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2024-12-31-accounts

The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St John the Evangelist, Great Stanmore

Otherwise known as: St John’s Church PCC, Stanmore

Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2024

Presented to the Annual Parochial Church Meeting 27[th] April 2025

Rector

The Revd Matthew Stone The Parish Office Old Church Lane Stanmore Middlesex, HA7 2QX

Registered Charity Number 1127658

Annual Report of the Parochial Church Council for the year 1[st] January to 31[st] December 2024

Administrative Information

St John the Evangelist, Great Stanmore, is situated on Church Road, Stanmore. It is part of the Willesden Episcopal Area of the Diocese of London within the Church of England. Contact details: The Parish Office, Church House, Old Church Lane, Stanmore, HA7 2QX. Telephone number 020 8954 7064. Email parishoffice@stjohnschurchstanmore.org.uk Website: http://www.stjohnschurchstanmore.org.uk/

The Parochial Church Council (PCC) of St John the Evangelist, Great Stanmore, is a registered charity. The number is 1127658.

PCC Members (Trustees)

The Members of the PCC are the trustees of the charity. During the year, the following served as members of the PCC:

Rector: The Revd Matthew Stone – Chair Churchwardens: Mrs Pam Curran - Vice-Chair Mr Graham Nicholson

Deanery Synod Representatives: End of Term Mrs Beverley McKeon 30[th] June 2026 Miss Lauren McKeon 30[th] June 2026 Mr Frederick Oshunniyi 30[th] June 2026 Elected Members: Mr Graham Denman retired APCM 2024 Mr Shaun Knevett retired APCM 2024 Mrs Jackie Peters retired APCM 2024 Miss Victoria Ward retired APCM 2024

Mr Nigel Bayliss to retire APCM 2025 Ms Jennifer Neve to retire APCM 2025 Mrs Jane Prentice to retire APCM 2025

The fourth PCC Member elected on 24[th] April 2022 was granted a Charity Commission, so the name is not published.

Mrs Sylvia Daniels to retire APCM 2026 Mr David Galt to retire APCM 2026 Mr Anthony Murphy to retire APCM 2026 Dr Lorna Wyon to retire APCM 2026

Mr Samuel George (from 28[th] April 2024) to retire APCM 2027 Dr Madu Oji (from 28[th] April 2024) to retire APCM 2027 Mrs Nina Nolan (from 28[th] April 2024) to retire APCM 2027 Mrs Beverley Singleton (from 28[th] April 2024) to retire APCM 2027

Ex-officio:

The Revd Wendy Wall – Assistant Curate

A1

Bankers:

Independent Examiner:

Charity Commission Correspondent:

Structure, Governance and Management

The PCC is a corporate body established by the Church of England. The PCC operates under the Parochial Church Council Powers Measure. The method and appointment of PCC members is set out in the Church Representation Rules.

The PCC is registered with the Charity Commission under the full title of “The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St John the Evangelist, Great Stanmore” with a working name of “St John’s PCC, Stanmore” (No. 1127658). The members of the PCC are the trustees of the charity.

All regular Church attendees are encouraged to register on the Electoral Roll and stand for election on to the PCC to serve as a Churchwarden, Deanery Synod Representative or PCC Member. We are very keen to ensure those elected fully represent the congregation.

The Standing Committee is the only committee legally required. It has power to transact the business of the PCC between meetings, subject to any directions given by the PCC. Whilst a Standing Committee was appointed, it did not need to meet in 2024.

A2

Aims and Purposes

The PCC has the responsibility of co-operating with the Rector, the Revd Matthew Stone, in promoting in the parish the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. It also has the responsibility for the maintenance of the Church Building, Churchyard, Old Brick Church, Church House, Church Field, Church House Cottage, Hollond Lodge and St John’s House (16 The Chase).

Objectives and Activities

The PCC is committed to enabling as many people as possible to worship at St John’s and to become part of the parish community. This is underpinned by our Mission Statement: “Drawn together by Christ’s love, we seek by his grace to live out his commandments to love the Lord our God with all of our being and to love everyone we come across as we love ourselves.”

We are an open Church welcoming of all people. Our services and worship put faith into action through prayer and scripture, music and sacrament.

When planning our activities for the year, the Rector and PCC have considered the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit and, in particular, the supplementary guidance to charities for the advancement of religion. Specifically, we try to enable ordinary people to live out their faith as part of our parish community through:

An important (and essential) part of each PCC Meeting were the discussions about our mission strategy, and in particular what responses we might make to “Listening to London, Listening to God” – the new collective vision for the Diocese of London. After extensive consultations in 2019, to which we contributed, the Diocese identified four ambitions: Confident Disciples, Compassionate Communities, Creative Growth and Connected Young People. A report of our PCC discussions on mission and other work can be found on pages A8-15.

Church Attendance

There are 179 parishioners on the Church Electoral Roll, 69 of whom are resident in the parish, and 110 of whom are not resident in the parish. The average weekly attendance in church across all services, counted in October 2024, was 140 (110 adults, 30 children). A link is always available from the website to facilitate access to the weekly Church of England’s ‘worship at home’ service for those who need it, although we are not aware of any church members who use it.

Achievements and Performance

Worship and Prayer, Discipleship and Pastoral Care

An 8am Holy Communion and 9.30am Parish Communion take place every Sunday (on the first Sunday the Parish Communion is an All-Age Service). A monthly contemporary service ‘Engage’ takes place, except during August and December. A midweek service is held every Tuesday at 10.30am in the chapel.

In addition, the whole community worships together for major festivals, including Mothering Sunday, Easter Day, Dedication Festival, Harvest Festival and Christmas Day.

