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2024-12-31-accounts

PARISH OF

ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST

ROWLANDS CASTLE

ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024

AGENDA FOR VESTRY MEETING AND THE ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING FOR THE PARISH OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST ROWLANDS CASTLE 12 May 2025 at 10.30am IN THE CHURCH

Opening Prayer.

VESTRY MEETING (ANNUAL MEETING OF PARISHONERS)

  1. Welcome

  2. Minutes of the last Meeting – Sunday 17 March 2024

  3. Election of two Churchwardens

ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING

  1. Welcome

  2. Apologies for absence

  3. Minutes of the last Meeting – Sunday 17 March 2024

  4. Receive Reports:

  5. a. Electoral Roll

  6. b. PCC Activities

  7. c. Finance and Accounts

  8. d. Fabric

  9. e. Deanery Synod

  10. f. Activities in the Parish

  11. Election of Deanery Synod Members

  12. Election of PCC Members

  13. Appoint the Independent Examiner

  14. Vicar’s Statement

  15. Closing Prayer

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Minutes of the Vestry Meeting (Annual Meeting of Parishioners) for the Parish of St. John the Baptist, Rowlands Castle held on Sunday 17 March 2024 in the Church.

Chair: Revd Dr. Sarah Baker Minutes: Gill Whatley

Item Notes 1. Welcome The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting. 2. Minutes from the Vestry Meeting held on 17[th] March 2023 The Minutes were agreed to be a true record and signed by the Chair. 3. Election of Two Churchwardens In the absence of any new nominations, Raymond Youngs agreed to continue as sole churchwarden for the forthcoming year. His appointment was proposed and unanimously agreed. It was noted that a second churchwarden could be co-opted during the year if a new nomination was received. The Chair recognised and thanked Daphne Youngs for her time and efforts in assisting the churchwarden. The meeting ended at 10.15am

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Minutes of the Annual Parochial Church Meeting for the Parish of St John the Baptist Rowlands Castle . held on Sunday 17 March 2024 in the Church

Chair: Revd Dr. Sarah Baker Minutes: Gill Whatley

Item Notes
1. Welcome
The Chair welcomed everyone and explained that the meeting
would be held on the assumption that the Annual Report and
Accounts(AR&A)had been read byeveryone in attendance.
2. Apologies for Absence
Apologies had been received from Revd Joy Windsor, Alison
Myall,ShirleyVarnish and Jill Hewitt.
3. Minutes from the APCM Meeting held on 26th March 2023
The Minutes were agreed to be a true record and signed by the
Chair.
4. Matters Arising
None.
5. Receive the Electoral Roll Report (changes since previous
report)
At the end of 2023 APCM the Roll stood at 88, and subsequently
4 additions and 2 deletions led to the total at year end being 90.
Acknowledging that there were some obvious changes to be
made, the Chair noted that a full electoral review will be held at
thisyear-end which will address these corrections.
6. Receive the Financial Report & Accounts
Chair referred meeting to the AR&A for a full update. In
summary:
 the General Fund is slightly better than end of 2022 in part
due to the lower utility charges;
 the employment of a Church Administrator will require funds;
 the Monterey Pine will encounter significant costs to make it
safe;
 50% of church funds are paid to the Parish Share which has
been increased by5%. Attendees were asked to consider

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increasing their parish giving to help the finances going forward.

The full Report in the AR&A was received and accepted.

7. Receive the Fabric Report

increasing their parish giving to help the finances going
forward.
The full Report in the AR&A was received and accepted.		 increasing their parish giving to help the finances going
forward.
The full Report in the AR&A was received and accepted.
7. Receive the Fabric Report
 Thanks were offered to John Skinner for his ongoing work on
church and centre fabric issues.
 Ian Hewitt requested help over the summer months with
paintwork both inside the church centre and in the
churchyard. Ian was offered thanks for the enormous amount
of work he continues to do at St. Johns and within the
community.
 Marion Collin was thanked for her efforts in securing local
Government grants to cover the cost of projects including the
replacement of lights in the church centre.
The full report in the AR&A was received and accepted.
8. Receive the Deanery Synod Report
The full report in the AR&A was received and accepted.
9. Receive the PCC Annual Report
The Chair recognised how the large number of contributions in
the Annual Report demonstrated the breadth of the
congregational support, with so many people helping towards
the mission of the church behind the scenes.
The full report in the AR&A was received and accepted.
10. Election of Deanery Synod Members
Mary Close and Pam Ewing were elected in 2023 and will
represent St. Johns for a further 2years.
11. Election of PCC Members
Thanks were given to Valerie Palmer, Chris Powne and Roger
Watson, particularly for his work as PCC Secretary, as they stand
down at the end of their 3-year term, and to Rosie Harbour who
has resigned from thepost.
Nominations had been received from Jane Ainscow and Mandy
Monahan, who were proposed and nominated. Although good
governance to replace PCC members, no further nominations
had been received and Valerie Palmer and Chris Powne offered
to re-stand for a further term. They were duly proposed and
nominated. Thanks were offered to all PCC members.

