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2023-12-31-accounts

Registered Charity 328492

Trustees’ Annual Report and Financial Statement

1 January – 31 December 2023

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Word of Life

Word of Life

Trustees’ Annual Report and Financial Statement

1 January – 31 December 2023

CONTENTS

Legal and administrative details 3
Structure, governance and management 4
Aims and objectives 6
Receipts and Payments Account – CC16a 7

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Word of Life

Trustees’ Annual Report and Financial Statement

1 January – 31 December 2023

The trustees present the report and financial statements for the financial year ending 31 December 2023.

LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS

Charity name: Word of Life Charity registration number: 328492 Date of formation: 22 January 1990 Principle office: Central House 13 Ravenhurst Street BIRMINGHAM B12 0HD

Trustees

Mr John Douglas (Treasurer) Ms Shadi Fatehi Rev Canon Dr Philip Rawlings (Chair) Mr David Watson (resigned June 2023) Mrs Flora Davies Dr Anwar Berhe (elected September 2023)

Bankers

The Charity holds bank accounts at:

The Co-operative Bank PLC, P.O. Box 101, 1 Balloon Street, Manchester M60 4EP and

CAF Bank Ltd, 25 Kings Hill Avenue, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent ME19 4JQ

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STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Governing document

Word of Life is a charity registered on 22 January 1990. The charity was established under a constitution dated 8 December 1989.

Recruitment and appointment of trustees

Under the requirements of the Constitution, the trustees are elected at the Annual General Meeting. All trustees are members of the charity.

In 2023 David Watson stepped down, with the trustees’ thanks for his service, and Word of Life welcomed Anwar Berhe onto the Board.

Trustee induction and training

All trustees are familiar with the practical work of the charity and are encouraged to be involved with the on-going work of the charity. They are encouraged to actively engage with its activities and are familiar with the context within which it operates, including:

Organisational structure

The trustees meet at least four times a year (quarterly) and are responsible for the strategic direction and policy of the charity. At the end of 2023 there are five trustees from a variety of backgrounds all relevant to the work of the charity.

A scheme of delegation is in place. From September 2023 the Director (Tim Green) handed over day to day responsibility for the charity running to the new Associate Director (David Watson) while retaining overall leadership. In 2023-4 the Director will focus on curriculum development. The Chair and Treasurer continue working closely with the Associate Director; the Administrator (Lindsey Stephenson); and several Track Leaders, some who are employed by the charity (Jennifer Fenton, Tilaye Daba) and others on a seconded basis (Pat Brittenden, Helen Lee).

The Director, Administrator and Track Leaders work closely with groups of staff (Michelle Simon, Parsa Zardouz, Samah Adam, Somayeh Sani, Valentina Ten, Yousef Sh) and volunteers on a regular basis, within the different projects of the charity.

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Financial review

With the aid and support of supporters, volunteers and grants, the Charity raised £96,147 (2022, £115,224) for the year. Gift Aid was applied for regularly.

The Charity’s expenditure during 2023 financial year was £111,313 (2022, £125,682). This was spent on the development of our projects, salaries, governance, and administration overheads.

The net expenditure for the year was -£15,166 (2022, -£10,458). This was due to spending restricted funds received previously on multiyear projects which began in 2021 or 2022 and completed in 2023.

Both income and expenditure were less than 2022 because of our large international events held in that year. Both donor grants and contributions from delegates were received towards these in 2022.

As of 31 December 2023, the Charity held assets as cash in bank of £75,751 (31 December 2022, £90,917).

The trustees intend to continue to support the charity’s projects, working in development of resources, training, and research in the following financial year.

Principal funding sources

Funding sources are primarily grants and gifts from supporters. In addition, in 2023 some income was received from sales of books.

Investment Policy

All the charity’s funds are to be applied in the short term and no funds are held for long term investment. In 2024 the trustees will investigate transferring the reserves (see below) into a higher interest account, but still with instant access should they be needed.

Reserves Policy

Word of Life holds a reserve in its bank account which will allow it to operate for a three-month period in the event of future financial difficulty. The Reserves Policy was revised in 2021. As of 31 December 2023, the charity held free reserves of £64,296 (31 December 2022, £65,818). The trustees are confident that the current reserves position will allow the charity to continue operating its current activities over the next financial year.

Plans for future periods

The charity will continue to seek for grants and support through donations, in order to advance the Christian faith in accordance with its objects.

