Annual Report and Financial Statements of the Parochial Church Council for the year ending 31st December 2023. ## Incumbent and Chair of PCC ## Revd Katie de Bourcier The Rectory, Parsonage Street, Halstead, Essex CO9 2LD ## **Administrative Information:** The Parish of St Andrew with Holy Trinity Church is part of The Halstead Area Team Ministry. It is situated within the Deanery of Hinckford and is part of the Diocese of Chelmsford within the Church of England. The correspondence address is The Parish Office, Parsonage Street, Halstead, Essex CO9 2LD Our Parish administrator is Rae Haylock Bankers: Independent Examiner: Barclays Bank PLC Mrs Charlotte King, Halstead, Essex Page **1** of **12** **Parish of St Andrew with Holy Trinity** ## **The Parochial Church Council** PCC members who have served from 21[st] May 2023 until the date this report was approved are: Rector: Katie de Bourcier (Chair) Elected Members: Jan Allen Melanie Black (Church Warden Team) Arthur Dodd (Church Warden Team) Barry Everett Claire Ford (Treasurer Elect) Helena Gee (Secretary) Mike Gee (Lay Vice Chair, Church Warden Team) Angela Kerrison Rachel Morris (Church Warden Team) Susan Paisley (Deanery Synod) Roger Smith Pauline Tilsley (Deanery Synod) Malcolm Willis (Treasurer) ## **Electoral Roll and Church Attendance in 2023** At our last annual meeting the Electoral Roll stood at 107. Within a worshipping community of 137, the average attendance throughout each week was 53 including 47 at our main services on a Sunday. 5 baptisms, 2 marriages and 18 funerals were held during 2023. ## **Team Rector’s Report 2023** ## **Three Saints Parishes – St Andrew’s Halstead, St Catherine’s Gosfield, and St James’ Greenstead Green – Part of the Halstead Area Team Ministry** 2023 was, from my point of view, a year of consolidation, as these three parishes established more firmly their shared identity as “The Three Saints”, and of regeneration, as we continued to build back after Covid and its lingering impact on church, community, and individual life. The verse that I chose for our year card at the start of 2023 was from Lamentations: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23). As we started the year remembering the faithfulness and love of God, so we found that to be true as we journeyed through the months that followed. There were difficulties, and sadnesses: saying goodbye to some longstanding church members who went ahead of us to be with the Lord; saying goodbye to our curate, Jo, as she moved to her first incumbency; our continuing and pressing financial challenges as parishes; and the wider tough times in a society facing increased costs of living, and against an anxious backdrop of political turbulence and conflicts around the world. But in all of these, we found strength and comfort in worshipping together, and purpose in caring for one another and seeking to make a difference in our communities. Ministries such as Soul Food and supporting the Foodbank seemed more important than ever, not just addressing issues around food poverty, but also social isolation. With rising energy prices, we were also able to offer a “warm space” through the weekly Coffee Morning at St Andrew’s, as well as through our other activities. Many of our church members are active in supporting neighbours and friends in an unofficial way – such a core part of our Christian witness and service – through friendship and practical help; and also play their part as volunteers in a range of community services led by other groups too. Page **2** of **12** **Parish of St Andrew with Holy Trinity** Our schools ministry flourished, with a lay team taking “Open the Book” assemblies in Gosfield Primary, regular clergy-led collective worship in St Andrew’s and Holy Trinity schools in Halstead, plus school services in our churches and other activities. A particularly notable event was one of the school Christmas services in Halstead, where the number of parents attending has increased so much in recent years that we almost couldn’t fit everyone in – a fantastic problem to have! Church members also continued to play key roles as governors/trustees for our local schools, helping sustain their church school ethos. Alongside our schools ministry, our wider ministry to children and families continued to develop, with the Wonderkids toddler group branching out into holding very popular holiday activities; Kids Church in Halstead well-established on the first Sunday of each month, and Messy Church regularly taking place every other month in St Andrew’s Hall. We also laid the groundwork for piloting a youth group for teenagers for the Three Saints Parishes, meeting with young people to listen to what they would want. The fundraising and social side of church life continued and adapted, with the second running of the St James’ Christmas Fayre proving very successful, as well as the ever popular St Catherine’s Christmas Coffee Morning and Fayre, and the now well established Christmas Tree Festival at St Andrew’s – which had the addition of a wonderful evening performance of a reading of “A Christmas Carol”. These were complemented by other events at other times of year. All of this, and more, was of course sustained by the heartbeat of our shared worship and prayer life, in our church services, prayer activities, home groups, and courses. We come together to worship and renew our focus on Christ; we are formed as his disciples, learning and growing