ΟΙΚΟΥΜΕΝΙΚΟ ΠΑΤΡΙΑΡΧΕΙΟ ΙΕΡΑ ΑΡΧΙΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΗ ΘΥΑΤΕΙΡΩΝ & Μ. ΒΡΕΤΑΝΙΑΣ ΚΑΘΕΔΡΙΚΟΣ ΝΑΟΣ ΓΕΝΕΣΙΟΥ ΤΗΣ ΘΕΟΤΟΚΟΥ GREEK ORTHODOX CATHEDRAL OF THE NATIVITY OF THE MOTHER OF GOD
St Mary’s Greek Orthodox Cathedral
Reports and Accounts
31 December 2021
Charity Registration Number 289313
305 Camberwell New Road, London, SE5 0TF Email: stmarysgreekorthodoxcathedral@hotmail.com Tel. 020 7703 0137
Aim and Purpose
St Mary’s Greek Orthodox Cathedral (SMGOC), the Trustees and Committee (T&C) have the responsibility of co-operating with the incumbent, The Very Reverend Archimandrite Christodoulos Persopoulos, in promoting the ecclesiastical parish and the whole mission of the Greek Orthodox Church. This is at several levels: pastoral, social, educational and ecumenical.
SMGOC is part of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain under the leadership of His Eminence Archbishop Nikita.
The T&C is also specifically responsible for the maintenance of the Church complex at 305 Camberwell New Road London SE5 0TF.
Objectives and Activities
Place of Worship
The T&C is committed to enabling as many people as possible to worship at our church and to become part of our parish community. The T&C maintains close contact with the incumbent to support the delivery of services of worship. Our services allow worship and practice of the Christian Orthodox faith.
When planning yearly events and activities, the incumbent and the T&C consider the Commission’s guidance on public benefits, and particularly the specific guidance on charities for the advancement of religion. We enable a diverse community to practice their faith through:
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Worship and prayer; learning about the Gospel and developing their knowledge and trust in Christianity.
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Provision of pastoral care for people living in the parish
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Being part of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britian and supporting its mission
To facilitate these objectives and fulfill our aims, it is imperative that we maintain the fabric of the SMGOC and the church complex.
Place of Study
The T&C support also extends to the educational needs of the young through a community Greek school, run every Saturday and known as Bishop Christophoros Greek School. The school is situated within the Church complex and is a purposebuilt school that welcomes students from 4-18 years old. It operates with qualified teachers who work hard to offer the best standard of teaching to students with oversight and support of the Archdiocese and the Cyprus Educational Commission designated officers. They are educated on Greek language and culture including drama and dance, history, and religious education.
Achievements and Performance
Worship and Prayer
Services of worship at SGMOC adhere and follows the ecclesiastical calendar of the Greek Orthodox faith. This is led by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople,
(Bartholomew I), that promotes the expansion of the Christian faith. This Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar dictates the rhythm of life in the church. Passages of holy scripture, saints days and events for commemoration are associated with each date. It essentially establishes a range of services throughout the course of the year providing spiritual guidance to the community.
The T&C are committed to supporting this mission through the organization of community events which bring new and existing members together to further support the growth of the parish and the wider community. In addition to the established ecclesiastical calendar SMGOC and the incumbent perform baptisms, weddings, and funerals for members of the Greek Orthodox faith.
The regular church attendance for a Sunday service is around 120 attendees with up to 1,000 attendees during the Easter holy week. We support engagement through social media, particularly essential during the recent COVID pandemic. Our Facebook page has over 4,000 followers, both in the UK and abroad.
Through support from the T&C we have enabled several clergy conferences (2015 and 2019) as well as the planned Christian Orthodox Thyateira Youth (COTY) Lenten Retreat on 13[th] April 2024 to be held at SMGOC. In appreciation of the wider community of Southwark and South London, we support and participate in the South London Church organizations. We work together with local schools to enable pupils to visit the church as part of their education curriculum.
SMGOC is also home to the Ai Myroforai Ladies Committee. Established 50 years ago, it is run by volunteers who oversee SMGOC outreach work. Without this group there would be no social contact for many vulnerable members of the local Orthodox Christian community. Through simple initiatives such as weekly teas, they have created a safe space for elderly and vulnerable visitors to socialize with people who speak the same language, allow them to worship freely and share memories and stories. In 2020 the committee were awarded a London Faith and Belief Community Award in the health and well-being category.
