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← City Church Trust

2024-10-31-accounts

City Church Trust

Report and Accounts Year ended 31 October 2024

1 Lamb's Passage, London EC1Y 8AB www.stewardship.org.uk

CITY CHURCH TRUST

LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 OCTOBER 2024

ADDRESS FOR CORRESPONDENCE 8 Kerris Close Liverpool L17 5BY GOVERNING DOCUMENT Declaration of Trust dated May 1989 CHARITY REGISTRATION NUMBER 701792 TRUSTEES RESPONSIBLE FOR Jonathan Ball MANAGING THE CHARITY Franklyn Chukwu-Baird (appointed June 2024) Nathan Cooke (appointed June 2024) Ann Harding (resigned November 2024) Susan Harding Susan Latham (resigned November 2024) BANKERS Santander UK plc CCLA COIF Charities Deposit Fund Skipton Building Society INDEPENDENT EXAMINER Jaimée Young Stewardship 1 Lamb's Passage LONDON EC1Y 8AB INDEX Page 1 Legal and Administrative Details Pages 2-4 Trustees' Report Page 5 Independent Examiner's Report Page 6 Receipts and Payments Account Page 7 Statement of Assets & Liabilities Pages 8-9 Notes to the Accounts

Page 1

CITY CHURCH TRUST LIVERPOOL

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES

FOR THE YEAR ENDED OCTOBER 2024

The trustees have pleasure in submitting the Report and Accounts for the year ended 31[st] October 2024.

Objects of the charity

The charity was formed as a trust on 30[th] May 1989, is a registered charity and is governed by its Declaration of Trust of the same date. The charity’s principal objectives, as set out in its governing document, are the advancement of the Christian faith and relief of poverty, sickness and disabled persons and the advancement of education in Merseyside and elsewhere in the UK and other parts of the world.

The work of the trust has continued, and the church has grown during the year as new people have joined.

In planning the activities, the trustees have applied the guidance on public benefit issued by the Charity Commission.

Minister’s report

There have been no changes in leadership of the church during the year. James Earnshaw remains as full time senior minister and is salaried by the trust. Paul Hampton continues as associate minister and is employed for 2 days per week. We also have a part time member of staff to coordinate the small groups and children’s work.

We welcome all who attend City Church, offering teaching to any who wish to know about the love of Christ. We meet on Sunday mornings, and during the week in the church and in people’s homes, to study the Bible and maintain friendships. In April we started an Alpha course for new Christians and people enquiring about the Christian faith. In September we started a second Sunday service, in the late afternoon, to provide an alternative opportunity for people to attend a worship service. This has proved successful. We have a pastoral team which is dedicated to supporting church members and reaching out to the wider community. We had a number of social events including picnics in the park over the summer, bonfire night and bank holiday parties, children’s activities, film nights and shared meals. In March we held a baptism service for new believers.

Evangelism

We held our seventh Kennycarols carol service with brass band, games, and an evangelistic message. It was well supported by the local community. We continued to hold a monthly free community dinner, and a weekly board game cafe on Friday evenings; however, the café was discontinued after the summer break because of declining attendance. Over the summer in July and August we held a weekly Lego café which proved very popular. In September we again went apple picking.

Page 2

Children’s church

Our children’s work continues to grow as new families have joined the church, and we have a part time paid worker to oversee and plan the activities as well as support the families of our children. The children are integrated into the life of the church through special events, and once again produced an excellent presentation at Christmas. We held a Light Party for the children on October 31[st] . Our team is continuing to build up and we have added more volunteers.

Youth ministry

Our youth ministry continues to thrive. We encourage our youth to be involved in all areas of the church including music ministry and media, and to join main church events such as picnics and the social café. A group of young people went away in August to the “Limitless” festival which was very beneficial in deepening their faith.

Property

The church building in Jubilee Drive is an old building, and work has continued through the year as we seek to improve and maintain facilities. Refurbishment of a downstairs office was completed, and this room can now be used for smaller meetings and youth activities. Some roof repairs were undertaken, including replacement of a flat roof area which was leaking. There are still problems with damp which we hope to address in the coming year.

Governance

Responsibility for setting policy and for making operating decisions rests with the trustees who meet regularly to monitor the activities of the charity. New trustees are recruited and appointed by the existing trustees with approval of the leadership. Two new trustees were appointed during the year. Policies are reviewed regularly and kept up to date.