in faith; and we are sent out to serve him in the world. We are blessed by many who bring their gifts to bear in our corporate worship and our sacred spaces, and offer their time and effort – music, flower arranging, bells, setting up for services, cleaning, serving refreshments, leading services, and more. All of these things help to draw us towards God, showing us his creativity and hospitality, helping us encounter him with head and with heart. In the latter part of the year, we started to see our worshipping numbers increasing, after a period since Covid when they had stayed lower than their previous averages, which was really encouraging. As the writer of the letter to the Hebrews says, “let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another”. We are the body of Christ, the family of God, and we are strengthened and sustained by one another as we travel together in faith. Our churches are what we collectively make them, each of us playing our part according to our gifts, experience and circumstances. On that note, let me finish by adding a personal thank you, for all the support offered throughout the year, and particularly for the love shown by those of these three congregations and the wider Team Ministry on the occasion of mine and Gary’s wedding in June. We felt blessed indeed. ## **Revd Katie de Bourcier** Page **3** of **12** **Parish of St Andrew with Holy Trinity** ## **Proceedings of the Parochial Church Council** The PCC met five times during 2023 with a focus on the values by which to travel well together, referred to in Bishop Guli’s document of the same name. Four new members were welcomed onto the council. The church warden vacancy, which began in May 2023, was initially covered by Angela Kerrison, until September 2023 and then by a team of four PCC members was elected to cover the role. The ‘warden team’, Mel Black, Arthur Dodd, Mike Gee and Rachel Morris, will share the wardenship on behalf of the PCC until such time as Wardens are elected. Ongoing decisions, monitoring of our service patterns and safeguarding, were a common feature of our agendas. The council was particularly encouraged by Messy Church, Kids Church and Wonderkids, which put children and their families central to what we do. All are reported on below. The PCC received regular updates on the Mustard Tree Project, as well as the Gateway Project/Soul Food. Appreciation has been expressed at meetings for the overall management of our parish finances by our outgoing treasurer, Malcolm Willis. Thanks also go to Claire Ford for taking on the Treasurer’s role following on from the 2024 APCM. Notes from the Finance and Premises subcommittee are regularly received alongside deanery synod and team council reports. ## **Helena Gee. PCC Secretary** ## **Safeguarding** The PCC continues to comply with section 5 of the Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure 2016 (duty to have regard to House of Bishops’ guidance on safeguarding children and vulnerable adults) with an annual review from our Parish Safeguarding Officer Helena Gee. ## **Alter Servers** A small team assist as acolytes and crucifer at various services across the year. They enhance the worship at St Andrew’s and complete practical tasks after each service. ## **Kevin Metson. Sacristan** ## **Bellringers** Sending out the Holy Spirit into the Hearts of Everyone During 2023 we have continued to ring the Ellacombe chimes for Sunday Service and occasionally for funerals and weddings. We practice on Friday evenings from 7.30 to 9 pm. It is becoming more difficult to ring the open bells for church services as the availability of experienced ringers is increasing an issue, however recently 5 people have asked if I would teach them to learn the basic skills needed to ring the bells for Sunday service ringing standard. This can take up to a minimum of one year, and many learners leave after realising that bellringing is quite an undertaking to learn. On a brighter note, two bellringers that used to ring at our church Sarah and Nancy are willing to help me on the second Sunday in the month; that’s if I can get three other experienced ringers to form a band. I continue to ring in hope that our bells will ring out again, this expression to me underlines the Glory of God in our worship. ## **David Kerrison. Tower Band Leader and Bell Maintenance** Page **4** of **12** **Parish of St Andrew with Holy Trinity** ## **The Gateway Project** The Gateway Project has continued to grow in 2023 even though there continued to be changes and challenges. 2023 saw the departure of Jo and Tom Parrott who were both an integral part of the Gateway Project, and Soul Food in particular and the arrival of Debs Bolas as the selfemployed Soul Food cook and the volunteer team grew to the point where there is now a waiting list to join as a volunteer. Soul Food continues to run weekly takeaway meals feeding around 40 people weekly. We continued to run communal meals and provide recipe bags throughout the year. Christmas dinner was a particular highlight with 52 people attending. Communal meals are continuing into the 2024 calendar as a regular second Sunday of the month feature. Our team of Soul Food volunteers play a vital role in the success of the Soul Food project, every role is valued by our clients, with the relationships formed being the most significant. Soul Food also worked with Wonderkids during the year on a number of events. Catering for 60 