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12. Appointment of Independent Examiner

PE proposed that the Sandra Hodgetts, current Independent Examiner, continue in the role for 2024. This proposal was unanimously agreed. 13. Vicar’s Statement

Two months into her temporary appointment, Revd Baker will continue as Minister at St. John’s until the end of June, and noted the following:

On behalf of the congregation, Pam Ewing offered thanks to Revd Dr Baker for stepping in when the church was floundering, and helping the church look forward, and for everything she is doing and will continue to do.

14. Closing Prayer

The meeting ended in prayer at 10.38am.

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PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL

Administrative Information

Full Parochial Name: St. John the Baptist, Rowlands Castle Benefice: Rowlands Castle Diocese: Portsmouth Location: Rowlands Castle, Hampshire Parish Office: 120 Redhill Road, Rowlands Castle, Hampshire PO9 6DF

Members of the Parochial Church Council (PCC)

*Standing Committee members

During all or part of 2024 the following served as members of the PCC:

Priest-in Charge: Period of Interregnum Interim Minister: The Revd Dr Sarah Baker (Jan-June 2025) Churchwarden: Raymond Youngs Licensed Readers: Mary Close (Deanery Synod Rep) Chris Hollis (Safeguarding Officer - DBS checks) Terry Monahan Zoë Skinner Ex-Officio Member: Pam Ewing (Deanery Synod Rep/Treasurer) Elected Members: Jane Ainscow Marion Collin (Electoral Roll Officer) Alan Elliott Mandy Monahan Carol Milford* (Parish Safeguarding Officer) Christine Powne Valerie Palmer John Skinner Roger Watson

Structure, Governance and Management

The method of appointment of PCC members is set out in the Church Representation Rules as published online by the Church of England General - - Synod at: (https://www.churchofengland.org/more/policy and - - - - thinking/churchrepresentation rules/church representation rules online)

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All regular church attendees are encouraged to register on the Electoral Roll and stand for election to the PCC. The PCC is the body of trustees for the Parish.

Charitable Status

The PCC is an Ecclesiastical Charity registered with the Charity Commission. Registered Charity No. 1129918.

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Activities of the Parish 2024

Vicar’s Introduction

Well, it’s an absolute joy and a privilege to be writing some introductory words to my first APCM report booklet as Vicar for St. John’s, Rowlands Castle.

The Vestry and APCM meetings form an important legal and spiritual juncture in our annual church calendar. it’s a place where both ordained and lay leadership work together to renew commitments to the life of the church.

But more than this, it forms an opportunity for us to celebrate and reflect. We can reflect on all that has gone before, remembering the struggles and challenges, and we can celebrate all that has been good and fruitful. We can then look forward with hope in the risen Lord Jesus to lead us together in building his church.

As you read the rest of this report, I hope you will join me in praying, reflecting and celebrating with hope as we look forward to our future together.

God bless, with love.

Rev. Clare

Electoral Roll

The total number on the Electoral Roll as of this APCM is 64. In this year a new roll was prepared as required by Church Representation Rules every 6 years. Marion Collin

Activities of the PCC

I’ve been covering the PCC Secretary role but am not an elected member, so don’t input into decisions. My main role has been to keep everything in order according to Church Representation Rules, and HMRC Trustees. Meetings

The PCC ‘year’ runs from APCM to APCM, as opposed to the financial accounts and trustees report which runs for a calendar year. It has met The PCC met 7 times since the last APCM, and the meetings are always well supported.

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Members’ focus during the year was largely taken up with the production of a parish profile and the appointment of a new Incumbent. However, many other topics were agreed, including:

Gill Whatley

Fabric

This has been another relatively quiet year regarding fabric projects. There have, however, been a few notable events and reports.

Quinquennial Inspection

The Quinquennial Inspection as of November 2024 is now complete. It has highlighted several issues that we have already been aware of and has also raised some new concerns.

