ALL SAINTS CHURCH WITLEY
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS OF THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] DECEMBER 2022
Contents
| Financial Review | Page 1-2 |
|---|---|
| Summary of Financial Activities | Page 3 |
| Balance Sheet | Page 4 |
| Statement of Assets and Liabilities | Page 5 |
| Notes to the Accounts | Page 6-10 |
| Report of the Independent Examiner |
Financial Review
The accounts have been prepared using Accrual Accounting and have four fund types:
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Unrestricted – used for the General Fund only.
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Designated – used for specific named funds.
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Restricted – used for individual items within specific named funds.
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Endowment – funds the capital of which must be maintained, only income arising from the investment of the endowment may be used.
2022 has been another challenging year with people still worried about mixing after Coronavirus restrictions were finally lifted, which in turn is causing reduced congregations. Thus, planned giving remained similar to 2021. Our Gift Day was well supported this year with a total of £16,228 – of which £15,268 was gift aided; providing us with a further £3,817 reclaim. We managed to raise an additional £3,994 from other Fundraising activities and £1,118 from Church Activities. Also included in our income was a legacy of £3,482 and a grant from The Church House Trust of £7,800 to pay for the first 12 months’ salary of a Children and Families’ Worker. Our total income was down £12,244 (8.29%). However, our costs were also down by £9,744 (7.12%). When considered together, we made a small deficit of £2,025.
The revaluation of the Knutsford Grant showed a loss of £173, making a total loss of £2,198.
Please note that the comparisons below are against 2021, which was a relatively poor year.
Income
Our total income of £125,070 was down by £12,244 (8.29%). Important highlights include: our Donations & Legacies down by £13,361 (10.51%), which includes a legacy of £3,482 and a grant from Church House Trust of £7,800. Other income of £11,322 was up slightly by £1,117 (8.84%), this includes income from Church Activities, PCC Fees, Magazine Sales & Advertising and Church Lettings.
Expenditure
Our total expenditure of £127,095 was down by £9,744 (7.12%). Though the cost of Energy supplies increased during the year, we were fortunate that our contract with Total Energies, through Parish Buying, ran until the end of September. Therefore, the increased prices did not come into effect until the beginning of October. We noticed an inconsistency of the VAT being charged on our Gas bills. As a charity we should be charged 5% not the regular 20%. We were able to make a claim for the difference in VAT charges over a substantial period and received a credit of £1,763. This has helped to keep our utility costs down during 2022. Our maintenance costs were down this year by £9,771 (46.67%), mainly because we had some unusually large expenditure during 2021. Whilst we have made a concerted effort to control our costs during the year, the PCC decided that it could not afford to set aside the usual £3,500 maintenance provision this year or maintain our previous level of outward giving. Our end of year outward giving this year was £1,670. This was reduced further by the reversal of an unpresented cheque from last year of £162, leading to a revised figure of £1,508. [ please see outward giving below for details ].
Outward Giving – Charities
This year we made donations to the following charities:
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Chandler School,
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Guildford Bell Restoration Fund,
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Child of Hope (sponsor a child), and
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Embrace the Middle East.
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The total value given to the above charities was £1,670.
In addition to the above, we have also made the following in-year donations:
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Remembrance Sunday collection on behalf of the Royal British Legion £234,
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Collections in services on behalf of Child of Hope £1,000,
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Food Bank cash collections £410,
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Send Prison Lunch £543, and
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Children of Ukraine £304.
We have also held monthly congregational food donations for St Mark’s Food Bank.
Conclusion
As can be seen, in 2022 the Church has made an operational loss of £2,025. The revaluation of the Knutsford Grant showing a loss of £173, gives a total loss of £2,198.
Income Review
2022 was a tough year for everyone, which has had a knock-on effect to our donations. We were blessed to receive a legacy of £3,482 and the Church House Trust supported us with a grant of £7,800 to employ a Children and Families’ Worker. Please note that donations legacies and grants are shown in the accounts together under Donations legacies and grants.
Other Income, which includes Fund Raising, Church Activities, PCC Fees, Magazine Sales and Advertising and Church Lettings, were all slightly up on 2021. Our annual Gift Day was well supported, producing a total of £16,228 – of which £15,268 was gift aided. This provided a further £3,817 reclaim, for which we were incredibly grateful.
