FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST,.SCIENTIST, CLAYGATE & ESHER ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST OCTOBER 2025 Charlty Number 268539
FIRST CHURCH OF CHRisf, SClENT15f, CL4YGATE & ESHER THE TRUSTEES, REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 OCTOBER 2025 Status First Church of Christ. Scienlist, Claygate and Esher is a registered charity number 268539. Constltutional Objects First Church of Christ, Scientist, Claygate and Esher is a branch of The Mother Church, The First Church of Christ, Scienti8t, Boston, fvlassachusetts. The church 18 govemed by its Constrtution and by-laws, which regulate such matters as finance and propety. and the election, duties and responsibiliti8s of member8 arKI officer8. Its object 18 to maintain, demonstrats arKI spread the knowledge of Truth, as set forth in the Bible and "Science and Health with Key to the ScriptLtres" by Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science and Leader of the Christian Scien¢e Movement. The church is open to all. Fulfilmont of ObJ•ct8. Actlvltle• and Publlc Bmgfft The Trustses have cornplied with the duty In Section 17(5) of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission. The church holds services and meelings in accordance with its objects. A Sunday service is held at 10.30 am. The service of worship and prayer includes readings from the Bible and "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy, prayer8, congregational singing and a solo. A Sunday School 18 held at 10.30 am for chIldn and young people up to the age of 20, where they leam how to make practical the moral and spiritual teachings of the Bible in their own lives. Pupils attend the classes in the church or online, and in addition to the local community, they come from elsewhere in the UK and frorn other countries. A meeting Is tr1d at 7.30 pm each Wednesday, exc*pt on the first Wednesday of each month when it is held at 12.OOprn. It provides everyone with the opportunrty to share with others, the healings and experiences that have resulted from the study and practice of Christian Scien. This meetiro also includes readings from the Bible and 'Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, by Mary Baker Eddy to help those attending address world probths and individual and community concems with effective prayer. The Sunday 8ervice and Wednesday meetings are accessible through the Zoom system and open to anyone, anywhere, unable to attend them in person. A significant number of people in the immediate area as well as other8 in many parts of the UK and overseas regularly listen to these online services. The number of those attending online varies between 20 and 35, plus up to 80 people accessing recordings of services afterwards. These recordings are available on the church website for a week. The recordings of Wednesday meetings are pennanently deleted from church files within 3 months.
FIRST CHURCH OF CHRisf, SCIENTIST, CLAYGATE & ESHER The Church maintains a Reading Room throughout the year, and it is open for a period once a week. It serves as a spiritual resource centre, enabling the public to find spiritual solutions to their problems. and provides a supportive environment for study, contemplation and prayer. The sales room and lending library stock the Bible the Christian Science textbook, scien and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary 8aker Eddy. and other books on Christian Science published by the Christian Science Publishing Society, as well as selected articles from the Christs'an Science Monitor in Monitor Weekly. CDS and magazines Such as the Christian Science Joumal and Sentinel, There is a digital display screen with changing slides installed in the front window. This gives information about church activities and inspirational pictures and writings from the Bible and Science and Health by Mary Baker Eddy, appropriate for the times. Lactu The FCCS Claygate & Esher presented two lectures during 2025. The first was given by Nikki O'Hagan, CS entitled 'The Science of God and its Power to Transform Us, Saturday 1st Febwary. It was very well attended. Online access was restricted to members who were unable to attend the lecture in person in our church. The lecture was not recorded or made available online. The second lecture was streamed live online and was by Nate Frederick CS entitled 'Prayer and Well-being: A spiritual adventure, on 22nd June 2025 and was held in our church. It was well attended and was available online for several weeks. Ll8t ol oth•r k•y actlvitlm ovor tho la•t 12 month• Launched new website built by the UK Online Reading Room and transferred the domain and email to their host Purchase of Sumup card