Damp in the Columns

The rising damp in the columns in the aisles is getting worse. It is unsightly and is causing the surface to crumble. This is something that we need advice about from an engineer.

Plaster Falls

There have been additional falls of plaster from the sanctuary ceiling and from the South aisle. We have currently blocked access to the sanctuary and removed all loose plaster from aisle’s ceiling.

Paint Falls in the Transept Arch

There have been a couple of falls of paint from the Transept Arch, above the altar table. As a precaution we have moved the table forward slightly so that

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the minister does not stand directly underneath it whilst administering communion. This is only paint, not plaster, so is not heavy but we still want to keep the area clear.

Cracks

Several cracks have been identified in the stonework. These will be monitored.

Water Ingress

Water ingress in the south aisle is a continuing problem. Keeping the gutters cleared is the best remedy we have at present. We await any further comments in the quinquennial report.

Vestry Floor

The vestry floor was found to be extremely rotten when the carpet tiles were removed. For the moment this room is not being used for general use.

All of the above items from the Quinquennial Report will be followed up by seeking professional advice from an Engineer.

John Skinner

Deanery Synod

The Anglican Church is governed by Synods at three levels – General, Diocesan and Deanery. Here at Rowland's Castle we are in the Diocese of Portsmouth, and the Deanery of Havant. Portsmouth Diocese has 6 members, (3 clergy, 3 lay), on General Synod. Havant Deanery has 27 members (15 clergy ,12 lay) on Diocesan Synod.

Havant is the largest of the 8 deaneries in Portsmouth Diocese, with 22 churches and 15 stipendary clergy.

Each Parish is represented on the Deanery Synod by the ordained clergy and 2 elected lay members. Mary Close and Pam Ewing are our elected reps. Deanery Synod meets 3 times a year, hosted at various churches. At a relatively low level of church government, the synod’s role is to inform and educate and to discuss and decide policy matters as requested or directed by Diocesan and General Synods, Bishop’s staff or council. Part of its role is to inform; most members are busy and committed members of their own churches and synod gives the opportunity to raise one’s vision in a wider context; there is almost always a guest speaker.

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Here is a list of recent venues, speakers and subjects during 2024:

Date Venue Guest Speaker Subject
12 March St. James,
Emsworth		 Archdeacon Kathryn Percival Update on the
Introduction of ‘Prayers
of Love and Faith’
13 June St. Faiths,
Havant		 Vanda Leary,
Strategic Programme Mgr,
Portsmouth Diocese		 Diocesan Vision and
Regeneration Plan
12 Nov St. Clare’s,
Warren
Park		 David Cain,
Environmental Officer
Portsmouth Diocese		 Net Zero Carbon

All meetings raised interesting discussions – contact your Deanery Reps if you want to find out more.

Mary Close & Pam Ewing

Little Fishes Baby & Toddler Group

LITTLE FISHES is run by a small group of ladies and a couple of community mums whose contributions include singing, craft and story-telling. They are much appreciated as well as one Gran in the kitchen occasionally too. We have met every Monday morning during the last year except for school and bank holidays. There is also a team of ladies who help generally and prepare snacks in the kitchen.

The adults who attend are mainly parents or grandparents of 0 - 3 year olds with occasionally an older child. We also have a foster carer and occasionally a child minder. The children and their carers arrive any time after 9 am when there are lots of toys to play with and sometimes a craft activity for the older ones. At 10am there is a short bible story and sung grace before a healthy snack for the children - usually between 20 and 25 in number - and cake for the adults! After snack time there is more free play before packing up time and then 15 minutes of singing songs on the mat and activities around the big hall.

There is now a rack and table with clothes and other resources to pass on to other families, a ‘meal train’ initiative for meals for new mothers in the early weeks, and a prayer request box. We also hold a short time of prayer for the

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group when the families have gone home including any prayer requests they have put in the box or voiced.

We attract families mainly from the village but also from a wider area and have received compliments on how friendly the group is and have watched friendship groups being formed. We continue to be very grateful to members of the church family who help to ‘set up’ on a Sunday after coffee, this really helps to spread the load. We all enjoy the mornings and we all, participants and helpers have fun!

Jill Hewitt

Women’s Fellowship

1st October was our last meeting in 2024. 3 nonagenarians attended this meeting. We would like to attract new members and are considering transport needs, as well as changing the day and time if necessary.

Alison Myall

Home Groups

There are currently 3 home groups meeting. These are small groups of church members who gather weekly to look at what the Bible says about living life God’s way and learning together how to put this into practice.