Expenditure Review
At the beginning of 2022, the PCC agreed to continue the policy of actively containing and stringently monitoring our costs. We still need to be very careful with our expenditure – ensuring that management always look for the most economical suppliers and scrutinize all non-budgetary expenditure.
As we have had a hard year, the PCC took the decision not to continue to allocate the provisions for major expenditure to the fabric of the Church and / or the Vicarage this year; so, the maintenance provision in the Balance Sheet will remain at £11,992.
The budget for 2023 has now been prepared. As we are expecting a large increase in our utility costs and pressure from the cost-of-living increases, we are expecting another tough year with the budget showing a deficit. We shall need to actively watch our costs and think of new ways of fundraising.
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Statement of Financial Activities
| Statement of Financial Activities | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Unrestricted ** | **Designated ** | **Restricted ** | **Endowed ** | Total Funds | _Total Funds _ | Notes | ||
| Funds | Fund/s | Fund/s | Fund/s | 2022 | 2021 | |||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | ||||
| Income and endowments from: | ||||||||
| Donations and legacies | 113,661 | 87 | - | - | 113,748 | 127,110 | ||
| Charitable activities | 8,735 | - | - | - | 8,735 | 8,083 | ||
| Other trading activities | 2,155 | - | - | - | 2,155 | 2,068 | ||
| Investments | 432 | - | - | - | 432 | 55 | ||
| Other receipts | - | - | - | - | - | |||
| Total income | 124,983 | 87 | - | - | 125,070 | 137,316 | 2 | |
| Expenditure on: | ||||||||
| Raising funds | 711 | - | - | - | 711 | 199 | ||
| Charitable activities | 124,458 | 60 | - | - | 124,518 | 135,695 | ||
| Other trading activities | 1,866 | - | - | - | 1,866 | 945 | ||
| Total expenditure | 127,035 | 60 | - | - | 127,095 | 136,839 | 3 | |
| Net Income / (Expenditure) | (2,052) | 27 | - | - | (2,025) | 476 | ||
| Net gains (or losses) on investments | - | |||||||
| Net income or (net expenditure) | (2,052) | 27 | - | - | (2,025) | 476 | ||
| Transfers between funds | - | - | - | - | ||||
| Total Transfers between funds | (2,052) | 27 | - | - | (2,025) | 476 | ||
| Other recognised gains/(losses): | ||||||||
| Gains/(losses) on revaluation of fixed assets |
- | - | - | (173) | (173) | 185 | ||
| - | ||||||||
| Net Income/(Deficit) for year | (2,052) | 27 | - | (173) | (2,198) | 661 | ||
| Reconciliation of funds: | ||||||||
| Total funds brought forward | 25,277 | 26,566 | - | 1,491 | 53,334 | 52,674 | ||
| Total funds carried forward | 23,225 | 26,593 | - | 1,318 | 51,136 | 53,335 | ||
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Knutsford FU ikryds Bank.curr Amnt caA ICBFI.General Deposit CCIA ICBFI. caA lCBF).thUhYJiopKCo)l Pettycash Debtor5.kcount ReceabS 255 241 33296 3186 26Y Provtsions Agency Creditors. PLcounts 11992 14989 5L136 Deficitto date Opwin88aLince Gains/ ItFSSe5 on Inve5tmentAssets Tot4 a55ets kna4rwEnt liablThlie5 47$ SZ6T3 173 EnWnIfrfjS Restricted fu$ lJrtstrthdfutyts ated 1491 232Z5 2S277 ThisAnnl fina1?1 Remforthe¥ ended 3ts1 tCe¥thr W*bJthngthethts was rAqSJ&rt5
Statement of Assets & Liabilities
| Statement of Assets & Liabilities | Statement of Assets & Liabilities |
|---|---|
| Unrestricted Designated Restricted Endowed Total FundsTotal Funds Notes Funds Fund/s Fund/s Fund/s 2022 2021 £ £ £ £ £ £ |
|
| Fixed Assets - Tangible Assets Investments - Knutsford Fund |
- - - - - 1,301 1,301 1,473 |
| Fixed Asset Total | - - - 1,301 1,301 1,473 |
| Current Assets - Cash at Bank & in hand Lloyds Bank - Current Account 18,944 7,104 190 17 26,255 28,194 CCLA (CBF) General Deposit Account 13,919 19,489 (112) - 33,296 32,864 CCLA (CBF) Fabric Deposit Account - - - - - CCLA (CBF) Churchyard Deposit Account - - - - - - Petty Cash 345 - (78) - 267 80 Current Assets Total 33,208 26,593 (0) 17 59,818 61,138 Current Assets - Debtors - - - Accounts Receivables 7,006 - - - 7,006 8,043 Current Assets - Debtors Total 7,006 - - - 7,006 8,043 Liabilities - Provision for Liabilities after one year Mantenance Provisions 11,992 - - - 11,992 11,992 Liabilities - Provision for Liabilities after one year Total 11,992 - - - 11,992 11,992 Liabilities - Agency Accounts Agency Collections - - - - - Liabilities - Agency Accounts Totals - - - - - - Liabilities Creditors - Amounts falling due in one year Accounts Payable 4,997 - - - 4,997 5,328 |