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We hope our services enable attendees to draw closer to God, worship with one another, and be spiritually refreshed. All are welcome to attend. Refreshments are served after the Parish Communion (and All-Age Service) in Church House (or the Church after Engage) provided by our dedicated Café St Jean team.

To cater for the younger members of our Church community, we offer Junior Church on the second and fourth Sundays of each month. On the third Sunday afternoon of each month, a Junior Church games session takes place. The children enjoy participating in the monthly AllAge Service on the first Sunday in the month. The PCC paid for the Junior Church children to play crazy golf in October and to see ‘Sleeping Beauty’ at Radlett Theatre in December. Most weeks there are 30 children in church which is very encouraging.

An online study course ran from Advent to Lent called ‘From the stable through to the grave’. A growing partnership with Stanmore Baptist Church continued to deepen with joint events being held for children on two occasions during the year (Shrove Tuesday Pancake Party and a Light Party on Halloween). We also jointly led three discipleship courses during the year.

The church youth group continues to meet twice each term (in line with the wishes of the young people) and caters for those in Years 7-13. By the end of the year there were 20 young people attending regularly. Different activities were arranged including games, BBQ, Laser Tag and Ten Pin Bowling. The PCC made a contribution to cover the costs of the outings.

The annual Battle of Britain Service took place on Sunday, 15[th] September. The attendance included the Mayor of Harrow, Representative Deputy Lieutenant along with large numbers of ATC cadets and others. The sum of £337.50 was collected during the service and split equally between Bentley Priory Museum, the RAF Benevolent Fund and the Royal Air Forces Association.

A Memorial Service took place on Sunday, 3[rd] November to which the families of those who have received our funeral ministry across 2022, 2023 and 2024 were invited. The sum of £300 was collected during the service to support the work of Bereavement Care. Refreshments were provided in Church House after the service.

A very well attended Act of Remembrance took place at the War Memorial in the Churchyard on Remembrance Sunday (10[th] November). The PCC paid £95 to have The Last Post and Reveille played on the trumpet.

Our catering team provided a delicious Pre-Lent Lunch, October Harvest Parish Lunch and a Christmas Lunch. In June a Parish Breakfast was held for the first time. In July we held a Parish Picnic with bouncy castle and slide hired to entertain the children.

On 9[th] December, St John’s Church hosted the Harrow Voluntary Aided Schools’ Carol Service involving 7 Roman Catholic Schools and the 2 Church of England Schools.

The children from St John’s Church of England School attend a service at least termly (Easter, end of term in July, Harvest and Christmas). There was also a Key Stage 2 School Carol Service held on 18[th] December. The clergy also deliver regular collective worship.

The Clergy enjoy good relationships with a number of other local schools: Aylward Primary School, Avanti House Secondary School, Bentley Wood High School, North London Collegiate School, Stanburn Primary School, Stanmore Montessori and Whitchurch Primary School.

A4

Different year groups from each of these schools visit the church during the year. The clergy deliver termly assemblies in Aylward Primary School.

During 2024 the church was used for:

(numbers in brackets relate to 2023)

The Rector, Assistant Curate and PCC are committed to the pastoral care of all people in the parish of St John’s. Holy Communion was taken regularly to four housebound parishioners (and others as and when required) by a commissioned team of lay people in addition to the Rector and Assistant Curate. The Rector and Assistant Curate make time to visit parishioners at home or in hospital with the assistance of the Licensed Lay Ministers, Pastoral Assistant and Bereavement Visiting Team.

In addition to worship, spiritual growth is encouraged through Home Groups, of which there are now three meeting regularly. The Assistant Curate is leading a new monthly prayer group and a reading the Bible in a year group.

The Rector meets regularly with the Assistant Curate, Churchwardens, Treasurer, Deputy Wardens and Parish Administrator to plan the workload for the ensuing months. As part of the meetings, priorities are agreed for upcoming fabric works.

The achievements of the PCC are only possible because of the large number of volunteers who give generously of their time and energy. Volunteers undertake a wide variety of tasks including (but not restricted to) membership of the various committees and visiting teams, stewardship of buildings, stewardship of finances, children’s & youth work, Little Fishers, Tea & Chat, flower arranging, music, gardening amongst many others. The PCC gratefully acknowledges all these contributions.

Missionary and Outreach Work

During the course of the year the PCC decided to make the following donations:

Bereavement Care £200
Flyspec £2,000
Mission to Seafarers £2,000
St John’s C of E School £1,000
Transforming Lives for Good (TLG) £975
Total £6,175

Risks

The trustees confirm that the major risks (namely financial, health & safety and safeguarding) as identified by the trustees, to which the charity is exposed, have been reviewed and systems or procedures have been established to manage those risks.

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Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline

The PCC have complied with the duty under section 5 of the Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure 2016 in relation to having due regard to the House of Bishops’ guidance on safeguarding children and vulnerable adults. Safeguarding remains a substantive item on each PCC agenda and we use the Church of England’s Safeguarding Dashboard.

The Revd Matthew Stone Rector

Deanery Synod Report

The Deanery Synod met for three sessions during the year with a time of worship led by the hosts, who were invited to give a profile of their mission and ministries before the Synod prayed for them. Hosts also kindly provided refreshments. At each meeting reports were tabled or presented on the recent sessions by those elected to the Diocesan and General Synods.

The first meeting was held on 6[th] February at the London School of Theology in Northwood with the theme of “Engaging with our Communities”. Revd Julian Gadsby, Church Engagement Specialist of the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity spoke on discipleship, making a difference where we are, and shared the 6 M s of Discipleship. These are: M odel a godly character, M ake good work, M inister grace and love, M ould Culture, M outhpiece for truth and justice, M essenger for the Gospel. He reminded us that we are called to love our neighbour. We are called to tell everyone about Jesus. We should live our lives authentically for Jesus. We need to treat people we meet as people not projects. Noah Kelly of St Alban’s North Harrow spoke about the Willesden Area Ministry Experience Scheme.

