Trustees Report
Objects of the charity
Mothers’ Union is a global Christian movement founded in 1876 by Mary Sumner and today has over 4 million members in 84 countries worldwide. We work with people of all faiths and none to develop communities, strengthen families and advocate for change. We aim to build a future where everyone thrives. Full membership is open to anyone who is baptised in the name of the Trinity and we have friends and fellowship groups who support our aims and objectives:• 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• To promote and support married life. We, in Manchester, are part of a global, women led, volunteer movement. Our members are not all mothers or even women. They are single, married, parents, grandparents and young adults. Through prayer and action, our vision is a world where everyone prospers. We support and enable in order to build confident people and resilient communities. Our seek to bring about justice, challenge prejudice and advocate change. We aim to show our Christian faith by helping the sustainable transformation of communities. We do this by helping to nurture strong relationships at all levels, promoting peace and reconciliation locally, nationally and globally. Embedded in the Church and community, we have an unprecedented reach that gives a voice to the stigmatized and vulnerable locally and around the world. Safeguarding is always at the heart of what we do and we follow the Mothers’ Union Britain Safeguarding Policy and Procedures.
Manchester Mothers’ Union has the same boundaries and is divided into the same parishes, deaneries and archdeaconries as the Anglican Diocese. There are currently 784 paid members who either belong to local branches/groups, are deanery, diocesan, or indoor members. .
We have three Archdeaconry Presidents and two main Unit Coordinators, plus other smaller area co-ordinators who support the Trustees and facilitate the line of communication down to the Deaneries and branches. Two roles of deanery leader and some branch leader roles remain vacant, with nominated correspondents or committees keeping the communication lines open.
The Board of Trustees is responsible to the Charity Commission and monitors the Diocesan expenditure in terms of its value and worth to the public and the promotion of Mothers’ Union projects both at home and worldwide.
Our office is at St. John’s House, 155-163 The Rock, Bury, BL9 0ND, which is overseen by the Trustee for Finance and Administration. The office houses our shop/bookshop for the sale of cards, literature and Mothers’ Union gifts. This is staffed by Mothers’ Union volunteers.
Review of 2025
We currently do not have a Diocesan President, so the elected Trustees, along with the Archdeaconry Presidents and Unit Coordinators operate as Trustee Board which met 4 times during the year either on Zoom or face to face. Spring Council in April and the AGM and Autumn Council meeting in October both took place at St. John’s House, the End of Triennium Service of Celebration in October at Manchester Cathedral and our annual Advent service at St. Ann’s Church in central Manchester in December.
Newsletters are sent out bi-monthly to members and other dioceses, with our indoor members receiving communications monthly. We continue to use a variety of social media and “A Moment with God “is monthly on our You Tube channel.
We aim to maintain our links in the Wave of Prayer with our five- link Dioceses of:
Kisangani in Democratic Republic of Congo
Kagera in Tanzania
Awka in Nigeria
Sunyani in Ghana
Popondota in Papua New Guinea
We hope to nurture friendship within the Wave of Prayer with these Dioceses.
Our Outreach support through our Manchester Projects continues to increase as shown through our impact recorded on MU Live.
Our areas of support cover:
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Churches and local schools
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Domestic Violence/Gender based violence/Modern Slavery
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Woman’s Refuges
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Hospitals/ neo natal and baby units/bereavement
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HMP Forest Bank, HMP Manchester, HMP Buckley Hall
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Support for carers of those with disabilities
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Local community organisations throughout Greater Manchester
AFIA
Our Away From It All holiday project provides holidays and breaks for the less fortunate in society.
John Sharp
Administration and Finance Co-ordinator
Manchester Diocesan Mothers' Union
Reports & Accounts Financial Year Ending 31/12/2025
Created using ExpensePlus
Legal & Administrative Details
Charity Name: Manchester Diocesan Mothers' Union Charity Number: 250086 Charity Address: St Johns House 155- 162 The Rock Bury BL90ND
Independent Examiner: Monton Green Accountancy Ltd
Receipts & Payments Statement
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Total | Prior Year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Receipts | ||||
| Donations & Legacies | ||||
| Donations | 800 | 0 | 800 | 883 |
| Gift Aid | 66 | 0 | 66 | 0 |
| Grants | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Charitable Activities | ||||
| Event Income | 1,435 | 0 | 1,435 | 1,354 |
| Investments | ||||
| Bank Interest | 1,681 | 0 | 1,681 | 1,922 |
| Trading Activities | ||||
| Rental Income | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sales | 4,532 | 0 | 4,532 | 5,826 |
| Other | ||||
| Loans Received | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other Income | 31,629 | 0 | 31,629 | 31,260 |
| Sale of Fixed Assets | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sale of Investments | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total receipts | 40,143 | 0 | 40,143 | 41,245 |
| Payments | ||||
| Charitable Activities | ||||
| Activities | 16,339 | 0 | 16,339 | 17,688 |
| Admin | 3,490 | 0 | 3,490 | 3,527 |
| Advertising | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bank Charges | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Event Costs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gifts Given | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other Expenditure | 25,983 | 0 | 25,983 | 26,301 |
| Premises | 838 | 0 | 838 | 540 |
| Staff Costs | 791 | 0 | 791 | 417 |
| Governance Costs | ||||
| Governance Costs | 767 | 0 | 767 | 150 |
| Other | ||||
| Fixed Asset Purchases | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Loans Repaid | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Money Invested | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total payments | 48,206 | 0 | 48,206 | 48,624 |
