2024-12-31-accounts

Annual Report 2024 Registered Charity No. 250180

https://mubathandwells.org

2024 Annual Report presented 2025

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In 2024 We had 605 Members in the diocese

478 Branch members found in 25 Branches plus

11 IMPC members and

116 Diocesan Members either within one of the 5 Groups or as isolated Members

https://mubathandwells.org

2024 Annual Report presented 2025

Vision

Our Vision is of a world where

God’s love is shown through

Loving, Respectful & Flourishing Relationships . This is not a vague hope but a goal we actively pursue by Praying, Campaigning and Enabling.

Mission

We aim to show our Christian faith by the transformation of communities worldwide. We can do this through supporting strong relationships within the family and promoting reconciliation at all levels.

Our Aims and Objectives are:

• 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 encourage parents in their role to

• develop the faith of their children:

• To promote and support married life:

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Maintaining a Worldwide Fellowship of Christians United in Prayer, Worship & Service How we work towards achieving the following Objective

Branch/Group Prayers:

Branch prayers are now guided by the expansion of the Central Prayer Diary. Several Parishes, where there is no longer a Branch, the Diocesan Members regularly meet for a Coffee, Natter & Prayer.

To support individual members, an A5 card was created as a monthly calendar which identifies a specific Branch and a Diocesan personnel for each day in a month. The Card is designed to act as a bookmark in the Central Prayer Diary

Cathedral Prayers :

This ½ hour Service continues to be held in Wells Cathedral on the 3rd Thursday morning of each month. Each month the service is written and led by a different Branch. It includes the Daily Wave of Prayer, found in the central Prayer Diary, when every MU member prays for the work and members in 4/5 designated dioceses across the world, .

Wave of Prayer Service:

This service, was written by a former MU Chaplain and our Link Dioceses Project Officer. It was then forwarded to our - Link Dioceses Umuahia and Ijebu in Nigeria: Shinyanga, in Tanzania: False Bay in South Africa: and Vellore Church of South India. The Service is used by the branches in all the Dioceses celebrating our links together over 3 days. This year we again held 3 services in Wells Cathedral in The Mothers’ Union (St Stephen’s) Chapel. We were delighted to see on Social Media, that members from our Link Dioceses, in particular by South Africa & India, were using the form of service sent to them.

https://mubathandwells.org

2024 Annual Report presented 2025

- - The MU Chapel Cathedral Prayers The Lady Chapel

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Maintaining a Worldwide Fellowship of Christians United in Prayer, Worship & Service - How we work towards achieving the above Objective cont.

Prayer Chain:

This is now being run by one of the members, with prayer needs being sent direct to her and then resent to al on the group (using BACS to preserve data information)

Special Services:

• There was a Eucharist before the Annual Meeting. The Celebrant was Assistant Bishop Trevor. He was also able to Commission the new Diocesan Chaplain.

• Some deaneries held Festival Services, one was combined with a Mary Sumner Day Service.

• Two area business meetings started with a Eucharist.

• Bishop Michael called for our 24hour Diocesan Wave of Prayer. As well as supporting their parishes, MU members -

• held a half hour service in the St Stephen’s & MU chapel on Saturday afternoon.

www.facebook.com/MUBathWells/ videos/1541416686779125

Quiet Days :

Some Branches held Quiet Days in their own parishes. A diocesan one was held in October led by our new Chaplain. Craft work aiding the silent reflections

Retreat:

Due to the poor attendance last year, it was decided to have a rest year and not organise one in 2024.

https://mubathandwells.org

2024 Annual Report presented 2025

To promote conditions in society favourable to stable family life and the protection of children How we work towards achieving this Objective

Rise Up 16 Days of Activism:

The Mothers’ Union members meeting in Taunton Minster, led the way in alerting the public to the danger which women and children can find themselves in: that of witnessing Domestic Abuse at first hand. They received a Bronze Medal for their work.