Meetings usually involve fun, tea and cake. It’s a place to get to know others better and share the ups and downs of life, receiving practical and prayer support as needed.

Home Groups in the past have been involved in facilitating courses held in the church centre for both the village and Church family. In 2024 up 35 people attended the Open Doors Lent Course, Out of the Ashes.

So don’t miss out, invite your friends and neighbours. See Mandy or Valerie and we’ll help you find a group. EVERYONE is welcome!

Valerie Palmer & Mandy Monahan

Flower Team

We are a team of church members and non-members who usually work in pairs for two weeks at a time to provide a floral pedestal arrangement. Special events see more of us get together to decorate the church in more detail, such as Easter, Mothering Sunday, Harvest, Remembrance Sunday,

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Christmas and this year the service welcoming Clare as our new priest in charge.

Carol Green

Cleaning Team

We wish to thank all members of the cleaning team for all their good work throughout the past year.

We know it is not easy to carry out some jobs as the access to so many areas is restricted, but we appreciate all your efforts.

We also know that age and health and fitness does affect some of us, so we would very much like new members to join us. It is just for a couple of weeks in every few months, and of course the more we have, the less often we are needed.

If you wish to join up please let us know, and we will add you to the schedule. Bob & Donna Woolston

Prayer Ministry

Meetings

Led Morning Prayers are held every Wednesday’s at 9:00am in the church. All are welcome to join whenever they can.

Monday evening “Prayer Hour” is held ‘via Zoom at 7:30pm’ the link is published in our weekly sheet.

During this time, we seek guidance for the Lord’s mission here at St John’s, and we pray for world, community and individual needs. All are welcome for this important part of our church life.

Ministry Team

The Prayer Team is always available for anyone who would like prayer and support.

Prayer Ministry is always offered after our 10:00 o’clock Sunday service, in our Prayer Corner at the back of the Church.

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Prayer Requests

We have received many prayer requests verbally or through personal emails.

Carol Milford receives the requests and then circulates as appropriate to the Prayer Team. Regular updates are shared of testimonies and or continued needs.

All prayer follows the guidelines for confidentiality, unless an individual has given permission for wider knowledge.

If anyone feels they have a heart for prayer and would like to join our team of faithful prayers, please contact Rev Sarah Baker or Carol Milford for more information.

Carol Milford

Pastoral Ministry

As reported at the last APCM, St John’s has a Pastoral Visiting Team with eight volunteers available to provide a listening ear, empathetic support, arrange practical support and prayer. Mandy Monahan and Mel Ainsworth are key contacts for this team. Support can be accessed through pastoralcare@saintjohnschurch.org.

Earlier this year the team provided meals for a married couple during a time of illness. Meals were also provided, for a short while, to Little Fishes families following the birth of a baby.

In October 2024, Angela Isse, the Social Provider, based at the RC surgery, contacted the church office asking to meet with someone to discuss the community support provided by St John’s Church. Mandy Monahan met with her. The support available was discussed and she was provided with a list of contact details and how to access the support.

Access to the Social Prescriber is open to all. Angela has provided leaflets to explain the service and how to contact her. These can be found in church.

Mandy Monahan

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Beechwood Care Home

Regular visits are made to see some of the Residents in our Village’s Care Home, which caters mainly for those suffering with Dementia. The Care Home Staff provide a loving and caring home for those they are looking after and make any Visitors welcome. I go there willing to listen and chat about whatever the Resident wishes. Sometimes our conversations involve Faith, but it could be anything. For example, I thought I knew a lot about Dr Who until I got to know a resident I was visiting! I value the time I can spend with the residents of Beechwood Care Home.

Chris Hollis

8am Communion Services

After a quarter of century serving as sidesman at 8am services, Barbara Openshaw, on reaching a milestone birthday last year, decided it was time to stand down. Huge thanks go to Barbara for her dedicated service in this role. We are also grateful to her initiating and, until very recently, running the ‘Croissant Sunday’ breakfast as part of the Diocesan Kairos initiative at the beginning of the 2000s.

The 8 a.m. congregation are regular attendees, and include some regular visitors from Chalton church. We are grateful to Alison Myall, Chris Powne, Shirley Varnish and Sarah Lee for continuing as sidesmen at this service.

Ian Hewitt

Churchyard

Once again this year, the magnificent display of crocuses in February has been due to some 20+ years of ‘deliberate neglect’. The Dioceses of Lichfield and Gloucester initiated God’s Little Acre at the turn of the century, encouraging churches to be more aware of the wildlife in our churchyards, and particularly NOT to mow every available area. Over 20 years on the results are so impressive; the crocuses, primroses, wood anemonies and, later, bluebells are slowly spreading across large areas of the churchyard, including the north side of the church. The oxe-eye daisies and wild geraniums will flourish later in the year and, although both quite invasive, they do provide great spreads of flowers during early to mid-Summer.