The second meeting was held on 13[th] June at All Saints Harrow Weald. The meeting started in the Forest School which is located to the north of the church. Synod opened with a minute’s silence in memory of John Dolling, Lay Chair of the Synod for many years, who had died. Revd John Barker gave a brief profile of the church. He said that there were four parts of the church and its worship:- the Forest School, the Pre-School, the Church Hall, and the Parish. Revd Dave Bookless, Head of Theology of A Rocha International, spoke about the ECO-Church programme in England and Wales which was started by A Rocha 8 years ago and 7,000 churches are already enrolled in it. There are five areas in the ECO-Church Survey and to gain the awards parishes need to show that they have made progress in all five. These are: Worship and Teaching; Management of Church Buildings; Management of Church Land; Community and Global Engagement; and Lifestyles. Tom Johnson, Treasurer of St Alban’s North Harrow, spoke about the project that they had recently undergone to install Solar Panels on the hall roof for electricity generation.

Clive Scowen had been elected as Lay Chair, David Green as Treasurer, Sarah Archer and Jon Lindsay-Scott as Clergy Representatives on the Standing Committee, Robert May, Toby Partridge and Judith Shepherd as Lay Representatives on the Standing Committee, and Mike Still as the third Deanery representative on Harrow Standing Advisory Committee for Religious Education. Matthew Szurgot, the Head of School at Holy Trinity Northwood Church of England School was co-opted to Synod. The Deanery Accounts for 2023 were approved.

The third meeting was held on 23[rd] November at St Jerome’s Bilingual Church of England School in Harrow on the theme “Growing Younger: Improving our Provision for Children and

A6

Youth in our parishes”. Synod members had been asked to submit questions for a panel of practitioners consisting of Sarah Agnew, Children and Families Ministry Advisor for the Diocese; Carol Sormaz, Children, Families and Community Worker, Christ Church Roxeth; Andy Carson, Youth Worker, Christ Church Roxeth and Harley Lloyd-Fix, Re:Generation Harrow Schools Worker. A summary of the Questions and Answers was included in the minutes of the meeting for parishes.

Robert May Honorary Secretary Harrow Deanery Synod

Church House

During 2024 Church House generated income of £64,287 (2023 £58,174). The income is generated through a mixture of regular bookings and one-off bookings. Additional income was received from the London Borough of Harrow because Church House was needed as a Polling Station on two occasions. In 2024 there were 44 one-off bookings (2023 – 60).

The following non-church groups use the premises on a regular basis:

  1. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (Wednesday evening)

  2. Karate (Thursday afternoon)

  3. Metropolitan Police Cadets (Tuesday evening)

  4. Rainbows/Brownies/Guides (Friday evenings during term time)

  5. Stanmore Montessori (Monday to Friday during term time)

  6. Taekwondo (Monday and Thursday evening)

A hiring agreement is signed on an annual basis with each regular hirer, apart from Stanmore Montessori where the legal instrument in place is a lease. The lease was renewed for a further five years in 2024. Each group that works with children and young people is asked to submit a copy of their latest safeguarding policy on an annual basis along with their current insurance certificate.

A robust booking system for hiring Church House on a one-off basis has been in place since 2014 and reviewed annually by the PCC. The booking system is administered through the Parish Office. This ensures we maintain a professional and consistent approach towards all bookings.

Terms & Conditions of hire are in place for all Church House users (both regular and one-off). These include reference to the hirer putting in place their own safeguarding procedures if children will be on the premises during their booking, food hygiene/allergy information, insurance cover and risk assessments. All hirers of Church House must sign a booking form which confirms their agreement to the Terms & Conditions.

An agreed pricing structure is in place for one-off bookings:

Wolstenholme Hall

£85 per hour (daytime) £110 per hour (after 6pm)

£250 Good Conduct Deposit payable every time

A7

Engagement Parties/Wedding Receptions

£2,500 for the day

An appointed keyholder oversees one-off bookings. They are paid a fee of £25 (£50 for an after 9pm finish) per booking for providing a service to handover the premises to a one-off hirer. The keyholder is not an employee but rather a contractor who submits invoices for their services.

The handover covers emergency evacuation, fire extinguishers’ locations, health & safety, safeguarding and security, as well as the practical elements of using the premises (eg how to operate the heating).

At the end of the booking, the keyholder returns to Church House to ensure the premises are left clean and tidy before locking up.

A defibrillator was purchased in 2024 and is kept in the kitchen.

Church House remains first and foremost the church hall for St John’s Church and priority will always be given to church groups/activities ahead of one-off bookings.

The following church groups use the premises on a regular basis:

  1. Junior Church (including the monthly games session)

  2. Little Fishers Parents & Toddler Group

  3. Tea & Chat

  4. Youth Group

It was also pleasing to hold a Pre-Lent Lunch, Harvest Lunch, Christmas Lunch and Parish Breakfast during the year. These are popular events with delicious food.

Karen Stirrup Parish Administrator

PCC Secretary’s Report

The PCC met seven times in 2024: 8[th] February, 19[th ] March, 28[th] April, 21[st] May, 18[th] July, 25[th] September and 26[th] November. All meetings were held in Church House.

Attendance at PCC meetings measured as a percentage was 66% (2023 - 75%) across the year. At every meeting apart from April, PCC Members received an update on the financial position to the end of the previous month. Updates on fabric matters, safeguarding and mission remained substantive agenda items.

