Walmer Parish Churches St Mary, St Saviour and Blessed Mary of Walmer _Open lives, open hands, open churches_ ## ANNUAL REPORT and ACCOUNTS 2021 www.walmerparishchurches.org (Walmer Parish Churches is a registered charity – no. 1128470) Walmer Parochial Church Council Financial Statements Year Ended 31 December 2021 ## **Contents** Charity Reference and Administrative Details Trustees’ Annual Report Independent Examiners Report Statement of Financial Activities Balance Sheet Notes to the Financial Statements ## **The Parochial Church Council of the** ## **Ecclesiastical Parish** **of** ## **Walmer St** . **Mary w St. Saviour** (Reg. No. 1128470) **Annual Report and Financial Statements of Walmer Parochial Church Council** For the year ended 31 December 2021 ## **Vicar:** The Rev’d Canon Seth Cooper Elizabeth House 32 St. Mary’s Road Walmer Deal CT14 7QA **Banks:** National Westminster Bank Plc 31 High Street Deal CT14 6EW CCLA Investment Management Ltd. The CBF Church of England Deposit Fund 85 Queen Victoria Street London EC4V 4ET ## **Independent Examiners:** Higson & Co. 45, Queen Street Deal Kent CT14 6EY ## **– Walmer St. Mary w St. Saviour Annual Report for 2021** ## **Administrative information** St Mary’s Church is situated on St. Clare Road, Walmer; St Saviour’s Church is situated on The Strand, Walmer; The Blessed Mary of Walmer church is situated on Church Street, Walmer. It is part of the Diocese of Canterbury within the Church of England. The correspondence address is The Parish Office, Elizabeth House, 32 St. Mary’s Road, Walmer, DEAL. CT14 7QA The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Walmer St Mary w St Saviour was registered as a charity with the Charity Commission on 10th March 2009. The working name of this Charity is ‘Walmer PCC’. Walmer PCC was constituted under the Parochial Church Council Powers Measure (1956) which came into effect on 2[nd] January 1957. Walmer PCC members, who are Trustees, are elected at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting and those who served during 2021 were: Incumbent: The Rev’d Canon Seth William Cooper Chairman Associate Priest: Carolyn Wood Curate Steve O’Connor Wardens: Mrs Mavis Stevenson Mr Richard Harris Deputy Wardens: Mr Jerry Swallow Ms Jane Lopacka Representatives on the Deanery Synod: Mr Paul Henderson Mr John Featherstone Other Ministers: Mr Malcolm Sawyer (Reader) Elected members: Mr Vic Kelly Treasurer Mrs Jane Annesley Mrs Sylvia Bowley Mrs Jennie Cooper Mr Chris Flint Mrs Marie Genin Miss Monica Hawkins Mr Jack Roberts Mrs Tina Roberts Mrs Jane Sharp Mrs Lesley Smith Mrs Nichola Sparkes Mrs Janet Stephenson Mrs Val Le Vaillant ## **Structure, governance and management** The method of appointment of PCC members is set out in the Church Representation Rules. All Church attendees are encouraged to register on the Electoral Roll and stand for election to the PCC. The PCC members are responsible for making decisions on all matters of general concern and importance to the parish including deciding on how the funds of the PCC are spent. To this end the Trustees are given an introductory booklet, ‘Trusteeship – An introduction for PCC Members’, produced by The Archbishop’s Council. Given its wide responsibilities the PCC has a number of committees each dealing with a particular aspect of parish life. These committees are all responsible to the PCC and report back to it regularly. Their deliberations are received by the full PCC and discussed as necessary. ## **Objectives and Activities** Walmer PCC has the responsibility of co-operating with the incumbent, the Rev’d Canon Seth Cooper, in promoting in the ecclesiastical parish the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. It also has maintenance responsibility for the three Churches, Parish Hall and Parish Office. ## **Financial Review** The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting policies set out in notes to the accounts and comply with the charities governing document, the Charities Act 2011 and Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland published in October 2019. This financial year has been very difficult due to the continuing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic which caused the closure of churches and the cessation of services. This resulted in continued reductions in planned giving of £13k plus the loss of a non-recurring grant £10k, which was offset by an increase in legacies of £20k. The end result being a net shortfall of £3k. Expenditure also decreased by £2k. The final outturn resulted in a deficit of £9,177 similar to 2020. Details of the income and expenditure are: Total receipts on unrestricted funds were £139,493 of which £99,014 was unrestricted planned voluntary donations and