Mothers’ Union Diocese of Leicester
Registered Charity Number: 250038
Trustees’ Annual Report & Consolidated Accounts
For the year ended 31 December 2024
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:
Ruth Fryer Diocesan President from 1/1/25 Margaret Rouse Past Diocesan President Susan Wilson Past Diocesan President Yvonne Smith Past Diocesan President (to 31/12/24) Mary Clarkson Janice Lunn (to 31/12/24) Noreen Mewies (from 1/1/25) Eileen Payne Cynthia Thomson Faith Adviser (to 31/12/24)
The Trustees are constituted as follows:
Diocesan President elected by the membership Up to two Past Diocesan Presidents chosen by them Up to seven Trustees elected by the membership
Administrator: Kate Cooper Honorary Treasurer Susan Wilson
Bankers: CAF Bank Ltd 25 Kings Hill Avenue Kings Hill West Malling Kent ME19 4JQ
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Mothers’ Union Diocese of Leicester, Charity Number 250038
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 2024
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 (revised September 2024). 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 over 500 Mothers’ Union members in Leicester Diocese. Most are members of branches in Anglican churches throughout the Diocese; others (Diocesan Members) 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. All are invited to attend our Members’ Forum meetings, which are held twice per year to enable members to meet each other and to hear news of Mothers’ Union work locally, nationally and internationally.
Members are involved in local projects and ministry as well as supporting the work of the central Mothers' Union charity. Involvement includes prayer, volunteer time, donating goods or funds. 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.
In 2024, we were, once again, able to organise and fund a holiday on the east coast for 10 Leicestershire families who had either never had a holiday or not had one for several years. In addition, we were able to offer a holiday, in a suitable caravan, to a family with special needs on a different week. Unfortunately, that did not work out as well as hoped for that family. Our Away From It All Holiday Project provides a fully-funded holiday in self-catering
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Mothers’ Union Diocese of Leicester, Charity Number 250038
caravans at Haven Golden Sands Holiday Park in Mablethorpe. This holiday park has free activities and amusements for families, as well as being close to the beach. We also provide return transport and a generous grocery pack for each family. Members of the organising committee accompany the families to provide friendly support throughout the holiday. The holiday provides families with a welcome break from daily pressures. Families are referred to us by Mothers’ Union members, clergy, health visitors, teachers, social workers or other agencies. Mothers’ Union members, with occasional very welcome support from local charities, raise the money needed to provide the holiday and their funds are put to very good use. In 2024 we received a generous donation Barwell Poor’s Platt Charity.
Members continued to support local initiatives to help families in need, including those of prisoners, vulnerable and elderly people throughout the year. We kept them regularly informed of current needs as they collected items such as clothes, toiletries and equipment for babies and mothers; Easter eggs; Easter and Christmas craft items; women’s underwear; hats, gloves, scarves and toiletries. We donated Easter eggs, Christmas gifts and craft items to HMP Leicester and HMP Gartree and to Women’s Aid. Via a prison chaplain, we sent Christmas cards to prisoners at HMP Fosse Way.
2024 was as busy as ever with requests for help from our Supporting Homeless in Leicestershire project fund. Blankets, hats and clothes were regularly requested, along with nappies, wipes and food for babies. Bedding and baby blankets were also supplied. Items were often sourced from charity shops, which sell at reasonable prices as well as, in turn, supporting their own charities. Those who received our support welcomed the help that we were able to offer.
One trustee represents Mothers’ Union on the Diocesan Panel for Social Responsibility, and another is involved in the Diocesan response to modern-day slavery.
We 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. As well as information by email, we produced our printed Diocesan newspaper twice in 2024. However, in the autumn members voted to revert to three issues for 2025, although with the option of a digital copy for those who would prefer it. The printed version is still a very important method of communication, particularly for those who do not have internet access.
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Mothers’ Union Diocese of Leicester, Charity Number 250038
We continue to work hard to establish and maintain contact with our five Mothers’ Union prayer partners in Kenya, Nigeria (2), Solomon Islands and Zambia. 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.
Our members have continued to generously support the Mothers’ Union project to combat Female Genital Mutilation in the Diocese of Kiteto in Tanzania, both in prayer and with donations. In January 2024, one of our members visited Kiteto and brought back news of the progress of the project and how the donation we made in 2023 was helping the Mothers’ Union members there to challenge a deeply-rooted cultural practice that persists in practice, although it is now illegal in Tanzania. Funds collected in 2024 will be sent to the Diocese of Kiteto in January 2025.
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, whether made by our Representative or by individuals.
We promoted events organised 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. We also encouraged members to support central fundraising appeals if they were able. Central Mothers’ Union have continued to provide resources for members on their website.
We are very grateful to the Diocese of Leicester for accommodating our parttime Administrator in St Martins House, Leicester, where she works one partday each week. Her remaining hours are flexible and worked at home.
