## **PARISH CHURCH OF ST PETER AD VINCULA, ROYDON Annual Report for the Parochial Church Council For the Year ended 31 December 2021 Registered Charity Number 1127074** ## **Administrative Information** St. Peter’s Church is situated in the High Street, Roydon, and is immediately opposite the Village Green. It is in Harlow Deanery which is part of the Diocese of Chelmsford within the Church of England. The Parochial Church Council (PCC) is a charity which registered with the Charity Commission in November 2008 under the provisions of the Charities Act 2006. PCC Members who served during 2021 were: |Priest in Charge:|Rev’d Richard Attew|Chair| |---|---|---| |||Licensed 24.6.19| |Churchwardens:|Mrs Jessica Wells|Deputy Chair| |||Re-elected at APCM 27.5.21| ||Mrs Helen Iles|Re-elected at APCM 27.5.21| |Representatives on|Mrs Helen Iles|| |Deanery Synod:|Mrs Pauline Preston|Elected at APCM 12.10.20 for| |||3 years| |Elected Members:|Mrs Jane Nairn|Also Assistant Churchwarden| |||Re-elected at APCM 12.10.20 for| |||3 years| ||Mr Alan Beal-Forbes|Also Assistant Churchwarden| |||Re-elected at APCM 12.10.20 for| |||2 years| ||Mrs Patricia Collins|Also Treasurer| |||Elected at APCM 12.4.19 for 3| |||years| ||Mrs Lynn Hughes/Weekes|Elected at APCM 12.4.19 for 3| |||years| ||Mrs Vivian Townsend|Resigned with effect from| |||19.4.2021| |PCC Secretary|Mrs Maureen White|Co-opted member of the PCC| There are currently 4 vacancies on the PCC The method of appointment of PCC members is set out in the Church Representation Rules. The Churchwardens who are elected annually, and the Representatives on the Deanery Synod who are elected every three years, are ex-officio members of the PCC. 1 All church attendees are encouraged to register on the Electoral Roll and stand for election to the PCC. ## **Objectives and activities** St. Peter’s PCC has the responsibility of co-operating with the Priest in Charge in promoting in the ecclesiastical parish the whole mission of the church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. The mission of the Church in Roydon includes the provision of acts of public worship and space for private prayer. The PCC supports other registered charities whose aims and objectives are complementary to those of the Church. St. Peter’s PCC also has responsibility for the maintenance and repair of the church and church halls. ## **Proceedings of the PCC** Ten meetings of the PCC were held during 2021: **11 January** (via Zoom) with 9 members attending **15 February** (via Zoom) with 9 members attending. **4 March** (via Zoom) with 7 people attending **22 March** via Zoom with 8 people attending **27 May** (post APCM) with 7 people attending **22 June** with 6 people attending **27 July** with 8 people attending **29 September** with 6 people attending **25 October** with 7 people attending **29 November** with 7 people attending The principal issues considered during 2021 ## Clergy Deployment: Archdeacon Vanessa and Rev’d Martin Harris (Area Dean) made a presentation to the PCC meeting on 15[th] February on Parish Deployment and Sustainability. The viability of Parishes had been assessed – St. Peter’s being in the green band at present (to be kept open). Pastoral re-organisation will be needed with a reduction in the number of posts. Lay and pastoral ministry is encouraged. Financial sustainability is important, and the Parish Share plays a key role in this. Three options for a method of allocating the share for each Parish are being considered and the PCC was represented at the Deanery Synod meeting to discuss this. We responded to the subsequent survey with a supplementary letter expressing some concerns. ## Finance Financial reports were received at each meeting. With the loss of income due to Covid lockdowns it was clear that it was not tenable for us to continue paying our full Parish Share which up until now we have always done. The decision was made in April to suspend our payment with a resolution to pay it in full soon as this was possible. From July we were able to revert to paying the full amount and by November we were able to pay back the entire shortfall we had incurred. 2 ## Response to the Pandemic: St. Peter’s continued to provide worship and pastoral care during the year whilst conforming to regulations in force. Services could always be accessed either through live streaming or by participation via Loop Up. These continued after public worship resumed in early March and enable those who are confined to home to take part in worship. The meeting of the PCC on 4[th] March was called to discuss the Covid compliant reopening of the church. ## **Safeguarding:** The PCC of St. Peter-ad-Vincula, Roydon is committed to ensuring that St. Peter’s Church is a safe place for everyone. The PCC has adopted the House of Bishops’ “Promoting a Safer Church” Safeguarding Policy Statement and has complied with the duty to have ‘due regard’ to the House of Bishops’ Safeguarding Policy and Practice Guidance. A Parish Safeguarding Representative has been appointed, together with Advocates for Vulnerable Young People and Vulnerable Adults, as well as a DBS administrator. Photographs and contact details for these individuals are clearly displayed in the Church Porch. Safeguarding training for PCC members and the Tower