REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER: 07817471 (England and Wales)

REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1192001

Report of the Trustees and

Unaudited Financial Statements

for the Year Ended 31 December 2025

for

The Meeting Place (Bookham)

Page

Chairman's Report

1

to

2

Operating and Financial Review

3

Report of the Trustees

4

to

5

Independent Examiner's Report

6

Statement of Financial Activities

7

Balance Sheet

8

to

9

Notes to the Financial Statements

10

to

16

Activities and Future Plans

The Meeting Place runs a range of activities aiming to enrich our community and promote social inclusion. During 2025 we continued to develop all our areas of operation. The Trustees met regularly throughout the year and held an Away Day at which we reviewed and celebrated progress.

We continue to be grateful to all our local churches for making premises and facilities available to use and for their support in a variety of ways.

Coffee Shop

The Coffee Shop continues to run on Saturday mornings at Bookham Baptist Church with an average of 130 people attending each month. Many customers are regulars and appreciate the space and welcome provided by the welcoming volunteer team. A member of the Chaplaincy team comes to each session. A folder of community information is also available to signpost people to a variety of local services.

Hearing Loss

Our Hearing Champions continues to offer free support with NHS hearing aids, as well and information and signposting to other services and equipment. These sessions were held on Saturday mornings in a private room when the Coffee Shop was open,

The Meeting Place organises and subsides Lipreading classes run on zoom by a professional teacher. The small class size of approximately 8 members per term means the tutor can be aware of individuals. A wide variety of topics are covered, and practical coping strategies are discussed.

Language Hub

The Language Hub offers classes for those for whom English is not their first language by providing language development skills and practice opportunities with volunteer TEFL qualified teachers and assistants.

During 2025 classes were taught in three groups, Beginners, Elementary and Intermediate. The Intermediate level classes which were held on zoom has been closed, Beginners and Elementary classes continue to be held face-to-face at the Mole Valley Skills Hub in Leatherhead. Beginner level in particular covers a wide range of competency and we have found that the extra support our teaching assistants can offer one a 1:1 basis is particularly valuable.

Numbers attending classes remained much the same in 2025 with an average of 20 registered across the Beginners and Elementary groups and 9 in the Intermediate. There was a review of the classes, and the Zoom Intermediate class has been stopped.

The Language Hub is well known locally and is in contact with local organisations such as Epsom and Ewell Refugee Network. Since the Language Hub started, the team has had the privilege of helping students of over 30 nationalities from all around the world.

Community Fridge

The Community Fridge team continued to offer Help Yourself tables on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday mornings at Bookham Baptist Church. We also help supply the in-house Community Fridge at The Grange Centre.

Supermarket collections of surplus food vary in size and content each week. These collections mean we are able to save a considerable volume of useable food from landfill with the additional benefit of making it available to local people. Our regular visitors average 200 households each week. Before the Tuesday and Friday sessions, volunteers from Bookham Baptist Church have made a warm space and refreshments available to those waiting for the Community Fridge which has been very popular. During this waiting time there have been demonstrations showcasing low-cost recipes.

Community Fridge have started cookery classes for youth on Friday evenings using food collected.

Community Chaplaincy

Liz Tapp is well established in her role and continues to build a team of Anna Friends and volunteers working alongside her. Anna Chaplaincy is a national network of community chaplains reaching out to older people offering spiritual care and support, licensed to The Meeting Place through Bible Reading Fellowship (BRF).

Visits are made to local elderly people in their homes as part of the befriending service offered by the Chaplaincy. Often those visited are lonely and/or housebound. Praise and Craft sessions and sessions called Hymns We Love continued at Liberham Lodge Care Home and are popular and much appreciated by the residents who attend. The Living Well in Older Age talks continued in Bookham Library and a planned annual program now enables us to promote the events. We attended Bookham Village Day to raise awareness of what the Chaplaincy and TMP can offer to the oldest members of our community. This year TMP won the prize for best dressed stall. In August there were one Holiday at Home days with x guests attending. In December we held a simple Carol Service retelling the Christmas story with favourite carols to sing and refreshments served beforehand.

