‘ ’ - The Friends of St. Edmund (K & M), Tendring FOSET
Annual General Meeting – Chairman’s Report for the year 2025 Monday, 30 March 2026 — 7:30 p.m.
Held in the Village Hall
Objects: FOSET was established to assist in the maintenance, repair, restoration, preservation, improvement, beautification and re-construction of the fabric of the Church of St Edmund, Tendring, in the Diocese of Chelmsford, to include its monuments, fixtures, fittings, furniture, stained glass, ornaments and other chattels together with its churchyard and perimeter boundaries, for the benefit of the community.
This report is my first since taking over as Chairman in April 2025, following the handover from David Grayston, who has since taken on the role of President. David, together with Reg Barton, was instrumental in the founding of FOSET and has single-handedly been the flag bearer and ‘recruiter to the cause’ for many years. I would like formally to record on behalf of the trustees of FOSET our thanks for the time and effort that David has contributed over the years as well as ensuring FOSET has a sound base for its future.
Membership of the Friends remains steady at about thirty people.
The first half of the year was shaped largely by the installation of the new organ, the reconfiguring of the floor below it and the transformation of the Lady Chapel into a social and breakout space. This accounted for the lion’s share of donations to the Parochial Church Council (PCC) which together with maintenance work amounted to a total of £22,563 of donations during the year.
Once the organ was in place and operational, preparations began for the inauguration event held on 24 May 2025. More than 120 invitations were sent out and over 60 guests attended. Organ recitals and speeches took place, and a commemorative plaque unveiled. The plaque notes the contribution, both financial and physical, of the Friends to the organ replacement project and to the reconfiguration of the Lady Chapel.
This event marked the culmination of a long period of planning and work by David Grayston. It would be appropriate at this point to acknowledge the time and support that so many other people have also given during the year.
I would like to record my sincere thanks to a number of people, firstly Mark Wallis, who was made an Honorary Member, following the demonstration over many months of his technical skills, both in relation to the organ and to the repair and upkeep of the fabric of the church. He in turn was grateful to Peter Burchell for his help in the Church during a very cold winter.
Thanks to all those who cut the grass throughout the year, to Glenn and Mal Gooch for their work as Treasurer and Secretary respectively, and to Nicholas Patten for his support as Vice Chairman. I also thank all the other Executive Committee members for their good counsel and energetic interest.
I wish to extend my appreciation to Dave Goodman after his resignation from the Executive Committee. I thank those volunteers, from FOSET and from the Church congregation, who have helped to reopen and equip the Lady Chapel, making it a functional and welcoming space. Thank you also to FOSET non-executive members whose donations ensure we continue to be well funded.
As we moved into the second half of the year, attention shifted towards a wide range of essential maintenance activities and also to the subject of how to finance them.
These activities included everything from electrical checks to the clearance of bat droppings, and all serve to support the ongoing work of keeping the church and grounds in good condition.
DG has spent a lot of time preparing a detailed memorandum on preventative maintenance, which will be a helpful long‑term reference, together with a new cleaning rota to guide volunteers on routine tasks. An accompanying maintenance and repair guide to support the organ’s long‑term care has also been requested.
The Friends now possess both an outstanding maintenance list and a regular schedule of upkeep, ensuring that issues can be addressed promptly and systematically.
The working relationship with the PCC (Parochial Church Council) also developed during the year. A new Memorandum of Understanding was reached which allows the PCC to request support from the Friends for work that falls clearly within the definition of maintenance. This will allow routine work up to the value of £500 to be carried out without prior authority from the trustees, work in excess of £500 to be agreed in advance by the trustees by meeting or email. All donations will be accounted for and audited regularly by the Treasurer.
The PCC continues to cover non‑maintenance expenses, including insurance, diocesan contributions, utilities and other operating costs. It is acknowledged that the PCC is in less good health than FOSET, both in financial and in personnel terms yet still contributed £9,000 to maintenance work in 2025. FOSET has recognized this and seeks to give as much support to the PCC as it can within the terms of its constitution. Your Chairman, Pat Goodman, David Grayston and David Cosby are members of the PCC which assists with the maintenance of a close and effective dialogue.
During the year, email‑based approvals for decisions required between meetings were used for the first time. This proved to be a practical way to progress decisions between meetings and helped maintain momentum on several matters.
Ordinary or ad hoc Meetings were held in March, April and November. April saw the 2025 AGM take place, alongside the adoption of an updated Constitution and the formal handover of the Chairmanship.
