## **Annual Reports and Accounts for the Year ended 31st December 2020** **Annual Vestry Meeting and Annual Parochial Church Council Meeting 23rd May 2021 at St Saviour’s Church** 1 ## **THE PARISH OF DARTMOUTH** ## **Sunday 23rd May 2021 in St Saviour’s Church at 12 noon** ## **Annual Vestry Meeting** ## **Agenda** 1. Minutes of meeting 18th October 2020 2. Election of Parish Wardens 3. Election of District Church Wardens ## **Annual Parochial Church Meeting** ## **Agenda** 1. Minutes the of meeting held on 18th October 2020 2. Matters arising 3. Electoral Roll Report 4. Report on the business of the PCC in 2020 including Safeguarding 5. Parish Wardens’ Report 2020 6. District Wardens’ Report on the Fabric, Goods and Ornaments of the Churches: - a) St. Clement’s - b) St. Saviour’s - c) St. Petrox - 7. Presentation of Financial Reports, Statement and Audited Accounts for 2020, including the Parish Finance Report for 2020 8. Report on the work of Deanery Synod 9. Elections: - a) Electoral Roll Officer - b) Parochial Church Council (12 representatives) - c) District Church Councils - d) PCC representatives (2) from each DCC 10. Appointment of Financial Examiner 11. Presentation of Reports about various aspects of the work of the Parish - a) Southford Schoolrooms - b) St Clement’s Churchyard - c) The Ecclesiastical Share of the Dartmouth Trust - d) Charitable Giving - e) Parish Music - f) Garden of Remembrance 2 **MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE PARISH OF DARTMOUTH** ## **Held on Sunday 18th October 2020 in St Clement's Church at 12.00pm (the meeting has been delayed due to restrictions caused by the Coronavirus pandemic)** Present: 44 members, from a total of 139 on the electoral roll The Revd Dr Andrew Langley (Assistant Curate); The Revd Robert Boyle (Associate Priest) The meeting was preceded by a Eucharist. ## **ANNUAL VESTRY MEETING** ## **1.** ## **Minutes of Vestry meeting held on 7th April 2019** The minutes of the meeting held on **7th April 2019** were approved unanimously. There were no matters arising. ## **2.** ## **Election of Parish Wardens** Two nominations were received and it was duly resolved that: **Mr Colin Cooper** (proposed by Jill Cawley and seconded by John Light) and **Mr Ernie Wingeatt** (proposed by Liz Mills and seconded by Edna McGregor) **be elected as Parish Wardens for the ensuing year.** A vote of thanks to retiring parish warden Mr Fred Radcliffe was passed unanimously. The meeting noted with sadness the death on 11th October of Brian Ridalls, Parish Warden Emeritus and expressed condolence to his family and thanksgiving for more than 60 years of dedicated and supportive service to the parish. ## **3. Election of District Church Wardens:** The following were elected unanimously: **St Clement's Church: Julia Springett** (proposed by Liz Mills and seconded by Jill Cawley) **1 Vacancy** **St Petrox Church: Mrs Sue Black** (proposed by Christopher Helyer and seconded by Fiona Andrews) **Christopher Helyer** (proposed by Sue Black and seconded by Harry Franks) **St Saviour's Church: Mr Howard O'Keeffe** (proposed by Margaret Probyn and seconded by Wendy Rendle) **1 Vacancy** Mr Colin Cooper expressed thanks to Parish Wardens and Churchwardens for their dedication and hard work. The meeting concluded at 12.10pm. Signed .................................................................. Date ........................................... ## **ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING** ## **The meeting was chaired by Mr Cooper, Parish Warden, as the parish is in interregnum following the appointment of the Reverend Prebendary Will Hazlewood as Bishop of Lewes.** **1. Minutes of the Annual Meeting held on 7th April 2019** The minutes of the Annual Meeting (previously circulated) were proposed and seconded and approved unanimously as a correct record. **2. Matters Arising** There were no matters arising. **3. Electoral Roll Officer’s Report** Mrs Cawley, Electoral Roll Officer, reported there are currently 139 names on the Electoral Roll which has been reviewed in preparation for the APCM. New members are welcome to apply at any time.. **4.** ## **Report of the business of the PCC in 2019** A report on the activities of the PCC during 2019 has been circulated; no comments or questions were received and the report was accepted. It was noted that the PCC has complied with the duty under section 5 of the Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure 2016 (duty to have due regard to the House of Bishops' guidance on safeguarding children and vulnerable adults) having received regular reports on safeguarding; all DBS checks are up to date and training has been undertaken and the parish's Safeguarding Policy is shown on the web site. 3 ## **5. Parish Warden’s Report** A report by the Parish Wardens has been circulated; no comments or questions were received and the report was accepted. ## **6. District Wardens' Reports on the Fabrics, Goods and Ornaments of the Churches** Reports have been circulated on each of the three churches; no comments or questions were received and the reports were accepted. ## **7. Presentation of Financial Reports, Statement and Audited Accounts for 2018** A report on the parish accounts, together with the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2019 has been circulated. The Parish Finance Committee continues to meet regularly and reports to the PCC. Mr Cooper expressed huge thanks to the Church Treasurers and the Parish Finance Committee for the management of the parish finances and in producing the reports, which are not only of great use to members but also required by the Charities Commission. He particularly thanked John Light for his assistance. Mr Light explained that the PFC and Treasurers are closely monitoring income and expenditure in the light of the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic. The Diocese has also requested details of the position at the end of June and September to enable them to identify concerns that parishes are struggling particularly with Common Share payments. It was noted that our parish has been fortunate in receiving a legacy of £8,000 which the PCC agreed could be used towards meeting the £63,707 total parish share for 2020. It is nevertheless expected that the downturn in our income will see a shortfall of between £20,000 and £30,000 for the year. He thanked the Treasurers for their prudence with expenditure and the congregation for their generosity in