## **Trustees’ Annual Report for 2023**
## Registered Charity 801108
_Serving LGBT+ People and the wider community_
_in Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole, and Dorset since 1979_
1. Inclusive Community Church promotes the gospel of Jesus Christ in Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole, and Dorset, as well as neighbouring areas, proclaiming the good news of God’s inclusive love. For over four decades, we have been celebrating God’s love for all people, and in particular addressing the needs of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender + (LGBT+) community.
## **About Us**
2. Inclusive Community Church is part of the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches (UFMCC) whose churches play a vital role worldwide in addressing the spiritual needs of LGBT+ folk and their friends.
3. While not all our members identify as LGBT+, Inclusive Community Church seeks to reach out to those who may feel disenfranchised by Christianity. We believe that all sexual orientations and gender identities are loved by God and should be welcomed completely into the Church.
4. Because of our commitment to inclusivity, we keenly support equal marriage. As a sign of God’s unconditional love, we have held wedding services for same-sex couples since our church’s foundation. We rejoice that our church was the first place of worship in the United Kingdom to legally conduct same-sex weddings when the law was changed in 2014.
Hannington Road • Bournemouth • BH7 6JT www.inclusive.church • 0300 123 7773
Rev Dwayne Morgan, Pastor • Registered Charity 801108
5. Both in our church building and online we offer a safe and welcoming Christian space for LGBT+ folk and their friends, some of whom may have experienced negative attitudes from other religious organisations. We are committed to maintaining our church as a safe space for all.
6. During the year, we have kept our policy and procedures under frequent review and updated for the protection of everyone involved in our church’s activities - having regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit and to the Government’s advice and regulations for ensuring public safety regarding Covid-19.
## **Structure and Governance**
7. Our church is a registered charity and an unincorporated association. It is governed by a constitution approved by the church members and last revised in 2009.
8. The charity is under the overall supervision of a Board of Trustees, composed of the Pastor (ex-officio Chair of the Board) and volunteers elected by, and from, the church membership. The Pastor is the charity’s only salaried employee, and is responsible for managing its day-to-day activities. The church land and buildings are vested in the Official Custodian for Charities.
9. Reverend Dwayne Morgan, Kevin Bales, Theresa Dickson, and Peter Dowrick served as the charity’s trustees in 2022-2023.
## **Activities and Achievements**
10. Our activities enable us to provide public benefit by ministering to the spiritual wellbeing of LGBT+ folk, their friends, and anyone seeking a closer relationship with God.
11. The highlight of Inclusive Community Church happens every Sunday when we gather as a church family to worship and fellowship. In addition to our onsite Sunday worship each week, we continue to live broadcast our services and maintain a recording online throughout the following week. Through this online ministry we continue to reach those who cannot be with us in person. We have an induction loop and an individual large screen monitor so those with hearing or visual impairments can better worship with us.
12. We have marked the church year with special services for Advent, World AIDS Day, Christmas, Epiphany, Ash Wednesday, Holy Week, Easter, Pentecost, Pridetide, Harvest Festival, All Saints Day, Remembrance Day, Transgender Day of Remembrance (held in central Bournemouth), and Reign of Christ.
13. We introduced a new Advent series entitled _Generation to Generation_ and a Lent series entitled _Seeking: Honest Questions for Deeper Faith_ . Both included a take home devotional and daily reflection cards. For our Lenten offering we raised £620 for our new Goodwill Fund to help people in need. We also continued our increasingly popular monthly Praise & Prayer services and Connect Coffee Mornings.
14. We support local LGBT+ Pride activities, ensuring that we are visible to the wider community in showing God’s inclusive love for all people. This year we again held a Season of Pridetide by having a two-day information stall at the Bourne Free Pride Festival at Meyrick Park in Bournemouth that included our presence at the Family Day where we reached many young people and families. We also marched in the Saturday Parade in Bournemouth town centre. We continued the Bourne Free celebrations with our Sunday Pride Worship Service and afternoon BBQ. The Western Daily Press and Western Morning Newspaper interviewed our Pastor and published a two-page article on Pride, the history of Bourne Free, and our church’s involvement in the LGBT+ community.