In May, a record of past funding by the Friends was reviewed. This has included contributions towards under‑pew heaters in 2022, tower repairs in both 2023 and 2024, and the significant costs associated with the organ and related flooring work in 2024 and 2025.
Throughout 2025 and into early 2026, efforts were made to increase public awareness of the work of both the PCC and the Friends, including through articles in the parish magazine, the use of the village Facebook page and targeted letters to previous donors.
Looking ahead, the Friends may consider an initiative to strengthen their online presence. We will continue close cooperation with the PCC who seek to encourage greater use of St Edmund’s by groups within the diocese, including the Deanery Choir, bell ringers, other parishes and those involved in organ training.
The past year has been one of considerable progress, both in major projects and in the quieter but equally important work of ongoing maintenance and partnership.
Sincere thanks are extended to everyone whose support helps to preserve and care for the church and its surroundings.
The Friends of St Edmund (K&M) Tendring (FOSET)
Registered Charity No.1064018
Financial Year 2025
Income and Expenditure at 31 Decmber 2025
| 2024 | 2025 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| £ | 367,444 |
Opening Balance of Funds | 402,055.00 |
| Income | |||
| £ | 18,807 |
Claydens Funds | 28,426.75 |
| £ | 610 |
Donations/Subscriptions | 665.00 |
| £ | 194 |
HMRC-Reclaimed Gift Aid Tax | 140.81 |
| £ | 24,000 |
Transferred from Claydens Funds to Natwest Current Acct | 10,000.00 |
| Miscellaneous Income | 504.90 | ||
| £ | 43,611 |
39,737.46 | |
| Expenditure | |||
| £ | 9,000 |
Grants to the Parochial Church Council (PCC) | 22,569.10 |
| £ | 9,000 |
22,569.10 | |
| £ | 34,611 |
Excess of Income over Expenditure | 17,168.36 |
| £ | 402,055 |
Closing Balance of Funds | 419,223.36 |
| Represented by | |||
| £ | 21,385 |
NatWest Business Current Account | 10,127.05 |
| £ | 380,670 |
Claydens Funds | 409,096.75 |
| £ | 402,055 |
419,223.80 | |
| 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 2025
Notes to Accounts for the period ending 31 December 2025
The accompanying Income & Expenditure Sheet provides a snapshot of FOSET Accounts at 31 December 2025.
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 across three funds, CT Universal Map Growth (45%), HSBC Global Strategy Dynamic (45%) and Liontrust Sustainable Futures (10%).
Income from the funds increased by £28,427 (£409,097 less £380,670) or 7.5% over the period. However, it should be noted that £10,000 was withdrawn from the funds to help finance the grants awarded to the PCC. The actual growth of Claydens Funds over the period was therefore £38,427 (£28,427 plus £10,000) or 10%.
The original sum invested with Claydens in February 2017 was £270,048, so since then the investment has increased by £139,049 (£409,097 less £270,048) or 51.5%.
Donations
The value of donations received from individuals amounted to £665.
Gift Aid
The charity received £141 Gift Aid from HM Revenue and Customs.
Miscellaneous
The Liontrust fund has been reduced to 10% of the overall portfolio. The trade for this should have taken place on 14 January but due to a Claydens admin error it did not happen until 14 July, as a result FOSET was financially disadvantaged. To put this position right, Claydens reimbursed £435 and will waive the £500 fee to carry out the platform transfer from Aegon to Fidelity.
The total income for the period was £39,737.
Expenditure
As at the end of the financial year, FOSET had awarded grants totaling £36,413 towards the cost of five PCC projects. These are summarized below :
| Project | Awarded | Grant | Invoiced | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Organ Replacement | Nov-24 | £24,000 | £21,597 | Complete |
| Redecoration | Apr-25 | £5,113 | £4,876 | Complete |
| Maintenance | May-25 | £2,500 | £2,500 | Complete |
| OutstandingMaintenance | Nov-25 | £1,800 | £479 | £1,310 |
| Annual Maintenance Program | Nov-25 | £3,000 | £117 | £2,883 |
| Totals | £36,413 | £29,569 |
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During the period £14,597 was paid against the organ grant, £4,876 for redecorating the church and £3,096 for maintenance work. Total grant expenditure for the period was therefore £22,569 .
Summary
During the period income exceeded expenditure by £17,168 (£39,737 less £22,569).
At 31 December, FOSET had total funds of £419,224 comprising £409,097 invested in Claydens Funds and £10,127 held in a NatWest Current Account.
The accounts were prepared by the Hon Treasurer Mr. Glenn Gooch and examined by Mr. John Fitzgerald in accordance with the General Directions given by The Charity Commission.
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