As St John’s Church is a registered charity, PCC Members were reminded on two occasions in the year of their obligations as trustees, especially the responsibility to ensure our ‘charity’ is operated in a way that carries out its purposes in respect of public benefit. PCC Members are confident that they have done this. PCC Members regularly complete a Trustee Declaration.

A8

PCC meetings are always efficiently organised with the agenda, minutes, financial information and other papers being circulated electronically at least one full week ahead of each meeting. This gives PCC Members the opportunity to read the papers in advance so they can prepare for each meeting. Whilst PCC Members view the papers online to save printing and environmental costs, hardcopies of the agenda, minutes and financial information are placed in the church porch for others to read to ensure transparency and accountability. PCC Members are invited to declare any interests (financial or otherwise) at the beginning of each meeting and withdraw whilst the conflicted item is discussed. Draft minutes are usually circulated within 48 hours of the meeting to enable action points to be taken forward promptly. Financial information is circulated monthly to PCC Members in between PCC meetings to ensure they are kept up to date.

As other reports will invariably contain business that has been transacted by the PCC during the year, this report will be focused only on matters that are unlikely to appear elsewhere.

February

March

April

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May

July

September

A10

November

A11

At various points during the year, the congregation were invited to make online donations if desired to support directly the Harrow Foodbank, the Children’s Society and Firm Foundation.

The produce collected in the Harvest Festival on 6[th] October was taken to the Harrow Foodbank. There is no longer a collecting box in the church as Sainsbury’s in Stanmore have a collection point which is more convenient for people to use.

Following the church burglary in December 2023, it took an eternity to obtain additional safe keys after the lock was changed. This was finally achieved. Matters outstanding include replacing the silver (and chapel cross and candlesticks) and repairing the brass cross and candlesticks used on the main altar. The £450 cash which was taken from the safe also needs to be replaced. These matters are being taken forward by the Loss Adjuster, Woodgate & Clark.

Karen Stirrup Parish Administrator

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Mission

The Diocese of London’s current vision is as follows:

The PCC had been supporting four priority mission areas: children & young people, discipleship, environment and outreach until the July PCC meeting. It was decided to refresh the membership of each group and to focus on three areas: children & young people, discipleship and environment.

Some of the work discussed and actioned in 2024 is as follows:

Children & Young People

Discipleship

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Environment

Outreach (until July 2024)

We also work with a number of schools as follows:

Avanti House Secondary School

Aylward Primary School

The Year 3s (60 children) visited the Church in October to learn about prayer, worship and Holy Communion. The Rector and Assistant Curate continued to deliver assemblies in school at Christmas, Easter and Harvest each year.

Bentley Wood High School

The annual visit from the Year 11 students is taking place in January 2025.

North London Collegiate School

St John’s School

The Year 6s (60 children) visited the Church in June as part of a local history lesson. The new Year 6s visited to learn about baptism in September. The whole school visit each term for a service. A Key Stage 2 Carol Service was held in December. The Rector and Assistant Curate deliver regular collective worship in school and a separate Eucharist was held for Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 in the Autumn Term. A Year 6 Leavers’ Service was held in school in July.

- Stanburn Primary School

The Year 4s (120 children) visited in March to learn about the Church.

The Reception children (90 children) visited the Church in December to learn about Christmas.

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It has been another very busy year with lots of great things going on. Thank you to all those who work so hard to ensure the smooth running of St John’s Church – far too many to name – but all equally valued and appreciated.

Karen Stirrup PCC Secretary

Financial Review

  1. A budget for 2024 was approved by the PCC on 22[nd] November 2023. A copy of the current budget is always displayed in the church porch. PCC Members also retain a copy.

  2. The accounts are operated on an accruals basis.

  3. Total expenditure was £226,819 compared to total income of £241,354 resulting in a surplus of £14,535 (2023 - £22,135).

  4. Planned giving has decreased by £1,088 to £76,862 (2023 - £77,950). Other donations have increased: £10,561 (2023 - £8,510).

The main reason for this increase was as a result of the contactless giving machine that was purchased in 2024. After a successful pilot over three Sundays (which generated income of £280), a Payaz Giving Station was purchased for £365. This machine is stationed by the south door every time there is a service. From 23[rd] June to 31[st] December 2024, £2,845 was received in donations.

  1. An annual ‘thank you’ letter was sent in respect of all regular donations received during the year.

  2. Gift Aid recovered on eligible stewardship and donations amounted to £19,908 (2023 - £19,374) and related to donations received from January 2024 through to December 2024.

A15

  1. The annual donation from the historic Stanmore Charities totalled £5,103 (2023 - £4,971).

  2. After the screen broke, members of the church family donated £6,068 to cover the cost of the replacement. This was unbudgeted income.

  3. Additional income of £64,286 (2023 - £58,174) was generated from hiring Church House (our hall) which is represented as follows:

Total (£) Total (£)
Stanmore Montessori 36,112
Regular Bookings 11,722
One-Off Bookings x 44 (2023 = 60) 16,452
TOTAL 64,286

There were fewer one-off bookings in 2024.

Church House was needed as a Polling Station by the London Borough of Harrow on two occasions. This generated additional income of £1,500 each time.

The long-standing tenancy agreement at Hollond Lodge was renewed for a further 36 months on 1[st] December. An increase in rent has been agreed for each year of the new tenancy.

In addition, a grant was claimed on the VAT charged across 2023 and 2024 on the stonework costs incurred to 31[st] December (£4,248.36) and 2024 Organ Works (£3,450.40).

These VAT grants have been credited to the cost centres from where the various invoices were paid (£538 = Church Maintenance, £4,248.36 = Quinquennial Inspection and £3,450.40 = Organ Fund).

A16

During the year unbudgeted tree works were undertaken on Church Field costing £2,880. New Flooring was laid in the Micklem Hall costing £2,818.

