2022-12-31-accounts

The Parish of Neston

Charity No 1129453

Annual Report and

Financial Statements of the Neston Parochial Church Council

For the year ended 31st December 2022

Incumbent

No Incumbent appointed.

NESTON PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES

For the year ended 31st December 2022

Unrestricted Funds Note £ INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS Voluntary Income 2(a) 79,128 Church activities 2(b) 18,804 Activities For Generating Funds 2(c ) 28,513 Income From Investments 2(d ) 9 TOTAL INCOME 126,454 EXPENDITURE Raising funds 3(a) 96 Church activities 3(b) 130,837 Other Expenditure 3(c) 1,386 TOTAL EXPENDITURE 132,319 NET INCOME/(-EXPENDITURE) -5,865 Gross Transfers between funds - In 200 Gross Transfers between funds - Out Other Recognised Losses NET MOVEMENT IN FUNDS -5,665 Balances b/fwd 1st January 51,508 Balances c/fwd 31st December 45,843	Restricted Funds £ 5,296 0 4,792 4,500 14,588 0 11,593 864 12,457 2,131 2,131 196,652 198,783	Designated Endowment Funds Funds £ £ 2,650 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2,650 0 0 4,000 999 0 0 0 999 4,000 1,651 -4,000 -200 -18,369 1,451 -22,369 4,254 281,991 5,705 259,622	TOTAL FUNDS 2022 2021 £ £ 87,074 156,704 18,804 11,986 33,305 50,298 4,509 0 143,692 218,988 4,096 177 143,429 152,584 2,250 1,956 149,775 154,717 -6,083 64,271 200 408 -200 -408 -18,369 281,991 -24,452 346,262 534,405 188,145 509,953 534,407

The Notes on Pages 3 to 6 form part of these accounts.

Page 1

NESTON PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL BALANCE SHEET at 31st DECEMBER 2022 2022 2021 Nrte FtXED ASSETS Tangible Fixed A Investhient Assets 25.001 290,024 315.025 25.001 312,393 337.394 CURRE￿ ASSETS Siock on Hand Debto Short Tem Dqx)sits tkvelopment Fund Cash 310 5,746 202.442 410 8.190 148. 148 49.993 208.513 206, 741 LIABILITIES: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE wrfHIN ONE YEAR 13.585 9. 730 NET CURRENT ￿ETs 194.928 197.011 TOTAL A&SETS £509.953 £534,405 259.622 5,705 198,783 45.843 281.991 4.254 196.652 51.508 Unrestricted. Designated R&stricted Unrestricted £509.953 £534.405 Approved by the Parochial Church coul￿11 on 2nd May 2023 and signed on its behalf by Vl¢e Ch•lr Terry Abel HO￿ Treasllrer Ixy Brook* MernE¢r of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants The Notes on Pages 3 to 6 form of these account& Page 2

NESTON PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL

Notes to the Accounts for the Year Ended 31st December 2022

1 ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The PCC is a public benefit entity within the meaning of Financial Reporting Standard 102.

The financial statements have been prepared under the Charities Act 2011 and in accordance with the Church Accounting Regulations 2006 governing the individual accounts of PCC's and with the Regulations' "true and fair view" provision. They have been prepared under FRS102 (2016) as the applicable accounting standards and the 2019

version of the Statement of Recommended Practice, Accounting and Reporting by Charities (SORP 2nd Edition(FRS102))

Fixed Assets

Consecrated Land and Buildings and Movable Church Furnishings.

Consecrated and beneficed property is excluded from the accounts by s.10(2)(a) and (c) of the Charities Act 2011. Such Assets are not capitalised in the financial statements

No value is placed on movable church furnishings held by the churchwardens on special trust for the PCC and which require a faculty for disposal since the PCC considers this to be inalienable property. All expenditure incurred during the year on consecrated or benefice buildings and movable church furnishings whether maintenance or improvement, is written off as expenditure in the SOFA and separately disclosed.

Other Fixtures and Office Equipment

Equipment used within the church premises is depreciated on a straight line basis appropriate to the life of the equipment concerned.

Funds

Unrestricted Funds

These represent the remaining income funds of the PCC that are available for spending on the general purposes of the PCC including amounts designated by the PCC for fixed assets for its own use or for spending on a future project and are therefore not included in its 'free reserves' as disclosed in the trustees' report.

They do not include the accounts of church groups that owe their main affiliation to another body nor those that are informal gatherings of Church members.

Restricted Funds

These are income funds that must be spent on restricted purposes and details of the funds held and restrictions provided are shown in the notes to the accounts.

Endowment Funds

These are restricted and separately invested.

