## **ANNUAL REPORT 2023** 



Annual Report of the Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Ainsdale St John _Charity Number 1128996_ 

_Note: this revision 1 of the Annual Report has been updated since the APCM to: i) reflect the finalised accounts; and ii) update the number of clients helped by the Job Club/_ 


_Sharing God’s love, serving one another_ 





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INTRODUCTION 2<br>VISION & MISSION 3<br>WORSHIP & PASTORAL CARE 4<br>CHILDREN & YOUNG PEOPLE 5<br>UNIFORMED GROUPS 6<br>CHURCH SCHOOL 7<br>NATTERJACKS DAY NURSERY 8<br>COMMUNITY & FELLOWSHIP 9<br>THE WIDER CHURCH 11<br>ENABLING MISSION 12<br>BUILDINGS & GROUNDS<br>COMMUNICATIONS<br>FINANCIAL REVIEW 13<br>MANAGEMENT & GOVERNANCE 21<br>ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 22<br>INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT 23<br>APPENDICES<br>1. PCC MEMBERSHIP & APPROVED ROLES 24<br>2. PROGRESS AGAINST 2023 MISSION OBJECTIVES 25<br>3. PCC MISSION OBJECTIVES FOR 2024 26<br>**----- End of picture text -----**<br>



This Annual Report has been designed to be read online to support our desire to be environmentally friendly. If you need a paper copy, please contact one of the wardens. 


_**“Don’t just pretend that you love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Stand on the side of the good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honouring each other. Never be lazy in your work, but serve the Lord enthusiastically. Be glad for all God is planning for you. Be patient in trouble and always be prayerful.”**_ 

Romans 12:9-12 


**Page 1** 



Welcome to our annual report for 2023. Although we have been in interregnum, we have used the year to continue to regrow our mission following the closures that arose from the covid pandemic. 

We have been delighted to see our congregations settling back to our regular pattern of worship and meeting together for social events such as parish lunches. 

Our links with St John’s Primary School and Natterjacks Nursery continue to be a real blessing. The children from school come into church every week for whole school worship and we host school families for class services and special events through the year. Natterjacks families are welcomed into church for Christmas and end of year celebrations. 

During this year we have been able to host more social events. The film shows continue to be popular with all ages and we welcomed the community to enjoy fabulous concerts from the Maghull Wind Orchestra, Connected Voices choir, and Octave choir accompanied by the Marshside Brass Band, plus our very own musicians and singers from St John’s school. 

Throughout the year we have been indebted to the retired clergy Revd Peter Todd, Revd Bill Matthews, and Revd Canon Ross Moughtin; and lay people, Jean Todd, Eirlys Jessop and Linda Davies. Thanks to you all, and to everyone across the church family who continue to support our ministry with your prayers, time and financial contributions. 

We ended 2023 with the good news that we had appointed a new vicar, Revd Jackie Davies. We are sure that God has great plans for Ainsdale under Jackie’s leadership. Some of these plans may involve familiar activities but we also trust that Jackie will further reinvigorate our mission with new approaches and ideas as we look to bring the message of God’s salvation to new people in the communities that we serve. 

## Ainsdale St John’s PCC 




## **PCC MEMBERSHIP (to APCM 2024)** 

_Incumbent Reader Churchwardens_ 

Currently in Interregnum Eirlys Jessop Chris Thursfield (PCC Chair) Lesley Phipps 

Helen Parker _,_ Jean Washbourne, David Phipps, John Forshaw 

_Deanery Synod Reps_ 

_Elected Members (and Trustees)_ Lindsay Jessop (PCC Treasurer) Peter Hancock (PCC Secretary and PCC Vice Chair) Giles Davies Linda Davies John Forshaw Maggie Hilton Frank Hyland Patricia Jameson Chloe Ormrod Val Sinnott Ann Walton 

**Members of the PCC are the charity trustees and are the 'persons having the general control and management of the administration of the charity' (Charities Act 2011, s177).** 

_See_ _**Appendix 1** for further details & approved roles_ 


## WELCOME JACKIE! 

We are delighted that Revd Jackie Davies has been appointed as our new Vicar at St John’s Ainsdale. Jackie will be joining us on 17[th] June and we are very much looking forward to her ministering to us and supporting our mission in Ainsdale. 

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The primary objective of St John's Church Parochial Church Council (PCC) is to promote the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and to cooperate with the incumbent, in promoting in the parish, the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. 

## **OUR VISION** _**Sharing God’s Love, Serving One Another**_ 

## **OUR MISSION** 

_**Demonstrating God’s love by supporting families throughout their lives: as children; as adults; as parents; and when they need someone just to listen such as at times of bereavement.**_ 

To help direct our activities, the PCC has a series of **Mission Priorities** which are focused around the **5 Marks of Mission** ( _see box right_ ). 

Each year, the PCC sets specific **Objectives** against each priority. These help inform budgeting. Progress is reviewed monthly by the PCC’s Mission Group. _See Appendices 2 and 3 for_ _**Progress against 2023 objectives** and_ _**PCC objectives for 2024**_ . 

In fulfilling our Mission Priorities, we aim to be: 

**1. An active church family where all members are included and valued for who they are, respect each other’s style of worship, encourage involvement, and contribute to the whole life of the Church, including our Church School, with their talents and abilities.** 

**2. Centred on God, letting Him lead us into the future He has prepared for us.** 

**3. Growing in faith as we serve our community in Ainsdale.** 

To facilitate the above, it is important that we maintain the fabric of the Church building and adjacent hall complex. 

- **5 Marks of Mission St John’s Mission Priorities A. TELL: Proclaim the** • Letting God touch the lives of others by **Good News of the** providing imaginative, varied, inspiring and **Kingdom** engaging worship. 

- **B. TEACH: Teach, baptise** • Helping and nurturing all those who wish to **and nurture new** explore and deepen their relationship with **believers** God by providing opportunities for bible study, prayer and Christian fellowship in a safe family friendly environment. 

- • Equipping and supporting each other as members of an inclusive church family to be Christians in a modern world: at home; at work; with friends and in our local community. 

- **C. TEND: Respond to** • Helping to transform lives of those in need **human needs by loving** in Ainsdale through providing a safe haven **service** for quiet contemplation and offering practical and emotional support for life events. 

