## **Friends of St Mary's Church, Standon**
## **Financial Statements**
## **for the year ended 31st December 2023**
## **Registered Charity Number 1088516**
The Friends of St Mary's Church, Standon Financial Statements for the year ended 31st December 2023 Legal and Administrative Details
## **Address for correspondance**
74 High Street Standon Hertfordshire SG11 1LB
## **Legal Status**
The charity, whose full name is The Society of The Friends of St Mary's Church, Standon, is a charity registered with the Charity Commission, registration number 1088516. It was formed as an unincorporated association under a constitution adopted on 20 November 2000 and amended on 22 July 2001.
## **Trustees and Committee Members**
Mrs D M Dale Chairman Mrs A C Franks Treasurer Ms C F Tarry Secretary Mrs S Beeston Mr M F Baker until 19.05.23 Mrs L A Brand Mrs A Brears Ms A Brookbanks from 09.05.23 Rev J Chitham Ms Alison Cooley Mrs S Crook Mr D Goldstraw from 02.11.23
## **Bankers**
National Westminster Bank plc
The CBF Church of England Deposit Fund
## **Independent Examiner**
Jane Fowke
2
The Friends of St Mary's Church, Standon Report of the Trustees for the year ended 31st December 2023
The trustees are pleased to present their report and accounts for the year to 31st December 2023.
## **Objects of the charity**
The objects of the charity are to assist, including by raising funds, in the conservation and development of the church buildings, fixtures, fittings, contents and churchyard of St Mary's church, Standon; to assist in the maintenance of the churchyard and to encourage and support all that is done to add to the beauty and usefulness of the church.
The charity fulfils these objects by raising funds to support works commissioned by the PCC. Details of projects funded during the year can be found in the notes to the accounts.
## **Government**
The policy and operating decisions of the charity rest with the Trustees, who meet regularly to monitor the activities of the Friends.
Six of the trustees are appointed by Standon Parochial Church Council, and six are elected at the annual meeting. The chairman must be a publically elected trustee.
## **Review of Activities**
In 2023 our fundraising activities were able to return to normal levels after the Covid pandemic. In January we returned to holding our annual, very successful quiz night in the Community Centre. The quiz night raised £1,406.
We offered teas and salads at Mayday, as usual, and also sold some plants and promoted Open Gard Mayday raised £1,878 and our Open Gardens event in June raised over £8,627.
Our lunchtime concert series in October was well received, and raised £1,526. The Advent coffee morning and sale was, once again, very successful, raising £1,367. The hundred club continues to contribute significantly to our fundraising efforts.
A fund-raising effort was launched in late 2020 to raise the sums necessary to refurbish the two Sadle tombs in the church, and the project was finished early in 2023. The remining funds raised have been transferred to the PCC, including a contingency fund for future cleaning.
In 2023, we hosted a demonstration of Levantine cookery and enjoyed eating the results, raising £1,0 from the event. We also held our 2-yearly Safari Supper, raising £982, and provided refreshments at the combined choirs Christmas concert in church.
We are grateful to Gill, who looks after the hundred club, and to Basma, who masterminded the cookery demonstration, as well as all who help with our events or support them.
In planning our activities, the trustees have applied the guidance on public benefit issued by the Charity Commission in December 2008.
## **Trustees' Responsibilities**
Charity law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each accounting year which record the receipts and payments of the charity for the year.
We are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity, and enable us to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011.
We also have a responsibility to safeguard the assets of the charity and to take reasonable steps to prevent fraud or any other irregularities.
This report was approved by the trustees on 14th March 2024 and signed on their behalf by:
3
The Friends of St Mary's Church, Standon Report of the Trustees for the year ended 31st December 2023
Diana Dale (Chairman)
3
The Friends of St Mary's Church, Standon Report of the Trustees for the year ended 31st December 2023
ens.
eir
n
000
3
Friends of St Mary's Church, Standon Receipts and Payments Account for the year ended 31st December 2023
|**Note**
**2023**
**Unrestricted**
**£**
**Receipts**
Donatons including gif aid tax
5
37,668
Income from fundraising actvites
4
20,962
Bank interest
2,596
61,226
**Payments**
Costs of generatng funds
4
2,433
Management and administraton
430
Grants made
2
9,264
12,127
Net receipts
49,099
Funds at 1st January
113,303
Funds at 31st December
162,402|**Note**
**2023**
**Unrestricted**
**£**
**Receipts**
Donatons including gif aid tax
5
37,668
Income from fundraising actvites
4
20,962
Bank interest
2,596
61,226
**Payments**
Costs of generatng funds
4
2,433
Management and administraton
430
Grants made
2
9,264
12,127
Net receipts
49,099
Funds at 1st January
113,303
Funds at 31st December
162,402|**2023**
**Restricted**
**£**
6,904
6,904
209
6,695
6,904
0
0|**2022**
**£**
15,410
20,343
912
36,665
2,480
348
7,042
9,870
26,795
86,508
113,303|
|---|---|---|---|
|**Friends of St Mary's Church, Standon**
**Statement of Assets and Liabilites**
**as at 31st December 2023**
**Bank and cash balances**
Held at bank
**Other assets and liabilites**
**Assets**
Gif aid tax recovery not yet received|**2023**
162,402
1,090||**2022**
**£**
113,303
3,136|
4
Friends of St Mary's Church, Standon Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31st December 2023
## **1 Accounting Policies**
The accounts have been prepared on a receipts and payments basis with a statement of assets and liabilities.
## **2 Grants paid**
During the year, grants were made to Standon PCC totalling £8,916 for the restoration of the Sadleir tombs, £3,598 for a survey of the tower and £3,445 for work on the drainage systems.
## **3 Employees**
The charity has no employees.
No amounts were paid or are payable to any trustee or to any person connected to them. Expenses incurred by trustees are reimbursed.
## 4 **Fundraising Activities**
These results reflect cash movements only.
|Fundraising actvites
Received
Hundred club
2,020
Lunchtme concerts
1,671
Advent cofee morning & sale
1,367
Mayday teas, salads & plants
1,994
Quiz night
1,848
Open Gardens
9,184
Levantne cookery evening
1,222
Safari supper
982
Lordship talk & tea
Flower festval
Sale of cards
138
Christmas concert refreshments
536
20,962|Costs
870
145
116
442
557
222
81
2,433|Net
1,150
1,526
1,367
1,878
1,406
8,627
1,000
982
0
138
455
18,529|2022
1,070
1,219
1,424
1,215
818
9,059
0
935
1,609
182
332|
|---|---|---|---|
||||17,863|
|**5 Donatons**
**Unrestricted**
Donatons received
2,525
Legacy received
32,084
Gif Aid tax received 2023
3,059
37,668|**Restricted**
6,827
77|
|---|---|
||6,904|
Gift aid tax for 2023, to be received in 2024, amounts to £1,090. This includes £309 relating to the tombs.
5