The Parish of Neston Charity No 1129453 Annual Report and Financial Statements of the Neston Parochial Church Council For the year ended 31st December 2023 Incumbent Fr. Kevin Crinks NESTON PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES For the year ended 31st December 2023 Unrestricted Restricted Desi%nated Endowment TOTAL FUNDS Funds Funds Funds Funds 2023 21122 Note INCOME AND Ef4DOWMENTS Voluntary Income 21al 78,558 5.000 83,558 85,451 Church activities 21bl 18,225 426 600 19,251 20.427 Activities For Gcncrating Funds 21c I 31.482 5.058 36,540 33,305 Income From Investments 21d I 9,917 9,917 4.509 TOTAL 1Tr4COME 128,265 20,401 600 149,266 143,692 EXPENDITURE Raising funds 31al 601 601 4,096 Church activities 31bl 134,873 9,727 1,222 145,822 143.429 Other Expenditure 31cl 1.361 2,250 TOTAL EXPEP4DITURE 136,835 9,727 1,222 147,784 149, 775 NET INCOME/(_EXPENDITURE) -8,570 1.421 -1,042 10,674 -622 1,482 1,642 -1,642 6,952 -6,083 200 Gr05s Transfers between funds- I Gross Transfers bekn'een fllnds- Out Gains on Investment Assets Other Recognised Losses 221 -600 -200 6,952 -16,369 -24,452 NET MOVEMEf4T IN FUNDS -8.191 10,674 -1.001 6,952 8,434 Balances blfwd I st January 45,843 198,783 5,705 259,622 509,953 534,41)5 Balances clfwd 31st December 37.652 209,457 4.704 266,574 518,387 509,953 The Notes on Page5 3 to 6 form part of these accounts. Page I NESTON PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL BALANCE SHEET at 31st DECEMBER 2023 2023 2022 Note FIXED ASSETS Tangible Fixed Assets Investment Assets 25.001 296,976 321,977 25,001 290,024 315,025 CURRENT ASSETS Stock on Hand Debtors Short Terni Deposits Development Fund Cash 330 6,482 201578 310 5, 740 202,442 32 15 209.422 208,513 LIABILfTIES: AMOiINfs FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR 13,012 J3,585 NET CURRENT ASSETS 196.410 194,928 TOTAL ASSETS £518.387 £509.953 Endowment Unrestricted- Designated Restricted Unrestricted 266.574 4,704 209.457 37.652 259,622 5. 705 198. 783 45,843 £518 387 £509.953 Approved by th P ial Church Coun¢il on l( April 2024 and signed on its behalf by Chairman Fw. Kevin Crinks Holl. Tr￿$llrer Lucy Br(bo Member of the Asswiation of Chartercd Certified Accountants Th¢ Not￿ oll PAge8 3 to 6 form PArt of Ibe5e ac¢ounL Page 2 NESTON PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL Note5 to the Account5 for the Year Ended 315t December 2023 ACC.OIINTINC. POLIC.IES The PCC is a public benetit entity within the meaning of Financial Reporting Standard 102. The fin1￿cial statemellts have been prepared under the Charities Act 201 l and in accordance with the Church Accounting Regulations 2006 goverlling the individual accounts of PCC'S and with the Regulations true and fair view provision. They have been prepared under FRS1021?0161 as the applicable accounting standards and the 2019 veTsion of the Stat¢m¢nt of Re¢omiMei)ded Piacti¢e, A¢¢ounting and Reporting by c.harities ISORP 2nd Editi()nlFRS10211 Fixed Assets C'ortséei'tjiéd Lartd (irtdlltiilJirtgs th￿d.￿(OV&b/e Chiireh Ftsrnishirtgs. Consecrated and beneficed property is excluded from the accounts by s.1012llal and Icl of the Charitie5 Act 2011. Such A5set5 are not capitalised in the financial statenients No value is plaLed 01) movabl¢ ¢hur¢l) fuTnishing5 held by the ¢hur¢hwardens on gpe¢ial tiust for the PC.C and which reqllire a faculty for disp()sal since the PCC. ¢onsiders this to be inalienable property. All expenditure incurred during the year on consecrated or benefice buildings and movable church furnishings M'hether maintenance or iniprovement, is written off as expenditure in the SOFA and separately disclosed. Oiher Fi.rnires Jnd Office Equipmgnl Equipn)ent used within the chur¢h premises is depreciated on a strnight line basis appropriate to the life of the equipment concerned. Funds LNrestricted Funds Thes¢ T¢PT¢s¢nt the r¢iMaining inconie funds of the PCC that ar¢ available foi spending on the g¢neTal purposes of the PCC. including amounts designated by the PCC for fixed assets for its own use or for speiiding 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 affjliation to another body nor those that are informal gatherings of Church members. Restricted Fund5 Thes¢ ale income funds that must be spent 01) Testricted purp()ses and details of the funds held and restrictions provided are showi) in the notes to the ac¢()unis. Endowment Funds Endowmellt funds have been introduced this year. There were none last year. These are restricted and separately invested. Page 3 NESTON PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL Notes to the Account5 for the YeAr Ended 31st December 2023 (Continued) INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS Ilnrtstritted Rtstrtcted De4ign9ted Fund5 TOTAL 2023 TOTAL 2022 Fund5 FNDdJ 2(a) Ré.snÈiice.¥ From DiTrrtnr.s Planned Giving Collections in Church and Boxes Gift-Aided Gifts Regular Gift Days tk)natioi)s and App¢alg Plat]ned Giving Tax Refunds 57,614 5,286 57.614 5,286 56.829 4, 198 2,953 12,704 3.646 13,060 12.704 Legacies C.h¢st¢r Diocesan Board Grant Vision Inconie Gas and P Rounding 5,000 5,000 2.000 5,400 316 85.45J 78,558 5,000 83,)58 2(b) Jncofrning Re5011rces from C-hiirch Activilies Wedding and Funeral fees PCC Slay & Play Grants and V A T Refui)ds A55iStant Staff C05t5 Tefunded by Diocese 13,971 13,971 600 764 3.916 13,562 650 973 5,242 600 338 3,916 426 2(t) 18,?25 426 600 19,251 20.427 Aclivilies Foi. Gep7eFCltin¥ Flind5 Wedding and Funeral fees Diocese Parish Fellowship Rent- Neston Centre Rent- 99 The Ringway Coinrade's Field Rooni Hire Wall Safe Shop In¢ome Village Fair Christmas Fairs Events Insurance Claims 6,802 374 3,550 1,876 720 9,685 227 1,195 2,580 1,825 2,648 6.802 374 3,)50 6.9)4 720 9,685 227 5, 195 320 9.597 5. 