- **D. TRANSFORM: Seek to** • Working with other Christian and secular **transform unjust** organisations to promote global fairness for **structures of society,** all. **to challenge violence of every kind and to pursue peace and reconciliation** 

- **E. TREASURE: Strive to** • Looking after God’s planet by raising **safeguard the integrity** awareness of the impact we have on **of creation and sustain** creation and the actions we can take to **and renew the life of** improve the environment. **the earth** 

When planning our activities for the year, the PCC has considered the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit and, in particular, the specific guidance on charities for the advancement of religion. 

**Page 3** 



Our regular pattern of **weekly worship** continued throughout 2023 in addition to us supporting families with baptisms and funerals. 

homes or in hospital. We are committed towards providing a **warm and welcoming space** in church at a time when people are struggling to keep their homes warm. The group put on a series of film shows on Friday afternoons which included an interval for refreshments and much appreciated fellowship. 

## **2023 WORSHIP PATTERN** 

_Sunday 10-30 main service (also live streamed through 2023)_ Service alternates to accommodate different styles: 

- _**1[st] & 3[rd] Sun:**_ **Praise & Worship / Parade Service:** informal family service with worship band; Guides, Rainbows and Brownies contribute to 6 services each year 

We continued to lead **whole school worship** in church which is appreciated by all children and staff every Monday as well as hosting families for our special services for Harvest, Easter and Christmas. 

- _**2[nd] & 4[th] Sun:**_ **Holy Communion (CW):** with organ and choir 

- _**5[th] Sun:**_ **Family Communion:** with worship band, organ & choir 

- Baptisms are accommodated in the 10.30 service when required 

We support families who have lost a loved one. During 2023 the **Bereavement Group** met when needs arose. 

_Sunday 8-30 service_ 

The **worship band** supported our Praise & Worship services and school collective worship. Their music is enjoyed by a wide range of ages with everyone becoming involved with the actions used to enhance the messages. 

Quiet traditional Holy Communion (alternate BCP/BCW) with no music. 

_Thursday 10-30 service_ 

Traditional Holy Communion (BCP) with no music. 

The **‘bring and share’ lunches** continued to bring the different congregations together after the Sunday service. 

The PCC are very grateful to the dedicated clergy and lay teams, worship band, organist and choir who continued to have such a positive impact on our worship. 

A **Bible Study Group** started in 2023 to develop our understanding of the Bible by watching episodes from ‘ _The Chosen_ ’. This provided the basis for investigating  passages from the Bible. It is well attended and provided opportunities for some interesting discussions. 

Our **church choir** supported Holy Communion services and joined with the music group for Family Communion services. The choir also attended special feast day services and the Christmas Midnight communion, as well as a Carol Service. The choir also represented the church by robing for the Act of Remembrance on the village green. Choir membership is currently 11. 

The **Men’s Social Group** met on a Wednesday evening. Initially set up to cater for men new to the church who live on their own, it is now available to anyone and there are currently seven men who meet. It is a great way to make new members of the church feel very welcome and to enjoy fellowship in a relaxed atmosphere. 

Our small but dedicated **Prayer Group** met each Monday afternoon in church. In our prayers we remember people in need, both locally and worldwide and allocate some quiet time for private prayer. 

The **Care Group** are a valuable part of our ministry. During the past year members of the Care Group visited and brought communion to people who were housebound, in nursing 

The **Prayer Circle** also actively supported those requesting prayers. 




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into our church family in 2023. It is very important to us that baptisms are held in the main Sunday service with families given an especially warm welcome. Linda, as Baptism Co-Ordinator,  is their first contact and they are invited to come and meet us before their child’s 

We are encouraged by the increasing number of children and young families attending services. 

## our worship. 

partner with the Southport & Area School’s Worker Trust to provide and create a safe space for the young people attending to explore the big issues of life and faith. Around 25 young people attended each week to enjoy chats with their peers, games on the big screens and a variety of sports, as well as much anticipated food and drinks while discussing a big question linked to life and faith. 

We use our church website and Facebook pages to post updates and photos and regularly email families with details of upcoming events. 

We hold two informal services per month especially suitable for those with children. The youngest children take advantage of our “children’s corner”,  with craft activities, Bible books and colouring opportunities, and the services are designed for them to take an active role in worship with musical instruments, interactive prayer, and use of visuals. We want to give our young people a voice. Children, including our Uniformed Groups, help to lead prayers and Bible readings. 

We are very fortunate to enjoy close ties with our church school - children and staff. We lead **whole school worship** every Monday during term time and it is wonderful to witness the church filled with over 200 pupils and their staff joining in wholeheartedly with worship songs and activities. The school use the church space for class services and Christmas and Easter worship activities and a very engaging and busy Christingle service. Linda goes into Year 3 each year to deliver _Christmas in a Box_ . The children learn more about the roles of the principal characters in the nativity and take their own box home to share the experience with their family. 

important first step on a journey of faith. One of our church members continues to make crochet blankets which are given as gifts, along with a children’s bible and a baptism candle. One of the children baptised this past year was the sister of one of our school children and, following the baptism, Revd Bill Matthews was asked by the school to do a presentation on baptism  in church for the class as part of the RE Curriculum. 

## **Little John’s Baby & Toddler Group** 

The group continued to thrive with around 35 children each week - many regulars and some dropping in now and again. We were able to give out 40 books again at Christmas. 

**Junior PCC** met to plan and lead specific services, including the annual Crib Service on Christmas Eve, when a packed church enjoyed dressing up to retell the nativity story and celebrate Jesus’ birth. Some members of Junior PCC are part our worship band. 

There is still a mixture of mums, dads, grandparents and carers bringing children each week and providing mutual support. There is lots of lively chat with adults cheerfully joining in the clearing-up at the end to make room for the dancing. 

## **Impact Youth** 

This Ainsdale ecumenical youth group for 11 to 18 year olds, originally started by St John’s, met on Wednesdays during term time in the Methodist Church’s sports hall and café/lounge. 