people, adults and children, in both the park and the church poses challenges, but ones that we embraced wholeheartedly and look forward to doing again in the coming year. The Essex Community Foundation Grant enabled us to recruit Tom Parrott and then Debs in a selfemployed capacity giving more resilience to the lead cook element and freed Rachael Simpson to manage Soul Food and grow the pastoral side of what Soul Food does. The Essex Community Foundation Grant runs into 2026 and, together with funds raised in other capacity gives opportunity to buy those little touches that make the meals and volunteer events all the more special. ## **Rachael Simpson and the Soul Food Team** ## **Ignite** Ignite continues to run as a monthly Sunday evening service and as an opportunity for a more informal time of worship. We meet on the fourth Sunday of the month, except for August and December. Our services always start with time for a drink and chat and then are followed by a time of worship including a variety of music with a variety of worship songs led by our band. Services usually include a talk or activity and a time of prayer or reflection. We have a core team of volunteers who run the service, which is on the whole a lay led service. We invite a range people to come and share what God is doing in their lives, we have had some very interesting talks this year from a range of people. We are always looking for new people to join the team, or come and share their stories with us. Our congregation includes a mixture of people from across different churches within the local area, with one regular coming from Braintree. Our congregation varies in size month to month, with summer months seeing larger numbers. Unfortunately, we haven’t seen a return to our pre-pandemic congregation size. ## **The Ignite Team** Page **5** of **12** **Parish of St Andrew with Holy Trinity** ## **Kids’ Church** This year at Kids’ Church we have been learning about characters from the Old Testament. We are aiming our sessions at the under 7’s, as this is the age group that makes up the majority of our attendees. We are currently running as one group, although we have enough helpers to split into 2 or 3 groups depending on the ages and number of children who attend. We have recently welcomed children from Crossways church to join our sessions, going back across to their church afterwards. We have 5 leaders and most parents stay, due to the age of the children, and we are building good relationships with the whole family. We have a regular core group of children who are becoming friends. Our sessions last about 1 hour, with a story, free play (often playdough which they love), a craft, a game, a song and we finish with a prayer. We end by going over to church for a drink and biscuit. Sometimes we even catch the end of the service and the children can share what they have been doing. ## **Rachel Morris** ## **Messy Church** Messy Church is continuing to go from strength to strength, we are reaching many families each session and showing the love of Jesus through stories, singing, craft, games and a meal. We have a variety of volunteers, who bring their talents together to provide for the children and their families with positive, safe and loving experiences. We are very lucky to have such a committed team. While the families join us for 2-3 hours every other month on the 3[rd] Sunday, a lot of preparation goes on behind the scenes. Planning the activities and preparing a delicious meal takes time and effort. If this appeals, we are always happy to welcome new volunteers and particularly welcome prayer. ## **Rachel Morris** ## **Monday Evening Homegroup** There are up to 9 of us from the Church congregation who meet twice a month on a Monday evening in someone’s home. We usually begin with a hot drink, biscuits and fruit and chat! Pauline and I plan and then lead a bible based study including Prayers of the New Testament, The Twelve Disciples and some Old Testament Characters. Everyone contributes and we find many studies that are encouraging and some that make us think and be grateful. We conclude with a time of prayer and finish by 9.30pm. To support the Homegroup we now have a Homegroup WhatsApp group for SOS prayers and prayer requests. ## **Jay Ainge. Homegroup Co-leader** Page **6** of **12** **Parish of St Andrew with Holy Trinity** ## **Wonderkids** Wonderkids runs every Tuesday morning during term time. The stay and play sessions run from 9.30 till 11 in the church hall. We have a regular group of 4 volunteers as well as a few volunteers who help to serve refreshments and a few willing parents available ad-hoc, although more volunteers are always welcome. We have a variety of regular attendees comprising of parents, grandparents and child minders. Currently, we have 65 regular families who join us at least once a month, with another 10 visiting more infrequently. We are constantly welcoming new families to our sessions. We run a prebooking system via Facebook or email and limit numbers to 25 adults and their children for each session. We feel that this helps us create a friendly environment and enables everyone to enjoy the session. During 2023 we ran a number of events during the school holidays. Due to the Great British weather we found ourselves in the church, but the families attending really enjoyed the opportunity to explore the building. These sessions were run with the support of Soul Food and The