Changes to Charities Act Valuation Report

The Charities Act 2022 has brought about several changes that impact charities and how they manage their assets. Over a two-year period, these changes are being implemented. One such change is the recent update to the Charities Act Valuation Report, which came into effect in mid-June 2023. Trustees who plan on selling land or property or granting a lease of more than seven years should take note of these changes. 

A Charities Act Valuation Report aims to advise a Trust as to whether the charity has achieved the best possible price for any given property asset (prior to sale or purchase). We have highlighted below the significant changes that have been made to this report and how it is produced: 

• Who provides the valuation – The first significant change is that certain members of the National Association of Estate Agents and the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers (CAAV) are now allowed to provide the valuation. This has expanded the pool of potential valuers, but they must still have the appropriate knowledge and experience of the property being evaluated. 

• Valuation report content – The second significant change concerns the contents of the valuation report. The previous regulations were narrow and prescriptive, lacking provisions for exceptional circumstances, such as a sale to a special purchaser or cases where a charity lacks funds for repairs or to secure planning permission. The revised requirements are simpler and more flexible, allowing for consideration of these matters. The Charities Act expects trustees to employ a valuer with the correct experience and understanding of the Act’s requirements. Once the valuation report is obtained, trustees should follow the valuer’s advice. The report will provide the property’s value, along with clear guidance on how to maximise its value and the best marketing strategy. 

More information  

To learn more about these changes, Church Growth Trust (CGT) has produced a briefing paper with a list of items to consider when instructing a valuer. The paper is available on CGT’s website.

If you have any questions about Charities Act valuations, please email enquiries@churchgrowth.org.uk 

A school uniform recycling project is making a big impact in the Borough of Thurrock by providing school uniforms to families in need. 

The uniform project run by the 180 Project Team at Community Church, collects used school uniform items, such as blazers, skirts, trousers and shirts, from generous donations. Uniforms have been donated by M&S, but the main source of uniforms is donations from families whose children have outgrown their uniforms.  

The school uniform project was launched as an ad-hoc initiative as part of the 180 Project in May 2022 and has continued to grow, with 30-35 families accessing the project each month, peaking at over 70 families during summer events. Another key element to its success is that the programme is available to everyone, with no need for a referral. By reusing school uniforms, the project is helping to ensure that all children have access to the resources they need to succeed in their education and attend school in full uniform. 

The uniforms are stored in a church cupboard and laid out on tables on a Friday afternoon/Saturday morning every month. During this time volunteers sort out any donated uniforms, then pack away at the end of the session in preparation for the following month. The scheme is currently run by church members, but the team is looking to recruit volunteers from their other activities too. Families who have previously accessed their other church projects are also coming forward offering to serve in this way. 

The environmental impact of this project is also a high priority for the team. By recycling used school uniforms, the 180 Project is also tackling the climate emergency by stopping good quality clothing from going to landfill as well as helping families who may not be able to afford to purchase new items with the soaring costs of school uniforms. 

In the UK, an estimated 350,000 tonnes of clothes end up in landfill every year. Encouraging families to use second-hand uniforms can reduce waste and bring down emissions from manufacturing new garments while making it cost-effective for families.  

Elle Knight, Manager of the 180 Project Team has been delighted with the results. She said: “The response from the community has been amazing. 

“I am grateful to everyone who has donated their used school uniforms, and to the small group of volunteers who work so hard to prepare them for distribution. The fact that we have been able to help so many families in need is a testament to the generosity and kindness of the people of Thurrock. Thank you also to all the people that take the time to donate outgrown uniforms. We are only as good as our donations.” 

The safety and well-being of everyone that uses our buildings is of paramount importance to Church Growth Trust. In light of recent concerns and emerging information regarding potential issues related to Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC), we are taking immediate and proactive steps to assess and address any potential risks associated with this construction material in our church buildings. 

RAAC is a construction material that has been used in various building projects, including some church structures. While RAAC itself is not inherently dangerous, certain construction practices and conditions may lead to issues that require careful evaluation and corrective action. 

Our comprehensive audit will include the following key steps: 

• Immediate assessment: An assessment will be carried out to determine those buildings, if any, that may be considered at risk of having RAAC present  
• If potential RAAC-related issues are identified, those churches affected will be contacted directly by the CGT team to discuss mitigating measures and next steps 

At Church Growth Trust we understand the concerns surrounding RAAC and its potential implications. This is why we are addressing this matter swiftly and responsibly. 

If anyone has specific concerns regarding RAAC in their church building, we encourage them to contact CGT’s Architect Jonny Heaney on 07729 082501, or jonny.heaney@churchgrowth.org.uk 

In Church Growth Trust’s (CGT) spring 2023 edition of our Foundations magazine we talked about the need for more office space. This is required for the expanding staff team (we started in our present office with five people and now have nine) and to provide meeting room space. We are pleased to announce that we have taken on some additional offices from our existing landlord. This is across the yard from the existing offices (“The Barn”) in another converted farm building (“The Stable”) and is already being used for staff meetings, trustees’ meetings, quiet space, staff breakout time and one-to-one meetings.  

