Church House Trust, Harrogate, AGM 2006

The 2006 AGM of Church House Trust was held within the AGM of Churches Together in Harrogate, strengthening the links between organisations in addition to providing opportunity for all to gather to support and pray for both organisations.
The agenda was simple: two reports - from the Chair of the Trustees and the Treasurer, with the Secretary issuing a brochure report listing the activities and grants disbursed in the previous year.

Chair of Trustee's Report
Rev Canon Tony Shepherd, writes:
After several years of patient waiting, the new Church House Trust became a reality at last. It was our hope that we could become closer to the original intentions of the founders of Church House in supporting local churches in fellowship and mission, with a particular interest in Christian learning. The Trustees met three times in the year. The first two meetings were to discuss how we would proceed in the granting of money to local Christian schemes, and our final meeting was to make the grants to churches or organisations affiliated to Churches Together in Harrogate.
We were delighted to receive so many applications , and pleased to be able to make nearly £20,000 of grants. We had decided that as several years had passed since the sale of Church House , we would be in a position to disburse more funds in our first year than in subsequent ones.
May I take this opportunity to thank my fellow Trustees for their enthusiastic participation this year, and we look forward to helping local Christians develop more exciting projects in the years to come.
If you would like to know more about the projects we are able to support or wish to apply for a grant, please contact the Secretary, Humphrey Baker.
Tony Shepherd
Chair of Church House Trust

Treasurer's Report
Paul Tennyson writes:
The capital for the Church House Trust fund comes from the sale of Church House on Victoria Avenue. Many of you, even older members, may not have been aware that a group of four churches combined in the late 19th century to buy a property for their use in the propagation of the Gospel in Central Harrogate . A booklet history of the first hundred years exists.
I remember the building as having a kitchen capable of providing light meals, meeting – and bedrooms – and a fine library, with books and shelving. Unfortunately, in the last 20 years or so, the building was only used by a handful of ‘subscription paying' members, and it became widely assumed that it was the property of St. Peter's Church, especially as its vicar, the Rev Tony Shepherd, was Chairman of the Management Committee.
The numbers of members declined, and maintenance the Victoria edifice proved a drain on St Peter's resources. As the then secretary of Churches Together in Harrogate , I had a casual meeting with the Rev Tony, at which he outlined some of his ideas for Church House to me. An emergency meeting was called of interested parties to determine its fate, and I attended as representative of Churches Together and reported back. At the meeting, various suggestions were put forward, including the housing of a group of Brazilian Christians anxious to find a base for their ministry in the area. None of the suggestions seemed likely to come to fruition, and eventually the Management Committee, somewhat reluctantly I am sure, decided to sell.
The house was sold for £332,000 on 7 March 2001. The Finance and the interest, currently running at around £14,000 per annum, paid into a local bank. Tony Shepherd approached me and suggested a Trust Fun be formed to which Churches Together nominated five trustees. A scheme was drawn up and charity status acquired. The Trustees were appointed by the Executive Committee of Churches Together on 20 September 2005. Three of the members of the Church House Management Committee, including the Rev Tony Shepherd, became trustees, together with the secretary of Churches Together (Humphrey Baker) and myself, as his immediate predecessor. In the scheme, the Anglican Area Dean is appointed ex-officio.
It so happens that the six Trustees are all Anglicans. This is purely coincidental, and when a vacancy occurs, members may well feel that a non-Anglican should be appointed.
The Trustees agreed unanimously on a set of guidelines for disposing of the interest on the Fund. Grants or donations are to be awarded in March and October of each year, and the financial year will continue to be at the calendar year's end (not as that of Churches Together). It was agreed that a sum of around £15,000 should be spent each year but as two year's interest 2004 / 2005) had already passed, a greater sum be awarded in 2006.
21 applications for grants were received in March 2006. Almost all of those applying received some money for stated projects. The applications did not need to come from churches or organisations linked to Churches Together. Successful applicants received grants for lighting rigs, a printer, a one-off evangelistic concert, computers, multi-media projectors, furniture, flooring and blinds, books, a portable loop and part payment for a Clavinova. An accompanying letter reminds successful applicants that invoices and some kind of reporting back will be expected, and that ecumenical use of some of the items obtained will be considered when similar applications are received in future. The Trustees agreed, at least in the short term, that grants should not be made to individuals, but to churches and organisations within Harrogate . They did not approve requests for part payment of quotas, for setting up a ‘fighting fund' nor for payment to ten students per term for training in counselling. A total of £27,057.09 was requested and £19,506.09 was disbursed. This information will not appears in the balance sheet for 2006 because the financial year as stated above, ends on 31st December. The balance sheet presented at the AGM will only cover the two years 2004 and 2005, ie since the last audit by the Management Committee. …
In this report, I would like to thank particularly Mrs Elsie Matthews, who was the last secretary and treasurer of the Management Committee, and who was entitled to receive an honorarium for those duties. She has now retired. I would also wish t thank the Council for Voluntary Service, and especially its financial advisor, Mr John Dracup, who readily agreed to become our independent advisor. Having also ways been a president or a secretary or just plain member of various organisations, my becoming Treasurer was beset by trepidation, but these folk and others have helped to allay my fears. Having been involved in the inception of the new Trust and knowing a little of the history of Church House as well as the workings of Churches Together, I felt able to help out in this way in the short term as long as health and anno domini agree. If the meeting wishes to appoint a more financially minded Treasurer, I shall not abject. It would be as well to think about a future appointment for I remember only too well, how long it took me to find a replacement secretary of Churches Together – some 14 years, in fact!
 

Total disbursements £19,506.09 to end of March 2006

Applications as a percentage of applicant's stated budget: 80.45%
Grants as a percentage of applications 72.10%

Church House Trust is a registered charity, number: 1110426.