St. Peter's -I'"1- 1 1.. .4 % '[' () The Parochial Council of St. Peter's Church, Little Aston Annual Report and Financial Statements Year Ended 31 December 2021 Incumbent Reverend Philip Daniel 3 Walsall Road Little Aston B74 3BD Honorary Assistant Priest Reverend Jeremy Blunt Readers Andrew Farrow Pamela Strong Bank HSBC UK 67 Thè Parade Sutton Coldfield B72 1 PD Independent Examiner Michael Johnson stpeterslittleaston.co.uk
The Parochlal Council of St. Peter's Church, Little Aston Annual Report for the Year ended 31 December 2021 IThis report is made in accordance with the Church Representation Rules {20111 and is separate from any oiher stalemeni or addre&s that the incumbeni may wish lo make or any reports Ihat any other individual or parish group may present at the Annual Parochial Church Meelingl Administrative Informatlon St. Peter's Church is situated on Roman Road, Little Aston B74 3AT. It is part of the Diocese of Lichfield within the Church of England. Correspondence is addressed to the Vicarage, 3 Walsall Road, Little Aston B74 3BD. The PCC is a body corporate {PCC Powers Measure 1956, Church Representation Rules 2011 } and a Registered Charity 1128819. Ex officio members Incumbent Church Warden Church Warden Sacretary Reverend Philip Daniel Jane Alderson Tony Sweeney Brenda Clarke Elected Members Treasurer Gift Aid Secretary Deanery Synod Representative & Electoral Roll Margaret Pye Deanery Synod Representative Jill Hope Ethne Owen Jane Medlicott Richard Paxton Elisabeth Paxton Lynne Gibson Nina Diaper Kathryn Sweeney Christopher Hulland Paul Eveleigh It is considered that all PCC members and any others who could be understood to be 'managers' in the activities and affairs of the church, as defined in Schedule 6 of the Finance Act 2010, are 'fit and proper, persons under the ierms of the Act. AII PCC members elected for the first time and those re-elected are supplied with minutes of PGC meetings and receive a copy of the last Annual Rewrt and Accounts. They are entitled to ask for any exanationS of their content. In service training is offered as appropriate. Page1
Structurei government and management The Parochial Church Council {PCCI is a corporate body established by the Church of England. The PCC operates under the Parochial Church Council Powers Measure. The method of appointment of PCC members is set OLrt in the Church Representation Rules. At St. Peter's the membership consists of the incumbent (our vicar). churchwardens and members elected by those members of the congregation that are on the electoral roll of the church. The PCC members are responsible for making decisions on all matters of general concern and importance to the parish, including how the funds of th8 PCC are spent. New members receive inttial training in the workings of the PCC. The PCC met 6 times during th8 year. There is a Standing Committee that is the only committee r8quired to be in 8XiStence by church law and has the power to transact the business of the PCC between meetings. subject to ratification by the PCC. Weekly meetings were via Zoom. Aims and purposes St Peter's Parochial Church Council has the responsibility of cooperating with the incumbent. the Reverend Phillip Daniel, in promoting in the ecclesiastical parish the whole mission of the church. pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. Objectives and Activities Th8 PCC is committed to enabling as many people as possible to worship at our church and to become part of the community of St. Peter's.The PCC maintains an overview of worship and will feedback to the vicar suggestions and comments relating to forms of servlce undertaken. Our services are intended to put our faith into practice through prayer, Scripture. music and the sacraments. We endeavour to 8nabl8 ordinary people to live out theirfaith as part of our church community. Worship & Prayer - Bible studies, Discipleship courses. Lent courses, preaching and different types of service with some meeting particular needs are promoted. Provision of pastoral care for members of the congregation both within and out-with the parish. This includes our Authorised Lay Ministers taking communion to those unable to attend church and visiting in hospitals, nursing homes and homes. Missionary and outreach work - our targeted charitable giving and support for social opportunities ar8 well understood supporting both local and international concerns. To facilitate all this, we consider it vttal we maintain and, if possible, improve the fabric of th& church of St. Potar's and 21so tha P2rioh Room. Page 2
Achiovaments and Perforniance Worship and Prayer The PCG is keen to support our Vicar in offering a range of services to meet the requirements of the community who have differing preferences for worship. The Churchwardens have continued their extraordinary efforts to ensure our Vicar Is supported at all times. Covid-19 meant nonnal Service timings and attendances were initially imposslb18 to maintain. Adopting the statutory 2 m8tre social distancing meant numbers had to be restricted and a booking system set up to record the names of attendees. Fac8 masks were mandatory and continue to be so. Individual setvice sheets were provided to be retained by attendees and collections w8re suspended. A maximum of 32 was allowable at each service. Initially only two services were held on Sunday mornings but demand dictated a third service was required from 