The Church and Church House 2022 electricity contracts were renewed during the year. Fortunately, the cost of electricity has reduced a little resulting in a cheaper tariff being secured. The 2021 Church House gas contract was renewed, but unfortunately the cost of gas has risen significantly since the 2021 was executed. Three smart meters were fitted.

There are seven legacies totalling £41,305 currently being held as follows:

** Two unrestricted and anonymous donations were received during the year (£10,000 in April, £5,000 in December). These amounts have been added to a new designated fund set up for the replacement of the church heating system. Gift Aid

A17

totalling £3,750 was claimed on these amounts. The balance on the new church heating fund is £28,750 as at 31[st] December 2024.

The monies representing these funds are held in separate bank deposit accounts with the Central Board of Finance Church of England Deposit Fund.

Reserves Policy

It is the policy of this church to hold as a minimum in reserve the equivalent of three months of general running costs (£50,000) and an additional three month’s salary costs (£2,500). It is also our policy to hold £25,000 for any urgent building work that may arise during the year.

I should like to take this opportunity to thank the members of St John’s who regularly support the mission and ministry of the church by their [regular] giving. Thanks also to those who have helped with the finances (bank signatories and paying in at the bank) during the year.

Jennifer Neve PCC Treasurer

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Church Workers Pension Fund (CWPF) FRS102 Wording - December 2024 Year End

St John’s Church participates in the Pension Builder Scheme section of CWPF for lay staff. CWPF is administered by the Church of England Pensions Board, which holds the CWPF assets separately from those of the Employer and other participating employers.

CWPF has two sections:

1. the Defined Benefits Scheme

  1. the Pension Builder Scheme, which has two subsections:

  2. a) a deferred annuity section known as Pension Builder Classic, and,

  3. b) a cash balance section known as Pension Builder 2014 (= St John’s Church)

Pension Builder Scheme

Both sections of the Pension Builder Scheme are classed as defined benefit schemes.

Pension Builder Classic provides a pension, accumulated from contributions paid and converted into a deferred annuity during employment based on terms set and reviewed by the Church of England Pensions Board from time to time. Discretionary increases may also be added, depending on investment returns and other factors.

Pension Builder 2014 is a cash balance scheme that provides a lump sum which members use to provide benefits at retirement. Pension contributions are recorded in an account for each member. Discretionary bonuses may be added before retirement, depending on investment returns and other factors. The account, plus any bonuses declared is payable, unreduced, from age 65.

There is no sub-division of assets between employers in each section of the Pension Builder Scheme.

The scheme is considered to be a multi-employer scheme as described in Section 28 of FRS 102. This is because it is not possible to attribute the Pension Builder Scheme’s assets and liabilities to specific employers and means that contributions are accounted for as if the Scheme were a defined contribution scheme. The pensions costs charged to the SoFA in the year are the contributions payable (2024: £489, 2023: £463).

A valuation of the Pension Builder Scheme is carried out once every three years. The most recent valuation was carried out as at 31[st] December 2022.

For the Pension Builder Classic section, the valuation revealed a surplus of £34.8m on the ongoing assumptions used. At the most recent annual review effective 1 January 2025, the Board chose to grant a discretionary bonus of 6.7% to both pensions not yet in payment and pensions in payment in respect of service prior to April 1997; and a bonus on pensions in payment in respect of post April 2006 service so that the pension increase was 2.7% (where usually it would be calculated based on inflation up to 2.5%). This followed improvements in the funding position over 2024. There is no requirement for deficit payments at the current time.

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The next valuation is due as at 31 December 2025.

For the Pension Builder 2014 section, the valuation revealed a surplus of £8.5m on the ongoing assumptions used. There is no requirement for deficit payments at the current time.

The legal structure of the scheme is such that if another employer fails, St John’s Church could become responsible for paying a share of the failed employer’s pension liabilities.

Wording supplied by the Church of England Pensions Board

==================================================

These accounts were approved by the Trustees on 25[th] March 2025 and signed by the Chair on their behalf. _____ haw 4. The Revd Matthew Stone Chair

A20

Statement of Financial Activities 1[st] January 2023 to 31[st] December 2024

Unrestricted Restricted Endowment 2024 2023
Income and endowments from:
Donations and legacies
Income from charitable activities
Other trading activities
Investments
Other income
Total income
Expenditure on:
Expenditure on charitable activities
Other expenditure
Total expenditure
Net income / (expenditure)
Transfers
Gross transfers between funds - in
Gross transfers between funds - out
Net movement in funds
Total funds brought forward
Total funds carried forward
Represented by
Unrestricted
General fund
Designated
Church Heating Fund
Clergy Housing Fund
Legacies Fund
M Webb Legacy Fund
Organ Repair Fund
Property Account Fund
Rectory Decoration Fund
Restricted Interest
Restricted
Bell Ringers Fund
Great Stanmore Old Church Fund
Legacies Fund
M Webb Legacy Fund
Restricted Interest
Weber Grave Fund		 107,410
(75)
—
107,335
105,837
14,261
—
—
14,261
13,706
71,505
—
—
71,505
59,499
48,253
---
—
48,253
45,994
---
---
—
---
920
241,429
(75)
—
241,354
225,957
220,668
—
—
220,668
194,339
6,152
—
—
6,152
9,482
226,819
—
—
226,819
203,821
14,610
(75)
—
14,535
22,135
9,283
5,199
—
14,482
12,566
(9,383)
(5,099)
—
(14,482)
(12,566)
14,510
25
—
14,535
22,135
2,913,024
1,763
—
2,914,787
2,892,651
2,927,535
1,788
—
2,929,322
2,914,787
277,700
—
—
277,700
251,953
(2,500)
---
---
(2,500)
---
(4,158)
---
---
(4,158)
---
500
—
—
500
500
(76)
—
—
(76)
---
(34,633)
—
—
(34,633)
(31,182)
2,680,000
—
—
2,680,000
2,680,000
(7,200)
—
—
(7,200)
(6,399)
17,750
—
—
17,750
18,153
—
(7,585)
—
(7,585)
(7,585)
---
(75)
---
(75)
---
—
7,650
—
7,650
7,650
—
---
—
---
75
—
1,677
—
1,677
1,501
—
120
—
120
120

There are minor discrepancies in the totals because the pence are not being shown.

