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2021-12-31-accounts

Mothers’ Union Diocese of Leicester

Registered Charity Number: 250038

Trustees’ Annual Report & Consolidated Accounts

For the year ended 31 December 2021

Mothers’ Union Diocese of Leicester, Charity Number 250038

Legal and administrative information

Registered Charity Name: The Mothers’ Union (Diocese of Leicester Branch)

Charity Number: 250038
Address: St Martins House
7 Peacock Lane
Leicester
LE1 5PZ
Trustees:
Margaret Rouse Life Vice-President from 1/1/22
Yvonne Smith Life Vice-President (Diocesan President to 31/12/21)
Mary Clarkson from 1/1/22
Ruth Fryer
Janice Lunn
Eileen Payne from 1/1/22
Cynthia Thomson Faith Adviser from 1/1/22
Susan Wilson
Ros Dobbin to 31/12/21
Annette Hall to 31/12/21
Pamela Harvey to 31/12/21
Diane Johnson to 31/12/21
RoseMarie Manning to 31/12/21
Linda Poole to 31/12/21
Diane Wightman to 31/12/21

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

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Mothers’ Union Diocese of Leicester, Charity Number 250038

Administrator: Kate Cooper (from 25/4/22) 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 2021

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 800 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 and have the option of meeting in groups but without the administration involved in a branch. 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.

The COVID-19 pandemic continued to limit us throughout 2021, but activities began to resume during the second half of the year. We used Zoom for Diocesan meetings when we were not able to meet in person during the first half of the year.

Having had to cancel the annual holiday on the east coast that we had arranged for needy Leicestershire families in 2020, we were very pleased to be able to organise a holiday for 13 families in 2021. We were able to take everyone on our waiting list, some of whom had been referred in 2019. Our Away From It All Holiday Project provides a fully-funded holiday in self-catering caravans at Haven Golden Sands Holiday Park in Mablethorpe. This holiday park has free

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Mothers’ Union Diocese of Leicester, Charity Number 250038

activities and amusements for families, as well as being close to the beach. We also provide transport, a generous grocery pack for each family and handknitted teddies for the children. Members of the organising committee accompany the families to provide friendly support throughout the holiday. During the week, the committee hired a local church hall and organised a family fun night with sausage and chip supper as a treat. The holiday provides families with a welcome break away from their daily pressures. Families are referred to us by Mothers’ Union members, clergy, health visitors, teachers, social workers or other agencies. Mothers’ Union members raise all the money needed to provide the holiday and their funds are certainly put to good use.

Members continued to support local initiatives to help homeless, vulnerable and elderly people in their immediate area throughout the year. During the second half of the year, we issued an up-to-date projects list and restarted our collection of items for those in need, including women’s underwear, hats, gloves, scarves and toiletries.

Our Supporting Homeless in Leicestershire project fund enabled us to respond to ever-changing requests for help throughout the year, as COVID-19 and the arrival of refugees from Afghanistan created additional needs in 2021. Items supplied included household items, footwear and baby equipment. As costs increased, the use of charity shops for the purchase of items helps our funds to go further, which was particularly important, given that little fundraising was possible during 2020 and 2021.

Prayers were circulated to encourage members to pray and raise awareness during the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence in November/December 2021. A trustee represents Mothers’ Union on the Diocesan Panel for Social Responsibility, and another member is involved in Diocesan response to modern-day slavery. At the end of August 2021, after an idea was shared by Mothers’ Union in Bristol, our local members were asked if they would knit links to be made into a chain as a visual aid for Modern Slavery Day on 18[th] October. Each link would represent a victim of modern-day slavery in Leicestershire. Our members and friends produced over 10,000 links to represent the huge number of victims in Leicestershire, and the chain continues to travel around the Diocese to raise awareness and inspire prayer.

We held a Diocesan Lady Day service on Zoom and continue to maintain a prayer chain to support anyone in need. We keep contact with members who are housebound by sending greetings cards and letters. Our Diocesan President

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Mothers’ Union Diocese of Leicester, Charity Number 250038

continued to telephone branch and deanery leaders regularly in order to find out how they and their members were coping while not being able to meet together. In turn, branch leaders faithfully maintained contact with their members. We were able to continue to produce our Diocesan newspaper three times per year; this is a very important method of communication as a good number of members do not have internet access, and many of those who do still appreciate a hard copy document.