these unprecedented times. It seems inevitable that it will be some time before we return to any sort of normality and as a consequence the budget for 2021 will need to be considered very carefully. It was proposed by Howard O'Keefe, seconded by Liz Mills and agreed unanimously that the Financial Reports, Statements and Audited Accounts for 2019 be approved. ## **8. Report on the work of Deanery Synod** A report on Deanery Synod was circulated and accepted, a comment was made to caution how much assistance the parish might be able to offer to support other parishes financially. ## **9. Elections** - **a) Electoral Roll Officer** : Jill Cawley offered to continue as Electoral Roll Officer; there being no other nominations, she was duly elected. ## **b) Parochial Church Council** It was noted that clergy, lay readers, Churchwardens and Deanery Synod representatives are ex-officio members of the PCC. Accordingly the following were elected: **Fiona Andrews* Sheila Boswell* Jill Cawley Lydia Guy Lesley Holloway Helen Kidd John Light* Liz Mills* Margaret Probyn Wendy Rendle*** *** DCC representatives to be confirmed by DCCs at their first meeting after the AGM [in addition Harry Franks* is expected to be confirmed as a representative of St Petrox DCC]** - **c) District Church Councils:** ## **St Clement's** **Sheila Boswell*; Lydia Guy; Liz Mills*; Anne Wingeatt.** ## **St Petrox** ## **Fiona Andrews*; David Burgess; Harry Franks*; Nicko Franks; Lesley Hodge;** ## **St Saviour's** **Jessica Harries; Lesley Holloway; John Light*; Lauriel Pearson; Margaret Probyn; Wendy Rendle*** All the above have been validly nominated and seconded and it was agreed that they be elected en bloc. District Church Councils may co-opt additional members during the year as appropriate. ## **d) PCC Representatives (2) from each DCC (see * above)** ## **Nominations to be confirmed by DCC's at their first meeting after this AGM** **e) Deanery Synod -** Deanery Synod representatives are elected every 3 years, 2020 is an election year. No nominations have been received and it was noted that 2 of the former 3 lay representatives are standing down. It was resolved that the PCC be authorised to approve up to 4 lay representatives to Deanery Synod. 4 ## **10. Appointment of Financial Examiner** It was proposed by John Light, seconded by Fiona Andrews and agreed unanimously that Mr Ian Barrett be appointed Financial Examiner for the ensuing year. ## **11. Presentation of reports about various aspects of the work of the Parish** - Various reports have been circulated including: - a) Southford Schoolrooms - b) St Clement's Churchyard - c) The Ecclesiastical Share of the Dartmouth Trust - d) Charitable Giving - e) Parish Music These highlight the many and varied aspects of the work of the parish; no questions or comments were received and the reports were accepted. ## **12. Parish Priest's Report** Father Will Hazlewood's report on 2019 has been circulated. On behalf of all present Mr Cooper thanked Father Will for leading, teaching, inspiring, supporting and growing us as a community of faith during the previous 9 years, and assured him of our love and prayers for his new ministry as Bishop of Lewes. May we continue to grow in prayer, make new disciples and serve the people of Devon with joy as we await the appointment of our new parish priest. The Revd Andrew Langley provided an update on the re-introduction of public worship following the COVID 19 lockdown. He particularly thanked Father Bob for delaying his retirement until the end of the year and for his and Brigid's invaluable contribution to the life and ministry of the parish. Mr Cooper outlined the timetable for appointment of a new parish priest, it was noted that a date of 23rd March 2021 has been identified for interviews. He thanked the team who put together the draft benefice profile which has been approved by both Dartmouth and Dittisham PCCs, the person profile and advert are currently being worked on for the post to be advertised in January 2021. He expressed particular thanks to the Revd Andrew Langley who has taken on so much while still in training, and to Father Bob and Brigid, especially for his pastoral care and for delaying his retirement. He acknowledged with thanks at this difficult time the work of churchwardens, PCC and DCC members and everyone who contributes to our mission in so many different ways. The meeting concluded at 12.20pm with the Grace. Signed .................................................................. Date ........................................... 5 ## **3. ELECTORAL ROLL OFFICER’S REPORT** The Electoral Roll has been reviewed and a number of names removed because they have moved away or are no longer worshipping here. Six people have been added to the roll during the past year. The Roll has been on display and people not registered have been invited to apply. The new Electoral Roll contains **131** names, compared to 139 last year. Anyone who is not on the roll can apply at any time to be included; forms are in church or available from the Benefice Office. ## _Jill Cawley, Electoral Roll Officer_ ## **4. Report on the proceedings of the PCC during 2020** The PCC met 6 times during 2020 with an average attendance of 15 people. Despite COVID restrictions we were able to meet in person on 5 occasions with just one meeting having to be held by Zoom. 2020 was indeed a year like no other. Our early meetings discussed the range of events the parish hoped to be involved in which would include the Mayflower 400 commemorations, Family Fest South West, Sea Sunday, the Walsingham Youth Pilgrimage, Regatta and a Living Advent Calendar as well as our own fundraising and social activities. Then in March our churches were closed and Father Will began to stream services. Sadly the ongoing restrictions on social mixing meant that all events were cancelled or postponed. No weddings took place with some cancelled and others seeking new dates in 2021. When we were able to re-commence public worship on Sunday 19th July COVID rules meant that it was in a very different format from our usual services but we were so pleased to be able to worship in person. From mid-March until mid-September there were no funerals in our churches, though our funeral ministry continued at the crematorium and graveside. It was a challenging time, particularly as during the lockdown Father Will was appointed Bishop of Lewes, leaving the benefice in interregnum; sadly the last PCC meeting he