In these ways, we are able to worship as an all-age church family, with the children and young people fully integrated and participating in 

## **Baptisms** 

Despite the interregnum, we were delighted welcome three children 

The Churches together in Ainsdale 






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## **Uniformed Organisations** 

to the Guiding family gaining interest, skill builders and theme badges. 

Brownie highlights included: 

indoor caving. 

- A King’s Coronation tea party with lots of games. 

St John’s are fortunate to have strong Guiding groups meeting in church. We also enjoy welcoming the girls and their families to six Parade Services a year and the groups join on the green for Remembrance Sunday. **Thank you to all the dedicated leaders who volunteer so much time.** 

   - Celebrating the Coronation of King Charles and sending a card - which received a reply! 

- The ‘17th Guide Baking Competition’ as part of the Cake Challenge badge. 

Rainbow highlights included: 

- Celebrating Chinese New Year by re-enacting the story of the animals which the years are named after and tried to eat dolly mixtures with chopsticks. 

   - A story making adventure in the church grounds – it was exciting to hear how the garden influenced each group’s minds into making amazing stories. 

- Pumpkin carving. 

- Supporting ‘Shoebox of Love’ at Christmas. 

- A visit to see Jack & The Beanstalk panto at The Atkinson 

- Easter egg decorating competition and egg hunt. 

- Making crowns, and having a crowning ceremony for the coronation. 

## **17[th] St John’s Guides** 

The Patrol leaders and guiders ended 2023 with a Chinese take away. 

- Finding out about Biomedical coronation. 

- Science and completing the ‘Clever • Entering flowers collages into the Clogs - On The Mend’ challenge Ainsdale Show. Well done girls! 

- badge. 

Guides enjoyed a very active and fun year achieving numerous Theme Awards with bronze, silver and gold presentations. 

Guides welcomed four new leaders all who have gone into uniform and working on the leadership programme - fantastic news! 

   - A PJ party celebration, decorating church and raising money for Children’s Cancer Trust. 

- Pitching tents and fire safety at Shirdley Hill. 

- Trip to Chocolate Whirled making chocolate bars, Christmas puddings and lollies. 

Highlights included: 

   - As part of a Skill Builders, donating their own items to local charity shops, and raising some money for items for local food charity boxes too. 

- Cooking outdoors at Scarisbrick Campsite. 

## **15[th] Ainsdale Brownies** 

- A trip to Jack & the Beanstalk. 

Brownies had a very busy year with lots of badges and awards, including Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards, and crafts evenings. 

- A Eurovision Song Contest – we have some very talented guides! 

## **2[nd] Ainsdale Rainbows** 

- A fun stay at Waddow Hall Adventure House with raft building, abseiling, tall tree climbing, crate challenge and 

- Spookfest at Scarisbrick Hall. 


Rainbows had an exciting year showing their ccommitment 

- A Christmas party and Christmas crafts - from pizza biscuits to welcoming all the new Rainbows. 






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## **Report from St John’s CE School** 


It has been a year filled with exciting events and wonderful achievements in school. 

Last year’s report ended with us looking ahead to the King’s Coronation so it is only right that this is where this contribution begins… 

All the children at ASJ put their creative skills to use and crafted beautiful crowns. We had planned to have a street party picnic lunch outside, but unfortunately, the weather had other plans. However, that did not dampen our spirits, as we all gathered in the hall for a delightful lunch together. The day ended on a high note with a singsong, featuring the catchy tune 'Shine' by Take That, which was taken from the Official Coronation playlist. 

Continuing our commitment to fostering a strong sense of community, Reception and Year 6 took part in our first buddy beach day. They had a blast burying each other in the sand and chasing each other down the sand dunes. It was a fantastic opportunity for our students to bond and create lasting memories. 

We are thrilled to announce that we have introduced forest school 

sessions on-site. During the summer the children were learning valuable skills, such as making mini fires and whittling wood. These sessions provide a unique opportunity to connect with nature and develop problem-solving abilities. 

As you may have noticed, this school year also brought about a change in our school uniform. The children have been proudly sporting their new attire, complete with our new logo. They look absolutely splendid, and it's wonderful to see them embracing their individuality while representing our school. 

One of the highlights of the past few months was when our Year 5 children attended the rededication of the war memorial in Southport. They were fortunate enough to have a chat with HRH Princess Anne. We could not be prouder of their representation of ASJ. 

We continued with the development of the curriculum and created our ASPIRE curriculum intent which stands for: 

**A** chieve through resilience and perseverance **S** how respect for Christian and British values **P** romote high expectations for all **I** nspire lifelong readers **R** evisit knowledge and skills to embed learning **E** ncourage a love of learning 

We believe that this will provide our students with a well-rounded education that prepares them for the future. 

Lastly, I am thrilled to share that our VIP Ambassadors had the pleasure of meeting Revd Jackie during the selection process. We are eagerly looking forward to welcoming her to the ASJ family. 

Moving forward, we are excited for the coming year as we expect to officially become a member of the Liverpool Diocesan Schools Trust. This partnership will strengthen our Christian distinctiveness and provide opportunities for our staff and students to learn and grow. 

Thank you to the congregation of St. John’s Church for your continued support and involvement in our school community. Together, we can ensure that our children shine brightly and become the best that they can be, aspiring to shine for Jesus. 

Lorna O’Brien 

_Headteacher_ 

**SCHOOL GOVERNANCE** 

Church members play a key role in the leadership of the school by acting as Foundation Governors. The Governing Body are extremely grateful to Mrs O’Brien and all the staff for their tireless dedication this year in supporting every child to be the best that they can be. 




**Page 7** 



## **Report from Natterjacks** 


It has been a busy year at Natterjacks! 

We have taken on new staff as a result of the new funded hours offered by the government. 

We are hoping to get some funding from Tesco stronger starts which is currently running at Formby Tesco. 

We are happy to hear that work on the secret garden can hopefully start this spring. It will be a great community collaboration which will benefit the nursery, brownies, guides and community. 

We are also hoping to revamp our outdoor area so that our children can play under a pagoda in hot and 


wet weather. We are hoping to use some funding from our local authority to make this happen. 

month and have had special times making art, dancing and singing with the residents. The children love going on the bus and really benefit from our visits. 