760 720 4,552 84 950 2,811 J, 147 J.579 590 33,305 5,058 2.580 1,825 2,648 2(d) 31,482 5,058 36.540 Jfr7veslmefr71S Income from Investments Bank interest etc 9,917 9,917 4.500 9,917 9.917 4,509 Page 4 NESTON PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL Notes to the Attouthts for the Ye*r Ended 31st Detember 2023 (Continued) EXPENDITURE Ilnreslt*tttd Rtstrlcte Endbivme)It TOTAL TOTAL Fund% FU￿dS 2023 2022 31a l.undraising /i'ading.' Cosis ofsale & Oihei. Cosis Cosib ot-steiwardship Campaign 485 Shop ExpcnsL Inve%tmenl m￿ageMent C()%t% 485 96 4.OOQ 4.n96 3{b} chttrch.4ciiviiies Ou1￿ard Giling SeLular Charilie W¢ddings & Funeral Fees Dioce5¢ Parish Share Dtsignattd loo 6802 71757 6187 304 6.802 71.757 6,187 304 69.007 9,JiO ViLar's Working Expenses Curate'% Working Expense Vicarage Expen5¢S Education Insurancc Or¥an. piano luning Repair5 & Maint¢nan¢¢ ChuT¢he5 Cleaniiig Altar requisites Scrn'icL books Rc)bes & LhJliLes Music li¢enc¢s Organist's fees Choir tees Bcll fLLS ljpkeep c)f LhurlhY￿d F.quiptn¢nt hire Lqiiipillent strvicing usage charges Htaiing. Lighting & Il, Ratts Rcpairs & MainicnanLL NLsion CLntrL 100 Cliib Prizes Vision F.xpendilur¢ Youtli Malttrs General Lxpenditure Miscellaneous Expenditure Bank Lharges 2537 556 3.093 2.028 iji 6,802 I,Q84 7.nno 2.)24 359 18 7315 936 4045 3122 567 7,315 936 4.550 3.122 567 264 76 756 6.)65 360 200 384 45 505 93 76 756 6565 360 200 384 703 5.818 560 600 1,440 45 518 9152 10248 690 11.4)3 J4,35J 6.055 2.4(K> 15.207 12,648 674.(Kl 674 1.594 2374 497 621 2,995 497 1,897 50J 134.873 9,727 1.222 14i.822 143.429 J{cl Uihei. Expendiiure hcr Ordinari, PCC ExpLndiiurc p￿1517 OffiLe & AdTninisLrJtiun Parisli office ¢quipin¢nt sOft￿.are sub5criplions 864 904 815 815 i46 546 482 2,250 Page 5 NESTON PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL ote5 to the for th¢ I'tar F.Dded 31$t DK¢rnber21J23 ICoDtiTrvtill 2D23 2fj22 Tr'IXLD ASSL'rs Free￿￿]d L&Dd BllildiDg Eqwipmenl M'rirten dow ID%'esfmcmt im RiThgw%v properiv.. The Ililltrost Curacv Trusi FvDd. IDve5tpd L￿￿(Y rp Betty ts]Ditb End￿￿rneDt 25,rKMI 25.1100 315,025 The freehold l&iid & buildings comprise ihe Nesion Centre and Comradds Field ai Neston -l-he gross values of Lhese and ihe e4iiipmeni hale been esiimaied 21 Isi JartLiary 1997 ATrIALYSIS OF FUNDS At 1st J*rt 21J23 Movèmertt iD YeAr At 31st Dte 2023 Ln%se$ BL*tv 4niith EndowincnL Hill¢re51 Iiiicludiiig Robert Hamiltonl FuDd FndoiTr7nent 6.9)2 2)9.622 6.952 266.i74 DeSign%ted FU￿￿$ ? fliurche% Reiiairs from £IO.OCM) de51gnat¢d Chester DI1￿¢saN Board Criimp Le8ais -stay 3nd Play 2.104 2.104 2.(K)O 4,704 Restricitd Funds tiardLn Fund BishopsTruSI 596 5Y6 Nestoll Ceiiire And Comrade's Field Fuiid Si Ihomass Dtsnaiions 25.IN)O i.(K)o 25.000 -3,167 -79 5.058 88.074 Miss Morr15 Legacy for Parish Church .210 19362 24.320 4.OLN) i.ory) 3.895 Bl￿ZIl￿ LL-BdLy lor St M¥.& %l HLIl￿,%LhurLh r Flans, l£ga¢}' for St Mari'& Sl Heleii'sChur¢hyard Betty Smith I￿￿¢s1￿enr Incom¢ for Parish Church 32 3.863 10.675 2119.457 General Fund 37.652 DEBTORS 2023 2022 prepa￿ments Ulhcr DL'blorS Tax and VAT refunds du¢ 2.621 1348 744 3.65J 5.740 6.482 LIABILITIES.. AMOLINTS FALLING DLE WITHIN OliE YEAR Accrud EX￿nseS Neston Cen¢re Dep05115 AgencN Collections 8,357 9.244 ?75 194 3.872 4,302 78 ash reirnbvrs¢ 13.585 Staff c.osts No PCC Members ￿e[C pllid llnv wa8es In the year Several members ofiht PLL were reimbursed lor minor expenses 1rtCurred on khAlfofihe PCC Connected C'harities -l-he Fiilliresi Curaey-IruSI Fund The R¢ihert Hamiltnn Fund On I l¢h JUIN 9021 the PCC i*£anie the sole ¢rustee of ¢he Hillcrest Curac}'Trusr fund and the RO￿rt Hainilton Fuiid nierged Into It ELt Iht same time 10 be administered as a restricitd furtd In the accounts ThLSL Trustb havL bLLn Ini'LStLd In thL CuratL% hi)USL al 99 RinBI4dyalun¥ with £311.4rJ? ol'PQQ Funds land ReB15try r¢rord5 shois the re8l$ter¢d oiTrner of Llie protrrty Is ChesLer niwe5an Board of Finan¢e and as 5u¢h th¢ IIou5e do¢5 not form partof the awts ol"th¢ PCC The Pcc's Inv¢stnient of£30.4n2 In th¢ prop¢rty Is r¢wrd¢d In the Ilalance Slieet 10 Nestoth VillAge Fair of ihtse funds held irt addiLiOrtal aLLounts would be Lhe FLL And the siirplus carried forward at the kearertd was L8629 Report of The Independent Examiner to the Trustee5 of Neston Parochial Church Council I rcport on the accounts tor thc N'car cndcd 31 st Dcccmbcr 2023, which arc sct out npages I Iv6 Respéttivé reSpO￿$1b1/iI1eS of the Trusiees ExttMi￿Ér As irusiccs of thL chariii.. thc mcmbcrs ot-lhc PCC arc rcsponsiblc tor thL prcparation of th¢ aLL(iunt5. The￿ Lvn5i(Itr Ihitl an ou(lil is iequir¢d f()r thi5 ￿¢ar un(l¢r s¢¢ti(In 144121 of the C haritie5 Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed. It 15 m￿. respon5ibilit)' to examine Ihe accounts under section 145 ot"Ihe 201 I ALI. follvi¥ the proc¢dU￿S lai(l (Ivwn in th¢ General l)ir¢Ltion5 gii'en by the Charit}. 