Page 3

NESTON PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL

Notes to the Accounts for the Year Ended 31st December 2022 (Continued)

2 INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS 2(a) Incoming Resources From Donors Planned Giving Collections in Church and Boxes Gift-Aided Gifts Regular Gift Days Donations and Appeals Planned Giving Tax Refunds Grants and VAT Refunds Legacies Chester Diocesan Board Grant Stay & Play Vision Income Gas and Power Compensation 2(b) Incoming Resources From Church Activities Wedding and Funeral fees PCC Assistant Staff Costs refunded by Diocese Cadent Compensation 2(c) Activities For Generating Funds Pew sales Wedding and Funeral fees Diocese Parish Fellowship Rent - Neston Centre Rent - 99 The Ringway Comrade's Field Room Hire Wall Safe Shop Income 100 Club Village Fair Christmas Fairs Events Insurance Claims 2(d ) Investments Income from Investments Bank interest etc	Unrestricted Funds £ 56,829 4,198 3,648 12,860 1,278 315 79,128 13,562 5,242 0 18,804 0 5,195 320 9,597 1,558 720 4,552 84 950 0 2,811 1,147 1,579 0 28,513 9 9	Restricted Funds £ 200 -305 5,400 1 5,296 0 4,202 590 4,792 4,500 4,500 Page 4	Designated Funds £ 2,000 650 2,650 0 0 0	TOTAL 2022 £ 56,829 4,198 0 0 3,648 13,060 973 2,000 0 650 5,400 316 87,074 13,562 5,242 0 18,804 0 5,195 320 9,597 5,760 720 4,552 84 950 0 2,811 1,147 1,579 590 33,305 4,500 9 4,509	TOTAL 2021 £ 59,002 3,713 30 0 4,292 14,384 2,062 72,471 0 150 600 0 156,704 10,812 734 440 11,986 60 8,324 53 12,900 16,248 720 2,865 66 164 2,241 0 0 475 6,182 50,298 0

NESTON PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL

Notes to the Accounts for the Year Ended 31st December 2022 (Continued)

3 EXPENDITURE Unrestricted Funds £ 3(a) Fundraising Trading: Costs of Sale & Other Costs Costs of Stewardship Campaign 96 Investment Management Costs 96 3(b) Church Activities Outward Giving Secular Charities 100 Weddings & Funeral Fees Diocese 5,167 Parish Share 69,667 Assistant staff costs 9,150 Vicar's Working Expenses 0 Curate's Working Expenses 0 Vicarage Expenses 2,028 Education 111 Insurance 6,802 Organ, piano tuning 1,011 Repairs & Maintenance Churches 2,195 Cleaning 2,524 Altar requisites 359 Service books 18 Robes & chalices 0 Music licences 703 Organist's fees 5,818 Choir fees 360 Bell fees 600 Upkeep of churchyard 1,389 Equipment hire Equipment servicing/ usage charges 690 Heating, Lighting & W Rates 6,985 Repairs & Maintenance Neston Centre 13,761 100 Club Prizes Vision Expenditure Youth Matters General Expenditure Miscellaneous Expenditure 898 Bank charges 501 130,837 3(c) Other Expenditure Other Ordinary PCC Expenditure Parish Office & Administration 904 Parish office equipment Software subscriptions 482 1,386	Restricted Funds £ 0 73 4,811 57 4,468 590 1,594 11,593 864 864	Endowment Funds £ 4,000 4,000 Designated 999 999 0	TOTAL 2022 £ 96 4,000 4,096 0 100 5,167 69,667 9,150 0 0 2,028 111 6,802 1,084 7,006 2,524 359 18 0 703 5,818 360 600 1,446 0 690 11,453 14,351 0 1,594 0 1,897 501 143,429 864 904 0 482 2,250	TOTAL 2021 £ 177 177 3,213 100 8,324 68,132 2,239 1,112 447 4,296 53 6,398 997 19,345 1,523 417 87 198 681 3,941 240 425 7,324 382 779 5,860 10,318 1,085 2,669 176 1,353 470 152,584 50 816 694 396 1,956

Page 5

NESTON PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL

Notes to the Accounts for the Year Ended 31st December 2022 (Continued)

• 4

FIXED ASSETS Freehold Land and Buildings Equipment Written down Investment in Ringway property : The Hillcrest Curacy Trust Fund. Invested Legacy re Betty Smith Endowment	2022 25,000 1 112,393 177,631 315,025	2021 £ 25,000 1 112,393 200,000 337,394

The freehold land & buildings comprise the Neston Centre and Comrade's Field at Neston. The gross values of these and the equipment have been estimated at 1st January 1997.

5 ANALYSIS OF FUNDS

At 1st Jan 2022 £ Endowment Funds Betty Smith Endowment 200,000 Hillcrest (including Robert Hamilton) Fund Endowment 81,991 281,991 Designated Funds 3 Churches Repairs from £10,000 designated 2,104 Chester Diocesan Board 2,000 Crump Legacy 0 Stay and Play 150 4,254 Restricted Funds Garden Fund Bishops Trust 653 Lighting Fund 2,161 Neston Centre And Comrade's Field Fund 25,000 St Thomas's Donations 800 Vision Fund 88,900 Miss Morris Legacy for Parish Church 64,078 Hillcrest (including Robert Hamilton) Fund 15,060 Betty Smith Investment income for Parish Church 196,652 Unrestricted Funds General Fund 51,508 6 DEBTORS Prepayments Other Debtors Tax and VAT refunds due 7 LIABILITIES: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR Accrued Expenses Neston Centre Deposits Agency Collections Parish Church Bells	Movement in Year £ -22,369 -22,369 -999 2,000 450 1,451 -57 -720 200 2,341 -3,868 4,202 32 2,130 -5,665 2022 £ 1,348 744 3,654 5,746 9,244 275 194 3,872 13,585	At 31st Dec 2022 £ 177,631 81,991 259,622 2,104 1,001 2,000 600 5,705 596 1,441 25,000 1,000 91,241 60,210 19,262 32 198,782 45,843 2021 £ 1,800 734 5,656 8,190 5,583 275 3,872 9,730

8 Staff Costs

No PCC Members were paid any wages in the year.

