2025-01-31-accounts

ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31 JANUARY 2025 fo Community Church -'J',-Gfflow

The charitable purpose of the Clitheroe Community Church Trust is the advancement of the Christian Faith, in particular by the provision and maintenance of a church in Clitheroe for public worship . A variety of activities have helped the church to achieve its purpose over the year for the benefit of members, the local community, and others in the UK and abroad.

In planning these activities, the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit has been taken into account.

We believe that advancing the Christian faith is of benefit to individuals and to society as a whole by providing facilities for public worship, pastoral care and spiritual development, and by promoting Christian values and service by church members in and to their communities.

CCC is stepping up in prayer, and began the year with a week of prayer and fasting. The aim was to make prayer as accessible as possible for everyone , and this continued over the year:

• 'First Tuesday', including creative prayer stations, worship and spiritual gifts;

• Sunday intercession led by a varied team;

• online prayer updates for specific needs;

• bringing prayer before the Sunday meeting into the main hall has enabled more people to join in;

• joining 24/7 Prayer initiatives at Turret House and Pray 4 Lancashire.

Accessibility of Sunday meetings, especially for young families, has been developed over the year, initially by introducing a Toddler Zone, giving preschool families the choice to participate in the whole meeting or to use the live stream in the crèche area.

Seasonal specials provided a familyfriendly format to engage children but also something for adults to think about. These included Easter, a harvest service and lunch, and a Christingle service. They also combined with social action to support a local emergency food pantry.

The weekly CCC Kids' group has continued to provide Bible-based teaching and fun for 5s to 11s.

We've continued with our community outreaches to meet local needs .

• Warm Welcome: a social space with a free lunch, Wi-Fi, etc.

• Holiday Fun: free activities and lunch for local families who may struggle more when schools are closed.

• The Ark toddler group: a place for local families with young children to access play and activities, and to develop a network of relationships.

At all three, guests can access practical, pastoral and spiritual support. Information points around the centre provide Christian booklets alongside help leaflets from other local support organisations. These are well used.

As a result of interest from guests at these community groups and events, an Alpha course ran in spring 2024.

We continued to participate in joint 'Love Clitheroe' outreach with other churches. Alongside Warm Welcome and Holiday Fun, this included a Carols at the Castle and a town barbecue, which engage with large numbers of local people.

practices and for a workshop with both the band and tech team.

The core leaders team has taken part in regional events provided by Assemblies of God. All those in a leadership role have the opportunity for regular reviews with one of the elders to receive support pastorally and in ministry development. The pastor heads up a hub providing networking and support for local church senior leaders.

In addition to church groups and events, our facilities have been used for local community groups, NHS training, diabetes prevention courses, jobseekers' support, nursery presentations and as a polling station. They also provide a lowcost children's party option for local families. In special cases of need which provide benefit to the local community, we've given free use of the centre.

The trustees wish to place on record their thanks to the many volunteers who enable the ongoing work of the church and service to the community. It is not possible to quantify the value of this public benefit provided.

'Insight' sessions have been introduced this year to help people new to CCC to get to know how we function as the body of Christ and how they can take part.

A variety of small groups have provided opportunities for building relationships, prayer ministry and help with putting the Bible into practice. These include weekly Life groups, groups specifically for women and ad hoc young adults' events.

The worship team have met for regular

==> picture [161 x 19] intentionally omitted <==

----- Start of picture text -----
Families supported an emergency food pantry
at our special harvest Sunday
----- End of picture text -----

==> picture [421 x 48] intentionally omitted <==

The trustees are aware of potential risks to staff, volunteers, members and visitors, and to the organisation as a whole. They have put in place measures to manage these risks, which include the following.

• The condition of buildings and equipment is kept under review. A refurbishment programme has continued over the financial year.

• All boilers are professionally serviced annually and a Gas Safe certificate obtained.

• Regular inspections of portable appliances and electrical installations take place. In October 2024, a full Electrical Installations Condition Report took place along with work to comply with updated regulations.

• The fire safety installations and equipment are regularly inspected. Most emergency lights and all fire blankets and extinguishers were replaced in 2024.

• Annual reviews completed of the fire safety risk assessment and financial controls.

• The church operates a safeguarding policy, which is reviewed annually.

• All children's/youth workers, trustees and elders have Enhanced Disclosures from the Disclosure and Barring Service, updated every three years. They receive safeguarding training and a copy of our safeguarding policy.

• Food safety training is provided for those preparing/serving food or refreshments.

• Data protection and security procedures are in place, and privacy information is communicated on our website.

• A new risk assessment was undertaken regarding terror attacks.

• Other policies and procedures have been introduced, reviewed and updated as appropriate. Copies are made available on the church Google Drive and the literature stand.

• The church holds public/employer's liability Insurance and copyright licences.

• Anti-virus protection and backups are in place for church computer equipment.