Particular thanks are due to the Blendworth Centre, who send out their teams every 4 weeks to cut and strim the main areas from April to October. Their contribution is particularly valuable as they are able to strim areas where our

16

mowers are too big to cut close to headstones and they pick up all the cuttings helping to keep the area tidy.

A few people contribute in different ways to help maintain the tidiness of the church grounds.

Paul Marshman puts in a huge effort throughout the year. He attends several times each week clearing and tidying mainly in the central triangle area. He also looks after one flowerbed and unfailingly puts out the dustbins for collection each week.

Alison Myall, Andrew Wyatt and Julie Taylor also look after some of the church flower beds.

Raymond and Daphne Youngs have been keeping the hedges in check by gentle trimming. They also help by taking the bulk of the swept leaves for composting. Much easier and more practical than taking them to the local tip! They have also now found a small team of gardeners who trim the church hedges regularly.

Roger Watson has joined the team and taken over the flowerbed by the South door smartening it up considerably and making it so much more presentable and welcoming so close to the church entrance.

Pam and Roy Ewing help with bonfires of the cuttings which steadily accumulate in the spoil heap near the War Memorial.

THANK YOU again, all helpers . If any keen gardener would like to look after one of the flower beds or take on one of the many small jobs needed in the churchyard, please let me know.

Ian Hewitt

Safeguarding

Diocesan Safeguarding Policy, copies are shown on the notice boards which can be found in the Church and Church Centre, and are available upon request from the church office.

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PCC members and anyone involved in volunteering for all the various aspects of church life are required to obtain a DBS check where it is deemed desirable or necessary to receive clearance and to undergo training before any volunteer starts in their voluntary role.

Current volunteers have been attending or completing Safeguarding training modules on E- Learning or face to face courses as required.

This is an ongoing process whenever anyone comes forward to volunteer, and requires leaders of the various areas of church life to advise the PSO Safeguarding Officer and the DBS Officer to ensure we are in full compliance. Carol Milford

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Parochial Church Council of St John the Baptist Church Rowlands Castle

End of Year Financial Statements

Year ending 31 December 2024

Pam Ewing 21 April 2025

Charity Commission Registration Number 1129918

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Introduction

St John’s Church was without a priest-in-charge for the whole of 2024. We were fortunate to have Rev Sarah Baker to lead us for half the year, but our focus was not on financial matters – no fund-raising or stewardship initiatives. During the year some regular donations stopped, and few significant donations occurred, so our income dropped. Meanwhile, with some increases in church running costs, our expenses rose, so our General Fund has reduced by £4732.

Statement of Financial Activities
Unrestricted Restricted TotalPrior year
funds funds fundstotal funds
62,697
4,986
67,684
68,737
5,258
—
5,258
5,320
12,951
—
12,951
10,879
977
91
1,069
662
—
—
—
—
81,885
5,078
86,963
85,598
—
—
—
—
71,119
5,197
76,317
70,913
15,497
—
15,497
14,951
86,617
5,197
91,814
85,864
—
—
—
—
(4,732)
(119)
(4,851)
(265)
—
—
—
420
—
—
—
(420)
(4,732)
(119)
(4,851)
(265)
25,782
6,294
32,077
32,343
21,050
6,175
27,225
32,077
21,050
—
21,050
25,782
—
955
955
955
—
1,410
1,410
1,410
—
115
115
23
—
—
—
—
—
0
0
150
—
2,274
2,274
2,335
—
560
560
560
—
860
860
860
Income and endowments from:
Donations and legacies
Income from charitable activities
Other trading activities
Investments
Other income
Total income
Expenditure on:
Raising funds
Expenditure on charitable activities
Other expenditure
Total expenditure
Gains / losses on investment assets
Net income / (expenditure) resources before transfer
Transfers
Gross transfers between funds - in
Gross transfers between funds - out
Net movement in funds
Total funds brought forward
Total funds carried forward
Represented by
Unrestricted
General fund
Restricted
Building Repair
Ceiling Repair Fund
Church Yard Upkeep
Education Fund
Mission Possible
Parish Administrator
Portable Font & Baptism
St Johns Church School Prize