Several members of the PCC were reimbursed for minor expenses incurred on behalf of the PCC.

9 Connected Charities

The Hillcrest Curacy Trust Fund

The Robert Hamilton Fund

On 13th July 2021 the PCC became the sole trustee of the Hillcrest Curacy Trust fund and the Robert Hamilton Fund was merged into it at the same time to be administered as a restricted fund in the PCC accounts.

These Trusts have been invested in the Curates house at 99 Ringway along with £30,402 of PCC Funds

Land Registry records show the registered owner of the property is Chester Diocesan Board of Finance and as such the house does not form part of the assets of the PCC. The PCC's investment of £30,402 in the property is recorded in the Balance Sheet.

10 Neston Village Fair

An autonomous committee runs this annual event and maintains an account to fund the next event. The ultimate benefactor of these funds held in additional accounts would be the PCC and the surplus carried forward at the year end was £7,456.76.

Report of The Independent Examiner to the Trustees of Neston Parochial Church Council

I report on the accounts for the year ended 31st December 2022, which are set out on pages 1 to 6

Respective responsibilities of the Trustees and Examiner

As trustees of the charity, the members of the PCC are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. They consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed.

It is my responsibility to

• examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act;

• follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity 'Commisioners (under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act); and

• state whether particular matters have come to my attention.

Basis of Independent Examiner's Report

My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commission

An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters.

The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in a full audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a true and fair view' and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.

Independent Examiner's Statement

Since the gross income for the year exceeds the amount provided in section 145(3) of the Act, I confirm that I am qualified to act as Independent Examiner under the provisions of that section of the Act and that my qualification is as shown below.

In connection with my examination, no matters have come to my attention:

• (1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements - to keep accounting records in accordance with s.130 of the 2011 Act; or

• to prepare accounts which accord with these accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act have not been met;

or

(2) to which in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

B.H.Morris FCA

Highfield, Bull Hill CH64 4DN April 2023 Lt Neston

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Neston Parochial Church Council Trustees’ Report for 2022

Parish of Neston

2022 Report and Accounts

Parochial Church Council of the Parish of Neston, Cheshire.

Aim and purposes

Neston Parochial Church Council (PCC) has the aim of every Church of England church:

To promote the whole mission of the Church - pastoral, evangelistic, social, and ecumenical.

The PCC has the responsibility of cooperating with the incumbent in promoting this aim throughout the ecclesiastical parish of Neston. The PCC is specifically responsible for maintaining:

• St Mary & St Helen’s Church: Parish Church, High Street, Neston, CH64 9TZ;

• St Michael and All Angels’ Church: Marshlands Road, Little Neston, CH64 4AD;

• St Thomas’s Church: School Lane, Parkgate, CH64 6SR; and

• Neston Centre: High Street, Neston, CH64 9TZ.

During the year, the Parish of Neston has been without a Vicar following the resignation of Revd Alan Dawson in 2021.

Neston PCC and the Ministry Team have been working with officers in the Diocese of Chester to select the next Vicar of Neston. Members of our congregations have made invaluable input to this work by outlining their hopes for the future of Christian ministry in the parish.

This meant that some of the work we had hoped to do has been delayed, as the pastoral role and ministry insight of the Vicar of Neston has an important part to play in our work.

It is also important that we maintain the fabric of our three church buildings and the Neston Centre to enable us to carry out our objectives and activities.

Achievements and performance

Objectives and activities

The PCC is committed to enabling as many people as possible to worship at our churches and to become part of our parish community. We aim to enable people to live out their faith as part of our parish through:

• Services, worship, and prayer;

• Social outreach and pastoral work; and

• Missionary outreach, especially to children and young people.

Following the resignation of our previous Vicar (Revd Alan Dawson) in 2021, we have been able to conduct worship in all three churches with the invaluable assistance of Revd Judith Calvert (our Assistant Curate) and of local, retired priests especially Revd Canon Ian Davenport, Revd Maureen Hobbs, Revd Alan Leach, Fr Mark Turner and Revd Ian Urquhart.

United Services have been re-established and held in the Parish Church. The first celebrated the Platinum Jubilee of HM Queen Elizabeth II.

Following the death of HM Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022, the Parish Church was open each day until the day of the State Funeral for private prayer and evening prayer. A Book of Condolences was provided for people to sign.

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Neston Parochial Church Council Trustees’ Report for 2022

We have been working and praying to discern who the next Vicar of Neston will be. Neston PCC developed a plan, with the assistance of the Rural Dean and the Archdeacon of Chester, to seek the views and comments of our Parishioners and the wider Parish community. This Hope Cards exercise took place in the spring of 2022 generating almost 400 ideas from about 100 respondents.

No-one was appointed following the first round of advertising the vacancy in autumn 2022. Work continues in 2023 to identify and appoint the next Vicar of Neston.

June 2022 was a particular sad time following the death of our former Churchwarden, Don Poole, who achieved the status of the oldest Church Warden in the Diocese.