|
| Liabilities Creditors - Amounts falling due in one year Totals 4,997 - - - 4,997 5,328 |
|
| Net Assets £23,225 £26,593 £(0) £1,318 £51,136 £53,334 |
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Notes to the financial report
1 Accounting policies
a Accounting convention
The financial statements have been prepared under the Church Accounting Regulations 2006 in accordance with applicable accounting standards and the current (2015) Statement Of Recommended Practice, Accounting and Reporting by Charities SORP (FRS 102).
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention as modified by the inclusion of investments at market value. 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 - a) income from trusts or endowments which may be expended only on those restricted objects provided in the terms of the trust or bequest; b) donations or grants received for a specific object or invited by the PCC for a specific object. The funds may only be expended on the specific object for which they were given. Any balance remaing unspent at the end of the year is carried forward as a balance on that fund.
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 Income and endowments
All income and endowments are accounted for without deduction for any costs of receivability, are recognised when there is evidence of entitlement, receipt is probable, and the amount can be measured reliably.
Donations and legacies
Collections are recognised when received.
Planned giving receivable is recognised when there is evidence of entitlement, receipt is probable, and the amount accords with the Gift Aid declaration or other record of intention to donate.
Gift aid recovered is recognised when the income to which it is attached is recognised.
Grants and legacies are recognised when the formal offer in writing of the funding, is received by the PCC.
Charitable activities
Advertising income for the Parish Magazine is recognised when received.
Other trading activities
Trading activities are where income is receivable in return for selling goods or providing services. Income from trading is recognised when received.
Investment income
Dividends are accounted for when due and payable. Interest entitlements are accounted for as they accrue.
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Notes to the financial report (continued)
All other income
All other income is recognised in accordance with the above overall policy.
Gains and losses on investments
Realised gains are recognised when the investments are sold
Unrealised gains and losses are accounted for on revaluation at 31 December.
d Expenditure
Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and 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 contribution is accounted for on an annual basis, reflecting the allocation set by our Deanery. Any parish contribution unpaid at 31 December is provided for in these accounts as an operational (though not a legal) liability and is shown as a creditor in the balance sheet.
e Fixed Assets
Tangible fixed assets
Consecrated and beneficed property of any kind is excluded from the accounts by s.10(2) of the Charities Act 2011. Movable church furnishing held by the Vicar 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 but are not included in the financial statements. For other property acquired prior to 2007 there is insufficient cost information available and therefore the cost of such assets is not stated in the financial statements.
All expenditure on consecrated or beneficed buildings and individual items costing under £3,000 are written off in the year they were incurred.
Depreciation
Depreciation is calculated to write down the cost of tangible fixed assets, excluding freehold properties, over their expected useful lives. The rates generally applicable are:
Fixtures and fittings 20%
Audio visual equipment 20%
Office equipment 25%
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 market value at the balance sheet date.
f Current Assets
Amounts owing to the PCC at 31 December in respect of fees, or other income are shown a debtors less provision for amounts that may prove uncollectible.