==> picture [421 x 40] intentionally omitted <==

The annual accounts show the finances for the year. The trustees are satisfied that they are sound and were prepared in accordance with the relevant regulations and guidance. Expense Plus has been fully implemented for accounting records over the year, which has streamlined processes and supported good financial controls.

INCOME AND EXPENDITURE

Income has increased by 8.4% on last year, and is largely derived from free-will giving, mostly from church members. Tax refunds via the Gift Aid scheme supplement this, and Government grants have supported our Warm Welcome and Holiday Fun community provision. Room hire payments contribute towards running costs and building refurbishment. Although expenditure has also risen, this was only by 5.3%.

The trustees work closely with the elders to establish spending priorities. Quarterly and ad hoc board meetings, aided by treasurer’s reports, allow the trustees regularly to make judgements relating to available funds and the appropriate allocation of those funds. We ensure that at least 10% of our income goes to support other ministries who have similar aims, alongside using funds for the relief of poverty and special needs.

In addition to our regular support, there were special donations to support the work of SportsReach, the local Salvation Army emergency food pantry and a Christian ministry student. We also began regular support for Charis Ministries Africa, who work with the very poorest in Mozambique and Ethiopia.

Refurbishment of the buildings has continued, with the completing redecoration of most rooms, and commencing replacement of faulty and outdated lighting. Feedback on the facilities from church groups and hirers continues to be very positive.

RESERVES POLICY

The level of reserves is reviewed regularly by the trustees. They are satisfied that the assets of the charity are available and adequate to fulfil the obligations of the charity.

We have partnered with a number of other organisations and groups for greater effectiveness in specialised work. Some of these partnerships involved the church as a whole and others were through links with individual church members. Support took the form of volunteer help, prayer and/or donations. Financial support is detailed in the annual accounts.

You can see our vision and values displayed around the church buildings and on our website, but most of all, we want to see them displayed in the life of the church. Our vision drives all our planning, and our values underpin how we work this out and our character as a church.

The elders regularly devote time to praying about and developing a strategy for a healthy, vibrant church and to evaluating progress. This is a brief overview of plans that are in addition to regular church life. More detail about working them out in 2025/26 will be communicated over the year.

HEALTHY CHURCH

Assemblies of God are supporting local churches in reviewing their culture and practices, and in planning for healthy churches. The leadership team are proactively and prayerfully engaging with this through taking part in conferences and incorporating published materials into their review and planning processes. Insights gleaned will continue to feed through into operational planning. A pastor’s sabbatical will support this process by providing time for reflection and exploring other churches.

MESSY CHURCH

We'll continue to look for ways to engage young families on Sunday mornings, including expanding the CCC Kids group to take children from 2 years old. But we're aware that this time doesn't always work best for this demographic. We're evaluating how a format such as Messy Church, as e.g. an after-school session, may work better for some families.

OUTREACH

Groups such as the Ark toddler group, the Warm Welcome and Holiday Fun will

VISIT WWW.CLITHEROECOMMUNITYCHURCH.CO.UK TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR VALUES

continue to provide opportunities for community engagement and service. We're also continuing to work with Clitheroe Christians in Partnership on community-based events, such as an outreach-focussed VE Day celebration and an event with Barry Woodward to engage with people from a variety of backgrounds.

In addition to planning coordinated outreach opportunities, we also aim to equip individual members in passing on the good news about Jesus. We're planning a Soul Winner course, based on material used successfully in a number of other churches.

PRAYER AND FASTING

We make no apology that this appears in our plans year after year. Prayer underpins everything else that we do, and fasting helps us to be in a place of increased sensitivity to the Holy Spirit: to what he wants to do in our own lives and how we can help in the lives of others. We'll continue to proactively facilitate corporate and individual prayer and fasting, and plan opportunities for people to encounter God in a real way.

DISCIPLESHIP

Helping people to grow as followers of Jesus is integral to a healthy church. This process at CCC starts with 'Insight' sessions, where there's the opportunity to find out how the CCC family works and what part each of us can play. These sessions will continue to run as needed, and will be followed up with intentional conversations to help each person fulfil their potential as members of the body of Christ.

Name of the charity The Clitheroe Community Church Trust Registered charity number 701869 Principal office Clitheroe Community Church, Millthorne Avenue, Clitheroe, Lancashire, BB7 2LE Charity trustees Paul Cowen, Richard Douglas, Andrew Piercy, Gillian Whitfield

GOVERNANCE

The charitable trust was established by a declaration of trust on 29 June 1989. The trustees are to be four in number and they may appoint additional trustees, provided they accept the statement of faith in the declaration of trust. In October 2024, the declaration of trust was reviewed and updated in line with Charity Commission guidance.