The Souls of the Shoes Exhibition continues to circulate around the diocese, demonstrating the way those who suffer Domestic Abuse often hide their situation for fear of further abuse or encountering unbelief.

Support for those using the Refuges:

Vouchers continue to be steadily donated. Refuges are asked what they need and this year several branches made wash bags and then filled them.

Modern Day Slavery and Prison Week:

These Projects continue to be held in prayer. The use of crafted Chain Links advertises the need for Prayer and Action

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To help those whose family life has met with adversity:

How we work towards achieving this Objective

CRAFT:

Knitting is still popular with members. Items created are mostly hats for seafarers, for babies and for Retirement Homes.

Taunton Minster are knitting squares. Once 48 squares have been collected, they are joined together.

The name of the recipient is embroidered on. A button saying "Handmade with Love" is also sewn on. They are then - given to a house bound member of the congregation.

Sewing continues especially making wash bags for the Refuges and garments for babies

Period Poverty:

This continues to be offered to two schools in Bath. One school likes to receive supermarket vouchers, the other prefers to give the MU contact a Shopping List. A MUriel Poster is available for other branches to expand this project into other local schools.

https://mubathandwells.org

2024 Annual Report presented 2025

To help those whose family life has met with adversity

How we work towards achieving this Objective conc

AFIA:

2024 was a quieter year. We arranged a holiday for 1 family; 1 child had 3 horse riding sessions by using our “Days Out” experiences; 1 lady was able to go on a church weekend; A local charity offering holidays, was only able to arrange 2 family holidays with our support.

Student Support/Cookbook:

In 2024 the postcards promoting the‘MU Family Cookbook' online were given free. Free hard copies of MU Family Cookbook' were given to families affected by rising living costs through various churches, refuges, other charities and food-pantries .

Child Contact Centres:

We started 2023 with 3 Centres: one centre in Clevedon and one in Nailsea, both operating since 2004: and one in Frome, a millennium project. Over the years, offers to volunteer are not as numerous as they initially were. Sadly, - Frome could not find a co ordinator when the current person retired and the centre was closed. Mothers’ Union is now down to 2 centres. At the end of 2024, we were able to employ a new Coordinator for the North Somerset Centre.

A Service of Thanksgiving and Tea party for the past & present volunteers, were arranged to celebrate 20 years of this special work in helping families to stay in touch even when the

parents are no longer talking to each other.

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To encourage parents in their role to develop the faith of their children

In stor

By showing God’s Love to their children, parents learn about God’s Love via our actions.

Children in Church:

Many Branches have children’s Play Bags with biblical story books, colouring and soft figures for use during services. Where branches have closed, these are maintained by Diocesan members.

“Messy” Church:

Knitted hand puppets are sometimes used to illustrate Bible Stories.

Baptisms:

Many Branches give something to the child or parents on the occasion of their Baptism: a Baptism Teddy, Card, Bible, or Prayer Book. In one branch, the teddies have a personal Sleeping Bag. Another branch gives the Godparents a set of tiny Booties. When branches close, DMs are continuing with this outreach .

Local Schools:

• Several branches run or help with After School Clubs.

Local Community:

• Mother & pre school children groups are supported by branches across the diocese; By regular contact parents get to know these MU members and trust them. Several branches are supporting Mary’s Child, a charity which, among other activities, has a bank of equipment for babies and toddlers. Mostly donated. But some things eg nappies need to be bought. MU members are frequently part of teams offering the “Open The Book” and “Messy Church” (in its various forms). Branches regularly give gifts on Mothering Sunday, arrange the church Easter Hunt. Similarly the MU branches regularly create Christingles.

https://mubathandwells.org

2024 Annual Report presented 2025

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To promote and support married life How we work towards achieving this Objective

Some branches work with the Priest by providing information booklets and refreshments during Marriage Preparation sessions. Several branches give Couples Mothers’ Union Wedding Cards and when possible Anniversary Cards. Plans are being made to once again, run Mothers’ Union Stalls at Wedding Fares.