'Cornmisioncrs (undcr scction 14515llbl of thc 2011 Act)., and SI#￿ wheth¢r parliiul)r rnaiiers have ¢orne 10 MN. al￿nIl￿n. Bosls 0fjndepe￿déKI￿y￿thknÉr's Report My cxamination w'as carricd out in accordancL i¥iih thc Gcncral DirLCtions £￿￿en b). th Charity Cunitni55ivn An examillation includes a rel'ie￿ of the accounting records kept bTr the charity and a ci)mpari%thn ()f Ihe acci)untq pre%ertied Mith Ihthse reLtsrd%. Tt al%ts inLlude% ci)n%ideraiion of anTr unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and Seeking explanations from you as Irusiees concerning anv such matters. The proL¢dures undeitaken do not proi'ide all the eTridenc¢ that would be required in a full audii, and conscqucntlN' no opinion is giTrcn as to w'hcihcr ihc accounts prLscnt a Irue and r.air ￿l¢w, and iht r¢porl is lirnil¢(I tu Ihi?s¢ tnaiters s¢1 Out in lh¢ 51dl¢tn¢ni b¢low'. Sincc thc Eross incomL for ihc J'Lar cxcccds ihc amount providcd in scction 145131 of thL Act, Liinfirm thot l Jtn qualifieJ i(1 as In(l¢￿nd¢1lt F.xarnin¢r unJ¢r the proiij5ivns of that &¢¢liv ot'the Aci alld that m>. qualifjcation is as show'n btlom". In connection ivith tny examination. no maikr5 have corne to tny attention.. (l) ThhiLh gii'¢s mc r¢atsonabl¢ cause to b¢li¢p¢ th41 in an) mat¢riJl r¢5P¢Ct th¢ ￿qUirements to keLP accounting rccords in accordancc Th.-ith s.130 ot Ihc 2011 Act; or t(Tr pr¢pdre &CL(iunlS w'hich di¢t)rd i%'iih Lhes¢ ai¢uunlin¥ r¢¢(Irds ¢otnpl}' Iviih lh¢ accounting requirements of the 2011 Act hai'e not been met., or 12) to w'hich in opinion, attention should be draw".n in OTder to ¢nable a proper undcrstsnding ot-thc accounts to bc rcachLd. Highfield, Bull Hill Li Ne%ion CH64 4DN April 2024 Page 7 Neston Parochial Church Council Trustees, Report for 2023 Parish of Neston 2023 Report and Accounts Parochial Church Council of the Parish of Neston, Cheshire. Neston. Members of our congregations made invaluable input to this work. Aim and purposes Neston Parochial Church Council IPCCI has the aim of every Church of England church.. In September 2023, the new Vicar of Neston, Revd Kevin David Crinks, was inducted as the Incumbent of the Parish of Neston. To promote the whole mission of the Church - pastoral, evangelistic, social, and ecumenical. Some of the work we had hoped to do in previous times that had been delayed, has started again following the arrival of Revd Crinks. 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.. 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. 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 65R,. and Neston Centre- High Street, Neston, CH64 9TZ. Achievements and performance During 2023, we were able to conduct worship in all three churches with the invaluable assistance of Revd Judith Calvert lour Asslstant Curate) and of local. retired priests, especially Revd Canon lan Davenport, Revd Maureen Hobbs, Revd Alan Leach, Revd Frances Skinner, Revd Richard Skinner, Fr Mark Turner and Revd lan Urquhart. Objectives and artivities 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. Revd Crinks was appointed following interviews chaired by the Archdeacon of Chester, the Ven Michael Gilbertson in May 2023. Revd Judith Calvert retired as Assistant Curate injuly 2023. 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. DurinE the first part of 2023, Neston PCC and the Ministry Team worked with officers in the Diocese of Chester to select the next Vicar of Neston Parochial Church Council Trustees, Report for 2023 Our pre-school gatherings continued during She spent most of her time sorting new energy 2023: Stay & Play met in term-time on Friday contracts and smart meters for our 4 mornings at the Parish Church, offering buildings. Our energy provider is now EDF, and Christian teaching in a creative and well- 5 accounts now have smart meters received way. It is over-svbscribed. The Neston Centre and Parish Church gas meters are too big to change to smart meters and there is a problem with the Parish church electric with the cut-out switch and a company called Quartz Elec in Liverpool is coming to access the cable under the pathway in order to fix it Children from the High School and primary schools were able to resume their visits and worship in our churches in 2023. Experience Christmas and Experience Easter workshops resumed, as did carol services and crib services all with high attendances. The Knit & Natter Group held a well-attended exhibition of their work in St Thomas's Church in August 2023- depicting biblical, church and local events. The Heritage Open Days in September were successful. We have an ongoing problem with the public parking in the Neston Centre. The parking bays have been repainted and new signs put up, and it is much better Most of our activities in all three churches 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. Marion Forshaw helped lead a number of Civic outreach services.. Civic Service. After a few years, absence, due to covid, we were able to once again hold this annual event which was led bv Rev Maureen Hobbs. The Service was well attended by Deputy Lieutenant Mark Mitchell, our Member of Parliament, the Lord Mayor of Chester, Mayors of a number of adjoining areas and Civic leaders from Neston Town council and representatives from Cheshire West and Chester Council. We were pleased to accept for laying up the standard of 2. Neston Guides as this unit has long ceased to exist. The PCC is reasonably placed to address its financial position and manage budgets to prevent unplanned over-spending and enable growth - but spending levels are getting close to agreed working funding levels. We acknowledge particularly the skill and commitment of the Treasurer, Lucy Brooks, who became a Trustee at the APCM in May 2023. Quality management information enables the PCC to understand its financial position. A planned-Eiving campaign was deferred until Revd Kevin Crinks was in post. King's Coronation. A United Service of celebration was held on 6, May led by Rev Canon lan Davenport, King's Chaplain. Neston Female Society. The Society held their Annual Walk through the town on I" lune 2023. This was attended by over l(X) children and the