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Responsibilities of the trustees

Charity Law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial period which give a true and fair view of the state of the affairs of the charity as at the balance sheet date and of its income resources and application of resources, including income and expenditure, for the financial period. In preparing those financial statements, the trustees follow best practice and:

The trustees are responsible for maintaining proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with Charity Law.

The trustees are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

OUR AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

Purpose and aims

The charity’s purposes, as set out in the objects in the Constitution, are the advancement of the Christian faith in such ways as the charity trustees may from time to time decide.

The trustees do not consider that any detriment or harm would arise from this charity’s charitable purposes.

Ensuring work delivers our aims

We review our aims, objectives and activities annually. This review considers what has been achieved over the previous year, and how the charity has fulfilled its aims, while reflecting on the challenges and any disappointments. It helps the trustees to ensure that our aims, objectives and activities remain focussed on our stated purposes. This review also sets vision and targets for the following year, with reference to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit.

The focus of our work

Our main objective for the period was to advance the Christian faith.

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How our activities deliver public benefit

The charity develops and publishes Christian materials, in different languages, for use by new Christians in order to develop their knowledge and understanding of the Christian faith. It seeks to train people in the use of these materials and is engaged in research concerning these peoples who are new to the Christian faith.

The beneficiaries of our work have been both leaders and members of churches in the UK, Europe and around the world who have received our materials and been trained in using them. The materials we produce have been translated into a number of different languages enabling their use by people from a variety of places including South Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Europe.

This report is signed for and on behalf of the trustees:

(Chair) 23-04-24 (Treasurer) 23-04-24

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Word of Life 328492 Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For the period 01/01/2023 31/12/2023 To from Gone ~~Oe -~~

~~0~~ Section A Receipts and payments Unrestricted[Restricted ] Endowment Total Last year funds funds funds funds to the nearest to the to the nearest to the to the nearest £ nearest £ £ nearest £ £ A1 Receipts Donations and grants 45,924 48,867 - 94,791 88,020 Charitable Activities 7,731 -6,375 - 1,356 27,203 Sub total (Gross 53,655 42,492 - 96,147 115,223 ~~S~~ income for AR) ~~oo~~ A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). - - - - Sub total - ~~Ss~~ 53,655 42,492 96,147 115,223 Total receipts ~~PE LEE~~ -

A3 Payments

Staff Costs
8,863 62,238 - **71,101 ** 38,785
Development of Christian
materials (incl printing) 4,396 5,794 - 10,190 9,017
Training events
0 4,298 - 4,298 1,576
Sundry expenditure
183 10,070 - 10,253 27,480
Office Costs
3,089 628 - 3,717 5,093
Governance Costs
6,251 5,502 - 11,753 873
Event_Paths of Life
- 20,764
Event_Hikma Launch
- 22,094
Sub total 22,783 88,530 - 111,313 125,682

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A4 Asset and
investment
purchases
- - - - -
Sub total -
Total payments 22,783 88,530 - 111,313 125,682
Net of receipts/
(payments) 30,872 -46,038 - -15,166 -10458
A5 Transfers
between funds -31,974 31,974 - -
A6 Cash funds last
year end 65,818 25,099 - 90,917 101,375
Cash funds this
year end 64,716 11,035 - 75,751 90,917
B1 Cash funds Coop Bank account 15,473 8,603
CAF Bank account 49,220 11,035 82,268
Paypal Account 23 46
Total cash funds 64,716 11,035 90,917
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
funds funds funds
Details to nearest £ to nearest
£		 to nearest £
B2 Other monetary
assets - - -
Details Fund
asset		 to which
belongs		 Cost
(optional)		 Current
value
(optional)
B3 Investment assets - -
Details Fund
asset		 to which
belongs		 Cost
(optional)		 Current
value
(optional)
B4 Assets retained for
the charity’s own use - -
- -
Details Fund to which
liability relates		 Amount
due
(optional)		 When due
(optional)
B5 Liabilities -

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Signed by one or two Date of trustees on behalf of Signature Print Name all the trustees approval Philip Rawlings 23-04-24 John Douglas 23-04-24 ~~|~~

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Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of Word of Life

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Word of Life (the Trust) for the year ended 31 December 2023.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity trustees of the Trust you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent examiner’s statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

  1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act; or 2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or

  2. the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Signed:

Name: Louise Biller

Relevant professional qualification or membership of professional bodies (if any): ACA Address: 2A Amersham Road, Amersham, Bucks, HP6 5PE

Date: 2 June 2024