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Balance Sheet

Current assets
Cash at bank and in hand
Liabilities
Creditors: Amounts falling due in one year
Net current assets less current liabilities
Total assets less current liabilities
Total net assets less liabilities
Represented by
Unrestricted
General fund
Restricted
Parish Administrator
Portable Font & Baptism
Ceiling Repair Fund
Church Yard Upkeep
Mission Possible
Building Repair
St Johns Church School Prize
Funds of the church		 General Restricted This yearLast year
21,050
11,580
32,631
36,177
21,050
11,580
32,631
36,177
—
5,405
5,405
4,100
—
5,405
5,405
4,100
21,050
6,175
27,225
32,077
21,050
6,175
27,225
32,077
21,050
6,175
27,225
32,077
21,050
—
21,050
25,782
—
2,274
2,274
2,335
—
560
560
560
—
1,410
1,410
1,410
—
115
115
23
—
0
0
150
—
955
955
955
—
860
860
860
21,050
6,175
27,225
32,077

Statement of assets and liabilities

General Restricted This yearLast year
Current assets - Cash at bank and in hand
Bank current account -
Bank current account #2 -
CCLA (CBF) deposit account -
CCLA (CBF) Education Account -
Cash in hand -
Totals
Liabilities - Agency accounts
Agency collections -
Totals
Grand total		 (46,921)
54,134
7,212
16,180
48,471
(42,554)
5,917
1,474
19,399
—
19,399
18,422
0
0
1
1
100
—
100
100
21,050
11,580
32,631
36,177
—
5,405
5,405
4,100
—
5,405
5,405
4,100
21,050
6,175
27,225
32,077

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Fund movement by type

Fund movement by type
Opening IncomingOutgoingClosing
Admin - Parish Administrator
Restricted 2,335 4,986 5,047 2,274
Sub-total for Admin 2,335
4,986		 5,047 2,274
Baptism - Portable Font & Bapt
Restricted 560 — — 560
Sub-total for Baptism 560
—		 — 560
Ceiling - Ceiling Repair Fund
Restricted 1,410 — — 1,410
Sub-total for Ceiling 1,410
—		 — 1,410
Churchyard - Church Yard Upkeep
Restricted 23 91 — 115
Sub-total for Churchyard 23
91		 — 115
MPfund - Mission Possible
Restricted 150 — 150 0
Sub-total for MPfund 150
—		 150 0
Repair - Building Repair
Restricted 955 — — 955
Sub-total for Repair 955
—		 — 955
SchPrize - St Johns Church Scho
Restricted 860
—		 — 860
Sub-total for SchPrize 860
—		 — 860
General - General fund
Unrestricted 25,782
81,885		 86,617 21,050
Sub-total for General 25,782
81,885		 86,617 21,050
Grand total 32,077
86,963		 91,814 27,225
Analysis of income and expenditure
Total
Unrestricted Restricted This yearLast year
INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS
Donations and legacies
0101 - Gift Aid - Bank 33,454 2,040 35,494 42,590
0110 - Gift Aid - Envelopes 3,902 220 4,122 3,685
0201 - Other planned giving 1,400 1,392 2,792 1,525
0301 - Open plate collections 2,718 — 2,718 3,789
0310 - Blue Moon / Little Fishes 1,135 — 1,135 789
0320 - Back of Church Donations 236 — 236 282
0330 - Donations from Fellowship 252 — 252 343
Breakfasts
0410 - Giving through church boxes 56 — 56 48
0501 - One-off Gift Aid gifts 3,180 520 3,700 1,545
0550 - Donations appeals etc 1,924 814 2,739 1,479
0601 - Tax recoverable on Gift Aid 9,480 — 9,480 12,657
08A1 - Non-recurring one-off grants 4,957 — 4,957 —
Total
62,697		 4,986 67,684 68,737

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Income from charitable activities
1101 - Fees for weddings and funerals
Total
Other trading activities
0910 - Fund Raising Events
1220 - Bookstall sales - fund raising
1240 - Church hall lettings - fund raising
1270 - Refunds and Misc Income
Total
Investments
1001 - Dividends
1020 - Bank and building society interest
Total		 5,258
—
5,258
5,320
5,258
—
5,258
5,320
—
—
—
191
3
—
3
—
12,692
—
12,692
9,990
256
—
256
697
12,951
—
12,951
10,879
—
91
91
90
977
—
977
572
977
91
1,069
662
INCOME TOTAL 81,885
5,078
86,963
85,598

EXPENDITURE

Total
Unrestricted Restricted This yearLast year		 Total
Unrestricted Restricted This yearLast year