The trustees cooperate with the elders in furthering the object of the trust. The primary responsibilities of the elders are spiritual, pastoral and for the ministries of the church. The trustees are mainly responsible for financial, legal and propertyrelated matters. Both groups meet regularly and require unanimous decisions from a quorum. A register of interests is kept, where trustees declare any potential conflicts of interest. New trustees receive support from an existing trustee sponsor, and all trustees are provided with information from the Charity Commission.

CONTACT

Telephone [phone] Email [e-mail] Website www.clitheroecommunitychurch.co.uk

APPROVAL OF THE ANNUAL REPORT

The annual report was approved by the trustees and signed on behalf of the board by

….…………………….…………………………… (Richard Douglas)

14 April 2025

on ……………………………………………………………………………

==> picture [514 x 598] intentionally omitted <==

----- Start of picture text -----
|||||||||| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |Charity Name|No (if any)| |Clitheroe Community Church Trust|701869| |Receipts and payments accounts|CC16a| |For the period|Period start date|Period end date| |To| |from|01/02/2024|31/01/2025| |a| |Section A Receipts and payments| |Unrestricted|Restricted|Endowment| |Total funds|Last year| |funds|funds|funds| |to the nearest £|to the nearest £|to the nearest £|to the nearest £|to the nearest £| |A1 Receipts| |Donations & Legacies|87,913|450|-|88,363|80,325| |Charitable Activities|-|-|-|-|-| |Investments|-|-|-|-|-| |Trading Activities|-|-|-|-|-| |Other|7,963|-|-|7,963|8,532| |-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |Sub total|(Gross income for| |AR)|[ 95,876 ]|450|-|96,326|88,857| |A2 Asset and investment sales,| |(see table).| |-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |Sub total|-|-|-|-|-| |Total receipts|95,876|450|-|96,326|88,857| |SSS5|5|—| |A3 Payments| |Charitable Activities|91,920|828|-|92,748|88,014| |Raising Funds|-|-|-|-|-| |Governance Costs|-|-|-|-|-| |Support|-|-|-|-|-| |Other|-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |Sub total|[ 91,920 ]|828|-|92,748|88,014| |A4 Asset and investment| |purchases, (see table)| |-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-| |Sub total|[ - ]|-|-|-|-| |SS|Total payments|91,920|S5|828|-|5—|92,748|88,014| |Net of receipts/(payments)|3,956|- 378|-|3,578|843| |A5 Transfers between funds|- 28|28|-|-|-| |A6 Cash funds last year end|30,476|- -|30,476|29,633| |Cash funds this year end|===|34,404|- 350|- 34,054|==|30,476|

----- End of picture text -----

Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period

==> picture [511 x 672] intentionally omitted <==

----- Start of picture text -----
|||||| |---|---|---|---|---| |Unrestricted|Restricted|Endowment| |Categories|Details|funds|funds|funds| |to nearest £|to nearest £|to nearest £| |B1 Cash funds|Yorkshire Bank|34,145|- 350|-| |Cash In Hand| |259|-|-| |-|-|-| |Total cash funds|34,404|- 350|-| |—====| |(agree balances with receipts and payments| |account(s))|OK|OK|OK| |Unrestricted|Restricted|Endowment| |funds|funds|funds| |Details|to nearest £|to nearest £|to nearest £| |B2 Other monetary assets|-|-|-| |-|-|-| |-|-|-| |-|-|-| |-|-|-| |-|-|-| |=====| |Fund to which|Current value| |Details|asset belongs|Cost (optional)|(optional)| |B3 Investment assets|-|-| |-|-| |-|-| |-|-| |-|-| |=—====| |Fund to which|Current value| |Details|asset belongs|Cost (optional)|(optional)| |B4 Assets retained for the|Land & Buildings|Unrestricted|354,473|176,475| |charity’s own use|Equipment Fixtures & Fittings|Unrestricted|36,685|492| |-|-| |-|-| |-|-| |-|-| |-|-| |-|-| |-|-| |===>| |Fund to which|Amount due|When due| |Details|liability relates|(optional)|(optional)| |B5 Liabilities|-| |-| |-| |-| |-| |=—====| |Signed by one or two trustees on|Date of| |behalf of all the trustees|Signature|Print Name|approval| |Richard Douglas|14/04/2025|

----- End of picture text -----

Independent examiner's report on the accounts

Section A Independent Examiner’s Report

Report to the trustees/ Charity Name members of Clitheroe Community Church Trust On accounts for the year 31/01/2025 Charity no 701869 ended (if any) Set out on pages (remember to include the page numbers of additional sheets)

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31/01/2025.

• Responsibilities and As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation basis of report 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 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 which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:

• accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or

• 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.

Date: 05/06/2025 Signed: Name: Joel David Williams ~~Ps~~ Relevant professional The Association of Accounting Technicians qualification(s) or body (if any): Address: 1 Montrose Avenue Stretford Manchester M32 9LN

1

October 2018

IER

Section B Disclosure

Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners).

Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose .

2

October 2018

IER