Short-term deposits include cash held on deposit either with the CBF Church of England Funds, or at the bank.
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Notes to the financial report (continued)
| Notes to the financial report (continued) | Notes to the financial report (continued) |
|---|---|
| Unrestricted Designated Restricted Endowed Total Funds Total Funds Notes Fund Fund/s Fund/s Fund/s 2022 2021 |
|
| £ £ £ £ £ £ |
|
| 2 Analysis of income and endowments: Planned giving (excluding tax refunds) 56,829 - - - 56,829 57,002 Collections Inc. Blue Envelopes 5,579 - - - 5,579 5,281 Other & 1 off Donations 5,108 - - - 5,108 18,180 Gift Day 16,228 - - - 16,228 24,698 Imperial War Memorial Grant - 87 - - 87 48 Gift Aid recoverable 18,635 - - - 18,635 21,901 Legacies 3,482 - - - 3,482 - Grants 7,800 - - - 7,800 - |
|
| Donations and legacies £113,661 £87 - - £113,748 £127,110 |
|
| Fund raising activities 3,993 - - - 3,993 - Fees for weddings & funerals 3,624 - - - 3,624 7,697 Income from church activities 1,118 - - - 1,118 386 |
|
| Income from Charitable Activities £8,735 - - - £8,735 £8,083 |
|
| Magazine Advertisement & Sales 2,015 - - - 2,015 1,878 |
|
| Church letting & Other Income 140 - - - 140 190 |
|
| Other Trading Actives £2,155 - - - £2,155 £2,068 |
|
| Bank interest and dividends 432 - - - 432 55 Insurance claims - - - - - - |
|
| Investments £432 - - - 432 £55 |
|
| Other receipts - - - - - |
|
| Total received on all funds £124,983 £87 - - £125,070 £137,316 |
|
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Notes to the financial report (continued)
| **Unrestricted ** | Designated | Restricted | **Endowed ** | Total Funds | Total Funds Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Funds | Fund/s | Fund/s | Fund/s | 2022 | 2021 | ||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |||
| 3 Analysis of expenditure on: | |||||||
| Fund raising costs | 711 | - | - | - | 711 | 199 | |
| Other fundraising (non-trading) costs | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Raising funds | £711 | - | - | - | £711 | £199 | |
| Missionary and outreach | 830 | - | - | 830 | 234 | ||
| Ministry: | - | - | |||||
| diocesan parish share | 82,350 | - | - | - | 82,350 | 81,474 | |
| clergy & vicarage expenses | 193 | - | - | - | 193 | - | |
| Maintenance of Properties | 11,167 | - | - | - | 11,167 | 20,938 | |
| Maintenance Provision | - | - | - | 3,500 | |||
| Outward Giving | 1,508 | - | - | - | 1,508 | 4,365 | |
| Capital Appeal | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Organist and choir | 4,231 | - | - | - | 4,231 | 3,380 | |
| Administration Expenses | 13,882 | - | - | - | 13,882 | 10,833 | |
| Children & Young People | 1,687 | - | - | - | 1,687 | 189 | |
| Church Services | 1,019 | 60 | - | - | 1,079 | 1,523 | |
| Utilities | 3,907 | - | - | - | 3,907 | 3,939 | |
| Insurance | 3,554 | - | - | - | 3,554 | 3,518 | |
| PCC Costs | 130 | - | - | - | 130 | 435 | |
| Churchyard upkeep | - | - | - | - | - | 538 | |
| Audio Visual Enhancement | - | - | - | - | - | 829 | |
| Internal & Exterior Repairs | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Architects Fees | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Governance | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| Charitable activities | £124,458 | £60 | - | - | £124,518 | £135,695 | |
| Parish magazine costs | 1,613 | - | - | - | 1,613 | 676 | |
| Subcriptions | 253 | - | - | - | 253 | 269 | |
| Other trading activities | £1,866 | - | - | - | £1,866 | £945 | |
| Total expended on all funds | £127,035 | £60 | - | - | £127,095 | £136,839 | |
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Notes to the financial report (continued)
| Balances | Transfers, | Balances | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| b/fwd | other gains | c/fwd | |||
| 01/01/20221 | Income | Expenditure | and losses | 31-Dec-22 | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 4 Statement of funds | |||||
| Endowment Fund | |||||
| Knutsford Fund | 1,491 | - | - | (173) | 1,318 |
| Total Endowment | 1,491 | - | - | (173) | 1,318 |
| Restricted Funds | |||||
| Fabric | - | - | - | - | - |
| Churchyard Upkeep | - | - | - | - | - |
| Total Restricted | - | - | - | - | - |
| Unrestricted Funds | |||||
| General funds | 25,277 | 124,983 | (127,035) | - | 23,225 |
| Total Unrestricted | 25,277 | 124,983 | (127,035) | - | 23,225 |
| Designated Funds | |||||
| Choir | 100 | - | - | - | 100 |
| Churchyard Path | 482 | - | - | - | 482 |