A21

Balance Sheet 1[st] January 2024 to 31[st] December 2024

2024 2023
Fixed assets
Tangible assets
Current assets
Investments
Cash at bank and in hand

Liabilities
Creditors: Amounts falling due in one year
Provision for liabilities and charges due within one year
Net current assets less current liabilities
Total assets less current liabilities
Liabilities
Creditors: Amounts falling due after more than one year
Provision for liabilities after one year
Total net assets less liabilities
Represented by
Unrestricted
Unrestricted - General fund
Designated
Designated - Restricted Interest
Designated - Organ Fund
Designated - Rectory Decoration Fund
Designated - Legacies Fund
Designated - Property Account Fund
Restricted
Restricted - Bell Ringers’ Fund
Restricted - Restricted Interest
Restricted – Mary Webb Legacy Fund
Restricted – Legacies’ Fund
Restricted - Weber Grave Fund
Funds of the church		 2,679,971
2,679,971
897
348,184
349,081
22,316
2,082
324,683
3,004,654
48,098
27,234
2,929,322
277,700
17,750
(34,633)
(7,200)
500
2,680,000
(7,585)
1,677
0
7,650
120
2,929,322		 2,680,000
2,680,000
868
321,293
322,161
13,329
1,520
307,312
2,987,312
35,800
36,725
2,914,786
251,953
18,153
(31,182)
(6,399)
500
2,680,000
(7,585)
1,501
75
7,650
120
2,914,786

A22

Notes to the Financial Statements

1[st] January 2024 to 31[st] December 2024

Accounting Policies

a. Accounting convention

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Church Accounting Regulations, together with applicable accounting standards and the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP).

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention.

The financial statements include all transactions, assets and liabilities for which the PCC is responsible in law. They do not include the accounts of church groups that owe their affiliation to another body, nor those which are informal gatherings of church members.

b. Funds accounting

Funds held by the PCC are:

Unrestricted funds – general funds which can be used for PCC ordinary purposes.

Designated funds – monies set aside by the PCC out of unrestricted funds for specific future purposes or projects.

Restricted funds:

Endowment funds: funds the capital of which must be maintained; only income arising from the investment of the endowment may be used, either as restricted or unrestricted funds, depending on the purpose set out in the terms of the original endowment.

c. Incoming resources

All incoming resources are accounted for gross.

Voluntary income

Collections are recognised when received.

Planned giving receivable is recognised only when received.

Income Tax recoverable on gift aid donations is recognised when the income is recognised. Grants and legacies are recognised when the PCC is legally entitled to the amount due.

Income from investments

Dividends are accounted for when due and payable. Interest entitlements are accounted for as they accrue.

All other income

All other income is recognised when it is receivable.

Gains and losses on investments

Realised gains are recognised when the investments are sold.

A23

d. Resources used

Resources expended are accounted for on an accruals basis and are accounted for gross.

Grants

Grants and donations are accounted for when paid over, or when awarded where the award creates a binding obligation on the PCC.

Church Activities

The Diocesan Parish Share (= Common Fund) is accounted for when paid. Any Parish Share unpaid at 31[st] December is provided for in these accounts as an operational (though not legal) liability and is shown as a creditor in the balance sheet. The Parish Share has always been in full.

e. Fixed Assets

Tangible fixed assets

Consecrated and beneficed property of any kind is excluded from the accounts by s.96 (2) of the Charities Act 1993.

Movable church furnishings held by the Rector and Churchwardens on special trust for the PCC and which require a faculty for disposal are accounted as inalienable property unless consecrated. They are listed in the church’s inventory which can be inspected. For some inalienable property acquired in the past there may not be sufficient cost information surviving and therefore such assets may not be valued in the accounts. Individual items acquired since 1[st] January 2009 have been capitalised in the accounts and depreciated over their useful economic life (see note (d)).

Depreciation

Depreciation is calculated to write down the cost of tangible fixed assets, excluding freehold properties, over a five-year period which is to the end of their expected useful lives. There are no assets currently being depreciated.

No depreciation is provided on freehold property as it is the PCC’s policy to maintain these assets in a continual state of sound repair. The useful economic life of these assets is so long and residual values so high that any depreciation would not be material. These assets will be subject to annual impairment reviews. Provision will be made if there has been any permanent diminution in value.

Investments

Investments are stated at book value in the accounts and recorded at market value at balance sheet date in the accompanying notes.

f. Current assets

Amounts owing to the PCC at 31[st] December in respect of fees, rents or other income are shown as debtors, less provision for amounts that may prove uncollectable.

Short term deposits include cash held on deposit either with the CBF Church of England Funds or at the Bank.

g. Trustees

Apart from the Rector and Assistant Curate, who are in receipt of stipends paid by the Church Commissioners, no other elected PCC Member was remunerated in 2024. The aggregate amount given by serving PCC Members in 2024 was £12,607.

The Rector, Assistant Curate and Pastoral Assistant were reimbursed expenses of office totalling £1,032 of which £327 relates to mileage, and £132 relates to travel on public transport. No other payments were made to PCC Members, nor persons closely connected to them.