We have had lots of visitors at nursery. Home safari have brought Titch the Shetland therapy pony and Ant and Dec the Pygmy goats. They had a great time being fed, petted and brushed by all the children! 

We are hoping to start our weekly visits from year 5’s at Ainsdale St John’s primary. Our nursery children love them coming in to read with them. 

We are looking forward to welcoming them back soon. 

Our occupancy is healthy and we continue to support our children and families as much as possible. 

We have invited local author and her dog Mrs Paws to nursery on World book day. She will be reading one of her stories and we will be able to get signed copies of her book. 

We have strong links with Compassion Acts food bank and also with the Salvation Army who kindly help with emergency grants for people in need. We regularly send bags of food over to them and also thank them for helping many of our families who we introduce to them. 

During Easter we had a visit from dwarf rabbits so that children could experience looking after a little pet. 

We have enjoyed taking our children to woodlands lodge care home each 

We are looking forward to the 


warmer weather so that we can expand our walks and enjoy picnics to the pinewoods and beach. 

We have been chosen to access training for talking time, a programme that supports children with speech and language delays. This will help immensely with continuous intervention to support children that are showing signs of delay. 

We thank you all for your continued support. 

Mai-Ling & John Duckworth 

_Owners Natterjacks Day Nursery at St John’s_ 


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At St John’s we are extremely fortunate to have skilled and dedicated people who run events, lead groups and organise fundraising activities that provide wider fellowship and support those most in need in our community and further afield. 

## **CAP Job Club** 


St John’s Job Club works in partnership with Christians Against Poverty (CAP). 

It has been run by a small team with each member playing a part, from providing refreshments to job coaching and advertising, using their varied experience to advise clients and prepare them for interviews and the world of work. 

Literature provided by CAP has been widely displayed in the community. Over the past year our new Manager, Donald, visited Southport Job Centre weekly making contact with potential clients, giving each one a leaflet with contact details. 

Many said that a Job Club course would be very helpful but in the event very few actually turned up. We conducted two courses in 2023 and did help six people revise their CVs and helped a lady write up her job centre journal. 

This reduction in demand has led us to take the difficult decision to close the Job Club. 

Over the past 7 years of the Job Club we believe that we have been doing God’s work – the team has helped 121 members with 32 members finding work. 

We pray for God’s guidance as to how we, as a church, can best continue to serve our community in the future. 

## **Christian Aid** 


Christian Aid is an international 

development agency that enables us to respond to Christ's command to care for all in need. 

Everything Christian Aid does is in response to God’s gift to the world, of his son Jesus Christ. Jesus promised ‘good news’ for the poor and ‘freedom’ for the oppressed, calling us all to action. 

Jesus called his followers to ‘love God and love your neighbour.’ Through his life and teaching, his death and his resurrection, he inspired his followers to love God, love their neighbours and long for justice. Our faith in God, and in his loving relationship with us, gives us confidence and hope that poverty can be ended, despite all that might stand in the way. 

For many years, St John’s has supported the work of Christian Aid and now works with Churches Together in Ainsdale (CTiA) to raise funds and raise awareness. 

In 2023 for ‘Christian Aid Week’ this involved distributing 3,500 ‘delivery only’ envelopes (raising £404.15),  a ‘Big Brekkie and cake sale’ (raised £395.16), some house-to-house collections (raised £170) and each of the churches held their own church collection (raised £967.85). This gave us an overall total of £1,937.16. This money will be used to change and save lives of some of the most vulnerable people in the world. 

We are also registered as an ‘Emergency church’ so  that when disaster strikes, we are able to respond quickly. We raised £155.70 towards the Ukraine emergency appeal and £132.46 towards the Middle East Crisis appeal. 


**Eco Group** 

As a registered Eco-Church with a Bronze Award, the Eco Group has continued to raise awareness with our congregation, for example in notices, songs and during prayers, on how we can all care for creation. 

Using the fifth ‘Mark of Mission’ as our guide – _‘To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the earth’ -_ here are some of the activities during 2023: 

- Thanks to donations for communal Christmas Cards, we were able to ‘Twin a Toilet’ in Nepal meaning three of our six toilets are now twinned. These projects help families to build their own basic toilet, access clean water and learn about hygiene. 

- Members continued to raise awareness across the Deanery, as well as with other denominations in Ainsdale e.g. a short talk at the Commissioning of Wardens service at St. Cuthberts, Southport on how St John’s are expressing their Care for the Environment. 

- ‘No-Mow May’ was introduced to lawn care along with a policy not to use pesticides or fertilisers anywhere in the garden to encourage pollinators and more wildlife. Three bird boxes with feeders were also added to our church garden. 

- As a Fairtrade church, we buy fairly traded products (tea, coffee etc), and continue to use eco-friendly cleaning products and toiletries. 

- We reached out to Bridge Inn Community Farm in Formby 

- Research has continued to examine ways of achieving a Silver Award status in 2024. 

**Page 9** 



## **Events** 

During 2023, we were delighted to offer a programme of free and ticketed concerts and social events for the community. 

Where appropriate, church ran a licensed bar at events to raise additional church funds. 

Events held in church in 2023 included: 

- _Holiday cinema club:_ occasional 

family films during the school holidays proved a big hit with parents and grandparents needing to keep children entertained! 

- _King’s Coronation party:_ the church hosted a celebration with live screening of the ceremony and plenty of outdoor games and indoor craft activities for the children. Everyone enjoyed a fabulous buffer lunch. 

- _U3A Band:_ a fabulous afternoon of 

music from the 50s, 60s and 70s was enjoyed by all. 

- _Connected Voices:_ this fabulous local choir performed great songs from rock, gospel and funk to pop classics and musical theatre. 

- _Maghull Wind Orchestra:_ back by popular demand, the orchestra performed beautiful and uplifting pieces from classical music favourites to musical theatre and 

- pop. 

- _Octave:_ Performing with the Marshside brass band, this special Christmas performance raised over £1,000 for Queenscourt Hospice. 

- _Christmas Community Concert:_ the choir and musicians from St John’s School wowed everyone with Christmas favourites and traditional carols. 






**Page 10** 



## **Deanery Synod** 

The Deanery Synod met three times in 2023 to discuss the following: 

- The parish benefits of churches working more closely together. 