We continue to work hard to establish contact with our five Mothers’ Union prayer partners in Kenya, Nigeria (2), Solomon Islands and Zambia. The Mothers’ Union badges sent to the Diocese of Eastern Zambia by Market Harborough Branch in response to their request were finally received in October 2021, almost a year since their despatch. 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.

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. We received 10% commission on all our purchases.

We promoted events organised online by central Mothers’ Union throughout the year. Online Midday Prayers Monday to Saturday each week, led by central staff or members, continued to be a great success, with members participating from all over the world. Central Mothers’ Union have produced additional resources for members on their website.

Elections for Trustee positions were held during 2021. There were no nominations for the role of Diocesan President so the Trustees will work together to cover the duties from 1[st] January 2022. The new Trustee Board was commissioned at a Diocesan service at St Margaret’s Church, Leicester in December. We intend to revise our constitution during the period of office of the new Trustee Board and central Mothers’ Union has undertaken to produce a template version for dioceses. Our part-time Administrator resigned at the end of 2021.

Our assets at 31 December 2021 were £9,043 less than at the start of the year, as a result of two years where members were unable to arrange fundraising events for local projects. However, we remain grateful to all our members for

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Mothers’ Union Diocese of Leicester, Charity Number 250038

the financial support they have been able to provide during another challenging year. The Trustees have examined the current level of unrestricted reserves, £23,326, and assess this to be satisfactory to secure the charity’s immediate future. Falling membership remains a concern, even though some expenditure falls with it.

Assessment and mitigation of risk is undertaken by the Finance and Administration Working Group and 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.

Prepared by Susan Wilson, Diocesan Treasurer

The report was approved by the Trustees on 17[th] May 2022.

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 2021

General
Fund		 Central
Funds		 Local
Funds		 Total
2021		 Total
2020
£ £ £ £ £
Income 10,420 20,755 3,811 34,986 31,682
Expenditure 9,461 20,755 13,813 44,029 30,345
Surplus/(Deficit) 959 - (10,002) (9,043) 1,337
Balances brought forward 1 January 22,367 - 31,184 53,551 57,214
Donation to MSH Covid-19 Impact Appeal from reserves - - 5,000
Balances carried forward 31 December 23,326 - 21,182 44,508 53,551
Income Note General
Fund		 Central
Funds		 Local
Funds		 Total
2021		 Total
2020
£ £ £ £ £
Subscriptions 3,930 15,682 19,612 17,414
Insurance 168 168 178
Diocesan General Fund 2,009 2,009 1,794
Gift Aid Income Tax recovered 2,271 2,271 1,707
Gift Aid Small Donations Scheme - - 105
Legacy - - 1,000
MU Enterprises sales commission 1 556 556 552
Recycling 926 926 390
Investment income 20 5 25 143
Diocesan events 119 119 -
Collection for retiringDiocesan President 421 421 -
Other income - - 35
Overseas Development Fund 939 939 1,639
Relief Fund 807 807 485
Britain & Ireland Development Fund 1,208 1,208 659
MSH Summer of Hope 588 588 -
MSH MU on the Move 30 30
MSH General Fund 1,501 1,501 3,586
AwayFrom It All HolidayProject 2 3,001 3,001 912
SupportingHomeless in Leicestershire 740 740 827
MemoryGiving 65 65 256
Total income 10,420 20,755 3,811 34,986 31,682

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Mothers’ Union Diocese of Leicester, Charity Number 250038

