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The Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin, Axminster Incorporating Holy Cross Church, Woodbury Lane Registered Charity No: 1127655 Annual Report and Financial Statements of the Parochial Church Council for the year ended 315t December 2023 ## Rector: ## The Reverend Clive Sedgewick - retired August 2023. Now in interregnum ## Bankers: CAF Bank Ltd, 25 Kings Hill Avenue Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent ME19 4JQ. ## Independent Examiner: Wayne Cook Website : www.axevmc.com 1 The Parochial Church Council of St. Mary the Virgin, Axminster ## Annual Report ## for the year ended 31** December 2023 ## Aim and Purpose St. Mary the Virgin’s Parochial Church Council (the PCC) incorporating Holy Cross Church, Woodbury, has the responsibility of supporting the ecclesiastical parish, the mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelical, social, and ecumenical. The PCC is responsible for the buildings in the Parish although Holy Cross has its own committee with delegated powers for both the buildings and the day to day running of this church. The Minster is a grade Il* Listed Building, and the PCC is also responsible for the Church Room situated between the church and the Rectory. ## Objectives and Activities The PCC is committed to enabling as many people as possible to worship at our churches, and to be part of the parish family. When planning our activities, the PCC has considered the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit, and the specific guidance on charities for the advancement of religion. Our services and worship put faith into practice through prayer, scripture, music, and the sacrament. We try to enable people to live out their faith as part of our parish family through: e Worship and prayer: Learning about the Gospel and developing knowledge and trust in Jesus. - e The provision of pastoral care for people living in the parish. - e Mission and outreach work. Maintenance of the fabric of both the church and the church room are essential to deliver our aims and objectives. ## Achievements and Performance ## Worship and prayer 2023 has been a challenging year for the PCC with the retirement of the Rector and thus the start of an interregnum period. There has been a further reduction of regular attendees at the Minster although we have seen the arrival of some new people to the town and the church. Sadly, some people who stopped attending church during Covid have never returned. During 2023 congregational numbers averaged 30. Despite the reduced attendance the Minster has remained financially secure thanks to a limited number who are exceptionally generous and want to see the church flourish in Axminster. Services at the Minster have remained at a level much reduced since the pandemic and comprise a 10.30am Sunday service and a weekly Holy Communion service on Tuesdays at 10am. For 3 weeks each month the Sunday service is Holy Communion and on the fourth Sunday there is a lay led Morning Worship. tn practice the lay led service is usually week 2. An 8am Holy Communion service is held once a month. 2 | | | During the year 10 Baptisms, and 15 funerals were held in the Minster. Sadly, this year no weddings took place. A system of Focal Ministers had been in place across the Axe Valley Mission Community (AVMC) with the focal Minister for the Minster being the Rector. However, since we entered the interregnum Focal Ministry has been impossible to maintain although the Minster has been well supported by a Transitional Support Minister and the Archdeacon. Su Clark, a Licensed Lay Minister remains part of the Minster team. During the year the Minster electoral roll stood at 61 (Holy Cross 31) with the PCC total 92. The provision of the weekly news sheet, ‘Pews News’, continued as the vehicle of communication across the AVMC. The Team Vicar provides oversight on this publication, and it is produced and circulated by the AVMC Administrator. The fortnightly Bible Study group continued to meet in the Church Rooms throughout the year. It is good to see a focus on study and understanding of scripture. 