Chairman’s Report to the Forest Gate Church Charity AGM
May 20th, 2026
Firstly, I’d like to welcome you all, and to thank you for coming to our Annual General Meeting.
Forest Gate Church became a registered Charity on March 8th, 2013.
We have a legal requirement to have charity members and directors, and we must hold an Annual General Meeting every year where new members can be welcomed, and where directors can be appointed by the membership.
Directors serve for a 3 year term. They can be re-elected for a second term but after two terms totalling 6 years they must stand down. The directors must ensure that the charity remains solvent and is run efficiently and effectively within the objectives that have been submitted to the Charities Commission. To these ends they work closely with the senior leaders, Louise and John, and we are very grateful for the work they continue to do for God’s kingdom in this place.
This year we have received one new application for membership, and two applications for charity directors and we’ll consider and vote upon these applications later in the meeting.
We currently have 28 members and 6 directors, with myself as chair of the directors and Hayley as secretary. The other charity directors are: Sara, Duncan, Linda and Sandy. At this meeting Sara will be standing down as director and I’d like to thank her for her work as a director over the past three years.
The directors meet once a quarter along with one of the senior leaders and Melanie submits a financial report for review to every directors’ meeting. She will shortly present to this meeting an overall report for the financial year that ended in 2025.
You will see from her report that our finances continue to be stable and sound, and I’d like us all to thank Mel for all the work she does as treasurer for the church – not only is she very efficient and diligent, but she also responds so quickly to all our requests for which I’m extremely grateful.
While we must fulfil our legal obligations to comply with company law and the Charities Commission, we are after all a church. The purpose of our church is to teach the ways of God, serve Him faithfully and enthusiastically within our community, and to share the Good News of Jesus with those around us.
In addition to our Sunday worship services, Little Sprouts continues to operate on a weekly basis in term time for preschool children and their parents/carers, we have a monthly community coffee morning and a monthly senior citizen’s coffee morning.
Gatecrash operates every Friday evening in term time with over 50 young people coming to every session and Latecrash has now been established to accommodate the young people who are too old for Gatecrash and attracts an additional 15-20 young people.
Housecrash runs at Steve and Lou’s home once a month on a Sunday evening. For everyone who supports any of these activities I just want to offer once again my heartfelt thanks.
In addition to these regular church activities our building is also used by Tots in Tune, the Breathe Youth Charity, occasional meetings by the local Primary school and for rehearsals by a local band called This or a Harley.
With increasing demands on our building, and the need to reconfigure it for each respective group, we have been looking for an alternative location where our church can grow and better suit the needs of our community.
The trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 30 November 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 governing document, 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)".
To advance the Christian Faith for the benefit of the public in accordance with the statement of beliefs in such ways and in such parts of England and Wales or the World as the directors may from time to time think fit. To advance education in such ways and in such parts of England and Wales or the World as the directors from time to time may think fit. To relieve sickness and financial hardship and to promote and preserve good health by the provision of funds, goods or services of any kind including through the provision of counselling and support in such parts of England and Wales or the World as the directors from time to time think fit.
The trustees have paid due regard to guidance issued by the Charity Commission in deciding what activities the charity should undertake.
It is the policy of the charity that unrestricted funds which have not been designated for a specific use should be maintained at a level equivalent to between three and six month’s expenditure. The trustees consider that reserves at this level will ensure that, in the event of a significant drop in funding, they will be able to continue the charity’s current activities while consideration is given to ways in which additional funds may be raised. This level of reserves has been maintained throughout the year.
The charity is a company limited by guarantee. The governing document of the charity is the company's Memorandum and Articles of Association. The business of the company is managed by a Council of Management. Members of the Council of Management are the trustees of the charity.
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:
Forest Gate Church recognises that an effective board of trustees is essential if the charity is to be effective in achieving its objects. Forest Gate Church is committed to be representative of the people with whom the charity works and have available to it all of the knowledge and skills required to run the charity. Individual trustees must have sufficient knowledge both of trusteeship in general and of the Charity's activities to enable them to carry out their role and to represent the Charity at meetings and other events.
Forest Gate Church operates an open recruitment process and the constitution allows any of our members to nominate candidates for trusteeship at the AGM. Trustees may also be co-opted.
None of the trustees has any beneficial interest in the company. All of the trustees are members of the company and guarantee to contribute £1 in the event of a winding up.
The company's current policy concerning the payment of trade creditors is to follow the CBI's Prompt Payers Code (copies are available from the CBI, Centre Point, 103 New Oxford Street, London WC1A 1DU).
The company's current policy concerning the payment of trade creditors is to:
settle the terms of payment with suppliers when agreeing the terms of each transaction;
ensure that suppliers are made aware of the terms of payment by inclusion of the relevant terms in contracts; and
pay in accordance with the company's contractual and other legal obligations.
The trustees' report was approved by the Board of Trustees.
I report to the trustees on my examination of the financial statements of Forest Gate Church (the charity) for the year ended 30 November 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.
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.
FCCA
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.
Forest Gate Church is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is Youth and Community Building, New Road, Mitcheldean, Gloucestershire, GL17 0BX, United Kingdom.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the charity's governing document, 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 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, [modified to include the revaluation of freehold properties and to include investment properties and certain financial instruments at fair value]. 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 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. 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.
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’ and Section 12 ‘Other Financial Instruments Issues’ 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 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 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.
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:
The charity is exempt from taxation on its activities because all its income is applied for charitable purposes.
The company is a private company limited by guarantee and consequently does not have share capital. Each of it's members is liable to contribute an amount not exceeding £1 towards the assets of the company in the event of liquidation.
The unrestricted funds of the charity comprise the unexpended balances of donations and grants which are not subject to specific conditions by donors and grantors as to how they may be used. These include designated funds which have been set aside out of unrestricted funds by the trustees for specific purposes.
There were no disclosable related party transactions during the year (2024 - none).
The charity had no material debt during the year.