adult members of the Society. Their Ecumenical Service was held at the Parish Church and outside at Neston Cross led by Bishop Julie assisted by Rev Richard Skinner, Rev Francis Skinner and Fr New contracts were negotiated for gas supply to all our churches and buildings. Churchwardens, reports This was Linda Haigh's first year as church warden, and it was quite challenging. She made a point of visitinE each of the churches when possible and getting to know the congregations Neston Parochial Church Council Trustees, Report for 2023 Francis from St Winifred's (Roman Catholic Services are held every Sunday in all three Churchl- churches. Holy Communion is celebrated every Instsllation of our new Incumbent. We week in the Parish Church, and twice a month were delighted to welcome Bishop Mark in St Michael's and St Thomas's churches. on T September 2023 to lead us in the Induction and Installation of our new Incumbent Revd Kevin Crinks. The service was attended by clergy and lay readers from the Deanery, Revd Crinks's previous Parish and members of the Anglican Grey Friars,. civic dignitaries- representatives of local clubs and societies,. representatives from other local places of worship,. local school heads,. many members of both the Parish of Leigh and Parish of Neston. In all almost 300 packed the church for this occasion. It was followed by refreshments at Neston Town Hall, and we are indebted to the civic team there who helped set that up and Neston Flower Society who decorated the venue. Armistice Day. The outside service and wreath laying at the war memorial on Il, November was well supported and led by Revd Kevin Crinks. Remembrance Sunday. The parade and the Service was well attended by the British Legion, Members and Veterans of the armed forces, Civic Leaders and local Cadet and Youth Groups. The Service was led by Revd Kevin Crinks. Christmas outreach events The midweek service continues in the Parish Church on Wednesday afternoons. Prayers for healinE are included once a month, and the Mothers Union hold their monthly meeting in conjunction with one of these services. A united service across all our churches is held on the fifth Sunday of the month, taking place in each of our churches in turn. In 2023, our annual return to Statistics for Mission indicated- Approx. 110 people lincluding children) attended our three churches in person on those Sundays in October 2023 when we held services there,. Approx. 145 people attended our three churches on Easter Day- Advent and Christmas services were held in all three churches.. 1150 people attended a range of services including carol service5, crib services, Blue Christmas services and Christingle,. o Approx. 185 attended services on Christmas Day in person. We were pleased to host Christmas concerts for Neston Primary School, Parkgate Primary School and Neston High School. Outdoor carol singing was held in Mostyn Square, Parkgate and in the Blue Bicycle courtyard in Neston. Both events being well attended and enjoyed by local residents. The number of views of streamed setvices on YouTube fluctuated through the year. On average, approx. 70 views were made of each of the live services streamed in October 2023,. 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 16 baptism services in our churches and 18 people were baptised. Baptism services are usually celebrated separately after our main Sunday services; Worship and prayer The Principal Sunday Service is streamed live from the Parish Church each week. Neston Parochial Church Council Trustees, Report for 2023 Thomas, reopened in 2010. Revd Kevin Crinks and his Franciscan colleagues provided an Amazing Entertainment. The Knit and Natter Bible Stories Exhibition was a great success in August. The garden in front of the church was overflowing at our Annual Open Air Carols event lots of families with children together with a Brownie Pack, followed by refreshments inside the church afterwards. There were 2 weddings in our churches,. There were 55 funerals held during the year, either in our churches or at crematoria / cemeteries; At St Michael's Church in 2023, We now have two Eucharist services a month and two Sunday Praise services, and this has been much appreciated by the congregation, which remains mostly the same. We have a number of children who attend with their parents on a regular basis. We have sadly lost Len Smith. a member of our congregation who was a regular communicant and who did a lot of work for the parish over the years. Len's family are donating a bench in his memory, which will be situated outside St Michael's, and we thank his family for this kind offer. During the year, Jim Wilcock's health prevented him from doing many of the things he enjoyed and valued doing, including being the organist. Sadly, Jim died in early 2024. We thank Daniel Wakefield, the parish church organist for stepping in to play when Jim was ill, and who is now playing at St Michael's on a regular basis. Both Len and Jim will be sorely missed. 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 Setvice and other services. 