chaired was the only one which had to be held by Zoom. The PCC then began to prepare for the interregnum establishing a small group to draft the Benefice Profile working with representatives from St George’s. The document was ready for a ’Zoomed’ ‘Visioning Evening with Bishop Nick McKinnel, Archdeacon Douglas Dettmer and our Rural Dean, the Revd Deborah Parsons in September. Despite the challenges the PCC continues to respond to Bishop Robert’s 3 priorities: ‘Growing in Prayer, Making New Disciples, Serving the People of Devon with Joy’, recalling at each meeting their role in mission and evangelism as well as day to day care of our beautiful buildings. As always the PCC continues to exercise the most careful control over the affairs of the parish and to encourage the best use of all its resources. As can be seen from the accounts there has been a significant drop in income and the PCC is extremely grateful to the members of the PFC for their hard work in maintaining the parish accounts and to the Ecclesiastical Share Trustees for their support. The parish remains committed to minimising our carbon footprint and continues to investigate the possibility of installing solar panels on our churches. The PCC has complied with the duty under section 5 of the Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure 2016 (duty to have due regard to the House of Bishops’ guidance on safeguarding children and vulnerable adults). The PCC receives a safeguarding update at each meeting and has undertaken a review of our Safeguarding Policy; all DBS checks are up to date and relevant training has been undertaken. The parish’s Privacy Notice is displayed in churches and shown on our web site. _Jill Cawley, PCC Secretary_ ## **5. Parish Wardens’ Report -** Without doubt, the year 2020 has been one of the most challenging in the recent history of our church. Due to the Covid19 pandemic, our nation was placed in lockdown in March, this was eased by early summer, only for many restrictions to be re-instated as infectious cases and sadly deaths rose again towards the end of the year. As a result of the above, we had to suspend all our face to face worshipping activities as well as home, care home and hospital visits; for several months churches were closed: mask-wearing, sanitising and shielding became the norm, we were confined to home. However, thanks to the work of Father Will, ably supported by Andrew and Father Bob, we learnt how to stream services we could access via our website and social media. This enabled a good number of us to continue to enjoy worship together, though remotely. New restrictions were again imposed as we write this report; it has truly been an incredibly difficult period we are going through. In addition to the above, after 9 years, we very sadly had to say goodbye to Father Will as he moved to become Bishop Will of Lewes, a promotion so richly deserved. He, Sophie, Theo and Esther departed in July with our love, prayers and very grateful thanks for the wonderful contributions they made towards the enrichment of our spiritual and parish life. At the end of the year we also had to say a fond farewell to Father Bob and Brigid Boyle, two lovely people who also gave so much to our benefice, supporting and leading our services, providing dedicated pastoral care and joining enthusiastically in most social activity. We wish them many years of happy retirement in Derby with our love and best wishes. We are very grateful to Bob and Andrew, with considerable assistance from Diana, for leading our worship in the second half of the year. Special thanks are due to Andrew for creating and organising a Carols on the Sands drive-in at Blackpool Sands car park; the event was a huge success attracting around 1,000 people all eager to share in the true spirit of Christmas; he also initiated a special Wake up on Sunday service for children in St. Clement’s that is growing in popularity. 6 The restrictions resulted in a sharp decline in the donations we receive from services and visitors to our churches; all of our special fundraising activities e.g. Parish Fete, Craft Fair/Flower Festival, Christmas Fair were cancelled in 2020. More details on the effect on our parish finances can be found in the report from the chairman of the parish finance committee. A committee was set up to create a new benefice profile and person specification in preparation for an advertisement to be placed in the January 2021 issue of Church Times seeking applications to fill our vacancy. We are hoping that by the summer of 2021 a new vicar will have been appointed. A total of five meetings of the PCC were held during 2020. Special emphasis was placed on Safeguarding, all churchwardens were required to complete S1 training. A number of discussions took place on making our churches more energy-efficient and greener, in line with an ongoing commitment to reducing our carbon footprint. Consultations on the installation of solar panels on our church roofs were delayed due to the pandemic, but will resume after lockdown ends. A Garden of Remembrance committee was set up with a view to the garden operating on a self-contained basissee separate report. LYCIG – leading your church into growth is very much a priority of the PCC and will be for the next incumbent. We are very fortunate to have so many wonderful members of our happy church community who are willing and ready to help out in so many different ways, churchwardens, Jill and Christine in the office, sidespersons, intercessors, servers, readers, cleaners, treasurers, choir members, bell ringers, flower arrangers to name but a few. We are very thankful for to each and every one of you for everything that you do on behalf of our clergy and parishioners; with a new incumbent due in 2021 your continuing support is going to be more important than ever. With our love, prayers and best wishes. _Colin Cooper and Ernie Wingeatt, Parish Wardens_ ## **6. DISTRICT WARDENS’ REPORTS ON THE FABRIC, GOODS AND ORNAMENTS OF THE CHURCHES:** ## **a) St Clement’s** Frustratingly, there is little to report this year. Social activities have been curtailed and outreach to the community has taken on the appearance of telephone communication and zoom meetings. After the last APCM St Clement’s continued to be open for Sunday worship at 11.00 and Morning Prayer on Mondays and Thursday morning Eucharist. In addition, we have carried on with the delightfully lively family event – Wake Up On Sunday! - on the first Sunday each