Omaghlst Columba's/Derry/Church Of Ireland Trustees, Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2023 The trustees present the annual report and financial statements for the St Columba's Church for the year ended 31 December 2023. Objective5 and Activities The charitable purpose of the Church of Ireland is the advancement of religion. The principal function of St Columba's Church of Ireland Parish is to support the advancement of the Christian religion by promoting, through the work of St Columba's Parish Church the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. Being open to and engaging with society a5 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, St Columba's Parish Church h35 Custody of property and of records, materials and artefacts of significance to the cultural and religious heritage and maintenance of which 15 undertaken by the select vestry of St Columba's Parish Church. Achievements, Performance & Public Benefit lementin the charitable ur ose throu arish activities within and outside the Parish. St Columba's Parish Church is under the incumbency of the Reverend Graham Hare, assisted by Reverend Alexander Chisnall, and fulfil their charitable purpose through parish activities both within and outside the parish. The Parish, in implementing its evangelistic, pastoral, social and ecumenical mission, undertakes a wide range of activities. In the advancement of the Christian religion we focus on worship by offering services each Sunday, in the church. A growing range of services. outreach initiatives, community enEaEement events and faith enhancement opportunities is Iways evolving. In support of our worship, the Church engages in a range of pastoral activities to develop social cohesion in the neighbourhood and help those in social need. Such activities include pastoral visits by the Clergy to hospitals, nursing homes and residential care centers. The Clergy also visit parishioners in their homes as well as offering preparation for weddings and baptisms, arranging funerals and offering support to the bereaved in their time of loss. The pastoral work of the Parish is underpinned by prayer. We regularly engage, along with other parishe5. through the Omagh Churches Forum and with the Methodist Church. Social and educational interaction is important and St. Columba's provides, on a weekly basis, activities to promote social and educational opportunities for all ages. These include a toddlers group, Sunday School, Confirmation Class, Living Ladies Group, Lent and Advent lunches, Youth Fellowship, Evergreen, Mothers, Union, Choir and Bowls. Additional occasional activities of this nature have included provision of funeral teas, ministry courses to facilitate those exploring the Christian faith, Prayer Group, discipleship course5 emergency responses to major world disasters. 2023 saw continued growth in our congregations as people, and these accounts reflect, once again, the generosity of people and the faithfulness of God in meeting every need. This year saw the parish complete the internal renovation of our Parish Centre and the creation of a new Garden of Reflection in the ground of the church building. Along with other churches, we have been impacted by the rising costs of energy and high inflation. Those factors have an impact on mission and rninistry, but we look forward with confident faith to what God has in store in the year ahead.
Omaghlst Columba'slDerry/Church Of Ireland Trustees, Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2023 Icontlnuedl Expenditure is incurred in the provision of the above activities and in the maintenance of the church facilities and services. The Select Vestry, which is made up of our Trustees, seeks to steward our financial resources wisely and support the work of our mission. In all our activities designed to reach out to Children and Young people the Parish adheres to the Safeguarding Trust, the Church of Ireland policy for working with Children and Young People. st. Columba's remains committed to our mission through outreach by contributions to support the work of various mission organisations, local and international. A review of our support for such organisations shows a wide range of recipients including for example Youth for Christ, South American Mission Society, Care for Cancer. Scripture Union and Bishop's Appeal. The Parish continues our long-standing association with Ty Caraid in Africa and maintains financial and practical support for the work there in the area5 of health and educatlon. St. Columba's Church is committed to the mission of providing pastoral care to its members and seeking to draw them closer to God in their daily lives. Prudent financial management of income and expenditure by the Select Vestry is a vitally important objective in the day- to day management of the Parish. The main source of income comes from regular freewill offering from parishioners and associated gift aid. Expenditure is incurred in the provision of the above activities and in the maint@nance of the church facilities and services. A key area of expenditure is staff costs including the payment of clergy and wages to lay employees including a sexton. Payments to the central church bodies, insurances, propeity repairs and maintenance to church properties and allocations to charitable orEanisations are also areas of significant expenditure. Other costs include payments in relation to estate, licences, compliance costs, professional fees and materials and equiprnent required for effective delivery of church activities. Finally, the Parish continues to give careful consideration to following the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland's guidan ce on public benefit to ensure that its activities during the year, and those planned for the future, have and will continue to achieve the Parish's objectives as well as providing public benefit.
Omaghlst Columba's/DerrylChurch Of Ireland Trustees, Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2023 (continued) Financlal Review As costs continue to rise, the Select Vestry remains prudent in its management of Parish finances. We acknowledge that everything we have is a gift from God, and therefore seek to make decisions which reflect the mission and ministry priorities of his church. 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 31 December 2023 can be signed off as a going concern. Structure, Governance and Management Governlng Document and Constitution of the Churity Chapter 111 of the Constitution of the Church of Ireland governs Parishes and Parochial Organisations. The Select Vestrv members are the Charity Trustee5. Recrultment und Appolntment oASelect 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• subject to meeting the required conditions. Meetings of the General Vestry are held usually once per year. The Select Vestry is elected at this General Vestry meetiriE. 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 nurnber of terms which may be served.
Omaghlst Colurnba's/DerrylChurch Of Ireland Trustees, Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2023 (continued} Pay und remunerution The Rector and Curate receive a stipend and office and locomotory allowances in accordance with figures approved by the General Synod of the Church of Ireland and pension contributions and Employees National Insurance are paid in accordance with Diocesan recommendation. The Sexton receives a salary commensurate with role and experience. Organisotional Structure The select vestry consists of the member of the clergy serving in the parish, any curate assistant I'the curate"), the churchwardens, the glebe wardens and generally not more than twelve other members of the general vestry elected at the General Vestry. The select vestry is chaired by the incumbent or other mernber of the clergy officiating in the parish. Select vestry member5 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 or by the diocesan synod. Special meetings may be convened at any time by the chairperson or the churchwardens Compliance with Public Benefit The Parish has 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 wel l as providing public benefit.
Omagh/St Columba'slDerrylChurch Of Ireland Trustees, Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2023 Icontlnuedl Statement of Trustees, Responsibilltles The trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees, Report and the statement of receipts and payments and statement of asset5 and liabilities in accordance with applicable law and regulations. The law applicable to charities in the Northern Ireland requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law the trustees have prepared the financial staternents in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Practice in the United Kingdom laccountinE standards issued by the Financial Reporting Council in the UK, including Charities SORP IFRS 1021 ' Accounting and Reporting by Charities.. Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland IFRS 1021 "and promulgated by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in the United Kingdom and United Kingdom Lawl Under that law the trustees must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisf led that they give a true and fair vlew of the state of the affairs of the charity and of the statement of financial activities of the charity for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to.. select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently; make judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent state whether the financial statements have been prepared in accordance with applicable Accounting Standard5 and identify the standards in question, subject to any material departures beinE disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unles5 It is inappropriate to presume that the Parish will continue as a going concern. The trustees are responsible for keepinE 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 safeEuarding 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 Rev Graham Hare Mrs Sandra Isherwood- Secretary