2023 was a busy year for bell ringers across the country. FollowinE the large amount of half-muffled memorial ringing following the death of Queen Elizabeth11, the ringing around the coronation of King Charles 111 was more joyous. The ringing took place at Neston in the form of a quarter peal145 minutes continuous ringing) on the eve of the coronation and ringing on the day of the coronation by the local band, including our 'RinE for the King" recruit, John King. Showing the strong bell ringing community spirit, members of the Neston band helped at many other local towers to help ring for this important national occasion. Our ringers have continued to ring prior to every 10.45am seNice and the joint services held at the parish church as well as the additional Sunday afternoon and evening services. Quarter peals were rung before the Neston Music Festival Choral Evensong, for the induction of the new vicar and before the Blue Christmas and Christingle services. Quarter peals were also rung for the Armistice weekend and to open the Village Fair. Part of this last At St Thomas's Church in 2023, Although a couple of members of our congregation have died or moved from the area, our regular congregation numbers have increased over the year. There have been several All-Age Café style services throughout the year. which included breakfast. There was an All-Age Commemorative Service on Sunday, 7th May. In the afternoon there was a successful Bring and Share Coronation Lunch, with a good number of competitors in the Best Crown Competition. The Annual Parish Harvest Supper received positive feedback. This has been an Outreach Event since St Neston Parochial Church Council Trustees, Report for 2023 quarter peal was played on the "Breakfast Bells" feature on Radio 3. There are currently twelve members in the band, including our two newest recruits who started to ring for seDJices during the year. Our Friday practices have also begun to attract a couple of regular visitors who have seen Neston as a place to improve their ringing skills. New recruits are always welcome and will be needed to ensure ringing can continue to take place at Neston. No progress has been made on the overhaul of the bell frame and fittings. Deanery Synod met three times in 2023 and reviewed environmental issues IFaith4Changel 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,. The Neston Female Society held their Annual Walk on I" 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 Julie, Bishop of Birkenhead,. Our three churches are decorated with flowers, especially at festivals. In the Parish Church, there are 6 people on the Porch rota and 4 people on the Dais rota. Two people work fortnightly to provide arrangements for these. There are similar arrangements in St Michael's and St Thomas's churches. For the Festivals of Easter, Harvest, Christmas and also Remembrance and Heritage Open Days all rota ladies, plus helpers, come together to produce larger and extra arrangements to decorate the church. The combined cost of flowers and foliage for these occasions approximately £500. The PCC acknowledges this offering to our worship. The parade for Remembrance Sunday 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 Revd Kevin Crinks,. We have continued to maintain our buildinES and grounds. Parish Church of St Mary & St Helen In March 2023, the card reader was installed at the West End Shop for contactless payments. The east wall of the graveyard required repair following damage by vehicle impact accident. IFaculty & insurance claim were requiredl The church roof was cleared of vegetation and the gables repointed, rain water loose outlets were improved and the merlon on the church tower was repaired. Plans were agreed in principle for a new disabled ramp. Investigation into automatic operated doors was requested. IFaculty & planning permission requiredl new loop system amplifier was purchased. Deanery Synod Neston is part of the Wirral South Deanery in the Diocese of Chester. All our clergy are members of the Deanery Synod- Revd Judith Calvert, followed by Revd Kevin Crinks. Two lay representatives were elected in 2023 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. Richard Lewis is the Lay Chair of the Deanery Synod. Neston Parochial Church Council Trustees, Report for 2023 New LED lights and socket were required in the bell room due to weather corrosion. The event was well attended by the people of Neston, who were 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 arts. The Parish made a total of £2,600, which included income from the Grand Raffle, the gate money, craft and toy stalls, burgers and from the teas and cakes in the church. St Michael's Church A new replacement oak cross was purchased and fitted into a new brick build base outside the church. St Thomas's Church New fence posts replaced rotten ones and the fence made secure. The entrance was re-decorated by a local painter. Easing of the entrance doors was required and the adjacent wall was repainted. New radiator valves were required for four radiators and a service was included. The boiler's outside vent pipe was replaced. Winter Fair A Winter Fair was held in November 2023 to avoid the clash of Christma5 events. It was held in the Parish Church and was well attended by the wider parish and local school choirs. Approx £1800 was raised for church funds. The Neston Centre and Comrades, Fleld The absorption of soil moisture by tree roots caused subsidence and cracking to the north side wall. The drains were cleared, a new lintel fitted, and the wall re- plastered, the repainting was done 'in house., No insurance claim due to natural causes. Pastoral Care 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. Revd Kevin Crinks coordinates funerals with local Readers. 