also within which is included £16,352 from gift aid, which is in line with the average over the previous three years. Restricted income and donations totalling £11,308 were also received and which includes £10,000 from an anonymous donor. A full analysis of the restricted funds received are shown in note 11 to the accounts. The legacies were received from the estates of W Davey £15658, S Valentine £5000, and G Barwick £1000. The £28,800 remaining from the Belinda Martin legacy from 2019 by the PCC for a project(s) specifically in her memory continues to be held in a designated fund. £158933 of unrestricted funds was spent to provide Christian Ministry from Walmer Parish Churches, including our contribution to the diocesan parish share which for the year was £96,587 and which largely provides the stipends and pensions and housing for the clergy. The sum that the churches in the deanery have to find is shared between the churches according to an agreed formula. £2,282 of restricted funds was also spent on Christian Ministry. Net movement in unrestricted funds was a deficit of £18,901 Net movement in restricted funds was a surplus of £9,026 There was an increase in value of our endowment funds of £698 During the year total fund balances decreased from £254,273 to £245,096 Despite the impact of Covid 19 the PCC is looking better than the early forecast indicated. However, the Financial Review Group continues to look at potentially increasing income, reducing costs and the future use of the PCC’s assets. This will enable the trustees to ensure that the charity’s future remains secure. We have already implemented monthly reporting of the cash and estimated I&E position to the trustee chairman, together with a Risk Register and Assessment protocol in line with accounting recommendations. ## **Reserves Policy** This PCC attempts to maintain sufficient funds for the purpose of properly maintaining its various properties. In the case of the Parish Hall and Elizabeth House funding is administered through the Plant Committee. In the case of the Church buildings, it is administered through the PCC Committee and restricted funds are held within the main accounting system. We are looking into increasing the balance in reserves to provide secure funding for future requirements. ## **Investment Policy** It is our policy to invest our fund balances with the CBF Church of England Deposit Fund. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in notes to the accounts and comply with the charity’s governing document the Charities Act 2011 and Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland published on 16 July 2014 (as amended of Update Bulletin 1 published on 2 February 2016). ## **Public Benefit** The Trustees have referred to the guidance from the Charity Commission in relation to public benefit when reviewing the charity’s aims and objectives and in planning future activities. ## ## ## _Open lives, open hands, open churches_ _“Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come into his presence with singing. Know that the LORD is God._ _It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, bless his name. For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.”_ _Psalm 100_ Like 2020 this review for 2021 could be dominated by the Coronavirus pandemic but as I said last year it’s not the pandemic itself that’s worth writing about, but the wonderful response that you, the people of the churches, have made to it. The continuing online recorded services (what a blessing to the whole Benefice, thanks to Jean Winn and her team); the diligence of wardens, deputies, and sacristans in making sure that when we were able to return to our churches for worship they were safe places to be; the new things that have come along like ‘broadcasting’ our Sunday morning worship on the web (thanks to Jane Hambling and the Download team); for continuing to ‘meet’ in groups via video conferencing (the Lent course on the environment was a particular success and again built relationships across the Benefice); all of this, and much more, has meant that we made a positive response to the demands of the pandemic. Thanks must also go to the Wardens, financial team (esp. Vic, our treasurer) and others who have been grappling with the difficult financial position that the pandemic has put the parish in. 2021 saw the first year that Walmer Parish Churches have been unable to pay our parish share in full with such a large shortfall that it’s difficult to know how we will make it good. A small team appointed by the PCC are looking in to ways to make our properties more economically advantageous to us but that is a long-term strategy. Thank you to everyone one of you who give so generously to keep the life of our churches