- Differing attitudes towards diverse sexualities within the church. 

- Parishes becoming eco friendly. 

- Racial justice – vision for the future – equality for all. 

- Financial issues. 

• Parish Share – how it is used, the link between Parish Share and the number of clergy in the Diocese, and plans to review the formula from 2025. 

Further details can be obtained from our representatives and the Diocese of Liverpool website. 

## **Churches Together in Ainsdale** 

We met for prayer and to share plans regularly through the year. Ministers met monthly for support and looking at ways to work together. 

All events were well attended: 

- Week of prayer for Christian unity. 

- Lent Safari. 

- Sunrise service on the beach. 

- Church tent at the Ainsdale Show. 

- Tent Service on the green (Revd Patrick Evans asked us to envision what Ainsdale would look like if it was a truly ecumenical village). 

- Remembrance Sunday service. 

- Christmas Carols in the Co-op. 

- Our ecumenical youth group, 

Impact, run with the help of Hettie and Tabz from SASWT. 

During 2023 Fr Tony from St John’s Stone and Sacred Heart left, to be replaced by Fr Paul Seddon. Fr Tony was a huge supporter of ecumenical activities in the village and we wish him well in his new parish. 

## **Compassion Acts** 

This local charity, started by the Southport churches, runs various projects and activities focused on reducing poverty and increasing social wellbeing in order to improve the lives of people in our area. 

We continued to support them in 2023 by collecting donations for their food bank. Our harvest festival with school and uniformed groups also supported the food bank. 

## **SASWT** 

We continue to support, and be supported by, the fabulous workers and volunteers from this Southport charity. The team work across schools in the area to provide ‘Safe Spaces’, lessons, clubs and collective worship experiences where children and young people can come together in a safe environment to consider questions of life and faith in a relevant way. 




**Page 11** 



## **Buildings and grounds** 


**Church Building:** During the year there were no substantial issues. Some minor repairs were done. Rainwater ingress at the rear door remains a problem to be addressed. 

**Church Hall:** Minor repairs were done during the year.  A radiator leak was the significant matter. The central heating maintenance controls were reviewed during the winter period in order to ensure the required nursery environment. 

**Secret Garden:** This is the area of enclosed land opposite the vicarage. The documentation concerning ownership and responsibility was finalised towards the end of the year thus enabling planning to be organised in the coming year. 

**Grounds:** Groundworks and general maintenance were undertaken during the year around the properties. The lawn area was maintained by a gardener. A work team carried out a tidying exercise around the grounds and memorial garden. 

## **Communications** 

We introduced a **monthly notice sheet** to provides information on services and events for those coming to church. 

Our online and social media presence are essential to effective outreach and mission, promoting church faster, to more people – including globally – and much more economically than we could ever achieve through leaflets or word of mouth. 

Our main **website** 

www.stjohnsainsdale.org.uk attracted 2,760 views in 2023 (4,952 in 2022). Our other site 

www.achurchnearyou.com, which is promoted centrally by the Church of England, attracted 6,791 views (5,000 in 2022). 

The ‘St. John’s C of E Parish Church Ainsdale’ **facebook** page has been running for over 12 years and shares news and events from our church, our school, nursery and other church groups. In 2023 

approximately 9,700 people visited our page, a massive 174% increase on 2022! Facebook calculate that the page ‘reached’ 28,000 people globally - a 40% decrease from 2022 but still double the local population. Our top ‘reach’ post was the news about the sad passing of Margaret Flemington, and our top ‘liked’ post was the news of our new Vicar Jackie. 


It is encouraging to see our page still growing – over 1,000 followers to date from as far afield as Nigeria, the Philippines and Afghanistan! 


A Twitter / X page was also started, however this hasn’t proved as effective as Facebook and so will be discontinued. Similar tests were done with Instagram but again with little or no success. 

For the last 5 years now, the site has included a daily bible verse on the page as part of Chris York’s own bible reading challenge and the 

feedback from this is well received and appreciated. 

Any events or updates are shared, where possible, on other local Facebook pages and groups, so this casts the net even further. 

If there are any church groups’ news or events coming up, please send information to Chris Doragh and Chris York who will gladly include it … you never know who sees them?! 

In 2023 we **live streamed** our 10:30am Sunday Service. Streaming funerals has been a useful ministry, allowing family and friends to participate when unable to attend in person. Two funerals were streamed in 2023, one viewed in the UK and the other in Europe. We also live streamed our first wedding which received very positive feedback with views from the UK, France, Spain, Germany & the USA! 

Our sites are updated each week and hopefully provide our audience with an accurate record of what is happening at St John's. 

Here’s to more views, ‘likes’ and ‘follows’ in 2024. 

**The PCC appreciate that all activities involved in maintaining and supporting our mission, in any way, take time and commitment and we are really grateful to all our volunteers for their continued expertise and support.** 

**Page 12** 



## **Basis of Accounting** 

The PCC has continued to adopt the simpler Receipts and Payments (R&P) basis of accounting. This means that all income and expenditure is shown against the year in which the money is received / paid. 

## **Overall** 

Our 2023 set of accounts are shown on the following pages. 

## **General Fund** 

- During 2023 our current account balance increased from £15,791 on 1 Jan to £18,146 as of 31 Dec. This was due to significant parish giving advance contributions and interest free loans, which have helped us to clear our Charity bank loan completely. 

• During the year the trust received loans from trustees of £19,000 (2022 - £Nil) and repaid £5,000 (2022 - £Nil). At the year end the amount outstanding was £14,000 (2022 - £Nil). These loans are interest free up to the date of repayment in 2028 at which point interest is charged at 1% over the Bank of England base rate for a maximum period of 2 years. 

## **Income highlights** 

- Plate collections were down by 24% to £5,610. 

- We received interest free loan and advance Parish Giving Scheme 

contributions totalling £42,220 to repay the Charity Bank loan and avoid future interest charges. 

- Hall rentals increased from £11,200 to £12,754. 

- Nursery income increased slightly, to £30,181. 

- Donations up 30% to £14,325. 

- Parish Giving (including advance contributions) totalled £ 74,428, although next year’s PG income will reduce accordingly. 

