Portadown/Kilmore/St Aidan’s/Armagh/Church of Ireland Financial Statements for the year ended 31st December 2023
Trustees’ Annual Report for the year ended 31st December 2023
The Trustees present the Annual Report, Statements of Receipts and Payments and Assets and Liabilities for St Aidan’s Kilmore Parish for the year ended 31st December 2023.
Objectives and Activities
The Charitable purpose of the Church of Ireland is the advancement of religion.
St. Aidan’s Kilmore has a long history of taking the Gospel of Jesus Christ into its surrounding community.
For many hundreds of years the Gospel has been preached, enriching the lives of parishioners and the community in general. It remains the purpose of the parish today to take the gospel and live it out, to be truly salt and light as the Bible instructs and, with integrity and selflessness, to love our neighbours as ourselves.
Achievements, Performance & Public Benefit
The focus in the church remains the preaching and teaching of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Everything that goes on in the church is designed to enhance this preaching and teaching, building a sense of community within the church family and growing that church family beyond the fabric of the church properties.
Events have been organised which draw people into the church from outside the main body of parishioners. There is a tremendous cross-community support of what we do and we see that inattendance at services too.
A grant from Church of Ireland Priorities Fund has been applied for in order to replace the existing analogue sound system with a digital AV system and the result of that application will be known in March 2024.
Sunday school continues to thrive.
Given the on-going “cost of living crisis” there has been particular effort this year to boost our food bank donations and the response from parishioners and beyond has been fantastic. It is heartening to see that the Gospel is not just talked about but it is lived!
The Trustees have given careful consideration to 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 both the Parish’s objectives and the implementation of public benefit.
Financial Review
The income into the Parish from various sources was £57,411 (2022: £47,298) with outgoings of £67,865 (2022: £56,756) giving rise to a deficit of (£10,454) (2022: (£9,458)). There was an increase of £12,828 in the value of Endowment funds (2022: decrease of £19,799) to create a net surplus of funds for the year of £2,374 (2022: deficit of funds of £29,257). The bank and cash in hand balance as at 31st December 2023 was £39,083 (2022: £49,537). It is the Trustees’ Policy to hold sufficient reserves to cover unexpected emergencies, to enhance funds to pay for future maintenance to the Church and grounds to further the Objectives and Activities of the Church of Ireland.
Financial challenges are ever-present but the Lord has greatly provided and a gift day in November raised more than £6,000 for work on the new graveyard and for the new AV system. More people have also switched to giving by bank transfer or standing order and that has improved cash flow on a monthly basis though there are still those who prefer to give by envelopes and on an irregular basis. The general trend though is encouraging.
Going Concern
The Trustees have reviewed the budgets for the year ahead and are satisfied that there are adequate funds in place to ensure that the Parish can continue its activities and the financial statements for the year ended 31st December 2023 can be signed off as a going concern.
Looking ahead to the next 12 months, the focus remains on preaching and teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ and making our witness real in the parish and the community we serve. We believe God will honour our perseverance of His work in His power alone.
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Diamond & Skillen Chartered Accountants and Registered Auditor Sinclair House, 89/101 Royal Avenue Belfast BT1 1FE
Portadown/Kilmore/St Aidan’s/Armagh/Church of Ireland Financial Statements for the year ended 31st December 2023
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 and 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 may be served.
Pay and Remuneration
The Rev Carlton Baxter receives a stipend, office and locomotory allowances in accordance with figures approved by the General Synod of the Church of Ireland in 2023.
Organisational Structure
The Select Vestry is responsible for the day to day management of the Parish. The Select Vestry comprises a member of the Clergy serving in the Parish, the Church wardens, the Glebe wardens and generally no more than twelve other members of the General Vestry elected at the General Vestry meeting.
The Select Vestry is chaired by the member of Clergy officiating in the Parish. Select Vestry members are responsible for making decisions on matters of general concern and importance to the Parish including on deciding how Parish funds are to be applied. The Treasurer is responsible for the Current Account and the Building Funds.
The Select Vestry meets at times fixed by itself or by the Diocesan Synod. Special Meetings may be convened at any time by the Chairperson or Church Wardens.
Compliance with Public Benefit
The Trustees have given careful consideration to 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. As detailed on this page.
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Diamond & Skillen Chartered Accountants and Registered Auditor Sinclair House, 89/101 Royal Avenue Belfast BT1 1FE
Portadown/Kilmore/St Aidan’s/Armagh/Church of Ireland Financial Statements for the year ended 31st December 2023
Trustees’ Annual Report for the year ended 31st December 2023 (cont’d)
Statement of Trustees’ Responsibilities
The Trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Report, 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 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 irregularitie s.
INDEPENDENT EXAMINERS
Diamond & Skillen Chartered Accountants were appointed as the charity’s independent examiners.
Signed on behalf of the Trustees:
................................................. Shelagh Winter
................................................. John Matchett
Date: 30th September 2024
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Diamond & Skillen Chartered Accountants and Registered Auditor Sinclair House, 89/101 Royal Avenue Belfast BT1 1FE