Expenditure Note General
Fund		 Central
Funds		 Local
Funds		 Total
2021		 Total
2020
£ £ £ £ £
MSH subscriptions 15,682 15,682 12,949
Staff salary 4,446 4,446 3,097
Insurance - - 430
Stationery& equipment 18 18 18
Postage 211 211 221
Photocopying - - 11
Bank charges 96 96 94
Meetingroom hire & Zoom 221 221 85
Website - - 13
MUspaper 3,211 3,211 2,025
Officials' expenses 256 256 121
Training 258 258 153
Diocesan events 289 289 50
MSHpublications 34 34 11
Collection for retiringDiocesan President 421 421
Other expenditure - - 35
Overseas Development Fund 939 939 1,639
Relief Fund 807 807 485
Britain & Ireland Development Fund 1,208 1,208 659
MSH Summer of Hope Appeal 588 588 -
MU on the Move 30 30
MSH General Fund 1,501 1,501 3,586
Difference in MU Literature assets 1 188 188 90
AwayFrom It All HolidayProject 2 9,630 9,630 -
SupportingHomeless in Leicestershire 740 740 827
Lutterworth & Bitteswell(MemoryGiving) 321 321
Difference in SupportingHomeless in Leics funds 999 999 857
Difference in funds held bybranches 3 1,935 1,935 2,889
Total expenditure 9,461 20,755 13,813 44,029 30,345
Away From It All Holiday Project:
2020
£ £
Income:
Balance at 1st January 15,950 15,008
Donations 3,001 912
Interest on CBF account 5 30
Total 18,956 15,950
Expenditure 9,630 -
Balance at 31 December 9,326 15,950
Expenditure breakdown:
Accommodation 7,780 -
Coaches 1,850 -
Total 9,630 -

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Mothers’ Union Diocese of Leicester, Charity Number 250038

Supporting Homeless in Leicestershire account:
2020
£ £
Income:
Balance 1 January 7,442 8,299
Donations 740 827
Total 8,182 9,126
Expenditure 1,739 1,684
Balance 31 December 6,443 7,442
Current Assets:
Note General
Fund		 Central
Funds		 Local
Funds		 Total
2021		 Total
2020
£ £ £ £ £
CAF Bank Cash Account 9,407 9,407 16,182
CAF Bank Gold Account 3,444 3,444 3,444
CBF Deposit Account 19,736 19,736 19,736
Nat West MU Literature account 476 476 564
MU Literature cash in hand 64 64 49
MU Literature debtors 18 18 32
MU Literature stock 1 897 897 998
CBF AwayFrom It All HolidayProject account 5,405 5,405 5,405
SupportingHomeless in Leicestershire account 6,442 6,442 7,441
Funds held bybranches 3 3,959 3,959 5,894
Creditors 4 (68) (4,535) (740) (5,343) (6,195)
Total Current Assets 32,519 (4,535) 16,521 44,505 53,550

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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. £107 of dated or damaged stock was written
off during 2021.
2. Away From It All Holiday Project
Fund balance at 31 December 2021 is £9,326.
3. Funds held by branches
At 31 December 2021 Mothers' Union Diocese of Leicester had 10 deanerycommittees and 37 branches. The
total assets held at 31 December 2021 bythe 2 deaneries and 20 branches which submitted returns was £3,959.
4.Creditors at 31/12/21 General Central Local Total
£ £ £ £
HMRC 19 19
Meetingroom hire 39 39
Collection for retiringDiocesan President 10 10
Overseas Development Fund 939 939
Relief Fund 807 807
Britain & Ireland Development Fund 1,208 1,208
MSH General Fund 1,501 1,501
Summer of Hope 50 50
MU on the Move 30 30
SupportingHomeless in Leicestershire 740 740
68 4,535 740 5,343
This is the financialposition of Mothers' Union Diocese of Leicester as at 31 December 2021.
The accounts have beenprepared on the receipts andpayments basis under section 133 of the Charities Act 2011.
Prepared bySusan Wilson,Diocesan Treasurer
The accounts were approved bythe Trustees on 17th May2022.
On behalf of the Trustees

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 17th May 2022. 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 2021, set out on pages 8 to 11 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:

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

  1. which gives me reasonable cause to believe that, in any material respect, the requirements:

  2. to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; and

  3. to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Charities Act

have not been met; or

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Mothers’ Union Diocese of Leicester, Charity Number 250038

  1. 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

13[th] October 2022

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