15. For Transgender Day of Remembrance we partnered with Bournemouth University’s Chaplain and Students’ Union to hold an evening service of remembrance at the Students’ Union’s nightclub and music venue at the Old Fire Station in Bournemouth. This allowed us to move the memorial indoors avoiding the inclement weather and also encouraging greater participation from the students. Our Pastor also helped to staff the Chaplain’s information stall at the University’s Student Pride event, which allowed us to provide information about our church to the students.
16. In February, we led a community candlelight vigil in the open air at The Triangle in central Bournemouth for a sixteen-year-old trans girl who had been stabbed to death in Warrington. Our Pastor was also interviewed by BBC Radio Solent to speak about the discrimination and rising violence against transgender persons.
17. We also partnered with Body Positive Dorset to host their annual World AIDS Day service at our church, followed by a time of refreshments and fellowship in our Church Hall.
18. In May we joined the nation and Commonwealth in celebrating the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla by gathering at our church to watch the live broadcast of events. Then we had a celebration lunch together and were joined in our Church Hall by residents from neighbouring homes whose planned outdoor street picnic needed to be moved indoors because of the rain. A number of these residents had never before been inside our church and we were glad to welcome them.
19. In August our Pastor attended the Network Gathering of the European Network of Metropolitan Community Churches at the Corrymeela Centre in Northern Ireland. It was an opportunity to connect with other churches in our international fellowship, attend workshops, and learn about the wider ministry of some of our churches.
20. We have been glad to welcome two asylum seekers into the life of our church. We pray for them as they seek accommodation and settle into a permanent life in Britain.
21. Many of our members and friends have volunteered in ministry in numerous ways this year, in worship services, outreach, maintenance, and administration. We thank each volunteer for all that they do to help us minister together to each other and to our community.
## **Financial Review**
22. We continue to face the challenges of maintenance and repairs on our building that is over 125 years old. We are grateful to our volunteers who help organise repairs and help seek grants and other funding to cover the costs to ensure that we can continue to meet and minister in our current venue.
23. In the year ending August 2023 our church gratefully received income of £46,500 (compared to £46,300 in the previous year). The income was composed of £34,100 donations from the congregation, £7,200 Gift Aid tax refunds, £2,800 from renting our hall to local groups, and £2,400 grant income. These figures include grants of £1,145 from Bourne Free trustees for providing an induction loop in the church and £1,000 from the LGBT Consortium Faith Fund for the Pastor’s retreat and conference expenses.
24. Our expenditure was £45,600 in the year ending August 2023, compared to £42,700 in the previous year. We spent £30,300 on the Pastor’s salary and expenses; £10,100 on the church building, equipment, and bank loan interest; and £5,200 on other costs.
25. We own and seek to maintain the church building as our long-term asset and a centre for our Christian ministry. Our reserves policy is, where possible, to hold enough income in available reserves to meet at least one month’s average routine spending. Although our church’s income exceeded expenditure in the year, we were unable to meet this financial target. In the year ending August 2023 income exceeded expenditure to produce a surplus of around £900, compared to a surplus of £3,600 in the previous year.
26. Our church finances are a continued concern as inflation has driven up our ongoing costs, especially for utilities. We encourage our members to be faithful stewards of all the gifts that God has given them. We are very grateful to everyone whose prayers, faithful support, and generosity have helped to fund our church upkeep and enabled our Christian ministry and outreach to continue.
## **Conclusion**
27. This year we marked the forty-fourth anniversary of our church’s ministry. Later in 2023 we will celebrate Rev Dwayne Morgan’s twentieth anniversary as our Pastor. We continue to give thanks for all that God has done in our midst and has accomplished amongst us. For the year ahead we continue to look forward in the hope of Jesus Christ as we remember the words of the Apostle Paul:
_Let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith. Galatians 6:9-10_
Reverend Dwayne Morgan Pastor & Chair of Trustees November 2023
15[th] July 2024
The Trustees Inclusive Community Church Hannington Road Bournemouth BH7 6JT
## **INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT ON THE ACCOUNTS**
**Report to the Trustees of Inclusive Community Church, on accounts for the year ended 31[st] August 2023**
## **Respec*ve responsibili*es of Trustees and examiner**
The Trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year (under sec$on 144(2) of the Chari$es Act 2011 (the Act)) and that an independent examina$on is needed.