Education
Bishop Christophoros Greek School has successfully provided lessons in Greek and the Orthodox faith to children from the ages of 5-16 years old since 1963. Through support from the T&C, the incumbent, we proudly welcome all students and provide classes for those starting in the nursery, all the way up to A-level. The school’s ethos is to create an exciting opportunity to learn a new language, in an effective and natural manner.
The school celebrates special occasions throughout the academic year aimed at developing their intercultural empathy. It uses teaching methods to support each child’s needs and encourages parents and guardians to play an active part in the child’s academic efforts and achievements. The most recent event, the annual Mardi Gras, was supported by the T&C members, parents committee and teachers. It was attended by over 200 parents and children to celebrate the start of the Lenten period.
Specialist teaching regularly delivers extracurricular activities for students on Greek tradition and music. Termly parents evening allows parents and guardians to discuss the child’s progress and receive a review report. The school has 50 pupils registered.
The Church Complex
We want our church to be open to our community for private prayer and have established opening hours of 10.00am to 2.00pm Monday to Friday.
With the support of parishioners the church is open between 9.00am and 3.00pm at weekends and longer on Holy and Feast days.
The complex undergoes a schedule of maintenance to ensure that it supports the church mission. During 2021 the toilets were refurbished and now includes disabled access and baby changing facilities.
Pastoral Care
Through the efforts of both the incumbent and the Ai Myroforai Ladies committee, SMGOC has been able to provide pastoral support to vulnerable and elderly members of the community. By providing visits to hospitals, hospices and homes, the incumbent is able to provide a listening ear and offer Holy Communion to those who are sick and vulnerable. The Ai Myroforai Ladies committee holds regular teas which help establish social interaction for the elderly and more isolated members of our community. These gatherings allow intergenerational mixing and importantly provide a source of social connection for members of our community who are refugees and for whom English is not their first language.
During the COVID-19 pandemic we have had to limit the physical meetings but have been able to provide remote support led by our volunteers and continued to visit the sick and vulnerable maintaining safe distances where able. Additionally, despite the limitations set out by the COVID-19 pandemic, we have slowly started to offer the church hall, St Mary’s Great Hall, to local community members for hire to celebrate family events including weddings, funerals and birthdays.
With the help of community support grants offered by Southwark council during the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been able to offer livestreaming of services via our community’s Facebook page. This has helped to reach those who are vulnerable or shielding and maintain connections with them. We hope to expand these services in the next financial year and continue to maintain a sense of community with our parishioners.
Mission and Evangelism
We are committed to helping the vulnerable and those in need. Through the efforts of our volunteers we have organized several clothing and food bank collections for various causes including, Crisis UK and the local Peckham food bank. We utilize our monthly Sunday teas to promote evangelical discussions with our parishioners and promote our faith. These are open to all and we have noticed an increase in the number of new people attending services wanting to learn more about the Orthodox faith.
Ecumenical Relationships
SMGOC is a member of the Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain. We maintain strong relationships with our fellow Greek Orthodox churches in South London and have had the pleasure of hosting several national clergy conferences.
Financial Review
Policies on reserves
The charity has not set minimum reserves. Its policy is to raise sufficient money to meet its financial requirements.
Principal funding sources and how expenditure in the year under review has supported the key objectives of the charity.
The main sources of finance are from the hire of the great hall and from religious services' collections and sale of candles. The funds raised after deducting direct costs are used to pay the wages of the incumbent and to pay for administration costs.
The investment policy and objectives, including the extent (if any) to which social, environmental or ethical considerations are taken into account.
As a small charity the trustees have not invested any of the charity's funds in any risky investments.
Transactions and Financial position of SMGOC.
The report of the trustees for the year ended 31 December 2021.
The financial statements are set out below. The financial statements have been prepared implementing the Recommended Practice for Accounting and Reporting by Charities issued by the Charity Commission for England and Wales and in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard for Smaller Entities.
The trustees consider the financial performance by the charity during the year to have been satisfactory. The Statement of Financial Activities show net outgoings resources for the year of a revenue nature of £3,928 and net realised incoming resources. The total reserves at the year end after accounting for unrealised losses stand at £1,123,895. The majority of the expenditure is spent on management and administration .
Volunteers
We would like to warmly thank our team of volunteers who work very hard to maintain the upkeep of our church building and maintain the vibrant community spirit.
Structure, governance and management
The method of appointment of T&C members at SMGOC is set out in the governing document. Membership of the T&C consists of the incumbent, chairman, trustees and committee members. All members of the congregation are encouraged to join the governing body as committee members should they wish. The trustees are elected by members of the committee.