month. Amid so much uncertainty, at the beginning of October, the boiler extractor fan failed and heating was off for five weeks. Thanks are due to all the folk who kept things going for services and other users such as Dartmouth Orchestra. This was a difficult time; the use of a propane burner was not entirely effective but did raise the temperature a little when needed. Things returned to more like normal in November with the installation of a specially built replacement fan supplied and fitted by Mark Rendle at WEMCO. We were able to offer a warmer church for Advent and Christmas season which included a Christmas Eve Eucharist. When the third (and hopefully the last) lockdown was imposed in early January a decision was made to use St Clement’s for 11.00 Sunday Eucharist every Sunday and a small dedicated group of DCC members have kept everything going and in excellent order. This meant that the church welcomed Bishop Nick, Archdeacon Douglas and delightfully our Rural Dean Debbie as celebrants and preachers on different Sundays. This was heartening support for us in interregnum and especially for our indefatigable Curate, Andrew. Planning for St Clement’s kitchen continues. In the autumn of last year, a revised Faculty was sought through our architect Julie Boultby, and this was eventually agreed by the Diocesan Advisory Committee. The new plan allows for greater headroom under the wall-mounted cupboards and better overall use of the space available. It remains sympathetic to the ambience of the building and at the same time creating a feature that should go a long way towards reaching out to the wider community in the fullness of time. Quotes for the work from local interested parties are currently being sought and work should begin shortly. Only one fundraising activity towards the kitchen fund has taken place in between the restrictions on social gathering, however, several generous donations have been received for which we are most grateful. Lockdown is due to ease slowly over the next few months. We must all be ready for that and ready to see that the impact of Covid-19 means the world will look and feel different as we enter spring and prepare for summer. In anticipation of that, a tremendously exciting project is envisaged for St Clement's. Still a nascent stage, they draw on the plans for the kitchen and engage at the same time with technology for live streaming worship and any occasion in the building. We will also have facility for projection of internal and external sound and visuals for input to services and any event we or other users put on. All this amounts to a serious challenge to our ability as an active Christian parish to meet with and exploit all the God given resources and opportunities for outreach in a changed world much in need of healing. _Ernie Wingeatt and Julia Springett Churchwardens, St Clement’s_ 7 ## **b) St Petrox** This has been a good year for us as far as progress is concerned, which has actually been helped by the lockdown. Andrew Stanton was able to start work on the tiling of the tower floor in the spring, unencumbered by lots of visitors and the need to avoid services. He first had to remove several inches of concrete and earth, overseen by an archaeologist. Fortunately nothing significant was found which would have delayed things. A nonpermeable layer was then put down to keep out the damp. Andrew used as many as possible of the old tiles and Julie Boultby, after much research, sourced some second hand tiles of the correct size and thickness in the Midlands. Andrew then went and hand picked a few hundred. The old tiles were laid at the front and then blended with the new towards the back, as the new tiles were brighter than the old. The job was finally finished in October, before being blessed by Father Will. A very successful operation after a long wait, and very much admired by everybody. The Holdsworth hatchments were taken away and restored in the summer and were also blessed by Father Will. The bell clappers have been refurbished, and the bell ropes renewed. Sadly due to lockdown, the bells have not been rung yet. Hopefully it won’t be too long till we hear them again, and the ringers will be able to enjoy a nice flat surface to stand on. The pew that was removed from the front of the church when the pulpit and lectern were swapped has been put against the back wall of the tower. The organ plans have progressed very little due to Covid restrictions. In the Garden of Remembrance, after years in the pipeline, we have had a new wheelchair friendly path laid, and a new gate kindly made and donated by Tony and Lesley Hodge. Responsibility for the garden has now been taken over by a separate group who will manage it, with the idea that it will be self financing, and not just the responsibility of St Petrox. It was felt that it was a facility for the town and whole parish and not just St Petrox. Many thanks to our team of eight who have continued the locking and unlocking and cleaning of the church throughout the year. Thanks also to Cathy, with help from Lesley and others, for providing flowers and a delightful display for Christmas. _Sue Black and Christopher Helyer Churchwardens, St Petrox_ ## **c) St Saviour’s** The year being reported on was needless to say a very exceptional one - the effects of the pandemic affected fundamentally church activities from March 2020 onwards. The church was closed fo a long period, and the pattern of services, meetings and just about everything else was far from normal. The usual business of routine maintenance and repairs on the 600 year old building continued where possible, including clearing gutters, attention to damp ingress, and churchyard grass cutting and tidying up. During the year the two main outside doors have been repainted, and other minor repairs attended to, to prevent deterioration in the building and facilities. Two projects are worthy of mention. Firstly the clock has been thoroughly cleaned and overhauled, and is now for the first time in several months keeping good time and chiming when it should! Also we have altered the fixings of the two front pews so that they can moved relatively easily for concerts and events where more space is needed at the front of the church, whilst they remain safe and stable for ordinary use. In the planning stages are schemes to renovate the three antique chandeliers, and possibly, depending on funding and various necessary permissions, the installation of solar panels on the