It is my responsibility to:
- Examine the accounts (under sec$on 145 of the Act);
- To follow the procedures laid down in the General Direc$ons given by the Charity Commission (under sec$on 145(5)(b) of the Act), and
- To state whether par$cular ma2ers have come to my a2en$on.
## **Basis of independent examiner’s statement**
My examina$on was carried out in accordance with General Direc$ons given by the Charity Commission. An examina$on includes a review of the accoun$ng records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes considera$on of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explana$ons from you as trustees concerning any such ma2ers. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair view’ and the report is limited to those ma2ers set out in the statement below.
## **Independent examiner’s statement**
In the course of my examina$on, no ma2er has come to my a2en$on:
1. Which gives me reasonable cause to believe that, in any material respect, the Trustees have not met the requirements to ensure that:
- a. Proper accoun$ng records are kept (in accordance with sec$on 41 of the Act); and
- b. Accounts are prepared which agree with the accoun$ng records and comply with the accoun$ng requirements of the Act; or
2. To which, in my opinion, a2en$on should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Signed… _SueW_ ……… Date… 15/7/2024…..
Sue Wintle FMAAT Accoun$ng Technician 27 Basco2 Road Bournemouth Dorset BH11 8RJ
## **Inclusive Community Church**
## **STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES**
|Unrestricted
Restricted
Funds
Funds
£
2022-23
2022-23
Donations & collections
32,577
1,555
Gift Aid tax recoverable
6,922
281
Grants
-
2,445
Rent & fund-raising
2,763
-
**TOTAL INCOME**
**42,262**
**4,281**
**Less EXPENDITURE on:**
Staff : Pastor
29,250
1,000
Premises & equipment
7,660
2,460
Other running costs
4,947
-
Charitable donations
19
225
**TOTAL EXPENDITURE**
**41,876**
**3,685**
**NET INCOME**
**or (NET EXPENDITURE)**
**386**
**596**
_TOTAL FUNDS at 1 Sep 2022_
_142,929_
_1,774_
**TOTAL FUNDS at 31 Aug 2023**
**143,315**
**2,370**
**for year ended 31 August 2023**
**INCOME & ENDOWMENTS from:**|**Total**
**Funds**
**2022-23**
**34,132**
**7,203**
**2,445**
**2,763**
**46,543**
**30,250**
**10,120**
**4,947**
**244**
**45,561**
**982**
_144,703_
**145,685**|_Total_
_Notes_
_Funds_
_2021-22_
_1_
_35,274_
_6,694_
_1,000_
_3,364_
_46,332_
_3_
_27,641_
_2a_
_8,745_
_2b_
_5,661_
_2c_
_696_
_2d_
_42,743_
_3 & 5_
_3,589_
_141,114_
_3b_
_144,703_
_3a_|
|---|---|---|
The attached Notes 1 to 5 are part of these Financial Statements.
## **Inclusive Community Church**
Registered Charity No. 801108
## **BALANCE SHEET at 31 August 2023**
|£
**Fixed Asset : church land & building**
_Note 1 f_
**Current Assets**
Income receivable
Cash at bank and in hand
**Current liabilities**
Bank loan payable within 1 year
Payments in arrears
**Net current assets**
**Long-term liabilities**
**NET ASSETS**
_Represented by:_
_Note 4_
**Unrestricted Funds**
Building (Capital Reserve)
General Fund
**Restricted Funds**
Building Fund (for repairs & equipment)
Goodwill Fund (for people in need)
**TOTAL FUNDS**
Bank loan payable after more than 1 year||**2023**
810
4,051
4,861
(3,600)
(940)
(4,540)
141,764
1,551
1,885
485|**2023**
**150,000**
**321**
**(4,636)**
**145,685**
**143,315**
**2,370**
**145,685**|_2022_
_1,486_
_6,061_
_7,547_
_(3,500)_
_(1,035)_
_(4,535)_
_138,191_
_4,738_|_2022_
_150,000_
_3,012_
_(8,309)_
_144,703_
_142,929_
_1,774_
_-_
_144,703_|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
_Dwayne Morgan,_ Chair of Trustees, November 2023
## **Inclusive Community Church**
## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS - year ending 31 August 2023**
## **Note 1 - ACCOUNTING POLICIES**
a. **Accounting basis** . These financial statements have been prepared on an income and expenditure basis for a going concern in accordance with the Charity Commission’s Statement of Recommended Practice for charity accounts following the Financial Reporting Standard (FRS 102) effective from January 2019.
