The trustees present their report and accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the financial statements and comply with the charity's Memorandum and Articles of Association, the Companies Act 2006, FRS 102 "The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland" and the Charities SORP "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 (FRS 102)".
The principal objectives of Eastgate (Kent) Ltd are that of the advancement of the Christian Faith in the UK and Overseas; the advancement of the public benefit of religious and other education, and the relief of the aged, poor, sick and disabled.
The trustees have paid due regard to guidance issued by the Charity Commission in deciding what activities the charity should undertake. All of the many and varied activities of Eastgate as described in this report are available to, and for the benefit of, the public across the complete age spectrum, including children, teenagers and adults. Therefore, the trustees believe that Eastgate fully complies with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 with respect to public benefit.
Eastgate exists to ignite a passion for Jesus in its members by facilitating encounters with the manifest presence of the Holy Spirit, resulting in lives being saved and transformed.
Our ongoing mission is to build a vibrant, thriving church—full of radical disciples living out their faith together as family.
Our Home:
Our base, also called Eastgate, is a Christian worship facility and community hub located at 141 Springhead Parkway, Northfleet. The building comprises a 500-seater auditorium on the first floor and a ground floor that includes a welcome area, coffee shop, meeting rooms, and office space.
These facilities are used for both church activities and a wide range of community and commercial events. In December 2024 Dean and Mel Thatcher stepped down from running the Coffee Shop, we would like to thank them for all their hard work since they opened in 2014. We were delighted to welcome the new team of Mariella Padilla and Nassra Zajia who opened the Garden City Café in January 2024. The café remains open to the public and is a well-used meeting place for visitors, building users, and staff.
Key Events and Activities:
Following the celebrations of our 10th anniversary in the building in December 2023 and early 2024, we entered our 11th year with renewed vision and focus. We continue to reflect on all that God has done while actively planning for the next decade.
Our weekly Sunday service at 10am remains a core gathering point. It includes a time of worship and teaching, with children's and youth groups. The meeting is livestreamed via YouTube.
Across the year, we hosted several All-Age services, celebrated baptisms and baby dedications.
During the year we opened a dedicated Prayer Room in our Annexe.
Children, Youth & Families:
We offer three Sunday morning groups for children (0–3s, 4–5s, and 6–11s), and two youth groups for those in secondary education (11–18s).
Youth also meet on a Friday for Connection Groups and a monthly gathering all together.
In July a group of teenagers and adults attended The Send at Wembley Arena – this ministry has a specific passion to see young people mobilised in their faith.
In October we ran a Spirit Break Out Weekend for our youth and ran a Youth Alpha Course from January.
The Superheroes group continues to support parents and carers of children with additional needs.
We ran a Keeping Kids Safe Online course for parents.
Our Parents Coffee and Connection Group runs every few months on a Saturday morning.
Discipleship and Connection:
As part of developing our Discipleship journey at Eastgate we launched Midweek Furnace in September 2024. This powerful equipping evening, based at Eastgate, provides training and activation through multiple courses along with a time of worship and an opportunity to eat together.
Alongside this we also launched Fire Groups which are a key part of our discipleship journey. They are groups where we get to be set on fire and set others on fire for Jesus. The groups have a focus on Intimacy, Impact and Identity. They are team led, meeting in homes, and are based around the experiential presence of God through worship, an outward focus and radical discipleship conversations.
We also hosted Men’s breakfasts and Ladies gatherings.
Events and Conferences Hosted:
Throughout the year, we were privileged to host a variety of events and guest speakers, including:
Equipped for the Harvest with Surprise Sithole
No Junior Holy Spirit
Evangelism Made Easy with Scott McNamara
Heaven in Healthcare: Renewed Hope
School of His Presence with Eric Gilmour
Community Engagement:
We continue to play an active role in the local community:
Our popular Parents and Tots group now has two sessions every Monday.
Under 5s Story and Crafts remains a well-attended Wednesday group.
Tea Junction offers a Monday afternoon space for adults to connect and share craft activities over a cup of tea or coffee.
Seasonal community events included:
Easter Crafts and Egg Hunt
Over the summer Football Fun Fest, Olympic Fun and Games and Meet the animals.
