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 2023
Charity Registration Number 289313
305 Camberwell New Road, London, SE5 0TF Email: info@stmarysgreekcathedral.org Tel. 020 7703 0137
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Aim and Purpose
St Mary’s Greek Orthodox Cathedral (SMGOC) Trustees and Committee (T&C) have the responsibility of co-operating with the incumbent, The Very Reverend Archimandrite Christodoulos Persopoulos, in promoting in 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 Eastern 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 younger community through a community Greek school which runs every Saturday, at Bishop Christophoros Greek School. The school is situated at SMGOC and is a purpose-built school that welcomes students from 4-16 years old. It operates with qualified teachers who work hard to offer the best standard of teaching to students. They are educated on Greek language and culture including Greek dancing, 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, (Archbishop of Constantinople Bartholomew I), and 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 and events for commemoration are associated with each date. It essentially establishes a range of services throughout
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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 community. In addition to the established ecclesiastical calendar SMGOC and the incumbent perform baptisms, weddings, and funerals for members of the Greek Orthodox faith. We have celebrated 2 baptisms, 1 wedding and held 8 funerals in our church this year. The regular church attendance for a Sunday service is around 120 attendees with up to 1,000 attendees during the Holy Week of Easter. There are also midweek services for religious celebrations that can also reach up to 30 attendees. We support engagement through social media, where we post highlights from services, progress on projects and fundraising and information on future services and plans. Our Facebook page has over 11,000 followers, both in the UK and abroad, uniting Orthodox Christians and those of other faiths alike.
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 4-16 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 GCSE. The school’s ethos is to create an exciting opportunity to learn a new language, and Greek history and cultural traditions, in an effective and natural manner. The school celebrates special occasions throughout the academic year aimed at developing their knowledge of Hellenic cultural events. It uses teaching methods to support each child’s needs and developments, 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 41 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.
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The complex undergoes a schedule of maintenance to ensure that it support 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 our priest 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, our priest is able to provide a listening ear and offer Holy Communion to those who are sick and vulnerable. The Ai Myroforai Ladies committee holds weekly informal and monthly formal 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 native language. Additionally, we offer the church hall, St Mary’s Great Hall to local community members for hire to celebrate family events including weddings, funerals and birthdays.
We live stream services via our community’s Facebook page for major religious celebrations. This has helped to reach those who are vulnerable or former members of the community who are no longer able to attend services, maintain connections with them.
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 the victims in the Ukraine war, Crisis UK and our local Peckham food bank. Whilst organized by volunteers, all parishioners will get involved in charity efforts. 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 or connect on a deeper level with their faith.
Ecumenical Relationships
SMGOC is a member of the Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain. We maintain good relationships with our fellow Greek Orthodox churches in South London and have had the pleasure of hosting several national clergy conferences.
Financial Review
The total sum of income for SMGOC for 2023 was £144,974.00. This income is derived from a variety of sources but the main sources of income are the rental of St Mary’s Hall (raising £39,400); the rental of rooms (raisng £49,811); and from religious services’ collections and the sale of candles. Other streams include school fees from Bishop Christophoros Greek School which has raised £12,198.78.
There are also smaller income streams, including payments for christenings, funerals and weddings, gift aid donations, payment for parking fees and the use of Bishop Christophoros Greek School as a polling station, fundraising and donations. The total amount raised from these smaller income streams is
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£11,354.24. The minutiae of these are detailed in the Financial Statements.
The total running costs of SMGOC in 2023 were £146,086.53. These include SMGOC running costs, such as heating and electric bills, pest control, insurance, repairs to air conditioning, telephone and water bills, the salary and rent of the incumbent. There are other costs associated with the church building and services, including repairing the bells, candles and payments to the Archdiocese. The wages of the Greek School teachers, security for St Mary’s Hall, cleaners and sound limiters also make up the outgoings of the church, the details of which can be found below.
The net result for the year was a loss of £1,112.53.
