Surrey Churches Preservation Trust – Report for 2014
Surrey Churches Preservation Trust
Charity Number 1063656
Report and Financial Statements
for the year to 31st March 2014
Surrey Churches Preservation Trust
Trustees Report
The Trustees present their report and financial statements for the year ended 31st March 2014.
Reference & Administrative Information
Charity Name:Surrey Churches Preservation Trust
Charity Registration Number:1063656
Registered Office and
operational address:Edgecombe, Hill Road, Haslemere, Surrey, GU27 2JN
Trustees
The Trustees who served during the year were:
Hamish DonaldsonMBE DL, Chairman, Sam Osmond, Hon Secretary , Susan Filer, John Harris, Martin Higgins (appointed 10th June 2013), Geoffrey Pink, Rev Michael Phillips, Andrew Plumridge , John Roll Pickering (appointed 10th June 2013), Peter Williams. The following have kindly agreed to support the Objects of the Trust as Patrons:
The Bishop of Guildford
The Bishop of Arundel & Brighton
The Bishop of Southwark
Dame Sarah Goad, Lord Lieutenant of Surrey
Michael-Molyneux Esq. DL
Independent Examiner
Harrison Renwick, Incorporated Financial Accountants
Grange House, Grange Road, Midhurst, West Sussex, GU29 9LS
Bankers
Barclays Bank plc, Guildford Friary Branch
Charities Aid Foundation, West Malling, Kent
Structure, Governance & Management
The Charitable Trust was established on 7th July 1997 with a Trust Deed which established its objects and powers. The Trust is not incorporated.
Recruitment and Appointment of Trustees
The work of the Trust falls into three categories: the raising of money (mainly through the annual sponsored Ride & Stride), the distribution of grants to needy churches in the county and the education of the public in our church heritage. Accordingly the Trustees require skills which reflect these needs in addition to the need to be representative of different Christian denominations. When vacancies occur the Trustees identify what skills might be strengthened and consult with the relevant Diocesan Advisory Committees (DACs) and others so as to identify suitable candidates.
Sam Osmond and Susan Filer lead on the marketing and publicity aspects; Geoffrey Pink and Andrew Plumridge are architects who sit on relevant DACs, Martin Higgins isHistoric Buildings Officer, Surrey County Council, Susan Filer organises tours and study days and Hamish Donaldson was chair of the Guildford DACfor 19 years.
The Trustees also take into account the benefits of a broad representation of different Christian denominations. Hamish Donaldson, Peter Williams, John Roll Pickering and Sam Osmond represent Anglican churches in the Diocese of Guildford, Rev Michael Phillips represents the Roman Catholic Diocese of Arundel & Brighton, John Harris represents URC churches, Martin Higgins is a member of Southwark DAC and, with Geoffrey Pink, represents Anglican churches in the Diocese of Southwark. Susan Filer is a former chairman of NADFAS (National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts) church recorders.
One third of the Trustees retire by rotation every year but may offer themselves for re-election. At the Annual General Meeting to be held on 9th June 2014, Samuel Osmond, John Harris and Andrew Plumridge retire by rotation and offer themselves for re-election.
It is with sadness we report the death of Major James More-Molyneux CBE, DL, one of our founder Patrons. James was a tireless supporter of the Trust, hosting Trust events at Loseley Park and personally raising large sums of money in the annual Ride and Stride. He will be greatly missed. It is a pleasure to welcome his son Michael, another active supporter, as a Patron in his place.
Trustee Induction and Training
The Trustees are appointed to use their skills and experience and thus no specific induction training is required except for those who are appointed trustee for the first time. New Trustees are therefore directed to the Charity Commission web site and specifically to the page ‘How To Be An Effective Charity Trustee - Signposts To Our Published Guidance That Will Help You’ and ‘CC3 - The Essential Trustee: What you need to know’. The making of Grants is the most significant responsibility of a Trustee and the method is laid out on the Grant Application Form.
Organisation
In addition to the AGM, the Trustees meet three times a year. At two of the meetings (in April and October) they consider Grants and once a year (in December) they review the last Ride & Stride and plan the next one. The annual sponsored Ride & Stride is organised by the County Organiser (Hamish Donaldson) and a team of up to 12 area organisers.
Risk Management
The Trustees only distribute in Grants amounts which are within the Trust’s Assets. There is thus no risk of insolvency. The possibility of fraudulent applications is not considered to be a significant risk as cheques (requiring two signatories) are only made out to church accounts and not to individuals. The Trustees do not assess the viability of the works proposed for grants as there are ecclesiastical mechanisms in place (e.g. the Church of England Faculty Process) which perform this function. The trustees therefore only authorise grants after a copy of the Faculty (or its equivalent) has been seen. The final check is that some of the Trustees are DAC architects who are familiar with applications being made in their Diocese. Churches that receive grants are asked to report when the project is complete with photographs.