south facing roof, in line with the Greener Churches initiative - but this will take some time. Of course the big project this year has been the renewal of the floor behind the Rood Screen, the restoration of the Hauley and Stapleford Brasses and associated further related improvements and security matters. At the time of writing the project is progressing on time and on budget, and I am hopeful that it will be finally complete by Easter. Ironically the lockdown has actually in some ways made life easier, because of fewer services and visitors, and much less activity needed in the areas behind the screen, which have made it easier for work to proceed and for essential equipment and materials to be stored without getting in everyone’s way. Hopefully we can hold an opening event to mark this major improvement later in 2021 - and get some good publicity. I am hopeful that donations to the church will increase when public access to the brasses is allowed, and that visitors will enjoy being able to see what are some of the church’s great treasures and a great asset to the town. As always I am grateful to everyone who does so much to ensure our beautiful church is clean, well maintained, and welcoming - a place we can all be proud to be associated with. St Saviour’s is in excellent repair and will continue to be so on my watch! _Howard O’Keeffe Churchwarden, St Saviour’s_ 8 ## **7. PRESENTATION OF FINANCIAL REPORTS, STATEMENTS AND AUDITED ACCOUNTS FOR 2020** ## **PARISH FINANCE REPORT FOR 2020** In the year 2020 The Parish Finance Committee convened four times in pursuance of its role to review the income and expenditure of the Parish and where necessary make planning and control recommendations on financial matters to the PCC and to assist in the formulation of financial policy. The accounts for the year show that when extraordinary items are removed from both income and expenditure a loss in the region of £29,000 was incurred from our day to day activities. Regrettably, this was very much in line with the higher end of our predictions. The reasons are for these losses are obviously linked to the pandemic: with our churches closed for just over three months in the first half of the year and severely restricted services during much of the second half, church collections and donations from visitors have dropped significantly and the Parish Hall was closed. We had to utilise some of our reserves to meet these losses and, to ease cash flow shortages, take out temporary loans from the Ecclesiastical Share who have been wonderfully supportive throughout. As this report is being written, we are still in the midst of a second full lockdown with restrictions in place until 21 June. Therefore, we are anticipating a further loss in 2021 upwards of £10,000; this assumes we will be able to resume normal activities after 21 June. It is going to be another very challenging year; the need to generate additional funds will be paramount. To this end we are introducing Text/QR code donations sites in our churches, our website and social media platforms to make it easier for people who use very little cash to donate - this is additional to Contactless payments, already in existence in St. Saviour’s. Plans have been agreed by your PCC to modify our website and use the services of an experienced PR person to raise our profiles and interest in our historical churches. Other initiatives are to set up more “friends of” fund raising schemes in all our churches; this could be in the form of “a friend of St. Saviour’s” for example or perhaps highlighting a specific cause such as “Friends of Hauley Brass”, “friends of” …church organ and so on. We are also discussing ways of making our churches even more appealing and friendly to visitors. With the easing of restrictions the intention is to hold a number of social events for our church community to enjoy. We are very lucky as a parish to have as our treasurers Fiona, Wendy, Liz and Harry, a great team taking good care of our day to day finances, banking cash, reporting income, paying bills, monitoring cash flow, thank you one and all. Thanks are also due to George Ball and Dan Callard who give us so much of their precious time to oversee our accounts and proffer sound advice; to Nicolette Coward who so diligently, accurately and speedily inputs all our financial transactions and to Ken Scott for taking on the onerous task of gift aid recovery. As ever, my special personal thanks to John Light for his detailed analysis of our accounts, the preparation of budgets, ensuring that our year end accounts are produced on time and for ensuring that all procedures are correctly followed. Whilst our finances have been and are still going through an extremely difficult period we have so much for which to be thankful; our reserves remain strong, we have positive plans for the future, a strong church community, the end of lockdown is finally in sight and a new incumbent will soon be appointed. The outlook is full of promise for better times in the future. _Colin Cooper Chairman of the PFC during 2020_ 9 ## **The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Dartmouth** **Accounts for the year ended 31[st] December 2020** **Charity No. 1129018** 11 Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of The Parochial Church Council of the Et¢lesiastlC31 Parish of Darlmouth - Charity no. 1129018 I report lo the trustees on my cxamination of the accounts for the year ended 31" December 2020. Responsibilities and basis of report As the charity trustees of ihe Church you are responsible for the preparalion of ihe accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act ?0 I l ("Ihe Act"). I report in r¢5P¢Ct of my ¢xamination of the Church's accounlg catried out undcr section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I havc tollowcd all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under se¢tion 145(5){b) of the Act. Independent examiner's statement I have completed my cxamination. I conlimi that nts material tnattcrs have comc to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect.. l. Accounting records were not kept in respect of the Church as required by section 130 of the Act or. 2. The accounts do not accord with thosc records. I have no coneems ai)d I have eome across no other matters in ¢onne¢tion with the examillation to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enablc a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. lan Barrett FCA FCIE Barretts Chartcred