The PCC is reasonably placed to address its financial position and manage budgets to prevent unplanned over-spending and enable growth. This means it is more secure in the control of its funds. We acknowledge particularly the skill and commitment of the Honorary Treasurer, Lucy Brooks, who, though not a Trustee, has continued to provide exceptional service.

Following the relaxation of Covid19 restrictions, most activities have been restored, including concerts in our churches, the Village Fair and the Christmas Fair. All-age worship has resumed in St Michael’s Church. The Knit & Natter Group held a well-attended exhibition of their work in the Parish Church in October 2022 – depicting biblical, church and local events.

Quality management information enables the PCC to understand its financial position. A planned-giving campaign has been deferred until a new Vicar is in post.

New contracts were negotiated for electricity supply to all our churches and buildings, and work on new gas supply contracts started.

Work with elderly people continues with CAFÉ (Community and Friendship for Everyone), meeting monthly in the Neston Centre. Work with the recently bereaved continues through OASIS in the Blue Bicycle coffee shop.

Our pre-school gatherings continued during 2022: Stay & Play met in term-time on Friday mornings at the Parish Church, offering Christian teaching in a creative and wellreceived way. It is over-subscribed.

Children from the High School and primary schools were able to resume their visits and worship in our churches in 2022. Experience Christmas resumed, as did carol services and crib services – all with high attendances.

Most of our activities benefit from the work and commitment of many volunteers, without whom much of our work could not happen and the PCC would not meet its objectives. The PCC want to thank those many people who are contributing their time and talents to our work.

Worship and prayer

Our worship on Sundays has largely resumed its pre-Covid19 pattern. The Principal Sunday Service is streamed live from the Parish Church each week. (Parish of Neston YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/ UCqJnfi7zblT5zttz7OQQWJw)

The midweek services in all three churches were combined into one midweek service in 2020 in the Parish Church, attracting people from across our congregations to a lunchtime communion service. This arrangement is continuing.

A united service across all our churches is held on the fifth Sunday of the month in the Parish Church.

In 2022, our annual return to Statistics for Mission indicated:

• Approx. 115 people (including children) attended our three churches in person on

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Neston Parochial Church Council Trustees’ Report for 2022

those Sundays in October 2022 when we held services there;

• Approx. 170 people attended our three churches on Easter Day;

• Advent and Christmas services were held in all three churches:

At St Thomas’s Church in 2022,

  - Services have returned to pre-Covid arrangements, including having a couple of ‘Come and have Breakfast’ services.  We are delighted that we now welcome a number of new regular worshippers to our Sunday services;

• 1750 people attended a range of services including carol services, crib services, Blue Christmas services and Christingle;

• Approx. 140 attended services on Christmas Day in person.

• The number of views of streamed services on YouTube fluctuated through the year. On average, approx. 80 views were made of each of the live services streamed in October 2022;

• A prayer group has continued to meet, focussing on praying for the world, the parish, for growth and for achieving our mission. The group has established itself on Zoom, as a weekly prayer group, with about 8 people attending each week;

• There were 8 baptism services in our churches. Baptism services are usually celebrated separately after our main Sunday services;

• Sunday Club reopened in September, though many youngsters didn’t return as they had reached High School age;

• The church was open for ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ with a quiet corner displaying relevant material for visitors;

• The Harvest Supper continued to be a successful Outreach event with a number of new people from the local community attending;

• We had our first Taizé Service since December 2019;

• Despite the freezing cold, Open Air Carols was also resumed with The Port Sunlight Brass Band playing to a huge crowd of people, followed by mulled wine and mince pies afterwards;

• There were 7 weddings in our churches;

• There were fifty-two funerals held during the year, either in our churches or at crematoria / cemeteries;

• Our Memorial Book is now safely displayed in a beautiful Memorial Book Cabinet made by John Dixon.

At St Michael’s Church in 2022,

• Services have largely returned to preCovid arrangements. There are a number of new regular worshippers to the Sunday services.

• Lynne Vaughan retired from running the Kids Club at St Michael’s .

• Monthly All-age worship was introduced in autumn 2022, and there is provision for children at all services.

• Music plays an important role within acts of worship across the parish.

• Daniel Wakefield is our Organist and Choirmaster in the parish church with Christine Schofield supporting in an administrative role.

• Currently there are about 16 regular members of the choir. The choir leads singing at our principal Sunday Service and other services.

• 2022 was a busy year for bell ringers across the UK and beyond. Bells were part of the

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Neston Parochial Church Council Trustees’ Report for 2022

Platinum Jubilee celebrations and the sombre ringing that took place on the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the accession of the King. The bells at Neston were rung to mark all three occasions.

• We have rung every Sunday morning for the principal service.

• 17 Quarter Peals (approx. 45 minutes continuous ringing) have been rung at Neston during 2022, all but one of them by the local band. This meant that Neston was the leading Wirral tower in 2022, and the fourth leading tower within the Chester Diocesan Guild and were in the top 3.2% of towers worldwide. This demonstrates that the quality of ringing at Neston has improved.

• We currently have ten members of the band, including two new recruits who have made sufficient progress to join our Sunday morning ringing. For the first time in many years, a Sunday service band entered the Wirral Branch striking competition, finishing a close second.