Objectives and Activities
The trustees apply the funds of the Trust for the restoration, maintenance, preservation, repair and reconstruction of Christian Churches and Churchyards (and of any fixtures and fittings in the said churches) in the County of Surrey. The funds are applied through grants (typically of £1,000 to £3,000) made to churches that apply to the Trust.
The main fund raising event is the Annual Ride & Stride which is described later in this report.
The Trust also educates the public in the appreciation of church buildings and their heritage by organising study days and church tours.
Achievements and Performance
The trustees meet in April and October each year to make grants. The size of a grant is determined by the available funds, the number of applicants and the need of the applicants. The Trustees endeavour to make a grant (however modest) to all applications that fall within the Objects as often it is possible for applicants to obtain matching funding which can greatly increase its value.
Grants
For the last two years the Trust has participated in the National Churches Trust (NCT) scheme for smaller projects (costing up to £50,000 including VAT and fees). This is an excellent scheme which works to the benefit of churches (simpler application process) and the NCT (able to use local resources to recommend applications). The Trust was able to recommend a total of £10,000 for NCT grants in addition to the £13,500allocated from the Trust’s resources.
At the April 2013 meeting £7,500 was recommended for NCT grants and £3,500 was allocated from the Trust’s resources:
- St Michael, Betchworth - £2500 NCT grant for roof repairs
- Good Shepherd, The Sands- - £2500 NCT grant for roof repairs
- St Peter, Newdigate - £500 for repair of stained glass window
- St Andrew, Gatton - £2000 for restoration of 16C glass
- St Christopher, Haslemere - £1000 for refurbishment and new toilets
- St Michael RC, Merton - - £2500 NCT grant for window, gutter and electrical repairs
At the October2013 meeting £2,500 was recommended for NCT grants and £10,000was allocated from the Trust’s resources:
- St Margaret, Ockley - £500 towards bell repairs
- Elstead URC - - £2500 NCT grant for door & window repairs
- St James, Shere - £500 for disabled access
- St Nicholas, Compton - £2000 for heating system
- St Lawrence, Effingham -£2000 towards organ repairs
- Guildford Cathedral - £5000 towards asbestos associated works
In the event, Elstead URC was not ready to proceed with their application and their NCT allocation was transferred to St Michael, Merton. Nor was the Cathedral ready to proceed with its application.
The 2013 Fund Raising Ride & Stride
The second Saturday in September is always the day of the National Churches Ride & Stride and this year it again coincided with National Heritage Day. In spite of the unpleasant weather, over 30,000 people took part nationwide, raising over £1.2 million to aid church preservation.This was the seventeenth year that we in Surrey have participated and 100 churches welcomed cyclists and walkers, who raised £16,151. St Nicholas, Compton and Fetcham St Mary were the top scorers;Godalming, Leatherhead, Reigate and Godstone were the top areas.
The organising committee consisted of: Hamish Donaldson, Chairman & County Organiser, John Roll Pickering, Hon. Treasurer, Sam Osmond, Hon. Secretary, and a team of dedicated and experienced Area Organisers. Our GiftAid procedure was handled this year by the Treasurer who was able to reclaim £6,035 in tax refunds (which represents two years’ worth of Gift Aid).Our Treasurer, our Secretary and our Area Organisers put in a great deal of time and effort to make the Ride & Stride a success and we are very grateful for all their enthusiasm and hard work.
This year's Ride & Stride will take place on Saturday 13th September – and we hope that as many as possible will take part – and enjoy themselves.
May Study Day
Members had a most interesting talk on Heraldry in Churches by Trustee Rev Michael Phillips on Saturday 18 May at St Edward’s, Sutton Park
Church Tour
On Saturday 19th October members and guests visited Guildford. The tour commenced in Holy Trinity Church(the only large Georgian church in Surrey) and then went to study the rare 1621 stained glass in Abbot’s Hospital (which survived the Commonwealth). The Tour concluded with a guided tour of St Mary’s Guildford which has Anglo-Saxon origins, We are very grateful to Susan Filer for organising these tours and for the church wardens and guides who were able to help us understand the special features of their churches.
Events planned for 2014
Events planned for the coming year include:
Talk on ‘How To Research Church Histories’ by Alan Bott OBE, Bodley Fellow, Merton College, Oxford
Annual General Meeting of the Trust on 9th June
The annual Ride & Stride Day on Saturday 13th September
Our church study day on Saturday 18th October
Details of all these events can be obtained from 01730 829455
Financial Review
Funding Sources
The money raised by the Ride & Stride together with Gift Aid recovery and donations means that the Trust had a gross income of £24,937 for the year. Half of the funds raised by the Rider is given to the church for whom he rides. A total of £8,495was returned to the fund raising churches in this way.