Gateway Project. This year we secured a grant of £400 from Halstead Town Council. This money was used to extend the opportunities we provide for role play. The children love dressing up costumes we have been able to provide and enjoy acting out different roles, in fact you can often see a superhero being chased by a Police Officer! We were also able to improve the range of play food, vehicles, cars and construction materials we have to use. **Claire Ford. Leader** **The League of Friends** The League of Friends was established to raise funds to support the maintenance of the grade I listed building that is St Andrew’s Halstead. Over recent years it has been known as The Friends. Funds are raised through sponsorship, membership, and participation in a range of events. If you would like to become a member of The Friends, to offer help on the committee or assist with planning an event, or if you wish to find out which events are coming up, visit www.friendsofstandrewshalstead.co.uk or speak to a member of the committee who this year are: Jan Allen, Phil Amos, Claire Cannon, Carolyn Brown, Helena Gee, Mike Gee, Penny Hill, Pauline Tilsley and Margaret Tyler. The PCC thank Claire Cannon and her team for their generosity and hard work raising funds for the fabric of the building. The current Quinquennial Report highlights urgent work required on the roof over the organ loft and vestry, and this has been the focus for fundraising this year. Earlier in the year Roger Smith’s service as Chair of the League of Friends was acknowledged when he retired after many years at the helm. Also departing this year, Jan Amos, David Kerrison, Mike Reece and Michael Randall. Our thanks extend to them also. Fund raising events over the last year these have included, a Christmas Tree Festival, quiz nights, concerts by Colne Philharmonic Orchestra, Jill Crossland - pianist and William Janssen - organist, and for the first time, tabletop sales. **The League of Friends** Page **7** of **12** **Parish of St Andrew with Holy Trinity** ## **Friday Coffee Morning** The Friday coffee morning, now in its 36th year, was once again held weekly in St Andrews Hall throughout 2023 and provided an opportunity for both our regulars and many others to drop in for a coffee and a chat and to look through the many bargains that were always on offer. In 2023, although mainly a social event, we raised more than £700 for parish funds and we appreciate those who come along week by week to support us. Donations of bric a brac, books or other small items are always welcome. ## **The Coffee Morning Team** ## **Hinckford Deanery Synod** 2023 saw a change in representatives from St Andrew’s Church attending meetings as Anne-Maree Robertson and Canon Brain Vidler stood down from their roles. We thank them for their service and hard work for the Deanery Synod, especially Brian for undertaking the role of Deanery Lay Chair. In March 2023 the meeting was held at Earls Colne was chaired by Canon Brian Vidler. The Bishop of Chelmsford’s document Travelling Well Together was welcomed and commended to the PCCs. The June meeting 2023 held at St Andrew’s Halstead, again chaired by Canon Brian Vidler. This was a special meeting and invitations to attend were extended to the PCC. The speaker was Bishop Guli, The Bishop of Chelmsford, who gave a most interesting and moving account of her life in Iran and as a refugee here in the UK. She also spoke passionately about the Travelling Well Together document and how to build on what we have as a church. November saw the meeting being held at St Andrew’s Halstead and chaired by the Area Dean Rev Katie de Bourcier. This time the speaker was Beccy Hills, Diocesan Parish Giving Adviser speaking of how the Diocese can help PCCs with different ways of raising funds. ## **Pauline Tilsley. Deanery Synod Representative** ## **St Andrew’s C of E Primary School – All Saints Academy Trust** We are thrilled to be asked to contribute a synopsis of our year for you all. It has certainly, as ever, been a busy one. Our big news is the school’s recent SIAMS inspection; this took place in February and was a very positive experience. Pupils, staff and our whole school community are very proud of the report that followed and there are just a couple of highlights I have shared. The inspection findings indicated that St. Andrew’s is living up to its foundation as a Church school. We feel the report captures what we offer and there are many parts that we were so glad to see… “St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School is rooted in its vision for ‘promoting a love of life and learning in all.” “Pupils flourish both academically and as members of their local community ““ “St Andrew's is highly inclusive where pupils receive the support that they need, and wellbeing is prioritised.” Page **8** of **12** **Parish of St Andrew with Holy Trinity** “Pupils speak with confidence of the opportunities for spiritual development within their learning.” “Living well together” is intrinsic to life at St. Andrew’s. Treating yourself and others with respect is a core value…Pupils are tolerant and understanding of each other.” “Pupils are provided with a range of opportunities to challenge social injustice in their local area. Leaders recognise that this has positively developed pupils as local ambassadors. The embedded 'living well together' curriculum, gives pupils a 'voice'. As a result, pupils are beginning to speak with