Expenditure on charitable activities
1801 - Giving to missionary societies
1820 - PCC Charitable Giving Fund
1835 - Vicars Discretionary Fund
1850 - Home mission
1870 - Secular charities
1910 - Ministry parish share etc
2001 - Assistant staff costs
2050 - Salary of parish administrator
2110 - Interregnum - Ministers Fee
2111 - Interregnum - Ministers Expense
2301 - Church running - insurance
2310 - Church office - telephone
2330 - Church maintenance
2340 - Upkeep of services
2350 - Upkeep of churchyard
2360 - Administration
2361 - Photocopier Running Costs
2401 - Church running - electric
2410 - Church running - gas
2440 - Church running - heating and lighting
2450 - Church running - flowers
2460 - Church Running - candles
2601 - Governance costs examination/audit fee
2840 - Other PCC property upkeep
Total
—
150
150
—
6,492
—
6,492
6,264
—
—
—
—
26
—
26
1,108
28
—
28
25
48,782
—
48,782
46,458
584
—
584
357
—
5,047
5,047
3,600
—
—
—
—
28
—
28
—
1,297
—
1,297
1,267
546
—
546
502
800
—
800
1,008
168
—
168
861
3,297
—
3,297
1,396
2,612
—
2,612
1,288
426
—
426
580
545
—
545
797
3,604
—
3,604
4,476
1,517
—
1,517
665
26
—
26
48
161
—
161
131
75
—
75
75
100
—
100
—
71,119
5,197
76,317
70,913

23

Other expenditure

Other expenditure
2140 - Vicarage Water rates
2515 - Kitchen Sundries (Coffee, milk etc)
2525 - Hall Running - Cleaning
2530 - Hall running - electricity
2540 - Hall running - gas
2550 - Hall running - insurance
2560 - Hall running - maintenance
2580 - Hall running - water
2590 - Hall running - heating and lighting
2595 - Hall Running - Refunds
2610 - Bank Account Charges
Total		 222
—
222
1,102
1,351
—
1,351
2,577
1,404
—
1,404
1,404
1,817
—
1,817
2,878
2,578
—
2,578
4,344
1,297
—
1,297
1,267
481
—
481
286
1,005
—
1,005
478
4,989
—
4,989
261
110
—
110
100
239
—
239
249
15,497
—
15,497
14,951
EXPENDITURE TOTAL 86,617
5,197
91,814
_85,864 _
GRAND TOTAL(Income – Expenditure) (4,732)
(119)
(4,851)
(265)

NOTES

  1. General

The Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) 2015 Statement of Financial Activity (SOFA)

  1. Funds Unrestricted Funds are general funds which can be used for PCC ordinary purposes. Restricted Funds represent funds given to the PCC for a specific purpose. These funds may only be expended for the specific purpose for which they were given.

  2. The Building Repair Fund was not drawn on for new work in 2024 and has a limited fund left over from the significant activities in 2019.

  3. The Dunning Fund is a collection fund for income from an endowment managed by the Diocese for upkeep of the graves. The income for 2023 was used for church yard upkeep.

  4. The Font & Baptism fund was created in 2016 from money donated in the memory of M. Law & P. Winn for a portable font and provision of Baptism materials.

  5. The Mission Possible fund was created in 2017 to account for gifts, grants and expenses specifically for the Mission Possible housing project. The project has ended, and the surplus (£150) was donated to Hope into Action, the charity behind the Mission Possible project, so this fund is now closed.

  6. The Ceiling Fund was created in 2017 to collect donations towards the repair of the church ceiling.

  7. The St John’s School Prize Fund was created in 2019 to provide an annual Prize for pupils considered by the school to be deserving.

  8. The Administrator Fund was created in June 2022 to hold donations specifically to pay for an Administrator.

Agency Funds. From time to time the PCC collects money on behalf of others. This money is not income of the Church so is collected by the PCC as an agent for the recipient. As such it does not normally appear in the main accounts. Two occasions on which agency collections are made:

24

In 2024 the Fees agency account stood as follows:

Carried over from Collected Paid Out Carried Over to
2024 2024
DBF fees (£2689) £3222 £2132 (£3779)
DBF fees £320 - £327 £647
(sequestrated)
Verger Costs (£125 ) £780 £540 (£365)
Organist Costs £205 £900 £700 £5
Sexton Costs (£800) £2180 £2280 (£700)

Note: negative balances in braces () represent money held by the PCC but owed to a third party.

