ANNUAL REPORT TO THE FRIENDS OF HOLY INNOCENTS CHURCH, LAMARSH FOR THE YEAR 2016
Registered Charity No 1088711
In my report last year I referred to the very urgent and necessary repairs to the tower plasterwork and elsewhere and the need to re-lime-wash all the exterior of the church. I appealed to some 25 charities and companies some of whom had contributed to the Bell Restoration appeal. I received £11,500 from charities. In addition I received two very generous donations from two people living in the village. I also received a number of smaller donations from a funeral collection and others. The work was scheduled to start at the end of August, however due to the dry warm weather this was not possible as lime mortar likes cooler weather! The final amount raised, during 2015 and 2016, was £19,349.50. I had always envisaged the Friends making a donation out of their reserves, which was required to pay the VAT on the works. The tower restoration and re-lime-washing the church cost £23,952 (which includes VAT and for which I submitted a VAT recovery of nearly £4,000) and in addition it was found that there were a number of damaged tiles alongside the eaves on the East end of the church. The builder, Chris Starns, arranged for these to be replaced and the work cost £348 including VAT, which I have also reclaimed.
Chris Starns had done some of the work connected to the bell restoration in 2006 and his workmanship was first class. I was not therefore surprised, when he told me that before re-paltering anywhere on the church, he had had the old adjoining plaster analysed and arranged for an identical mix to the original to be used. Needless to say there were different mixes in different areas of plaster. He also discovered, when re-lime-washing, that at the East end of the church one of the rainwater downpipes was not connected to the gutter, which was the most likely cause of the crack in the wall behind the altar. He repaired this and did other necessary work without charge. He admits to love doing up old buildings!
I am grateful to the following charities for supporting the appeal: All Churches Trust, Garfield Weston Foundation, Round Tower Churches Society, The Alan Evans Charitable Trust, The Friends of Essex Churches Trust, The Suffolk Historic Churches Trust.
I formed the Friends in 2001 and since then I have raised in excess of £109,000. This takes the total I have raised for various churches since 1960, recalculated into to-days pound value, to just under £500,000. I therefore feel it is time to retire!
Following last years AGM Gay Foord was replaced as a Trustee by John McGilley.. David Anderson needs to be replaced as he wishes to retire as he, like me, no longer lives in Lamarsh. I will remain a Trustee for another year but if no one is found to take over from me I intend to wind-up the Friends. John McGilley and I will need to be re-elected at the AGM.
John McGilley has persuaded his Accountant, Nigel Sheldrake, to sign off these accounts for which I am very grateful.
Mark Dawson. Treasurer. 17th February 2017
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SUMMARY OF THE ANNUAL ACCOUNTS TO 31.12.2016
Income and Expenditure Account for the year ended 31.12.2016
2016 2015 Income received £20,728.23 £11,604.16 Less: Expenditure £24,396.00 £14,340.18 (Deficit) Surplus for the year (£3,667.77) (£2,376.02) Balance b/f 01.01.2016 £8,810.36 £11,546.38 Balance c/f 31.12.2016 £5,142.59 £8,810.36 Balance Sheet at 31.12.2016 Current Asset Balance at bank £5,142.59 £8,810.36 Less creditors Nil Nil Net assets £5,142.59 £8,810.36 General Reserves Balance b/f £8,810.36 £11,546.38 (Deficit) Surplus for year (£3,667.77) (£2,736.02) £5,142.59 £8,810.36 Independent examiners report to the trustees of The Friends of Holy Innocents Church, Lamarsh
I report on the accounts of the Trust for the year ended 31st December 2016, which are as set out above
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 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed.It is my responsibility to:
Examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act
To follow the procedures laid down in the general directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act, and
To state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of independent examiners report
My examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the Charity Commission. 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 no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a "true and fair view" and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
Independent examiners statement
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:
(1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements:
To keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act; and
To prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act
have not been met; or
(2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.Nigel Sheldrake.
Richard Edwards Group LLP, The Maltings, Rosemary Lane, Halstead. CO9 1HZ17th February 2017
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The stated objectives of The Friends are, “by contribution, to maintain, repair, restore, improve and reconstruct the fabric of Holy Innocents Church, Lamarsh, including its monuments, fixtures, fittings, furniture, stained glass, ornaments, other chattels and its churchyard, for the benefit of the public. The Trustees are empowered to distribute any excess funds, which in their opinion are surplus to requirements, for the relief of financial hardship, or the relief of sickness and the preservation of health among people residing permanently in Lamarsh”
The Trustees are:
David Anderson
Gay Foord
Mark Dawson – Treasurer
Andrew Marsden - Churchwarden Trustee
Rory O’Brien
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