THE FRIENDS OF ST EDMUND (K&M), TENDRING Registered Charity number IIW18 Annual General Meeting Friday 4 Aprll 2025 at 7.30pm Chairman's Report Objects." The Friends Is established to assist in the maintenance, repair, restordtion, preseNation. improvement, beautification and re<onstruction, for the benefrt of the community, of the fabric of the Church of St Edmund. Tendring in the Diocese of Chelmsford, its monuments, fixtures, fittings, fumiture, stained g18ss, omaments and other chattels and its churGhyard together with its perimeter boundaries (hereinafter called 'the Church ). 2024 seems to have been entirely focussed on the replament organ and floor project although the idea of it only cropped up in June. It was then a rescue dash to decide on it and collect it by the end of the month, before its demolition. There was then a 'phony warf of four months, until the end of October while a faculty, to install a good organ for a bad organ on a sound floor, was considered. This left the winter, in a very cold church, to install the instrument. Now, in April 2025. it is complete; the first major wotk since the tower was built in 1875. I should say that at the time of committing Mark Wallis to undertake the dismantling, collecting and reassembly of the organ he had never seen an organ before. Having worked with him for many years I was confident in his multi-tasking abilty. On top of this commitment David Whymark's wise. but late suggestion to pave the rotten wooden floor was added to the list. Bishops of Ipswich then convinced us to convert the pneumatic pedal operation to electronic; a highly complicated electronic conversion; one of Mark's skills fortunately. In reassembly Mark was able to rearrange components to enable the bellows to be removed quickly rf neSsary. a saving of £5,000. On inspection the leathers are quite sound. He also relocated organ pipe families to reduce the depth of the organ which has enabled the East window to be seen for the first time in 165 years. This has also created a useable space behind the organ. Several Friends helped with the physical work - moving bricks and preparing the floor for paving while Peter decorated the wall panelling and spent many days with Mark re connecting a multitude of linkages, a two man job and in freezing conditions;
However, we have each joined The Friends for our own varied reasons to support the church of St Edmund, as stated above in the 'Objects'. During the last twenty eight years of The Friends and my chairmanship the situation has changed. I'd like to look at the overall picture. From a buoyant PCC of some seventeen members it is down to three; insufficient even to run services and let alone maintain the church and churchyard. The congregation now hovers at dozen for a single service each month. The revenue is greatly reduced and the PCC'S reserves have been excessively used for running costs. The Friend's assistance with maintenance has been essential. A bone of contention has often been the PCC'S required monthly contribution to 'Chelmsford' for what may seem little in return. Even this figure is heavily subsidised and contributes to the cost of running the organisation. Were it not to be paid, generally, then the clusters of small churches could become unviable and be forced to close. Should that happen then my hope is that a representative, functioning church would be left in each area, providing for wedding and funeral services etc for the area. For this reason I see The Friends needing to have a greater role enabling the church to function offering active maintenance and administration however possible. Friends already cut all the grass in the churchyard. St Edmund is well qualified to be that surviving church in the area. As a Grade11' listed building it is well located in the centre of the Hundred, disabled friendly, has a good capacty of 260, excellent car parking, toilets and village hall with an historical arrangement to use it free of charge, a recently increased capacity burial ground and a renovated peal of six bells with an active band of ringers. For my part, as an historian, the building has not undergone the alterations of many churches. It has essentially remained as the Victorians left it in 1859, bar the 1875 addition of the tower and spire. The recent alteration to the Lady Chapel has brought it, sympathetically. into the 21 century. The outstanding features of the church and churchyard could be said to be their exlIent states of repair. Coupled with this, a well breeched Friends organisation could ensure it stays that way. We are well able to take on the burden of maintenance from the PCC, as defined in the Objects and as would be the wish of Reg Barton. Should the church fail and close without some compromise scheme being worked out The Friends might be dissolved, with its funds going to a similarly motivated charity. It is up to us to do what we can to ensure the viability of St Edmund into the future and I must say that l am looking forward to Johnnie taking on the chairmanship and with Glenn and Mal in their roles believe St Edmund can have a vibrant future. DFG 4.4.25
The Friends of St Edmund (K&M) Tendring (FOSET)
Registered Charity No.1064018
Financial Year 2024
Income and Expenditure at 31 December 2024
| 2023 | 2024 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | 331,124 |
Opening Balance of Funds | £ | 367,444 |
| Income | ||||
| £ | 37,145 |
Claydens Funds | £ | 18,807 |
| £ | 775 |
Donations/Subscriptions | £ | 610 |
| £ | 452 |
HMRC-Reclaimed Gift Aid Tax | £ | 194 |
| £ | - |
Transferred from Claydens Funds to Natwest Current Acct | £ | 24,000 |
| £ | 38,371 |
£ | 43,611 |
|
| Expenditure | ||||
| £ | 2,051 |
Grant(s) to the Parochial Church Council | £ | 9,000 |
| £ | 2,051 |
£ | 9,000 |
|
| £ | 36,320 |
Excess of Income over Expenditure | £ | 34,611 |
| £ | 367,444 |
Closing Balance of Funds | £ | 402,055 |
| Represented by | ||||
| £ | 5,582 |
NatWest Business Current Account | £ | 21,385 |
| £ | 361,863 |
Claydens Funds | £ | 380,670 |
| £ | 367,444 |
£ | 402,055 |
|
| Account prepared by Hon Treasurer Mr G.Gooch and | ||||
| examined by Mr John Fitzgerald |
Friends of St Edmunds (K&M) Tendring (FOSET)
Registered Charity No.1064018
Financial Year 2024
Notes to Accounts for the period ending 31 December 2024
The accompanying Income & Expenditure Sheet provides a snapshot of the FOSET Accounts at 31 December 2024.
The Accounts have been prepared using the ‘Receipts and Payments’ form of accounting as opposed to the ‘Accruals’ method.
FOSET’s main areas of income and expenditure for the Financial Year are summarised below:
Income
Claydens Funds
The portfolio is spread almost equally across three funds, CT Universal Map Growth, HSBC Global Strategy Dynamic and Liontrust Sustainable Futures.
Income from the funds increased by £18,807 (£380,670 less £361,863) or 5.2% over the period.
The original sum invested with Claydens in February 2017 was £270,048, so since then the investment has increased by £110,622 (£380,670 less £270,048) or 41%.
It should be noted that £24,000 was withdrawn from the Claydens Funds and transferred to the NatWest Current Account to pay for the installation of the new church organ. See below. The actual growth of Claydens Funds during the year was therefore £42,807 (£18,807 plus £24,000) or 11.8%.
Donations
The value of donations received from individuals amounted to £610.
Gift Aid
The charity received £194 Gift Aid from HM Revenue and Customs.
The total income for the period was £43,611.
Expenditure
Following a request from the PCC in April, FOSET donated £2,000 towards the cost of repairing the church tower.
A further request was received in November for £24,000 to cover the cost of acquiring and installing a new church organ (£19,500 for the works and a contingency of £4,500 to cover any unexpected costs). At the end of the period £7,000 had been paid to the PCC with the balance to be paid as the works progress.
Total expenditure for the period was £9,000.
Summary
Overall, during the period income exceeded expenditure by £34,611 (£43,611 less £9,000).
At 31 December, FOSET had total funds of £402,055 comprising of £380,670 invested in Claydens Funds and £21,385 held in a NatWest Current Account.
The accounts were prepared by the Hon Treasurer Mr. Glenn Gooch and examined by Mr. John Fitzgerald.
1