2023-12-31-accounts

The Serbian Orthodox Parish of Oxford

Accounts

For the year ended 31. December 2023

Trust details:

Registered Charitable Trust No. 296984

Trustees: Mr Ljubinko Vujasevic Mr Andrija Stojsavljevic Mr Nedjeljko Obradovic Mr Branimir Jankovic Mr Vojo Ilic Mr Zoran Miljus

Mr Momcilo Balac Date of Trust Deeds: 04/06/1987

Accountants:

SFB Group Head Office, Manor Court Chambers, Townsend Drive, Nuneaton, Warwickshire, CV11 6RU

Bankers: LLOYDS TSB 24 Broad St, READING

RG1 2BT

Report of the Church Committee

The Committee present their Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31"December 2023.

Objectives, Organisation and Activities:

The Serbian Orthodox Parish of Oxford was constituted by a Trust Deed dated the 04[th] of June 1987 and is a registered Charity numbered 296984 .

The Charity operates from its offices at 25 Junction Road, Oxford, OX4 2NT.

The objectives of the Charity are:

• To use Trust Property in accordance with the provisions of the constitution of the charity.

• The propagation and advancement of the Serbian Orthodox Religious and other religious purposes ancillary thereto and provision of facilities for religious worship and maintenance of a Priest.

Organisational Structure

The Trustees meet regularly to discuss and plan objectives and their implementation.

The Trustees are appointed for life. New Trustees are elected by Trustees.

Trustees are not paid for their work.

Principal Officers:

The principal officers who served during the year were:

Priest in Charge Rev. Vladimir Ponjarac Chairman Mitar Milkovic Secretary Jelena Prhal Treasurer Nedjeljko Obradovic Member Nikola Bibic Member Momcilo Balac Member Bosko Besevic

Agents and Advisers:

The Independent Examiner is:

Episcopal dean for United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland

The V. Rev. Dragan Lazic

89 Lancaster Road, London W11 1QQ

Tel. [phone]

Email: [e-mail]

Chartered Certified Accountants.

The bank accounts of the Trust are maintained at Lloyds TSB Bank.

Review of Progress and Achievements

The Church continued to hold regular services every Sunday and on special saints’ day, where these fall on Saturdays and weekdays, throughout the year in Oxford, Reading and High Wycombe.

As well as our regular service, we are enabling our community to celebrate and thank God at the milestones of journey through life.

Through baptism we thank God for the gift of life, in marriage public vows are exchanged with God’s blessing and through funeral services friends and family express their grief and commend the person into God’s keeping.

The Church operated in accordance with the provisions of the constitution of the Serbian Orthodox Church in all its activities.

Charity Funds:

The funds of the Charity are administered by the Committee to meet the objectives of the Charity. The Committee consider that the overall financial position of the Charity is satisfactory, and that the Charity can meet its obligations. Benefactors and parishioners are continued to donate funds to the Charity.

Risk Assessment:

The Committee have considered the risks to which the Charity may be exposed, and systems are in place to mitigate those risks.

Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the Charity:

Property (house) at 25 Junction Road, Oxford, OX4 2NT

: 1. Mr Ljubinko Vujasevic

1. Mr Vojo Ilic

Review of Financial Activities and Affairs

Full details of the financial transactions are contained in the attached accounts. The total receipts for the year were £39,304.01 and after deducting payments of £45,931.679 net deficit of 6,627.78 compared with net income of £4,776.93 in 2022.

Statement of Church Committee Members Responsibilities

The Church Committee acting as Charity Trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees' report and the Financial Statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

The law applicable to Charities in England and Wales requires Charity Trustees to prepare Financial Statements for each financial year which give a trust and fair view of the situation of the Charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources of the Charity for that period. In preparing these Financial Statements, the Charity Trustees are required to:

a) Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently

b) Observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP

c) Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent

d) State whether applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the Financial Statements

e) Prepare the Financial Statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to assume that the Charity will continue in operation

Trustees:

Mr Ljubinko Vujasevic Mr Andrija Stojsavljevic Mr Nedjeljko Obradovic Mr Branimir Jankovic Mr Vojo Ilic Mr Zoran Miljus Mr Momcilo Balac

Receipts and Payments Account for the year ended 31[st] December 2023

General funds

Income and endowments from: 2023 2022 Candles 1,586.68 1,578.00 Collections 13,492.08 12,015.50 Parish Dues 3,550.00 4,230.00 Donations 5,383.00 8,266.00 Donations at Sacrament 25 0.00 0.00 Printed Material 00 0.00 0.00 Certificates 00.00 140.00 Other Income 00.00 199.00 Gift Aid 5,042.25 8,308.16 Transfer from building fund 10,000.00 00.00 Rent 0.00 00.00 Total 39,304.01 34,737.56 Expenditure on: Priest's Salary & National Insurance 16,849.40 15,131.01 Donations 00.00 00.00 Printing, Postage & Stationery 00.00 00.00 Motor Expenses & Travelling Expenses 1,586.20 2,775.62 Church maintenance 5,053.54 3,652.72 House maintenance 14,524.52 4,579.92 Office maintenance 1,923.13 96.00 Candles & Items for Church 00.00 00.00 Dioceses Contribution 3,81500 2,515.00 Miscellaneous 2,180.00 1,210.36 Total 45,931.79 29,960.63