Reserves Policy
The Trustees have a policy of retaining £10,000 as a reserve in the event of an urgent call from a church in need. Otherwise it is the policy of the Trustees to distribute all monies raised by the Trust. The amount distributed to churches in the county by way of grants was £6,000.
Investment policy
The Trustees run a current account with Barclays Bank and a deposit account with CAF (Charities Aid Foundation). This deposit account meets the needs of the Trust to have access to the funds while obtaining a higher rate of interest than that available in a bank current account or deposit account.
Plans for the Future
The Trustees have set themselves the objectives of
- finding a new County Ride & Stride Organiser for 2015/2016
- increasing the number of Area Organisers from 10 to 12
- increasing the number of paid up members from 100 to 150 during the next 18 months
- find new sources of funds (e.g. landfill site operators)
- improving PR and publicity by appointing a PR person
Approved by the Trustees on 9th June, 2014 and signed on their behalf by:
Hamish Donaldson, Chairman
Statement of Financial Activities for the Year to 31st March 2014
Unrestricted Funds 2014 2013
INCOMING RESOURCES £.p £
Donations 600.00 810
Subscriptions 1,755.11 1,200
Ride & Stride Sponsorship 16,150.66 16,142
Church Tour 245.00 378
Gift Aid 6,034.77 2,896
Interest 16.36 29
Study Day 136.00 287
Total Incoming Resources 24,937.90 21,742
OUTGOING RESOURCES £.p £
Ride & Stride Administration 592.14 406
Share to Nominated Churches 8,495.68 8,228
Grants to Churches 6,000.00 15,750
Office Overheads 498.17 994
Insurance 196.10 196
Church Tour 75.00 314
Room Hire 60.00 60
Study Day 62.00 215
Total Outgoing Resources 15,979.09 26,163
Net Incoming/ (Outgoing) Resources 8,958.81 (4,421)
Bank Balances at 1st April 2013 19,323.14 23,744
Bank Balances at 31st March 2014 28,281.95 19,323
Statement of Monetary Assets and Liabilities as at 31st March
2014 2013
Monetary Assets
Current Account 9,698.38 4,756
Deposit Account 18,583.57 14,567
28,281.95 19,323
Liabilities
Grants to Churches
authorised but not yet paid 2,500.00 500
Approved by…………………………...... Chairman (Hamish Donaldson)
9th June 2014
……………………….……...... Treasurer (John Roll Pickering)
Notes forming part of the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2014
1.Accounting Policies
The accounting policies are summarised below. They have been applied consistently throughout the year and in the preceding year.
Basis of accounting
This report and financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities (revised 2005) for the smaller charity.
Fund accounting
All the funds are unrestricted
Incoming resources
All incoming resources are included in the statement of financial activities when the charity is entitled to the income and the amount can be quantified with reasonable accuracy. In particular:
- grants, donations and gifts are recognised when they are received
- investment income is included when received
- Ride & Stride income is included after half the monies received have been distributed to the church nominated by the sponsor
Resources expended
Expenditure is recognised as the liability is incurred. The trust is not registered for VAT as its sources of income are exempt from VAT. Thus expenditure includes any VAT which cannot be recovered.
Grants are recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities when they are paid as churches do not always proceed with projects which have been awarded grants. The liability is recognised in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities.
The management and activities of the Trust are carried out by volunteers; this intangible cost is not included in the financial statement as this voluntary contribution to the work of the Trust is incalculable. The Trustees are most grateful to all the organisers and the fund raisers.
2Trustee remuneration & related party transactions
No Trustee received any remuneration during the year (2013 – Nil).
There are no paid staff as the Trust relies on voluntary helpers (2013 – Nil).
No trustee or any other person related to the Trust had any personal interest in any contract or transaction entered into by the charity during the year (2013 – Nil).
3Taxation
As a charity the Trust is exempt from taxation on income and capital gains. No tax charges have arisen in the charity.
Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of The Surrey Churches Trust
We report on the accounts of the Trust for the year ended 31st March 2014, which are set out on page 6.
Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner
The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity's trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year (under section 43 (2) of the Charities Act 1993 (the 1993 Act)) and that an independent examination is needed.
It is our responsibility to:
- examine the accounts (under section 43 (3) (a) of the 1993 Act) ;
- to follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners (under section 43(7) (b) of the 1993 Act); and
- to state whether particular matters have come to our attention.
Basis of independent examiner's report
Our examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently we do not express an audit opinion on the view given by the accounts.
Independent examiner's statement
In connection with our examination, no matter has come to our attention:
(1)which gives us reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements
- to keep accounting records in accordance with section 41 of the 1993 Act; and
- to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the 1993 Act
have not been met; or
(2)to which, in our opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Date:
Harrison Renwick, Incorporated Financial Accountants
Grange House, Grange Road, Midhurst, West Sussex, GU29 9LS
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