machine and new mobile phone to enable easier collection taking and communication from the Reading Room Installed new literature dispensers Repainted upper front windows Redecorated auditorium walls following change8 to 8peaker8 Arranged for roof inspection Reviewed building insurance Safeguarding policies reviewed by new Sunday School Superintendent, and additional training attended and shared with teachers Bought SS iPad and put new arrangements in pla for technical assistant to Support technical requirements for Sunday School Held a Sunday School farn1 picnic lunch Supported two Sunday School pupils attending Junior Focus October weekend Hosted zoom meeting on behalf of Hawthorne Trust to provide an update to Surrey churches on Charton Manor and Christian Science nursing in South East Continued collaboration with Elmbridge I£AN, local charity Food bank collection for Ukraine Registered with Sharesy Website - cnrnUnty Venue Partnerships
FIRST CHURCH OF CHRisf. SClENTrsf. CLAYGATE & ESHER Revi•w of Financial Activitie3 and Investment update The Increased resources of the church as a result of a large legacy from a late member and the sale of the Reading Room in 2016 continue to be tumed to good account. A gift from the Westminster Fund towards church activities was accepted and put towards the developmerrt of the new website. At the October Members, Business Meeting, the church members took a decision to close the CAF bank account and open HSBC Money Manager account in ts place. This was a purely practical decision as it simpllfies the management of our bank relationship. New investrnents are the responsibility of the Board, which shall obtain proper advice, if necessary, from an investment manager authorised and regulated by the Financial Sep4ices Authorrty. The Board shall obtsin the sanction of the membership on matters of principle via normal Business Meekn'ng8. Re8arvo8 The Church has investrnent reserves of £393,774 (end of Oct). This compares with £379,834 12 months earlier. The investment portfolio's total annual return was 8.4 %. The monetsry a888ts totalled £33.917 (£18.982 - 2024) There 18 no specific Re88rve Policy at present. Futur• Devolopmonts The holding of broadcasting of services will continue. An updated website is fully functional. Regular giving by members and listeners is expected to continue to meet the running cost of the church, and any further projects and donations to other Christian Science based charities, will be undertaken following a vote of the church member8hip at a business meeting. Oryan18allonal Structhro A First Reader and Second Reader conduct the church services and testimony meetings. A President conducts church business meetings. The members elect these officers. The general management of the church is the responsibility of the Executive Board of four, unpaid members (the Trustees). The Readers, President and Board are elected each year at a Members, Meeting in early November, and take up office the following February. They hold the office for one year and for no more than three years consecutively. Those who served duriryJ the past year are as follows.. First Reader. Nicholas Woodeson Second Reader: Virginia Woodeson The Board.. Mr J Witney (Chair) Mr J Alanko Mrs J Abbott Mrs S Tarboton
FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST, SCIENTIST, CLAYGATE & ESHER President.. Mr J P BlarKJ Clerk.. Mrs A Walls Treasurer.. Mrs MJ Pearson Statsment of th• Board's RMpon8iblliti08 The Board is responsible for keeping proper accounting records, which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time, the financial position of the church. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the church and hence for tsking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. Principal Addre 45 Hare Lane, Claygate, Esher, Surrey, l(r10 9BY Website addr058 www.chri8tianscienceclaygate.org Bankorn HSBC Bank plc, 34 High Street. Walton-on-Thames, Surrey KT12 1 DD CAF Bank, 25 Kings Hill Avenue, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent ME19 4JQ Inv•8tsnont Advlsor Rathbones incorporating Investsc Wealth and Investment Limrted Boumemouth, Midland House, 2 Poole R08d, Bournemouth. BH2 5QY Roportlng Accountsnt Bullimores, Chartered Accountants, Old Printers Yard, Dorking. Surrey RH4 2HF Approval The report of the Trustees was approved by the Members on 12th January 2026 and signed on their behalf. John Wrtney Chair of Trustees
