## ANNUAL REPORT MAY 2026 Open to God Open to You Open to Each Other You can be sure of a warm welcome whatever brings you or your family to the Church - a curiosity to find out more about the Christian faith or to attend one of the many activities we have. Find out what is going on at www.bsm-church.org.uk. ## From the Minister This is a difficult report for me to write at the moment, because I am so aware that very shortly I will be saying goodbye to Bishop’s Stortford. I am sad because you, as a Church, have allowed me to come alongside you in different ways, through baptisms, marriages and in saying goodbye to ones we love at funerals. You have been so kind to me (and to my family) over the past eight years and I am extremely grateful. It has been unsettling, since November, to wonder whether or not a Minister will be in place for September 2026. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit has called Revd Chris Wilson and his wife Sandra to leave Northern Ireland and re-locate here at BSMC, and I am sure that you all will give as warm a welcome to them, as you did to myself and Graham, and support them in the same way. Thank you as well to Frieda and Pat who have served on the invitation group on your behalf, as well as all the work Frieda does as Church Council Secretary and organising the notices as well as organising me, and everything Pat does as Senior Steward – including putting this report together! We were sad to say goodbye to Amy Farrer and thank her for all her work in the Oasis Lounge and in so many different ways. We, as a Church, learnt a great deal from her year with us and the Open Church oversight group have been working hard to fill the gap she has left. We decided to advertise for an Oasis Lounge Co-ordinator but, at the time of writing, we haven’t yet made an appointment. I am very grateful to Brian Unitt for heading up this work. The other suggestion was to have an Outreach or Family worker as a part time post, separate from the work in the Oasis, but the Church Council has decided to wait a little while longer and spend more time in prayerful reflection with your new minister to ensure that the job description and focus of this post reflects our Mission Statement. We also said a goodbye and thank you to Steve Watson who has served the Church so well as Treasurer for so many years and we are grateful to Stephen Chan for taking on this challenge. He is supported by Richard Ling as Finance Secretary and of course the rest of the Finance team, Christine Leach on Gift Aid and Sue Haworth on our payroll. The Welcomers and Volunteers in the Oasis lounge have been remarkable, the quiet work of listening, signposting and serving people’s needs so that we can be open as a safe space is so important. Please do prayerfully consider if you can get involved in this – there are often gaps in the Rota and Alison Watson would love to hear from you, especially if you can help run a Saturday coffee morning – you can get to choose your favourite charity as a bonus! We have had some new initiatives this year – a monthly Digital Inclusion which has proved popular and Good news for All have a monthly, listening prayer table, too. Being open for six days a week can have its challenges and Sue Swan and Andrew Pickering’s work as Safeguarding Officers is a vital part of being a Warm Welcome space. Andrew is stepping down this year and I want to say thank you for the calm and professional manner which he has brought to this role. A Minister or a Local Preacher can’t operate on their own and it takes a team to put together Sunday worship – Mark organising the organ rota, Brian & Richard on the tech side, Angela organising the Greeters and, of course Pat, organising the Stewards. Pat is stepping down as Senior Steward this time and she has served the Church so well. We need more Stewards to keep the doors open on a Sunday and, as in everything, many hands make light work. Are you able to help? Training is given! Festivals are always joyous – and Karen’s leading of the Christmas Eve service managed to be both profound and accessible, giving a welcome to Friday Froglets and their parents and Bishop's Stortford Methodist Church Annual Report Charity Registration 1127323 Page **1** of **27** including our Girl’s Brigade helping with Puppets Galore. Quite a few of our Oasis regulars, who never normally come to Church, were in attendance, too! And, of course, more recently, when I had the immense privilege of conducting my first adult baptism, we welcomed Fred as a new member into the Church family. It has also been my joy to welcome other members by transfer, also. Bible Study continues on the first and third Tuesday afternoons and, this season, we are delving into the resurrection narratives and considering what they have to say for our lives today. Another new initiative has been the monthly lunchtime service of Holy Communion on a Thursday. Numbers have varied but people seem to appreciate a quiet reflective space. I also want to say a huge thank you to Lynn in the office – a cheery presence who keeps things running smoothly. She regularly goes over and above her hours in order to help sort difficulties out and I’m not sure what we would do without her. As you read through the enclosed reports, please give thanks for the work of God in this place and pray for all those whose names appear in the reports and the work that they do. But, also ask for discernment from the Holy Spirit – this is YOUR church. What is God calling YOU to do? Many hands make light work and this is God’s work we are talking about. God’s mission is alive and well; we need, sometimes, to catch up with it! The people who come into our premises and especially to our services talk about the friendly welcome they receive. Never underestimate the power of listening to someone, showing that you care because, in doing so, we are sharing the light of God’s love with those we meet and sharing the hope that we have. Thank you again for letting me have the privilege of being your Minister but, also, thank you for the many and varied ways you have all ministered to me. Every blessing. Revd Gill Hulme ## HAEBC As reported last year, we have a Partnership Agreement that allows us to continue to share planning of worship services and retain our ecumenical links with the URC churches, even though they are not part of our Methodist Circuit, and we are thankful for this continued ecumenical opportunity. Unfortunately, the HAEBC Circuit Administrator has left due to changed personal circumstances but the Circuit is in the process of recruiting a new Administrator. Meanwhile, our Church manager, Lynn Graseman, has again been doing the quarterly plan. The improvements to the office space at St Andrews now means there is a dedicated Circuit Office, which is suitable for use by a Circuit Administrator. The Circuit Superintendent, Rev Dr Frank Okai-Sam, is currently on Sabbatical, returning at the beginning of June. The Circuit hosted the Spring Synod at St Andrew’s Church in Harlow on 18 April, which went very smoothly. Several Bishop’s Stortford members assisted with this. The Circuit is looking into setting up a Christians Against Poverty Debt Centre at St Andrews – research shows that 