b. **Income.** Individuals' monetary donations to the Charity are recognised in the financial statements when they are received. Gift Aid tax claims are included in the financial statements at the same time as the related donation. Other income is recognised when due.
c. **Liabilities and expenditure** are included in the financial statements at their cash value when the liability arises.
d. **Restricted Funds** are income funds that must be spent on restricted purposes for which the income was given. Two new Restricted Funds were opened in the year : (a) the Charity received a £1,000 donation from the LGBT Consortium Faith Fund which was spent on the costs of the Pastor attending a Metropolitan Community Church Network Conference and a spiritual retreat, and (b) the Charity opened a Goodwill Fund for assisting people in need.
e. **Unrestricted Funds** represent the remaining income funds of the Charity that are available for spending on the Charity's general purposes, including the General Fund and other Funds designated by the Charity's trustees for its own use or for spending on a future project.
f. **Tangible assets** . The church building and its land are shown in the Balance Sheet as a fixed asset at a historic value of £150,000 dating from 2000. The difference between this book value and the outstanding bank loan is represented in Unrestricted Funds as a General Fund capital reserve. Equipment, furnishings and other purchases are included in expenditure in the Statement of Financial Activities in the year they are acquired and do not appear as fixed assets in the Balance Sheet.
g. **Depreciation** is not provided on the church building and land as the likely residual value is not less than the carrying value shown in the Balance Sheet.
## **Inclusive Community Church**
## **Note 2 - DETAILS OF EXPENDITURE**
|**(a) Staff : Pastor**
Salary
Pension
Travel & conferences
Retreat & training
**(b) Premises & equipment**
Gas, electricity & water
Insurance
Induction loop
TV monitors
Bank loan interest
Maintenance & equipment|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**2022-23**
**£**
27,000
1,620
99
531
**29,250**
5,101
1,897
-
-
662
-
**7,660**|**Restricted**
**Funds**
**2022-23**
**£**
_-_
_-_
1,000
_-_
**1,000**
_-_
_-_
1,144
702
-
614
**2,460**|**Total**
_Unrestricted_
**Funds**
_Funds_
**2022-23**
_2021-22_
**£**
_£_
**27,000**
_25,500_
**1,620**
_1,530_
**1,099**
_323_
**531**
_288_
**30,250**
_27,641_
**5,101**
_4,053_
**1,897**
_1,793_
**1,144**
_-_
**702**
_-_
**662**
_485_
**614**
_-_
**10,120**
_6,331_|_Restricted_
_Funds_
_2021-22_
_£_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_2,414_
_2,414_|_Total_
_Funds_
_2021-22_
_£_
_25,500_
_1,530_
_323_
_288_
_27,641_
_4,053_
_1,793_
_-_
_-_
_485_
_2,414_
_8,745_|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
/ continued
## **Inclusive Community Church**
## **Note 2 - DETAILS OF EXPENDITURE (continued)**
|**(c) Other running costs**
Telecommunications
Worship supplies & music
Stationery & post
Cleaning & other costs
Accounts examiner
Outreach & publicity
Raising funds
**(d) Charitable donations**
Goodwill Fund
Women's Shelter
Help Ukraine
**TOTAL EXPENDITURE**|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**2022-23**
**£**
2,778
1,497
230
186
170
83
2
**4,947**
-
19
-
**19**
**41,876**|**Restricted**
**Funds**
**2022-23**
**£**
_-_
-
-
-
-
-
-
**-**
136
89
-
**225**
**3,685**|**Total**
_Unrestricted_
**Funds**
_Funds_