## **Expenditure highlights** 

- Our loan with Charity Bank  was cleared completely during 2023. 

- Church running costs remained fairly stable during 2023. 

- Parish Share increased substantially from £74,043 to £81,811. 

- We continued to rely heavily on external clergy cover – although most of the costs are recovered from Liverpool Diocese. 

- Where possible the PCC took measures to control costs including regularly reviewing utility charges and all other expenditure. 

The PCC took the decision to continue funding key mission activities including the Job Club and SASWT. 

We also continued to pay our Parish Share in full to support the wider work of the Diocese and those churches impacted worse than us. 

Natterjacks also helped us to 

maintain a healthy financial status by honouring their monthly payment and service charges, which are reviewed at 6 monthly intervals. The service charge and third-party hire charges were increased during 2023 to help cover our increased utility costs. 

Our Charity Bank Loan was cleared and closed in May 2023, with the help of several interest free loans from trustees and advance Parish Giving Scheme contributions. We are grateful for the wider support of all our congregation to keep our interest costs as low as possible. 

Our maintenance savings account has a credit balance of £11,405 as at year end. This will be used to clear all interest free loans during the early part of 2024, with the remainder being a backup fund to cover emergencies and building / repairs. 

## **Charitable support** 

Despite another difficult financial year, St John’s has continued to support other charitable organisations such as SASWT, through direct donations and in-kind support such as making the church building and car park available for others to use. In addition, we make the church freely available to school and Uniformed Organisations, the latter making welcomed donations for the use of our church. We are also proud to help support SONG, 

the award-winning junior theatre group, who rehearse regularly in Church on Sunday afternoons and make regular donations to St John’s for the use of our main building and committee room. 

## **Donations and Legacies** 

It is an important Christian value to give back to God in gratitude for the love and blessings we have received in our lives. The congregation at St John’s has responded by regular giving in difficult financial times and through significant legacy donations. At times other donations are given to assist specific cost requirements and the PCC will abide by donors’ wishes. 

If you are considering making a significant donation or leaving a legacy in your Will, please discuss this with our Treasurer or the Wardens. Giving back to the church through our Wills can help sustain our Church and its mission in Ainsdale. 

**Page 13** 



## **Prior Period Error** 

In the prior (2022) year loan repayments to the Charity Bank were shown in error on the Analysis of Receipts and Payments. This has resulted in the following restatements: 


*Rounding may result in immaterial differences to the figures shown in the following set of accounts 

**Page 14** 



St John's church,
Ainsdale, Southport
Receipts and
Payments Account
For the perlod from 01 January 2023 to 31 December 2023
103.030
193.400
47.
4&532
1&572
10M75
166.000
171.07
220.177
1.180
740
791fr
124.9QO
133383
118.590
8.327
126,gIT
137.BlY
ENC+SS ty*tPaY7WTS ty•fv•trar
44.gej
358
f7341
47.418
Q.4371
{1.7031
I111.￿1)
I29.1￿)
IS.g51
1gA13
There may be minor disCrepanc￿S in rhe iorats rfthe pence are noi Deing sfThn
Page 15

St John's church. Alnsdale. Southport
Statement of Assets and Llabllltles (by code)
As at: 31 December 2023
Aty reslated
Class and norninal code
Gen￿81
Unresiricted
Des1
nated Restricted Toial
Lasi
Currèni A&￿t. Ca•h Ai Bank And In
cthyert ¥c.' 859S1660
18,146
11.405
18.408
11.405
29,813
15,7
Total
.551
15.790
Uablllty. Cr•dSicrfs: AmouM• falllng du• aftar rn￿8 than ono y•
Charrty Lco
44.958
14.C
14.C
14,(K#)
Total
44.958
Nei tot•1 a•setyllllabllltle•)
15.551
1*813
129.1601
Represenled by
15.551
15.551
31,133)
2,131
177
112991
467
159Jl
351
Re*rte(l. T & C
467
Totsl
15.551
15.813
129,1681
Page 16

St John's chwth. Ainsdale, S(thp(
Analysis of Rece6pts and Payments
Selected period: 01 January 2023 to 31 December 2023
Thi5
7353
S1AVJ
1l¥J
133.
61
61
Page 17

tt7
10
11J21
Zn2
M5
166.•X•
171.897
237
Page 18

216
274
7*15
310
J1
74
6JDJ
lJ.157
8.15r
117.071
7.919
I24.￿*
133.3&1
137.819
Page 19

## **Performance of investments** 

The PCC hold 15.6 income shares in the CBF Investment Trust (value £350 as of 31 December 2023). It is the intention of the PCC to realise these shares at an appropriate time. 

## **Other Funds** 

_Organ Fund (restricted):_ made up of donations given towards the upkeep of the church organ. 

_Flower Fund (restricted):_ made up of donations given to cover the cost of flowers for the church. This fund is now managed directly within the main church account. 

_Church Mission Fund (restricted):_ established in 2020 to fund specific, identified Mission objectives. 

## **Reserves Policy** 

The General Fund target level is two to three months of average monthly spending (approx. £20,000 to £30,000). It is used as a contingency should income or expenditure be dramatically hit by circumstances that are unforeseen. 

## **Summary** 

Overall, financially, we had a good year. We have controlled and reduced our overheads and we have made significant progress and cleared our debt with Charity Bank. However, the next 12 months will 

prove to be another challenging period as increased operational costs (mainly heating) will require a full review of our expenditure and we will seek to make the most effective use of our income. 

We are also identifying ways to increase revenue and would like to set up a small fundraising team – if you are interested in helping then please contact me. 

A big thank you to everyone for all your continued support. 


Lindsay D Jessop _Treasurer, St John’s Ainsdale_ 

**SOME OF THE CHARITIES  WE SUPPORTED IN 2023 FINANCIALLY AND IN-KIND** 











**Page 20** 



## **Electoral Roll** 

All church members are encouraged to register on the Electoral Roll and stand for election to the PCC at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) in accordance with the Church Representation Rules. As at 31 December 2022 the Roll stood at 134. During 2023 there was a net increase of 2 with 5 entries added and 3 removed in the year. The Roll as at 31 December 2023 was 136. 