• The proposed bell restoration project has been delayed this year due to the vacancy.

• All three churches are decorated with flowers, especially at festivals.

• For the Festivals of Easter, Harvest, Christmas and Remembrance we have larger and extra arrangements to decorate the church.

• The PCC acknowledges this offering to our worship.

• Richard Lewis is the Lay Chair of the Deanery Synod.

• Deanery Synod met three times in 2022, and reviewed Living in Love and Faith, healing ministries and Casting the Net Wide (the Chester Diocese Strategy).

Buildings and services

Our churches have been used by the wider community for civic and other purposes which help us to meet our objectives;

• For the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, Services of Celebration were held on 29[th] April during our regular United Sung Eucharist and repeated again at the 10.45am Eucharist on 5[th] June. Both led by Revd Canon Ian Davenport (now King’s Chaplain);

• The Neston Female Society restored their Annual Walk, following the lifting of Covid restrictions, on 2[nd] June. This was attended by over 100 children and the members of the Society. Their Ecumenical Service was held at the Parish Church and on the Cross led by Fr Mark Turner, ably assisted by Fr Francis from St Winifred’s (Roman Catholic Church) and Mark Thomas (Methodist) who also organised an Open the Book presentation, which was well received, especially by the children;

Deanery Synod

Neston is part of the Wirral South Deanery in the Diocese of Chester.

• The Falklands Memorial Service was held on 14[th] June to mark the 40[th] Anniversary of the conflict. This was well attended by Civic leaders, the British Legion, and Veterans of the Conflict. It was led by Fr Mark Turner;

• All our clergy are members of the Deanery Synod: Revd Judith Calvert.

• Two lay representatives were elected in 2020 to the Deanery Synod for 3 years: Robin Hughes and Richard Lewis. There are two vacancies.

• Lesley Irvin is an ex officio member as a licensed pastoral worker.

• Following the passing of HM Queen Elizabeth II, we held the Book of Condolences for Neston which was signed by over 300 people. We hosted the Civic leaders following the Proclamation of the new King, the Service for which was led by

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Neston Parochial Church Council Trustees’ Report for 2022

Revd Judith Calvert. Services of Holy Communion were said in our Churches on 18[th] September, led by Revd Canon Ian Davenport;

over roofs etc. Good relationships with local contractors have been formed to assist with the more challenging work required.

• The parade for Remembrance Sunday was restored and the Service was well attended by the Royal British Legion, Members and Veterans of the armed forces, Civic Leaders and local Cadet and Youth Groups. The Service was led by Fr Mark Turner;

St Michael’s Church

• The continued unauthorised parking at St Michael’s was swiftly dealt with by introducing a NO PARKING sign at the entrance to the car park.

St Thomas’s Church

• The nativity scene outside the Parish Church was also welcomed again, along with an installation of advent candles; and

• We have continued to maintain our buildings and grounds.

• The entrance St Thomas’s was decorated by a local contractor.

• An upgraded sound system was installed at St Thomas’s to allow more flexibility and improved sound quality.

Parish Church of St Mary & St Helen

• In May 2022, a Faculty was granted for the Bell frame project in the Parish Church. Some outside funding has been identified. The PCC are waiting for a clear, costed project proposal for the work to go ahead.

• Two wooden benches were donated to the Parish Church, installed in the churchyard and have been welcomed and used by the general public.

• The new wheelchair ramp project still awaits detailed drawings from the Architect in order to go forward for costing and to request Faculty permission.

• The coming of winter and increased energy costs led us to reassess heating and lighting, and a new plan was put into action. New electricity supply contracts were negotiated in 2022, and work on new gas supply contracts started.

• Throughout the year there has been a steady flow of maintenance and repairs. Many of the lights in our buildings have been changed to LED and better management of time periods which will allow the illumination of our buildings and external lighting to be more cost effective.

• Consideration has been given to our “aging” maintenance team and their inability to climb ladders and scramble

The Neston Centre and Comrades’ Field

• The Charity Commission agreed to a clarification of the deed that transferred the land to what is now Neston PCC. This enables the PCC to conduct commercial activities from the land on which the Neston Centre is built and from the ‘Comrades’ Field.’

• Following impact damage to the ramp wall at the entrance to the Neston Centre, this was reported to Ecclesiastical Insurance and a claim was agreed to repair the damage. Repairs have been completed.

• Evidence of structural subsidence of the north wall of the Neston Centre was discovered when preparing for replastering and was investigated by a structural engineer. He reported that it was an old ‘wound,’ and the cause was tree roots absorbing the moisture from the soil. Tree roots also cause infiltration to the surface water drains and were repaired under our insurance policy.

• He also advised that a tree specialist be brought in to manage the pine and beech trees in the church yard and the Centre car park. Cheshire West and Chester Council who are responsible for the graveyard trees have said it is our responsibility, which is disputed. Further discussions will take place.

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Neston Parochial Church Council Trustees’ Report for 2022

• We lost a reliable source of income when Accountant Robert Jones vacated The Neston Centre for different office accommodation service.

• It was agreed that during the winter months, Café would use two vacant offices in the Neston Centre instead of the Parish Church. Heating was more cost effective than in church.

• The Church Warden looked into an alternative use of the field as parkland and being more accessible to the residents of Neston while reserving areas for the Village Fair and possible church fund raising activities. The thoughts were shelved until a new incumbent was secured as they may have ideas of their own.