The T&C are responsible for making decisions on the day-to-day running of SMGOC
including how funds are to be spent. Formal committee meetings are held several times a year to discuss current issues and future plans.
Administrative information
SMGOC is situated in Camberwell, London. It is part of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain. Correspondence address is 305 Camberwell New Road, London, SE5 0TF.
Ex Officio members
Incumbent: Archimandrite Christodoulous Persopoulos Trustees: His Eminence Archbishop Nikitas Loulias of Thyateira and Great Britain Mr Mikis Tsielepis Mr Nicos Christophi Mr Andrew Michael Fouli Mr Andreas Apostolos Dometakis
Committee as of 31.12.21: Mr Andrew Michael Fouli (Chairman) Mr John Psarias (Treasurer) Mr Nicos Christofis Mr Giannis Gkikas Mr Alexandros Balaskas Mr Kanellos Kanellopoulos Mr Akis Kourpas Mr John Papouridou
Approved by the T&C on 31.12.21 and signed on their behalf by Mr Andrew Michael Fouli (Chairman)
St Mary’s Greek Orthodox Cathedral Financial statements for year end 31[st] December 2021
St Marys Greek Orthodox Cathedral
Registered Charity 289313
| Balance Sheet as at 31/12/2021 Assets Freehold Land & Building Dep Plant & Machinery Cumulative Dep Dep THIS PERIOD Total Fixed Assets Current Assets Cynergy AI MYROFORAI NATWEST BANK CASH Total Current Assets Liabilities Bank Loans & Overdrafts Accrued Expenses PAYE & NI Other Total Net Current Liabilities Total Assets less Current Liabilities Creditors >1 Year Net Assets Profit & Loss Reserves b/f Profit & Loss Reserves THIS PERIOD Restricted Net Assets |
£ 1,123,997.00 0.00 191,177.00 -118,813.00 -7,236.40 |
|---|---|
| 1,189,124.60 0.00 8,891.38 3,993.95 500.00 |
|
| 13,385.33 -30,000.00 -13,610.80 -20,781.93 -5,400.00 |
|
| -69,792.73 | |
| -56,407.40 | |
| 1,132,717.20 -8,822.00 |
|
| 1,123,895.20 | |
| 1,135,951.00 3,928.20 -15,984.00 1,123,895.20 |
| cross check 0.00 Profit & Loss YE 2021 Total £ Income Christening Donations Fund Raising Funeral Furlough Receipts General Gift Aid Great Hall Parking Fees Rooms-Guest House School Fees Weddings Total Income Costs Accountant -1,201.80 Archdiocese -1,055.00 Buildings Insurance -4,500.00 Candles Supplies -6,740.00 Charity Donation -786.00 Cleaner wages -3,239.55 Cleaning company -1,388.00 Electric -9,524.27 Finance-air conditioning -8,094.36 Gas -10,379.65 Hall hire refund -120.00 Hall manager redundancy -4,230.00 Hall security -2,500.00 HMRC -7,064.93 Insurance -10,904.00 Pension Priest -925.65 Purchases hall -2,164.96 Refund Hall -4,349.00 Rent priest -15,252.26 Repairs -25,945.75 Salary hall manager -4,306.00 Priest Wages -17,000.00 School teachers -17,455.00 Supplies -3,224.65 Telephone -1,507.25 TV licence -317.00 Waste removal -180.00 Water -229.77 |
Total £ 1,200.00 19,965.09 4,885.00 2,700.00 22,102.87 23,520.74 2,123.90 42,181.50 1,950.00 42,870.00 11,650.35 600.00 |
|---|---|
| 175,749.45 |
| Adjustments Depreciation YE 2021 -7,236.40 Total Costs Profit / LOSS |
|
|---|---|
| -171,821.25 | |
| 3,928.20 |
Approved by the T&C on 31.12.21 and signed on their behalf by Mr Andrew Michael Fouli
Independent Examiner’s Report to the trustees/ members of St Marys Greek Orthodox Cathedral.
I report on the financial statements of the Charity which are included above.
Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner
The charity's trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year (under section 43(2) of the Charities Act 1993 (the Act)) and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to:
examine the accounts (under section 43 of the Act),
to follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 43(7)(b) of the Act), and
to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of independent examiner’s report
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 you as 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.
Independent examiner's statement
In the course of my examination, no matter has come to my attention:
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which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in, any material respect, the requirements:
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to keep accounting records in accordance with section 41 of the Act; and to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the 1993 Act; have not been met; or
2. to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached .
Andrew Loizou FCCA 46 Ewelme Road London SE23 3BH
10[th] May 2024