CGT’s Operations Director Garryl Willis says, “We are delighted with the new space, and are already putting it to good use. Just being able to get away from our desks for meetings helps to focus on the discussions. The Stable has one main office, with some additional storage. The main room is light and airy and such a good working environment. We are grateful to our landlord for his co-operation and hope this will provide for our needs in the next few years.” 

CGT believes the extra space will enable the team to provide better services for the churches that we serve, as we continue to secure church buildings for Gospel use and work closely with occupying churches to ensure the buildings are fit for their God-given purpose. 

If you are in the Rutland area, feel free to drop in to see our new offices! 

Back in 2012, Church Growth Trust were gifted a church building in Llandudno.  Originally it was known as Bethesda Chapel, having changed its name many years ago to West Shore Baptist Church.

The building includes the original stone chapel, which has a double-height worship space, with single storey extensions to the front and side containing ancillary accommodation.

More recently it had been noted that cracks were appearing within the render high up on the front gable wall of the stone chapel, where it rises above the single storey flat roofed extension to the front. As the cracks were getting worse, CGT engaged a structural engineer to investigate. Working alongside a local contractor, they opened a hatch to access the loft space and removed sections of the finish to the gable wall to get sight of the problem.

The investigation revealed that a steel beam buried within the existing gable wall construction at high-level had delaminated and expanded significantly beyond its original size. This was most likely caused by exposure to moisture, meaning that the enlarged beam was crushing the brickwork around it, and cracking the render.

Leaving this existing beam in place was not an option given its condition and the destabilising effect it was having on the wall around it. However, the removal of this beam could not be carried out in isolation as a pair of beams at a lower level, were insufficient to support the weight of the gable wall.

A local structural engineer was then instructed, who added two new strengthening beams to the underside of the existing beams at the head of the opening into the main worship space. These were temporarily propped whilst new pad stone supports were created for the new beams at either side of the opening. With the new beams supporting the weight of the gable masonry wall above, the old defective steel beam was cut out in small sections and replaced with blockwork. The old, cracked render was removed from the affected sections and a new finish was applied and repainted.

Whilst much of the works were covered up and therefore unseen, they were critical to the stability of the external walls of the building. The contractor did an excellent job, and upon completion of the structural works, was retained to redecorate the walls and ceiling of the main worship area.

We hope and pray that these essential repair works carried out to the building will secure its use as a place of worship into the future and will continue to provide the church with a secure base in which to focus on their Gospel outreach work within their local community.

The Maybank Building at Latchett Hall, Woodford Green had been subject to subsidence over the years, which had come to light through visible cracking in the walls. Church Growth Trust (CGT) worked alongside a consulting Structural Engineer to determine the cause of the issues and possible remediations. 

A ground investigation was carried out which included the digging of trial holes to check on the make-up of the existing ground, and the foundations were exposed to check their depth and dimensions. 

The existing foundations were found to be quite shallow, with some notable voids within the surrounding ground. The mature trees in the vicinity of the Maybank Building meant shrinkage was likely to be a contributing factor. Shrinkage occurs when nearby tree roots extract most of the moisture from the ground during the warm, dry summer months. The subsequent lack of water in the ground causes the clay to shrink and, in turn, causes the foundations to shift. 

Work on these mature trees including the lopping, reduction, and removal of existing tree stumps, was a vital part of the remedial solution. This work required an application to the Local Planning Authority given that the trees had Tree Protection Orders (TPOs). 

Underpinning was then required to prevent the voids underneath the foundations from causing slippage and further cracking to the walls. There were options to carry out the underpinning via either traditional mass concrete infill (in essence to excavate under the foundations and pump in a depth of concrete to support them from below) or via geopolymer injection. 

To keep costs down and minimise disruption to the church, it was decided that rather than opting for traditional concrete infill, they would carry out the underpinning via geopolymer injection. The first step was to check the condition of the existing drains followed by an underground trace to check the area was clear of underground services. Holes were then drilled into the ground with several thin tubes fed into them. The geopolymer material was then pumped in, filling the voids, and stabilising the ground below. 

CGT is delighted to say that the works were all completed in a tidy, timely fashion and within budget. We hope and pray that these works will ensure the stability of the foundations of the Maybank Building, allowing the church to focus on their future ministry and outreach work. 

After two and a quarter years since the Fellowship Property Trust (FIEC’s trusteeship service) announced that it was closing its trusteeship services they are still a long way off from transferring all their trusteeships. Back in April 2021, the Fellowship Property Trust (FPT) wrote to approximately 180 churches for which they acted as trustee asking them to either set up a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO) and transfer the property to the CIO or speak with Church Growth Trust (CGT) about taking on their trusteeship.  