Reserves policy
The charity has not set minimum reserves. Its policy is to raise sufficient money to meet its financial requirements.
As a small charity the trustees have not invested any of the charity's funds in any risky investments.
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 Christophis Mr Andrew Michael Fouli Mr Andreas Apostolos Dometakis
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Committee as of 31.12.23: Mr Andrew Michael Fouli (Chairman) Mr John Psarias (Treasurer) Mr Nicos Christofis Mr Giannis Gkikas Mr Alexandros Balaskas Mr Kanellos Kanellopoulos Mr Akis Kourpas
Approved by the T&C on 31.12.23 and signed on their behalf by Mr Andrew Michael Fouli (Chairman)
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St Mary’s Greek Orthodox Cathedral
Financial statements for year-end 31[st] December 2023
| St Marys Church - Camberwell | Closing 31/12/2023 |
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|---|---|---|
| Balance Sheet as at | £ | |
| Assets | ||
| Freehold Land & Building | 1,123,997.00 | |
| Dep | 0.00 | |
| Plant & Machinery | 191,177.00 | |
| Cumulative Dep | -132,562.16 | |
| DepTHIS PERIOD | -5,861.48 | |
| Total Fixed Assets | 1,176,750.36 | |
| Current Assets | ||
| AI MYROFORAI | 2,739.73 | |
| NATWEST BANK | 14,738.35 | |
| CASH | 500.00 | |
| Total Current Assets | 17,978.08 | |
| Liabilities | ||
| Bank Loans & Overdrafts | -30,000.00 | |
| Accrued Expenses | -7,500.00 | |
| PAYE & NI | -2,384.67 | |
| Other | -5,400.00 | |
| Total | -45,284.67 | |
| Net Current Liabilities | -27,306.59 | |
| Total Assets less Current Liabilities | 1,149,443.77 | |
| Creditors >1 Year | -8,822.00 | |
| Net Assets | 1,140,621.77 | |
| Profit & Loss Reserves b/f | 1,157,718.30 | |
| Profit & Loss Reserves THIS PERIOD | -1,112.53 | |
| Restricted | -15,984.00 | |
| Net Assets | 1,140,621.77 | |
| cross check | 0.00 | |
| Profit & Loss YE 2023 | £ | |
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| Funeral | 600.00 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Income | 32,209.98 | |
| ParkingFees | 1,560.00 | |
| Fundraising | 3,728.77 | |
| Donations | 5,465.47 | |
| Total Hall Income | 39,400.00 | |
| Total Rooms Income | 49,811.00 | |
| School Fees | 12,198.78 | |
| Total Income | 144,974.00 | |
| Accountant | -4,350.00 | |
| Archdiocese | -403.99 | |
| Candles | -4,698.56 | |
| Hall clean | -4,602.00 | |
| PAYE | -8,336.24 | |
| Pest control | -936.00 | |
| Supplies | -1,311.48 | |
| Maintenance | -9,853.89 | |
| HeatingGAS | -17,749.73 | |
| Hall Deposit | -7,500.00 | |
| Hall security | -2,200.00 | |
| Insurance | -14,709.20 | |
| Air condition repair | -6,070.77 | |
| Priest wages | -19,600.00 | |
| Priest rent | -17,879.94 | |
| Telephone | -1,815.49 | |
| School teachers | -14,344.77 | |
| TV licence | -159.00 | |
| Water | -392.93 | |
| Waste | -2,253.72 | |
| Bank charges | -101.88 | |
| Books | -1,070.79 | |
| Adjustments | ||
| Depreciation YE 2023 | -5,861.48 | |
| PAYE due at YE | -2,384.67 | |
| Accrued Costs at YE | 2,500.00 | |
| Total Costs | -146,086.53 | |
| Profit / LOSS | -1,112.53 |
Approved by the T&C on 31.12.23 and signed on their behalf by Mr Andrew Michael Fouli (Chairman)
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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
46 Ewelme Road London SE23 3BH
30[th] June 2025
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