1st Nov8rnb8r. A Wednesday morning service was also continued. Communion arrangements initially involv8d th8 vlcar and the sacrlstan taklng th8 bread to the congregation in th8 pews who th@n exited through the north door to maintain a one- way system. The sanctified wine was taken on their behalf by the celebrant. A sort of normality in receiving the sacram8nts retumed in late September with communicants going up to the altar for the bread and recelving the wine in individual glasses rather than the Common Cup. Subsequently, in early December following the arrival of th8 Omicron variant W8 returnad to bread only served in the pews and coffee was cancelled post seNices. Booking arrangements were suspended at the end of September and thanks must go to Margaret Pye and Jane Medlicott who took many calls and m8ssages regarding booking places. Servicos are now publicisad in a w88kly Welcome to Worship that is also emalled to those in th8 Parish Directory, Without doubt, the us8 of technology in communicating has been enomously important with servicas and management meetings h8ld over Zoom. Not everybody is on-line and Jan8 Alderson has put an incredible effort into this part of the organisation by ensuring universal inclusion in this different way of working. Special ServSce8 have been held throughout the year including Easter, Harvest, Thanksgiving and Remembrance and Christmas. Baptism, Wédding and Funeral arrangements have been disrupted by Government regulations and numbers attending have been s8verèly restricted. Baptisms Weddings Church Funerals 18 Crematoria 4 Pastoral Care Th8 81@ctoral roll contains 233 names but 70% live outside the parish. Covid-19 restrictions have sevarely curtailed physical visiting but te18phone and email contacts have been expanded to try and meet essentlal contact needs. Page 3
Mission and Evangelism 2021 continued to be dominat8d by the changes brought aboLrt as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Our priority was to foster and maintain the s8nse of community within St Peter's while protecting the safety of church members as far as possible - a full risk assessment was undertaken before resuming services in church. Our "Church Friends" network was revitalised to encourage telephone contact and support between church members. In order to maintain contacts within the church, modern technology was utilised where the capability existed. The church website and Facebook page w8re kept up to date and the Vicar's weekly vidao and other notices were posted on Facebook. The weekly newsletter that Paul Eveleigh instigated in March 2020 and which Jeremy Blunt produced latterly was used to maintain essential contact with the congregation. It terminated in September as the congregation were able to collect the Welcome to Worship in church or have it emailed to them. Initially going out to recipients drawn from th8 church directory, email circulation of the newsletter increased steadily to 145 addresses who now rec81V8 copies of the Welcome to Worship. Additionally, some church m8mb8rs printed copies to pass on to those who do not have email. The newsletter also proved to be a channel for continuing our links with external charities including the L8prosy Mission and the Pathway Project by passing on news and information. The Wicar grew and then gained sponsorship of £1015 for shaving his beard for the benefrt of the L8prosy Mission. That sum was doubled by matched funding from UK Aid. Just before Christmas, church members contributed £470 for Christmas presents for the children at the Pathway Project in addition to the gifts of food, clothing, etc. given throughout the year. Another technical innovation was the use of 'Zoom' for services that could not be held in church. A regular online Sunday serwicg was welcomed during the second lockdown and sp8Gial services including Remembrance Sunday, a successful "Virtual Christingle" and an online Carol Service all reached a good "congregation" by this means. In December 2021 a Reverse Advent Calendar resulted in a substantial co118Ction of gifts for the Pathway project. All the Christmas services were held as nonmal in church with the exception of the Family carol service which took place on Zoom due concerns over a very busy Church with the Omicron variant in full flow. The Church Building St. Peter's is a listed Wictorian Building and any repairs have to conform to regulations and are invariably expensive. Vegetation growth was removed from tha steeple and the lightning conductor repaired and tested. Our whole entery)rise relies on the many willing volunteers that make this church the friendly and responsive community so appreciated by all concerned. This was especially important given the requirements placed upon us conforming to Covid-19 regulations. The social context of our church cannot be underestimated and those opportunities have been missed by all. After service coffee recommenced in November but was halted in early December subsequent to the arrival of the Omicron variant. Page 4