| Church Clock | - | - | - | - | |
| Flower Fund | 383 | - | (60) | - | 323 |
| KWASA | - | - | - | - | |
| Church Lighting | - | - | - | ||
| Fabric | 5,176 | - | - | - | 5,176 |
| Churchyard Upkeep | 9,551 | 87 | - | - | 9,638 |
| Vicarage Re-decoration | - | - | - | - | - |
| Sound & Visual System | 10,874 | - | - | - | 10,874 |
| Total Designated | 26,566 | 87 | (60) | - | 26,593 |
| Total funds | 53,334 | 125,070 | (127,095) | (173) | 51,136 |
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Independent Examinerfs Report to the PCC of All Saints Church, Witley for the Year Fiided 31, December, 2022 This is my report to the Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish (PCCI of All Saints, Witley on the annual accounts for the year ended 31" December 2022 set out on pages 3 to 10. Respecuve responslbllities of trustees and examlner The PCC members are responsible for the preparation of the annual reports. The PCC members consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 I'the Charities ACVI and that an independent examination is needed. Basis of Independent examine¢s statement It is my responsibility to- l. examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charrties ACL 2. to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission lunder section 14515llbl of the Charities Act, and 3.to state whether particular matters have come to my attention. Independent examiner's statement My examination was carried out in accordance with general Directions given by the Charity Comrnission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those record5. It also include5 consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the trustees conceming any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audtt, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a 'true and fairf view and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below. In connection with my eXaminatn. no matter has corne to my attention l. that gives me reasonable cause to believe that in, any material respect. the requirements= to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; and b. to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting record5 and comply with the accounting requirements of the Charities Act 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. Reginald V Webb FCA FCMA. CGMA Cranleigh 27 February 2023
APCM VICAR’S REPORT 2023
26[th] March 2023
ALL SAINTS WITLEY Authored by: Revd James McKeran
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Vicar’s Report
For the APCM 26[th] March 2023
We had high hopes for 2022. Coming out of the last wave of restrictions accompanying the Omicron variant by mid-February, we were expecting a relatively calm year marked by steady rebuilding and a gradual recovery in our spiritual, numerical and financial health. However, the horrific Russian invasion of Ukraine – with its massive impact on global energy markets – coupled with the inevitable post-Pandemic economic reckoning, has led to a serious Cost-of-Living Crisis. This has obviously made our task much harder. We therefore faced a third difficult year in a row. Nevertheless, the mission to bring God’s love to our community in wonderful worship, joyful fellowship and active service continues undimmed. Despite the challenging circumstances, we were able to gain a degree of momentum as the year progressed – our services have gently expanded, we have managed to hold or host a whole series of social activities and there have been both many demands and numerous ways for us to contribute to village life. So let us survey the parish over the year: -
Management :
The key organs of our organization, the PCC and Executive Committee, have continued to function efficiently. The PCC retains a hybrid model for its bimonthly meetings, usually in-person but reverting to Zoom in the cold Winter months. Day to day decisions are taken by the Executive Committee (Vicar, Churchwardens, Treasurer and Team Priest), who meet every month. We said a sad good-bye to our excellent and efficient Administrator Debbie Partridge at the end of March, but were delighted to welcome Mark Gill to the post come April. He has settled in extremely well and has been an equal joy to work with. Tragically, our indomitable cleaner Ruby Godbold, who has cared for our church building since 1984, has had to retire due to breaking her wrist. We appreciate Jenny Haigh stepping into the breach, first temporarily and now on a more permanent basis.
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The tactical intention was to continue our focus on the basics until we had reached a point of sustainability, which could act as a launchpad to the planned special initiatives of the Mission Plan. Unfortunately, the background financial position is now actually worse than during the two years of Covid lockdowns. At the end of September our three-year fixed rate energy tariff deal for utilities came to an end. Even with being part of a national scheme through the Parish Buying Network, our new gas unit rates are four times previous and electricity twice. This sobering reality has also put similar pressure on all our members and their families from the start of 2022. Our income is correspondingly reduced. Though we did have a satisfactory Gift Day, with £20K raised to balance the books, things are tight and we need to count every penny. Having amazingly finished with a small surplus in 2021, in 2022, if you read the accounts, you will see that in an even tougher situation we have only made a small deficit of £2,500. This is relatively low for similar placed churches and charities, so well done everybody – not least our always on the ball and engaged Treasurer, Vivienne Wright – for all your hard work to achieve this result.
Notwithstanding, it was clear that after the social dislocation of the lockdowns our fellowship and fundraising needed to be turbo-charged regardless. The PCC formed a Social Events Group and throughout the Summer we enjoyed a splendid series of activities – a Platinum Jubilee Celebration (livestreaming the service with a special themed lunch), a Chichester Cathedral Choristers Concert, a Bridge Tea and a Send Prison Chaplaincy Fundraising Lunch. Congratulations to all those involved in making these fun and successful events happen.
Strategy – Having had to put much of the Mission Plan on hold for two years (to prioritise the essentials of worship, ministry and activities / outreach), in September the PCC took the time to review and update our key mission action points for the next couple of years. The central planks remain to employ and support a part-time Children and Families’ Worker to help
3
revitalize our children’s ministry and to install the planned Vision Project (front screen projection, cameras, live streaming facility) into Church.
After reviewing our needs, drafting the job description and advertising for the post, we are grateful for Zoe Mawhinney accepting the offer to become our Children and Families’ Worker in February. She worked well with the clergy in bringing creativity and stability to our Sunday children’s activities. Unfortunately, after a three-month trial, she felt the fuller job role expanding into pro-active weekday activities was not for her and thus stepped down. It became apparent that we ought to begin on a smaller scale. In July, Jenny Haigh joined us in the position but on a casual basis, assisting the clergy in selected areas. We have had some successes: Messy Church was restarted in 2022 and was immediately back to its pre-Covid levels of participation; special events like a Dolphin’s Picnic, Carols Round the Tree and a Valentine Day’s Tea Party have been very popular; and Popup Coffee has been replaced by a successful Pop-up Tea at school closing time on a Wednesday afternoon. However, we continue to struggle with volunteers to run Young Saints on a Sunday or indeed to attract our young families back to Church on a Sunday morning.
Turning to the Vision Project. After surviving three years of economic turbulence, the PCC has decided that we should now move forward with the final part of the technical overhaul of our facilities, the Vision Project. In 2023, we shall be exploring possible sources of income to deliver this.
Services :
Whilst numbers attending have gently recovered over the course of the last year, volunteers have been slower to return. It has been hard at times to fill the all-important rotas that ensure everything happens and to a high standard – whether it be for readers, intercessors, sidespersons, bellringers, the choir, reserve organists or church opening / locking. That said, the core team of Iain Nisbet as Director of Music, Ann Fraser as Team Priest and the Churchwardens have been marvelous: ever flexible, constantly reliable,
4
usually good-humoured and always directed to the goal of offering quality worship and friendly fellowship whatever the conditions or strains.
Special Services and Occasional Offices :
In order to draw the most accurate picture possible as to our current congregational position, it is helpful to consider average Sunday attendance over 2022. We have averaged over 52 weeks of the year a total of 71 attending Church on a Sunday; with 14 at the 8am and 57 at 10am or other (i.e., the couple of Café Church services held in the afternoon), including 7 children. This compares to pre-Covid levels as follows:
2022 2019 2018 2017 Total 71 99 91 87 Adults 64 87 79 75 Children 7 12 12 12
The view can be widened further by reviewing our Easter / Christmas festival numbers and the demand for the lifecycle rituals we call the Occasional Offices:
- Easter Services – these went ahead as planned and were reasonably well attended; I include the figures from the previous three years of inperson worship by way of comparison.
2022 2019 2018 2017 Palm Sunday 70 90 90 90 Maundy Thursday 23 32 39 39 Good Friday (2 services) 52 74 63 81 Easter Day (2 services) 138 186 181 155
The Sunday attendances – Palm Sunday and Easter Day – are about 75% of the 2019 figures (78% and 74% respectively).
5
- Christmas Services – these went ahead as planned and were well attended. I include the previous three years of in-person worship for comparison. The larger seasonal churchgoing continues to rebound, with Christmas Day back to around 100% of pre-Covid levels.
2022 2021 2019 2018 Carol Service 95 90 154 101 Crib Service 205 - 311 280 Midnight Mass 68 35 105 107 Christmas Day (8am) 11 17 15 15 (10am) 120 80 122 103
Taking into account the regular Evensongs held pre-Covid with the higher attendances on Palm Sunday, Easter Day and Remembrance Sunday, our regular Sunday attendance in 2022 is 75% of what it was pre-Covid. This is also what the October 2022 figures we took for the Diocese confirmed.
Occasional Offices 2022 2021 2020 2019 Baptisms 17 0 4 9 Weddings 6 8 2 4 Funerals 4 11 10 11
These ceremonies provide additional evidence of our steady recovery. Baptisms have rebounded to their highest level for many years, which is partly accounted for by the limited options available in the previous two years. 2022 appears to be slightly above average for weddings in recent times. Blessedly, after the spike in deaths during Covid, we had very few funerals this year.
Groups and Activities :
Our group activities are all going strong. CAMEO coffee morning on Wednesdays and the Little Saints toddler group on Fridays both prosper, offering valuable services for our community. The new Pop-Up Tea on a
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Wednesday afternoon has had a great start and been well received by parents and children at pick-up time. Our faithful band of PAs continue to keep in touch with, pray for and assist those in need in the parish. They still meet monthly. The new format Parish Magazine, now edited by our Administrator, has become a super local resource again. We have been given a lot of positive feedback on recent editions. Do tell us what you think.
’ Schools Ministry :
Our relationships with our two connected schools – Witley Infants and Chandler Junior – are as warm and productive as ever. The clergy normally take an assembly at one of the schools each week. It was a real pleasure to hold Easter and Christmas services for both schools this year as well as mark many other significant occasions such as Harvest with them. A big thank you and acknowledgement to all our members who serve as governors at either school, a valuable and interesting but increasingly time-consuming ministry.
Conclusion :
Positively, we made solid progress towards becoming a healthy and vital community again in 2022, with the quality and attendance at all Christmas services expressing how far we have come. Nevertheless, the weakness of our children’s work continues to hold us back from connecting with young families and the ongoing financial repercussions of Covid and now the Costof-Living Crisis will hamper our plans for growth for a while to come yet.
’ Thank You s :
Most importantly, thank you. Thank you to our Churchwardens and Treasurer for our partnership. Thank you to all members of the PCC for sharing in the stewardship of this Church in 2022. To all who selflessly give every week in making our worship and witness come alive, thank you. To Debbie / Mark, our Administrators, and Ruby / Jenny, our Cleaners, thank you for your faithful service in another really challenging year. I am personally so grateful and fortunate to work with you. Ann and Iain, I’ve mentioned you already, but again, thank you for your faithful service and
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generous support. And thank you to all of you who have done so much behind the scenes. Thank you everyone and let’s pray for a brighter and better year ahead.
Special Note on Safeguarding Report:
I ask everyone to take note of the important Safeguarding Report submitted to this meeting, and as a headline to that am happy to confirm as required that your PCC has complied with the duty under section 5 of the Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure 2016 (duty to have due regard to House of Bishops’ guidance on safeguarding children and vulnerable adults).
James McKeran Vicar
END OF REPORT
ALL SAINTS FOR ALL PEOPLE:
Our vision is for All Saints to be the beating heart of a Community filled with the love of God and for God.
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