Risk Management

The trustees have reviewed the major strategic and operational risks that the charity faces. These are kept under review at trustees meetings, which occur at least four times per year. Where possible we seek to insure major risks in respect of the building and employees. In addition, we have a safeguarding policy with ongoing training for our safeguarding coordinator, also ensuring that all those who work with children and vulnerable adults on our behalf are cleared with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

All our other policies are under regular review by the trustees. These include GDPR and volunteer management

Financial Review

Total annual income was £107,360. Two annual gift aid payments are included in this figure, however, there does seem to be an increase in general giving. We now have a contactless giving facility. The annual expenditure was £101,170; this resulted in a small surplus for the year. The payroll and independent examination continue to be conducted by Stewardship Services.

Page 3

Reserves Policy

At the year end, the charity's total funds from all sources amounted to £110,910. The trustees have determined that the charity should aim to hold unrestricted money of no less than £52,880 (which equates to approximately 6 months of unrestricted expenditure) so that the charity could continue to operate should income and / or expenditure vary adversely.

The charity is holding excess funds for the following reasons:

The church has sufficient resources to continue operating for at least one year from the date of signing the accounts and can pay liabilities as and when they are due. The reserves policy is kept under regular review by the Trustees.

Investment Policy

The reserve funds are held with the Skipton Building Society. The CCLA Charities Deposit Fund has been closed and the balance and interest transferred to our current account. If funds are received which require longer-term and more complex investment to be made, the Trustees are aware that, under the Trustees Act 2000, they will need to seek independent financial advice.

Responsibilities of Trustees

Charity law requires us to prepare financial statements for each accounting year which record the receipts and payments of the charity for the year. We are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable us to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011. We also have a responsibility to safeguard the assets of the charity and to take reasonable steps to prevent fraud or any other regularities.

Approval

This report was approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf by:

S Harding ___ S Harding (Jul 31, 2025 22:02:34 GMT+1) Susan Harding Jul 31, 2025 Date: ____

Page 4

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT

TO THE TRUSTEES OF

CITY CHURCH TRUST

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of City Church Trust ('the charity') for the year ended 31 October 2024 on pages 6 to 9 following.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the trustees of the charity you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the 2011 Act’).

I report in respect of my examination of the charity’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 2011 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 accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act; or

  1. the accounts do not accord with the accounting records.

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

J. Young

J. Young (Aug 4, 2025 08:42:13 GMT+1)

Jaimée Young

Stewardship 1 Lamb's Passage LONDON EC1Y 8AB

Date: Aug 4, 2025

Page 5

CITY CHURCH TRUST

RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 OCTOBER 2024

Unrestricted Funds
General Designated Restricted Total Total
Funds Funds Funds 2024 2023
Notes £ £ £ £ £
Income receipts
Donations 71,074 - 1,411 72,485 55,724
Gift aid receipts 23,936 - - 23,936 -
Grants 2,400 - - 2,400 -
Rental income 2,658 - - 2,658 2,560
Income from charitable activities 619 - - 619 237
Interest 2,874 - - 2,874 3,110
Utilities refunds 2,018 - - 2,018 -
Other 368 - - 368 106
Total receipts 105,947 - 1,411 107,358 61,736
Payments
Payments
in
relation
to
activities undertaken directly		 charitable 2 95,804 - - 95,804 105,623
Grants
paid
in
relation
to
activities undertaken by others		 charitable 3 5,365 - - 5,365 2,590
Total payments 101,169 - - 101,169 108,213
Net
of
receipts
/
transfers		 (payments) before 4,778 - 1,411 6,189 (46,477)
Transfers between funds 5 - - - - -
Net movement in funds 4,778 - 1,411 6,189 (46,477)
Cash funds as at last year end 31,390 70,467 2,863 104,719 151,196
Cash funds at this year end A 36,168 70,467 4,274 110,908 104,719

The notes on pages 8-9 form part of these accounts.

Page 6

CITY CHURCH TRUST

STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES

AS AT THE YEAR ENDED 31 OCTOBER 2024

A
Cash funds
Current account
Notice deposits
Cash in hand
B
Other monetary assets
Gift aid due to charity
C
Liabilities
Falling due within one year:
Pension due
Fee for Independent Examination		 General
Designated
funds
funds
£
£
26,131
-
10,027
70,467
10
-
36,168
70,467
10,742
-
10,742
-
538
-
1,116
-
1,654
-
Unrestricted Funds		 Restricted
funds
£
4,274
-
-
4,274
-
-
-
-
-		 Total
2024
£
30,405
80,494
10
110,908
10,742
10,742
538
1,116
1,654		 Total
2023
£
5,191
99,373
155
104,719
16,549
16,549
467
990
1,457

Due in over one year

City Church Liverpool participates in a group defined benefit pension scheme, known as Elim Ministers Pension Fund, where the main employer is Elim Foursquare Gospel Alliance. This church pays a contribution that reflects the benefits earned in the current period and provides to pay additional contributions to the scheme relating to past service (the last actuarial valuation was carried out at 31 December 2021 with Annual Funding Updates for 2022 and 2023 indicating there is a funding deficit).