flourishing – every penny that you give helps toward the mission of the church. Mentioning our Wardens, a big thank you must go to Richard Harris for all his work for the churches as Warden over many years and thanks to Jerry Swallow for picking up the responsibility again at short notice (and to Lesley Smith for agreeing to be deputy in Jerry’s place…). The role of Warden can be both rewarding and a challenging responsibility so thank you to Jerry and Jane Lopacka (also parish Warden), and Lesley and Sylvia Bowley (also Deputy) for all that you do. The pandemic and its effects have inevitably brought changes to the way we do things and one of those is that we chose not to run our usual Summer Fayre but to take advantage of a ‘charity’ stall slot at Deal market a couple of times a year and to run fundraisers at St Saviour’s church that will coincide with events on Walmer Green. This proved successful at an August Bank Holiday trial and so will continue. Thanks to Chris Flint and his team for organising this. Thanks as well to Tina Roberts and her team for a very successful Christmas Fayre which not only raised money but also created positive community contacts. It was a delight to be able to return to church worship for Palm Sunday and to have (an albeit muted) Easter celebration. As always, our worship is enhanced by fine music with grateful thanks to Chris Lockyer and the choir. It’s also a joy to have Chris Berriman joining us to play the organ at St Saviour’s. However, we miss Leo Forsdyke (who is now in a care home) dearly and who played at St Saviour’s for many years. Thanks must also go to those who volunteer to set up the church for our services, read, lead intercessions, welcome and much more – we are truly blessed by the ministry of so many. Pastoral needs among our congregations were still amplified by the pandemic with more people unwell, or deciding (rightly so) to be cautious about returning to ‘normal’ life. Rev’d Steve, Paul Henderson and the pastoral team continued to offer pastoral care and support to the bereaved, our congregation ‘at home’, and in our local care homes. Likewise, ministry to those asking about baptism and weddings continues. May I say a personal thanks to Nicola Sparkes, Jane Sharp, and Monica Hawkins who help with these occasional offices. Our parish administrator Elaine Wickenden continued juggling home and office working, closing and re-opening the parish hall and Elizabeth House through 2021…. Her assistance with so much of our parish (and indeed benefice) life is invaluable. As with each passing year 2021 saw changes to our congregations. We have welcomed some new faces who have quickly become familiar and we have said goodbye to others. Among those who have died were Evelyn Whiting, Peter Bannister; Peggy Bannister; Gill Barwick; Ted Hibbert; Melodie Morrison; Edna Elliott; and Malcolm Griffiths. We continue to commend them into God’s mercy and pray for comfort for their mourning families. Among the many thanks noted above should also be added the many who will count toward my sins of omission (!) and of whom, indeed, I am unaware of the contribution they make to our church life – thank you as well. I say this each year but there is no other way of saying it because its true: the support of my family and friends, ministerial colleagues, parish officers, and many others, is something that, however many clever words I may find, mention of here can never be thanks enough. The blessing of our shared lives together is a blessing from God and, for that, I am truly grateful. _with every blessing._ The Rev’d Seth Cooper – February 2022 ## **Churchwarden’s report 2022.** - **Grants** – grant funding enquiries made for repair to St Saviour’s path and community hubs with Derek Murphy, local councillor. - **Lighting** - faulty lamps replaced in St Mary’s by Peter Smith, electricians - **Property** - Finance and Property Team discussions on-going. To report at the next PCC meeting. - **EE Telecoms** - IRIS Service Delivery wish to replace or refurbish much of the telecoms electronics and transmission dishes in the tower. An on-site meeting is envisaged for them to explain their plan. - **Lead Levels** – in the water to St Mary’s. The unflushed supply is 3x recommended safe levels but flushed water levels are well within Southern Water recommendations. Discharge pipe added to the vestry tap to aid flushing. Please run the tap in the vestry for 3 minutes discharging to outside initially using the hose attached. - **Quinquennial repairs** - arranging with Colman’s to mortar the cracks as recommended in the quinquennial report for BMW addressing items 19.01, 19.05, 19.06 and 19.09 ## **St Savour’s Churchwardens Reports for Annual Report** There has been a gradual