Leader is underway ## **Achievements and performance:** ## Worship, Prayer and the Community: Our usual pattern of Services comprises Common Worship Holy Communion at 9am on the 1[st] to 3[rd] and the 5[th] Sundays in the month, and All-Age Worship on the 4[th] Sunday. In the evenings, we offer Book of Common Prayer Evening Prayer on the 1[st] to 3[rd] and 5[th] Sundays with Book of Common Prayer Holy Communion on the 4[th] Sunday. There are also services of Morning Prayer at 9.30 am on Monday and Tuesday each week led by Rev’d Richard Attew and a service of Iona prayers on a Tuesday morning at 8.30 led by Rev’d Dr Anthea Cannell. A Worship Committee was re-established in May 2021, to assist in planning for All Age Worship and special services. This has resulted in a wide variety of creative and participative services which have been much appreciated. On the Sunday of the August Bank Holiday weekend, a service of Thanksgiving for the Community was held. Invitations were sent to individuals and organisations who had been especially supportive of the community during the Covid-19 pandemic. 3 A Service of Remembering and Thanksgiving was held on Sunday 31[st] October 2021. The Annual Service of Remembrance was held, more or less as normal in the church followed by the usual Act of Commemoration on the Village Green. Our Advent preparations began with a special choral Service of Light on Advent Sunday. A display of art work focussing Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem was presented in the church. Members of the congregation contributed their thoughts about the paintings at a soup lunch held at the start of Advent. An Advent Prayer Calendar was collated again, with prayers contributed by members of the congregation. These were distributed by email each day through Advent and displayed in the Lych Gate in an Advent Calendar based on “Roydon Doorways” created by Anthea Cannell and Jess Wells. Sadly, as Covid rates began to rise again in December, it was necessary to cancel the popular Nine Lessons and Carols service. This was a great disappointment, particularly to the choir who had rehearsed hard and were looking forward to singing to a full church again. Again, due to concerns about Covid, it was decided that the Christingle Service could not be safely managed in church and so this took place by Zoom once again, with musical accompaniment from the Iles family. The other Christmas services were able to take place in church – with a lay-led Service of the Word at 11pm on Christmas Eve and Family Communion on Christmas Day. ## **Charitable Giving** : £4,622 was available from tithed income and this would be allocated to the following: |DEC (Ukraine):|£2,500| |---|---| |Harlow Foodbank:|£622| |Afghan Association|£500| |Herts and Essex Wildlife Trust:|£500| |Church Conservation Trust|£500| In addition, £1,319 was collected for Christian Aid and the Macmillan coffee morning raised £1,655 ## **Links with the Community/Environment:** Lockdown meant that many of our usual events had to be cancelled but pastoral and social activities, many of them reaching out into the wider community continued as restrictions permitted and were expanded as and when possible: These included: - Weekly Newsletter sent to all email contacts - Roydon Parish News published and delivered to 570 households every month - Phone calls to the elderly and those living on their own or in need - Deliveries of food/soup on an occasional basis as needed 4 - Coffee morning by email every Sunday morning with the regular Tuesday morning gathering in the Church Hall re-starting when things opened up - Men’s Curry Nights - “Heavenly Walks” each Thursday morning with group sizes being tailored to numbers permitted. - Churchyard events: wildlife survey and an environmental display in the church involving Roydon School, Acorns after school club and Pre-School followed by an initiative to erect bird and insect boxes in the churchyard. Generous donations made the purchase of these possible. - A tree planting project: 22 trees were purchased and distributed in the village for planting. Representatives of Epping Forest District Council and the Roydon Pre-School attended the planting of a tree on Parkfields Green. - New hedging and other planting to encourage wildlife in the Churchyard was undertaken, funded by generous donations from members of the congregation. - • A Litter picking group meet once a month - Mini Festival on the August Bank Holiday Weekend which included a Scarecrow competition and a Dog Show. - Collection of Shoe Boxes for children at Christmas The Church was opened again during the day for private prayer and, once lockdown was lifted, community activities in the Church Halls recommenced including W.I. and Sewing Group. Roydon Acorns, offering after school care, were able to open again and occupy the halls every weekday afternoon during term time. ## **Families at St. Peter’s:** The Pandemic put an end to family activities such as ‘Messy Church’ and ‘Dads and Toddlers’. Dads and Toddlers has started up again and it is hoped that Messy Church will be restarted again soon. Easter bags for the children were available at the Lych Gate and at Christmas, ingredients to make a Christingle were supplied, with instructions and a service available