• In November consideration was given to controlling the ever-troublesome unauthorised parking at The Neston Centre by installing an automatic barrier at the entrance. This is still under review; however, the access is also to the field and Vicarage and possibly the new incumbent may request an input into any plan.

• All the stalls did brisk business, and we were able to allow those stall holders that made money for their cause to retain all their proceeds. We would hope this is a trend that can be continued in future years.

• The Parish made a total of £2,830, which included income from the Grand Raffle, the gate money, craft and toy stalls, burgers and from the teas and cakes in the church, whilst the local charities and good causes raised a total of £3,847 from their stalls.

Christmas Fair

The Christmas Fair also returned following the pandemic. It was held in the Parish Church and was well attended by the wider parish and local school choirs. Approx £1200 was raised for church funds.

Pastoral Care

• In all it has been a year of “making the best with what we’ve got”. While still in the interregnum, we have maintained regular services and activities, and my thanks to all those involved for their hard work.

• Conversations, telephone calls, input to Prayer and Action along with the Guild of St Luke and St Raphael prayer chain keep the Ministry Team and Church aware of health and isolation issues within the community.

• Where appropriate and permitted, Home Communion is offered and taken out from the Church.

Village Fair

• The 2022 Village Fair was the first Fair for three years. The 2020 and 2021 Fairs had been cancelled due to the COVID Pandemic.

• The event was well attended by the people of Neston, who were at last able to enjoy a good family afternoon out for the whole family. There were a number of new attractions this year.

• Entertainment was provided throughout the afternoon with the usual mix of local acts.

• Currently our Pastoral Worker, Lesley Irvin coordinates funerals with local Readers and visiting priests. Funeral ministry extends to many years after initial contact and the immediate impact of bereavement. This includes follow up information, OASIS support group, making connections and visiting with particular attention to isolation.

• The Guild of St Luke and St Raphael continued its key ministry of offering regular prayers for healing, daily for many in the local communities and further afield. Again, the Guild’s wider prayers for healing

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Neston Parochial Church Council Trustees’ Report for 2022

ministry has been a monthly focus within Mid-Week Communions.

• Healing Eucharists have continued and are now part of a monthly principal Sunday service.

• CAFÉ (Community and Friendship for Everyone) meets on the 1st Tuesday of the month from 2 - 4pm in the Neston Centre at the present time. We moved into the centre during the winter to save money. We usually have 12 - 14 people, playing Scrabble, Rummikub, Dominoes and we have an art room. All are welcome to come along.

• OASIS (Bereavement group): This group meets on 2nd Tuesday of the month at Blue Bicycle from 3 - 5pm. We meet to chat and enjoy quality time together. Once again all are welcome for as long as they want to.

• We are getting referrals to both CAFÉ AND OASIS from the Community Social Prescriber, usually from a surgery.

• There were 200 people on the Electoral Roll for the parish. Jim Wilcock continued as Electoral Roll Officer; and

• Two of the house groups have met through the year using Zoom; one using St Thomas’s church for a couple of monthly gatherings but have subsequently reverted to in-person meetings as the risk subsided. Both Gift Groups are open to the whole Parish. These GIFT (Growing in Faith Together) groups explored topics in informal ways to grow, strengthen and support the faith of those attending. The three-fold ingredients are prayer, Bible study and fellowship.

Knit And Natter

• The Knit and Natter group had a happy and busy time in 2022. Members continued to knit personal items as well as items for the charities they continue to support.

• On two occasions they delivered hats, scarves and gloves to the Seaman’s Mission, and on three occasions they

delivered baby hats and blankets to Arrowe Park Hospital.

• They were also able to donate to the Salvation Army, doll clothes to Claire House and twiddle muffs to two nursing homes. They also donated to other charity shops.

• Ongoing knitting for the Summer Fair and the Christmas Fair also kept the knitters busy.

• The Knit and Natter members also knitted characters and scenery for a Knitting Exhibition of Bible Stories which was held in the Parish Church in November 2022. This was attended by members of our church congregations, over 360 visitors from the local community and beyond and raising £600.00 for church funds.

• Knit and Natter continues to thrive and there is a waiting list to join.

Mission and evangelism

• Our Sunday Kids’ Club continued through the year to summer 2022 when Lynne Vaughan, its leader, retired. Monthly All Age worship has been introduced at St Michael’s Church from September 2022. Six children from four families attend the services in St Michael’s Church.

• We are praying that more leaders will be found to help with this vital work, as we rely on the parents to be there to allow the sessions to take place with the necessary ratio of adults to children.

Mothers’ Union

• Emerging from Covid Mothers’ Union gradually returned to some sort of normality in 2022. They met on the second Wednesday of every month after the 1.30 Service, except in August.

• At the Baptisms in 2022, each candidate received a Children’s Bible from Mothers’ Union. They also gave Baptism Anniversary cards on first and second anniversaries.

• February 24th, 2022, saw the start of the war in Ukraine and MU members, together

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Neston Parochial Church Council Trustees’ Report for 2022

with the Parish and local community, generously donated goods for the Ukrainian refugees.