Aecountants and Chartered Taxation Adi.'isers 22 Union Street Newton Abbot Devon, TQ12 2JS Dat¢d 12 The Parochi41 Chureh Council of the Ecclesiasti¢al Pari$h of Dartmo￿th Financial Stalements Receipts and Pa)'Inent5 Account for the Year Ended 315t December 2020 Unrtsiri¢ted Endowmeni Restricted 2020 2019 Receipt5- Gift aid gii'ing Gift aid recoveTed Other giving {non-gift aid} Wall safes Don3tions and collections WoTldwide and Missionary gii'ing Sutplu5 on special ¢N'entE and outreach Ma¥azine 5ubsLripiivn% adverts Fees in¢oTlle Sutnmer fete Christmas fair Crafi and tlow¢r festival Other fundraising income Electricity and gas Churchyard income Hall letting5 B(x)k of remembrance Church Icittngs Dividends Bank and investment interest Rcfunds Legacie5 VAT tecovered Mu4ii income Yolllh Scheme dLLOUllt surp1￿% on "Amen" accouni Appeals ill¢UTn¢ Loan Grant% Total Rtceipls 30860 13002 3346 5337 9019 30860 13002 3346 5337 16693 34038 14061 3661 17636 19512 7674 1186 1267 1725 1032 786 906 9213 3144 1792 9906 225 2055 1308 2375 7038 500 609? 6nO 58 2222 18000 5000 418 9017 418 9017 7568 1273 1070 3307 320 480 7568 1273 1070 3307 320 480 1345 2680 6066 8000 1345 997 1683 6066 8000 2345 50 2345 50 3750 106916 3750 1131 Ilg047 175338 Less Total Payments 155300 IDeficitllSiLrplus for the Year 106916 11131 118047 20038 Tiansfer5 -18531 18531 Nct (Dcficitllsurplus for thc Year 88385 29662 118047 20038 13 The Parochial Church C(>un¢il of the Ecelesiastieal Parish of Dartmouth Financig1.Statement$ Receipts and Pa>'rnenls Account for the Year Ended 31$t Deeember 2020 Unrestricted Endowment Restricted 2020 2019 Pa}'tnent5: Diocesan Cotnmon Fund Clcaning Setvice book5, candles and sacTi5ty supplies 63707 1355 63707 1355 64964 1507 2752 5379 33 1207 5323 2752 5379 33 51881 5323 2679 10586 747 21779 5355 MusiL Repuits. renewals and maintenance IDsuTan¢e Garden of Remembrance and ¢hur¢hyard expen%es Printing, posiage and stationery Telephone, internet and web51te Flowers Services, organists and choir fees Bank charges Fees (including l¢gal and profes$ionaV archiieet$' costs ete} Lciiings costs Bookstall purchases Vicaes, curate's and administration fees Special events C05t5 WoTldwide and mi5510￿ary ￿VIng Cai parking costs Walsillgh3m pilgrimage StJ¥41dship ¢xpentses Mi8¢ellaneou% expense.% Capital expenditure 50674 8143 4193 383 176 4961 32 8143 4193 383 176 4961 32 5404 7460 354 692 7440 32 17422 1512 269 2420 82 17422 11404 1512 1876 5472 1384 1164 1750 606 468 665 269 2420 82 1000 1750 137 1000 1750 137 74 1194 12?504 74 1194 51674 174178 155300 14 The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastieal Parish of Dartmouth BAlance Sheet as at 315t December 2020 Charity f*o- 1129018 2020 2019 Investments (Note 2) Endowments- Shareholdings St Clement's CBF Investment fund St Clement's CCLA Equity fund investment St Saviour's EdenTree Amity Balanced fund Si Saviour's CBF Investment fund St Petrox Duncan Gerrard Trust Ilnvcsttnenl I I St Petrox Duncan Ge￿ard Trust Ilnvestment 2] 15927 3195 10000 13000 13000 50000 150000 15927 3195 i 0000 131K)O 13(K)O 50(N)O 150(N)O 255122 255122 Current assets Bank balances= St Saviour's Lloyds Cu￿ent alc St Saviour's Virgin Charity deposit Iblc St Saviour's CambridgTre & Counties aJc St Clement's Lloyds current &c St Clcmcnl's CBF dewsit fund St Petrox HSBC current St Petrox CBF deposit fund St Pctrox Duncan Gerrard fund Parish Lloyds &lc Parish Hall Lloyds alc Parish of Dartmouth PCC 'Amen' alc 12392 11809 32900 10681 16455 4517 21924 7990 14429 3843 8793 11751 71664 6322 15934 5885 28424 38350 22 8357 4015 143386 199517 Net current assets £ 398508 £ 454639 Represented by:" Funds at I ' January 2020 454639 432808 Prior year adjustment 1793 {Dcficiency)Isurplus of reccipls over payments for the year (56131) 20038 Funds at 31$* Decen)ber 2020 £ 398508 £ 454639 Approved Onj￿ and sigmed on behalf of the Truste¢s:_ The Paroehial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Dartmouth Notes to the Fin4n¢lal Statements for the year ended 315t D¢¢ember 2020 l) Representation of funds This year Last year Unrestricted Designated R¢strict¢d Endowment {67753) 163801 286529 16201 {39820} 169987 308271 16201 £ 398508 £ 454639 2) Investments Th¢ sums appearing on the balance sheet are the historic costlacquisition values and no unrealised appreciationldepreciation figu￿8 are included in Ihe accounts, as they are prepared on a receipts and payments basis. The markct values of the inv¢stments, as at the balance sheet date, were'.- At 31112120 At 31112119 Endowments.. J P Morgan (825 shares @ £11.425) Swltish Inv¢stm¢nt PLC (465 shares @ £6.98) Law Debenture Corporation PLC (2150 shares @ £6.90) Witan Inveslmcnl Trust PLC {2500 shares C £2.3051 Edinburgh Investment Tn￿t PLC (400 shares @ £5.46) 9426 3246 14835 5762 2184 11237 3869 13975 5787 2504 35453 37372 St Clement's CBF Invcsltncnl Fund (239.28 units @ £20.4467) St Clement's CBF Investment Fund (908.05 units @ £20.4467) St Saviour's EdenTree Amity Balanced Fund {14576.28 units @ £1.065) St Saviour's CBF Inv¢slJn¢nt Fund1918.09 units 0 10 £20.4467) St Petrox Duncan Gerrard legacy investment portfolio 4576 17367 15990 17559 226665 18567 15524 18772 253778 £ 346986 £319529 16 Parish of Dartmouth Fund movement summary Selecttd poriod.. 01 January 2020 to 31 Dgcèmber 2020 Fund Fund Balanre¥ Oughtforward ncomlrfj Transf•rs Galns and Lossos Joumal End•s Fund balances Carrl8d forward Résources ASCIT- C Arademy or si Clemeni's 254 254 1.224 1,464 12.2591 GèTrard- P D Getrar PH8tth- P Hatchmeni PALeg8ty- PA Legacy SHauley- S HaV￿Y Brns¥ SL￿a¢Y- S L￿8¢Y SOrgan- S Or￿￿ Plegacy-sl Petrox Legaty Young- X Young Peop Fwd ClergyHab- Clergy Habitabon Fund Genwal- General fund Appeal- C Appeal Fund )ne-AgenGy GoI￿tiOn Bdl- C 8dl Fund POrg¥D- p c¥gan Chur¢hy8rd- C Churchyard Fund End0Vmi￿- C End0vdm￿ts Fund H311- PH Parish hall CLe9aC￿s- C Lega(xes Fwd C(¥9an- C Org* Fund Rep8ir- P Repair Fund Slford- S Sthoolrwm¥ Fund StsaV￿￿r- S Sl Sa￿¢￿￿$ stclemeni- c si a￿enyS Musi¢- MLtsl¢ Fund 8ellnwer- S Bdlringers Rebiemenl-x Retirern￿t Fund IWrem- P Garden ofRern Fund Slpetrox- P Sl Petrox 480 3,460 3,035 1,774 49,201 5,971 56,404 267 49,201 14,028 20.LN)O 56.404 267 141 141 1.042 1,022 2.001 500 2.458 42 193.279 106.601 146.142 .118.5101 135,227 6.633 4,219 314 18.549 4.430 314 18,494 3.575 303 555 13571 1.410 16.201 16,201 12.796 7.018 5,306 8.571 7.018 302 S.442 302 34.322 14.620 34.322 14.620 578 621 492 621 189 3,235 13.3301 Totals 42a832 122A23 178.555 368.484 