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. There is an annual Memorial Service on the Sunday closest to All Souls, Day. The Vicarage It fell to PCC to make good the inner decoration prior to the new Vicarfs arrival. This was done 'in house., Small routine maintenance and electrical work was carried out in all above buildings i.e. broken furniture and replacement light bulbs etc. Work pending Pruning of two copper beech trees south of The Neston Centre. External re-decorating of St Michael's. Village Falr 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. The 2023 Village Fair was held on the first Saturday in July. Neston Parochial Church Council Trustees, Report for 2023 Again, the Guild's wider prayers for healing ministry has been a monthly focus within Mid-week Communions. Healing Eucharists have continued and are now part of a monthly principal Sunday service. They were able to deliver twice to our charities in June 2023 and January 2024: o The Seaman's Mission. IHats, scarves and gloves.) o The Salvation Army. (Hats, scarves, gloves, cardiEans and jumpers.) Arrow Park Hospital. (Baby hats and blankets.) Claire House. (Baby doll outfits.) They also made donations to= o The Hedgehog Rescue Centre. IPompom hedgehoES.I Local Care Homes. (Twiddle muffs.) They had four events for the Church.. o The Summer Fair o A Knitted Bible Story Exhibition at St Thomas,, Parkgate. Winter Fair o Spring Coffee Morning An Afternoon Tea was held at St Michael's, Little Neston in lune as a "Thank You" to all the members of the group. CAFÉgroup "CommLJnity and Friendship for Everyone" met in the Neston Centre on the first Tuesday of the month throughout the year from 2-4pm. It is a place for people to come and chat, play games such as Scrabble, Rummikub, dominoes, or try their hand at painting. We provide tea, coffee and cake. This group is open to anyone, not just church members and we regularly have 15+ people attend each month. OASIS group OASIS is a bereavement group which meets on the second Tuesday of the month at the Blue Bicycle cafe from 3- Spm. This is a social group, not a counselling group. After each funeral, the parish sends out a letterto the next of kin which informs them of the group, and we also have referrals from the local surgeries and the wellbeing co-ordinator. Those interested in referring people to OASIS are encouraged to bring them along. Mission and evangelism Monthly All Age worship was introduced at St Michael's Church from September 2022. Six children from four families attend the services in St Michael's Church. Revd Crinks has made contact with Neston schools and visits them. Children from Parkgate, Woodfall and Burton Road Schools attended Experience Easter and Experience Christmas events at St Michael's and St Thomas's churches. We are praying that more leaders will be found to help with this vital work with children. There were 201 people on the Electoral Roll for the parish. Jim Wilcock continued as Electoral Roll Officer until he resigned in late 2023 due to ill health. Our two GIFT IGrowing in Faith Together) Eroups explored topics in informal ways to grow, strengthen and 5UPPOrt the faith of those attending. The three-fold ingredients are prayer. Bible study and fellowship. Mothers, Union MU has met every month in 2023, except August and December, after the 1.30 Communion Service in the Parish Church. They enjoyed many excellent speakers, hosted a Deanery afternoon tea for the Coronation and attended an Advent service at Willaston. Prayer is at the heart Knit And Natter Knit and Natter had another successful year knitting for various charities and the Church. Neston Parochial Church Council Trustees, Report for 2023 of all we do. Members participated in the activities on MU worldwide wave of prayer in May. htt www.neston There were 18 Baptisms in 2023 and MU x.as gave a children's Bible to every candidate. A new venture was to give Bibles to couples gettinE married in our Parish. Proceeds of £125 from the Lent lunches went to the MU Relief fund. MU also supported the MU Summer of Hope Appeal, £200, and the Christmas Appeal. In November, 7 small blankets and 25 baby hats (including 5 special premature baby hats) were delivered to the Maternity Unit and 16 emergency wash bags to A&E at Arrowe Park Hospital. A Neston family Imum and four children) thoroughly enjoyed their 'Away From It All, holiday in August at Presthaven sands in North Wales. They had not had a holiday since 2005 $0 this was special for them as a family. In November MU members participated in the 16 days of activism against gender- based violence and abuse. RISE UP Against Domestic Abuse is Mothers, Union's new campaign to raise awareness about domestic abuse. Neston Mothers, Union now has 33 members for 2024 including the Vicar. Our Stay & Play team runs this ever- growing groupl The group regularly has 25- 30 children with their parents and grandparents. It is very popular, and they love the friendly atmosphere. It's a wonderful outreach for the Church and Mothers, Union. Friday morning is their church, with a Bible story, action songs and prayers. They often light a candle for special intentions. At Easter and Christmas, the Group give them children's books about these events. Our aim is to share the love of Jesus Wlth these families in all we do with them. arishchurch.or inde Our Prayer & Action pew sheets are a valuable, informative, and important weekly flyer of Eroup 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. During the Vacancy, we were assisted by retired priests in holding our services including Revd Maureen Hobbs, Revd Alan Leach, Revd lan Urquhart, Fr Mark Turner and Revd lan Davenport. We were also asslsted by Revd Frances Skinner and Revd Richard Skinner who were 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. Tony Cooke is a Reader , working in the parish for about 6 months each year. Richard Lewis is a Reader and