growing confidence about injustice and how they can make a difference to their school and community.” “Pupils talk confidently about how their knowledge in RE built upon, through a progressive and balanced curriculum. As a result, pupils make good progress in this subject.” We are also excited to announce we have decided on a picture for our Take One Picture bi-annual event. This year we are linking this to our Global Neighbours work. We have chosen a painting from the Royal Academies “In the Eye of the Storm Exhibition” - Modernism in Ukraine, 1900–1930s. The painting is called Ducks and was painted by Mykola Kasperovych in the 1920s. We will be holding the exhibition on the 6th June in our hall and then have been asked to display work at the Courageous Advocacy Pop Up Art Exhibition in Chelmsford Cathedral from 18th- 21st June. We will be inviting local stakeholders as well as our parent community to the event. With all of this work underway, we are using the Global Neighbours Scheme designed were able to send three young leaders to the Cathedral for their Identity and Diversity Pupil Summit: Growing Future Leaders on the 6th February 2024. We have also continued to work closely with the Katie in developing a sense of belonging with St. Andrew’s Church through both visits and shared services and her input in school delivering collective worship. We are now looking to the future and applying for a Global Neighbours Accreditation to capture the progress made in this area. Part of that is undertaking the sharing of our good practice in the form of our Living Well Together Curriculum, as directed as one of our actions following our SIAMs inspection. We continue to hold our vision at our core. St. Andrew’s aims high, promoting a love of life and learning in all. We take care of each other, working in partnership with families, the Church and wider community. This has been supported with the formation of the Church School Distinctiveness Group last year with Katie and Helena joining us; should any members of the wider Church Community want to support this group and support our continuous development please do get in touch. ## **Bridgette Gough. Executive Headteacher** Page **9** of **12** **Parish of St Andrew with Holy Trinity** ## **Holy Trinity C of E Primary School** This academic year Holy Trinity C of E Primary School has been involved in many whole-school projects to enrich the children's experience. Our main school driver has been in developing international awareness through links to schools in China, France and Thailand. We were proud to receive the International Award (intermediate level) accreditation that celebrates the achievements of schools that do exceptional work in international education. It is important to us that young people gain the cultural understanding and skills they need for life and work in today’s world. As part of the programme, I have visited schools in Nanjing and attended the International Forum for School Principals in November. Themed weeks also create a learning buzz at Holy Trinity from events such as Wellbeing Week (with mindfulness teachers and music therapists) to an Arts Week that included a large range of music styles and instruments with diverse cultural influences, once again linking to global citizenship. Character education and our aim of raising aspirations is developed through all the rich experiences we provide daily for our children whilst also fulfilling our theologically rooted Christian vision that links to the values of honesty, love and respect, 'love thy neighbour as thyself' and ‘love one another as he has loved us.' We have enjoyed working with our local community this year. Halstead in Bloom works with our pupils in a weekly gardening club and through Braintree Cultural Partnership we have children who have presented visitors to Halstead Day Centre with two books and artwork on the themes of memory loss and The Year of Number. We have supported our local Empire Theatre with a Christmas visit and have plans to perform a production in the summer term at the venue. We have also created decorated pebbles for the memorial garden and exhibited artwork on Courageous Voices in St Andrew's Church. The Diocese of Chelmsford have invited us to take part in a similar larger scale exhibition in Chelmsford Cathedral later in the year which is very exciting. We continue to embrace the relationship with the church through the services at St Andrew's Church for important events such as Remembrance Day, Harvest, Ash Wednesday, Christmas and Easter. ## **Sarah Rowe. Headteacher** ## **The Fabric, Goods and Ornaments of the Church** In 2023 without a definitive churchwarden elected, Angela Kerrison agreed to continue as churchwarden until September. These duties were then picked up by a team of PCC colleagues – Mel Black, Arthur Dodd, Mike Gee and Rachel Morris. This arrangement has ensured that all key duties are covered, and the team have valued the support and patience of the congregation for their collective work. Within and beyond the PCC, we rely on a dedicated team of colleagues, who ensure that the church can remain open each day and so all our services and other activities can take place. We are all grateful to these considerable efforts, many of which are not always immediately or easily seen by our wider church family. ## **Church Cleaning** Rachel Morris has taken over the organisation of the monthly cleaning schedule for the