WEST SUSSEX (COAST AND DOWNS) METHODIST CIRCUIT

Registered charity 1139998 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as WORTHING METHODIST CIRCUIT

The Christian Faith in accordance with the doctrinal standards and the discipline of the Methodist Church.Any charitable purpose for the time being of any connexional district, circuit, local or other organisation of the Methodist Church.Any charitable purpose for the time being of any society or institution subsidiary or ancillary to the Methodist Church.

Objects

THE PURPOSES OF THE METHODIST CHURCH ARE AND SHALL BE DEEMED TO HAVE BEEN SINCE THE DATE OF UNION THE ADVANCEMENT OF -(A) THE CHRISTIAN FAITH IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE DOCTRINAL STANDARDS AND THE DISCIPLINE OF THE METHODIST CHURCH;(B) ANY CHARITABLE PURPOSE FOR THE TIME BEING OF ANY CONNEXIONAL, DISTRICT, CIRCUIT, LOCAL OR OTHER ORGANISATION OF THE METHODIST CHURCH;(C) ANY CHARITABLE PURPOSE FOR THE TIME BEING OF ANY SOCIETY OR INSTITUTION SUBSIDIARY OR ANCILLARY TO THE METHODIST CHURCH;(D) ANY PURPOSE FOR THE TIME BEING OF ANY CHARITY BEING A CHARITY SUBSIDIARY OR ANCILLARY TO THE METHODIST CHURCH

Area of benefit: UNDEFINED. IN PRACTICE, LOCAL.

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

Causes: Religious Activities · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£598k

Latest spending

£596k

Registered

2011

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that unrestricted free reserves were £357,481 as of 31 August 2025, which exceeds the stated policy target of four months' average annual expenditure. The charity reported a net surplus for the year, driven by cost savings and higher investment income, and the trustees confirmed the entity is a going concern.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: four months’ average annual expenditure (held: £357k)

“The Circuit maintains a Reserves Policy stipulating that it should hold a minimum sum equivalent to four months’ average annual expenditure.” — page 5

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Payments to trustees: Payments made to 5 Trustees totalling £375 for reimbursing expenditure properly incurred in carrying out their duties.

“Payments have been made to 5 Trustees totalling £375. (2024: 5 Trustees totalling £429).” — page 22

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Payments to trustees for reimbursing expenditure properly incurred in carrying out their duties.

“Payments have been made to 5 Trustees totalling £375.” — page 22

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Governance: Qualified opinion issued due to inability to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence regarding property valuations.

“We have not been able obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence to determine whether the carrying values as stated in the financial statements are materially correct.” — page 9

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Lewis Brownlee (Chichester) Ltd. 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
Complaints handling
Complaints policy and procedures
Conflicting interests
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Internal risk management policy and procedures
Investing charity funds policy and procedures
Investment
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

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/08/2025)

Total income

£598k

Total spending

£596k

Reserves (reported)

£666k

Employees

Reported reserves equal ~13.4 months of spending — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 5.2 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Other (79% of income) — components as reported reconcile to the return’s total income; not from the accounts narrative.

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 0.0% of total income — below the median for charities its size (4.9%) (benchmarks).

Register events

Received assets from another charity (26/06/2017) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

Rev ROSEMARIE ELAINE GAYE CLARKE MAchair · trustee of 1 other charity
ADAM JOHN COOK · trustee of 1 other charity
ALISON MARGARET WRIGHT · trustee of 1 other charity
BRIAN MUSSON KELLEY
Bridget Ann Quint · trustee of 2 other charities
CAROLYN JAYNE MOON
CATHERINE MARY EVANS
CHRISTOPHER MONKTON · trustee of 1 other charity
DAVID ROBIN TAYLOR
DAVID THOMAS DIXON
DEBORAH SUSAN DEAN
DOREEN EDITH FIELD · trustee of 1 other charity
Deborah Mabbitt · trustee of 1 other charity
ELIZABETH ANNE HALL
GEOFFREY LISLE TRUEMAN · trustee of 1 other charity
GILLIAN POWELL · trustee of 1 other charity
HUGH DAVID BOND · trustee of 1 other charity
Hilary Ann Colbourn · trustee of 3 other charities
JACQUELINE ANN GILLESPIE
JANET COLLETT · trustee of 1 other charity
JANICE ELIZABETH WALTER
JANICE LYNNE ELIZABETH BANDY
JEANNIE BELL
JOHN CHARLES EDWARD EVANS
JOY ELIZABETH BARNES · trustee of 1 other charity
JULIAN TIMOTHY BATSTONE
Julia Mary Sutton
KENNETH MICHAEL JONES
Karen Pamela Clayton · trustee of 1 other charity
LESLEY PAMELA BARNES
LINDA DENISE LEANEY
LINDA MARY CROFT
MALCOLM LESLIE LINDO
MARGARET ELIZABETH SLATTER · trustee of 1 other charity
MARGARET HELEN BEDWELL
MARGARET THOMPSON · trustee of 1 other charity
MARILYN BARBARA HOPWOOD
MARY -JANE NEWMAN
MICHAEL ERNEST JAMES POWELL · trustee of 1 other charity
PAMELA ANN HARRISON

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

Operates in: West Sussex

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/08/2025	£598k	£596k
31/08/2024	£651k	£599k
31/08/2023	£577k	£687k
31/08/2022	£560k	£681k
31/08/2021	£584k	£634k

Common questions

Is WEST SUSSEX (COAST AND DOWNS) METHODIST CIRCUIT financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that unrestricted free reserves were £357,481 as of 31 August 2025, which exceeds the stated policy target of four months' average annual expenditure. The charity reported a net surplus for the year, driven by cost savings and higher investment income, and the trustees confirmed the entity is a going concern. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Lewis Brownlee (Chichester) Ltd.