A24

Income and Expenditure 1[st] January 2024 to 31[st] December 2024

Year to date: 01 Jan 2024 - 31 Dec 2024

Budget
Actual
Variance
2023		 Budget
Actual
Variance
2023		 Budget
Actual
Variance
2023		 Budget
Actual
Variance
2023		 Budget
Actual
Variance
2023		 Budget
Actual
Variance
2023		 Budget
Actual
Variance
2023
Income
Standing Orders
Gift Aid – White Envelopes
Stewardship Cheques
Donations Other Gift Aid
Curate (Ordination Gift)
Donations Other not Gift Aided
Church Plate Collections
Open Church Collections
Tax recoverable on Gift Aid
Stanmore Charities (Clerk Staple/Hollond Lodge)
Fundraising
Dividends & Interest
CBF Bank Interest
Rent - 16 The Chase
Rent - Hollond Lodge
Funeral Fees PCC
Wedding Fees PCC
Listed Place of Worship Grant
Church Hall Caretaker Fee
Church Hall Lettings – One-Off
Montessori School Letting
Church Hall Lettings – Regular
Youth Group
Café St Jean
Social Events
Church Flowers
Little Fishers Parent and Toddler Group
Junior Church
Church Bell Tower		 75,000
76,520
1,520
200
30
(170)
620
312
(308)
600
1,116
516
—
—
—
2,000
4,044
2,044
1,500
5,144
3,644
240
261
21
18,500
19,909
1,409
5,000
5,103
103
—
6,068
6,068
30
—
(30)
7,640
16,028
8,388
20,850
21,000
150
11,100
11,225
125
1,200
1,770
570
600
706
106
400
—
(400)
—
1,150
1,150
16,200
16,452
252
31,000
36,112
5,112
6,000
11,722
5,722
100
312
212
1,800
1,915
115
900
2,413
1,513
1,355
1,153
(203)
100
192
92
300
698
398
—
—
—
Income – totals
203,235
241,354
38,120
225,957
Year to date: 01 Jan 2024 - 31 Dec 2024 Year to date: 01 Jan 2024 - 31 Dec 2024 Year to date: 01 Jan 2024 - 31 Dec 2024 Year to date: 01 Jan 2024 - 31 Dec 2024 Year to date: 01 Jan 2024 - 31 Dec 2024 Year to date: 01 Jan 2024 - 31 Dec 2024
Budget
Actual
Variance
2023
Expenditure
Giving to Missionary Societies
Secular Charities (B. Care, Flyspec, TLG)
Ministry Parish Share (plus School Mission Fund)
Ministry Parish Share - Extra
Parish Administrator – Salary
Parish Administrator – National Insurance
Parish Administrator – Pension/Life Insurance
Employer’s NI Allocation HMRC £5,000
Church Quinquennial
Maintenance - Hollond Lodge
Maintenance - Church House Cottage		 4,100
4,100
—
3,175
2,000
2,000
—
2,000
92,164
92,164
—
88,652
—
3,427
(3,427)
4,389
11,170
11,170
—
10,546
166
281
(115)
200
491
489
2
463
—
(295)
295
-207
10,000
22,401
(12,401)
7,302
1,662
1,409
253
1,207
600
460
140
100
4,100
4,100
—
2,000
2,000
—
92,164
92,164
—
—
3,427
(3,427)
11,170
11,170
—
166
281
(115)
491
489
2
—
(295)
295
10,000
22,401
(12,401)
1,662
1,409
253
600
460
140

A25

Maintenance – The Chase
Legal & Professional Fees
Honoraria
Working Expenses of Incumbent
Parsonage House Expenses
Pastoral Assistant
Working Expenses of Curate
Curate (Ordination Gift)
Parish Training
Hospitality Expenses
Youth Group
Home Group
Administration
Postage & Telephone
Photocopier – Costs
Photocopier – Lease
Parish Office Costs
Printing/Stationery
Harrow Deanery Expenses
Bank Charges
Church Cleaning
Church Insurance
Church Maintenance
Church Flag
Church Flowers
Church Lighting
Church Organ/Piano Tuning
Church Projection System
Church Garden Waste (Brown Bin)
Upkeep of Services
Service Sundries
Music & Choir & Licenses
Church Publicity
Sundry Expenses
Junior Church
Social Events
Café St Jean
Church Electricity
Church Water
Church Heating
Church Hall Electricity & Gas
Church Hall Rubbish Removal
Church Hall Sundry Expenses
Church Hall Insurance
Church Hall Maintenance
Church Hall Mowing
Church Hall Cleaning
Church Hall Cleaning Materials
Church Hall Caretaking Fee
Church Hall Water
Church House Cottage – Repairs
Hollond Lodge - Repairs
16 The Chase - Repairs		 Budget
Actual
Variance
1,920
1,839
80
4,000
2,218
1,782
—
269
(269)
800
665
135
600
1,459
(859)
100
5
95
500
362
138
—
—
—
500
779
(279)
142
425
(283)
600
617
(17)
—
32
(32)
160
1,245
(1,085)
872
976
(104)
1,100
1,003
98
1,330
1,390
(60)
199
301
(102)
1,000
2,052
(1,052)
25
—
25
200
221
(21)
2,400
2,698
(298)
6,697
6,757
(60)
3,500
2,932
568
—
327
(327)
769
879
(110)
—
—
—
1,200
696
504
—
6,018
(6,018)
—
69
(69)
1,200
2,169
(969)
750
619
131
420
353
67
250
(183)
433
750
312
438
876
867
9
1,500
1,499
1
852
1,239
(387)
4,200
3,819
381
425
288
137
5,000
4,451
549
10,000
11,775
(1,775)
517
636
(119)
—
120
(120)
3,348
3,360
(11)
7,575
9,353
(1,778)
3,000
6,772
(3,772)
3,000
2,550
450
750
1,280
(530)
1,200
1,275
(75)
400
427
(27)
2,000
—
2,000
2,000
—
2,000
2,000
—
2,000
Expenditure – totals
202,980
226,819
(23,839)
203,821
Overall totals
255
14,535
14,280
22,135

