## **Trustees’ Annual Report and Accounts for 2024-2025** THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ALL SAINTS' HALIFAX Charity registration number: 1130479 ## Aims and Purposes All Saints’ Parochial Church Council (PCC) has the responsibility of working with the priest-in-charge, the Reverend Jennifer Middleton, in promoting the whole mission of this Church of England in the Parish of Skircoat Green, Salterhebble and Copley. This Christian mission is pastoral, evangelical, social and ecumenical in serving the Parish community. There is a linked community Parish Hall run by trustees. ## Objectives and Activities The PCC is committed to enabling as many people as possible to worship at our church and to become part of the parish community. We are committed to developing strong ties with All Saints’ C. of E. Primary School and also fostering good relations with the primary and schools in Copley and Salterhebble. We try to enable people in our local community to live out their faith as part of our parish community through: worship and prayer, learning about the Gospel and developing their knowledge and trust in Jesus. By providing pastoral support and care and in missionary and outreach work. To facilitate this work it is important that we maintain the fabric of the Church of All Saints’ and the Parish Hall. ## Achievements and Performance Throughout 2024 we held two services on a Sunday: 9am Holy Communion and 10.30am Service (which alternated between Morning Worship, All-age and Holy Communion style services). The crèche facility was available every week, with a church volunteer running ‘See and Know’ ministry when there wasn’t an all-age service. The Kids’ Church ran two groups on Sundays during term-time, one aimed at primary-aged children and one at secondary. Youth Group held meetings fortnightly during term-time on a Sunday evening. As well as our regular services, we held a leavers service for All Saints’ Year 6 in July; a Blessing of the School Bags service at the beginning of the new school year in September, nativity services for the local schools in December; a Carol Concert for Ravenscliffe School, a Christingle and Carol Services for All Saints’ School and a Lantern Parade for the community. There was also a Pancake Café on Shrove Tuesday and Easter Holy Week activity session on Good Friday. All Saints’ school regularly use the church for performances, assemblies and other events. Rev. Jennifer regularly has classes visits from the local schools as part of their RS curriculum, looking at places of worship. There were 4 baptisms (2 adult) and one thanksgiving for the birth of a child service held in the church this year, 3 weddings, 6 funerals and two interment of ashes. An Alpha course was run this year, in the church lounge. Training was undertaken with the charity Growing Hope in order for us to be able to run Siblings Courses for siblings of children with additional needs in 2025. We ran a successful first course in January for KS1 age children and are about to run a second for KS2 Age children. WeLccnne to our Report Bookfor 2024-25 some of the activities that the church as been rnvolved ovcr the last12 months. It worLt contQlTI eveftythrng, the of the Sprrit is always so much biggeft thcm we clm contorn. If you have a questirn you might w(rnt to start by asktng the repurt hyriter, please ask if youre not Slrre how to get in contact with thcffl. It PLease use this booklet to re fur alL t ect on all that lias been rnd ￿QY at is to C¢)me. Children's Sunday Morning Groups Crèche Our crèche with 'See & Knov/ ministry has enjoyed 3 regular children with occasional visitors. Our theme last term was Old Testament stories and this term we have looked at Creation and God's beautiful world. We reinforce our teaching with singing and a craft activity. Children can be left in the crèche to allow parents to stay in the service, if they are happy and settled, on condition that there are two adults present. Wilma MacGregor & Sheila Batty Sunday Children s groups The younger children's group has had another positive year. This group is aimed at primary school children and we have a good range of ages from 4 to 11 years old. We have approximately 13 children who attend, with weekly numbers still ranging between 3-10. The children continue to be a real blessing, actively engaging in group discussions and activities. The group is currently led by Sammy Mullen and Caroline Pemberton, with much appreciated support provided by Margaret, Roy. Pauline. Natasha and John. We continued with the Old Testament characters up until Christmas using the Energize resources provided by Urban Saints. Since Christmas we have been trialling using Bible Explore resources provided by the New Zealand Anglican Church which follows the Lectionary. The older children's group is aimed at secondary age children - and has 5 children who attend, although it unusual to have them all on the same day! This group is led byjudith Brandon and Sarah Frank. Over the last year we have been followingjesus's life. The older children are always particularly keen to get involved in 'hands on, activities - if anyone has any ideas or suggestions for things that they could bless the congregation with do let us know. Please do continue to pray for the children work in the church; in particular that we would be able to recruit more leaders to ensure the current team can regularly attend the main church service. If you would like to find out more about what the role would entail, please do speak to one of the leaders or to Jen. Caroline Pemberton and Sarah Frank Youth Group The youth group meet fortnightly on a Sunday evening during term time. with 5 to 10 kids aged 11-17 attending each time. Each meeting includes a time to share food, play games and learn more about the Christian faith. In the past year we have had a talk from the Bishop, made a Christmas display for the welcome garden and learnt about spiritual gifts. Thank you to everyone who has been praying for the group. Please