trickling back of people as we emerge out of Covid, although we remain cautious. My thanks go to all who have contributed to the continuance and enhancement of our worship. Last summer Paul Henderson, Steve O’Connor and myself conducted a process regarding outreach, focusing on church growth and greater use of St. Saviour’s building and facilities. The major outcome is the decision to appoint a part-time Outreach Worker. The organ has had a couple of repairs, paid for by donations. Due to falling paint and plaster above the east window, the altar was moved forward to make the area safer and this will remain in place until needed repairs are done. Seth is seeking quotes for required work as per the last Quinquennial Report. Seth has obtained quotes for repairs to the pathway and is applying for funding grants. The vestry floor is deteriorating and is a priority. Ecclesiastical Insurance is being approached regarding replacement of the vestry carpet that is damaged due to a leaky roof. The Gardening Group is developing. ## _**Jane Lopacka – Churchwarden**_ ## **St Saviour’s Community Garden** The first task was to become a recognised group, draw up a constitution with a chairperson and treasurer, hold an annual AGM and have a separate bank account. With this established, one can make application for a grant from Dover District Council for suitable projects, for example, a shed, benches, water-butts, skip hire and renewing the footpath at St. Saviours. Also, a recognised group can apply to be registered as a Community Project Caretaker which would allow the use of maintenance equipment from Dover Council depot at Mill Hill. A constitution and bank account are ‘work in progress’. The group will remain within the ‘umbrella’ of the Church. Seth has given us a copy of the Constitution for the Friends of Walmer Parish Churches for reference, and we will consult with the PCC Treasurer, Vic Kelly, regarding a separate bank account. Once we are a recognised group, we will plan an open event to launch **St. Saviours Community Garden.** _Jennifer Stevens_ ## **Annual Report from the Plant Committee** ## **Annual Report from the Plant Committee** Due to the Covid-19 pandemic the Walmer Parish Hall and Elizabeth House closed for hire on the 4th November 2020 and didn’t reopen until 17th May 2021. ## **Parish Hall** The hall is in good order and there is no major work earmarked for 2022. Rental income this year has been significantly reduced due to the pandemic however, since May 2021 regular hirers have returned to the hall along with children’s party bookings and income is starting to return to prepandemic levels. At present the land at the rear of the Parish Hall is let to Adamson’s bringing in £3,000pa. The lease has expired; rental monies are still being received but this lease needs to be reviewed and renewed. The Plant Committee will be contacting Mr Adamson to make these arrangements now that he has completed the required changes to his business accommodating the petrol station expansion. ## **Elizabeth House** The house is in good interior decorative order and before the pandemic hit, it was used for many church activities and by community groups. At present the regular groups have not returned to the house but a number of new bookings have been made including a social group for the hard of hearing/deaf, well-being workshops and firstaid courses. It is hoped income will slowly start to build back to pre-pandemic levels. Due to loss of rental income the following improvements have been deferred: - Fire doors and handrails to be installed - Downstairs cloakroom redecoration and sanitary ware replacement (Pending reordering plans). The Plant Committee have also covered the cost of the defibrillator servicing and maintenance for 2021. ## **Summary** As you will see from the accounts the finances are currently in good order. Due to the pandemic, we have continued to operate in a ‘minimising cost’ mode, keeping all expenditure to essential items only thus ensuring we can meet our core operating costs. Our thanks go to Mike Terry for his excellent expertise in role as Treasurer and to Elaine in the Parish Office for all her hard work dealing with the bookings and supporting the committee to keep our premises Covid safe. It has been another very challenging year. **Steven Wickenden – Chairman of the Property Committee** ## **Pastoral Team** Despite the difficult times we have been able to meet on a regular basis and discuss our visits to people’s homes and the care homes. The latter has been problematic due to the virus but Paul has been able to visit Carlton Lodge to record a short service for the residents in the garden area. Also, Seth, Jerry and Paul have been able to visit Ami Court to conduct communion