The late Reverend Brian Weaver Brian and Jacqui moved to Streetly when Brian retired from his clergy post. After looking at their options for church, they decided to support their local one, St. Peter's, where they were welcomed in the early 2000's. Brian didn't admit at first that he was a retired clergyman but an astute Church Warden sussed him OLrt and told the then vicar of her thoughts. He was soon given permission to take up the cloth again as a retired minister. Brian had come late to the ministry having been a BA pilot after a stint in the RAF. His sermons often contained anecdotes about time as a pilot. His ministry added much to the mission of St. Peter's as he was a willing participant in leading and preaching and presiding al Baptisms, Funerals and Weddings. Unfortunately, last year he succumbed to an illness from which he had previously suffered and he sadly passed away in May. He has left a congregation who miss his kind and soothing Vol and his passion for the faith. We trust his wings have flown him high. Risk Management St.Peters usa the Health and Safety Ecclesiastical Pro fonna I Small Churches ) taken from their website www.ecclesiastical.com/healthandsafet in conjunction with www.hse. ov.uk The PCC approved an annual review covering the church, the Parish Room. the churchyard and the car park. Any possible hazards are dealt with immediately. Headstones are inspected half yearly and any that are loose are laid down to avoid possible accidents unless repairs can be made speedily . Communicants who have mobility prob18ms have been considered bearing in mind steps to be negotiated. Fire extinguish8rs are certified and t8Sted. PAT testing has been completed on electrical equipment. First Aid Box checked and up to dat8. Food and Hygiene Rules updated and displayed in the kitchen. A tree suNey done by R8uben Hayes recommended by the Church Architect was undertaken last year . All the recommendations in the report will be implemented. We have adjusted our Covid protocols in line with the Church of England guidelines. which we shall continue to monitor. We have taken all reasonable steps to maintain a one metre distance both inside/outsida of the church. We Gonsider we have done everything practical to manage transmission risk and up to date we have no incidents to report Safeguarding The safety and security of chlldren is of the utmost importance and guidelines and policies have been adopted to ensure that all children taking part in activities in our churches may do so in a loving, caring and safe atmosphere. The. Protection Policy in respect of childr8n and vulnerable adults is recognised by the PCC who appointed Mrs Deborah Hartland as Safeguarding Officer. Page 5
Safeguarding continued A forrnalised programme, monitored by the Diocese. of serious learning and c8rtlfication has been undertaken by the Ministry team and members of the Church identified as having contact with children and vulnerable adults. COVID-19 r8Strictions hav8 necessitated suspension of a Sunday School during ihis year but meetings are held via Zoom in the meantime ensuring that all children have adult accompaniment on screen. C3 Gertification Ministry Team 4 C2 Cartification Churchwardens and 2 others C1 Certification 34 Church members Financial Review Because of the overall constraints caused by Covid-19, Lichfield Diocese have been in close touch with parishes regarding up to date financial positions. Our financial records are available to Lichfield Diocese who are now the main licence holders of the on-line software from Data Developments.The arrangement is also consid8r8d by the PCC to be a useful backstop for us. Thanks are due to Michael Johnson for undartaking the Independent Examination of the accounts. Fee Income generated from Weddings and Funerals is important and thanks are due to Margaret Pye and Annie Stretton for ensuring th8 Treasurer is up to speed with the necessary information. Cash collections have all but ceased for the tim8 b8ing although the congregation have very generoLAsly stood by St. Pet8r's by continuing their Standing Orders and Direct Giving with the majority Gift-aided. The tax refund is a major source of income and Paul Eveleigh continues to ensure these refunds are obtained in good time. Our bankers, HSBC continue their programme of branch closures and paying-in is now via a Post Office. This is likely to give rise to bank charges during 2022. The Treasur8r does now have the ability to pay in cheques via the HSBC iPhone app. Thanks ar8 due to John Tait and Helen Baker who handle any cash received despite the difficulties encountered. The major expense on the fabric of the Church was a repairto the lightning conductor and the clearing of vegetation from the steeple costing £6180. The VAT £1236 was subsequently reclaimed through the Listed Places of Worshlp Grant Scheme. We continue with the Friends of St. Peter's to ensure the maintenance of tha Churchyard with overall costs of £11335. Following the sad d8ath of Dave Marston, Nigel Jones has taken over the main task, continuing the good work. Energy costs are rising substantially and, following brokers, advice. we have agreed a 3 year contract until September 2024 with EDF for electricity on the basis that smart meters will be installed. EDF electricty is mostly produced by nuclear energy and consider8d "green" Our main expense was the Parish Share. Due to national circumstances relating to Covid-19. the Diocase managed to obtain som8 central funding that effectively reduced our liability by £7980. This meant that a potential overall deficit was turned into a mod8St but welcome surplus of £3300. {2020 £7085) Page 6