2023 included a significant ‘Civic’ celebration when the Minster hosted the celebration of King Charles Ili Coronation. The Remembrance Sunday service led by the Royal British Legion beside the War Memorial on the Minster Green was as ever well attended anda tribute to the fallen and all who serve. Pastoral Care, Mission and Evangelism A lay team, led by a person from Holy Cross, provides home communion to anyone unable to attend church and to the four Care homes based in Axminster. For many years, the Minster has been a hub of musical activity in the area. 2023 was no exception to this and we were delighted to be able to provide a venue for music in all sorts of genres. The Minster is extremely fortunate to have the services of two professional organists who have continued to provide music of a high quality at services and at the many occasional offices which take place throughout the year. Whilst the Minster no longer has an official choir, singers from the town and wider community come together to support services on special occasions. The service of Lessons and Carols in December 2023 was an example of this, when a choir of over forty led the singing ofa large and appreciative congregation. Thursday lunchtime concerts, running for six months of the year from May to September, continue to be a fixture in the life of the town. In 2023 we were able to offer a wide variety of concerts. Numbers attending these concerts have not yet returned to their pre-pandemic levels. Two choirs use the Minster for weekly rehearsals and termly concerts. Axminster and District Choral Society has, for nearly forty years, had the Minster as its base. It performed three concerts in the 202223 season with its Spring concert being particularly notable, as the first UK performance of the 1789 St Matthew Passion by CPE Bach (the son ofJS Bach), attracting the interest of musicians and musicologists 3 world-wide. Axminster Chamber Choir gave two concerts in the 2022-23 season, the entire proceeds of which were donated to local charities. The Axe Valley Community Choir, Axe Valley Orchestra and Axe Valley Academy have also used the Minster for rehearsals and concerts during the year. The Minster is fortunate to have 10 bells within its Tower all in good working order. We have a young enthusiastic Tower Captain, and he has been very successful in recruiting new bell ringers. 2023 has however been challenging with the loss of four ringers and at present no replacements. This means that currently the home team cannot ring all 10 Minster bells. However, using ringers from other churches we were able to reinstate the Advent Peal rung on the first Sunday of December. This was supported by extensive community involvement and coverage in the local paper and on social media. ## Volunteers Volunteers remaina critical element of life in the Minster. As people age and retire it has become harder to find new volunteers and this along with participant numbers is a critical focus for the future. ## Deanery Synod Deanery Synod only met twice in 2023. Jean Ray and Nicola Russell were the PCC Deanery Synod Reps. ## Church Fabric The Fabric Committee drew up a response and maintenance programme following the receipt of the 2021 Quinquennial Inspection Report, and all urgent items have been completed. The floor of the nave has finally been made safe. Many of the stones had become loose and unlevel and these have now been restored and reset by a specialist provider. The Minster uncovered possible wall paintings following a fire in the church and in 2023 their restoration, conservation and stabilisation was completed. The paintings are on the Chancel Arch and their uncovering has provided a link between the Nave and the Chancel. The conclusion of the specialist report was “This palimpsest of wall paintings is a remarkable discovery. The 15" century painting with the pomegranate design is unique for an English medieval wall painting and the silhouette of the rood is also extremely rare and the only one known to exist in the southwest of England”. The revealing of the artwork has been of great interest both to locals and specialists and in 2024 we pian a lecture by the conservation expert and hope to spread the word further. Work on the stained-glass windows has been needed for several years and a plan has now been approved by the PCC and will be undertaken in 2024. ## Safeguarding Report As a PCC we remain committed to the safeguarding policies agreed with the Diocese of Exeter. We have a Safeguarding Dashboard on which all training and safeguarding requirements are logged, and the Minster has a Safeguarding Lead who is the first port of call and link to the Diocese. During 2023 there were no reported incidents of a safeguarding nature. 