16% of people in Harlow need debt advice and the CAP Debt Advice Centre Bishop's Stortford Methodist Church Annual Report Charity Registration 1127323 Page **2** of **27** in Ware is keen for there to be one in Harlow. Some members of other churches in Harlow are experienced in this and are keen to assist, which will be very useful. Frieda Wilson HAEBC Circuit Steward ## Pastoral Report This year I break the trend of having to report declining numbers. In last year’s Report, I gave the Church Membership number as 103 and this year, as I write, our number is 110 – a small increase. These numbers do not of course give the full picture for the year: there have been some deaths, some transfers out to different churches, others have ceased to meet but we have also welcomed 12 new members into our Church, the last two being received into membership on Easter Sunday. These will all be people who have been regularly worshipping with us for some time – we give thanks for each one of them. We are, of course, not just statistics, but people, all part of our Church family. As well as our Church members, we do have several people worshipping with us, many on a regular basis. This number also fluctuates and it is good to see new faces in our congregation. It is very important that we all play our part in welcoming newcomers. The Oasis Lounge does, of course, provide the ideal situation for us to get to know new folk as we gather there after our services so do, if you can, look out for new faces when you have your coffee. As well as keeping numbers up to date, I also organise our wonderful team of pastoral visitors who do their best at keeping in touch with their allotted people either in person, by ‘phone or email. We also provide leaflets for any special occasions such as Easter, Harvest Thanksgiving and Christmas. I do, however, have a limited number of visitors, so we do have to compromise by keeping in touch with some folk, usually at Church. Pastoral care also encompasses remembering those going through difficult times (with their permission) in the weekly updates, delivering flowers from the Church and Home Communion. I give thanks for all those who work behind the scenes to provide all this pastoral care, with a particular mention for Gill, who despite increasing pressures on her time, endeavours to be with those in times of need and to Stuart, who has quite a list of people he visits, offering Communion if desired. Maureen Draper Pastoral Secretary ## House Groups ## Renewal There are 12 of us in the Renewal group and we look forward to our meeting on the first and third Tuesday of the month to study the Bible and pray together. As well as the Advent Study from Swanbank on the themes of Love, Joy, Hope and Peace, we watched David Suchet’s excellent series In the Footsteps of St Paul. As a preliminary to our study of St Peter’s Letters, we also watched David Suchet’s similar film series, The Life and Travels of St Peter, which was very informative. Bishop's Stortford Methodist Church Annual Report Charity Registration 1127323 Page **3** of **27** In the New Year we enjoyed a meal out at a local restaurant and look forward to our Summer event soon. We give a donation at each meeting and then, at an opportune time, a sum is given to support a Charity. Many thanks to June and Robin Whitbread for their continued hospitality. ## Chris Neal ## Tangent Tangent continues to meet - usually on a Thursday, once a month. We have looked at various aspects of faith over the last year and continue to provide support and fellowship amongst those attending. ## Karen Quelch ## Gambet The Gambet house group meets at the home of M&S on a Monday afternoon at 2pm where we enjoy in order; food, friendship and fellowship, rounding off with a hymn and prayers. [See Weekly Update for exact date]. We study the Bible but made fresh, current and relevant by listening and watching preachers and teachers share their knowledge and life experience. We offer an invitation to all who want to join us on our journey of discovery. ## Mike Haworth ## Youth Work ## Girls’ Brigade Since the last Annual Report I wrote this time last year, we have been quite busy as a group. Although our numbers have dropped, all the girls that we have had this year have been regular. This year we have seen some changes both in badgework and in adults. Badgework wise, the badgework books have been updated so that they are suitable for multi-age groups. So far, we have looked at topics like Climate and Environmental Justice, Spring, Favourites and The Church Year (following the church year). Again, we had our annual District Young Leaders weekend which we were part of the trial for updating the training which was exciting and it was good for our 13-year-old to go along and meet others who are a similar age to her. The highlight of the weekend was definitely the pasta bake and chocolate brownie. Looking forward to the rest of the year, we will be at the Churches Together Pentecost Breakfast and also looking forward to Holiday Bible Week and going on the District camp in June. This year we recently welcomed Rosie from one of the other churches within Bishop’s Stortford to come and support us. Unfortunately, we are saying goodbye to Debbie and Gill this year. They both have been assets to the team. We are going to miss them both. We have a social media presence on Facebook and Instagram sharing what we have been up to each week. ## Jordan Stringer Bishop's Stortford Methodist Church Annual Report Charity Registration 1127323 Page **4** of **27** ## Enhancing Our Worship ## Communion I just want to say thank you to Terry & Sue Copland and Arthur Law for doing the Communion stewardship with me. We usually take it in turns each month with Terry & Sue together and Arthur & myself the following month. It would be nice if others could join us. The problem we sometimes have is that the only place that sells the grape juice now is Sainsbury’s so just hope that continues. It would help to have some communion wine again as we used to before Covid. ## Julia Last ## Music ## from the Organ Bench .... We continue to be very lucky with a number of Organists contributing to Sunday worship and the additional Songs of Praise services. I am continually grateful for the support from Stephen Rapkin, John Evans and Ziyi, especially through the Spring, Summer and Autumn months when I am marshalling trackside. It is, as always, an honour to be asked to play for the final service of friends as we celebrate their lives. Sadly, I will not be around for either of Gill's farewell services as they clash with my pre-booked commitment at Silverstone this year. But, rest assured, I have been working hard in the background and managed to secure Stephen Rapkin for both. I look forward to continuing aiding with worship as regularly as possible and working with our new Minister Chris. ## Mark Wiffen No regular choir practices were held during the year but ad hoc choirs were arranged for the Church Anniversary Service, taken by Julie Finbow in June and the Carol Service in December 2025. For the Carol Service, the choir sang a few carols while the congregation was arriving. Words were on the screen so that they could join in if they so wished. The