VOLUNTEERS

None of the activities described above would have been possible without the loyalty and dedication of our team of over 90 volunteers, to whom the Trustees are very grateful. We held a Thankyou Tea in January which was enjoyed by many. Trustees are also volunteers and each brings their unique skills, insights and experience which are greatly valued.

We have welcomed school students fulfilling their Duke of Edinburgh's Award service requirement at the Community Fridge and the Coffee Shop on Saturday mornings. We are always pleased to offer our volunteers the opportunity to gain qualifications - for example, Level 2 Food Handling certificate, manual handling or TEFL training.

We value the prayerful and financial support of the Friends of The Meeting Place, which is a great encouragement.

Future Plans

During 2026 we plan:

- to strengthen and extend our teams of volunteers especially for the Coffee Shop and befrienders for the Chaplaincy.

- to build on our support for older people through our Chaplaincy and Befriending activities

- to continue to improve communication about the activities we offer, adapting and developing our existing services in accordance with demand and resources available and responding to any new community wellbeing needs that fulfil our charity objectives

Treasurers Comments

Introduction

Our income of £28,878 was nearly £2,000 higher than our income in 2024 at £27,005. The decrease in income from Interest was more or less offset by the increased income at £3052 from the Coffee Shop. The rest came from the increased income from the Community Fridge.

Although it is not shown as a separate income stream we continue to reclaim Gift Aid on donations where the donors have signed up to the gift Aid scheme. A claim goes in twice a year in June and December and we received just under £600 in total for the year. We allocate the money back to the source of donation eg Anna Chaplaincy. We also claimed £2,000, the maximum possible, under the small donation gift aid scheme for the Community Fridge. This has to be claimed after the end of the tax year and covers the period of the tax year. Thus when the April accounts are completed at the beginning of May we can make a claim. We would expect to claim a similar amount this year.

Lipreading does not generate any income and the expenses that we incur are the money that we pay to subsidies the course that is run.

Language Hub has a small income from the students taking part who feel able to make a contribution. Some of the classes are held in Leatherhead so mostly the expenses incurred are course materials, mileage and parking expenses for the tutors giving the lessons.

This year we spent £36,216, some £3,000 less than last year. We did not spend any money upgrading the website and we only spent £1000 on Community support as opposed to some £3000 last year

As a result we reduced our funds from £47,519 at the beginning of 2025 to £41954 at the end of the year.

These great results are due to the hard work of our volunteers and to the help we receive from our benefactors for which we are extremely grateful. The trustees are all volunteers as well and this year we spent some £764 which is about 2% of our expenditure and would be considered at the low end of the spectrum.

Financial Review

This year will still be challenging with interest rates expected to drop so causing our investment income to fall. Uncertainties from national and international politics may also prove challenging.

Reserves Policy

The Reserves Policy is based on an assessment of the perceived risks to The Meeting Place and is reviewed annually. The Trustees consider it prudent to maintain our reserves at a level equivalent to 6 months of the expenditure budgeted. Our budget for this year is just over £42,000 which means that our reserves have to be a minimum of £21,000. We are in the fortunate position of inheriting a heathy bank balance and we estimate that at the year end we will still have £28,000 in the bank and so will meet our target

Investment Policy

We maintain enough money in our current account to meet our immediate needs, the rest is held in a savings account where it earns a small amount of interest. This year we received £1190, down from last year which was £1560. This is merely because of lower interest rates being paid. We do not wish to take any risks with the money by investing in something which might give a higher return but would inevitably be riskier.

The trustees who are also directors of the charity for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006, present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 December 2025. The trustees have adopted the provisions of 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).

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

Objectives and aims

A summary of our objectives is "to reduce isolation in our community".

This is expressed more formally in The Meeting Place's statement of purpose:

To further or benefit the residents of Bookham and District in conjunction with the local authorities, voluntary and other organisations in a common effort and in a welcoming environment to provide helpful services, to advance education with the objective of improving the conditions of life for the residents including relief of financial hardship through provision of goods or services.

The Board is aware of the provisions of the Charities Act 2011 concerning public benefit, the guidance published by the Charity Commission on this subject and of the obligation to report on ways in which they believe The Meeting Place meets the public benefit which is reflected by our charitable objects.

Charitable Objects

1. To prevent or relieve need, by reason of youth, age, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage by providing: grants, items and services to individuals in need and/or charities or other organisations working to similar principles and purposes.

2. To promote social inclusion for the public benefit by preventing people from becoming socially excluded, relieving the needs of those people who are socially excluded and assisting them to integrate into society, in accordance with Christian principles.

For the purpose of this clause, "socially excluded" means being excluded from society, or parts of society, as a result of one or more of the following factors: financial hardship; youth or old age; ill health (physical or mental); disability; or inability to speak or understand English.

3. To protect and preserve the environment for the public benefit, in particular but not exclusively by the promotion of waste reduction and the use of surplus food.

Values Statement

The Meeting Place aspires to improve social inclusion and contribute to the spiritual, social, physical and economic well-being of our community. We help to make a difference through Christian principles and values and aim to provide safe, sustainable, and ethical activities to promote community enrichment.

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Governing document

The charity is controlled by its governing document, a deed of trust, and constitutes a limited company, limited by guarantee, as defined by the Companies Act 2006.

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS

Registered Company number

07817471 (England and Wales)

Registered Charity number

1192001

Registered office

Eastwick Road Church

Eastwick Road

Great Bookham

Leatherhead

Surrey

KT23 4BE

Trustees

Trustees

One third of Trustees/Board members retire by rotation each year according to date of appointment but may be re-elected for further periods. This year Elaine Crutchley and David Ryder are due for reelection. Kirsten Hughes-Hallett and Clare Curran have joined the Board and the other Board members are Margaret Hibbert, Anne-Marie Lewis and Edna Woodhouse. Margaret Hibbert is retiring as Trustee at the AGM after 14 years as Trustee and we are delighted she is planning to continue to volunteer in many areas of the organisation.

Independent Examiner

Bullimores LLP

Chartered Accountants

Old Printers Yard

156 South Street

Dorking

Surrey

RH4 2HF

Approved by order of the board of trustees on 12 March 2026 and signed on its behalf by:

Mrs S H M Hibbert - Trustee

Independent examiner's report to the trustees of The Meeting Place (Bookham) ('the Company')

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Company for the year ended 31 December 2025.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity's trustees of the Company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 ('the 2006 Act').

Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the Company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of your charity's accounts as carried out under Section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 ('the 2011 Act'). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under Section 145(5) (b) of the 2011 Act.

Independent examiner's statement

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:

1.	accounting records were not kept in respect of the Company as required by Section 386 of the 2006 Act; or

2.	the accounts do not accord with those records; or

3.	the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of Section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the accounts give a true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or

4.

the accounts 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 accounts 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 accounts to be reached.

Nicholas Boot FCA

Bullimores LLP

Chartered Accountants

Old Printers Yard

156 South Street

Dorking

Surrey

RH4 2HF

17 March 2026

31.12.25

31.12.24

Unrestricted

Restricted

Total

Total

fund

funds

funds

funds

Notes

£

£

£

£

INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM

Donations and legacies

21,114

4,461

25,575

23,674

Other trading activities

2

3,882

-

3,882

3,642

Investment income

3

1,193

-

1,193

1,563

Total

26,189

4,461

30,650

28,879

EXPENDITURE ON

Charitable activities

4

15,011

20,176

35,187

38,225

Other

427

602

1,029

1,389

Total

15,438

20,778

36,216

39,614

NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)

10,751

(16,317

)

(5,566

)

(10,735

)

Transfers between funds

14

(15,505

)

15,505

-

-

Net movement in funds

(4,754

)

(812

)

(5,566

)

(10,735

)

RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS

Total funds brought forward

46,097

1,423

47,520

58,255

TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD

41,343

611

41,954

47,520

31.12.25

31.12.24

Unrestricted

Restricted

Total

Total

fund

funds

funds

funds

Notes

£

£

£

£

FIXED ASSETS

Tangible assets

10

427

390

817

1,846

CURRENT ASSETS

Stocks

11

257

-

257

264

Debtors

12

73

-

73

70

Cash at bank and in hand

41,446

466

41,912

47,182

41,776

466

42,242

47,516

CREDITORS

Amounts falling due within one year

13

(860

)

(245

)

(1,105

)

(1,842

)

NET CURRENT ASSETS

40,916

221

41,137

45,674

TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES

41,343

611

41,954

47,520

NET ASSETS

41,343

611

41,954

47,520

FUNDS

14

Unrestricted funds

41,343

46,097

Restricted funds

611

1,423

TOTAL FUNDS

41,954

47,520

The charitable company is entitled to exemption from audit under Section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 for the year ended 31 December 2025.

The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2025 in accordance with Section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.

The trustees acknowledge their responsibilities for

(a)	ensuring that the charitable company keeps accounting records that comply with Sections 386 and 387 of the Companies Act 2006 and

(b)

preparing financial statements which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company as at the end of each financial year and of its surplus or deficit for each financial year in accordance with the requirements of Sections 394 and 395 and which otherwise comply with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 relating to financial statements, so far as applicable to the charitable company.

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to charitable companies subject to the small companies regime.

The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees and authorised for issue on 12 March 2026 and were signed on its behalf by:

D N Ryder - Trustee

1.	ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of preparing the financial statements

The financial statements of the charitable company, which is a public benefit entity under FRS 102, have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) '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)', Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland' and the Companies Act 2006. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention.

Income

All income is recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities once the charity has entitlement to the funds, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.

Expenditure

Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to that expenditure, 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 accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all cost related to the category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources.

Tangible fixed assets

Depreciation is provided at the following annual rates in order to write off each asset over its estimated useful life.

Plant and machinery

-

20% on cost

Stocks

Stocks are valued at the lower of cost and net realisable value, after making due allowance for obsolete and slow moving items.

Taxation

The charity is exempt from corporation tax on its charitable activities.

Fund accounting

Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees.

Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.

Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements.

Pension costs and other post-retirement benefits

The charitable company operates a defined contribution pension scheme. Contributions payable to the charitable company's pension scheme are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities in the period to which they relate.

2.	OTHER TRADING ACTIVITIES

31.12.25

31.12.24

£

£

Coffee Shop income

3,201

3,052

Language Hub

681

590

3,882

3,642

3.	INVESTMENT INCOME

31.12.25

31.12.24

£

£

Deposit account interest

1,193

1,563

4.	CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES

Raising donations and legacies

31.12.25

31.12.24

Restricted

£

£

Anna Chaplaincy - Training and staff expenses

2,940

2,376

Community fridge expenditure

-

-

Unrestricted

Community support costs

3,045

5,325

Support costs

3,945

5,780

Community fridge expenditure

5,648

6,280

15,578

19,761

Other trading activities

31.12.25

31.12.24

Restricted

£

£

Anna Chaplaincy - wages

16,080

15,600

Anna Chaplaincy - pension

1,155

1,030

Unrestricted

Coffee Shop costs

1,607

1,345

18,842

17,975

Investment management costs

31.12.25

31.12.24

£

£

Administration costs

764

489

Aggregate amounts

35,187

38,225

5.	NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)

Net income/(expenditure) is stated after charging/(crediting):

31.12.25

31.12.24

£

£

Depreciation - owned assets

1,029

1,389

6.	TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS

There were no trustees' remuneration or other benefits for the year ended 31 December 2025 nor for the year ended 31 December 2024.

Trustees' expenses

31.12.25

31.12.24

£

£

764

489

During the year, 4 trustees incurred costs in fulfilling their duties for which they were reimbursed by the charity or had such costs met by the charity directly. This comprised telephone expense, villlage day, travel, meal, welfare items and room hire.

7.	STAFF COSTS

The average monthly number of employees during the year was as follows:

31.12.25

31.12.24

Anna Chaplaincy

1

1

No employees received emoluments in excess of £60,000.

8.	COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES

Unrestricted

Restricted

Total

fund

funds

funds

£

£

£

INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM

Donations and legacies

18,495

5,179

23,674

Other trading activities

3,642

-

3,642

Investment income

1,563

-

1,563

Total

23,700

5,179

28,879

EXPENDITURE ON

Charitable activities

19,219

19,006

38,225

Other

427

962

1,389

Total

19,646

19,968

39,614

NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)

4,054

(14,789

)

(10,735

)

Transfers between funds

(10,360

)

10,360

-

Net movement in funds

(6,306

)

(4,429

)

(10,735

)

RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS

Total funds brought forward

52,403

5,852

58,255

TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD

46,097

1,423

47,520

9.	GRANTS PAYABLE

A grant was made by the charity in the year to Leatherhead community hub. This is included within Community support costs.

Institution

Purpose

31.12.25

31.12.24

£

£

Mid Surrey Dementia Care Trust

Support those with memory difficulties or in the early stages of dementia

-

1,000

Leatherhead Community Hub

Supporting locals to reduce social isolation and strengthen support networks

1,000

1,000

Leatherhead Youth Project

Support for socially and economically disadvantaged young people

-

1,000

1,000

3,000

10.	TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS

Plant and

machinery

£

COST

At 1 January 2025 and 31 December 2025

6,952

DEPRECIATION

At 1 January 2025

5,106

Charge for year

1,029

At 31 December 2025

6,135

NET BOOK VALUE

At 31 December 2025

817

At 31 December 2024

1,846

11.

STOCKS

31.12.25

31.12.24

£

£

Stock

257

264

12.	DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR

31.12.25

31.12.24

£

£

Prepayments and accrued income

73

70

13.	CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR

31.12.25

31.12.24

£

£

Other creditors

1,105

1,842

14.	MOVEMENT IN FUNDS

Net

Transfers

movement

between

At

At 1.1.25

in funds

funds

31.12.25

£

£

£

£

Unrestricted funds

General fund

46,097

10,751

(15,505

)

41,343

Restricted funds

Anna Chaplaincy

-

(15,505

)

15,505

-

Community Fridge

1,423

(812

)

-

611

1,423

(16,317

)

15,505

611

TOTAL FUNDS

47,520

(5,566

)

-

41,954

Net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:

Incoming

Resources

Movement

resources

expended

in funds

£

£

£

Unrestricted funds

General fund

26,189

(15,438

)

10,751

Restricted funds

Anna Chaplaincy

4,461

(19,966

)

(15,505

)

Community Fridge

-

(812

)

(812

)

4,461

(20,778

)

(16,317

)

TOTAL FUNDS

30,650

(36,216

)

(5,566

)

Comparatives for movement in funds

Net

Transfers

movement

between

At

At 1.1.24

in funds

funds

31.12.24

£

£

£

£

Unrestricted funds

General fund

52,403

4,054

(10,360

)

46,097

Restricted funds

Anna Chaplaincy

3,617

(13,977

)

10,360

-

Community Fridge

2,235

(812

)

-

1,423

5,852

(14,789

)

10,360

1,423

TOTAL FUNDS

58,255

(10,735

)

-

47,520

Comparative net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:

Incoming

Resources

Movement

resources

expended

in funds

£

£

£

Unrestricted funds

General fund

23,700

(19,646

)

4,054

Restricted funds

Anna Chaplaincy

5,179

(19,156

)

(13,977

)

Community Fridge

-

(812

)

(812

)

5,179

(19,968

)

(14,789

)

TOTAL FUNDS

28,879

(39,614

)

(10,735

)