4 Structure, Governance and Management The method of appointment of PCC members is set out in the Church Representation Rules. The council comprises the Incumbent, the Churchwardens, a representative of the Readers, those elected to the Deanery Synod, and other members who are elected at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting, by those on the Electoral Roll including representatives of Hely Cross. Members of the congregation are encouraged to join the Electoral Roll and to stand for election to the PCC. The PCC members are responsible for making the decisions on all matters of general concern and importance in the parish, and for all financial matters. The full PCC met six times during the year. 5 ## Holy Cross Church ## Aim and Purpose Holy Cross is situated in Woodbury Lane, on the southern edge of Axminster. As mentioned at the start of this document Holy Cross has its own Committee with delegated powers for the building and day to day running of the church. It is within the Parish of Axminster and thus part of the Axminster PCC. Holy Cross has a “gathered congregation” from the town and surrounding villages including Raymonds Hill, Charmouth and Lyme Regis. ## Objectives and Activities In line with the objectives set by the PCC we try to enable people to live out their faith as part of our parish family through: - e Worship and prayer: Learning about the Gospel and developing knowledge and trust in Jesus. - e The provision of pastoral care for people living in the parish. - e Mission and outreach work. ## Achievements and Performance ## Worship and Prayer Holy Cross held 50 weekly services in 2023 with an average of 24 attendees. The numbers attending have remained relatively static during the period. Prior to July the usual service at Holy Cross was Holy Communion. However, with the retirement of the Rector, clergy have been in short supply and Holy Cross introduced a lay led Morning Worship for one week each month. These have been relatively well received although a survey of the congregation indicated that Holy Communion remains the favoured service. Evensong where there is a fifth Sunday in the month has continued and been well supported. There have been no Life Events in the last year although Holy Cross was honoured to hold a receiving service for the coffin of a very revered member of the clergy prior to their funeral at East Devon Crematorium the following day. The Bible Study group has continued fortnightly during 2023 with an active group of 9 people. Holy Cross Headlines, our email group has grown again and keeps everyone in touch with our own news as well as AVMC events. ## Pastoral care, Mission and Evangelism As mentioned previously a member of Holy Cross leads the team providing home communion to individuals and the care homes. During 2023 the Anna Chaplaincy Scheme was introduced with the AVMC, and the one Anna Chaplain is a member of Holy Cross. The team consists of 1 Anna Chaplain, 7 Anna Friends and 5 original members of the Home Communion team. In May Holy Cross held a special celebratory service for the Coronation followed by a celebratory tea in Woodbury Hall. 6 In December we held a Carol service which was very well attended by people who do not regularly attend church and we followed this with mulled wine and mince pies in Woodbury Hall. Numbers were 20% higher than last year. ## Church Fabric After the flood of 2021 it has been good to see that this year, despite heavy rains, our new defences have stood up well. The barrier at the gate is clearly working well and efforts by several people have ensured that the drains have been kept clear of leaves at all times. The employment of a regular gardener has helped ensure that the gardens have been much tidier. We are committed to following green policies where possible and during 2023 we applied for, and received the Bronze level Eco Award from AROCHA. Holy Cross Mission Action Plan A Mission Action Plan (MAP) was developed for the AVMC during 2023 incorporating the plans for all 8 churches. The Holy Cross MAP is reviewed at each Committee meeting to assess progress. It is updated regularly and new items will be included in 2024. 7 Financial Review 2023 ## The Minster The Minster has been very fortunate in 2023 with substantial major donor and legacy income. These two exceptionally generous, but high risk, categories have accounted for 75% of the £136,287 received in general income. Less than 20% of the income (£24,700) came from members of the church/services and there are now only 10 standing orders each month with a value of £362 (£4,344 p.a.). General expenditure was £60,337, the common fund £28,335 and expenses to the AVMC £4,608 accounted for more than half of this. There was minimal expenditure on repairs and maintenance. With a further £46,423 set aside for reordering and repairs to the windows in 2024, the remaining net surplus on general funds was £29,527. With brought forward funds from previous years of £59,848 the carried forward total on general funds is £89,375. On restricted funds there was net expenditure of £ (3,966) mainly covering the payment of the final bill for Marcus Chantry to