| Net Receipts / Payments (before transfers) |
-8,064 | 0 | -8,064 | -7,379 |
| Fund Transfers In | 6,169 | 0 | 6,169 | 4,482 |
| Fund Transfers Out | 6,169 | 0 | 6,169 | 4,482 |
| Net Movement of Cash Funds | -8,064 | 0 | -8,064 | -7,379 |
| Total Cash Funds Brought Forward |
48,359 | 0 | 48,359 | 55,738 |
| Total Cash Funds Carried Forward |
40,295 | 0 | 40,295 | 48,359 |
| Represented By | ||||
| Membership (Unrestricted) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AFIA (Designated) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2,150 |
| Manchester Projects (Designated) |
0 | 0 | 0 | 3,157 |
| Manchester General (Unrestricted) |
39,230 | 0 | 39,230 | 42,136 |
| MSH Appeals (Designated) | 58 | 0 | 58 | 0 |
| 605 St Michael and All Angels Tonge (Designated) |
358 | 0 | 358 | 917 |
| 103 St Mathew Little Lever (Designated) |
650 | 0 | 650 | 0 |
Asset & Liability Statement
Cash Assets
| Cash Assets | Cash Assets | Cash Assets | Cash Assets | Cash Assets | Cash Assets | Cash Assets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Total | Prior Year | |||
| Membership (Unrestricted) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| AFIA (Designated) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2,150 | ||
| Manchester Projects (Designated) |
0 | 0 | 0 | 3,157 | ||
| Manchester General (Unrestricted) |
39,230 | 0 | 39,230 | 42,136 | ||
| MSH Appeals (Designated) | 58 | 0 | 58 | 0 | ||
| 605 St Michael and All Angels Tonge (Designated) |
358 | 0 | 358 | 917 | ||
| 103 St Mathew Little Lever (Designated) |
650 | 0 | 650 | 0 | ||
| Other Monetary Assets | ||||||
| Notes | Unrestricted | Restricted | Total | Prior Year | ||
| Gift Aid | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Stock | 1,222 | 0 | 1,222 | 550 | ||
| Other | Shop Receipts outstanding |
120 | 0 | 120 | 40 | |
| Investment Assets | ||||||
| Notes | Unrestricted | Restricted | Total | Prior Year | ||
| Property | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Investment Accounts |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Other | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Fixed Assets | ||||||
| Notes | Unrestricted | Restricted | Total | Prior Year | ||
| Land & Buildings |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Music & PA Equipment |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Computers & IT |
474 | 0 | 474 | 948 | ||
| Furniture | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Motor Vehicles | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Liabilities | ||||||
| Notes | Unrestricted | Restricted | Total | Prior Year | ||
| Loans Outstanding |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Pension Payment Owed |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| HMRC Payments Owed |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent Examination Fee Due |
0 | 0 | 0 | 250 | |
| Other | Shop Purchases for 2025 & 2026 Membership paid in 2025 |
226 | 0 | 226 | 0 |
Signature
These accounts have been approved by the trustees, and are signed on their behalf by:
Mr John Sharp
J S Sharp
Date27/07/2026
Notes to the Accounts
Accounting Policies
The accounts have been prepared on a receipts and payments basis and comprise a statement that shows the charity's receipts and payments, a statement that summarises the charity's assets and liabilities and related notes. The accountancy profession have determined that only accounts prepared in accordance with applicable accounting standards present a 'true and fair' view and, as these receipts and payments accounts have not (and cannot) be prepared in accordance with accounting standards, these accounts do not present (and are not intended to present) a 'true and fair' view of the charity's financial activities and state of affairs.
General funds are unrestricted funds which are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity. Designated funds comprise unrestricted funds that have been set aside by the trustees for particular purposes. Restricted funds are donations which are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors; they include donations received from appeals for specific activities or projects.
Transactions to Related Parties
There were no transactions related parties during the accounting period.
Movement of Funds
| Fund Name | Opening Balance | Income | Expenditure | Fund Transfers | Closing Balance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted | |||||
| Membership (Unrestricted) |
0 | 25,685 | 19,796 | -5,889 | 0 |
| Manchester General (Unrestricted) |
42,136 | 8,499 | 13,098 | 1,694 | 39,230 |
| Total | 42,136 | 34,184 | 32,894 | -4,195 | 39,230 |
| Designated | |||||
| AFIA (Designated) | 2,150 | 1,435 | 4,339 | 755 | 0 |
| Manchester Projects (Designated) |
3,157 | 3,332 | 10,149 | 3,660 | 0 |
| MSH Appeals (Designated) |
0 | 320 | 322 | 60 | 58 |
| 605 St Michael and All Angels Tonge (Designated) |
917 | 163 | 502 | -220 | 358 |
| 103 St Mathew Little Lever (Designated) |
0 | 710 | 0 | -60 | 650 |
| Total | 6,223 | 5,959 | 15,312 | 4,195 | 1,065 |
| Unrestricted Total | 48,359 | 40,143 | 48,206 | 0 | 40,295 |
| Restricted Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 48,359 | 40,143 | 48,206 | 0 | 40,295 |
Independent examiner's report on the accounts
Section A Independent Examiner’s Report
Report to the trustees/ MOTHERS' UNION (DIOCESE OF MANCHESTER BRANCH) members of
On accounts for the year 31[ST] DECEMBER 2025 Charity no 250086 ended (if any) Set out on pages
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31/12/2024 .
Responsibilities and basis of report
- As the charity trustees of the Trust, 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 Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have examiner's statement come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
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accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or
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the accounts do not accord with the accounting records
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Signed:
Date: 24/07/2026
Name: CAROLYN CULLEN
Relevant professional INSTITUTE OF CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS OF ENGLAND & WALES qualification(s) or body (ICAEW) (if any):
Address: 5 HAWTHORN AVENUE ECCLES, MANCHESTER M30 9NE
1
October 2018
IER
Section B Disclosure
Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners).
Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose .
2
October 2018
IER