Since then, Giles Arnold, CGT’s Chief Executive has reviewed approximately 60 sets of property deeds and met with churches across the country. As he says, “Some transfers were seemingly quick and straightforward, but others have taken more time. This wasn’t helped by solicitors involved being ill and struggling to cope with the volume of work. It now seems we have turned a corner and considerable progress has been made. In the last three months alone there have been seven holding trusteeships, one custodian trusteeship, three sole trusteeships and one property gifted. In addition, there are 12 trusteeships on their way to completion, plus a few others yet to decide.” 

The properties vary considerably – from a building on a small site in Needham Market to an early 19^th century chapel with large grounds in Westbury. And another with two properties (a chapel and church hall) on either side of the same street in the village of Walberton near Arundel. 

Each one is different, and CGT is already helping with a variety of building and compliance issues, such as asbestos surveys, advising on heating systems and structural work.  

He goes on, “It has been challenging for CGT to take on so many new trusteeships in such a short period. But the team has certainly risen to the challenge, with robust systems in place to support us. At times it has been out of our control, particularly when referring matters to the Land Registry or Charity Commission. But God is gracious and has given us all we need to provide the high level of service people expect from us. We continue to pray for all the remaining transfers to be completed and for CGT to be able to bless the occupying churches as they strive to proclaim the Gospel in their locality.” 

When Giles Arnold, Chief Executive of Church Growth Trust (CGT) was contacted a few years ago by the trustees of Old City Hall on West Mersea, he was happy to advise on grant funding and building projects. He somehow thought that the church was a large congregation looking at a new building However, when the church reached out to him again recently, he was surprised to discover that they are in fact quite small with a little wooden building along a narrow lane on the island.  

As Giles says, “Maybe it was the “Old City Hall” name that made me think of a large building (city hall). But the actual building is small and quaint, perhaps seating 40 people at most. It is well maintained and the trustees have plans for expanding and modernising it”. 

When Giles explained the work of CGT and how we might be able to help the church, they were keen to meet. Giles was in the area the following week, so rearranged his timetable to meet up. Now it was the turn of the trustees to be surprised when they heard that CGT was set up to secure buildings like theirs for Gospel use and to help churches make their buildings fit for the God-given purpose.  

Giles told them stories of other churches and trustees that CGT has been able to help. Giles states, “They were so excited to see how Church Growth Trust could help them. In fact, it was a trustee’s husband, who is not even a believer, that was most enthused, saying “your work is amazing!”. The trustees were keen for CGT to take on the property, so we could assist with their building project and finding funds. We are delighted that the trusteeship has now been transferred and we are working closely with the church to enable their vision to come to fruition.”  

Watch this space for more news about this church property and the building project. 

Back in 2022, we shared details of a church planting project we had been supporting in South Elmsall, near Wakefield, West Yorkshire. Elm Chapel, which was built in the 1930s, came into Church Growth Trust’s (CGT) ownership in 2010, having been held by Stewardship prior to that.  The previous tenants had decided to stop meeting there during the Covid lockdowns and CGT spent many months praying and looking for new tenants to take over the property and continue the Gospel work from the building. 

Matthew Henry of Potters House Wakefield contacted CGT in the autumn of 2021, as he had heard about Elm Chapel from another local Potters House pastor. Although Matthew grew up in London, he and his wife Elizabeth knew God had called him to Wakefield and had been searching the city for a suitable building. 

Following a successful initial planting project, the first service was held in January 2022. ‘Since our first service, we have been in awe of all that God has done’ says Matthew. ‘Due to the momentum that we gained in January, we decided to put on some Christian movie nights for the local community. We saw several visitors come along with others who were considering giving their life to Christ’. 

In the following months, they put a strategy in place and began to evangelise in different ways including prayer and pizza nights and Gospel concerts. The concerts, in particular, connected the church with the younger community and saw several come out and get saved. ‘We have had the privilege of accompanying some people following their conversion’ adds Matthew.   

After a time, more friends became open to listening to their message and others have accepted the Lord as their Saviour. Most of the new folks have been saved through one-to-one personal evangelism, many of whom are now being trained and evangelising on the streets and to friends. Daily prayer meetings have also grown seeing 8-12 people praying every morning before going off to school, university or work. As a result of having a baptism pool, they have been blessed to have over 15 baptisms within the space of one year, with more planned for the coming weeks. 

 “I praise God for what has happened in South Elmsall and thank Him for what He has planned for the future’ says Giles Arnold CGT’s Chief Executive. “We are excited by the new opportunities that Matthew and Elizabeth have been a part of, and we are confident that God will continue to build His church in South Elmsall”.