online. ## **Other Activities:** All activities were necessarily curtailed or adapted to the regulations in force but continue to take place as much as possible. They include: - The Sewing group which welcomes children as well as adults, met in the Church Hall on a monthly basis when possible. - The choir met on Thursday to rehearse and sang at almost every Sunday service when worship returned to church. The choir and organists greatly enhance the worshipping life of St. Peter’s and are very much appreciated. - The bellringers met and rang on Sundays – again, when this was allowed - A dedicated group of talented flower arrangers decorate the church for Sunday - worship and for special services. - The church magazine continued to be published every month during the year and the editor, Sheila Collins is to be congratulated on her achievement in producing interesting and relevant content during this difficult time 5 - The website: www.roydonstpeters.org is managed by Rosemary Iles. It is engaging, attractive and detailed. It has been invaluable in keeping people up to date and entertained during the lockdown. ## **Church Fabric:** A faculty to repair the St. Peter’s window in the Colte Chapel was obtained and the work duly carried out. The post and rail fencing along the front boundary of the church was replaced The curtains in the hall were renewed. There have been a number of issues with the boiler for the church central heating. Our heating engineer has managed to keep it working, but has advised that it will need replacing in the near future. The PCC is considering greener options. ## **Church Attendance:** The number of persons on the Electoral Roll as presented at the APCM on 29[th] May 2021 is 61. The average weekly attendance in 2020 was 24 adults. The total for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services was 38. One Baptism and four weddings were held during 2021. Seven funerals were held in church and one funeral was conducted on behalf of the Parish at the crematorium. There were 5 burials of ashes. ## **Aims:** The central aim of St. Peter’s is to steward the Christian faith in our community. This includes presenting the Christian faith as attractive, viable, and meaningful for all the residents of our parish, whether they are connected with the Church or not. Worship and Welcome are two parts of the whole. However, we cannot fulfil this role in the absence of a thriving worshipping community. Our aim is, therefore, to maintain and increase the number of people who worship at St Peter’s, whether regularly or on an occasional basis. In the coming year, we plan to: - Engage with other churches in the area to get a sense of what initiatives are proving fruitful in making connections with new members; - Trial at least one new form of worship; - Re-establish Messy Church; - Hold at least one “special” service to which people will be personally invited. The inherited faith of the Church in Jesus Christ – received through the Bible and across history – does not change, yet our means of presenting our faith to the wider community can adapt to ensure that the Christian faith continues to be accessible, relevant, credible, and compatible with the demands of modern life. 6 ## **Conclusion:** There has been a Christian presence in Roydon for over 800 years. As stewards of the Christian faith in Roydon today, we aim to maintain God’s Church here so that a Christian community is still present in Roydon 800 years from now. 7 INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL OF ROYDON I report on the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2021 s81 out on pages one to nine. RESPECTIVE RESPONSIBILITIES OF TRUSTEES AND EXAMINER The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity's trustees ¢onsider that an audit is not required for this year (under Section 144(21 of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act1} and that an independent examination is required, 11 is my responsibility to.. examine the accounts under Section 145 of the 2011 Act to follow thè procedures laid down in the General Directions given by thè Charity Commission (under Section 145{5}Ibl of the 2011 Act).. and to slate whether particular matters have come lo my attention. BASIS OF THE INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT My examination was ¢arried out in accordance with the G8n8ral DireGlions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and 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 no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a 'trué and fair view ' and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statements below, INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S STATEMENT In connèction with my examination, no matter has come lo my attention.. (1} which gives me rèasonable cause to believe that, in any material respect, the requirements to keep accounting records in accordancè with Section 130 of the 2011 Acl., and to prepare accounts which accord with the aocounlin9 records and to comply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act have nol been met., or 121 to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper underslanding of the c¢ounls to be reached. Geoffrey G. Prosser FCA 4 Church Mead Roydon Essex CM19 SEY 3 May 2022