## **Kilmakee Parish, St Hilda’s Church** **Trustees’ Annual Report For the year ended 31 December 2023** **Charities Number: NIC 101736** **Kilmakee Parish, St Hilda’s Church** ## **Annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2022** ## **Contents** ||Pages| |---|---| |References and administrative details of the Charity|1 - 3| |Trustees’ report|4 - 6| |Structure, Governance and Management|6 - 8| **Kilmakee Parish St. Hilda’s Church** ## **References and administrative details** Charity Name: St Hilda’s Church Charity Registration Number: NIC 101736 Contact Address: St Hilda’s 2b Hazel Ave. Seymour Hill Dunmurry BT17 9QX ## **Trustees** Mrs. Karen Murphy, Mrs. Joanne McCarthy, Rev. Glenn Thompson, Ms. Karen Watson, Mrs. Dorothy Weatherall Mrs. Cecilla Graham Mrs. Kaye McCully Ms. Lyndsey McLaughlin ## **Principal Office-bearers** Clergy: Church Treasurer: Church Warden- Clergy: Church Warden - People: Vestry Secretary Rev David Boyland Mr Alan H Weatherall Mrs Joan Alpe Mrs. Adrienne McLaughlin Mrs. Ella McCusker ## **Independent Auditor** **Stuart M Lynn FCCA Chartered Certified Accountant 5 Springhill Lisburn BT28 3QE** ## **Bankers** Ulster Bank Unit G Westwood Centre Belfast BT11 9BQ ## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2023** The trustees present the annual report and statements of Receipts and Payments and Assets and Liabilities for St Hilda’s Church for the year ended 31 December 2023 ## **Objectives and Activities** The charitable purpose of the Church of Ireland is the advancement of religion. The principal function of St Hilda’s Church of Ireland Kilmakee Parish is to support the advancement of the Christian religion by promoting, through the work of the St Hilda’s the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. Being open to and engaging with society, as a whole and offering support for those needing help are fundamental to the practical delivery of the benefits of Christianity. As a result of activity in the pursuit of the advancement of the Christian religion, the Kilmakee Parish has custody of property and of records, materials and artefacts of significance to the cultural and religious heritage and maintenance of which is undertaken by the select vestry of the Kilmakee Parish. ## **Achievements, Performance & Public Benefit** St. Hilda’s has been serving the housing estates of Seymour Hill and Conway (North Lisburn) for nearly over 60 years. As a church, we believe that one of our primary callings is to share the love of Christ with the people of this area and further afield. Over the past year, we have done this through a wide range of activities as follows: - **1) Sunday worship** (at 11.00am and 7.00pm.) has given the focus to all our other activities. Whilst there was a core group of about 70 regular worshipers, due to covid the number regularly attending is approximately 30, nevertheless it is open to all. Many expressed that they had experienced a sense of God’s peace at these services. - **2) Divine healing** is an important aspect of church life in St. Hilda’s. As such we provided opportunity for people to receive prayer (with the laying on of hands and anointing with oil). This took place on Sundays at our services and on Friday evenings at 7.30pm when we had special healing services. Again, this was open to everyone and people expressed that they had benefited in very positive ways as the Holy Spirit had touched and healed them. - **3) Bible Study** took place on Wednesday at 7.30 pm for all those who wanted to explore God’s word at a deeper level. - **4) Time Out Coffee Shop** was open on the 3[rd] . Sunday of each month after church. It was also open on Fridays from 11.30am to 1.30pm. A free lunch is provided for all. This provided an opportunity for building existing and making new friendships. One of our aims is to provide more opening hours depending on availability of volunteers. We would also love to welcome more people from the wider community into the coffee shop. - **5) Kingdom Kids’ (Sunday school)** met each Sunday during term time during Sunday Morning worship at 11.00am. Through activities and stories, they learnt in a fun way about the Christian Faith. - **6) Church Lads’ & Church Girls’ Brigade resumed in September after a closure of over 2 years (due to covid). Numbers are slow to build up but leaders are confident that it will just take time.** The volunteers aim to provide a caring, friendly and safe but challenging environment for young people to help develop them into mature, responsible and socially aware members of the community. - **7) Art for Fun has not resumed after covid.** - **8) Table Tennis has not resumed after covid.** - **9) Man, up has not resumed after covid** . - **10) Ignite, a club for young people, commenced in May.** We aim to provide a safe and fun space to our young people helping to establish a foundation for building Christian character, morals, values and behavior in young people ages 5 to 18, by using creative and innovative methods to excite, inspire, capture and ignite young people for Jesus all following our Church’s vision for our community. - **11) Messy Church hasn’t met since before covid. There are no plans to run it in the immediate future as it has been replaced by a family service (3[rd] . Sunday of each month at 11.00am) and Ignite meeting on a Tuesdays.** ## _**Sunday worship and all our other activities. Vestry Meetings, Bible Study, Prayer Group and Healing Service are restored to face-to-face meetings.