church. She is very grateful to the dedicated team of colleagues, who support this important work to keep the church looking at its best. We are always looking for new people to join the team and if you can help, please speak to Rachel or simply turn up on the Saturdays when cleaning takes place. There are always refreshments to keep everyone going during the cleaning sessions. Page **10** of **12** **Parish of St Andrew with Holy Trinity** ## **Church and Churchyard** This year has seen some development work by the Mustard Tree Project team looking at how we can improve the welcome, accessibility, and hospitality provided in our church building. We have worked with a new architect, who has been sympathetic to the current building and all its historical features while drawing up proposals so that it can serve the congregation and community better. The proposals include improved access, the provision of toilet facilities and a servery area in church. We have also investigated the provision of a modern, efficient and environmentally friendly heating system which is dependent on an updated electricity supply for the church building. The APCM meeting will provide an opportunity for all church members to view the plans and proposals in greater detail and to provide feedback. The Friends of St. Andrew’s have allocated money to support the repairs to the organ loft roof, which were identified in the Quinquennial Report. The early planning and approval stages of this project are underway and the work should begin later this year. A focus on raising funds will remain a major task for the church family going forward. We continue to be very grateful to Halstead Town Council who maintain the churchyard, under the arrangements that apply to closed churchyards, and to Halstead in Bloom who keep it looking beautiful. ## **Mike Gee. The Church Warden Team** ## **FINANCIAL OVERVIEW of 2023** ## **General Fund** This was a steady year against a background of high inflation in the country and significant increases in energy costs following the COVID pandemic and international instability, including the conflict in Ukraine. During the year generated income to the parish fell by 2.7% compared to 2022 while running costs increased by 3.1% leaving a significant shortfall between routine receipts and payments although this had been forecasted and built into the annual budget. A grant of £20,000 from historic reserves was transferred in to assist with cash flow and to offset the budgeted deficit. Once again the accounts include the financials relating to the Gateway Project which, over time, should be close to cost neutral for the parish with funding being provided mainly from the Diocese but with other grants being obtained to support the Soul Food Project. The PCC’s General Fund for 2023 show total receipts of £100,161 (£98,357 in 2022), excluding the Gateway Project, and this includes £25,000 transferred in or donated from reserve or Trust Funds to bridge the gap between receipts and payments. Voluntary receipts were slightly lower than the 2022 levels with pledged giving, restricted donations and those via Gift Aid envelopes showing a decline but partly offset by increased collections and the tax reclaimed on giving under Gift Aid. Receipts for St Andrews Centre were around £2000 down on the previous year while PCC fees showed an increase of just over £1000. Page **11** of **12** **Parish of St Andrew with Holy Trinity** The total day to day costs of running the parish (excluding Gateway costs) amounted to £99,450 (£96,944 in 2022) with net spend, after deduction of third party fees, at £94,666 (£92,480) with the largest items being the Parish Share at £53,064 (£50,032) and the costs of running and maintaining SA Centre at £14,093 (£13,900). Overall payments, after adjusting for Diocesan and clergy fees, increased by a modest 2.4% compared to 2022 mainly due to the increase in the Parish Share. The net result for the year was an excess of receipts over payments on the current account of £367. ## **Fabric Fund (restricted fund)** Receipts for the year totalled £9,201 including a grant of £5,158 from the Essex Community Initiatives Fund to assist in replacing the boiler in SAC, a very welcome legacy of £504 and increased income from balances held on deposit. Payments totalled £4,046 including £2,751 on the Mustard Tree Project, this sum being paid from The Ivy Mead legacy. Most of the balance held in the Fabric Fund comprises of various legacies and is reserved for building works or special projects. ## **Other comments** It is the PCC’s policy to invest its cash reserves, in excess of those required to maintain a reasonable cash flow, with the CBF of the Church of England where interest rates are generally competitive. The PCC produces an annual financial budget and in 2024 it is estimated that there will be a gap between receipts and payments of around £21,000. Responding to this situation and setting a financial plan for the next 5 years must be a key focus for the PCC and the parish during the coming year. ## **Malcolm R R Willis. Parish Treasurer** Page **12** of **12** **Parish of St Andrew with Holy Trinity** # **Parish of St Andrew with Holy Trinity Halstead** Registered Charity No 1127357 # **Financial Statements of the Parochial Church Council** # **for the year ended 31[st] December 2023** **Rector and PCC Chair: Revd Katie de Bourcier The Rectory Parsonage Street Halstead Essex CO9 2LD** **Bankers: Barclays Bank PLC** **Independent Examiner:** Mrs Charlotte King Halstead Essex ## **FINANCIAL OVERVIEW of 2023** ## **General Fund.