choir sang a couple of anthems during the service, which were very well received. ## Hilary Eves ## Church Flowers We continued this year with flowers provided by members for the beautiful vase given to us by Fullerton United Methodist Church and displayed on the Communion Table. As it is a simple bouquet which can then be taken out to either a person of the giver’s choice or a pastoral recommendation, we have been able to fulfil all the dates to the end of the year. So, a big thank you to all those people who have offered to contribute. Thank you to Sue Hayter for the Advent Ring and Cynthia Friend for the Easter Wreath, Alison, April and Mione for their pedestal displays and those who made posies for Mothering Sunday. ## Chris Neal Bishop's Stortford Methodist Church Annual Report Charity Registration 1127323 Page **5** of **27** ## Outreach ## Open Church Oversight Group This group continues to be involved in deciding our mission in the town and in coordinating information learned from being open during the week. Since the departure of Amy, our Outreach Worker, in August last year, we have endeavoured to learn from Amy’s experience in the job and her feedback at her exit interview and, as directed by Church Council, we are currently recruiting a part time Oasis Lounge Coordinator, with a view to thinking again about a specific outreach worker (also part time) once the Coordinator is in place and once our new Minister is in post and in a position to give his input. The Oasis Lounge continues to be a welcoming place for a wide variety of people and, praise God, our Church membership continues to grow, at least in part from people who have come via the Oasis Lounge. A monthly Digital Inclusion session run by Community Alliance, giving advice on how to get the most from your phone/tablet/laptop, as well as how to get online, has proved very popular and Good News for All has started a Listening Table on the fourth Tuesday afternoon each month. In addition, we now have a monthly midweek Holy Communion, usually on the second Thursday of each month. Getting enough Welcomers remains difficult and filling all the slots seems to be becoming increasingly difficult. It would be wonderful if more people could join us. Alison or I can arrange for you to shadow someone if you’re interested but unsure what is involved. But if you feel this is not for you, then please pray for the work in the Oasis Lounge – Kingdom work that makes us Church every day of the week, not just on Sundays! ## Frieda Wilson Secretary ## Communication I continue to update the screens each week for the welcome area and the Oasis Lounge. Generally, I try to depict the seasons and include a few slides showing words of encouragement, prayers, bible verses or hymn verses among activities that take place on our premises. I hope that these words reach visitors who do not come to Church but may get some comfort or inspiration from them. ## Alison Watson ## Social Media The social media input by the Church Administrator mostly consists of Facebook with the occasional Instagram post. X (formerly Twitter) is rarely used now as the groups that we want to reach out to are generally local groups in Bishop's Stortford and the surrounding areas who use Facebook. We promote any events that are going on here by creating event listings that show up as 'Events in your Area' so they can be seen by people who are not our followers. We use it for Christian content, i.e., our 2025 daily Advent readings and to share events to relevant groups such as 'What's on in Bishop's Stortford' or for any news including job adverts. Bishop's Stortford Methodist Church Annual Report Charity Registration 1127323 Page **6** of **27** Some people use Facebook to contact us by either commenting on a post or by direct messaging asking questions about what events we are providing in school holidays, for example. If we have to shut the Church or cancel an event at short notice we create a post and share it as widely as possible to get the message out. Our Facebook feed can be seen on our website so that is a way for people to see it who do not use Facebook. On the whole, we find it a very good way of getting information out to our community about any event going on here and any news that we have to share. ## Lynn Graseman ## Thursday Women’s Friendship Group We are a friendly group of ladies who meet on the second and fourth Thursdays each month in the evenings in the Oasis lounge. We have a variety of meetings including talks, craft and social evenings. In the Summer, we sometimes visit places in the local area such as Hatfield Forest. Once a month, we support the Church by running the Thursday coffee and cake mornings and we also raise money for charity throughout the year. Last year, we raised £775 for the East Herts Citizens Advice Bureau and this year we are supporting the Army Benevolent Fund. We are always pleased to welcome new members. If anyone is interested, please contact Maureen Draper or Christine Leach. ## Maureen Draper & Christine Leach ## Wilos Lunches ( WI dow/ers and so Los ) We continue to meet approximately every four weeks. This group is for people attending Church and who would be going home alone, so instead we meet together for lunch! Numbers depend on what other commitments people have but average about 10 people. This is a very friendly group and firm friendships have been made, so if you are on your own and would like to join us, do let Angela or Frieda know. Details are put in the Weekly Update each month. ## Angela Finbow ## Knit and Natter We continue to meet on the first and third Tuesdays in the Oasis Lounge. We have a core group that come regularly and some people who have come to learn to knit or crochet. We have made lots of blankets, children’s items and accessories for Ukraine and they are taken by a charity called UK Aid who take them to the people who need them. The group is excellent at working collaboratively and the blanket squares are knitted by some people and others put them together. We also made lots of angels together for the Christmas Tree Festival and even people who had only just learnt made angels. Hopefully we will carry on in this vein throughout the rest of the year! Kate Rowe Bishop's Stortford Methodist Church Annual Report Charity Registration 1127323 Page **7** of **27** ## Craft and Chat We meet to craft every second and fourth Tuesday morning. Everyone is welcome to join in and we have a small core group who are joined by other lounge visitors who see what we are doing and choose to join us. Each week I provide an easy(ish!) craft for the group to engage with, although some bring their own projects along to continue with while we chat - and there is always a lot of chat! Over the year our group has made table centres for the tables in the Oasis lounge which seem to be well received. If you would like to join us come along and see us. Bring your own projects or have a go at what is on offer. ## Alison Watson ## CAMEO (Come and Meet Each Other) We continue to meet in the Oasis Lounge on the second Tuesday of each month (excluding August). Our membership has remained fairly constant, although we can easily accommodate new members or visitors. The format is simple: we meet, chat, reminisce, support each other and enjoy each other’s company. We also try to celebrate important birthdays and Jean, one of our members, has marked events such as Christmas, St. Valentine’s Day and Easter with little bags of goodies this year which have been much appreciated. We do of course, also have tea and cake. If you would like to join us, you would be most welcome. Our meetings officially commence at 2.30pm, but often folk start arriving just after 2.00pm. My thanks, once again, to Chris and Ruth, my two co-leaders and to Lisanne who often joins us on a Tuesday afternoon as an extra helper. ## Maureen Draper ## Special Cup 2025-26 We continued to meet up on Wednesday afternoons in the past year. Our goal is still to provide a safe space where visitors can relax with a cup of coffee/tea, have a chat, play a game, complete a jigsaw. We can report that we succeeded in our main purpose. In the past year we also managed to offer a free lunch to the people that took part in our activities. It was also great to see how the games, especially rummikub, became a main feature of the afternoon session. A few visitors became regulars and some even part of our team. We thank everyone who helped us in different ways to render this service, especially when we needed someone else to take our place. Jan and Ella Bisschoff, Richard and Lynne Ling, Rose Cheyne Bishop's Stortford Methodist Church Annual Report Charity Registration 1127323 Page **8** of **27** ## The Card Stall We are no longer overseeing the card stall. If this valuable outreach is to continue, a further volunteer will be required to take this role on. Steve and Alison Watson ## Thursday Coffee Morning Over the past year the Thursday coffee morning has continued to run. We are pleased to welcome our regular guests as well as any visitors. Thank you to all who bake and help run the coffee morning. We will be pleased to welcome anyone who would like to join the team. ## Sue Unitt ## Friday Bridge The number of Bridge players has slowly increased since we started at BSMC. The Group includes one person from Harlow and another from Chelmsford. Bridge is a game that is easy to start learning, it being based on whist, but takes a lifetime to master making it highly rewarding for players. As a partnership game, it requires communication, cooperation and sympathy between partners, fostering deep social connections. Bridge stimulates both sides of the brain, enhancing memory, visualisation and logical reasoning. Studies have suggested it can boost the immune system and help protect against dementia. At present we play at a basic Rubber Bridge social level that four people can easily play at home; however, if we had a few extra players, we could introduce them to Duplicate Bridge which is more competitive, and generally played in Bridge Clubs. Alan Draper and June Whitbread ## Friday Froglets Friday Froglets continues to work well with an average of about 30 toddlers & babies attending. We have done many activities including Playdough, sticking pictures, playing with snow and planting seeds. They particularly enjoy the singing and story time at the end. We do not always run through the school holidays as attendance is not always very high and it is an opportunity to give the volunteers a break. Terrific Tuesdays was tried as Fantastic Fridays (see below) but numbers are not always high and it can be quite a lot of planning & preparation for a few children. The plan is to just do a couple during the Summer break. ## Karen Quelch ## Fantastic Fridays Fantastic Friday moved from being Terrific Tuesday as Tuesdays are quite busy with Knit and Natter and we were fighting for space and tables. Although quite successful to begin with, we Bishop's Stortford Methodist Church Annual Report Charity Registration 1127323 Page **9** of **27** found that the majority of the children attending were very young and not wanting or not able to access the craft activities we were providing. We were putting in a great deal of work and it was very tiring but the children we had were not interested and were leaving before lunch. With this in mind we decided to default to Friday Froglets or just being open to all. Maybe, in the future, we could try again. Alison Watson ## Safeguarding Report ## **Open Church** There appear to have been fewer safeguarding incidents and concerns regarding our visitors to the Oasis Room than in the previous year. This is due in no small part to the vigilance and commitment of all those who volunteer. Our helpers know many of our individual guests well and adjust their approach to help them most appropriately and to defuse potential tensions. A more consistent approach to potentially difficult individuals has also become more apparent than it sometimes was in the past. On some occasions, we have had invaluable help from Dave Perry at the Night Shelter in dealing with vulnerable visitors he knows. With the appointment of a new coordinator for the Oasis Room, we trust that the excellent outreach work will go from strength to strength. One concern at times has been that we have sufficient volunteers to safely manage the number of visitors attending some activities, including Friday Froglets. ## **Training** Sue Swan, Alison Watson and I led the ‘Creating Safer Spaces’ training for some 15 of our volunteers on 27th April. As this was a refresher for most people who had previously completed similar training, we amended the training programme to fit our contexts. Participants' responses were very positive. ## **Data Protection** Ensuring that we are compliant with GDPR regulations is more than a ‘tick box’ activity. By observing proper data protection procedures, we help to make sure that our members, worshippers and all those who visit our premises are safe. ## **Signing Off** This will be my final report. After about 15 years, I have decided that it is time for me to relinquish the role of Church Safeguarding Officer. I would like to thank Sue Swan (who has done most of the work), Gill and David Mullins for their unstinting contributions to Safeguarding at our Church. During this time, we have moved from this being seen as rather peripheral to a culture where safeguarding is central to all we do. Andrew Pickering – Co-Safeguarding Officer ## The Wider Community ## Methodist Homes for the Aged Although there is no longer a designated representative, the Church continues to support the work of MHA. Last year we sent £502.30. This was from the Christmas Day collection, the Christmas Card Box and a donation from the Church. ## Christine Leach Bishop's Stortford Methodist Church Annual Report Charity Registration 1127323 Page **10** of **27** ## Action for Children Action for Children is a leading Children’s charity in the UK with special connections to the Methodist Church. To find out more about the latest work and campaigns check the website actionforchildren.org.uk. Thank you to everyone who supported us this year whether with help or money. The total at the end of the year was £937.50. This consisted of the Christmas collections and the post box; also, some generous one-off donations. If you are interested in helping, want to donate or just find out more at any time, please contact