How We Work Towards Alerting Parishioners and Visitors to the Work of The Mothers Union

• Most parishes have a Notice Board with a display of current MU activity.

• Visitors to the Cathedral are invited to stop and join in our monthly Cathedral Prayers service.

• Regular contact with the Diocesan Personnel continues with our Diocesan President and the Communications Lead attending Diocesan Synod sessions, and once this year, conducting the opening Worship.

https://mubathandwells.org

2024 Annual Report presented 2025 How We Work Towards Alerting Parishioners and Visitors to the Work of The Mothers Union

• We were delighted to see that the MU kneeler from the Mothers’ Union (St Stephen’s) Chapel is part of the Cathedral Crib Scene.

• The MU banner and Cards Display Board are in a prominent position in the Diocesan Offices (on the way to the toilets) along with details for paying online.

• Our Communication’s Officer delivers extra

• display boards & leaflets when a parish has a special function.

• Contact is made with the Ordinands and Deacons at the time of their Ordinations.

• Our Facebook page continues although not as active as during Lockdowns; especially as the Controllers regularly change the systems!

• Branches are encouraged to invite the Clergy and churchwardens to their meetings. Ensure they know that if they are busy, they are welcome to join just in time for a cup of tea and a piece of cake!

• Branches are requested to have contact with their Benefice Website manager to ensure that their Mothers’ Union Information :

• a) is included. b) is on the front line. c) includes contact details. d) includes when & where you meet e) includes a link to MU website. f) includes a short description of MU. g) is kept UpToDate.

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https://www.facebook.com/ MUBathWells

https://www.youtube.com/

https://mubathandwells.org

Mothers’ Union – Bath & Wells - Financial Report for 2024

This year I presented the Annual Financial Report in a slightly different way, still using the ‘washing line’ approach but this time putting the income and expenditure figures, in each category, alongside each other.

Our income for the whole of 2024 totalled £37,248.00 but what we spent came to £41,341, which meant we had a ‘shortfall’ of £4,093 which had to come out of reserves.

Subscriptions were lower than in 2023, and after we had forwarded the central subscription amount to Mary Sumner House, only £3,324 was then available to use along with additional donations, bank interest and the MUe bonus to make up the £8,361 we had to meet the Operating Costs of £10,150. This sadly meant an additional £1,789 from other sources was needed to ‘break even’. Those ‘running costs’ were made up of rent, secretarial administration, postage & printing, licences, insurance, auditing, meeting and Officer expenses.

Our investments in the Hampshire Trust Bank at the end of 2024 are:

Unrestricted funds £7,000

Restricted funds £18,000 in the Rowena Merson Fund and £30,000 in the Child Contact Centres Fund.

The main accounts and branch consolidated accounts have now been audited by our accountants, Maxwells of Bridgwater, along with the MUe accounts prepared by Chris Mahoney.

Moving forward, I foresee that the 2025 accounts will be presented in much the same way as we are used to and from then on, with the birth of the South West Cluster group, we shall develop a new format with a Group Treasurer helping out and consolidating what come through from the diocesan treasurers.

Members were busy throughout the year raising funds for various MU projects, £1,519 for Diocesan Projects of which £750 was spent. £2,501 for AFIA & the Shirley Penn fund, of which £2,173 was spend. £5,689 was sent in for the Worldwide Fund, which enabled, when added to funds from 2023, for us to send £9,489 to Mary Sumner House for WWF.

Many of the branches sent their donations to the Make a Mother’s Day and Summer of Hope Appeals directly, but £1,050 came into the diocesan account which was then passed on to MSH.

The Child Contact Centres cost us £2,646 to run and we donated a further £5,000 to the Somerset Child Contact Centres for them to take over the running of the Frome Centre, which we had sadly had to relinquish. Money received in from grants, donations and investment interest to cover these costs amounted to £3,172.