Superhero Light Party (October 31st)
Christmas Fair & Nativity
Our facilities also host a range of regular external groups including Rainbows and Brownies, Zappa Performing Arts, Pilates and Kumon tutoring.
Local Partnerships:
We continue to develop strong relationships with Springhead Park Primary School, directly opposite Eastgate. We are thankful for their continued partnership in allowing us to use their hall for our older children’s Sunday group.
Social Action and Wellbeing:
We maintain close partnerships with Northfleet and Gravesend Food Banks, supporting them with finances and volunteers.
The Healing Centre continues to operate on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of each month, with online appointments also available.
Counselling support is provided through Lighthouse Counselling Trust, and we have contributed £4,000 from our Giving Fund as a bursary to enable affordable access to therapy.
Sozo appointments are also offered as part of our commitment to emotional and spiritual healing.
Eastgate’s School of Spiritual Life:
the in-person Day School ran on Fridays from October to April.
the Online School ran via Zoom on Wednesday evenings from October through to June 2025.
We also hosted an Alumni Gathering for past students during the year.
The Trustees and Executive Leadership Team continue to monitor our finances closely.
We are pleased to report that for the financial year ending 31 March 2025, the unrestricted fund showed a surplus of £198,903. The building fund continues to manage the bank loan interest, depreciation, and related transactions, with a balance of £251,098 remaining at year end.
During the year, Eastgate received £106,929 through targeted offerings toward reducing the bank loan originally taken out to construct the building. This entire amount has been paid directly against the loan.
Reserves:
The Trustees maintain a prudent reserves policy designed to protect against unexpected reductions in income. Based on the diverse nature of our income (donations, rentals, events and School of Spiritual Life), the Trustees have agreed that a reserve of £231,500 is an appropriate target. As of 31 March 2025, unrestricted reserves stood at £370,222.
We have also taken into account ongoing financial pressures, including:
Continuing high interest rates, which have increased loan repayment costs
High utility expenses, particularly for electricity and gas
These challenges were anticipated in our budgeting, and we are pleased to report that reserves remain strong. Staffing remains one of our largest areas of expenditure. Where staff have left, the leadership team has reviewed whether roles need to be replaced in line with strategic priorities.
After setting deficit budgets in recent years, we have been able to set a balanced budget for the year ahead.
The trustees have assessed the major risks to which the charity is exposed, and are satisfied that systems are in place to mitigate exposure to the major risks.
Plans for the Future
As we continue into our second decade at Springhead Parkway, we remain committed to our vision:
"To be a regional catalyst for bringing Heaven to Earth."
We aim to:
Equip our members to live lifestyles of encounter with Jesus
Continue developing vibrant Sunday worship gatherings and explore new ways for people to connect with God
Strengthen our discipleship, creating an environment where disciples create disciples
Invest in our children and youth with new opportunities for leadership and spiritual formation
Deepen our community engagement in the growing Ebbsfleet Garden City area and build stronger ties with local organisations, including Springhead Park Primary School
Financially, we will:
Continue to closely monitor interest rate trends and utility costs
Continue to reduce our outstanding bank loan.
Eastgate (Kent) Ltd is a company limited by guarantee (Company No. 5014909), incorporated on 14 January 2004, and a registered charity (Charity No. 1102206). It is governed by its Memorandum and Articles of Association.
The trustees, who are also the directors for the purpose of company law, and who served during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were:
None of the Trustees hold a beneficial interest in the company. The members of the company are the Executive Church Leadership Team, each of whom guarantees to contribute £1 in the event of winding up.
Eastgate (Kent) Ltd owns the leasehold of Eastgate, the building from which we operate.
We would like to thank Kim Carter for a her many years of faithful service. At the end of December 2024, she retired and stepped down from the executive leadership team. We celebrated and thanked her as a church family in February 2025.
The Executive Leadership Team meets frequently to discuss and oversee the affairs of Eastgate, working alongside other staff and volunteers to fulfil the charity’s vision and objects.
Trustees are appointed by the Executive Leadership Team with approval from current Trustees. The Trustees met four times during the year and were regularly consulted on key matters.
The trustees, who are also the directors of Eastgate (Kent) Ltd for the purpose of company law, are responsible for preparing the Trustees' Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
Company law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that year.