me. ## Norman Huntley ## **Action for Children Home Collecting Boxes** With the decline in the use of cash, there are now just 23 people with home collecting boxes (compared with 42 in 2024), although I understand many of those who previously had a box have indeed set up a regular standing order for AfC. However, despite asking people to bring their box to Church for emptying, so far I have had just six. For this reason, I do not yet have a figure for how much I will be able to send to Action for Children this year. ## Frieda Wilson ## Christian Aid Members of the former Christian Aid Committee helped me to run two coffee mornings over the last 12 months to raise funds for Christian Aid. The one in September 2025 raised £231.00 and the one in April this year raised £326.70. At BSMC we will also have Christian Aid collection envelopes on the church chairs on 17 May, just as Christian Aid Week 2026 finishes. ## Frieda Wilson ## Churches Together in Bishop’s Stortford (CTBS) A big thank you to Chris Neal for her 10 years of service as CTBS Secretary and who stepped down in November 2025. Her dedication to managing and co-ordinating all meetings and disseminating a large amount of information in such a conscientious way has been greatly appreciated. CTBS is now in need of a new secretary and if anyone is interested to find out more or feels called to continue this important role, please email ctbssecretary@gmail.com. To great acclaim, Anderson Munhoz from New Life Church, agreed to be Chairperson of CTBS, emphasising the importance of links with all the clergy and church leaders. At the February 2026 CTBS meeting, he sought active support from the Forum and was assured of the services of the Enabling Group. There are 15 Churches who are members of CTBS and Associate members include the Child Contact Centre, Company at Christmas, Food Bank, Girls Brigade, Holiday Bible Week, Stort Valley Schools Trust, Street Pastors, Thirst Café, YMCA. Bishop's Stortford Methodist Church Annual Report Charity Registration 1127323 Page **11** of **27** ## **Creating greater awareness of CTBS** At the November 2025 CTBS Meeting, there was discussion around CTBS and a Mentimeter in place to capture opinions, thoughts and suggestions on screen as to our mission, what we do well, what we should do more of. It was felt that the organisation itself is doing a lot of good work and currently we should continue to concentrate and nurture the organisations within it rather than look to do more. It was felt that we should raise the profile of the Associate Members and reference the involvement of CTBS in initiating, facilitating or nurturing many of the activities as the public may be aware of individual organisations but not how they all tie together under CTBS. It was agreed that we should aim to get some press coverage in the local paper and for each of our Associates to include information, tied in with the Pentecost Breakfast. ## **Christmas & Easter** December 2025 was a busy month for our Church – with the Christmas Tree Festival from 9[th] – 16[th] December displaying a beautiful array of trees highlighting organisations involved in Churches Together. This was followed by a Coffee Morning on 20[th] December with carol singing for the Holy Trinity Night Shelter. The Good Friday Service and Walk of Witness 2026 was again well supported with a wonderful Service at the United Reformed Church, led by Revd Gill Hulme, with musicians from New Life Church. Small flags, palm crosses and cards were given out with information on ‘What’s good about Good Friday’. People then walked through the town to our Church and, after a short act of worship, we welcomed over 200 people into the Oasis Lounge for refreshments and (not) hot cross buns. ## **Events** **A Week of Prayer for Christian Unity** Service took place on Sunday 25[th] January 2026 which was hosted by Father Peter Harris at St Joseph’s Church. **Street Pastors** held a Pizza Party in the Oasis Lounge on 25[th] March 2026. This was to celebrate their work and thank God for his love for our town and also provide an opportunity to show people interested in joining them what they do. They are still very short of male volunteers but continue to be a calming, reassuring, welcome presence around the town. **The Pentecost Prayer Breakfast** held at the Barnabas Centre in 2025 was well received and Josh Dean, who had just been appointed as a new local MP, attended to find out more about the initiative. This event is to find out what local churches, charities, Christian and non-Christian groups are doing in our community. For 2026 this will again be held at the Barnabas Centre on Saturday 23[rd] May from 10am–12 noon. Pastries and tea and coffee will again be available as people look at the stalls of information in the Foyer from the different organisations within, and beyond, CTBS. The morning will conclude with an Act of Worship in the Sanctuary to pray for what we have seen and read. On Saturday 6[th] June 2026 from 10am–1pm at the Barnabas Centre is the event ‘ **What’s happening with God and Gen Z’** , a conference for anyone working alongside young people, anyone who wants to know more and those who want to cover this vital ministry in prayer. This provides an opportunity to gather together to pray, raise awareness, equip and affirm our Youth Leaders. Speakers include Rev Dr Dan Drew and local MP Josh Dean. We are again involved this year with the **Love Stortford** Outreach Week, running from 15[th] – 20[th] June 2026. There is a coffee morning at our Church on Saturday 20[th] June. Bishop's Stortford Methodist Church Annual Report Charity Registration 1127323 Page **12** of **27** ## **Songs of Praise Event** At the last meeting it was agreed that CTBS would organise an event that would include songs and forms of worship representing different churches, together with an explanation about why it is meaningful to that church. The consensus was to avoid Holiday Bible Week, so a date would be considered for Sept/October 2026 and the venue could be Castle Park’s bandstand (more details to follow). Lynne Adams CTBS Rep. ## Property Report - 2025-26 You start the year thinking there will be nothing but the usual maintenance items, routine testing and inspections. However, come October and this all changes. Two major items needed considerably more than routine work. The remaining flat roofs in the Foodbank area were proved to be life expired (the roof over the Foodbank itself was replaced a few years ago). This was later confirmed by the condition of some of the timber removed. This was done along with the routine gutter and tile work resulting in a cost of £5,740.00. The second was a fault with one of the flues from the large boilers at the back of the building. Although this was not, in itself, a major fault, it required the flue being updated to the latest standards. The final cost was £6,620.00. Fortunately, both jobs could be completed without disrupting any church or external activity. In the continuing updating of our lighting, we now move on to the spotlights. Replacing these lights which have proved to be unreliable has an approved budget of £4,500.00 and is now in the pipeline. The latest item to fail, as most will be