2022-12-31-annual-report - Cregagh Congregational Church, Belfast

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Cregagh Congregational Church 2 Graham Gardens Belfast BT6 9FB

Trustees Annual Report 1[st] January 2022– 31[st] December 2022

Charity Trustees:

Mr Robert Millar Mrs Phyllis McFall Mr Billy Stewart Mr Warnock Craig Mrs Helen McKinstry

Name of Charity:

Cregagh Congregational Church

NIC Number:

103008

Charity Address:

2 Graham Gardens Belfast BT6 9FB

Charitable purposes and the Governing document (Trust Deed):

Now it is hereby agreed and declared that for the purpose of effectuating such desires and intentions and in consideration of the premises the Trustees shall at all times during the said term stand seized and possessed of the said premises Upon Trust - To permit the premises to be used occupied and enjoyed as a place for the public worship of God and for preaching the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ according to the principles and usages for the time being of the Congregational (sometimes called Independent) Denomination practicing infant-baptism under the direction of the Church and for the instruction of children and adults and for the promotion of such other religious or charitable purposes as the Church shall from time to time direct.

Dated the 20[th] day of April, 1945. (Trust Deed of Cregagh Congregational Church, Belfast)

Charitable purposes and the register of charities

Public benefits

Public Benefit Requirement The public benefit of Cregagh Congregational Church may be identified as follows: - 1 To provide facilities within the community of Cregagh/Castlereagh and adjoining districts, whereby any one may participate in the public worship of God on both Sunday morning and evening. 2 To teach and instruct all interested persons about the Bible and the application of the teaching contained within it, through both the public worship services and the

midweek meeting. 3 To provide facilities for children and young people so that they may develop socially, educationally, physically and spiritually, through the medium of The Boys’ Brigade, The Girls’ Brigade, Kids’ Club and Sunday School. 4 To provide facilities to enable the mature and senior members of the community to enjoy social interaction and to enable them to continue to develop both mentally and socially through the Ladies Guild, and the Men’s Fellowship.

What your organisation does

1 The facilities enable persons to meet to worship God, according to the Congregational tradition. Beneficiaries are both those in the Cregagh community and outside the area. 2 Those attending such meetings learn principles to bring comfort in times of personal travail, direction for living, and encouragement to show love and do good to those in the congregation and neighbourhood. Beneficiaries are those who receive the teaching, as it provides a moral framework for citizenship, and those with whom they interact. 3 Children and young adults are instructed in aspects which contribute to a foundation for being good citizens, i.e. Social - They are taught self-respect and respect for others; how to relate to their peers and adults; and to act as team members; Physical – Members are instructed in physical activities, contributing to maintaining health and fitness; Educational –They are taught skills through badge work, etc. which complement the educational skills learned at school and thus widen the children’s horizon for both careers and interests; Spiritual – This is foundational to a moral framework for life and to provide them with knowledge to develop a belief system which can facilitate their future physical and emotional well-being. Beneficiaries are those whose parents attend Cregagh Congregational Church, other churches in the neighbourhood, and those without any church connection. 4 This contributes to the health and emotional well-being of the adults and senior citizens through meeting with their contemporaries, which can be denied them in later life through the loss of a spouse, other family members or friends. Also various speakers are invited to make the attendees aware of topics of interest that can be developed either individually or collectively. Beneficiaries are those members of the church, who are mature or elderly, as well as others in this age bracket who, while not having a direct connection with the church, are welcome to attend. 5. Facilitates a weekly community service for the East Belfast Probation Board.

The charity’s classifications

The advancement of religion The advancement of citizenship or community development

Who the charity helps

Children (5-13 year olds) General public Older people Women Youth (14-25 year olds)

How the charity works

Religious activities Youth development

P ower to appoint charity trustees:

( a) A new Trustee or new Trustees may be appointed in the place of any one of the Trustees who through death, retirement or any other cause ceases to be a Trustee or who desires to be discharged from the trusts or who refuses or is unfit to act or is incapable of acting herein

( b ) The power of appointing new Trustees of these presents shall be vested in the church such power to be exercised by resolution of a special meeting of the church.