leads services, in all our churches. john Hart completed his training as a Reader and was licensed in Chester Cathedral in October 2023. He is also leading services in all our churches. Ecumenical work Ne5ton and District Churches Together {NDCTI We have continued in our support of NDCT and have attended their regular meetings and their Service for Christian Unity in January, the Christian Aid Service in May 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 taking Bible Stories back into school assemblies is gaining strength and the teams include members of our congregations. Christian Aid is promoted and maintaining the Fair-Trade status of Neston is encouraged. Neston PCC was unable to give unrestricted gifted income to local and overseas charities in 2023. The Parish Website= we continued to maintain our web presence with information about our services and Neston Parochial Church Council Trustees, Report for 2023 Member churches operate Warm Hubs on a number of days through out each week. NDCT also have a representative on the Neston and Willaston community Partnership Steering Group. This group focuses on mental wellbeing, children and young people and the wellbeing of our older citizens. 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 2023 £57,613.92 ANNUAL REPORT 2023: FINANCES There are around 200 people on the electoral roll. Of these, around 100 are involved in planned giving. The funds available to the parish consist of.. l. Our General Fund where general income and expenditure go in and out. The overall balance of this is our"General Reserve." The overwhelming majority of planned givers use monthly standing orders. During 2023 a review of all standing orders was undertaken: No. of Standing Orders 2. Other"Restricted" Funds which are reseNes which can only be used for particular purposes. Monthly Amount Total Amount It is the policy of the PCC to hold enough General Reserves to cover three months, running costs. £0-£22 £22- £43 £43- £65 £65- £87 £87- £130 £130- £260 Total 30 28 12 £5,149 £10,885 £7,404 £6,653 £9,780 SUMMARY Our running costs exceeded our general income by more than £16.50012022 £15,000) and in the absence of a one-off hire fee of £4,500, would have been over £21,000. 89 £49,760 Of the planned giving standing orders.. Other funds have been used to subsidise the running costs of the parish, as explained later in these notes. 70 provided £23,438147% of the totall 19 provided £26,322153% of the totall. The average standing order was £47 per month. The PCC'S largest item of expenditure is Parish Share which is paid to Chester Diocese: GAS ELECTRICITY & WATER 2022 £69,666.60 2023 £71,756.64 2024 £75,344.40 2022 Parish Church St Michael's St Thomas, £8,042.43 £2,475.73 £934.93 £11453.09 Electricity, gas & water is the second largest area of expenditure. The cost of these increased by one third during the year. 2023 Parish Church St Michael's St Thomas, £10,337.53 £2.923.22 £1945.65 £15 206.40 Neston Parochial Church Council Trustees, Report for 2023 projects at the Parish Church, such as repairs to the roof and replacing the external ramp. USE OF OTHER FUNDS TO SUBSIDISE THE GENERAL RUNNING COSTS AND ONE-OFF INCOME OTHER RESERVES A summary of the PCC'S reserves is included in the notes to the accounts. l. Part of the Parish Church's energy & water costs have been paid using monies totalling £6,054.64 withdrawn from the Betty Smith legacy investment. The largest restricted reserves of the PCC at the end of 2023 were.. 2. The cost of replacing the boiler in The Neston Centre of £2,400 was paid for by the Vision Fund. Vision Fund £88,074 Morris LeEary for the Parish Church £60,131 This subsidising of the General Fund from other funds results in a picture as follows.. Hillcrest lincludin8 Robert Hamiltonl Curacy Fund £24,321 Income £128,642.51 Expenditure £136,835.49. Overspend £8,192.98 The Vision Fund is available for a ranEe of activities.. Expenditure excludes amounts paid from other funds as detailed above. Communications Youth Ministry Team & Leadership Worship for all the Family Fellowship and Social Prayer and Study Giving Outreach & Pastoral Buildings & Resources During 2023 the PCC received £4,500 for the hire of St Thomas, for filming. The overspend during the year would have exceeded £21.0(M) if otherfunds had not been used and the hire fee had not been received. The PCC'S financial position is not sustainable for the long-term. It is the policy of the PCC to hold enough General Reserves to cover three months, running costs. Based on expenditure during 2023 this threshold is £34,2(KJ. Safeguarding In line with Diocese of Chester guidelines Neston Parish has a SafeEuardinE Officer for Neston Parish, Liz Ledsham. In the course of 2023 the General Reserve fell from £45,800 to £37,600. At the beginning of 2023, a Safeguarding audit was carried out involving all three churches. This showed an improvement on the previous audit but highlighted several areas of concern that needed to be addressed. These were.. Parish Safeguarding handbooks were not present or accessible in the church buildings and the signed Parish Safeguarding Policy was not displayed. Hire Agreements for use of church premises did not include an agreement for organisations hiring the premises to follow and comply with the Parish Safeguarding Policy. BETtY SMITH LEGACY INVESTMENT The value of the investment at the end of December 2023 was £184,584. an increase of almost 4Yo compared to the December 2022 value of £177,631. Lump sum withdrawals from this investment are likely in the short term to fund large io Neston Parochial Church Council Trustees, Report for 2023 The Parish did not have an appointed Safeguard Training - Anyone required Lead Recruiter to complete the DBS checks. to do Safeguarding Training has been Most existing DBS checks were about encouraged to register onto the Church of to run out or had run out and needed England Training Portal and to complete the renewing- online training. 