aware, is the mixer in the sound desk. A repair is being attempted but, failing this, it will be possible to do a like for like replacement. It can then be dropped into the current location without the need to reconfigure the system. More news when we have it. There is one item that will be referred to in more detail over the coming years. We had an energy audit done, recently, which covered the whole building very thoroughly. This highlighted where we should be going to reduce our energy consumption. It covered replacement heating systems when required, the continuing updating of our lighting and what building changes may help. Lastly, we cannot escape the subject of the drains at the back. The original solution proved to be unacceptable due to the need to slope the drain all the way from the far corner to the road. The levels have now been carefully checked. Also, some details of the wall bellow the path level have been exposed. This has proved to throw up several issues. Discussions have also been held with the Foodbank to help with their access. Details are now being collated so we can bring the contractors back on board. The approved budget for this remains at £30,000.00. The Wesley Hall project is still on hold due to the delays in coming up with a workable solution to the drains issue. The budget remains at £90,000.00. It is important that any fault, however minor, is logged in the Incident Book (underneath the pigeon holes in the upper foyer). We can then take action or look for a repeating problem. If the issue affects the operation of an event, it is important that either a member of the Property Bishop's Stortford Methodist Church Annual Report Charity Registration 1127323 Page **13** of **27** Committee or the Church Administrator are informed as soon as possible as well as logging the issue. ## Norman Huntley ## From the Senior Steward Our Church continues to be host to several organisations and groups that Lynn, Church Administrator, manages so well. We accommodate the Food Bank, Citizens Advice, Home Instead, Isobel Hospice, Community Alliance to name but a few so our outreach is varied. As well as Welcomers, we now have Volunteers who regularly help out at coffee mornings and other events. They have proved themselves to be very valuable to the Church while, at the same time, gaining confidence and other skills helpful to their own well-being. This year, we say goodbye to Gill after almost nine years. Such a lot has happened to her personally in those years, much of which she has borne with great courage and fortitude. She came, at a time, to forward the Church’s Redevelopment Scheme which had not moved for some years. Then came Covid when we all had to adapt to changing circumstances by meeting online. Gill wrote to all those without the means to do this to keep them part of the Church. This was much appreciated by the recipients. Then there was the gradual return to Church with all the difficulties that entailed – cleaning and disinfecting everything to be handled before the Service, sitting at least one seat apart and having to sit when singing. It seems in the distant past as we all share fellowship closely now but an era where Gill had to lead the Church. She has provided us with different types of Services, jigfests, Christmas tree and Crib festivals, and, of course, Makaton and puppets. The list is endless. We shall miss her guidance, humour and understanding. We all wish her well in her new life in Scotland and pray that God will protect and guide her in all she seeks to achieve there. This year also marks for me the last as Senior Steward. I have held the position for four years. When I was first a Steward back in the early 2000s, you became the Senior Steward in the fourth year of your four-year term. I have been a Steward for five years, along with Terry who came on for one year only. He, Stan and Julia have been of great support and I thank them for their friendship and backing in sometimes tough times. Both Terry and I want to stand down this year and urge others to come forward as Stewards with the start of a new Minister. Julia is taking over as Senior Steward and with Stan continuing but awaiting an important operation, at least two more Stewards are required. Please consider this even for a short time. As you get into the role, hopefully, you will get to like it and want to continue for longer. I would like to end with two Bible passages, one that I learnt off by heart when young. It has helped me all my life. ‘ _Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; acknowledge Him in all your ways and He will direct your paths_ .’ (Proverbs 3: 5-6). The second is particularly for Gill: “ _God will put his angels in charge of you to protect you wherever you go_ ’ (Psalm 91: 11). Pat Simpson Bishop's Stortford Methodist Church Annual Report Charity Registration 1127323 Page **14** of **27** ## Bishop’s Stortford Methodist Church Financial Report for Year End 2025 ## **1. Introduction** The year-end reports will be based on the recommended format for Methodist Churches rather than the internal format used in previous years. The advantage of using this format is that they follow the standard for all Methodist Churches and is an accepted format for the Charity Commission reporting. The Charity Commission expects to receive Examined accounts and the certificate signed by our external examiner – this certificate is an integral part of the Year End accounts. For a Church of our size we do not need to create accruals and provision and can work on a Cash Accounting basis. The accounts will highlight the overall Surplus or Deficit and identify Restricted funds – Restricted funds are those that are given for a specific purpose and cannot be used for other church expenses. The standard format of accounts does not contain great detail of Income and Expenditure but the Methodist recommendation is to add further details as thought useful and provide a commentary on the accounts. Where it is possible, some of the breakdowns will include Year End 2024 numbers for comparison but only where it is possible to compare like-for-like. ## **2. Finance Team** The Finance Team has changed since last year. Steve Watson resigned as Treasurer and a new Treasurer (Stephen Chan) was formally appointed from 1st September 2026. Stephen Chan’s background is accounting, usually for companies in South Asia. Stephen has sound bookkeeping experience and but lacks specific knowledge of Methodist Structure and procedures and Charity Commission reporting. Richard Ling has also joined as BSMC Finance Secretary. Richard has held this post before and also other BSMC posts including stand-in Church Manager. He is able to guide on BSMC procedures, Methodism and Charity Commission Reporting. He is also Independent Examiner for Harlow Methodist Church, another Circuit church. Our Gift Aid Secretary is Christine Leach and she has held this post for a number of years. Christine knows and operates the Gift Aid in full accordance with Methodist recommendations. Terry Copland attends as the steward representative and Norman Huntley attends as Premises Chairman. Revd Gill Hulme is Chair of the Committee, and the Committee reports to the Church Council. The Finance