THE MOTHERS, UNION DIOCESE OF BATH AND WELLS Registered Charity No: 250180 Mother ' tiriiriEUNItsN REPORT AND FINANaAL STATEMENTS 12 MONTHS ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024

Wells U5 IFO TrusteesOIIOAI2(Q4.3111212024 Trustees Madelinè Ha%er Sarah Bult Kathryn Twker

Mother Diocese of Bath & Wells l$terod Chartty No 250180 Yme MOTHERS. U14ZOM DIOCESE OP BATH AND WELIS PINA14CIAL RESERVES POUCY Th• Income of the Moth•rs' Union Dlocese ot 3•th and wèlls Is derlvèd Irom m•mb•r subscrfptfjons •nd donotlon$. The $ubscrtptlon$ cover th• runnlno costs of the Dlocese ènd eontrlbute to the Dlocesan Projerts. whlch •re Currently: Chlld Contact C•ntr• In Nallsts and Clèvedon: Aw•y From It All projert for thosé In need: Craft (Knlttyng ano Sewlng) projects; Stud•nt Suppwt includlng Cookbook. Appropri•t• Outr•4th The Dh)cesan Projects rely heJvlly on Llonatlons and our reserves need to be $ufflcient to cover èny shortl•ll In donJtkns to ensure the contInU￿0ft of. &nd commltmert to. our Dlocesan Projects. They also need to be able to fund n¢w projects. The level of reserve$ has therefore been set at £IO,OQO. Infomiatlon ¢onc4mlng 5ts current level Is glven •t eJ¢h meetir of the Dlccesan Comrnlttee 0$ part of the budgetary process. This pollLy wlll be Included In the DSoceyn Commlttee Annual Réport and wlll be reviewed annually. At the end ol eath year. any re$trfcted fvnd surplus wlll be carri forward to the followlng year. Any unrestrleted fund $urplu5, In exe•ss of sum e?nslOered by the Trust••s to be required as o cash buffer or to help fvnd the next yearfs •ttlvltfjes. wlll b¢ trnnsferred to the Mothers. Unlon •t Mary Sumner House.

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2024 DonatiODsfor General Fund and varlous projects Bank Interest 7,374 27 1.477 4 7.418 Transferred to Mother'5 Union, Mary Surnner House, for the variousfunds a5 donated TransfErredto General 9￿5 2.575 4.898 4,898 1577 7.475 Openlr Balance Thlsis a fund admlritsed tythe Centr4C4xwd and all funth ratsed In Bath & w y) t<Yward5 Mvmxkall O￿the Ahad Its (￿¥n the MU Diocesan WWFTreasurer On behalf ofthe Board rfTrustets.we apwovethèWoFlthwts Fund Acc4MHttfoT theye*f 31st Decw

I let￿rtt0 the trustee50n my examinatlon oltt ofThe Mrfbe￿ Unhjn of Bath a¥rtl We115 bhe Charityl fDrthe yearendÈd 31 December 2024. R•sytsibllitles and baofreport Asts charity trustees of the Charity you are responsweknthe prepaTrttoo of the accounts ln aCtO￿nce with the reqUi￿nts of thecharittes Att 2011 llhe P£V}. I report in respect of myexaminathn of the Chartys accou￿ cathed uThlers. 145 ofthe 2011 Act aThl In carrying out my examinthn I have folknved the applicable Directp￿811Wen bythe Cha Cofflmwton under s. 14S5Xbl ofthe ACL connettion wlth the exarninatior* gh¥ing me cause th believethat in any material respect: AccountI￿g records were not kept in wectof the thaflty aslequlred brf seuw)n 130 of the Act; or 12) I h￿fi0 concerns and have corne across no other matters th o)nnerti￿ 4vith the eyamiftat¥m to whi¢h attentiffi should be drnvm In fep)rt in order toenable a proper US￿ of the acro¥Jts to be urrel Maxwe115 Chartered Accountants 4 Squawe TA6 3YF Date: a&.g.a3