Our assets at 31 December 2024 were £2,095 less than at the start of the year, most of the decrease being seen in the funds held by branches. We are grateful to all our members for their financial support. The Trustees have examined the current level of unrestricted reserves, £26,543, and assess this to be satisfactory to secure the charity’s immediate future. However, in common with most other dioceses, falling membership remains a concern.
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Mothers’ Union Diocese of Leicester, Charity Number 250038
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. Central Mothers’ Union produced its own Safeguarding Policy at the end of 2023 and the Trustees adopted this in January 2024. Two Trustees attended training on the new policy during the year.
Prepared by Susan Wilson, Diocesan Treasurer.
The report was approved by the Trustees on 20[th] May 2025.
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 2024
| General Fund |
Central Funds |
Local Funds |
Total 2024 |
Total 2023 |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | ||
| Income | 10,188 | 15,555 | 7,839 | 33,582 | 39,365 | |
| Expenditure | 11,095 | 15,338 | 7,970 | 34,403 | 37,491 | |
| Surplus/(Deficit) | (907) | 217 | (131) | (821) | 1,874 | |
| Balances brought forward 1 January | 27,450 | 322 | 21,854 | 49,626 | 47,752 | |
| Balances carried forward 31 December | 26,543 | 539 | 21,723 | 48,805 | 49,626 |
| Income | Note | General Fund |
Central Funds |
Local Funds |
Total 2024 |
Total 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | ||
| Subscriptions | 2,633 | 12,667 | 15,300 | 16,459 | ||
| Insurance | 106 | 106 | 124 | |||
| Diocesan General Fund | 2,624 | 2,624 | 4,099 | |||
| Gift Aid Income Tax recovered | 2,420 | 2,420 | 2,089 | |||
| Gift Aid Small Donations Scheme | - | 110 | ||||
| MU Enterprises sales commission | 1 | 480 | 480 | 482 | ||
| Recycling | 757 | 757 | 668 | |||
| Investment income | 1,148 | 281 | 1,429 | 1,061 | ||
| Diocesan events | - | 490 | ||||
| FGM Tanzania | 1,979 | 1,979 | 1,345 | |||
| Other income | 20 | 20 | - | |||
| Overseas Development Fund | - | 50 | ||||
| Relief Fund | - | 20 | ||||
| Britain & Ireland Development Fund | 204 | 204 | 770 | |||
| MSH Summer of Hope | 263 | 263 | 140 | |||
| MSH General Fund | 2,421 | 2,421 | 2,819 | |||
| MSH Christmas Appeal | - | 9 | ||||
| MU Literature | - | 61 | ||||
| AwayFrom It All HolidayProject | 2 | 3,960 | 3,960 | 6,742 | ||
| SupportingHomeless in Leicestershire | 1,478 | 1,478 | 1,827 | |||
| Difference in SupportingHomeless in Leics funds | 141 | 141 | - | |||
| Total income | 10,188 | 15,555 | 7,839 | 33,582 | 39,365 |
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Mothers’ Union Diocese of Leicester, Charity Number 250038
| Expenditure | Note | General Fund |
Central Funds |
Local Funds |
Total 2024 |
Total 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | ||
| MSH subscriptions | 180 | 12,450 | 12,630 | 12,977 | ||
| Staff salary | 5,616 | 5,616 | 5,101 | |||
| Insurance | 450 | 450 | 450 | |||
| Stationery& equipment | 23 | 23 | 34 | |||
| Postage | 215 | 215 | 238 | |||
| Photocopying | - | 27 | ||||
| Bank charges | 60 | 60 | 86 | |||
| Meetingroom hire & Zoom | 90 | 90 | 365 | |||
| Website | - | 13 | ||||
| MUspaper | 3,787 | 3,787 | 3,393 | |||
| Officials' expenses | 104 | 104 | 19 | |||
| Training | 167 | 167 | 116 | |||
| Diocesan events | 104 | 104 | 848 | |||
| MSHpublications | 69 | 69 | 78 | |||
| CanterburyProvince | 115 | 115 | 100 | |||
| Other expenditure | 20 | 20 | - | |||
| Overseas Development Fund | - | 50 | ||||
| Relief Fund | - | 20 | ||||
| Britain & Ireland Development Fund | 204 | 204 | 770 | |||
| MSH Summer of Hope Appeal | 263 | 263 | 140 | |||
| MSH General Fund | 2,421 | 2,421 | 2,819 | |||
| MSH Christmas Appeal | - | 9 | ||||
| MU Literature | - | 61 | ||||
| Difference in MU Literature assets | 1 | 166 | 166 | 89 | ||
| AwayFrom It All HolidayProject | 2 | 5,855 | 5,855 | 6,246 | ||
| SupportingHomeless in Leicestershire | 1,478 | 1,478 | 1,888 | |||
| Difference in SupportingHomeless in Leics funds | - | 266 | ||||
| FGM Tanzania | - | 1,050 | ||||
| Modern Slavery | 60 | 60 | - | |||
| Prisons | 35 | 35 | - | |||
| Difference in funds held bybranches | 3 | 471 | 471 | 238 | ||
| Total expenditure | 11,095 | 15,338 | 7,970 | 34,403 | 37,491 | |
| Away From It All Holiday Project: | ||||||
