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Franche Community Church, Chestnut Grove, Kidderminster, DY11 5QA
Registered Charity Number 701151
Trustees’ Annual report for the period 1[st] January – 31[st] December 2023
Franche Community Church is registered with the Charity Commission and governed by a Constitution. The Trustees who manage the Charity are Paul Guille (chairman), Sam Guille (Minister), Richard Hague and John Balcon (Food Bank Manager). Jayne Mclean resigned from her position on the Trustees in August of this year. The Church is led by the Minister and Elder’s. They function through full consultation with the Trustees and members of the Church.
The Trustees meet monthly to oversee all aspects of the Charity and to receive reports from the Minister, Food Bank Manager, Treasurer and the Chair of the Trustees. During this challenging period of inflationary instability, we have managed our responsibilities and can report that the Charity has continued in a good position throughout 2023.
As part of our Trustees’ meetings, we have been inviting others to join with us to discuss the local situation. So far we have met with the WFDC Financial Inclusion officers; Citizens Advice; The Community Housing Group Team. Also during this year we have teamed up with the local Salvation Army/ Employment Plus - Employment Development Coordinator who uses the building weekly to meet clients.
Despite the ongoing uncertainty of the financial climate within the United Kingdom we have thankfully continued to receive support from many local businesses and supporters, and have been joined by new supporters this year. This has been vital as we have seen the cost of distributing food boxes increase in line with the cost of living and grocery prices.
The continued aim of the Charity is to serve the community in Franche by providing both spiritual and practical help, through support and guidance for its members and anyone within the wider Wyre Forest area of Kidderminster, Bewdley and Stourport-on-Severn in the county of Worcestershire.
We are a Charity seeking to support residents in the Wyre Forest through connecting and communicating with our local community. Our premises are located in the heart of the Franche estate adjacent to Franche Community Primary School. Our independent Wyre Forest Food Bank has continued operating from our building without charge (with volunteer support) on Tuesdays and Fridays with the distribution of food and bread.
During 2023 we have received funding from many sources including Be Global who as one of our most regular and long term supporters agreed to underwrite our Biffa grant this year as required by the terms of the grant; the WFDC Household Relief Fund; Community Housing Group; local councillors; local churches; local businesses; local schools; the Co-op; Monday Night group; Bewdley & Stourport Rotary club; various Trust’s; UK Games Expo; Arnold Clark Community Fund; the Julia and Hans Rausing Trust; Morrison supermarket in Kidderminster from their customer giving tree; all of which have helped us with the running of the Food
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Bank. We also received an award through the Biffa Landfill Tax Fund for community building improvements which included repairs to the roof, an upgrade of the ovens in the main kitchen, a new coffee bar installation and a complete rebuild of our toilet facilities.
Franche Community Church’s established Food Bank provides a unique distribution service to the community with emergency food boxes packed to meet individual and family needs, distributed only to those referred to us by the Community Housing Group; Citizens Advice; Job Centre Plus; WFDC Hub; Barnardo’s and Brookside Children’s Centres; Home Start; Onside Advocacy (and other NHS affiliates); St Basil’s Hostel; various churches and local schools, as well as other charities and community groups.
This year, our regular Sunday morning worship service, has continued in the format of eating together, and creating a welcoming church family that includes everyone. In September we refocused away from full meals to cake and biscuits to be sure our meetings were about being together and not just eating. To make it all inclusive we have begun to focus on spreading the Christian message to families, young people and those who have never heard it or been to a church. Alongside which we continue to meet to pray on a weekly basis for the needs of our community, the nation, and the mission of the church and by using Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp. We seek to encourage the learning and practice of an evangelical, charismatic, Godly and Biblical lifestyle that can impact those who regularly attend, along with those who visit occasionally either online or in person.
Some of those who view Franche Community Church as their church are actively involved and included as volunteers within a wide range of tasks, from simply providing a listening ear, to open advice, food box packers and distributors. We seek to offer support through our connections with various local groups in Franche, Marlpool and Habberley; with the County, District and Town Councillors, Council Officers and the Community Housing Officers, working with those in social and private rental properties.
Our Minister also seeks to pray and offer spiritual support (through the joy, hope and the blessing of the Christian Faith), within the Church and the wider community to anyone who requests this. He continues to work with the local schools, councillors, agencies and the wider community. He is increasing our connections with other charities working in our area, including being a Director for our local Home Start group.
