The Trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 December 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 Church'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 Church's objectives are:
a) the advancement of the Christian faith according to the Bible and the principles of the Baptist denomination.
b) the church may also advance education, relieve poverty and carry out the other charitable purposes in the United Kingdom and other parts of the world.
The vision statement of the church is Victoria Baptist Church exists to see Jesus Christ honoured in Eastbourne and beyond (as noted in 2020 Trustees Report). A wide variety of other gatherings and organisations also meet and operate under the auspices of Victoria Baptist Church in line with its vision and objects.
The Trustees have paid due regard to the Public Benefit guidance issued by the Charity Commission in deciding what activities the Church should undertake.
Victoria Baptist Church Trust provides a large number of activities which fall within its purpose and aims. As its Governing Document describes, the purpose of the church is the advancement of the Christian faith in accordance with the principles of the Bible and the practices of the Baptist Denomination. These aims are carried out both by a staff team and volunteers serving the church in a variety of different ways.
During the year, live and online services, Bible studies, prayer meetings, Life groups and youth and children's work were provided. 11 people were baptised. We continued the work of the Christians Against Poverty Debt Centre, with 7 clients becoming debt free, and a total of £87,595 in client debts were written off in 2025. We distributed 43 Christmas hampers to families within the CAP ministry. Each hamper included everything needed for a Christmas dinner, along with some treats and gifts. Over 120 people benefitted from this. Over 200 Christmas gifts were bought by members of the church to give to young people leaving the Eastbourne care system as a response to our Giving Tree appeal. We also advanced the ‘Community Fridge’ ministry; reducing food waste, alleviating food poverty and reaching an average of 50 families per week. The Community Fridge also ran breakfast clubs during the Easter and Summer holidays, providing a free breakfast and snacks to families one day per week. The Fridge was also able to offer extra food to clients for the Christmas period. The pastoral visiting team continued to grow and serve the church, 1 Alpha course took place and the emphasis on the development of Life Groups within the church continued. The group for 18-35 year olds, which was established in the latter part of 2023, continued to meet. The ministry for Discipleship continued, with 2 staff members working together to provide discipleship for men and women with the assistance of a team of volunteers.
Other organisations such as men's and women's fellowships also continued to provide support to additional sources of worship and teaching which complement the Sunday services. Other projects complement the ministry of the church with events for young people in the locality including Girls' Brigade, and Friday clubs for children and youth. The church also has a team who provide voluntary marshalling services for many community events in Eastbourne and beyond.
The church continues to fulfil its objectives by supporting local initiatives for the relief of suffering and poverty (i.e. Networx) and a variety of mission projects including supporting a church in Lebedyn, Ukraine.
People in the locality continue to make extensive use of the church's buildings and facilities. Among the many groups using our facilities are Rock Choir, the Blood Donation Service and U3A.
The church staff continue to administer and direct this operation under the leadership of the Core Leadership Team. Many volunteers, who give of their time and expertise, are involved in the delivery of these ministries. A number of staff and volunteers have undertaken Fire Safety training and 2 members of staff began development courses during the year. We employed a new member of staff in September 2025 as Head of Family Ministries.
2025 was our centenary year, and we celebrated in June with a weekend of events including a concert, an Open Day and a church picnic.
Gifts and donations are given to organisations and individuals in accordance with the objectives of the church. The church continues to be supported largely by the sacrificial giving of its members and attendees. Gifts and donations in the year are shown in Note 8.
During the year, a working group continued to investigate the possibility of converting to a CIO. This has incurred some legal fees.
The Trust’s regular giving was insufficient to cover planned expenditure for the year. However, the response to an appeal to the members encouraged a significant number of one off gifts which resulted in a surplus for the year of £32,992 providing a buffer for 2026 until general giving increases to a level to fund the ministries the church provides.
It is the policy of the church to hold an adequate level of cash and readily accessible reserves deemed sufficient to meet likely and unexpected capital expenditure needs.
Subject to donor's requests, restricted funds are generally held to meet specific purposes or capital projects.
The policy of the church is that a Charity Reserve Fund equivalent to 3 months expenditure should be maintained, holding cash which has not been designated for any specific purpose. The trustees consider that maintaining a reserve of £82,000 will ensure that, in the event of significant drop in funding, they will be able to continue the Church's current activities, while consideration is given to ways in which additional funds may be raised.
We had a Food Hygiene Inspection in June and were awarded 5 stars.