**_ As a church, we have also offered pastoral support to all in the community, regardless of whether they have any contact with St. Hilda’s. This takes the form of visiting the sick, elderly and bereaved. We also run a regular service in the neighbouring nursing home. **The Parish has considered the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland’s guidance on public benefit to ensure that the activities entered into during the year have helped to achieve the Parish’s objectives and activities, as well as providing public benefit.** Financial Review 2023 DRAFT · The building, although initially had lower running costs, brought new additional costs. In order to maximize the use of the building we had to achieve the requirements of Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council entertainment license. In addition to the above, the Parish continues its commitment to major improvements to the Rectory, which will be completed over a number of years, when we achieve a position, which will be more of a maintaining role than it has been. It is envisaged that with God’s guidance and Prayer the Parish will be able to balance its income to expenditure plans. The parish has invested in new software, which meets with the requirements of the Charity Commission NI. Now those volunteers are familiar with the software used both for parish accounts and for recording keeping of all donations. This to achieve a recover of all due covenants’ refunds form the HMRC. Due to the various restrictions under coronavirus regulations many of our parishioners could not attend Church this had a direct effect on income. In addition, during the 2022 more than 20 of our members died. And this made maintain all aspects. We had a meeting with the RCB & Diocesan Office and outline our position. They agreed to provide supporting. loans for 2 years which we pray is along enough period for us to recover our income by increasing our members. Despite the ongoing challenges, we are confident that, with God’s help and guidance, we will continue to serve the people of our parish with the love of Christ. ## **Going Concern** The trustees have reviewed the budgets for the year ahead and are satisfied that there are adequate funds with the support of The Representative Church Body in place to ensure that the Parish can continue its activities and the financial statements for the year ended 2024 can be seen as moving towards us be a going concern. ## **Structure, Governance and Management** ## _**Governing Document and Constitution of the Charity**_ Chapter III of the Constitution of the Church of Ireland governs Parishes and Parochial Organisation. The Select Vestry members are the Charity Trustees ## _**Recruitment and Appointment of Select Vestry (Trustees)**_ All members of the Church of Ireland, who are over the age of 18 and are either resident within the parish or live elsewhere but have been accustomed members of the congregation for at least three months, may register as members Of the general vestry of the parish, allowing them to attend and vote at meetings of the general vestry and to stand for election to the select vestry. Meetings of the general vestry are held at least once a year. The Select Vestry is elected as part of this General Vestry meeting. The Select Vestry will hold their positions for a period of one year. Select Vestry members may be re-elected annually and there is no limit on the number of terms, which can be served. ## **Pay and remuneration** The Incumbent of the Parish stipend, is financed by the Parish, which is in accordance with figures approved by the General Synod of the Church of Ireland and details of office and locomotory allowances. (As can be seen by examination of the accounts) ## **Organisational Structure** The select vestry is responsible for the day-to-day management of the parish. The select vestry consists of the member of the clergy serving in the parish, the churchwardens, the glebe wardens and generally not more than twelve other members of the general vestry elected at the General Vestry. The incumbent or other member of the clergy officiating in the parish chairs the select vestry. Select vestry members are responsible for making decisions on matters of general concern and importance to the parish including deciding how parish funds are to be applied. The select vestry meets at times fixed by the members. Special meetings may be convened at any time by the chairperson or the churchwardens. In 2022, the Select Vestry met twice times during the year plus a number of short zoom meetings which at least 4 members could not join and the average attendance was **74%.** ## **Compliance with Public Benefit** The Parish has considered the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland’s guidance on public benefit to ensure that the actives entered into during the year have helped to achieve the Parish’s objectives and activities, as well as providing public benefit. ## **Statement of Trustees' Responsibilities** The trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Report and the statement of receipts and payments and statement of assets and liabilities in accordance with applicable law and regulations. The law applicable to charities in Northern Ireland with Income of less than £250,000 requires the trustees to prepare a statement of receipts and payments and a statement of assets and liabilities for each financial year. The trustees are responsible for keeping accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the Parish’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the assets and liabilities of the Parish. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Parish and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. ## **Signed on Behalf of the Trustees** **Trustee 1** **Trustee 2** **Date 29[th] January 2024**