| 2024 | 2023 | |||||
| £ | £ | |||||
| Income: | ||||||
| Balance at 1st January | 10,394 | 9,691 | ||||
| Donations | 3,460 | 6,742 | ||||
| Grants | 500 | - | ||||
| Interest on CBF account | 281 | 207 | ||||
| Total | 14,635 | 16,640 | ||||
| Expenditure | 5,855 | 6,246 | ||||
| Balance at 31 December | 8,780 | 10,394 | ||||
| Expenditure breakdown: | ||||||
| Accommodation | 3,868 | 4,162 | ||||
| Coaches | 1,400 | 1,440 | ||||
| Food | 500 | 500 | ||||
| Mobilityscooters | - | 144 | ||||
| Expenses | 87 | - | ||||
| Total | 5,855 | 6,246 |
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Mothers’ Union Diocese of Leicester, Charity Number 250038
| Supporting Homeless in Leicestershire account: | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | |||||
| £ | £ | |||||
| Income: | ||||||
| Balance 1 January | 5,582 | 5,848 | ||||
| Donations | 1,478 | 1,888 | ||||
| Total | 7,060 | 7,736 | ||||
| Expenditure | 1,338 | 2,154 | ||||
| Balance 31 December | 5,722 | 5,582 | ||||
| FGM Project: | ||||||
| 2024 | 2023 | |||||
| £ | £ | |||||
| Income: | ||||||
| Balance 1 January | 345 | 50 | ||||
| Donations | 1,979 | 1,345 | ||||
| Total | 2,324 | 1,395 | ||||
| Expenditure | - | 1,050 | ||||
| Balance 31 December | 2,324 | 345 | ||||
| Current Assets: | ||||||
| Note | General Fund |
Central Funds |
Local Funds |
Total 2024 |
Total 2023 |
|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | ||
| CAF Bank Cash Account | 3,632 | 13,324 | 7,154 | 24,110 | 9,891 | |
| CAF Bank Gold Account | 3,610 | 3,610 | 3,522 | |||
| CBF Deposit Account | 19,736 | 19,736 | 19,736 | |||
| Nat West MU Literature account | 508 | 508 | 619 | |||
| MU Literature cash in hand | 84 | 84 | 83 | |||
| MU Literature debtors | - | - | 2 | |||
| MU Literature stock | 1 | 517 | 517 | 571 | ||
| CBF AwayFrom It All HolidayProject account | 5,405 | 5,405 | 5,405 | |||
| SupportingHomeless in Leicestershire account | 5,722 | 5,722 | 5,581 | |||
| Funds held bybranches | 3 | 3,849 | 3,849 | 4,320 | ||
| Creditors | 4 | (435) | (12,785) | (1,515) | (14,735) | (105) |
| Total Current Assets | 26,543 | 539 | 21,724 | 48,806 | 49,625 |
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Mothers’ Union Diocese of Leicester, Charity Number 250038
Notes to the accounts
| Notes forming part of the accounts for theyear ended 31 December 2024: | Notes forming part of the accounts for theyear ended 31 December 2024: | Notes forming part of the accounts for theyear ended 31 December 2024: | Notes forming part of the accounts for theyear ended 31 December 2024: | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. MU Literature | ||||||
| Stock is bought at retail price from Mothers' Union Enterprises Ltd. £63 of dated or damaged stock was written | ||||||
| off during 2024. | ||||||
| 2. Away From It All Holiday Project | ||||||
| Fund balance at 31 December 2024 is £8,780. | ||||||
| 3. Funds held by branches | ||||||
| At 31 December 2024 Mothers' Union Diocese of Leicester had 21 branches. The total assets held at 31 | ||||||
| December 2024 bythe 19 branches which submitted returns was £3,849. | ||||||
| 4. Creditors at 31/12/24 | General | Central | Local | Total | ||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |||
| Late subscriptions 2022/2023/2024 | 180 | 9,897 | 10,077 | |||
| Officials' expenses | 97 | 37 | 134 | |||
| Stationery | 23 | 23 | ||||
| Prisons | 35 | 35 | ||||
| CanterburyProvince | 100 | 100 | ||||
| Donations to central MU Funds | 2,888 | 2,888 | ||||
| SupportingHomeless in Leicestershire | 1,478 | 1,478 | ||||
| 435 | 12,785 | 1,515 | 14,735 | |||
| This is the financialposition of Mothers' Union Diocese of Leicester as at 31 December 2024. | ||||||
| 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 20th May2025 . | ||||||
| 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 2024, 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:
-
examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act,
-
to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 145 of the Charities Act), and
-
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:
-
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
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Mothers’ Union Diocese of Leicester, Charity Number 250038
- 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
8[th] August 2025
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