In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:
- select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
- observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;
- make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
- state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and
- prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation.
The trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
The trustees' report was approved by the Board of Trustees.
I report to the trustees on my examination of the financial statements of Eastgate (Kent) Ltd (the charity) for the year ended 31 March 2025.
Having satisfied myself that the financial statements of the charity are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006 and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s financial statements carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011. In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act 2011.
Since the charity’s gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a body listed in section 145 of the 2011 Act. I confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, which is one of the listed bodies.
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 386 of the Companies Act 2006.
the financial statements do not accord with those records; or
the financial statements do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the Companies Act 2006 other than any requirement that the financial statements give a true and fair view, which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or
the financial statements have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities applicable to charities preparing their financial statements in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the financial statements to be reached.
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.
Eastgate (Kent) Ltd is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is Chantry House, 22 Upperton Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN21 1BF. The charity operates from 141 Springhead Parkway. Northfleet, Gravesend, Kent, DA11 8AD
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the charity's Memorandum and Articles of Association, the Companies Act 2006 and "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 (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019)". The charity is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102.
The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the charity. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.
At the time of approving the financial statements, the trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus the trustees continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.
Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of their charitable objectives.
Restricted funds are subject to specific conditions by donors or grantors as to how they may be used. The purposes and uses of the restricted funds are set out in the notes to the financial statements.
Cash donations are recognised on receipt. Other donations are recognised once the charity has been notified of the donation, unless performance conditions require deferral of the amount. Income tax recoverable in relation to donations received under Gift Aid is recognised at the time of the donation.
Grants are recognised in full in the Statement of Financial Activities in the year in which they are receivable.
Conference and Ministry School fees are allocated to the period in which the event or school term occurs. Advances delegate fees received are included as deferred income in the balance sheet.
Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to transfer economic benefit to a third party, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement, and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.
Expenditure is classified by activity. The costs of each activity are made up of the total of direct costs and shared costs, including support costs involved in undertaking each activity. Direct costs attributable to a single activity are allocated directly to that activity. Shared costs which contribute to more than one activity and support costs which are not attributable to a single activity are apportioned between those activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources. Central staff costs are allocated on the basis of time spent, and depreciation charges are allocated on the portion of the asset’s use.
Resources expended are recognised in the period in which they are incurred and allocated to the particular cost centre to which they relate. Resources expenses include irrecoverable VAT.
Expenditure on conferences which occur after the period end are included as prepayments in the statement of financial position, thus matching the accounting treatment for income.
Support and governance costs directly related to School of Spiritual Life and Training and Equipping have been charged to these activities. All general support costs are apportioned between the activities as follows:
Church activities 77%
School of Spiritual Life 20%
Training and Equipping 3%
Property, plant and equipment are initially measured at cost and subsequently measured at cost, net of depreciation and any impairment losses.
The gain or loss arising on the disposal of an asset is determined as the difference between the sale proceeds and the carrying value of the asset, and is recognised in the statement of financial activities.
Investments in subsidiaries are held at cost.
A subsidiary is an entity controlled by the charity. Control is the power to govern the financial and operating policies of the entity so as to obtain benefits from its activities.
In accordance with FRS 102 SORP section 24.13A, the subsidiary detailed in note 30 has been excluded from consolidation as it's inclusion would not be material for the purpose of giving a true and fair view to the financial statements. Therefore, consolidated financial statements have not been prepared.
At each reporting end date, the charity reviews the carrying amounts of its tangible assets to determine whether there is any indication that those assets have suffered an impairment loss. If any such indication exists, the recoverable amount of the asset is estimated in order to determine the extent of the impairment loss (if any).
Cash and cash equivalents include cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks, other short-term liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, and bank overdrafts. Bank overdrafts are shown within borrowings in current liabilities.
The charity has elected to apply the provisions of Section 11 ‘Basic Financial Instruments’ of FRS 102 to all of its financial instruments.
Financial instruments are recognised in the charity's balance sheet when the charity becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.
Financial assets and liabilities are offset, with the net amounts presented in the financial statements, when there is a legally enforceable right to set off the recognised amounts and there is an intention to settle on a net basis or to realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.