## **PCC** 

Individual PCC members, as Trustees of the Church, receive information, instruction and training when deemed appropriate. This may include information about Trustee responsibilities, health and safety, risk assessment and safeguarding procedures. The full PCC met ten times during 2023 with an average level of attendance of 75%. 

The PCC is the decision-making body of The Church with any Committee making recommendations to the PCC for consideration. 

## **Risk Assessments** 

Procedures are in place to manage risks and minimise their impact on the wellbeing of church and hall users. 

Action in the main areas of risk is managed as follows: 

_Fire, Health and Safety:_ The PCC routinely review health and safety and fire arrangements and any relevant risk assessments.  The wardens carry out regular inspections as part of their duties. Matters noted were either rectified or reported to the PCC for further action.  The fire system and exits in the church and hall were maintained in working order and inspected by certified competent persons in accordance with the safety 

requirements. The electrical system and equipment are subject to statutory inspection. 

_Operational Risk:_ The control measures associated with Covid infection continues to be relaxed as per the government infection controls and requirements. During the year the generic risk assessments were applied. There were no activities requiring additional risk assessments. The PCC continue to require a condition of hire that all hirers provide suitable and sufficient risk assessments to cover their activities. 

**Safeguarding Procedures** 

**St John's Ainsdale takes its duty and obligation to protect all extremely seriously.** 

**We have adopted the national Church of England's robust** 

## **procedures and guidelines. You can find out more about the national policies and procedures at** 

www.churchofengland.org/safeguar ding 

If you have any safeguarding concerns or issues on a safeguarding matter please speak to Chris Thursfield, Parish Safeguarding Officer; or you can find useful contact information at www.liverpool.anglican.org/safegua rding 

Fortunately, there have been no safeguarding issues again this year. We are, however, vigilant in all we do and comply with Diocesan guidelines. As always, a copy of our own safeguarding policy and guidelines are kept in the vestry and can be viewed on request. All Safer Recruitment regulations are complied with and all who require DBS clearance complete the procedure. All personal information is confidential and is stored and managed in accordance with the data protection guidelines. 

## **New Appointments** 

The following new appointments were made during 2023: 

- PCC Vice Chair: **Peter Hancock** 

## **Administrative Information** 

St John’s Church is situated in Ainsdale, a suburb of Southport. It is part of the Diocese of Liverpool within the Church of England. 


The address of the Church is: 

_627-629 Liverpool Road_ 

_Ainsdale_ 

_Southport_ 

_PR8 3NG_ 

The PCC is a body corporate and operates under the Parochial Church Councils (Powers) Measure 1956 and the Church Representation Rules 2017 and was registered with the Charity Commission on 3 April 2009. 

PCC members (trustees) who have served from 1 January 2023 until the date this report was approved are shown in **Appendix 1** along with the specific church roles approved by the PCC. 

**Page 21** 



We would like to thank all the volunteers who work so hard to make St John’s the caring and vibrant community it is. 

Some of them you see at the front during services and other events but many more work tirelessly behind the scenes making people feel welcome, setting things up, preparing food and drink, keeping the buildings looking lovely, ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all, and supporting the administration. 

Their names are too many to mention individually but we are hugely grateful for their continued dedication, selfless service and good humour. 

We would like to thank all those who contributed to this report. If you are interested in joining or helping with any of the activities highlighted in this report, then please make contact with the leaders listed here and also in Appendix 1 – they would love to hear from you! 

|_PCC, wardens and welcomers/ sidespeople_|_Lesley Phipps and Chris Thursfield_|
|---|---|
|_Choir_|_Paul Ellis & Chris York_|
|_Worship band_|_John Forshaw_|
|_St John’s Care Group_|_Nancy Lloyd Parry_|
|_Children andyoung people’s ministry_|_Linda Davies_|
|_Impactyouth club_|_Linda Davies_|
|_Baptisms_|_Linda Davies_|
|_Little John’s_|_Chris Thursfield & Clare Lord_|
|_Guides_|_Vanessa Riley_|
|_Brownies_|_Amanda McCarter & Joanne York_|
|_Rainbows_|_Pam Davies_|
|_Refreshments &parish lunches_|_Nina Haddock_|
|_Deanery Synod_|_Jean Washbourne, David Phipps, Helen Parker, John Forshaw_|
|_Ainsdale St John’s CE Primary School_|_Lorna O’Brien (Headteacher)_<br>_John Forshaw(Chair of Governors)_|
|_Natterjack’s Day Nursery at St John’s_|_Mai-Ling & John Duckworth (Owners/managers)_<br>_Becca Phillipson(Nursery Manager)_|
|_CAP Job Club_|_Donald Mackenzie(Job Club Manager)_|
|_Eco Group_|_Chris Treble_|
|_Church Building_|_Frank Hyland_|
|_Finance, Giving and Fundraising_|_Lindsay Jessop (Church Treasurer)_|
|_St John’s Website_|_Chris Doragh_|
|_St John’s Facebook page_|_Chris York_|
|_Electoral roll_|_Paul Olive_|
|_Christian Aid_|_Eirlys Jessop_|
|_Churches Together in Ainsdale (CTiA)_|_Jean Washbourne and Eirlys Jessop_|
|_Safeguarding_|_Chris Thursfield_|



**Original report approved by the PCC on 19[th] April 2024 and this revision 1 approved by the PCC on xxxx 2024. Signed on their behalf by Chris Thursfield (PCC Chairman)** 

## _Chris Thursfield_ 

**Page 22** 



(HARITY COMMISSION
FOR ENGLAND ANO WALES
r•port on th• accounts
SèLtI(
rttre eKarni￿¢ réeds wncem 15e& CCJ"
L3 5LW3
Page 23