100% of the PCC members There had been a fall-off in the number have completed the Basic and Foundation of people completing the Safeguarding levels of training, other volunteers have also training. completed the training, two volunteers have No accurate up to date record of completed the Leadership Training and others volunteers and their roles existed in the Parish. have completed the Domestic Abuse training. Not everyone is comfortable training online and to increase the number of people receiving the training preparations were made to develop and run face to face basic Safeguarding Training in 2024. This would be open to anyone in the Parish who would like to take part and it will be certificated. To produce better record keeping Liz Ledsham has worked with Robin Hughes to compile details of Parish volunteers and the volunteer roles. This has been invaluable in identifying which roles require DBS checks, which volunteer roles require certain levels of training. This should enable the Parish to produce statistics and information in the future. Ouring 2023 the areas of concern following the audit have formed an action plan identifying issues to priorities in order to address the problems. This will make the church a safer environment and maintain robust safeguarding culture. Although the Safeguarding Handbooks were out of print and could not be ordered, photocopied versions were supplied, and these are now available in each church. In addition, each church building also has a SIEned copy of the Parish Safeguarding Policy to display. An A3 and A4 "Promoting a Safer Church" poster which lists local and national contarts, in case of a safeguarding concern or emergency. are up to date and displayed. Room Hire Agreements All group leaders who hired the church premises were sent letters explaining the need for them to comply with current Parish safeguarding procedures and that they needed to be aware of our Safeguarding policy. Each received a copy of the policy and 2 copies of the agreement to sign to adopt the policy or submit their own policy. All the organisations hiring church premises have complied and signed the documents. A lead recruiter role was advertised in P&A and has been appointed. Amanda Donelan was proposed and accepted by the Diocese to be the Parish's Lead Recruiter to process Volunteer DBS checks. In August 2023 Amanda Donelan and Liz Ledsham set aside 2 days to complete the DBS applications for the Parish. Everyone was informed about what identification documents were required. Most DBS checks were completed in the 2 days and anyone unable to attend was given an individual appointment. This has brought the Volunteer DBS checks up to date. During 2023 two regardirbg Safeguarding were recorded and forwarded to the Diocese Safeguarding Adviser. Both concerns were dealt with and reported within the specified 24 hours. Full reports were submitted to the Diocese and feedback was given to the Parish SGO by the DSA. Neither of the reports required concerns to be escalated or required them to be referred to outside organisations. The Diocese was pleased with our prompt, correct response in handling the concerns and our accurate reporting. concerns Liz Ledsham Parish SafeEuardin8 Officer Structure and governance The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Neston is a corporate li Neston Parochial Church Council Trustees, Report for 2023 body established by the Church of England, Churchwardens.. Marion Forshaw,. Linda Haigh 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. PCC Secretary: Richard Lewis PCC Treasurer.. Lucy Brooks Trustees: Terry Abel- Lucy Brooks,. Alex Cummins,. John Hart- Lesley Irvin (Vice Chairl,. Val Johnson; Mary Olson,. Cara Pickthall. Peter Rossiter,. Carol Stott,. Sue Thomas. The governing documents are the Parochial Church Councils (Powers) Measure 1956 as amended and the Church Representation Rules 2020 las amended in 20221 Deanery Synod laity: Robin Hughes, Richard Lewis. Le51ey Irvin attends as a licensed Pastoral Worker in her own right. The object of the charity is to promote the whole mission of the Church in the Ecclesiastical Parish of Neston. The Parish Safeguarding Officer is Liz Ledsham, who has provided reports to PCC, and attended some meetings. 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 run- up to the Annual Parochial Church Meeting IAPCMI to fill vacancies on the PCC. New members elected to the PCC automatically become trustee5 of the charity. Some PCC meetings were chaired by the Rural Dean, Revd Beth Glover. Some PCC meetings have been held jointly with the Ministry Team to address arrangements for filling the vacant post of Vicar of Neston. 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. Administration and contact details 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 65R- and Neston Centre.. High Street, Neston CH64 9TZ. The Parish Office is at the Neston Centre and is staffed on Monday morninES and Wednesday mornings. 07464 258372 neston arishoffice mail.com At the annual meeting in May 2023, there were 201 people on the Electoral Roll. About 20 members attended the meeting. The members of the PCC in December 2023 were.. Clergy.. Revd Kevin Crinks Ichairl 12