Attendance at church services continues to be lower than expected but the enthusiasm for the purposes of the church amongst those attending remains positive and with the ongoing support of our members and supporters we anticipate 2024 being as productive as this year.
We are looking to continually improve the facilities and have created a plan for the regular maintenance of the premises. This enables us to further our vision to provide facilities for the local community in a safe and friendly environment, and also connect with the wider community through social media. We also continue to offer off-road parking in an area of Franche that is often congested.
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During 2023 we have completed a full electrical inspection and installed a full new breaker board; PAT tested the electrical equipment in the building and improved our smoke alarms.
We received some minor damage from vandalism this year which was reported and dealt with by the police, as using the previously installed CCTV they were able to identify the culprits. It was not necessary to report the incident to our insurers.
There has been no reported safeguarding incident in this year.
The Trustees, following an updating of the Objects of the Charity to better reflect our activities, continued to undertake the review of the Constitution of the Charity. We have not arrived at a satisfactory point of agreement and will continue to pursue completion of this task in 2024 to ensure the Constitution adequately reflects the current undertakings of the Charity. Alongside this, we have also undertaken an external review of our Safeguarding policy, introduced and reviewed a number of our policies and procedures to ensure we are up to date in all departments.
We have established a budget for the future and implemented plans to increase our reserves in savings accounts and are confident that the Charity is secure going forward, as we are maintaining communication with those in the community looking for suitable facilities to hire and support the ongoing work of the Charity.
Following the advice of our independent Examiner we continue to revise our methods of accounting by regularly updating our monthly spreadsheets, which has enabled the Trustees to have a more transparent view of the Charity’s finances.
Treasurer is Mrs Barbara Guille.
Our independent Examiner is Brian Richard Price
His report is attached with this report.
Franche Community Church is overseen by the National Pioneer Network of Churches.
The Church is also a member of The Evangelical Alliance.
Locally we are involved with the other churches and charities in Kidderminster area, working with them and other ministers and churches in the Wyre Forest area to provide support to each other and in the community as our local area requires, and we are also connected with the Kidderminster and Husum Twinning Association, participating in a visit to Germany.
Signed on behalf of the Charity’s Trustees
Paul Guille
FRANCHE COMMUNITY CHURCH Summary of Financial Activitie5 For the Perlod 1st January to 31st December 2023 Food Bank Prevlous Year Churth Totsl funds INCOME Planned glvln8 Collertions and undeslgnated giving Gifts to Church Gift Aid recovered Investments Food Bank Recelpts from Church Hire 7,516 4.794 26,537 2,805 948 7,516 4,794 26.537 2,805 948 92,147 6,929 92.147 141.676 7.058 3.969 3,215 2,453 92,147 86,630 5,042 108.367 6,929 49.529 Total income EXPENDITURE Missionary and Charltable glvln8 Clergy and Stafflng costs Church Ruilning Expenses Food Bank Total expenditure 1,917 25.508 38,725 1,917 25,508 38,725 43,549 43,549 43,549 109.699 1,585 19,881 23,944 56,493 101,903 66.150 Net Income/ (expenditurel resources before transfer -16.621 48,598 31,978 Statements of assets and Ilabllltles at the end of the period Savlngs Account Co-operative 8aftk Total Current Assets 50,948 30,565 81,513 47,422 47,422 Sl8ned on behalf of Trustees Paul Guille Ichalrmanl
Independent examiner's report to the trustees of Franche Community Church I report on the accounts of the Trust for the year ending 31" December 2023 Respective responsibilities of trustees ond examiner The charitys trustees are responsible for the prep¢Jration of the accounts. The Charitys trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144{2) of the Chorities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examir¥3tion is needed. It is my responsibility to . Examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act: To follow the procedures laid down in the general Direct50ns 9sven by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act.. ond To state whether particular matters have come to my attention Basis of independent examiner's report My examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions 9iven by the Charity Commission. An examimtion 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 of disclosures in the accounts. and seeking explamtions 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 consequentty 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 examinerfs statement In conr*ction with my examirntion. no matter has come to my attention: (l) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in ony material respect the requirements: To keep aCC¢)untin9 records in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act.. and To prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accountin9 requirements of the 2011 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. Name: Relevant professional qualif ication or body., Address: H L, i?Ig iJo(? IZ J41Tr? tr-fL rfliblS itr (L LJaoiS )ViD IX Date: