The trustees present their report and financial statements for the year ended 31 January 2026.
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 charitable company's 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)” (as amended for accounting periods commencing from 1 January 2019).
The objectives of the charitable company are set out in the Memorandum of Association of Open Arms Church Limited. They include:-
To advance the Christian faith.
To relieve persons who are in conditions of need or hardship or who are aged or sick and to relieve the distress caused thereby.
To advance education in accordance with Christian principals.
To promote and fulfil such other charitable purposes beneficial to the community.
The trustees have paid due regard to guidance issued by the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland in deciding what activities the charitable company should undertake.
During the year to 31 January 2026 the charitable company received donations and undertook the promotion of their above objectives.
Activities included:-
Sunday morning worship and Children's Sunday School.
A holiday bible club for children across the community with volunteers running minibuses to transport children to and from the premises.
An outreach team of volunteers to help teenagers, addicts and homeless, specifically around the Bann Boulevard in the evenings.
Friday lunch for the local community, those in need and the homeless in the area.
Volunteers cleaning up the streets around the church removing litter, weeds which had grown in alleyways between houses and removing graffiti from neighbouring houses by painting gable walls.
The charitable company's financial results are set out in detail on pages 5-13.
There was an overall deficit for the year of £3,008 (2025 - surplus £6,939). Unrestricted funds at 31 January 2026 were £26,943 (2025 - £29,951). The charitable company held no restricted funds at the year end.
Reserves
The level of reserves will be reviewed annually and built up in stages consistent with the charitable company's overall financial position and its need to maintain its charitable activities. The trustees consider a level of £30,000 to be appropriate.
The charitable company is a company limited by guarantee, governed by its Memorandum and Articles of Association dated 10 January 2020. The charitable company is registered with the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland. The charitable company is controlled by its trustees who are directors of the company for the purposes of company law.
The trustees who served during the period and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were:
Under the requirement of the Memorandum and Articles of Association, one third of the directors retire from office each year. The minimum number of directors is three and is not subject to any maximum.
None of the trustees has any beneficial interest in the charitable company. All of the trustees are members of the charitable company and guarantee to contribute £1 in the event of winding up.
Organisation
The day to day running of the charitable company is overseen by the trustees.
In preparing this report, the trustees have taken advantage of the small companies exemptions provided by section 415A of the Companies Act 2006.
The trustees' report was approved by the Board of Trustees.
I report on the financial statements of the charitable company for the year ended 31 January 2026, which are set out on pages 5 to 13.
It is my responsibility to:
examine the financial statements under section 65 of the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008;
follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland under section 65(9)(b) of the Act; and
state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
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 charitable company as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act; or
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 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
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 accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).
Independent examiner's statement
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.
Open Arms Church Limited is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in Northern Ireland. The registered office is 16a Harford Street, Portadown, Craigavon, Co Armagh, BT62 3AA.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the charitable company's Memorandum of Association, the Companies Act 2006, FRS 102 “The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland” (“FRS 102”) 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)" (effective 1 January 2019). The charitable company is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102.
The charitable company has taken advantage of the provisions in the SORP for charities not to prepare a Statement of Cash Flows.
The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the charitable company. 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 charitable company 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 charitable company 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 or deeds of covenant is recognised at the time of the donation.
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.
(i) Charitable activities
This comprises all the resources applied by the charitable company in undertaking its work to meet its charitable objectives.
(ii) Governance costs
Governance costs include the costs of governance arrangements which relate to the general running of the charitable company.
(iii) Support costs
Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings, they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with use of the resources.
Tangible fixed assets are initially measured at cost and subsequently measured at cost or valuation, net of depreciation and any impairment losses.
Depreciation is recognised so as to write off the cost or valuation of assets less their residual values over their useful lives on the following bases:
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.
At each reporting end date, the charitable company 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 charitable company has elected to apply the provisions of Section 11 ‘Basic Financial Instruments’ and Section 12 ‘Other Financial Instruments Issues’ of FRS 102 to all of its financial instruments.
Financial instruments are recognised in the charitable company's balance sheet when the charitable company 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 debtors 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 creditors 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.
Trade creditors are obligations to pay for goods or services that have been acquired in the ordinary course of operations from suppliers. Amounts payable are classified as current liabilities if payment is due within one year or less. If not, they are presented as non-current liabilities. Trade creditors are recognised initially at transaction price and subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.
Financial liabilities are derecognised when the charitable company’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 charitable company is demonstrably committed to terminate the employment of an employee or to provide termination benefits.
Rent
Heat and light
Website, media, music and sound expenses
Donations
Insurance
Depreciation
Printing and stationery
Repairs
General expenses
The average monthly number of employees during the year was:
The restricted funds of the charitable company comprise donations received with specific restrictions, imposed by donors as to how they may be used, or amounts which have been raised by the charitable company for specific purposes.
The unrestricted funds of the charity comprise all core funding that the charitable company receives and is expendable at the discretion of the trustees for the general purposes of the charitable company.
During the year the trustees, as congregational members, made donations to the charity by way of general church offerings.