The charity has previously been advised that there is a liability for one staff member as at 31Dec2022: £81,778 (with no further update yet available, although an update has been requested).

D
Assets retained for charity's own use
Freehold building [church]
Contents and equipment		 Value
2024
£
1,870,610
59,649
1,930,259		 Value
2023
£
1,732,046
59,649
1,791,695

The freehold building insurance value referred to above represents the insurers reinstatement value for Elim Church, Jubilee Drive.

The trustees have used insurance values as the trustees are unable to reliably estimate current values; insurance values may differ materially from current values.

The accounts were approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf

by S Harding (Jul 31, 2025 22:02:34 GMT+1)S Harding date Jul 31, 2025 _____Susan Harding _____

The notes on pages 8-9 form part of these accounts.

Page 7

CITY CHURCH TRUST

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 OCTOBER 2024

1 Accounting policies

The accounts have been prepared on a receipts and payments basis and comprise a statement that shows the charity's receipts and payments, a statement that summarises the charity's assets and liabilities and related notes. The accountancy profession have determined that only accounts prepared in accordance with applicable accounting standards present a 'true and fair' view and, as these receipts and payments accounts have not (and cannot) be prepared in accordance with accounting standards, these accounts do not present (and are not intended to present) a 'true and fair' view of the charity's financial activities and state of affairs.

General funds are unrestricted funds which are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity. Designated funds comprise unrestricted funds that have been set aside by the trustees for particular purposes. Restricted funds are donations which are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors; they include donations received from appeals for specific activities or projects.

2
Payments in relation to charitable activities undertaken directly
Staff costs (salaries, pension, training, expenses)
Note 4
Building operating costs
Equipment, maintenance and repairs
Visiting speakers and ministry costs
Hospitality and catering
Youth, children's, and other ministries
Administration, insurance and support
Governance
Other
3
Grants paid in relation to charitable activities undertaken by others
Organisations:
YWAM
Eltham Green Fellowship Trust [supporting overseas project]
Elim Kensington
Other organisations < £1,000
Individuals		 Unrestrict Designated
funds
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
ed Funds		 Restricted
Funds
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-		 Total
2024
£
62,252
11,127
6,447
1,695
956
5,450
6,072
996
808
95,804
1,225
600
950
1,790
800
5,365		 Total
2023
£
General
funds
£
62,252
11,127
6,447
1,695
956
5,450
6,072
996
808
95,804
1,225
600
950
1,790
800
5,365
75,893
10,924
2,844
2,777
2,165
2,781
5,192
960
2,087
105,623
300
600
1,600
90
-
2,590

4 Transactions with related parties

Two family members of Susan Latham, a trustee to November 2024, were employed as Minister in Training, paid £39,163 [2023: £37,011], including employer pension contributions, and another employed to oversee children's church, paid £6,587 [2023: £7,292]. Susan had no involvement in any discussions in relation to employment matters regarding any of the employees.

No other payments were made to trustees or persons related to them, except for reimbursement of expenses paid out on behalf of the charity.

Page 8

CITY CHURCH TRUST

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 OCTOBER 2024

5
Movement of funds
General funds
Designated funds
Legacy
Restricted funds
Shepherds Purse fund
Community Outreach Project
Building fund
Total funds		 Opening
balance
£
31,390
70,467
101,856
438
1,712
712
2,863
104,719		 Receipts
£
105,947
-
105,947
310
-
1,101
1,411
107,358		 Payments
£
(101,169)
-
(101,169)
-
-
-
-
(101,169)		 Transfers
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-		 Closing
balance
£
36,168
70,467
106,634
749
1,712
1,813
4,274
110,908

The designated funds relate to a legacy received in 2020 which was for the general use of the church. The trustees keep this under review and use it for specific projects as they arise.

The Shepherds Purse fund is to help members of the community in need.

The Community Outreach Project relates to a grant to be used for the benefit and support of the poor and disadvantaged in our local community.

The Building fund has been set up to raise funds for the purpose of improving the physical state of the current building, otherwise to be used for a new building.

Page 9