Basic financial assets, which include trade and other receivables and cash and bank balances, are initially measured at transaction price including transaction costs and are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest method unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the transaction is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial assets classified as receivable within one year are not amortised.
Basic financial liabilities, including trade and other payables and bank loans are initially recognised at transaction price unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the debt instrument is measured at the present value of the future payments discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial liabilities classified as payable within one year are not amortised.
Debt instruments are subsequently carried at amortised cost, using the effective interest rate method.
Financial liabilities are derecognised when the charity’s contractual obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.
The cost of any unused holiday entitlement is recognised in the period in which the employee’s services are received.
Termination benefits are recognised immediately as an expense when the charity is demonstrably committed to terminate the employment of an employee or to provide termination benefits.
Payments to defined contribution retirement benefit schemes are charged as an expense as they fall due.
In the application of the charity’s accounting policies, the trustees are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.
The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised where the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods where the revision affects both current and future periods.
The average monthly number of employees during the year was:
The remuneration of key management personnel was as follows:
None of the trustees received any remuneration or benefits from the charity during the year.
The trustees, executive church leadership team and related parties have donated an aggregate sum of £55,783 (2024: £64,002) to the charity.
The charity is exempt from taxation on its activities because all its income is applied for charitable purposes.
Eastgate has been granted a 999 year lease to land at Springhead Parkway, Northfleet, Kent at a peppercorn rent, dated 18 October 2012.
The loan from Barclays Bank PLC has a total drawdown facility of £1.56m repayable over a term of 20 years with repayments commencing October 2015. Interest is charged at 2.4% above base rate.
The loan is secured by a first and only legal charge on the lease to the land and buildings at Eastgate.
Deferred income is included in the financial statements as follows:
Deferred income represents monies received in advance for Eastgate rentals and Eastgate School of Spiritual Life fees in 2025/26.
The charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme for all qualifying employees. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the charity in an independently administered fund.
The restricted funds of the charity comprise the unexpended balances of donations and grants held on trust subject to specific conditions by donors as to how they may be used.
Building fund
This fund was for the construction of a Place of Worship and community Centre details of which are set out in the financial statements. Bank loan interest and depreciation on the buildings is charged against the fund. During the year Eastgate took several offerings with the aim of reducing the bank loan that was taken out when the building was constructed. £66,000 of the monies raised has been used to fund loan repayments in the year and is represented by a transfer to General funds.
Eastgate Music
This fund is for monies given specifically for the development of worship at Eastgate and production and distribution of music.
Living Fire
Living Fire is a network of Churches who come together to share ideas and experiences of Church evangelism and worship. Historically this has involved Eastgate hosting conferences, training days and mentoring Church leaders. In the 2022/23 financial year Living Fire was established as its own separate charity.
ESSL Bursary Fund
The ESSL Bursary fund is for the purpose of providing financial support for students who would otherwise be unable to attend the school. The transfers in the year represent the financial support given.
Members Fund
The Members Fund is for monies given by Eastgate church goers to help other members of the church who are in need of support. It is up to the discretion of the charity who the beneficiaries of the money are.
Nourish Fund
The Nourish fund represents funds given for the purpose of providing a weekly free meal to people needing extra support in our local community.
Counselling Fund
Represents monies given by Gravesham Borough Council to provide counselling services to the local community.
The income funds of the charity include the following designated funds which have been set aside out of unrestricted funds by the trustees for specific purposes:
The charity engaged MAS Cleaning, a business owned by Mr M Smallwood, husband of Executive Church Leadership Team member Elizabeth Smallwood to undertake cleaning work. During the year the business was paid a total of £965 (2024: £320) for services rendered.
Edward Smallwood, son of Elizabeth Smallwood, carried out some PA and caretaking duties and was paid a total of 580 (2024: £449) during the year.
Elaine Richard, wife of Trustee Hugh Richard, was paid £190 (2024: £540) for providing assistance at various church activities and events.
At the reporting end date the charity had outstanding commitments for future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases, which fall due as follows:
These financial statements are separate charity financial statements for Eastgate (Kent) Development Ltd.
Details of the charity's subsidiaries at 31 March 2025 are as follows: