The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St Mary's Church, Stoke D'Abernon Registered Charity no 1128323 ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024 REcfoR Revd Sister Phaedra Pamphilon-Green CA BANK National Westminster Bank PIC Independent Examiner Mr lan Roberts, BSC, ACA 40 D'Abernon Drive, Stoke D'Abernon KTII 3JD
Annual Report for the Year ended 31 December 2024 Background St Mary's Parochial Church Council IPCCI has the responsibility of promoting the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelical, social and ecumenical Membership Members of the PCC are either ex officio or elected by the Annual Parochial Church Meeting IAPCMI in accordance with the Church Represent"ation Rules. During the year the following served as members of the PCC:_ Ministers Reverend Sister Phaedra Pamphilon Green CA Rector Reverend Mary-Beth Hawrish William Fellows Sue Prentice Christopher Harwood Churchwardens Representative on the Deanery Synod Elected Members Julian Ball (Ringing Mosterj Jane Berridge ITreL75urerl Mike Lee Mary Quinn Harriet Mortimer Claire Kin8 lan Read Susie Carpenter Christopher Harwood - Coopted Polly Zabarl PCC Secretary Electoral Roll At the end of 2024 the total number on the Electoral Roll was 136, of which 30 were resident in the parish and 106 outside of the parish. I resident and 3 non residents were removed from the Roll due to deaths in 2024 and 2 resident5 and 8 non resident5 were added to the Roll during 2024.
Rector's Report °Rooted in faith and guided by love, we are o welcoming community dedicated to traditional worship, excellent music, c7nd compassionate care. Through hospitolity and inclusivity, we embrace all who seek spiritual growth, connection, and belonging, reflecting God'5 groce in all we do.. Dear Friends in Christ "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6..9 As we gather for this year's Annual Parochial Church Meetin& I want to be8in by giving thanks for all that God ha5 done among us over the past year. l also want to express my deep gratitude to each of you for responding to His call, making St. Mary's a truly welcoming and caring communitv. The APCM is an opportunity to reflect on our church's life, celebrate our many blessings. and discern how we can continue to serve God faithfully in the year ahead. As you'll see from the various reports, St. Mary's has been a busy, affirming, and growing church. Our Mission and Outreach Throughout the year, I have continued to seek God's guidance on where He is calling us and what our mission should be within our community. Together with the PCC, we have prayerfully focused on outreach to those who are lonely, elderly, and single. recognising the important role our church hall plays in community engagement. l am particularly grateful to Polly, who took the initiative to explore our involvement with the Single Friendly Church Network and the diocesan 'Hear, Here, scheme. Thanks to her efforts, she is now trained to offer hearing aid checks In church, but we need more volunteers to support this valuable service. In seeking opportunities to connect with the wider community. I was delighted when all the candidates for the General Election attended our successful Hustings event. It was wonderful to welcome people from all walks of life into our church, and it helped raise awareness of St. Marfs, as many still don't realize we are herel As part of our outreach vision, the PCC and I decided to dedicate one day a week to community events In the church hall, possibly through a cafe offering various activities. Sharing this vision at Residents. Association meeting led to a conversation with Princess Alice Hospice. and I'm pleased to announce our partnership in launching The Compassionate Café, which will begin in March 2025. I have always been keen to celebrate all that makes St. Marfs special our spirituality, traditional worship, music, hospitality, welcome, care, and inclusivity. More than just celebrating these strengths, I want us to share them with our community, and I believe we are making great strides. However, we must continue seeking ways to grow spiritually and share our faith with others. Throughout 2024. we welcomed new face5 at our Services and events. Some highlights include: Our fir5t-ever Burns Night, filled with laughter and fellowship.
The Hustin8s, which engaged the wider community. Our first Surrey BachFest, an extraordinary success. We've also seen longstanding members retire from key roles, yet we have beer) blessed with new people stepping forward to serve. When I first arrived, I had to twist lan's arm to stay on as Churchwarden for another year because we had no successor. Today, l am pleased to say that lan has become a fantastic Verger thank you. lanl He was Succeeded as Churchwarden by Willlam Fellows, who has done a sterling job, hitting the ground running thank you, William I A special thank you also to Sue"Prentice. who steps down as Churchwarden this year after six years of dedicated, loyal, hardworking, and faithful service. Sue has been a real asset to our church, keeping our lunchtime concerts goin& maintaining the electoral roll, and ensuring we stayed within budget. Wh ile we will miss her in this role, it is a testament to our church's growth that we are now able to fill her position. Gratitude for Our Church Familv Revd. MaryBeth Thank you for your support, prayers, and friendship. Being a Rector can be a lonely role, but your presence has been a blessin& and I deeply value your insightful preaching. Sara Read & the Flower Team stu nning floral arrangements. Thank you for brlnging beauty and joy to our church with your Suzy & Polly - Your Spud Suppers have been a source of joy and fellowship. even bringing newcomers into our church family. Thank youl Polly lagainll - Your energy, enthusiasm, and commitment to St. Marvs are Invaluable. From church events to hall management-even ropin8 in your children and grandchildren you do it all I James Vickers - Thank you for your dedicated service as our wedding and funeral verger. Families truly appreciate your care and attention. Matthew & the Choir- The BachFe5t was 3 significant step for us as a church, and your leadership made it a 5ucce5s. Here's to an even bigger and better festival this yearl The choir's music continues to uplift and inspire thank you for all that you do. Malcolm King & Judith Elllson - Thank you for bringing my mad idea of a life-size stable to life-it turned out even better than l imaginedl Malcolm, your work behind the scenes keeps our church and hall running smoothly thank you I Julian Ball & the Bellringers- Your dedicatlon ensures that our church bells continue to ring out as a reminder to the community that we are here, active, and alive. Thank you for making our presence known in Stoke D'Abernonl Unsung Heroes I want to express my gratitude to all those who serve quietly behind the Scenes Readers, Duty Wardens, Chalice Assistants, Sidespeople, Brass Cleaners, Linen Washers, and our Finance Team, who ensure our resources are wisely stewarded. Your work, though often unseen, 15 deeply appreciated.
Looking Ahead Finally, l extend my heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you. Your prayers, dedication, and Support make our church the vibrant, loving community that it is. As we move forward, l encourage us all to prayerfully consider how we can continue to grow in faith. love. and Service. There are always new opportunities to explore, challenges to overcome, and people to reach with the message of God's grace. Let us remain Steadfast in our commitment to being a church that welcomes, nurtures, and serves. Thank you, and may God continue to bless u5 311. Pax et Bonum Rev. Phaedra Pamphilon Green Rector Churchwardens, Review of the Year 2024 has been a successful year for St Mary's, under the leadership of Rev Phe with continued growth of our congregation and the launch of some new activities and events. Church Attendance Rev Phe's reputation for impactful, insightful and relatable sermons continues to grow and our ch.urch attendance wa5 well supported with an average of 40-45 attendee5 at our 10 am Eucharist services, 10 at our 8am Said Communion and 20 at Evensong. We held some memorable service5 through the year particularly at Easter and Christmas. At Easter the Dawn Service and the Tenebr3e service on Good Friday are now established as very moving and emotional services. Our Christmas services saw a large number of vlsitors at the Advent Carol Service. the 9 Lessons and Carols and Midnight Mass. The lar8est attendance however had to be the popular Crib and Christingle service where we had well over 230 people in Church. As a result of the generosity of parishioners we were able to donate to a number of charities. we would like to highlight the £625 donated to the Children's Society from the Crib and Christingle service and £300 donated to Oasis from the Midnight Mass service. Whilst we welcomed new attendees to Church we were saddened by the passing of some of our loyal and long standing parishioners- in particular Richard Atkins, and Brenda Brown who had been a parishioner for near on 60 year5 and is sadly mi55ed. Church Warden Change 2024 Saw lan Read stepping down as Church Warden and William Fellows becoming a new Church Warden. We would like to record our thanks to lan for his hard work and dedicated service to St Mary's since 2019, which included the challenge of the Covid period and also the Vacancy. We are delighted that lan is continuing to support the Church as Verger and as such remains on the PCC. Church Development Plan We held a much overdue and successful Archdeacon's Visitation in October 2024 with Archdeacon Martin Breadmore. This had been delayed due to Covid and also the Vacancy. As part of this we developed a Vision for St Mary's and created a Church Development Plan, with our key objectives being to-. Establish an identity for St Mary's as a welcoming, friendly, faithful and traditional Church
Establish St Mary's in the community through holding various events and getting known in our community Meeting the needs of the Community through service5 and events strengthen the relationship with Parkside. Stewardship Campaign During September we held a Stewardship campaign which included celebrating our volunteer5 and launching a Planned Giving Appeal. A5 part of this the Church Warden's gave a talk on the Finances of St Marws in terms of income and expenditure and explaining both the Parish Share and Planned Giving. Whi15t we are fortunate at St Mary's due to the generosity of our parlshioners , we run at an annual10s5 as you will read from the Financial Report. As a result of the Appeal we are grateful to the new planned givers and also the increased donations from some existing planned givers. Music Music at St Mary's continues to develop and improve. We are very grateful to Matthew Brown for his inspiring leadership as Director of Music. The choir, which now includes both the professional Norbury singers and parish choir members, goes from strength to strength. Our programme of lunchtime concerts continue to be popular and well attended. We held a wide variety of different concerts including some memorable organ performances, a wonderful cello and gamba performance and some lovely duos; guitar and violin, flute and piano and harpsichord and recorder- finishing off the year with the annual November Menuhin Pupils concert. Please read the Concerts section for more detail. 2024 saw our inaugural Music Festival, the Surrey BachFest under the leadership of Matthew. As the first event of its type we were a bit nervou5 but the whole event proved to be a big success with amazing and well attended concert5 and 3 popular Come and Sing day. We also made a profit of around £3000 which was very welcome. We would like to record ourthanks to our Chelsea Football Club who sponsored us and individual sponsors Lady Joyce Acher. Geoff Trickey, Christina van Roest and Diana Thalben Ball. Events and Soclal Artivities We held our first Burns Night Supper in January 2024; with a delicious 3 course dinner. dancing with a live band, a piper, a raffle and the address to the haggis. A fun night was had by all and we aim for this to become an annual event at St Mary's. We were also delighted that we made a handsome profit. Our monthly Spud Suppers continue to be a very popular event and are regularly attended by between 3(>40 people. We would like to thank Susie Carpenter and Polly Zabari for their hard work in organising and running these events. We had a delicious and enjoyable Christmas Lunch in December. Our thanks go to Mary Quinn and Nikki Murray for organising and cooking the lunch, no Small feat in feeding nearly 40 people with Turkey and Christma5 Pudding. We were pleased that we were able to donate £482 to Crisis at Christmas. Ecochurch Christopher Harwood took on the role of Eco Champion and has worked hard to identify areas where we can be more environrnentally friendly and identify ways of reducing our carbon footprint. We were delighted that as a result we have been awarded the Eco Church bronze standard. Watch out for further activities in this area.
Church Hall It is now 10 years since our lovely Church Hall was built and inevitably maintenance and improvement work5 are required to keep it up to date and looking good. We have developed a programme of works that we aim to launch in 2025 which we hope will make it a more attractive venue for external hirers. The Hall has a steady flow of u5er5 but overall 15 under utilised and this needs to be addressed in 2025. We need to increase the revenue we get from the Hall Hlre and ensure this generates income for our Church. We also need to ensure that the revenue increases to offset the planned expenditure on the Hall improvements. We took the opportunity of beginning the process of converting the Hall lights to LED in the autumn. As a result of failing our annual Emergency Lighting tests all our Emergency Lights have been switched to LED. Thanks to a grant of £5000 from the Diocese and a private donation we will be swapping over all the remaining light5 in 2025. This should significantly reduce our energy costs. We are grateful to Councillor David Lewis for agreeing to use his allocation of the Your Fund Surrey grant to help us install acoustic sound panels in the hall. The work for this will be done in 2025, once the Hall has been redecorated early in 2025. Website We began the process of reviewing the website, looking at other examples of Church websites and exploring how it needs to be improved. We concluded that the whole site needed refreshing, making more impactful and creating a more modern look and feel. Recognising that a total website re-design is a complex and often expensive undertaking we were very grateful to Kevin Wood, one of our Norbury Singers who offered his services on a voluntary basis to explore options and re-vamp the site. We anticipate that the new website will go live in quarter l of 2025. This will also help with Hall Bookings as we are seeking to include a Hall Availability calendar on the swte. pcc We are grateful for the support of all who serve on the PCC and were delighted to welcome some new PCC members in 2024. Harriet Mortimer is taking on social media responsibility, and Mary Quinn and Claire King have joined the team. Many thanks to Janice Scott for her committed work as Safeguarding Officer. this Is a priority for the PCC and is always a key agenda item. 2024 highlighted the importance of the role of Treasurer with Claire Saxton stepping down as Treasurer at the APCM due to pressure of other work commitments. Jane Berrid8e, who is involved in Churches Together and a member of St Andrew's Oxshott, agreed to become our co-opted Treasurer. Sadly after a few months Jane notified us that she would be stepping down. We have been unable to find another volunteer Treasurer and were left with no option but to explore paying a freelance Treasurer. We were delighted to discover that Claire Saxton had some availability and so from January Claire will be re-joining us on a freelance basis. We would like to thank Jane Berridge for her contribution and also thank Anne Driver (Book Keeper), Stephen Chater (Planned Giving), Julian Ball (Gift Aid) and Arthur and Brenda Way Icash banking) for all their hard work. Volunteers Our volunteers keep St Mary's Church running and we would like to thank all our loyal and
dedicated volunteers for their service. As always new volunteers are much needed and very welcome, if you feel you can offer some time and help please do come and chat with us. We would like to highlight in particular Peter Trew. a very loyal parishioner who has been running the Sidesmen Rota for some considerable time. After around 40 years of loyal service to St Mary's in a variety of roles Peter is taking some well earned rest and we thank him for his dedication and commitment. The flowers at St Mary's during 2024 have been beautiful and it has been lovely to have fresh flowers on special occasions. We would like to thank Sara Read and her band of Flower Arrangers for their beautiful displays that help make out church so attractive. We have 3150 been very grateful to Malcolm King who has become our official "odd job man" arld has been invaluable in 50rting things out and fixing things. Malcolm constructed the Christmas Stable outside the Church together with Judith Ellison who made. painted and dressed all the figures.. Finally we would like to thank Polly Zabari for her hard work and commitment as Parish Administrator. Many of our church events would not happen without Polly and we are grateful for her enthusiasm and involvement. Sue Prentice and William Fellows Church Wordens Committees Finance and Standing Committee The Finance Committee and Standing Committee is the only committee required by law and must consist of not less than five members. The Finance and Standing Committee has power to transact the business of the PCC between its meetings, subject to any directions given by the PCC. It Is also responsible for ensuring that an annual budget is prepared for approval by the PCC and has oversight and control of all financial matters. Worship Supervision of and liaison with all those involved in leading worship is maintained by the Rector This includes intercessors, chalice assistants, lay readers, lay preachers, director of music and captain of the bell tower. Safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults At St Marfs we continue to adhere to recommended Safeguarding practices to promote a safe environment, ensure safer recruitment practice and respond promptly to any reported concerns. Details and contact information are available on the church's website. St Marfs follows the Guildford diocesan advice which adopts the national Church of England Safeguarding policies and templates, and we are well supported by the Safeguarding team at the
diocese. Activities and events are regularly updated on our parish Dashboard. November 17th 2024 wa5 Safeguarding Sunday, when the sermon was dedicated to Safeguarding specific to our parish and congregation. AII PCC members are requested to have DBS checks, as well as being required to undertake Basic and Foundation training in Safeguarding. which is a standing agenda item for PCC meetings. Janice Scott Parish Sofeguording Officer Director of Music's Report 2024 was another strong year for the music department at St Marfs, and l am grateful for the continuing support of the church community in our musical offering5. 1 am approaching my second anniversary as Organist and Director of Music at St Mary's, and continue to enjoy the varied and challenging role. Parish Choir The Parish Choir at St Mary's remains an important part of our week-to-week musical life, providing strong support for the congregational singing at our Parish Eucharists and Evensongs. In 2024 we have recruited new members into the choir, but also have occasionally struggled with illness in long- Standing members, and so recently our numbers have fluctuated. Peak regular membership in 2024 was around 6 singer5. We continue to rehearse on Thursday evenings in preparation for the coming Sunday, and the Parish Choir also enjoys the opportunity to work on more challenging repertoire to sing alongside the Norbury Choir at Choral Eucharist on the first Sunday of each month. Norbury Choir Our paid singer5, the Norbury Choir, have settled into a regular rhythm of service5 at St Mary's, and feedback has indicated that they now feel more integrated into our church community than the previous "Choral Scholarf, system which l inherited from my predecessor in 2023. With minimal changes, the same 5 singers sing at Choral Eucharist on the first Sunday of each month. with more irregular Choral Evensongs and Bach Evensongs in 2024. Their services continue to be much appreciated, and maintain the high standard of music which St Marf5 is known for in the community. In 2025, owing to the c05t of Bach Evensong, thi5 offering has been discontinued as a regular event, but will remain in place as a part of the 5urrey Bach Festival. Surrey Bach Festival In 2024, St Mary's held its first summer music festival, the Surrey Bach Festival. Over the course of four days, 3 evening concerts and 2 lunchtimes were held in church, augmented by a beautiful flower installation and a community Come and Sing event. The festival was a great success, hosting large audiences (c. 70+1 for each concert and receiving excellent feedback on the musical offerin the flower displays, and the lively atmosphere. On the back of this success, the festival is bein8 offered again in 2025, with a slightly expanded offering of concerts and events over the course of week114th - 20th July). Lunchtime Concerts Our Thursday lunchtime concert series continued with a series of beautiful concerts in 2024, including organ recitals, singers, recorder players, and more. I found the workload of arranging the concerts more difficult to keep up with in 2024, and therefore since the sum mer I have divided the workload with our churchwardens Sue and Williarn, whose assistance l am most grateful for. Sue
continued to art a5 "host" at the concerts themselves in 2024, for which she also deserves many thanks for her excellent work. Organ The organ continues to provide a good service to the church, functioning well in liturgical and concert settings. 2025 will mark its 50th year of Service, and advice is currently being sought about maintenance tasks in order to keep it functioning beautifully for another 50 years of service. Matthew Brown, Orgunist and Director of Muslc Ringing Master's Report It's been another busy year, and we have continued with good attendances at practices and on Sunday5, enabling us to continue regular Sunday service ringing, as well a5 ringing for weddings and special occasions. I'm pleased to say that we have been able to recruit two new ringers {with Judith's persuasion !) during the year and they have been doing brilliantly well with learning how to ring. On to our three main event5 that took place since the last AGM. Our Tower Dinner took place on Monday 15 January 2024, when we returned to The Old Plough, Stoke D'Abernon. This was popular venue the previous year and it proved so again. It was great to get all of the ringers together. Our Ringing Outing took place on Saturday 18 May and was to the East Surrey area and we were all very grateful to Tony for arranging this. We visited Bletchingley Ithe Rectors former parish and where Tony learned to ringl, Godstone, Lingfield, Caterham and Merstham with a great lunch at the pu b in Outwood. The bells were heavier than our bells at St Marys, but most are as our bells are very lightl It was a good experience for us all and it is always good to ring at other towers and visit the churches. It was a very enjoyable day. Judith kindly hosted a BBQ at her house on Saturday 6 July 2024. The weather was not kind to us to start with and we were dod8in8 the rain whilst the food wa5 being cooked, with Lee manfully cooking outside under an umbrella l Luckily the weather improved later, and we enjoyed some sunshine to round off the afternoon. Thank you Judithl We would like to recruit maybe one or two new ringers and if anyone would like to give it a go then please get in touch, or speak to me at the Church, and I would be happy to show you around and demonstrate what is involved. l am so very grateful to all of the ringer5 who are always supportive, enthusiastic and willing to help, and without whom there would be no ringingl Finally, may I please thank Phaedra, and also the Churchwardens, who have been so supportive during the year, as has Polly, at all times! We are also grateful for the continued support from all of the parishioners- thank you. Julian Ball Ringing Moster
Eco Church My report begins with part of a prayer said by our Rector at the recent Ash Wednesday Services for Lent. 'For our waste und pollution of your creation and our lack of concern for those who come ofter Us. Accept our repentonce Lord., It struck me that this prayer was aboLAt what Eco Church is trying to address by taking practical action in expressing our care for God's earth. The five key areas of an Echo Church that now connect to St. Marls activitie5 and PCC'S considerations and decisions are, l. Worship and Teaching, 2. Church buildings and energy cost, 3. Church land and nature. 4.Community and global engagement, 5. Lifestyle awareness. These areas to tackle are supported with online resources by http.'l/echochurch.arocha.org.uk a Christian conservation charity endorsed by the Diocese of Guildford. Benefits to our parish include reducing our church energy costs and in doing so we act on the carbon net zero strategy of the Church of England and our Diocese. We also take steps to increase the biodiversity of our church land for the encouragement of native wildlife and plant life. We are guided by 3 benchmarking survey of our position so far. From the steps taken thi5 year and a progress presentation at the Harvest Festival spud supper we have achieved in January for St. Mary's to display an Eco Church Bronze Award. This is the first milestone that wa5 a ffloment of celebration and acknowledgement of St. Marfs response in the face of accelerating climate change and species loss, we need more than ever to take action to protect and care for nature today as part of God's earth and our survival. My thanks to our PCC Eco Church Team and an invite to you to join us as we start the journey toward5 a silver award this year. Chrlstopher Harwood Eco Church Representotive St Mary's Community Involvement Cobham Area Foodbank-whavs New? A question many will ask and the reality shows: not much at all. We must continue and persevere for an¢Xher year ahead of us with deprivation and suffering of many families in our communities. The c05t of living has not improved, redundancies and real poverty are components of many of the health issues, especially mental health, flu, Nora Virus and still Covid Virus in a new 'disguise'/variant they are 311 still bothering many people of all ages in the area, some with serious consequences. We still must help and assist where we can. Our Foodbank is quite small in comparison with other foodbanks not so far from us. but our catchment area dictates what we can do. We are only open one day a week, Cobham, Oxshott, Stoke D'Abernon, Downside, East & West Horsley and Effingham. We still have 15-20 families visiting us, visiting us collecting food ar¢d some deliveries also made by our volunteers to help clients not able to come to us. Some families in our area have no transport or any person able to collect the food for them, we offer the 'deliverin8 service, in exceptional circumstances only. Thanks to the generosity of many donors, especially from St Marfs Church and the Hall visitors, and many individuals, who gave sufficient funding and stock to the warehouse to help all clients who
come to us for help. We have received in the period from I" April 2024 to 30, January 2025.. 135.41kg of food donations at the church and 133.54kg in the Hall. Which together is a total of 9.90% off all our donations during the period to our foodbank. A great donation for the Reverse Advent and Christmas time made it P055ible to 5UPPOrt 1792 adults and children so far in the same period. It is a sad story that it is still so essential to help people with food, who do not have enough money to feed the family. We also thank all the people who have donated money to our account. We have many expenses to run the foodbank, insurances. rents, and upkeep of the foodbank van, sometimes we must buv additional foods, when 5tock5 are low. We have no salaries to pay for anyone active in the foodbank. With your special donations we were able to give 54 of our families a generous Christmas Hamper and fresh items, fruits, vegetables, eggs, fresh meat, and plenty of Christmas Food Goodies. But it does not stay Christmas forever and many people have rejoined the queue for food at the foodbank from Mid- January onwards; joining the queue are lots of adults who have jobs but cannot cope with the 'cost of living, and worried parents who cannot feed their children. We continue to help and support all these deprived people in our community with your continuous generous help. Many thanks. Christina Van Roost Trustee ond General Manoger Church Guides During 2024, the Church Guides have continued to welcome a wide ran8e of visitors to St Marfs at weekends from April until October. The number of visitors to St Marls during 2024 was 111, and they came from the Irish Republic, the Netherlands and the USA, as well as from all parts of the UK. During the year, we welcomed a large group from Claremont Probus Club for an organised tour. The comments in the visitors, book Illustrate the great extent to which the work of the Guides is appreciated. In 2025. we plan once again to open 2pm-4pm on Saturdays and Sundays from the beginning of April to the end of October. In order to achieve thls, however, we are entirely reliant on volunteer Church Guides being able and willing to give up their time for the enjoyment and education of members of the wider community. We are very grateful to them. For further information. or if anyone is interested in joining the team of Church Guides, please contact Polly at admin stma s5tokedabernon.or stephen Chater Church Guide Church Activities Lunchtime Concerts and Recltals 2024 Saw St Mary'5 hosting 8 Lunchtime Concerts held on the last Thursday of the month and these continue to be popular and well attended. We typically get audiences of between 30-45 and after paying the performers we make a profit of around £150-250 which is a great fund raiser for the
Church. We kicked off the year in January with a wonderful Organ Recital from Martin Toyer,. in February Matthew was joined by Olivia Petryszak and they performed a fabulous Harpsichord and Recorder duo focusing on baroque and ancient music. In April we had Menuhin School alumni Finlay Hay and Ezo Dem Sarici who gave a very enjoyable guitar and violin duo and in May Pablo Tejedor Gutierrez performed the cello and gamba with a focus on historical baroque music. In June we were fortunate to welcome Christopher Herrick, one of the world's leading Organists who, although now in his 80's, gave an exciting and uplifting concert. July saw our first Music Festival. the Surrey BachFest which was a great success, please read about this in Matthe5 Music section. We kicked off the autumn with Matthew performing an Organ recital, and then in Ortober we welcomed the delightful duo of Dawn Hardwick and Clare Findlater on piano and flute. We finished the year with our annual performance from the pupils of the Menuhin School in November which included a lovely harp performance. William Fellows and I stepped up during the year to help Matthew with organising these lunchtime concerts. If you see or know of any musician5 you would like to invite to St Mary's in the future please do let us know. We seek to offer a diverse and varied set of performers and instruments. Sue Prentlce Deanery Synod In October, Leatherhead Deanery Synod met at St. Martin's East Horsley. The Archdeacon of Dorking, Revd. Martin Breadmore, was the main speaker to say a little about his faith journey and how he came to be Archdeacon also to answer 3 variety of question5 from members of the deanery. Examplel. Con you describe your role os Archdeacon ? He is a director and trustee of the diocese and has a crucial safeguarding role ensuring the diocese has an increasingly safeguarding culture. There 15 a150 3 vision and strategy aspect of Transforming Church and Transforming Lives. He conducts Archdeacon's visitations, which have been embedded into the Parish Needs Process, and operates now almost entirely from a ministry and mi55ion perspective, plus ensuring all the legal aspects of parish life are fulfilled. He also oversees the faculties system. A major element of his work, and partly why he applied for the role, is the mission nd ministry aspect. tryin8 to work with parishes to ensure that they are thriving. Example 2. The Assisted Dying Bill begt7n it5 journey through the House of Common5. Whot is your view ond thot of the DioceseP Martin agreed with the view of the Archbishop of Canterbury that introducing this law would be dangerous. It would be a significant mistake, the thin end of the wedge, because as humans we can't be trusted. Bishop Andrew as a member of the House of Lords is interested in this and will speak against it. Individually we can go onto the CARE website and use their template to write to our MP. We each have a role and a responsibility. The Bill is expected to return to the Commons in April. The Chair spoke about the involvement of Leatherhead deanery's 13 parishes in Eco Church and achieving awards. (Our St. Mar¢s now adds to that number). St. N icolas. Great Bookham received
special mention from the Area Dean for achieving Eco Church Gold Award with their team of seven Eco Church warriors At the latest Leatherhead Deanery Synod Martin Carr IProject and Enga8ement Lead Net Zero Carbon Diocese of Guildfordl was the main speaker. He gave a presentation on the Church of England's net zero carbon initiative. He explained that the Church has set an ambitious target to reach net zero by 2030, ahead of the British government's timeline. Martin framed the initiative a5 an opportunity for the Church to be a pioneer in caring for God's creation, while acknowledging the competing priorities churches face. Christopher Harwood Deanery Synod Representative Finance Overall, we received income of £180k 12023.. £201kl, spent £197k 12023: £197kl and had net outgoing resources of £17k12023.' incoming net resources of £3kl. The vast majority of our income as always came from Planned Giving1£79k vs £75k in 20231. Stephen Chater led a successful Planned Giving campaign during the year which has resulted in some members increasing their contributions and some parishioners joining the Planned Giving scheme. We also received donations and le8acies of £9k1£58k in 2023 although this included donations for the new deckin81. Other important new income streams were the successful Burns Night and the Music Festival this year. Events and activities in the Church generated £28k of incorne1£9k in 2023). Hall hire revenue wa5 £38k1£37k in 20231. Parish Share is the single largest item of expenditure 1£89k vs £87k in 20231. The cost of Parish Functions also increased considerably to put on the Burns Night and Music Festival la total of £18kl. Costs fell year on year1£39k vs £59k in 2023) in relation to the hall as there was £24k of expenditure last year for the new decking. Thank you very much to all the hard work the Treasury team have put in throughout the year.. Jane Berridge as Treasurer, Anne Driver as bookkeeper, Arthur and Brenda Way for banking the cash, Stephen Chater for managing the planned giving and Julian Ball for claiming gift aid on our ad ho donations. Clalre Saxton Treasurer Planned Giving During 2024, we launched the Stewardship Campaign, one of the main purposes of which was to explain and publicise the vital importance of Planned Giving to the financial wellbeing of St Marfs and to extend participation much more widely among members of the congregation, particularly at the younger end of the age range. This is the first such campaign since 2019. During the year, we gained seven new PG members, and we lost five members, so that we now have a total of 68 PG members. In addition, 21 of the existing PG members decided to increase their regular givin& which is very encouraging.
Taken together, the extra annual PG income will be more than £12,000. plus Gift Aid, where relevant. This is a very creditable outcome and Phe and the PCC are very grateful for the generosity of many members of the congregation at 5t Mar¢s. This will be enormou51y helpful to them in planning and budgeting for the future. We cannot, however, allow ourselves to be complacent about the future financial health of St Mary's. While the campaign succeeded in securing a significant increase in income, the vast majority of that increase is attributable to existing regular 8ivers. It is, therefore, important that we should build on the success of the Stewardship Campaign and continue to try to endeavour to recruit new land. ideally, younger) members to the PG scheme. Stephen Chater Hon. Treasurer of Plonned Giving Reserving Policy, an explanatory note The aim 15 norrnally to maintain minimum unrestricted reserves of 60% of annual operating expenditure having regard to the risks of (al a decline in income relative to outgo: and Ibl unexpected capital costs. It is deemed prudent to hold additional reserves for purposes referred to elsewhere in this report, not least in the light of current economic uncertainties. We have two savings accounts, one with Monmouthshire Buildin8 Society and one with Beverlev Building Soclety. In these, we have £98,495 in savings Investment policy. an explanatory note Having regard to the purposes for which reserves are held. it is considered prudent not to expose the ch urch's funds to the risks to capital implicit in, for example, equity and property type assets. Apart from day-to-day working capital in a current or deposit account, the practice is normally to hold assets in relatively short term sterling deposits and investments carrying la} a capital guarantee,- Ibl a facility for immediate or early withdrawal without undue penalty- and Icl minimum default risk.
Page 16 STOKE D'ABERNON PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL AFFAIRS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2024 BALANCE SHEET AT 31ST DECEMBER 2024 Notes 2024 2023 Fixed Assetg Freehold Propety 913,023 913,023 Page 16 Current Assets Debtors and prepayments Deposits and Cash al 88nk and in Hand 9,073 5,619 136,143 145,216 158,696 164,315 Current Liabilitles -amounts falling due within one year Creditors 10,775 12,531 Net Current Assets 134,441 151,784 Total Net Ass8ts 1,047,464 1,064,807 FUNDS Unrestrictsd Funds 10 134,441 151,784 Restricted Funds 10 913,023 913,023 1,047.464 1,064,807
Page 17 STOKE D'ABERNON PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL AFFAIRS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2024 NOTES Unrestricted Funds General Desi naled Restricted Funds Endowment Funds Total Funds 2024 2023 INCOME AND EXPENDITURE Incoming Resourtes Voluntary income Idirect giving) Other Voluntary income Gross income from events and activities Other ordinary in¢ome Income from investments Total incomlng resources 2(al 2(bl 94.382 9,496 1,889 111 96,271 9.496 89,157 57,968 21c) 21dl 21el 28.067 43,436 2,243 177.624 28,067 43,436 2,243 179,513 9,158 43,577 880 200,740 1.889 Resources oxpended Charitable expenditu Donations The work of the church 3{al 31bl 30 166,007 1.889 1,919 166,007 4,441 180,499 Church Administration 31cl 28.930 28,930 12,547 Total resources expended 194.967 1,889 196,856 197.487 NET (OUTGOING)IINCOMING RESOURCES Funds brought fotward at 1 st January 2024 Funds carried forward al 31 st December 2024 {17.3431 {17,343) 3,253 10 151,283 501 913,023 1,064.807 1,C61,554 133.940 501 913.023 1,047,464 1.064.807
Page | 18 STOKE D'ABERNON PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2024 ACCOUNTING POLICIES The following a¢¢ounling policies have been applied to items which are considerèd malerial to the PCC'5 financial statements (a) BASIS OF PREPARATION The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Church Accounting Regulations, applicable accounting slandards and the Statement of Recommended Practice, Accounting by Charities. The financial slatements have also been prepared under the historical cost Gonvention. Ib) FUNDS Unrestricted funds represent funds of the PCC, which are not subject to any restriction regarding their use and are available for application for the general purposes of the PCC. They include general funds for the day to day working of the PCC, designated funds earmarked by the PCC for particular purposes or to provide reserves for future contingencies and other funds nol appearing under these other headings. The restricted fund relates to St Mary's Hall and St Mary's Meadow both of whi¢h are shown at a value of £100 each, logether with the cost of the new St Mary's Hall of £912,823. The accounts include transactions, assets and liabilities for which the PCC can be held responsible (cl INCOMING RESOURCES il Volunta income and ca ital sources Collections, grants and donations are re¢ognised when received Arnounts received under Covenants and gift aid are re¢ognised when due Income tax recoverable on covenants and gtft aid is recognised when dairnable Funds raised by special events, magazine sales and sales table are accounted for gross ill Other ordina income Parochial fees due to the PCC for weddings and funerals are accounted for when received and are net of the Diocesan proportion
Page | 19 STOKE D'ABERNON PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31" DECEMBER 2024 (continued) iiil Income from investments Interest is accounted for when it is rècèived (dl RESOURCES EXPENDED Donations and other costs are accounted for when due le) FIXED ASSETS Consecrated land and buildin s and moveable church fumishin Consecrated and beneficed propety is excluded from the accounts by Section 96{2) of the Charities Act 1993 ii) Other freehold land and buildin Property for the use of the PCC for its own purposes is included in the Balan Sheet at cost or valuation at the date of acquisition. No depre- ciation is charged against these properties but any expenditure on the maintenance or improvement of the properties is expensed as incurred. (fj CURRENT ASSETS Debtors comprise amounts due to the PCC. Ig) CURRENT LIABILITIES Creditors comprise amounts due by the PCC at the year end or within one year of that date. These amounts include suppliers of goods and servi$ to the year end for whiGh accounts had not been reiVed at that date.
Page 20 STOKE D'ABERNON PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2024 (continued) Unrèslri¢ted Funds General Desig- naled Re51ricled Funds Total Funds 2024 2023 INCOMING RESOURCES 2{al Voluntary In¢om& Idire¢t giving) Planned Giving Gift Aid Not gift aided Ino)me Tax RerA)verable Collections in Church 60,986 2,550 15,486 15,360 94.382 60,986 2,550 15,486 17,249 9S,271 56.8S5 3.430 14.216 14,646 89,157 1,889 1,889 21b) Otr Voluntary In¢ome Lega¢ie$ Donation5 s,000 4.496 9.496 5,000 4,496 9,496 17.025 40.943 57.988 21cl Gross income from events and activiti•s Concerts and citalS Parish Activitias 19.822 8.245 28.067 19,822 6,245 28,067 3,043 6.115 9.158 21d) Other Ordinary Income PCC Fees Hall Hire Bellrin9ers income Sales Table Sundry income 3,676 38.448 867 143 302 43,438 3,676 38,448 867 143 302 43,436 5,704 37.084 591 198 43.577 21e} Income from investments Interest 2,243 2,243 880 TOTAL INCOMING RESOURCES 177,624 1.889 179,513 200.740
Page 21 STOKE D'ABERNON PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2024 Icontinuedl Unre51ricled Funds General Desi nated Reslricled Funds Total Funds 2024 2023 3 RESOURCES EXPENDED 31al Donations Idelails on page 261 30 1,889 1.919 4.441 31bl Directly relating to the Work of the Church Minis Parish Share 89,427 89,427 87.137 Priests, Workin Telephone Postage and stab"onery Motor and Travel Miscellaneous enses 10 177 10 177 634 43 88 140 905 24 211 24 211 Recto Water Rates enses 1,009 1,009 1,009 1,009 335 335 Church runnin Healing and lighting Insurance Repairs and Maintenance Altar frontal ex enses 4,254 1,899 6,840 4.878 17,871 4,254 1.899 6.840 4,878 17,871 5,455 1,757 6.699 2,029 15,940 of Services Altar requisites Organists, Fees Singers and music New Hymn Books Books and printing Miscellaneous 1,122 10,566 5.178 1,122 10,566 5,178 467 8.945 4,582 1,312 111 1,439 16,856 48 954 17,868 48 954 17,868 31b} CARRIED FORWARD 126,386 126,386 121,173
Page 22 STOKE D'ABERNON PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2024 Icontlnuedl Unreslricled Funds General Desi nated Restricted Funds Total Funds 2024 2023 RESOURCES EXPENDED (Continued) 31bl DireGtly relating to the work of the Church brought forward 126.386 126,386 121,173 Church Hall Adminslrator's salary (pro-rated) Cleaning Light, Heal and Water Rates Insurance Maintenance New Decking Telephone Printing, stationery and photocopying Website and IT sUPPOrt Miscellaneous 12,434 7,791 6,209 1,557 6,221 12,434 7,791 6,209 1,557 6,221 12,443 2,747 9,672 1,443 3,117 23,856 793 3,849 49 789 58,758 994 852 391 2.103 38,552 994 852 391 2,103 38,552 Other Bellringers, costs 1,069 1.069 1,069 1,069 $68 568 Totsl relating to the Work of the Church 166,007 166,007 180,499 31c) Church Admlnlstratlon Admin5tr8tor's salary (pro-rated) Prints'ng, stab"onery and photocopying Telephone Travel Website and IT support Bank charges Parish Funcb"ons Miscellaneous 6,695 2,220 994 92 6.695 2,220 994 92 391 58a 17,677 281 28,930 6,700 527 793 14 391 580 17,677 281 28,930 49 579 3.675 210 12.547 TOTAL RESOURCES EXPENDED 194.967 1.889 196,856 197,487
Page 123 STOKE D'ABERNON PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31" DECEMBER 2024 (continued) STAFF NUMBERS AND COSTS The PCC made Parish Share payments of £89,42712023 - £87,137) to cover all Di0san ¢osts on a formula basis. Staff employed by the PCC are.. - 2024 2023 Administrator Organist 19,129 9,726 19,143 7,309 No financial benefit has been reflected in these accounts for the time and effort freely given by many members of St Mary's Church involved in the running and administration of church activities. INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S FEES AND FEES FOR ACCOUNTANCY SERVICES The PCC is not charged a f8e by the independent examiner nor for accountancy services. FIXED ASSETS FOR THE USE OF THE PCC The following fixed assets are used or retained by the PCC 2024 2023 St Mary's New Hall (cost) 912,823 912,823 St Mary's Old Hall (residual value) St Mary's Meadow (estimated value at date of gift in 1957) 100 100 100 913 023 100 913 023
Page 24 STOKE D'ABERNON PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st DECEPdlBER 2024 Icontinuedl 7 DEBTORS AND PREPAYMENTS 2024 Unrestricted Restrict8d Funds Funds 2023 Unrestricted Restncted Funds Funds Income tax recoverable Sundry debtors 7,730 1,343 9,073 3.624 1,995 5,619 8 CREDITORS 2024 Unrestricted Restricted Funds Funds 2023 Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Receipts in advance Sundry creditors 4,319 6,456 10.775 3,127 9,404 12,531 9 DEPOSITS AND CASH AT BANK AND IN HAND 2024 Restricted Funds 2023 Restricted Funds Unrestricted Funds Endowment Funds Unrestricted Funds Endowment Funds Building Society Cash at bank and in hand 98,495 37,648 136.143 96.251 62,445 158.696
Page 25 STOKE D'ABERNON PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2024 Icontlnuedl 10 MOVEMENTS OF FUNDS Balances al 0110112024 Nel incomin {outgoingl resources Funds Transfers Balances at 3111212D24 Unrestricted funds General Designated 151.283 501 151.784 117.343) 133,940 501 134,441 117,343) Restrlcted Funds Freehold Propety Fund 913.023 913,023 1,LI84,807 17.3431 1,047,464
Page 26 STOKE D'ABERNON PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st DECEMBER 2024 Icontlnuad) 3{al DONATIONS Gen8ral Fund8 Designated Funds General Funds Oesignated Funds 2024 2023 Families fgr Children Oasis Family Centre Cobham Royal British Legion The Children's Society Crisis al Christmas Embrace the Middle East Cobham Food Bank 30 72 613 169 625 482 2,148 S05 478 225 578 4,034 26 30 1,889 9e Ifor 1.919 4132
JNDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PAIUSH OF STOKE D'ABERNON I report on the accounts for the Y ended 31st December 2024, which are set out on pages 16 to 26. Rwective responsibilities of trustees and examiner Th¢ chatity's trustees consider that an audit is not Tequired for this year under section 144(2) of the ChltieS Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an indepelldent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to Examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act; Follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Cornmissioner under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act. and Stafr whether particul measurers have come to my attention. Basis of Independent examiner's report My examination was catried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the PCC and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It ajso includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accouuts alld seeing explanations from you as tSteeS concerning any suth matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the accounts. ndependent examiner's ststtmenl In connection with my examination no matter has come to my attention. which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any maleTial respect the requirements to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act; or to prepare accounts which accord wAth these records have not been met. 2. to which. An my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. lan Roberts. Bsc (Hons), ACA Independent Examiner 40 D'Abernon Drive Stoke D'Abernon Cobham Surrey KTI13JD