Legal and administrative information
Status
The British Region of the International Ecumenical Fellowship is a registered charity,
number 272271. It is an unincorporated association governed by a constitution adopted
on 21 July 1976, revised on 31 October 1981 and amended on 14 February 1990. The charity
is also known as BRIEF. It is a member of the International Ecumenical Fellowship,
registered in Belgium as a non-profit-making association. BRIEF is also a Body in
Association with Churches Together in Britain and Ireland.
Committee
The members of the committee are the trustees of the charity. Members of BRIEF elect the
committee members. Interim vacancies are filled by co-option. Decisions are made by the
committee at its meetings three times per year, and by officers for decisions required
between meetings.
The Revd S Armitage, Chairman
The Revd D Hardiman, Vice Chairman
Miss J Freston, Secretary
Mr P Scribbins, Treasurer
Deacon Gwen Roberts Knighton (from April 2007)
Mrs J Lutman
Mr C Parker
The Rt Revd D Rawcliffe
The Revd J Sclater
Mr T Sidney (until April 2007)
Mrs E E (Sue) Smith
Mrs C Zvegintzov
Principal address
The principal address on the Charity Commission register is that of the treasurer: 31 Okeley Lane,
Tring, Hertfordshire, HP23 4HD.
Independent examiner
Mr K Thomas, Badgers Way, Leafy Lane, Tring, Hertfordshire HP23 6JS
Bankers
CAF Bank Ltd, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent, ME19 4TA
HSBC Bank, 21 High Street, Tring, Hertfordshire, HP23 5RA
Report of the committee for the year 2007
The committee presents its report and the financial statements for the year 2007.
This report, including the accounts, has been prepared in accordance with the 2005
Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities (SORP) and
with relevant legal requirements. BRIEF is under the thresholds in Appendix 4.1 of the
SORP, so Appendix 5: Accounting for Smaller Charities applies.
Objects
The constitution states that the aim of BRIEF is ‘to advance the Christian religion by
promoting unity amongst all Christians and Christian Churches’.
Activities and achievements
42 members and friends attended our Region’s 40th Anniversary Annual Meeting and AGM at High Leigh Conference
Centre in Hertfordshire. As well as considering the business of the Region, members worshipped together and
celebrated the 4 decades of the Fellowship’s existence. They learned more about inter-faith dialogue though
a presentation by Celia Blackden from Church Together in England and about ARC, an international, ecumenical
organization which provides opportunities for young people to work as church tour guides in various European
countries each summer..
40 people, including some non-members, travelled to the annual International Conference in Pisek, Czech Republic.
Through living and worshipping together and talking and learning from people of different church confessions
from 10 different countries, participants overcame historic divisions and experienced new possibilities of
Christian unity and joy. They went home stimulated to work for reconciliation between people in their own
communities.
Committee members have been active in preparing for a mini-conference to be held in Dublin in 2008 on Ecology
and Spirituality and for one to be run jointly with the French and Belgian Regions in Belgium. They have
also explored several possible venues for the next International Conference to be held in Britain in 2011
and made preparations for the 2008 Annual Weekend.
Local groups of IEF members and friends have continued to meet for mutual encouragement and support and for
discussion on matters relating to Christian unity.
Newsletters were produced in February and September, which report on IEF activities, educate members on various
ecumenical topics, and publicise future events. The BRIEF website has been refreshed and a new web-master found.
BRIEF was represented at meetings of Churches Together in England’s Bodies in Association and Spirituality meetings
and at the CTBI Forum. Members have also represented BRIEF at meetings of Faith in Europe.
These meetings afforded opportunities to network with other organizations for mutual support and co-operation
and to publicise the work of IEF.
Financial information
The total result for the year was a surplus of £2,208 (2006: deficit of £85). However, the figures in the ‘Total’
columns are meaningless without analysis, as they mingle funds. Transactions of the General Fund resulted in a
surplus of £1,668 (2006: £81). The increase is a consequence of small increases in income and small reductions
in expenditure. Our Regions transactions in regard to the annual IEF gathering in Pisek produced a modest surplus,
largely a consequence of favourable currency exchange rates. Your committee decided to set this aside for the IEF
gathering which we will host in 2011.
We are now required to state our policy on reserves. This applies to only our general and designated funds. The purposes
of our designated funds are stated in note 6 (c) and a reserves policy is not relevant for these. The balance in our
General Fund at the end of 2006 was £9,341. This is less than six months’ income or expenditure. The committee feels
that this is adequate to meet unforeseen variations in anticipated income and expenditure, and to provide funds for
the increasingly large deposits that conference venues demand for advance bookings.
Our restricted funds continue to be under-utilised, increasing by £343 (2006: £922), the excess of investment income
and interest received over grants paid out.
This year the value of the two investments of the Special Projects Endowment Fund decreased in value by £832
(2006: increase £780). Your committee has reviewed our investment policy, and considers that the policy remain
unchanged: firstly attempting to safeguard the value of the fund, then aiming for the best possible income.
Consequently there have been no changes.
Your committee is not aware of any significant risks to which BRIEF is exposed.
Committee
The committee meets three times a year, twice at the time of the Region’s annual conference and once thereafter.
The Chairman takes decisions in between meetings where necessary in consultation with committee members.
Independent examiner
We are grateful to Mr Kenneth Thomas for examining our annual reports and financial statements.
We are happy that he has agreed to continue as our Independent Examiner.
Approved by the committee and signed on 26 March 2008 on its behalf by:
Rev Susan Armitage
Chairman
Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of the
British Region of the International Ecumenical Fellowship
(Registered Charity 272271)
I report on the accounts from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2007
Respective responsibilities of Trustees and Examiner
As the charity’s Trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts; you consider that the audit
requirement of Section 43(2) of the Charities Act does not apply. It is my responsibility to state, on the basis
of procedures specified in the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners under Section 43(7)(b) of the Act,
whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of Examiner’s Report
My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners.
An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the Charity and a comparison of the accounts
presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts,
and seeking explanations from you as Trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide
all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the view
given by the accounts.
Independent Examiner’s Statement
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:
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1.
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which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements
* to keep accounting records in accordance with section 41 of the Act and
* to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and
* to comply with the accounting requirements of the act
have not been met, or
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2.
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to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the
accounts to be reached,
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3.
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which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the accounting rules
of the Trust’s constitution have not been met.
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Signature
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Name
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Ken Thomas
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Address
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Badgers Way
Leafy Lane
Tring
Hertfordshire
HP23 6JS
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Date
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5 March 2008
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