3. Fixed Assets

The Church retains the Church Centre Building as its sole fixed asset. Since its acquisition the Church Centre building has been depreciated on a straight-line basis over 50 years.

Net book value at 31 Dec 2023 £303,920
Depreciation for 2024 £10,480
Net book value at 31 Dec 2024 £293,440

4. Missionary and Charitable Giving

The Church supports a number of causes using approximately 10% of our donated income. In 2024 the following causes received contributions totalling £6492.00:

Church Housing Trust Hope into Action Beacon Food Bank
Tearfund Sovereign World Trust Mission Aviation Fellowship
Emmanuel International Mercy Ships Release International
Medaille Trust Barnabas Fund Quicken Trust

5. Fundraising

No fund raising was done during 2024.

6. Reserve Level

The PCC has agreed that a reasonable cash reserve of £23,000 (nominally 3 months of running costs) should be maintained (PCC Meeting 17 October 2016). Our General Fund stands at £21,050, so is below that of 2023 (£25,782), and below the recommended reserve level.

25

Conclusion

Our regular income from Planned Giving has dropped significantly. We need to address the issues of reduced regular giving, shrinking reserves and potential expenditure on the Church building. After our Quinquennial Inspection, significant problems have been identified, which will be expensive to remedy.

St John’s will be receiving a legacy from a long term member of our congregation.

It was agreed in 2024 that we will need to reconvene a Finance Committee to help with ongoing financial constraints.

Pam Ewing

Vicar’s Closing Words

I do hope this booklet has been helpful and informative reflection on 2024.

As we move forward together, let’s keep praying for one another and our shared life together.

The Collect for Vocations Sunday

God our Father, Lord of all the world, through your Son you have called us into the fellowship of your universal Church; hear our prayer for your faithful people that in their vocation and ministry each may be an instrument of your love, through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

God bless with love, Clare

26

IPIDEPENDV.NT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE PAROCHtAL CIIURCH COUNCIL OF ST JOHN THE BAFfIsT CHURCH ROWLANDS CASTLE. I(4 tJi. 112 441 a I report on the 5tstemtrtt& for the ye8r to 31 De£ember 21124 tive res Dsibilities of T Thf Charity's Trnsttts are re5￿￿$1b1e for the prepArtion of the accounts. The Charit) s TTh5tee5 Collsider that audit is not wuiThl for thi$ yegr under Section 1442) of the Charities Act Itbe 2011 Act) and thAt n JDdependeut F.xamiJttion 1$ needed. It is my re8PODsibility". To the xtto•ttts under 145 of the 21111 Act To follow the pr￿￿ureS laid d¢JivD in the geDerl Directions glwen by the Chxrlty Commissioll 8eetioD 145(5)Ibl of the 2011 Aet: To stslte whether particnl•r m¥tt¢TS have fomc to tny atttntits B8is of lode DdeDt F.LqIIiIDer'y Rt My exAmin%tion was tarried out ID A¢eordgnce with the gener%1 Directions Riven by the Chy&rity Commission. An ¢iamiDgtion inellldey a revieTv of the &£countitt% retord$ ktpt by the Chsrity And a compariwn of tbe rcoynts prpstnted Ivith those retord5. It #iso itttludts toknsideratiort of Dy ullusual item5 ordi5closure4 in th¢ s¢eking explallatiovA from you a5 the Trusitts ¢ollcerDillg Any suth matters. The procedures UDdertakeTt do not pn)vide all the evidttttt tIMt would be required ID audit and CODs¢quendy OPiDiOn given to whcthtr the #teourtts present a rue 8nd fir view" the rep)rt 18 )imited to ¢hoge w4tter4 jet out in the ststemettt btiow. Inde dettt Exxmlatr's Statement Ill eollne¢tiott with my examination. matter has come to my •tt¢nlion: 11) which %ivtt me reAsoDable ¢all8e to believ¢ that in a•y w4terial Tespec¢ the requirements: to keep ac¢ouatiDg re￿r&S in accordante ￿th sett￿￿ 130 of the 2011 Act; and to prtpxre #ttount8 which accord with the accounting re¢ord8 and tomply with the Accounting requiremeDts ofthe 201] Act hF4ve not ten met. or 121 to whi¢b. my opinion. attentloll 8ILould be drAwll ia order to e4ble * proper uDdtrstsnding of the ac¢oDut8 to be reached. drd H(MlgettJ 42 Thc Creen RowlAndq C.Al¢ HAuts P09 6AB (Bardys BAnk-Ret'd) D*ttd- 27 April 2025 27