| Difference in Supporting Homeless in Leics funds | - | 1,221 | |||||
| Difference in funds held by branches | 3 | - | 716 | ||||
| Total income | 10,339 | 19,318 | 2,025 | 31,682 | 44,872 |
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Mothers’ Union Diocese of Leicester, Charity Number 250038
| General | Central | Local | Local | Total | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Expenditure | Note | Fund | Funds | Funds | 2020 | 2019 | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |||
| MSH subscriptions | 12,949 | 12,949 | 13,797 | ||||
| Staff salary | 3,097 | 3,097 | 4,394 | ||||
| Employer's NIC | - | - | 341 | ||||
| LDBF salary administration | - | - | 72 | ||||
| Insurance | 430 | 430 | 495 | ||||
| Stationery & equipment | 18 | 18 | 66 | ||||
| Postage | 221 | 221 | 335 | ||||
| Photocopying | 11 | 11 | - | ||||
| Bank charges | 94 | 94 | 70 | ||||
| Meeting room hire | 85 | 85 | 192 | ||||
| Website | 13 | 13 | 8 | ||||
| MUspaper | 2,025 | 2,025 | 2,996 | ||||
| Officials' expenses | 121 | 121 | 818 | ||||
| Training | 153 | 153 | 558 | ||||
| Faith & Policy events | - | - | 140 | ||||
| Diocesan events | 50 | 50 | 282 | ||||
| MSH publications | 11 | 11 | 92 | ||||
| Other expenditure | 35 | 35 | 124 | ||||
| Overseas Development Fund | 1,639 | 1,639 | 2,972 | ||||
| Relief Fund | 485 | 485 | 2,703 | ||||
| Britain & Ireland Development Fund | 659 | 659 | 1,106 | ||||
| MSH Summer of Hope Appeal | - | - | 271 | ||||
| MSH General Fund | 3,586 | 3,586 | 1,114 | ||||
| Difference in MU Literature assets | 1 | 90 | 90 | 239 | |||
| Away From It All Holiday Project | 2 | - | - | 4,982 | |||
| Supporting Homeless in Leicestershire | 827 | 827 | 2,611 | ||||
| Difference in Supporting Homeless in Leics funds | 857 | 857 | - | ||||
| Difference in funds held by branches | 3 | 2,889 | 2,889 | - | |||
| Total expenditure | 6,364 | 19,318 | 4,663 | 30,345 | 40,778 |
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Mothers’ Union Diocese of Leicester, Charity Number 250038
Away From It All Holiday Project:
| Away From It All Holiday Project: | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | ||||||
| £ | £ | |||||
| Income: | ||||||
| Balance at 1st January | 15,008 | 13,242 | ||||
| Donations | 912 | 6,234 | ||||
| Poor's Platt | - | 475 | ||||
| Interest on CBF account | 30 | 39 | ||||
| Total | 15,950 | 19,990 | ||||
| Expenditure | - | 4,982 | ||||
| Balance at 31 December | 15,950 | 15,008 | ||||
| Expenditure breakdown: | ||||||
| Accommodation | - | 3,124 | ||||
| Coaches | - | 1,100 | ||||
| Deposit for coach 2020 | - | 100 | ||||
| Food | - | 600 | ||||
| Expenses | - | 58 | ||||
| Total | - | 4,982 | ||||
| Supporting Homeless in Leicestershire account: | ||||||
| 2019 | ||||||
| £ | £ | |||||
| Income: | ||||||
| Balance 1 January | 8,299 | 7,078 | ||||
| Donations | 827 | 2,611 | ||||
| Total | 9,126 | 9,689 | ||||
| Expenditure | 1,684 | 1,390 | ||||
| Balance 31 December | 7,442 | 8,299 | ||||
| Current Assets: | ||||||
| General | Central | Local | Total | Total | ||
| Note | Fund | Funds | Funds | 2020 | 2019 | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | ||
| CAF Bank Cash Account | 16,182 | 16,182 | 21,555 | |||
| CAF Bank Gold Account | 3,444 | 3,444 | 3,441 | |||
| CBF Deposit Account | 19,736 | 19,736 | 19,736 | |||
| Nat West MU Literature account | 564 | 564 | 646 | |||
| MU Literature cash in hand | 49 | 49 | 54 | |||
| MU Literature debtors | 32 | 32 | 15 | |||
| MU Literature stock | 1 | 998 | 998 | 1,018 | ||
| CBF Away From It All Holiday Project account | 5,405 | 5,405 | 5,405 | |||
| Supporting Homeless in Leicestershire account | 7,441 | 7,441 | 8,299 | |||
| Funds held by branches | 3 | 5,894 | 5,894 | 8,783 | ||
| Creditors | 4 | (5,556) | (639) | (6,195) | (11,739) | |
| Total Current Assets | 39,362 | (5,556) | 19,744 | 53,550 | 57,213 |
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Mothers’ Union Diocese of Leicester, Charity Number 250038
Notes to the accounts
1. MU Literature
Stock is bought at retail price from Mothers' Union Enterprises Ltd. £48 of dated or damaged stock was written off during 2020.
2. Away From It All Holiday Project
Fund balance at 31 December 2020 is £15,950.
3. Funds held by branches
At 31 December 2020 Mothers' Union Diocese of Leicester had 10 deanery committees and 40 branches. The total assets held at 31 December 2020 by the 2 deaneries and 25 branches which submitted returns was £5,894.
| 4.Creditors at 31/12/20 | General | Central | Local | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Overseas Development Fund | 1,367 | 1,367 | ||
| Relief Fund | 180 | 180 | ||
| Britain & Ireland Development Fund | 484 | 484 | ||
| MSH General Fund | 3,525 | 3,525 | ||
| Supporting Homeless in Leicestershire | 639 | 639 | ||
| - | 5,556 | 639 | 6,195 |
This is the financial position of Mothers' Union Diocese of Leicester as at 31 December 2020.
The accounts have been prepared on the receipts and payments basis under section 133 of the Charities Act 2011.
Prepared by Susan Wilson, Diocesan Treasurer
The accounts were approved by the Trustees on 12th May 2021.
Yvonne Smith, Diocesan President and Chair of Trustees On behalf of the Trustees
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Mothers’ Union Diocese of Leicester, Charity Number 250038
Independent Examiner’s Report on the accounts
Independent Examiner’s Report to the trustees and members of Mothers’ Union Diocese of Leicester on accounts for the year ended 31 December 2020, set out on pages 6 to 9 of this document
The trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The trustees consider that an audit is not required under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Charities Act”) and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to:
-
examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act,
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to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 145 of the Charities Act), and
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to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
My examination was carried out in accordance with general Directions given by the Charity Commission. 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 the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair’ view and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention
-
which gives me reasonable cause to believe that, in any material respect, the requirements:
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to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; and
-
• to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Charities Act
have not been met; or
- to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Signed:
Robert P. Appleby, MA, FCA Rutland House 23-25 Friar Lane Leicester LE1 5QQ
- 5[th] October 2021
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Mothers, Union Diocese of Leicester, Charity Number 250Q38