• In February 2022, 15 emergency toiletry bags (for patients who go to hospital unexpectedly) were delivered to A&E, as well as knitted items to the premature baby unit at Arrowe Park hospital.

• Our two Lent lunches raised £290 which was donated to the DEC Christian Aid Ukraine Appeal.

• During the year, members raised funds for the Mothers’ Union Relief Fund, the Summer of Hope Appeal and Mothers’ Union Worldwide and collected essential items and toys for refugees locally and in Chester.

• In November 2022, in partnership with the charity Door of Hope and the Bags of Education scheme, members filled a bag with essential educational equipment for some of the poorest communities in Eastern Europe, including Ukraine.

• Members participated in the 16 days of activism against gender violence in November and December 2022.

• Neston Mothers’ Union now have 33 members for 2023, including three gentlemen!

• Our MU Stay & Play team run this evergrowing group. We now regularly have 33 children and 28 Adults. It is very popular, has a friendly atmosphere, and is held every Friday morning during term time in the Parish Church. It provides outreach for the Church and Mothers’ Union.

• Neston PCC was unable to give unrestricted gifted income to local and overseas charities in 2022.

weekly flyer of group activities, and weekly service information keeping everyone updated. Approx. 90% of these are now emailed weekly or posted to members of the congregation and others interested in our work, mainly in the town.

• We are being assisted by retired priests in holding our services including Revd Alan Leach, Revd Ian Urquhart, Fr Mark Turner and Revd Ian Davenport. Revd Maureen Hobbs has also assisted after moving into the parish. We are also assisted by Revd Frances Skinner and Revd Richard Skinner who have been ministering in other parishes as part of their training.

• Lesley Irvin continues her work as Licensed Pastoral Worker.

• Elizabeth Joyce is a Reader Emeritus and leads services in all our churches.

• Richard Lewis is a Reader and leads services, in all our churches.

• John Hart began his third year of training in September 2022. He is leading more services in all our churches.

Ecumenical work

Neston and District Churches Together (NDCT)

• We have continued in our support of NDCT and have attended their regular meetings. We hosted at the Parish Church the Service for Christian Unity in January and the Service for One World Week in October. We have also hosted in rotation a number of prayer breakfasts at St Michael’s.

• Open the Book has recommenced and several teams, who include members of our congregations, are now back taking Bible Stories back into school assemblies.

• The Parish Website: we continued to maintain our web presence with information about our services and activities on http://www.nestonparishchurch.org/inde x.asp

• Our Prayer & Action pew sheets are a valuable, informative, and important

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Neston Parochial Church Council Trustees’ Report for 2022

Finances

The decrease in giving in 2022 is due to the death of some of our planned givers.

The funds available to the parish consist of:

Gas, electricity & water

1. Our General Fund where general income and expenditure go in and out. The overall balance of this is our “General Reserve.”

2. Other “Restricted” Funds which are reserves which can only be used for particular purposes.

It is the policy of the PCC to hold enough general reserves to cover three months’ running costs.

Summary

Our running costs exceeded our general income by almost £15,000 and as a result other funds have been used to subsidise the running costs of the parish, as explained later in these notes.

The PCC’s largest item of expenditure is Parish Share which is paid to Chester Diocese. During 2022 this was £69,666.60. For 2023 it is £71,756.64.

Planned giving reduced slightly during the year.

The cost of electricity, gas & water used during the year almost doubled.

Planned Giving

Following the request from the PCC to electoral roll members, planned giving increased by 25% during 2021.

2019 £49,389.84

2020 £47,215.35 2021 £59,001.87 2022 £56,829.32

There are around 200 people on the electoral roll. Of these, around 100 are involved in planned giving, and of these around 50 increased their giving during 2021.

2021 Parish Church St Michael’s St Thomas’ 2022 Parish Church St Michael’s St Thomas’	£3,662.04 £1,489.26 £708.65 £5,859.95 £8,042.43 £2,475.73 £934.93 £11,453.09

Use of other funds to subsidise the general fund

1. Part of the Parish Church’s energy & water costs have been paid using the £4,467.71 income from the Betty Smith legacy investment.

2. Church maintenance costs of £4,811.48 paid by other funds:

3. Vision fund £1,741.50 for final balance of the new entrance doors at St Michael’s

4. Morris Legacy £1,200 for architect’s fees relating to proposed new ramp at Parish Church

5. Morris Legacy £1,869.98 towards Parish Church maintenance costs

This subsidising of the General Fund from other funds results in a picture as follows:

Income £126,654.55

Expenditure £132,319.14*

Overspend £5,664.59

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Neston Parochial Church Council Trustees’ Report for 2022

• Expenditure excludes expenditure paid from other funds as detailed above.

engagement, it appears the PCC have little choice in using other available funds to meet the running costs of the Parish in the short term.

The overspend during the year would have been £14,943.78 if other funds had not been used.

1. This is not a sustainable solution in the long term, however the PCC must ensure its Parish Share commitment is met, to avoid compromising the appointment of a new Incumbent.

It is the policy of the PCC to hold enough general reserves to cover three months’ running costs. Based on expenditure during 2022 this threshold is £35,500.

The hope is that a new Incumbent will breathe new life into the Parish and increase engagement with the church.

At the end of 2022, the general reserve was £45,843.

Betty Smith legacy investment

Addressing our over-expenditure

1. The “core 100” people who typically attend one of the four church services on Sundays, and who are involved in planned giving, contributed almost £57,000 during the year.

Of the “core 100”, around 50 increased their planned giving, by almost £11,800 during 2021, following the PCC’s request. Whilst these 50 or so individuals may wish to review their giving, it appears inappropriate to request a further increase from them.

The remaining 50 or so of the “core 100” chose not to increase their giving following the PCC’s request.

£196,000 was invested with Quilter plc in April. The value of the investment at the end of December was £177,631, a reduction of 9%. The war in Ukraine has impacted stock markets significantly, in addition to concerns that were already present regarding energy prices and inflation.

This type of investment may fluctuate in value, but over time is likely to increase in value, as it did in the past. (The initial amount placed into Trust following Betty’s death in 2006 almost doubled in value before being transferred to the PCC in 2022.)

Vision Fund

The 100 or so people on the electoral roll who do not attend Sunday services or take part in planned giving are unlikely to engage further with the Parish during the Interregnum.

A legacy of £5,000 for the Vision fund was received.

During the year Vision funds were spent on:

1. The PCC may need to consider limiting usage of the Parish Church, particularly during the winter months, to reduce energy costs. The Café and Oasis groups already use alternative accommodation in The Neston Centre and a local coffee shop.

2. In the absence of an Incumbent, and a Vision strategy for the Parish to increase

3. £1,741.50 new entrance doors at St Michael’s

4. £483.60 sound system at St Thomas’s

5. £833.99 audio visual equipment for the Parish to use in any of its buildings

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Neston Parochial Church Council Trustees’ Report for 2022

The fund balance at the end of the year was £91,240.

Safeguarding

In line with Diocese of Chester guidelines Neston Parish has a Safeguarding Officer for the parish, Liz Ledsham.

Information and parish contacts for safeguarding in the parish are displayed in all three church buildings in the parish.

No safeguarding issues or allegations have been reported in Neston Parish in 2022.

The take-up of online training has slowed down and the Safeguarding Officer has contacted volunteers and church officers who are required to do the training.

Audits have been completed on our three churches. There are no differences between the three churches in either compliance or areas that need some improvement.

The audit has revealed that in some areas we are wholly compliant and other areas that need updating and new paperwork needs to be implemented. An action plan is to be developed.

Following the retirement of Michael Maden as Lead Recruiter, an appeal for a new Lead Recruiter has been made. All the current volunteers require new DBS checks. This doesn’t apply to the clergy/Ministry as their DBS checks are done via the Diocese.

We will have an Action Plan to work towards over the next 12 months. This will help us to meet all the Parish goals for training, procedures required and necessary paperwork so that we can create a healthy safeguarding culture in the parish.

Liz Ledsham SGO

Structure and governance

The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Neston is a corporate body established by the Church of England, and is a Registered Charity registered with the Charity Commission, with the public benefit being for the advancement of religious education promoting the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to the doctrines of the Church of England.

The governing documents are the Parochial Church Councils (Powers) Measure 1956 as amended and the Church Representation Rules 2020 (as amended in 2022)

The object of the charity is to promote the whole mission of the Church in the Ecclesiastical Parish of Neston.

The trustees of the charity, being the elected, co-opted, or ex-officio members of the PCC, organise a formal election each year in the runup to the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) to fill vacancies on the PCC. New members elected to the PCC automatically become trustees of the charity.

Elected and co-opted PCC members serve for a period of no more than 3 years after which they may seek re-election. There are no limits to the number of times a person may serve as PCC member. On standing down from the PCC, a member is also removed from the list of trustees of the charity. A full list of the trustees of the charity is available on the Charity Commission website.

At the annual meeting in May 2022, there were 200 people on the Electoral Roll. About 20 members attended the meeting.

The members of the PCC in December 2022 were:

Clergy: Vacant (Chair); Revd Judith Calvert;

Churchwardens: Terry Abel (Lay Chair – Vice Chair); Marion Forshaw

PCC Secretary: Richard Lewis

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Neston Parochial Church Council Trustees’ Report for 2022

Trustees: Alex Cummins; Linda Haigh; Robin Hughes; Lesley Irvin; Val Johnson; Peter Rossiter; Carol Stott; Sue Thomas; Geoff Wood.

arrangements for filling the vacant post of Vicar of Neston.

Administration and contact details

Deanery Synod – laity: Robin Hughes, Richard Lewis. Lesley Irvin attends as a licensed Pastoral Worker in her own right.

The Treasurer is Lucy Brooks who is not a member of the PCC.

The Parish Safeguarding Officer is Liz Ledsham, who has provided reports to PCC, and attended some meetings.

Some PCC meetings have been chaired by the Rural Dean, Revd Beth Glover.

• St Mary & St Helen’s Church: Parish Church, High Street, Neston CH64 9TZ;

• St Michael and All Angels’ Church: Marshlands Road, Little Neston CH64 4AD;

• St Thomas the Apostle’s Church: School Lane, Parkgate CH64 6SR; and

• Neston Centre: High Street, Neston CH64 9TZ.

• The Parish Office is at the Neston Centre and is staffed on Monday mornings and Wednesday mornings. 0151 336 5346 [e-mail]

Some PCC meetings have been held jointly with the Ministry Team to address

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