SOUTHEND & WESTCLIFF HEBREW CONGREGATION

Registered charity 1099107 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

To promote the Jewish faith by:Providing and maintaining synagogues in or near Southend and Westcliff for the worship of the Jewish faith as an Orthodox Congregation and the due performance of rites of marriage and burials according to the princples of the said Jewish faith.Teaching and educating members and their children in the doctrine and practises of the said Jewish faith.

Objects

TO PROMOTE THE JEWISH FAITH BY ALL OR ANY OF THE FOLLOWING MEANS;3.1 PROVIDING AND MAINTAINING SYNAGOGUES IN OR NEAR SOUTHEND & WESTCLIFF FOR THE WORSHIP OF THE JEWISH FAITH AS AN ORTHODOX CONGREGATION (AS DEFINED BY THE CHIEF RABBI FOR THE TIME BEING OF UNITED HEBREW CONGREGATIONS OF THE BRITISH COMMONWEALTH OF NATIONS) AND THE DUE PERFORMANCE OF THE RITES OF MARRIAGE AND BURIAL ACCORDING TO THE PRINCIPLES OF THE SAID JEWISH FAITH.3.2 TEACHING AND EDUCATING MEMBERS OF THE SOUTHEND & WESTCLIFF JEWISH COMMUNITY AND THEIR CHILDREN IN THE DOCTRINE AND PRACTISES OF THE SAID JEWISH FAITH3.3 ANY CHARITABLE PURPOSE AT THE DISCRETION OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE BENEFIT OF THECOMMUNITY

Area of benefit: IN OR NEAR SOUTHEND & WESTCLIFF

The charity’s charitable objects and area of benefit, quoted from its governing document as held on the Charity Commission register.

Causes: Education/training · Religious Activities · Human Rights/religious Or Racial Harmony/equality Or Diversity · Other Charitable Purposes · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£457k

Latest spending

£516k

Registered

2003

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The charity reported a significant increase in net resources, rising from £1,991,662 to £2,757,959, driven largely by an £825,408 revaluation gain on investment properties. Unrestricted funds stood at £2,734,378, providing a substantial buffer against the stated policy of maintaining reserves sufficient for essential services and property upkeep. The auditor confirmed the financial statements were prepared on a going concern basis with no material uncertainties identified.

Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: sufficient in order to ensure the continuance of essential services including, for example, the upkeep of the Charity's property... and the provision and enhancement of communal facilities (held: £2.7m)

“The policy of the trustees is to maintain the Charity's reserves at a level sufficient in order to ensure the continuance of essential services including, for example, the upkeep of the Charity's property. In addition the trustees are also concerned with the provision and enhancement of communal facilities to cater for demographic and other changes.” — page 6

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Payments to trustees: Trustee S Winston received £587 for services. Trustee's wife Mrs J Pepper received a salary (amount not specified in the trustee payment note, but listed under employment costs generally).

“During the year, the charity paid one of the trustees, S Winston, for services rendered. The total amount paid for these services was £587 (2024: Nil). The charity paid a salary to Mrs J Pepper, the wife of Mr G Pepper a trustee, in her capacity as one of the Kashrut Officers.” — page 19

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: The document states 'There were no disclosable related party transactions during the year'. However, Note 9 discloses that the charity paid one trustee, S Winston, £587 for services rendered, and paid a salary to Mrs J Pepper (wife of trustee Mr G Pepper). Under strict forensic analysis, payments to trustees or their connected persons are related party transactions. The note 'There were no disclosable related party transactions' may refer to specific regulatory disclosure thresholds or categories, but the payments themselves are disclosed. I will list the disclosed payments as they are explicit financial flows to connected parties.

“During the year, the charity paid one of the trustees, S Winston, for services rendered. The total amount paid for these services was £587 (2024: Nil). The charity paid a salary to Mrs J Pepper, the wife of Mr G Pepper a trustee, in her capacity as one of the Kashrut Officers. The salary paid was commensurate with the duties performed by Mrs J Pepper and Mr G Pepper did not have any involvement in decisions regarding the level of the salary paid. Mrs J Pepper's employment ceased during the year.” — page 19

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Francis James & Partners LLP. Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

Policies the charity declares

In its annual return the charity told the Commission that it has the policies listed below. This is self-declared: it is not verified by the Commission or by this site, and it is not evidence of how a policy works in practice.

Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
Campaigns and political activity policy and procedures
Complaints handling
Complaints policy and procedures
Conflicting interests
Engaging external speakers at charity events policy and procedures
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Internal risk management policy and procedures
Investing charity funds policy and procedures
Paying staff
Risk management
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
Social media policy and procedures
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
Trustee expenses policy and procedures
Volunteer management

Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook

Trustees · trustee networks

DENNIS BAUMchair · trustee of 2 other charities
Aron Engel
Chloe Baum-Walters
Derek Silverstone
GEOFFREY PEPPER
Garry Steel
Jeremy Symons · trustee of 1 other charity
Julian Nyman
Marcia Goldberg
Simon Belson
Steven Winston · trustee of 1 other charity
Suzi West

Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).

Operates in: Southend-on-sea

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/12/2025	£457k	£516k
31/12/2024	£457k	£449k
31/12/2023	£489k	£468k
31/12/2022	£451k	£455k
31/12/2021	£453k	£390k

Common questions

Is SOUTHEND & WESTCLIFF HEBREW CONGREGATION financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The charity reported a significant increase in net resources, rising from £1,991,662 to £2,757,959, driven largely by an £825,408 revaluation gain on investment properties. Unrestricted funds stood at £2,734,378, providing a substantial buffer against the stated policy of maintaining reserves sufficient for essential services and property upkeep. The auditor confirmed the financial statements were prepared on a going concern basis with no material uncertainties identified. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Francis James & Partners LLP.

Who funds SOUTHEND & WESTCLIFF HEBREW CONGREGATION?

Funders whose own accounts filings name SOUTHEND & WESTCLIFF HEBREW CONGREGATION as a grant recipient include ROSCA TRUST.

Known funders

Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
ROSCA TRUST	FY2025	£650