** This was a steady year against a background of high inflation in the country and significant increases in energy costs following the COVID pandemic and international instability, including the conflict in Ukraine. During the year generated income to the parish fell by 2.7% compared to 2022 while running costs increased by 3.1% leaving a significant shortfall between routine receipts and payments although this had been forecasted and built into the annual budget. A grant of £20,000 from historic reserves was transferred in to assist with cash flow and to offset the budgeted deficit. Once again the accounts include the financials relating to the Gateway Project which, over time, should be close to cost neutral for the parish with funding being provided mainly from the Diocese but with other grants being obtained to support the Soul Food Project. The PCC’s General Fund for 2023 show total receipts of £100,161 (£98,357 in 2022), excluding the Gateway Project, and this includes £25,000 transferred in or donated from reserve or Trust Funds to bridge the gap between receipts and payments. Voluntary receipts were slightly lower than the 2022 levels with pledged giving, restricted donations and those via Gift Aid envelopes showing a decline but partly offset by increased collections and the tax reclaimed on giving under Gift Aid. Receipts for St Andrews Centre were around £2000 down on the previous year while PCC fees showed an increase of just over £1000. The total day to day costs of running the parish (excluding Gateway costs) amounted to £99,450 (£96,944 in 2022) with net spend, after deduction of third party fees, at £94,666 (£92,480) with the largest items being the Parish Share at £53,064 (£50,032) and the costs of running and maintaining SA Centre at £14,093 (£13,900). Overall payments, after adjusting for Diocesan and clergy fees, increased by a modest 2.4% compared to 2022 mainly due to the increase in the Parish Share, The net result for the year was an excess of receipts over payments on the current account of £367. ## **Fabric Fund (restricted fund)** Receipts for the year totalled £9,201 including a grant of £5,158 from the Essex Community Initiatives Fund to assist in replacing the boiler in SAC, a very welcome legacy of £504 and increased income from balances held on deposit. Payments totalled £4,046 including £2,751 on the Mustard Tree Project, this sum being paid from The Ivy Mead legacy. Most of the balance held in the Fabric Fund comprises of various legacies and is reserved for building works or special projects. ## **Other comments** It is the PCC’s policy to invest its cash reserves, in excess of those required to maintain a reasonable cash flow, with the CBF of the Church of England where interest rates are generally competitive. The PCC produces an annual financial budget and in 2024 it is estimated that there will be a gap between receipts and payments of around £21,000. Responding to this situation and setting a financial plan for the next 5 years must be a key focus for the PCC and the parish during the coming year. ## **Malcolm R R Willis Parish Treasurer** ## **Independent examiner’s report to the PCC of St Andrew with Holy Trinity Halstead** I report on the accounts of the St Andrew Halstead PCC for the year ended 31 December 2023 and which are set out on the attached pages. ## **Respective responsibilities of the PCC and the examiner** The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an Independent Examination is needed. It is my responsibility to: - examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act - follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act; and - state whether particular matters have come to my attention ## **Basis of Independent Examiners Statement** My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the management committee concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in a full audit, and consequently I do not express an opinion on the accounts. ## **Independent examiner’s statement** In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention: - (1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements: - to keep accounting records in accordance with s 130 of the 2011 Act; or - to prepare accounts, which accord with these accounting records have not been met; or - (2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. (Signed) Charlotte King Independent Examiner Parish of St Ar￿re￿ wlth HolyTrinlty Ha15tead FFnaTrcial Statementlorthe yearended 31st DeceM￿r2025 Gewal Fwidluwesirfttedl CurrentAccwnt. Re£eIpts*￿9I￿Tr￿ts RAtelpts C￿￿(￿sIr0￿nÉ￿￿S¥ GfftA1derNe￿ 2Q 1758 IlfQ 39622 245 Dtsn*lorts RÈstrirledcDll¥tion51nDte71 2275 2165 242 5tAfidreW5ceNre￿pts D￿￿È￿ttfEes PCCfeE5 ClÈr4yf¢es EnergyfÈÈs Parbsbfvlawl D*h￿r￿[elp 17430 19329 2676 130 3YF 697 23￿ IKometromRkhmN*Trtsst MYestMwts Gr4rttsaTh4tr4n5 s￿￿tfrOMv&cwA￿￿rt(t*d Rmds Grartt*rttySBrtTtuX Othw$rnnts Bia a495 24712 22919 21777 31449 Total¥e£*os 120134 PayTrents Pari5h5hire stAndtsLvS(Enttp15eE5d￿v* ai 5W32 13 ChU￿￿1￿5UTan￿e 5019 4234 4701 317E PrOte551￿31fet5 Diorp51nfEe5 li 4538 ClerBvfees Chrt#Lin EdU(atknffta￿*0lrt￿Èh ClergyÈwnsÈs IQ93 7F2 tostaf sÈrvirE5 Otherr1>5ts TT3nsFerloFab￿F￿d 31793 lu171 Totslpvffjth 35J9 4$ Parish ¢)f St Andrew with HotyTrlnity Ha15tead Flnancial Statement for the year