srATEMENT OF RECEIPTS AND PAYMENT5 FOR THE YEAR TO 31ST OCTOBER 2025 Unre5trlrted Fund Receipts Collertions & donatlons 2025 2024 30.397 25,000 12,027 328 30.708 Legacy Gift Aid tsx recovered11) Interest 420 Readlng Room receipts Total Recelpts 652 759 68,404 31,887 Payments Re3dlng Room purchases Outreach12} Cost of Servlces131 Church Premises costs141 Admlnlstratlon1S1 Commlttee on Publlcatlon 1,378 12,990 21,117 13,674 13.738 740 954 7.953 20,548 14.434 12,342 570 Independent examlner's fee Bank charges Major repalrs and Improvements New Roof - Final payment Total payments 1,956 166 13,710 1.860 197 2,928 3,217 65,003 79,469 411.065 433,116 B•nk balances at start of year Investment Sèles Investment purchases Monetary assets at the year end 18.982 26,000 37,098 15,000 33.917 18.982 Movernent for the year to 31st October 2025 Market value at the beginning of the year Movements durlng the perlod: Cash invested Income relnvested £379,834 £345,934 £5,839 4.710 -£26,000 £38,810 £393,773 £4,803 -£4,332 -£15,000 £48,429 £379,834 Investment mana8er's fee for the year- provlslonal Cash withdraw Increase (decrease) In market value- provlslonal Value at year end The In¢ome b relnvested and the Investment manayrfs fee Is charled to the Investmert accounL
NOTE5 TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR ThE YEAR ENDED 315TocfoBER 2025 Actountlng polkles The Church Is a 'small' charlty having a gross income of less than £250,000 excludlng capltal dlsposa15 and therefore drav up its accounts on the receipts and payments basbs. The Readlng Room stock has been valued at a nominal value. 2025 l. Glft Ald- not irf•IV untll Nov. 24 £5,879 £6,148 2 (knreach costs Lectures Webslte Ihostingl RR Screen updates UK CS RR onllne- £lth) pm Donatlons pald- TMC, CS Nursln8 5,578 1,912 300 1,200 4.OLY) 12,990 2,162 591 1,200 4.000 7,953 3 Cost of wrvlces ZoomlSoundcloud/Muslc Ucenses TelephonelBroadband (other than Zoom) Allowances- Readers Muslcians Sound Technlclan 795 587 763 5,170 11,487 2,223 359 4,373 11,255 1,975 459 Quarterlles Organ Servlce Sundries (New books, taxls) 293 411 635 21,117 20,548 4 Church piernlses fosts CleanlnglGarden malntenance Electrlclty Ilncludes £930 deposltl Insurance MalntenaTh - wlndow keys Water 4.897 3,381 3,704 5,056 4,664 3.865 675 288 174 13,674 14.434 5 Church admlnlstratlon ¢osts Clerwreasurer Accountlng software Payroll costs IBulllmores/HMRCI Sundries lincludes CSJ listlng) 8,519 186 7,680 186 2.779 2.254 13.738 2,654 1,822 12.342
FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST, SClEr45T. CLAYGATE ESHER STATEMENT OF ASSETS & UA8ILrnES AT 31sr ocroBER 2025 2025 Bank balances: Bank account HS8C Deposlt and Curnt accounts CAF Bank- c105ed 23 October 25 Church worklng capitsl 33,917 3,896 15,086 18,982 33,917 Other Assets Investments at fflaet value 393,774 379,834 The Readlng Room stock 1,500 1,000 Freehold Bulldlngs at insurance value.. The Church bulldlng at December 2024 The contents 1,812,988 79,607 1,958,385 78,819 The accounts were approved by the Members on 12th January 2026 and slgned on their behalf by John Wltnev Chair of Trustees
FIRST CHURCH OFCHIUST, SCIENTIST, CLAYGATE AND ESHER {ChArlty number 268539) INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORTTO THE TRUSTEES FOR THE PERIOD FROM 01 NOVEMBER 2024 TO 31 OCTOBER 21125 I report to the tru5te&4 on my exwnination of the oCCOUrtts of First Church of Christ, ScientLSt. Claygat¢ and Esher (the Chgrityl for thr period ended 31 (kwber 2025. whith are set out on pa8&$ 6 to 8. R¢JpoAslbllitles alld ball$ of report As the ¢harity trustees of the Charity, you are T5]ble for the prepaT8tion of th¢ COUnts in accordance with the requirem¢nt$ of thc Charitie5 Act 2011 Cihc Act,). I report in respect of my examination of the Charity's accounts carried ou¢ under 3¢¢tion 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying oui my examinatlon, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145{Sllbl of the Aet. ltsdtpedtn( txamlner'j $¢1¢wnf I have completcd my examination. I confimi that no materi81 motters have corne to my Atttion in o)nnection wilh th¢ ¢ygminaiÈon which gives me cause to believe that. ID any maleri&l respBCt.. a¢countlTh8 records Were not kcpt in respect of the Charity required by %¢¢ion 130 of the Aet. or 2. the gceounis do not acrd with ihose records. th¢ accounts th) not mplY wi¢h the appli¢abl¢ requirements conccrning the fom and conientof accourt¢s set oyl in the ChaTtties (Account5 and Reports) RegulatiOll5 2(M)8 other th4n any r¢quir¢m¢nl that the accounts give 8 true and fair view which L5 not a matter wnsider¢d as part of an independent examination. I have eorL¢erns and have me across no othtt rnatt in wnnecLion with thc examination to which Attention should be drawn in thi5 report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounis be Teached. Name of principRI.. Ms S Edwards FCA N&meoffirn: Bullimores LLPCharteredAccountsnts and Registered Auditors AddrtSS.' Old Printers Yard 156 South Strttt Dorking Surrey RH4 2HF