Committee would like to express its thanks to Steve Watson for the long and valued service that he performed as Church Treasurer over many years. ## **3. Projects for 2026** The Finance Committee has identified specific areas of improvement. These include a review of: - Book keeping. - Archive & Storage – improve security and process. - Online Banking. - Finance responsibilities under GDPR regulations. - General procedures, mainly for expenditure authorisation, and making sure these are followed. - Asset recording. Bishop's Stortford Methodist Church Annual Report Charity Registration 1127323 Page **15** of **27** The single biggest project is to improve the book keeping procedures to make these more standard, i.e., trial balance, double entry and generate reports automatically for Year End and monthly trends. Stephen is creating a spreadsheet (Excel) model. Once up and running the data can be made available to all Church Council members. Implicit in these tasks is to work with our Independent Examiner to keep compliant with Charity Law and Methodist Accounting. _N.B. The following accounting pages are scanned documents from the originals._ Bishop's Stortford Methodist Church Annual Report Charity Registration 1127323 Page **16** of **27** CHURCH RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS THE METHODIST CHURCH STANDARD FORM OF ACCOUNTS Blsho 's Stortlord Mèthodlst Church FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 August 2025 H¢rts 8 Essex Border Clrcult Clr¢ult no 34112 Reglstered Charlty . Charlty Reglstrallon number 1127323 11 not a registered charity Hor Mal•sty's Revgnu• and Customs Glft Ald numbgf (The HMRC number is equNalenl lo a registered charity nurnber in terms ol evhyence ol charitsble ststus and may be used lo give to d(mors or gronl fijnders wiqhing lo see ev￿enCe olthe org8nisali¢y)'s ¢h8rrtable slalus. Methodist charrties in England and Wales Ihal are not Tegislered ¢hatrtts are ex¢eptetl from regYstratk)n under Stsbjlory Instrument 2014 No.2421 Mnister.. Rev Gillian Hulme Church Stewards.. Patn'cia Simpson Mr Tery Copland Mr Stsntslaw Ma¢k¢Ni8k Ms Julra Last Docull]ellt.. 6c- SlalldKd Form of Accoullts 2095 FuialN'3 Treasurer". Stephen Chan Bishop's Stortford Methodist Church Annual Report Page 17 of 27 Charity Registration 1127323 IACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST2026 Blshop's Stortford Methodist Church Unr•th¢t¢d R¢$trlct•d Fund8 Funds Total& th1$ Totsl$ l••t •ar SECIION A a1 RECEIPTS Not• Off&rin s and Tax recovered Bank and CFB interest arKI In￿stment incL 90.2 94 627 a3 6.319 Lethn 13.403 15.381 other TÈtei TOTAL RECEIPTS 14 175 123,724 25 843 43,662 187,386 la71 142,170 SECIION PAYMENTS Cir¢urt Assessment or Sha 43.440 43.4(X) Ib3 Donations 4.540 Re airs and Maintenance iNilrtie5 Ilnsurances. water charges. healing & I￿￿n9) 3.5 7.657 21.387 18.643 b7 Other pa TOTAL PAYMENTS men15 &fj 599 159.522 40 636 40.636 127236 200.158 Ib91 115.500 SECIION C NET RECEIPTSIPAYNENTS FOR THE YEAR 6-b8 35 798 Total fuTrJs brought forward from Lqsl year ¢2 169.467 25.111 194678 167.9(J8 Sub to c1+c2 133.669 28.137 161.806 Tr8nsf8r5 aad slments c71 c5 TOTAL FUNDS ATEND OF YEAR Ic3+c41 133,669 28.137 161.806 Ic81 194.678 Ic61 SECIION D FOR INFORMAMON ONLY: MONEY RECEIVEO AND PASSE ON TO EXTERNAL ORGANISAIIONS lth•¥• amounts ar• not to b• [￿luded In tot￿ recdpt•lp •nts 1Sgure• abov•l BO￿nCe brou hl lorward frem L95t ar d2 Offen Gits- reco￿￿ for extemal o anisth.ons Off8n sIGIfts ass8d to 8Xtemd o 8nis81ions 1274 BALANCE SMLL TO BE PA -Ld14d2-d31 Bishop's Stortford Methodist Church Annual Report Page 18 of 27 Charity Registration 1127323 Bisho 's Stortlord Meth¢xlisl ch￿￿h se¢iioN E Plu follDwlh NDlos lo corn tg this Summary ofth8 Chwth ￿cOurt5 hFthfj year ended 31 AU￿St 2025 and Int￿￿31 (hganisatlDn5 iepthng to the Chuich CouncillChuTch Meeting. Note th￿ th8 lunds of an Inièmal 01￿miS￿l¢n woukl normally bè RÈsiriciÈd u•less Il Coukl t* tleady shM that Ihèy Could bp used any MÈthodiSi wrwse This seciion MUSI be cornrdeied io afr￿ * ih? gross Income and expendrture iotals ofthè CbuTch. Incon* txceed5 thtAccnJalsiknshokl. then the Accru*s methtyj olaccourfin9 DA OIFFEf£NTFORM nwJ$i b9 Tepth thg X¢OUTht$1$99 Mglhothstw•bsitel Aea$g lelerio1￿ note$ ieg?r¢ing tr3nsfvr6 bgtwe9n thg 01stn CDnnected Chqani8atKpns INTERIIAL ORGAMISATIONS Nei Receim rn￿t$ OperAng bJlanc•$ R•cei CID>n 528 510 18 455 413 ThuTrda Fiianthhl 941 *ma nisalions hjnds 1.349 e12 ch￿[Ch Iioials 2. totals cdu¢n TOTAL CASH BY CHURCH T12 16B.861 201.501 195.843 163 197 rfAÈcÈssary and ￿ngthe iotals IDNaré TOTAL RECEIPTS TOTAL PAy￿NTs SECTION F OPENING BALANCES CLOSING ALANCES CHURCH. CASH FUNDS HELD at 31 u*2025 Cash In h*)d Oank Curreni kcouDt 67 523 Bank Oe srt C+thNI Fin*c* Boa 51270 Trustees for Methodist ch￿￿h Pui 40 013 h•t*JDds SiIB TOTAL. ChDich accounts rdal futth hehl by I￿￿￿￿5 Organiy&tins (th8 CÈ ttst￿ fvom 8tth*llè121 1.391 TOTAL CASM FUNDS MELD BY CHURCH 195, 163.197 SECTION G I S800th2024 31 Awu5t 202S OTHER AS ETS llnd BILITI I￿st￿O￿tY Intwp End0vrn￿￿tS & &Jihli set Doles Te Insurance￿u8 her As$el7 . ¥hDwa￿￿t LNrt5tandi at ènd 14 Incluth onty Funds at Ihg Cemral Finwct &)JTd ts Includ& Funds h￿d a TtUSte8s for Methodist thich PulpD￿5 91 Include thhet im5lmenis the cash elerneth rfTMCP tru51y attOuniytri5 15 Incwèd in I￿@15 Bishop's Stortford Methodist Church Annual Report Page 19 of 27 Charity Registration 1127323 of Ckwrch. BiyhcpS Meth(*￿•t Chw¢h No 34112 Declarations and Scrutiny l unfim)ts In8$8 Rectypt arKI PayTrvi based for ￿ yeorto 31 2ff24 ha¥e from Ihe Of1￿ Cl￿*¢11&￿a thatii*y IndwJO 41 lunas wthrihe thyird olthA Church IrustO&8. Siw*ure oiirfyasL Narneand c4trear4A' I torffirm thai Ih&aMu* r8wn axwnt$for theyear e￿￿31 A￿USt 202S were pre5erthd lo the fnBeiw rlth8 cthrrh tsuslees hdd 22 Ourknr 2025 Synaiwe ofts Chair of Ihtr Th*8tirvJ .. Ch8ird th8 Re¥ Gllllan H￿IMe Date. I /41202&., Independ¢nt EumlM¢s R•portto th• Tru8t••g ofth•. Blshop'$ Stithryl Methotll•tChu¥th Ch￿ty Nwtr1127J2S Reyponjlbllltlej nnd b1515 ol l TewL io trustees my ByAmin&onoflhB ￿nI￿orth￿ Bishty)'s Strrtud Methtsdist c￿lCh f¢r tho ye8r8n¢8¢ 31 ￿￿$t?025 $et rfft pw 110 4 As Church'5 Iru51e85. you are T￿ponSiblef01 *ccrfdan￿￿fft Ihe rwwWemw*$ ol the Chaiit Ath 2011 I'ineArt'I. I rek¥xt in reweL*of rny e￿inall(* ClwJrLtrs accthr*$ <*rrigJ 145 ofif* and. in carrying rny eX￿￿tion, I all IhB appIlL*)￿ tsrec￿S given by t Charity cL￿Tr#s￿on under 1495Xbl dVwAo*. 15 TOTAL INCOME YE2025 £167,386
Other Receipts,
14175
Lettings, 13403
Standing Orders,
50455
Circuit & District
Grants, 43000
Envelopes, 17219
Benevolence
donations, 662 Collection Cash,
Donations, 1551 Gift Aid, 18432 2629
Interest, 5860
2025 Expenditure £200,158
Other Expenses, 12205
Circuit Assesment,
Cleaning, 21060 43440
Mission Donations,
4540
Major Expenses
Premises, 41515
Utilities, 21387
Administration, 3276
Church Manager,
Outreach Worker, 20119
32616