A26

Statement of Assets and Liabilities as at 31[st] December 2024

Cash
CBF Deposit Account
Barclays Current Account
Investments
CCLA Shares
Tangible Assets
Property
Liabilities (due within a year)
Accruals (Architect, CF Extra, CH Roof)
Returnable Deposit (Stanmore Montessori)
Deferred Income (2025 CH Bookings, Flowers)
Liabilities (due after one year)
Organ Fund
Rectory Decoration
Legacies (x 3)
Restricted Fund (Old Church & Bell Ringers)
Church Heating Fund		 315,687
32,497
348,184
897
897
2,680,000
2,679,971
21,816

500
2,082
-24,398
13,048
6,300
14,321
12,913

28,750
-75,332		 2,929,322
2,929,322

A27

Fund Statement of Change 1[st] January 2024 to 31st December 2024

a

A28

Statement of Assets and Liabilities (by code) as at 31[st] December 2024

Class and nominal code General Designated Restricted Endowment 2024 2023
Fixed assets - Tangible assets
6000000 : Church House at — 1,100,000 — — 1,100,000 1,100,000
6000001 : St Johns House at — 775,000 — — 775,000 775,000
Cost The Chase
6000017 : Hollond Lodge at — 380,000 — — 380,000 380,000
cost
6000018 : Church House — 425,000 — — 425,000 425,000
Cottage at cost
6000050 : Investments (29) — — — (29) —
Total (29) 2,680,000 — — 2,679,971 2,680,000
Current assets - Cash at bank and in hand
A1504 : Bank current account 45,220 (28,105) 15,382 — 32,496 5,893
A1520 : CBF CofE deposit A/c 255,898 59,488 302 — 315,687 315,400
Total 301,117 31,383 15,684 — 348,184 321,293
Current assets - Investments
A1559 : Investment Shares (CCLA) 897 — — — 897 868
Total 897 — — — 897 868
Liabilities - Creditors: Amounts falling due after more than one year
A1612 : Rectory Decoration Fund — 6,300 — — 6,300 5,500
A1670 : Organ Repair — 13,048 — — 13,048 30,300
A1671 : Church Heating Fund — 28,750 — — 28,750 —
Total — 48,098 — — 48,098 35,800
Liabilities - Creditors: Amounts falling due in one year Liabilities - Creditors: Amounts falling due in one year Liabilities - Creditors: Amounts falling due in one year Liabilities - Creditors: Amounts falling due in one year
A1613 : Montessori returnable deposit 500 — — — 500 500
A1647 : Accruals 21,816 — — — 21,816 12,829
Total 22,316 — — — 22,316 13,329
Liabilities - Provision for liabilities after one year
A1700 : M Webb Fund — 5,687 — — 5,687 5,199
A1701 : A Carey Fund — — 983 — 983 982
A1710 : Bell Fund — — 7,881 — 7,881 7,936
A1711 : E Bowen — 7,650 — — 7,650 7,650
A1714 : Old Church Fund — — 5,032 — 5,032 4,956
A1715 : Jenny Gurdon — — — — — 10,000
Total — 13,338 13,896 — 27,234 36,725

A29

Statement of Assets and Liabilities (by code) as at 31[st] December 2024


Class and nominal code
General
Designated
Restricted
Endowment
2024
2023
Liabilities - Provision for liabilities and charges due within one year
A1610 : Deferred Income
2,082
—
—
—
2,082
1,520
Total
2,082
—
—
—
2,082
1,520
Net total assets
277,587
2,649,947
1,788
—
2,929,322 2,914,786
Represented by
Unrestricted - General
277,700
—
—
—
277,700
251,953
Designated - Heating
—
(2,500)
—
—
(2,500)
—
Designated - M Webb
—
76
—
—
76
—
Designated - Organ
—
(34,633)
—
—
(34,633)
(31,182)
Designated - Rectory
—
(7,200)
—
—
(7,200)
(6,399)
Designated - Clergy House
—
(4,158)
—
—
(4,158)
—
Designated - Legacies
—
500
—
—
500
500
Designated - Property
—
2,680,000
—
—
2,680,000 2,680,000
Designated - Interest
—
17,750
—
—
17,750
18,153
Restricted - Bell
—
—
(7,585)
—
(7,585)
(7,585)
Restricted - MWeb
—
—
—
—
—
75
Restricted – Old Church
—
—
(75)
—
(75)
—
Restricted - Legacies
—
—
7,650
—
7,650
7,650
Restricted – Weber Grave
—
—
120
—
120
120
Restricted - Interest
—
—
1,677
—
1,677
1,501
Total
277,700
2,649,835
1,788
—
2,929,322 2,914,786

There are minor discrepancies in the totals because the pence are not being shown.

A30

Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of: The PCC of St John the Evangelist, Great Stanmore

I report on the financial statements for the year ended 31st December 2024 which are set out in the foregoing pages.

Respective responsibilities of the trustees and examiner

The PCC (Trustees) are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The PCC 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:

Basis of independent examiner’s report

My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commission. The examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the PCC 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 no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair view’ and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.

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 section 130 of the 2011 Act,

  2. to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act have not been met; or

  3. to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Signed _______ D. Taylor-Mew FMAAT

Date: 13[th] February 2025

123 Park Lane, Harrow, Middlesex, HA2 8NN

A31