**2022-23**
_2021-22_
**£**
_£_
**2,778**
_2,489_
**1,497**
_1,362_
**230**
_449_
**186**
_322_
**170**
_170_
**83**
_739_
**2**
_130_
**4,947**
_5,661_
**136**
_-_
**108**
_-_
**-**
_-_
**244**
_-_
**45,561**
_39,633_|_Restricted_
_Funds_
_2021-22_
_£_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_106_
_590_
_696_
_3,110_|_Total_
_Funds_
_2021-22_
_£_
_2,489_
_1,362_
_449_
_322_
_170_
_739_
_130_
_5,661_
_-_
_106_
_590_
_696_
_42,743_|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
## **Inclusive Community Church**
## **Note 3 - STATEMENT OF FUNDS**
_Totals adjusted for rounding_
|**(a) 2022-23**
**Unrestricted funds**
£
General Fund capital
(church building & bank loan)
General Fund revenue
**Restricted funds**
Building & equipment
LGBT Consortium Faith Fund
Outward giving : Goodwill Fund
Outward giving : Women's Refuge
**TOTAL FUNDS**||**Funds at**
**01-Sep-22**
138,191
4,738
142,929
1,774
-
-
-
1,774
**144,703**|**Transfer**
Bank loan
repayment
3,572
(3,572)
-
-
-
-
-
-
**-**||**Income**
-
42,262
42,262
2,571
1,000
621
89
4,281
**46,543**|**Expenditure**
-
(41,876)
(41,876)
(2,460)
(1,000)
(136)
(89)
(3,685)
**(45,561)**|/|**Funds at**
**31-Aug-23**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||||||141,764
1,551
143,315
1,885
-
485
-
2,370
**145,685**
continued|
## **Inclusive Community Church**
## **Note 3 - STATEMENT OF FUNDS (continued)**
|**_(b) 2021-22_**
**_Unrestricted funds_**
_£_
_General Fund capital_
_(church building & bank loan)_
_General Fund revenue_
**_Restricted funds_**
_Building & equipment_
_Outward giving_
**_TOTAL FUNDS_**||**_Funds at_**
**_01-Sep-21_**
_134,627_
_4,625_
_139,252_
_1,862_
_-_
_1,862_
**_141,114_**|**_Transfer_**
_Bank loan_
_repayment_
_3,565_
_(3,565)_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
**_-_**||**_Income_**
_-_
_43,310_
_43,310_
_2,326_
_696_
_3,022_
**_46,332_**|**_Expenditure_**
_-_
_(39,633)_
_(39,633)_
_(2,414)_
_(696)_
_(3,110)_
**_(42,743)_**||**_Funds at_**
**_31-Aug-22_**
_138,191_
_4,738_
_142,929_
_1,774_
_-_
_1,774_
**_144,703_**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
**Inclusive Community Church**
## **Note 4- ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS BETWEEN FUNDS**
|At 31 August
Fixed assets
Long-term liabilities
Net assets
Net current assets /
(liabilities)|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**2023**
150,000
(2,049)
(4,636)
**143,315**
|**Restricted**
**funds**
**2023**
_-_
2,370
_-_
**2,370**|**Total funds**
**2023**
**150,000**
**321**
**(4,636)**
**145,685**|_Unrestricted_
_funds_
_2022_
_150,000_
_1,238_
_(8,309)_
_142,929_|_Restricted_
_funds_
_2022_
_-_
_1,774_
_-_
_1,774_|_Total funds_
_2022_
_150,000_
_3,012_
_(8,309)_
_144,703_|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
## **Note 5 - TRUSTEES TRANSACTIONS**
(a) The Pastor is ex-offico Chair of Trustees and is paid for duties as Pastor. He is the Charity's only employee. In the year ending August 2023 the Charity spent £27,000 on salary and £1,620 on pension contributions (compared to £25,500 and £1,530 respectively in the previous year).
(b) The Pastor was reimbursed telecoms, travel, conference, retreat and training expenses of £2,050 (including £1,000 paid from a specific grant to the Charity from the LGBT Consortium Faith Fund). Expenses reimbursed to him in the previous year were £1,000.
(c ) No similar payments were made to other Trustees or related parties in either year.