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Bishop's Stortford Methodist Church Annual Report Charity Registration 1127323 Page **22** of **27** ## **Important Points to Note from the Accounts for Year End 2025** 1. Total Receipts for the year (row a6) £167k last year £142k Total Payments for the year (row b8) £200k last year £115k **Deficit for this year £33k** Surplus last year £27k 2. The Reserves policy shows that we do not necessarily have sufficient funds to cover all our planned developments. At the moment spending on the Drainage works and Wesley Hall have not been quantified (but estimated at £120k) and we only have only allocated funds of £42k for both these projects. We expect to meet the shortfall by applying to the Circuit and District for grant funding but we will also need to show that we can meet some of the cost from our own resources. ## **Income Observations:** The total giving by the congregation is £70k which in turn generates Gift Aid of £18k. Previous year’s figures are £74k and £19k for Gift Aid. The difference to last year is about £4k/5% less. With our expenses increasing the Church needs to increase its direct giving by encouraging the congregation to increase their personal giving and to encourage other regular attenders to consider either starting a standing order or using the envelope scheme. The second largest source of income is grants, mainly from the Circuit and District. In 2026 we will need to apply for significant grant funding to cover a major drainage problem and to upgrade the Wesley Hall. Looking at Row a6 to check the total income for this year and last year is not very helpful because of the change of accounting. However, lettings income is also down and interest on deposits is down because we have less on deposit and interest rates are not as good as last year. ## **Expenditure Observations:** In general, our costs are increasing and we need to plan how these increases will be accommodated. The Circuit assessment has remained the same for this year. BSMC contribution should be higher for a Church of our size but we expect the 2026 contribution to remain the same since the Circuit can use Reserves to cover any deficits. The Oasis Outreach worker is an extra cost this year and will continue for a further 3 years. The post is fully funded by the Circuit. A significant variable cost is major Premises expenses. For 2025 these were high and have depleted the Reserves. There is nothing wrong in Reserves being low – it’s just that we cannot do everything we might like to do. Our Manager, Lynn Graseman, has part of her costs reimbursed because she also works for the Circuit. This will continue until the end of 2026 but will be reviewed when our Minister changes. When numbers are finalised, we may find that gas and electric charges are less in 2026. Bishop's Stortford Methodist Church Annual Report Charity Registration 1127323 Page **23** of **27** ## **Expected Year End 2026 results Factors effecting Year End Balance prediction** Windows and Heating repairs paid for in October (£13k). Accommodated in year-end prediction. A small payback is due on gas and electric for VAT rebate for previous years and lower VAT for current year and forward. These rebates will be received before the year-end and may not alter the accounts significantly. Expenses are higher than last year and income is down. Accommodated in year-end prediction. **Cash Balance Prediction Year End 2026 – Year End deficit £18609 without Wesley hall & Drains project.** s **----- Start of picture text -----**
Resulting
Remaining 5 Balance
7 Months Actuals Months Total Year 2026
Open Balance 161806
Calc/Estimated Net Income -13712 -4897 -18609 143846
Adjustments & Gift Aid 10500 7500 18000 161846
Wesley Hall & Drains
Drains 30000
Wesley hall 120000 150000
In Reserves -23903
District & Circuit Grants -83333 -107236 42764 119082
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Bishop's Stortford Methodist Church Annual Report Charity Registration 1127323 Page **24** of **27** ## **NOTES TO THE 2025 ACCOUNTS** ## **(last year** [ **2024** ] **memorandum only)** ## The first column cross references to the first column on the published accounts ## **Income** |||||2025|| |---|---|---|---|---|---| ||||2024/2025|Restricted|2023/2024| |**a2**|**Offerings**||||| ||Standing Orders||50455||51610| ||Envelopes||17219||18741| ||Cash||2629||3684| ||Gift Aid||18432||19137| ||Donations||1551||877| ||Benevolence donations|||662|538| ||Other receipts||||40| |**Total**|**Offerings**||**90948**||94627| |**a3**|**Interest**||**5860**||6319| |a4|Lettings||||| |||Regular Lettings|11178||11858| |||One Off Lettings|2225||3417| |||Saturday Coffee Mornings|0||106| |**Total**|**Lettings**||**13403**||15381| |a5|Other Receipts||||| ||Donations from Church Organisations||||| |||Thursday Coffee Mornings|||| |||Oasis Lounge|7281||7658| |||Card stall|430||690| |||Company at Christmas|500||500| |||Thursday Group|100||100| |||Food Bank|1000||1000| |_Sub_|||||| |_Total_|_Donations_||_9311_||9948| |_a5,1_|_Total Fund Raising Events_||_2760_||3000| |a5,2|Restricted Funds A5&A2||||| ||Amy|District Grant||10000|| |||Circuit Grant||25000|| ||Admin|Circuit Contribution||8000|| ||**Total**|**Restricted Funds**||**43000**|| |A5,3|Other Income||||| |||In Memory|2064||500| |||Sundry|40||85| |_Sub_|||||| |_Total_|_Other Income_|_Total_|_2104_||| |**Total**|**Other Receipts**||**14175**|43662|23481| |||**(restricted plus Unrest)**|**57175**||| Bishop's Stortford Methodist Church Annual Report Charity Registration 1127323 Page **25** of **27** ## **Expenditure** |**b2**|**Circuit Assessment**||**43440**||43440| |---|---|---|---|---|---| |**b3**|**Mission Donations**||**4540**||4540| |b4|Repairs and Maintenance||||| |||Repairs|1673||1203| |||Electrical|300||| |||Drain investigations|899||| |||Essex Roofing|684||| ||||||6454| |**Total**|**Repairs & Maintenance**||**3556**||7657| |b5|Utilities||||| |||Insurance|3998||5193| |||Power|16280||13334| |||Water|1109||116| |**Total**|**Utilities**||**21387**||18643| |b6||Not used|||| |**b7**|**Other Payments**||||| |b7|_Worship_|||Restricted|| |||Organists|1232||1280| |||Copy write & Music|1227||809| |||Friday Froglets & Terrific|||| |||Tuesdays|399||998| |||Expenses|249||605| |_Sub_|||||| |_Total_|_Worship Payments_||_3107_||| ||_Administration_||||| |||Church Manager|12119|8000|10565| |||Outreach Worker||32616|1836| |||Publications|269||132| |||Website|234||243| |||Paper & Printing|689||328| |||Auditing|360||330| |||Bank Charges|557||544| |||Miscellaneous|1166||796| |_Sub_|||||| |_Total_|_Administration_||_15394_||| ||_Premises_||||| |||Cleaner|14923||12505| |||Windows & Cleaning|1308||1283| |||Waste Disposal|600||849| |||Boiler|3276||690| |||Pianos & Organ|129||126| |||Fire Extinguishers|435||265| |||Telephone|917||837| |||Air Con Maintenance|264||| Bishop's Stortford Methodist Church Annual Report Charity Registration 1127323 Page **26** of **27** |||TV Licence|174||169| |---|---|---|---|---|---| |||Sundry expenditure|||1203| |||Air conditioning|22920||| |||Wesley Hall Windows|18495||| |||Carpet Cleaner|149||| |||Terracycle Boxes|428||| |||Deep Clean|4080||| |_Sub_|||||| |_Total_|_Premises_||_68098_||| |_Sub_|||||| |_Total_||_Benevolence_||20|| |**Total**|**Premises**||**86599**|40636|| Prepared by: Stephen Chan (Treasurer) and Richard Ling (Secretary to Finance Committee). ## **Revd Gill Hulme Minister Bishops Stortford Methodist Church Chair of Finance Committee** Bishop's Stortford Methodist Church Annual Report Charity Registration 1127323 Page **27** of **27**