## **PCC MEMBERSHIP** 


**----- Start of picture text -----**<br>
To APCM 2023 From APCM 2023<br>Incumbent Interregnum Interregnum<br>**----- End of picture text -----**<br>


||**To APCM 2023**|**From APCM 2023**|
|---|---|---|
|**Incumbent**|Interregnum|Interregnum|
||||
|**Reader**|Eirlys Jessop|Eirlys Jessop|
|**Churchwardens**|Chris Thursfield - PCC Chair<br>LesleyPhipps – PCC Vice Chair|Chris Thursfield - PCC Chair<br>LesleyPhipps|
|**Deanery Synod Reps**|Jean Washbourne<br>David Phipps|Jean Washbourne<br>David Phipps<br>Helen Parker<br>John Forshaw|
|**Elected PCC Members**|Kathryn Corey<br>Giles Davies<br>Linda Davies<br>John Forshaw<br>Lynne Grice<br>Maggie Hilton<br>Frank Hyland<br>Patricia Jameson<br>Lindsay Jessop - Treasurer<br>Val Sinnott<br>Ann Walton|Giles Davies<br>Linda Davies<br>John Forshaw<br>Peter Hancock -PCC Vice Chair<br>Maggie Hilton<br>Frank Hyland<br>Patricia Jameson<br>Lindsay Jessop - Treasurer<br>Chloe Ormrod<br>Val Sinnott<br>Ann Walton|
|**Co-opted members of PCC**|We currently have two vacancies for co-opted members||



## **PCC APPROVED ROLES** 

|**PCC chair**|Chris Thursfield|
|---|---|
|**PCC vice chair**|Peter Hancock|
|**PCC secretary**|Peter Hancock|
|**Treasurer**|Lindsay Jessop|
|**Electoral roll officer**|Paul Olive|
|**Safeguarding officer**|Chris Thursfield|
|**Online stats officer**|Paul Ellis|
|**Children’s work co-ordinator**|Linda Davies|



|**Health & safety advisor**|Frank Hyland|
|---|---|
|**Gift aid secretary , Parish Giving**<br>**Scheme & envelopes**|Heather Treble|
|**Church calendar and hire bookings**|Deb Bishop|
|**Church website**|Chris Doragh|
|**Church Facebook site**|Chris York|
|**Chairperson of eco group**|Chris Treble|
|**Bankers**|The Co-Operative Bank|
|**Independent Examiner**|John Moores University (JMU) – the Accountancy Clinic|
|**Day to day management**|Exercised by Wardens|



**Page 24** 



## **PROGRESS AGAINST 2023 MISSION OBJECTIVES** 

|**Mark of**<br>**Mission **|**St John’s Mission Priorities**|**2023 objectives – ongoing outreach**|**New objectives for 2023**|
|---|---|---|---|
|**TELL**|•<br>Letting God touch the lives of others<br>by providing imaginative, varied,<br>inspiring and engaging worship.|•<br>Continue to embed the regular pattern of weekly<br>worship  through the interregnum<br>•<br>Lead school worship weekly|•<br>Encourage families back to church post pandemic<br>with a particular focus around Easter, September<br>and Christmas<br>•<br>Introduce a family/all-age communion service|
|**TEACH**|•<br>Helping and nurturing all those who<br>wish to explore and deepen their<br>relationship with God by providing<br>opportunities for bible study, prayer<br>and Christian fellowship in a safe<br>family friendly environment.<br>•<br>Equipping and supporting each other<br>as members of an inclusive church<br>family to be Christians in a modern<br>world: at home; at work; with friends<br>andinour localcommunity.|•<br>Continue monthly newsletters and other targeted<br>communications to keep church members<br>connected<br>•<br>Support CTiA Lent Course<br>•<br>Run confirmation course –**N/A No candidates**<br>•<br>Welcome and support baptism families|•<br>Implement specific actions from LYCIG**Some**<br>**actions taken; more work to do**<br>•<br>Relaunch Junior PCC including opportunities for<br>leading services<br>•<br>Seek new helpers to support Impact and Sunday<br>morning children’s work**This remains a major**<br>**focus in 2024**<br>•<br>Introduce parish lunches to help bring church<br>members together|
|**TEND**|•<br>Helping to transform lives of those<br>in need in Ainsdale through<br>providing a safe haven for quiet<br>contemplation and offering practical<br>and emotional support for life<br>events.|•<br>Continue to support Job Club<br>•<br>Continue to welcome and build relationships with<br>new families through Little John’s<br>•<br>Continue to grow the support offered by the Care<br>Group|•<br>Run a regular cinema club (care group/ warm<br>spaces and holiday films)|
|**TRANSFORM**|•<br>Working with other Christian and<br>secular organisations to promote<br>global fairness for all.|•<br>Support Christian Aid, taking a leading role in<br>Ainsdale<br>•<br>Continue support for the Food Bank and make<br>lunch schemes working with school and<br>Natterjacks <br>**Supported through CTiA**|_No specific new actions_|
|**TREASURE**|•<br>Looking after God’s planet by raising<br>awareness of the impact we have on<br>creation and the actions we can take<br>to improve the environment.||_No specific new actions_|



**Page 25** 



## **PCC MISSION OBJECTIVES FOR 2024** 

Our Objectives are aligned to our Mission priorities which address the 5 Marks of Mission and aim to address the key needs of those we service as a church. 

|**Mark of Mission**|**St John’s Mission Priorities**|
|---|---|
|**TELL**|•<br>Letting God touch the lives of others by providing imaginative, varied, inspiring and engaging worship.|
|**TEACH**|•<br>Helping and nurturing all those who wish to explore and deepen their relationship with God by providing opportunities for bible study,<br>prayer and Christian fellowship in a safe family friendly environment.<br>•<br>Equipping and supporting each other as members of an inclusive church family to be Christians in a modern world: at home; at work; with<br>friends and in our local community.|
|**TEND**|•<br>Helping to transform lives of those in need in Ainsdale through providing a safe haven for quiet contemplation and offering practical and<br>emotional support for life events.|
|**TRANSFORM**|•<br>Working with other Christian and secular organisations to promote global fairness for all.|
|**TREASURE**|•<br>Looking after God’s planet by raising awareness of the impact we have on creation and the actions we can take to improve the<br>environment.|



## **Specific objectives for 2024** 

1. Run a weekday study group to deepen faith and build fellowship. 

2. Provide opportunities to bring different congregations together (e.g. parish lunches, church social activities, combined services). 

3. Welcome a new vicar by preparing hearts and minds to be open to new ideas and by putting in place practical enablers to support them in their role. 

4. Develop our work with children and young people through the use of the children’s corner and by providing opportunities for our Junior PCC to deepen their faith and serve others. 

**Page 26**