Theremay be mlntrrdlsciepancles IJ) the kntals ilthepence are not being shown 17 ## **8. REPORT ON THE WORK OF DEANERY SYNOD** 2020 was a very strange year with the departure of our parish priest and restrictions on being able to meet. It has not therefore been possible to prepare any information on the work of Deanery Synod. _Jill Cawley, PCC Secretary_ ## **9. ELECTIONS** - a) Electoral Roll Officer - b) Parochial Church Council (12 representatives) - c) District Church Councils - d) PCC representatives (2) from each DCC ## **10. APPOINTMENT OF FINANCIAL EXAMINER** ## **11. PRESENTATION OF REPORTS ABOUT VARIOUS ASPECTS OF THE WORK OF THE PARISH** ## **a) Southford Schoolrooms** During the highly exceptional year being reported on not a lot has happened. The Pre-School functioned as well as possible under the pandemic regulations, as did residents. Regular meetings were held wherever possible involving all stakeholders, discussing relatively minor matters, and we continued to build up a financial reserve to fund major repairs and replacements in future. The only major issue worthy of report was of course the sad departure of Revd Bob Boyle and his wife Brigid, who retired at the end of 2020. Their flat is currently unoccupied, and being offered for rent through a local estate agent, pending the arrival of a new vicar. The plan is hopefully soon into his/her tenure to appoint a new priest-in-service who will then reside in the flat. An uneventful but successful year at SFSR! ## _Howard O’Keeffe, Churchwarden_ ## **b) St Clement’s Churchyard** 2020 has been a hugely interesting and challenging year for St Clement’s churchyard. The directive on grass cutting from Lambeth Place was clear: no grass cutting on the basis of “unnecessary journey”. The first cut would normally be some time mid to late March, this year that never happened. A warm spring and early summer had an amazing impact on the four acres God has put in our care. Masses of wildflowers normally seen only in patches sprang up: Celandine, Butterwort, Bluebell, Herb-Robert, Oxeye Daisies, Meadow Thistle and more made an appearance. By the time the haymaking arrived in late June, it was possible to count at least five or six different species of grass. Butterflies were more in evidence. Other pollinators: bees, wasps, hoverflies were more plentiful. Unpruned ivy sheltered other invertebrates. At least one hedgehog took up residence and seems to have stayed. One of our bird boxes housed at least one Blue Tit brood. Towards the end of the season, we found hogweed in flower. Reluctantly a powerful plant killer was applied – the effects are still visible. What should have been ten cuts for the year came down to four. Nonetheless, a valuable lesson was clear. We saw a sort of trophic upgrade all-round, far from complete but certainly encouraging: in the absence of human activity, God’s world progressed as it is meant to. What went on was not quite a rewilding process: strictly speaking, we simply stopped grass cutting and there was no managed plan beyond that. There was a mixed response to all this. Most folk saw the positive side. A few others, perhaps failing to understand why it was happening and that it was entirely natural were not sure, especially as bright spring and summer flowers give way to the varying browns of the beautiful seeding season. Where does this leave us? For many years now all we have done is to cut the grass and count on the regular help of others. The redoubtable Lew Langworthy calls in a wonderful team of Old Dartmothians at times; Brain Parker our diligent burial records keeper checks on the trees; BRNC generously detail officer cadets on occasions; our keen-eyed Sheila Boswell watches over all. We are truly thankful for their efforts. None of it though amounts to planned management. We are indebted to those giving to the Churchyard Fund on a regular basis but in truth, the money raised covers only about 30% of the total cost of grass cutting. In lockdown, we weren’t just responding to Lambeth’s directive, our revenues this year have taken a sizeable knock so money was saved. Sooner or later we need to give some serious thought to how a more relaxed view of the wonderful space where the mortal remains of those who rest here can best serve God’s creation – it has taken a devastating pandemic to show us that – how do we respond to that? _Ernie Wingeatt_ 18 **c) The Ecclesiastical Share of the Dartmouth Trust** Another year of support from the Dartmouth Trust, to whom we are hugely grateful for invaluable financial support. The cost of maintaining and improving the fabric of our beautiful medieval listed grade one buildings is to a considerable extent facilitated by funds received, meaning we can avoid the churches slowly deteriorating - a fate now happening to many other ancient church buildings elsewhere. Our recent grants have been comparable to previous years, but we must plan for a decrease in income in future as the financial effects of the pandemic work their way through, because the income received by the Trust has been adversely affected by the coronavirus lockdowns as a result of shop closures etc. Luckily there are no major urgent building projects needed in the churches in the next few years - as far as we know! The work on the next round of quinquennial reports on the churches is planned to take place soon, having inevitably been delayed by the effect of the C-19 regulations, so we most plan for any essential work over the coming five year period, and other projects are being planned so we must manage resources carefully as always. As both a churchwarden, and a Trustee of the Dartmouth Trust I am grateful for the help and support we receive from all involved. ## _Howard O’Keeffe, Churchwarden_ ## **d) Charitable Giving** Like many a meeting up and down the country in the year 2020, meetings could not be held and thus it was with the PCC Charitable Giving Committee. Not only the inability to be able to hold meetings because of lockdown restrictions during the pandemic, but we also missed the wise leadership of our past chairman, David Robinson. He always led with such passion, commitment and good example. However, we did what we could with help from the Lent Giving, Harvest Festival and Christopher Helyer. The Lent Giving was from the previous year. The sum of £265.37 was raised from Lent Giving in aid of Church Action on Poverty in 2019. Unfortunately, the cheque was never presented as it was sent to the wrong address – they had moved. The cheque was renewed for this year and arrived on the correct door mat! The Edgington (normally Regatta) Recitals took place in St Petrox and St Saviour’s Churches during the year. They raised £250.00 for the Friends of Cathedral Music. Harvest Festival boosted our giving with a service in St Clement’s Church with the congregation donating tins and packets of food. The tins and packets were auctioned at the end of the service. The auction and the church collection raised £484.00, which was sent with love to Change a Chapter, whose aim is ‘improving the lives of children in Kenya’. The tins and packets, although ‘bought’ at the auction were kindly donated to Dartmouth Food Bank. The total raised for the year in cash was £999.37 with a donation in kind to the Food Bank. The commitment to our annual giving to charity is £3000, with any shortfall being made up from Parish funds. However, funds throughout the Parish were much reduced because of the churches being closed and we were not in a position to meet the commitment this year. However, we do look forward to 2021 in the hope that we will all be in a better place and able to honour our commitment in full. ## _Wendy Rendle_ ## **e) Parish Music** The year has presented us with unique challenges but it has been good to find new ways of contributing music to our worship, both “live” and streamed. Initially some of us recorded individual voice parts in our own homes and then sent recordings to one of our tenors, Neville Stanford, who brought the individual parts together to produce harmony. One of the most memorable of these recordings was the 15th century John of Portugal’s Crux fidelis; a challenging piece but also a firm choir favourite. Later in the year we were able to return to “live” but socially distanced rehearsals and service singing. A particular feature of this period was ten weeks of Book of Common Prayer (BCP) said Evening Prayer, at S Petrox, with three organ pieces and three choir items: typically, an introit, a hymn and the final responses, to E W Naylor’s setting. These services were attended by 25-30 people, with the notable exception of Bishop Will’s Farewell Evensong, which included the splendid verse anthem by Henry Purcell – Rejoice in the Lord alway. As I write, we are restricted to no more than three cantors singing in a service and no live rehearsal permitted. In consequence those who cantor are obliged to receive their music at home and then rehearse alone, with the assistance of suitable recordings. The passing of our longest serving past chorister, and former S Saviour’s choirmaster, Brian Ridalls, has yet to be marked with live choral tributes in the context of a memorial service. However, the music for his funeral, held at Retford, Nottinghamshire, included carefully chosen recordings of so many of Brian’s much-loved choral music. At S Petrox, a monthly lunch-time recital was introduced and it is hoped that the series will be re-started as soon as the end of lockdown permits. All our performers have given their services gratis and funds raised are for the mission and ministry of S Petrox church. In the absence of the Regatta, we had two Edgington Recitals, honouring the founder of the Regatta Recitals, Brian Edgington. Funds were raised for the Friends of Cathedral Music’s appeal to support cathedral music foundations in 19 these difficult financial circumstances. The Saturday recital, given by one of our regular organists, Dr Sean Sweeney, had a nautical theme, in honour of Mayflower 400, and included two compositions, one by Plymouthian composer Clive Jenkins, commissioned by the Mayflower 400 committee. _Christopher Helyer, Director of Music_ ## **f) Garden of Remembrance** Some 200 people’s ashes have been interred in the Garden of Remembrance near St Petrox Church since it opened over 20 years ago and it is expected that this number will continue to rise given its position and providing it is properly cared for and maintained. Since it was established, the Garden’s maintenance and related costs has fallen to the DCC of St Petrox. In 2020 it was agreed by our former incumbent that it should be become a Parish responsibility managed by a committee and in February 2021 the PCC officially adopted the Garden as a parish resource and took on responsibility for it. In the last 2 years much cutting back and pruning of existing plants and vegetation has taken place, new species have been purchased and planted the lawns are being upgraded through forking and raking in sand. The hedge was cut in the autumn with thanks to Colin Cooper. This replanting and garden care has been well received by the many visitors to the Garden. At the start of the programme, the vicar had requested that the path be re-laid as it was not suited to wheelchair access. The contract was undertaken by Eddie Church (£4695). This was possible with a generous grant from St Petrox Trust Lands and the Duncan Gerrard Trust. This, along with the very fine gate installed by the Old Dartmothians, as well as the repainting of the three benches, has significantly enhanced the aspect of the Garden and created the sense that it is well cared for. Ken Woodman gives his time voluntarily to do grass cutting, general weeding, mulching and other routine jobs. A “team” met for the first time in January 2020 under the interim chairmanship of the vicar, meeting again on the 25th June. Since then, the committee has been working on terms of reference, notice boards and a leaflet. The committee expects to meet three times a year – Spring (programme of work), Summer (AGM), and Autumn (forward planning), with a meeting to approve the accounts and forward budget. The committee hopes to appoint a “Keeper of the Garden” who will make routine visits to ensure that the Garden is maintained to a high standard. The main objective in 2021 is to continue the work already begun. In particular all the plastic sheeting is to be removed as the Garden is intended to be plastic free. New sign boards will be installed one of which has been financed by the Dartmouth and Kingswear Society. There is a small board requesting donations and providing the means to do this through mobile phones. In addition, the next meeting of the committee will consider a programme of fund raising including approaching town organisations and companies, as well as writing to individuals who have given their approval to be contacted. _Harry Franks, Chairman Garden of Remembrance Committee_ AGM Booklet 2021 20