Benjamin Beauchamp. There is £35,841 in restricted funds, the reordering fund is the largest at £21,814. On designated funds there was net expenditure of £ (26,873), the bulk of this being the conservation of the wall paintings. There is £35,083 in designated funds, the largest is the fabric fund containing £20,650 which is half the cost of the stained-glass repairs booked for 2024. The total bank balances stand at £160,299. ## Holy Cross Holy Cross started 2023 making the assumptions that general income would equal expenditure; no large fundraising events would take place, and there would not be any major expenditure on the building. General income at £20,937 did cover the usual running costs of £20,462 and two very generous legacies totalling £7,000 were received which have boosted reserves. Payments include £12,429 share of the Axminster Parish Common Fund and £1,764 to the AVMC central fund for clergy expenses and parish office costs. At the end of December, general funds showa positive balance for the year of £954; with £7,655 brought forward from last year we have £8,609 in general funds, £2,140 in restricted funds and £5,000 in funds designated by the Committee. The bank balances total £15,749. Ongoing Holy Cross has 12 standing orders generating £880 per month and our average weekly cash collection is currently £90. We claim gift aid or GASDS on 95% of our income. ## Reserves Policy The PCC has resolved to maintain a balance on our General (unrestricted) Fund for the Minster Church which equates to at least three months’ unrestricted payments (approximately £16,000). 8 Administrative Information | | | St Mary the Virgin (Minster Church) is situated in the centre of Axminster and is in the Honiton deanery in the Diocese of Exeter. The correspondence address is The Rectory, Church Street, Axminster EX13 5AQ, The PCC is a body corporate (PCC Powers Measure 1956, and the Church Representation Rules 2006) and a Registered Charity No.1127655 PCC Members who have served from the 1* January 2023 until the date this report was approved are: ## Ex Officio - The Incumbent The Rev'd Clive Sedgewick — Chair - Resigned 315* August 2023 Curate Rev'd Tracey Voysey — Resigned 8*" August 2023 Licensed Minister Rev'd Shuna George — Resigned 24" May 2023 Reader Ms Su Clark Churchwardens Mrs Jean Ray Mrs Amanda Loveridge - Deanery Synod reps = Miss Nicola Russell (Holy Cross Chapel Warden) Mrs Jean Ray (Minster Churchwarden) - Safeguarding Officer Rev'd Tracey Voysey until 8 August 2023 - Minute Secretary Mrs Jennifer Pyle Elected Members Mr Martin Ferdinando — Appointed 30 November 2023 Mrs Emily Govender Dr Sugendran Govender Mrs Pamela Macfarlane (Holy Cross Rep) Mr Alan Meade — Appointed 19" April 2023 Mr Peter Parshall Mrs Margaret Peirce - Resigned 27" September 2023 Mrs Jennifer Pyle - Minute Secretary Dr Fraser Russell (Holy Cross Chapel Warden) — Appointed 19* April 2023 Treasurer to the PCC —-Mrs Melissa Kirkby — Resigned 30° November 2023 Mrs Pamela Macfarlane is acting as interim treasurer ## Approved by the PCC on the 21 March 2024 and signed on its behalf by: Rev'd Mike Clark Transitional Support Minister & Chair of PCC Mrs Pamela Macfarlane Treasurer 9 ## INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TS AXMINSTER PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL ST MARY THE VIRGIN, AXMINSTER — REG. CHARITY NO: 1127655 | report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts ofthe charity for the year ended 3! December 2023. Respective responsibilities of the PCC and the examiner As the charity's trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts: you 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 201! Act: - ¢ to follow the procedures laid down in ihe General Directions given by the Charities Commissioners under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act: and - ¢ to state whether particular matters have come to my attention. ## Basis of the independent examiner’s report My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently | do not express an audit opinion on the view given by 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 TequiTcments - to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act, and - ¢ to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply swithPeet thebbw MUOareoauntine UME LER, ANAreciiremanteMEE Wetted ts of theGLEN aeJALILBdeAntRR havaBERRte notAERP haanCINE moatLEI, Wear (2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. ## Ly. — 2 WAYNE COOK raat, aaTos DATED 26" Feb 2024 Wayne's World of Accountancy 14 Mead Way Seaton, Devon, EX12 2NR 10 **----- Start of picture text -----**
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