services and a special Christmas service. On May 14[th] (Saturday) at 10.30am, we shall be holding a service at St Mary’s for all those bereaved relatives and friends who have lost loved ones. As we have not been able to have this service for the past two years, we shall be inviting all those who have experienced loss, going back to 2019. Thank you to all those who have made visits to individuals, in their hoes and in the care homes. _Paul Henderson_ ## **Deanery Synod** We have been able to meet mostly by Zoom, to discuss local and national church issues. Much discussion during the past year has been about parish quota amounts and how they are calculated. There was a visit to the deanery last autumn and another one is planned for next September, from Bishop Rose. She is keen to visit schools as well as churches with the emphasis on mission and evangelism. At our last meeting, Seth gave a talk on his investigation into rural ministry last summer and it is hoped that a meeting for lay ministers and readers can be organised soon. This had to be shelved during the past few years due to the pandemic. Rev’d Monica Cameron has been appointed as Priest in Charge of Upper Deal benefice and there has been the licensing of an interim minister, Kirrilee Reid, in the Eastry benefice. On the financial front, there is approximately £6,700 in the accounts and there was a £2,000 grant from the diocese last year. _Paul Henderson_ ## **The Friends of Walmer Parish Churches - 2021 Report to the APCM** Sadly, due to the restrictions imposed because of the Covid-19 pandemic, The Friends were not able to carry out any hands-on fundraising events during 2021 so everything was put on the back burner till things begin to open up again and people feel comfortable about getting together. The bank account at the end of 2021 held £4,193.87. Once again, we have to report that the numbers of paying members of the Friends have dwindled to around 20. They bring in an amount of approximately £500 per annum. The fall off is due in part to many of the members being elderly and no longer with us… People seem more than happy to get involved and pay for tickets to an event to help raise funds but somewhat more reticent about committing to an annual amount to support the churches. Liz Mott - Friends of Walmer Parish Churches committee member ## **Electoral Roll** The Church Electoral Roll currently has 194 members enrolled. _Jane Sharp – Electoral Roll Officer_ ## **– Annual report to the APCM February 2022 The Downs Church of England Primary School** In September 2021 The Downs CEP school began its school year with a new senior leadership team. We all hoped that we would be back to 'normal' school life following the two years of disrupted learning that our community had faced due to the global pandemic. However, we have continued to be faced with significant challenges relating to staff absence, child absence and Coronavirus outbreaks. We are extremely fortunate to have the support and engagement of our Church community. With additional precautions in place, we were able to have a whole school Harvest Celebration and the year 3 and 4 Christingle service. These were the first visits to St Mary's Church in two years and each was a very moving experience for us all. Our school choir was also fortunate enough to perform at St Mary's Church Christmas Fair. Reverend Seth is a regular visitor to The Downs CEP School and was able to attend year R, 1 and 2's Christmas showcases in school. In addition to this, Seth and Hendy visit one-year group per week to lead class worship. The strategic vision of the school is supported by the Church members who it on the Governing body and regularly engage in monitoring and development. We look forward to developing our relationship with the Church community over the coming year. **Natalie Luxford – Headteacher** INOEPEt40ENT EXAMINER'S AÉPORTTOTHE TRUSTEES OF WAIMER PAROCHIALCHURCH COUNCIL I JANUARY 2021: 31 DECEMBER 2021 I repDrt to Iht 4th￿% iTuStttS tyl fjl the •rJrts rrtJt 115 ol the In Lmrt fc4Md¥l•pOutrAedweoiwsWthtytr*ch￿tycwIr1SththiderSt￿￿ 1451SXbl offttr*Att. do iht ¥phÉ461e le￿th￿VAl corrfwrln¢ ¥r4 ctyitont ol Charfth5 lh￿ r*)<¢nrovns h¥rt WQSI NJryher¢n•iters thttxW￿IknIo￿1th *ttonikn tho#SJ1t*w￿ r•ptytkn N¥%wApswied 45¢￿￿511￿1 D*¥ cn4 6eY 2811012022 WPIMER PAROCMIALO4IJRCH COUNat STATEMENTOF FINANCWI ￿￿NIn1$ IAANUARY 202I: 11 DECEMBER 2021 Erd•wm*n¢ Toi•l F￿Thd1 20 TotslFUrtthA kncopM& Endw*men 9>.41￿ LW20 113.4SS.t 2(bl 24,772. 2D.241. knvestmortts OD .tsoffjo 430 430 7265 Tot•11￿￿• 139,492I I50,￿£¥j LS3.24S. 128t, I￿.56￿ 161,S47.Ql Lossth75¥¢olFIKedknrt 3fv1 31AYJ 32 18,Y)11 9,875 9,48B IIEIG*ionirMe5tyrén 31& 9￿1ffj.¢￿J 9.l?7. 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