A Fire Risk assessment took place in July and a schedule of works has been drawn up with any areas of concern being addressed.
The Annual Health and Safety inspection took place in October and again a schedule of works has been drawn up with any areas of concern being addressed.
Regular inspections of our properties (Manses and Church flat) continued, and remedial works have been undertaken as necessary. One of the manses had a new roof, new hob, redecoration and clean. New bedroom carpets were also fitted and the garden cleared & tidied.
Any excess reserves above the minimum level shown above represent funds which need to be accumulated for major capital projects & building works in the future.
Total reserves held at the end of the year was £493,955, of which £259,013 was unrestricted.
The majority of monies are invested in deposit accounts with financial institutions, the Baptist Union and M&G Charifund Income Units. The Trust seeks to obtain the highest possible returns consistent with a cautious attitude to risk and short term availability of such monies. The Trust has for a number of years held M & G Charifund Units, which are subject to stock market fluctuations. These investments are easily realisable and the church is satisfied with the performance of these investments.
The trustees have considered the major risks to which the Church is exposed in particular those related to the operations and finances of the Church. They are satisfied that appropriate systems are in place to mitigate the Church's exposure to such risks, to safeguard the assets of the Church and should prevent and/or detect fraud and other irregularities.
The church is seeking to gain control of the church and two manses from the BUC who currently controls them through two Trusts. To do this the BUC has instructed the church that it must become a CIO in order to discuss the transfer of control. The BUC has agreed the CIO documentation, and it has been sent to the Charity Commission for pre-approval prior to conversion from a CLG to a CIO being registered and taking effect. This should take place later in 2026, when we will then negotiate with the BUC regarding the transfer of the trusts from BUC control to the new church CIO Charity.
The Church is a company limited by guarantee and incorporated on the 23rd September 2009 and commenced activities on the 1 January 2010 with the transfer of assets and funds from Victoria Baptist Church, an unincorporated charity. Victoria Baptist Church is affiliated to the Baptist Union of Great Britain, and the Baptist Union Corporation is the sole trustee of the church land, church buildings and two manse properties on behalf of the church.
Full legal and administrative information is displayed on the flysheet to the accounts. The trustees, who are also the directors for the purpose of company law, and who served during the year were:
The church is managed on a day to day basis by the ministerial team in liaison with Church pastoral and administrative staff. The oversight and leadership of the church is governed by the core leadership team who are the trustees.
The trustees are appointed by the church at a general meeting as dictated by the governing document and appropriate training is given to the trustees.
None of the trustees, other than the Senior Minister, who is employed by the Trust, has any beneficial interest in the company. All of the trustees are members of the company and guarantee to contribute £10 in the event of a winding up.
These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the special provisions relating to small companies within Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006.
The Trustees' report was approved by the Board of Trustees.
The Trustees, who are also the directors of Victoria Baptist Church Trust 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 Church 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 Church 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 Church 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 Church and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
I report to the Trustees on my examination of the financial statements of Victoria Baptist Church Trust (the Church) for the year ended 31 December 2025.
Having satisfied myself that the financial statements of the Church 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 Church’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 Church’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 Church 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.
Victoria Baptist Church Trust is a company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is Eldon Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN21 1UE.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Church'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 Church is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102.
The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the Church. 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 investment assets 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 Church 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.
Voluntary income and donations are accounts for as received by the Church. Income tax recoverable in relation to donations received under Gift Aid or deeds of covenant is recognised at the time of the donation.
Legacies are recognised on receipt or otherwise if the Church has been notified of an impending distribution, the amount is known, and receipt is expected. If the amount is not known, the legacy is treated as a contingent asset.
Grants are recognised in full in the Statement of Financial Activities in the year in which they are receivable.
Monies received are allocated to the period in which they relate. Any income which is received but relates to a subsequent period is deferred and subsequently released in the relevant accounting period.
Resources expended are recognised in the period to which the costs relate.
The main cost centres are:
Charitable activities - which cover the running expenses of the charity including church & office operations.
Building costs - which include the cost of running the main church building and the two manses.
Donations - including gifts to local organisations and activities held at the church.
Governance costs - include those costs associated with fulfilling the charity's statutory obligations.
The charity is not registered for VAT and therefore all expenditure is recorded inclusive of non-recoverable VAT.
Governance costs are allocated 100% to direct charitable activities in relation to the running of the church and its various ministries.