ended 31st December 2023 PCC General Fund Deposit Attount- Mlxed Funds Recelpts f•lrterestfrom CBF Dew5]t creditedto Soul FoTrl Interest frorn CBF Deposit Fund retained bythÈ PCC Grants awardedtoswl FooKI Prqert 291 97 32 15628 Payments Tnnsferof Soul Focd funds toPCCcurientalc 8530 -8142 tBF Dekw)srt ?cuJunt* 15tlanuary CBF Dewsitacwnt at31st December 18088 9946 2428 Ihe ba16n(eatyÈarend Ir￿udeS£7889QI fuThYsglkK4tedforknJl Food Fabric Fund RecÈlpts and Payments Account- Rèstrlcted Fund RÈceipts Grantto replace ts￿le[ SIC Interesifrorn CBF Depoyt Fund legaty Grènt received forbelldippèr re￿ir Grant retÈivedlor wst COVD a￿￿rtieS DDllatiDntransferredfrom PCC alc 5158 2297 930 500 250 8209 3830 pa￿nts MustardTree proiertCQ5ts Outdtstsreouipmentlfrom RCCE Brantl Repairsto bellclapper Bankcharyes Inetl GranttoPCCfrom Reynok45 Legacy INewoffKedooY1ll￿Vlj￿) 1751 829 370 97 566 98 1512 2176 4162 1654 8arc* Current¥lc at Istjanuary C8FDep051taccountat Istjanuary cUrrentar￿ Derm)s￿a¢CoUnts at 15tlanugry 3763 71672 75435 3039 70742 73781 r¢11￿c￿￿ent alc at315t Decernber tbF De￿$￿att0ll￿tat31￿D￿rnber Curtntand DeposttXtt￿Thts ?t315t DecEmber 5628 73969 3763 716T2 75435 79597 John Hlll Organ/Muslc Fund- Receipts and Payments Account- Restrlcted Fund 202 20Z2 Recelpts - Intsre5tfrom CBF f*posit Fund 303 123 Payments Exces5 of Receipts o¥erPayments 303 123 CBF DeF4>sftaccountat 15tl6nv8ry CBF Trewitaccount al315tDe￿rnbpr 9325 9751 9448 Parlsh of St Andrew wTrth Hoty Trfnlty Halstead Financial Ststernent for the year ended 31st December 2023 Reclstered U￿rtty140 1127357 Statement of Assets and Llabllltles at 31st Dettmber 2023 •Cashfvnd5 PCC Current Kccuftt- unre5tKted KC Oep05it Fund at CBF- mixed funds PCC Fabric Fund current a￿unt- restr￿ed PCC Fabric Fund at CBF- restrlrted John Hill Fund- restricted Total bankcutTent andthposit accounts 9946 5628 73969 9751 18Q88 3763 71672 plshart 1315.69 C8F Invesrment Fund Income Shores 2260.53 29742 27184 Theseinve5tments repr￿entthe Emesi Richmond Trust Fund-the useof Sncome Is unrestrirted IThevaluation 15 b35ed on mld marketvalue at yearendl Noies The fina￿131 staternents olthe Pcchave been prepared in accordance wi(h thechurch AccouDting Re6ulations 2006 usiTr8the Receipts & Payments basis. The followinga55Èts are recognised but not valued in the Statement of Assets and ￿abIlitieS.. Moveable thurd) furni5hinB5 held bythe church warden50n special trustforthe PCC and which requiTe afacuhyfor dL%posal. The expense5 paidto clergy mby include a small imtnaterial proport￿n, whlch relate5 to thelrfvnttion as P¢C ￿mbers. No expenses were paidto othef PCC mernber The'Fr￿ndso1sI Andrews. is3n independent re8i5tered charity Ino 10192701 whic ralses14Jnd5toasy5r ihe parish in m4intainirygthefabric of StAndrews Church. The Rector and Churchwardens are Trustees ofthesant ReslduaryTr￿ Fund whkh i5 reskFteYed wththe CharTty Commi5sioneTS Ino 2695701 and r￿￿deS￿rantstQfurther the teachin8 ofthe church, and to rdieve poverty, Inthe parish. ThefTgures inthese st4terAents have bÈen rounded tothe nearest w)und. The Sum recorded under'Restrittedtollections° re￿teS to rec•pts forspecif￿ objetts or tharities and hence isclassified as restrirted income. The balance inthe PCC detx)s¢ account include5 £7,389 of restrKted fund5 forsuul Food The balance in the PCC current ￿U￿t indudes £lO￿lOr Messy Church, £733for Soul Food and£9 forthe Children'ssoc'v. Approved ￿the PCC 7th May 2024 and signed on thelr ￿half by Revd Katle de Bourcier IPCC Chairl and Makolm Willi$ IPCC Trtasurerl tyykl LJ.( I Schedules 202 ule2-Re5 Christ￿￿ Market CofÈe 8fttrservThs & Stride sa￿ ￿lam$￿nd Ma￿48deS IJAI Easy 976 297 225 DECTurt6y Rtrd Jo Parrott *8VitWJ C47*b C￿￿re08 So Royal 8titsh LpJDn 495 300 45 26 67 *sa￿ of craft itern8 Pos181 Museum Subtotsl FI￿aY Coffee rrojrnff 25 22 1871 729 Total Fund Ralslng pald over Re(e*ts 17430 C4ntre caretakef MèintenarKeoffa£llltylservices Biillsh G3$ EIG- Inswance Opus. Eth AWA- Rates SeTrK¥ tnatetHL Safety systsm mamltenance Bob￿rma￿ten3nr% Adm￿ costs PRSIPPL LK*nr 2185 21( 13(K) 1503 663 463 360 480 156 Totsl 174ao 14C83 Exces50f receiptsO¥erpaYTnet￿ forStAndrewsCentre was £ ## **Independent examiner’s report to the PCC of St Andrew with Holy Trinity Halstead** I report on the accounts of the St Andrew Halstead PCC for the year ended 31 December 2023 and which are set out on the attached pages. ## **Respective responsibilities of the PCC and the examiner** The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an Independent Examination is needed. It is my responsibility to: - examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act - follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act; and - state whether particular matters have come to my attention ## **Basis of Independent Examiners Statement** My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the management committee concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in a full audit, and consequently I do not express an opinion on the accounts. ## **Independent examiner’s statement** In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention: - (1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements: - to keep accounting records in accordance with s 130 of the 2011 Act; or - to prepare accounts, which accord with these accounting records have not been met; or (2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. (Signed) Charlotte King Independent Examiner April 2024