Sl. Peterfs Church, Liitle Aston Balance Sheet Year Endod 31 Docember2Q21 Fued Assets Land and Buildings 1.00 1.00 TO Flxod Assèts 1.00 Curr6ntAs88ts HSBC Current Aco)LN 728.78 69.93 HSBC FrienLls of St.PÈt8r¥ Cufftnt Account 22538.36 22921.58 CCLA I¢BB Detosit Ac¢ount Interior De¢oratlng S¢hem9 LKI.00 .00 921.15 521.15 Total Currert Assets 105313.29 105313.29 102012.66 102012.66 102013.66 Current knabilities A9cY Collections Totsl Curr•nt knabilib•ts Nat Assets Roservè$ alance tKwht forward 102013.66 94928.33 Surplus J Deficit 8300.63 7085.33 B8lanc8 carried fomard 10521&29 102013.68 Reprosented by FuThJs Land and Buildlngs UnstriCt6 Gera1 Fund 71172.37 711T2.37 66256.52 6256.52 Restiict8d A9Y Collectb S35.00 Charty Popèals & Fundraisng 425.41 425.41 Churchyard Malntenance Friends of St. P8t8I8 1630.00 22536.96 22921.58 InterioT Dec[atIng S¢heme 921.15 521.15 Special Prciects Fund 9000. 9(K)O. Teathing & Evangelism Fu 7?3.W 723.00 35756.14 85756.14 11)531419 102013.fj6
St Petets Church. Little Aston 5ncomè &Expenditr¥eYthwEnded31 PecemberWI1 Income GiftA4d 83&41 747g9.50 j 1 Nan Gfft Atd 4201.4 Lcn5e Plala¢dkclkin8 1539ll6 2(H).81 ', sO(M> . Church Boxe8 2B7.20 DonaOnApS Grants 435& s9.e3.. Tax R8covor4d GiftAid 18827.49 11092&70 429.7 144346.93 PCC Fees 121y3(m) 12090L 84QD. 240.(K) l Other Fund8 Gènèrat 59D.91 ., RLMnmagg Sales 9tc
3 186.10 | 26. Pthsh fvtsgazlnè &Cthrth 1S2191 13SS.52 Bank Ini 15415i54 Exp8n(litu i St8vrdrd8hip¢ampaiw &Fèté Co>ts 46.(PJ I Donatkni$ Pansh Shar• 79770.[1 74235.M I 3620.w I U70.41 Oryanisl 38W.00 Vall ExpBn8f¥ 1341.OT I 1hcry&Exp8Os i Telepkwe S77.SO 418. 671.88 Edu¢atltsi & &ThJayCI 43.99 Inyutancè 3574.06 chUh MaJnlerwKg 485.50 2708.01 Cleaning 687.39 1393.98 Upk98p of s¥$ Upkèep of Churchyard 2091.11 1D70.61 11335.98 14294.69 AdThlTh¥tratn 337.08 180.co Prtntl ge620 1215. Eltchty 7825.93 S666.50 Watei 75.18 236. P8rlsh R( Mantenae MIorRoO 8 In9talaUonB 7416. 120S98 87 37879 1 147021.12 13J39B 147081.21 Balance lrton. Exwh1ftur• 15415154
Financial Statements for the Year ended 31 December 2021 l. Notes to the Accounts The financial statements of the PCC have been prepared in accordance with the Church Accounting Flegulations 2006 using the Receipts and Payments basis. 2. Fixed Assets Consecrated and benefice property is not included from the Accounts by s.10{2llal&(Cl of the Charities Act 2011. Moveable church furnishings held by the Vicar and Churchwardens on special trust for the PCC and which require a facufty for disposable are inalienable property listed in the Church's inventory which can be inspected {at any reasonable timel. For any acquired prior to 2000 there is insufficient cost infonnation available and therefore such assets are not valued in the financial statements. Oth8r tangib18 ass8ts fix8d assets ar8 valuèd at cost. 3. Degeription of Fundg Unrestricted funds are income funds of the PCC that are available for spending on the general purposes of the PCC. including amounts designated by the PCC for fixed assets for its own use or for spending on a future project and which a therefore not included in its "free reserves" as disclosed in the trustees, annual report. Restricted funds comprise two elements al income from trusts or endowments which may be expended only on those restricted objects provided in the terms of the trust or bequest bl 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 remaining unspent at the end of the year must be carried forward as a balance on that fund. The PCC does not usually invest separately for each fund. Where there is no separate investment, interest is apportioned to individual funds on an average balance basis. Endowment funds are restricted funds that must be retained as trust capital either permanently or subject to discretionary powar to spend capital as income and where the use of any income or other benefit derived from the capital may be restricted or unrestricted. Page 9
Indendent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of Ihe PCC of SL Peter's Church, Little Aston. Registered Charity 1128819 report on the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2021 which are s8t out in the Annual Report and Financial Statements. Respactive responsibilities of the Trustees and Independent Examiner The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity's trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under Section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 (the Charities Act) rather an ind8p8ndent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to examine th8 accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act to follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 145(5}(b) of the Charitl8s Act and to state whether particular matters have come to my attention. Basis of Independent Examiner Statement My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with thes8 records. It also includes consideration of unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning such matters. Thg procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequ8ntly no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a 'te and fair" view and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below. Independant Examiner's Statement In connection with my examination. no matarial matters have com8 to my attention which give me Gause to believe that in any material respect accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act or the accounts do not accord with the accounting records I hav8 coma across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Signed Date Gèa Page10