( c ) Any one of the Trustees may when there are more than four Trustees retire from the Trusts on giving two calendar months notice in writing of his intention so to do the Minister to the Secretary and to the Deacons of the Church (if there shall be such Minister, Secretary or Deacons) and to each of the other Trustees for the time being and upon the termination of such two months in the Trustees giving the notice shall cease to be a Trustee. Any notice sent by post to the last known usual place of abode in nthe United Kingdom shall be sufficient notice hereunder.

( d ) All the trusts powers discretions and authorities hereby given to or invested in the Trustees shall be exercisable by a majority of them as fully and effectually in nall respects as the same might have been exercised by the whole of the Trustees.

(Trust Deed of Cregagh Congregational Church, Belfast, 20[th] April, 1945)

Trustees statement of regard

The below named trustees of Cregagh Congregational Church have duly noted the Charity Commisssion for Northern Ireland’s Public benefit statutory guidance and have sought to do everything possible to hold it in the highest regard in the preparation of this annual report.

Mr Robert Millar Mrs Phyllis McFall Mr Billy Stewart Mr Warnock Craig Mrs Helen McKinstry

Organisational activities for the purposes of public benefit

For the advancement of religion and the advancement of citizenship or community development as set out in the charity’s classification for who the charity helps and how it works, Cregagh Congregational Church (CCC) have fully engaged in the following main activities set out to further its purposes for the public benefit of Children (5-13 year olds), the General Public, Older people, Women, and Youth (14-25 year olds), Covid 19 restrictions permitting:

✓ Provided facilities within the community of Cregagh/Castlereagh and adjoining districts, whereby any one may participate in the public worship of God on both Sunday morning and evening.
✓ Taught and instructed all interested persons about the Bible and the application of the teaching contained within it, through both the public worship services and the midweek meeting.
✓ Provided facilities for children and young people so that they may develop socially, educationally, physically and spiritually, through the medium of The Boys’ Brigade, The Girls’ Brigade, and Sunday School.
✓ Provided facilities to enable the mature and senior members of the community to enjoy social interaction and to enable them to continue to develop both mentally and socially through the Ladies Guild, and Men's Fellowship.

Our main achievements of the year have included the following:

✓ With the gradual and then complete lifting of COVID 19 restrictions the church resumed normal services and activities to achieve the following:
✓ Using our facilities to enable persons to meet to worship God, according to the Congregational tradition. Beneficiaries are both those in the Cregagh community and outside the area.
✓ Directly helped those attending such meetings learn principles to bring comfort in times of personal travail, direction for living, and encouragement to show love and do good to those in the congregation and neighbourhood. Beneficiaries were those who received the teaching, as it provides a moral framework for citizenship, and those with whom they interact in wider society.
✓ Children and young adults were instructed in aspects which contribute to a foundation for being good citizens, i.e. Social - They were taught self-respect and respect for others; how to relate to their peers and adults; and to act as team members; Physical – Members were instructed in physical activities, contributing to maintaining health and fitness; Educational –They were taught skills through badge work, etc. which complement the educational skills learned at school and thus widen the children’s horizon for both careers and interests; Spiritual – This is foundational to a moral framework for life and to provided them with knowledge to develop a belief system which can facilitate their future physical and emotional well-being. Beneficiaries were those whose parents attend Cregagh Congregational Church, other churches in the neighbourhood, and those without any church connection.
✓ Contributing to the health and emotional well-being of the adults and senior citizens through meeting with their contemporaries, which can be denied them in later life through the loss of a spouse, other family members or friends. Also various speakers were invited to make the attendees aware of topics of interest that can be developed either individually or collectively. Beneficiaries were those members of the church, who are mature or elderly, as well as others in this age bracket who, while not having a direct connection with the church, were welcome to attend.

Review of the financial position at the end of the year:

The statement at the end of the financial year as shown in receipts and payments accounts is in agreement with the accounts of the church.