Tangible fixed assets are initially measured at cost and subsequently measured at cost or valuation, net of depreciation and any impairment losses.
Fixed asset purchases are capitalised where the cost exceeds £1,500. Below this, transactions are treated as expenditure and recorded through the SoFA.
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 basis:
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.
The church premises at Eldon Road, Eastbourne are held on trust by The Baptist Union Corporation Limited. There is no record of original cost and as such, this property is not reflected in the financial statements.
The Church manses at 35 Baldwin Avenue and 90 Longland Road, Eastbourne are held on trust by the Baptist Union Corporation Limited. The Church has a beneficial interest in these properties and they are, therefore, included in the financial statements. They are stated at cost and are not subject to depreciation. It is the trustees' policy to maintain all the buildings to such a standard that their residual value is not less than the cost at any given time.
Fixed asset investments are initially measured at transaction price excluding transaction costs, and are subsequently measured at fair value at each reporting date. Changes in fair value are recognised in net income/(expenditure) for the year. Transaction costs are expensed as incurred.
The Fixed asset investments included in the accounts represent a listed investment portfolio. The year end balance is restated to its Open Market Value with an increase/decrease in value shown in the Statement of Financial Activities.
At each reporting end date, the Church 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 Church 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 Church's balance sheet when the Church 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.
Financial liabilities are derecognised when the Church’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 Church is demonstrably committed to terminate the employment of an employee or to provide termination benefits.
The Church contributes to defined contribution pension schemes on behalf of some staff. The contributions payable for the year are charged in the financial statements as part of Staff Costs.
Payments to defined contribution retirement benefit schemes are charged as an expense as they fall due.
The Church pays pension contributions for its Minister to the Baptist Ministers Pension Trust Limited, which is a final salary defined benefit scheme, which is not contracted out of the State second pension. The scheme is a multi-employer scheme and it is not possible to identify the assets and liabilities of the scheme which are attributable to the Church. Therefore, in accordance with FRS102 section 28, the scheme is accounted for as a defined contribution scheme.
Stock
The Church considers that the small value of stocks in hand at each year end is insignificant and no adjustment has been made to the Financial Statements to reflect these items.
Taxation
In the opinion of the trustees, the Church is not liable to taxation on its activities, due to its charitable status.
In the application of the Church’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.
Accountancy fees includes the cost of the independent examination, accountancy and other services and advice. The Independent Examination costs are £1,386 (2024: £1,320).
The Minister acts as one of the Church's trustees in accordance with the Trust deed and received remuneration of £60,222 (2024: £57,420), including Employer's pension contributions and Employers National Insurance. In addition to this, the Church provides of manse accommodation free of charge. The Minister also received £1,665 (2024: £1,410) in expenses for travel and office costs in connection with the work of the church.
None of the other trustees (or any persons connected with them) received any remuneration during the year.
The charity purchased Trustee indemnity insurance in the year at a cost of £356.
Total donations received from the trustees amounted to £44,398 (2024: £36,182) during the year. This excludes any cash donations which were paid into the weekly offerings as these are not separately identifiable.
The average monthly number of employees during the year was:
In addition to the paid members of staff, many volunteers give their time and expertise in the delivery of our ministries.
Remuneration of key management personnel is included in note 11.
Other creditors consist of balances relating to Church groups and activities.
The Church operates a defined contribution pension scheme for all qualifying employees. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the Church 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.
The Buildings Fund shows the cost of the Church's two manse properties.
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.
Designated funds includes:
The Charity Reserve Fund, holding 3 months running costs in line with the Charity Commission recommended reserves policy.
The Projects Fund to provide for specific projects (including building projects, ministry development and equipment upgrades). Following donations and legacies higher than budgeted in 2025, the trustees have set aside £90,000 towards future projects.
The Fellowship and Family Fund receives donations which are able to be used to support those in our Church family, as personal needs may arise. Allocations were made from General Fund of £6,000 in the year.
The Mission Fund to which are allocated income and expenditures for home and overseas mission activities (i.e. CAP, Community Fridge. BMS, Home Mission, Charitable gifts etc.). The Mission Fund is supported by a monthly allocation from the General fund totalling £54,000 in the year.
The Functional Fixed Assets Fund is where the value of equipment already purchased is held and not available for use.
The General Fund from which the day to day running and maintenance costs of the Church are met,
There were no other related party transaction in the year.
The Church had no material debt during the year.