Net income/(expenditure) for the year ( 6,627.78) 4,776.93 Total funds brought forward 71,037.79 66,260.86 Total funds carried forward 54,985.76 71,037.39

Statement of Assets and Liabilities at 31"December 2023

All Funds 2023 2022 Current Assets: £ £ Bank Deposit Accounts: Building fund 52,765.83 62,190.08 Deposit Account 2,219.93 8,847.71 Cash in Hand 00.00 00.00 Total 54,985.76 71,037.79 Fixed Assets: Held for functional use by the Charity: • Land and building at 480,000.00 450,000.00 25 Junction Road, Oxford, OX4 2NT 2) Furniture and Equipment at that address 10,000.00 10, 000.00

The Financial Statements were approved by the Church Committee on 13[st] Feb 2024.

Rev. Vladimir Ponjarac, Priest in Charge

Mitar Milkovic, Chairman

Jelena Prhal, Secretary

Nedjeljko Obradovic, Treasurer

Ljubinko Vujasevic, Trustee

CPnCKA llPABOCItABHA EnAPXHIA 5PHTAHCKO-CKAIIHHABCKA ApxHjepejcKo HaMecHHIUTBO 3a Y1eAM￿eHO KpaJbeBcrBO Peny6AHKy MpcKy SERBIAN ORTHODOX DIOCESEOF GREAT BRITAIN AND SCANDINAVIA Episcopal Deanery for United Kin8dom and Republic oflreland 30ih July 2024. Prol. No. 136124. London Independent Examiner's report to the Church Committee and Trustees of The Serbian Orthodox Church of 'fhe Ascension of our Lord in Oxford I report on the accounts of the Trusi from I si January 2023 10 3151 December 2023. Respective responsibililiesof Trustees and Examiner As Trustees you arc resw)nsible for Ihe preparation of accounls. The Truslees consider that an audit is not required for Ihese years under seclic)n 144(2) of the Charilics Aci 2011 (the 2011 Act) and Ihal an independenl examinalioii is needed. Having salisfied myself that the charity is nol subject to audit under cc)mpany law and is clibiible for independenl examination. il is my responsibility to.. examine the accounts under 5eclic)n 145 of Ihe 2011 Acl. follom, the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of Ihe 201 l Acl. stale whether particular matlers have come to myaltcniion. Basis of independent examlner's report My examination was carried out in accordance wilh ihe General Direction Fiven by Ihe Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kepl by ihe Charity and a coinparison of the accounls presented with Ihose records. It also includes consideralion of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking cxplanation from you a5 trustees conceding any such malters. The procedures undefiaken do nol prO￿.ide all Ihe ei'idenc¢ that would be reqtsired in an audit, and ¢ons¢qu¢ntly no opinion is given as to wh¢th¢r the accounts present a "true and fair view" and thal rewrt is limited io those matters set out in the statemenl below. ApxHjepejcKH NaMecHHK 6pHThHCKO-HPCKH npoTojepej-craBpo*op IlparaH )la3Mh 89 tancaster Road. London Wll IQQ tel= [phone] email.. [e-mail]

CPIICKA ttPABOCIIABHA EIIAPXHIA EPHTAHCKO-CKAllMHABCKA ApxMjepejcKO HaMetHbllXITBO 33 Y1eAM￿eMO KpaJbeBcfBO Peny6AMxy HpcKy SERBIAN ORTHODOX DIOCESE OF GREAT BRITAIN AND SCANDINAVIA Episcopal Deanery for United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland Independent ¢X8mln¢r's statement In conn¢ction ￿'ith my examination. no matter has comc lo my allenlion.. l. Which gives me reasonable ¢ausc to believe ihal in any material respect the requirements; a. To keep accounlin¥ records in accordance wilh seciion 130 of 201 l Act; b. To Prepare acc()unts whtch accord wilh ihc accouniing7 reuords and Lomply wilh ihe accountin&p requirements c)fihe 2011 Act have not been met" or 2. 10 which. in my opinion. allenlion should be drawn in ordcr to enable a proper understandingF of the accounts lo be r¢ach¢d. Episcopal Dean for Great Britain and Ireland V. kp/V. 03iy441 1421 The V. Rev. Dragan Lazic ApxMjepejcKM HaMecHHK 6pHTdHCKO-HPCKH IIPOTojepej-rnppotyop JlparaH Jla3Kh 89 lancaster Road. iA)ndon Wl I IQQ tel.. [phone] ernail.. [e-mail]