pray for guidance for the leaders, and for the kids that they will grow in faith. Please especially keep in your prayers those who will be doing exams next term and those who will be moving on this year. Judith Brandon Parent & Toddler Group We hold two sessions on Tuesdays during term time at the Parish Hall, Godfrey Road. Session 1: 9.30- 11.15am Session 2: 12.45 - 2.30pm Suitable for children from birth- 4years Children must be accompanied by a parent, Grandparent or carer. Cost is £2 per family We provide a safe and stimulating environment for babies and carers to play and socialise. We have lots of toys to play with, a craft at the messy table and group singing before a hot drink for adults and a cold drink for children and biscuits. The morning session is busiest with around 25 children and the afternoon session is quieter with around 10 children. Wilma MacGregor and Paula Straw Open the Book Our Open the Book team has been in action for over 6 years now delivering fortnightly worship sessions to the children at All Saints, CE Primary School. In July, two of our original team members retired. We thank Jackie Henderson and Irene Briggs for their service and commitment over the years. We also said a sad goodbye to our storytelling friend Peter Thurman. Along with Jackie and Irene. he was instrumental in setting up the team to plan. prepare and present Bible Stories to the children. We were very pleased to welcome Paula Straw as a new team member this year. Another change is that all storytellers need to join the Open the Book Membership scheme and this needs to be renewed annually. We then get issued with the new Storytelling Bible and Handbook. We have worked hard to get to grips with the new publication, often finding creative ways to keeping the story alive and to be engaging to the children. We continue to follow the biblical year in chronological order finishing the academic year with stories about Jesus, healing. In September. we began the Old Testament again. with the story of Creation this time stressing the three key relationships God established with us. with other people and with the world. Of course. one of the most popular stories has been Rebellion with Adam and Eve. Our thanks go to Roy for creating some super props to enhance our story telling for example a Noah's Ark or the door to the temple in Jerusalem. Look out for him carrying it back and forth down the church path! Most of all, we thank our lovely team of storytellers that continue to support this very worthwhile scheme of presenting important Bible stories in a lively and imaginative way. They look forward to our visits. Yolande Shire All Saints School Reverend Jen plays an invaluable role in supporting our school community, offering both spiritual and practical guidance that positively impacts pupils, staff, and families. As Chair of Governors, she provides strong leadership and ensures that the school's Christian values are upheld in every decision. Reverend Jen is actively involved in school trips, accompanying pupils and enriching their experiences with faith-based reflections. She has been essential in supporting the school's development in relation to the SIAMS framework, helping maintain high standards in spiritual life and the school's Christian ethos. Her work in developing the Spirituality Policy ensures that faith is woven into every aspect of school life. Beyond her work with pupils, Reverend Jen offers wellbeing support to staff, providing a safe space for them to share concerns and find encouragement. She also supports the Headteacherfs wellbeing, offering guidance and spiritual support in a leadership role. Reverend Jen's warmth shines through during special moments, such as the blessing of new reception children's book bags and her welcoming of new families with parent wellbeing packs. Her collaboration with the school community fosters an environment where faith, learning, and love thrive, making her a cornerstone of our school family. At our school, we truly feel that the church has an open-door policy, welcoming everyone with warmth and openness. The church space is always available to our community, providing a safe and inviting environment where we can gather, reflect, and grow together. Whether it's for worship, special events, or simply as a place of solace, the church offers its doors to all, ensuring that everyone feels included and valued. Our weekly celebration assemblies are a highlight of the school's calendar, and we are incredibly grateful for the support of the church and its congregation. Members of the church community are always there, welcoming parents and offering them a warm drink. This support strengthens the bond between our school and the church, reinforcing the importance of community. Additionally, ourjunior Leadership Team is warmly welcomed to the weekly coffee mornings. where they have the opportunity to connect with members of the church community. These mornings allow our young leaders to share their thoughts, ideas, and experiences. while also fostering a greater sense of belonging and collaboration between the school and church. The openness of the church and the generosity of the community create a space where everyone is encouraged to participate, reflect, and grow together. We value the church's unwavering support, guidance, and sense of community, as it plays an essential role in nurturing our school's spiritual life and helping us grow together within our community. Lauren Watson Growing Hope - Siblings Group Growing Hope is a charity providing free therapy for children with additional needs and support for their families. It does this in collaboration with local churches across the UK. Although Growing Hope is a Christian charity the course has no faith basis and is open to all children regardless of their background or beliefs. After attending training to run the Siblings Group at the charitys headquarters last year, we launched the first course here at All Saints Church in January 2025. The Siblings Group aims to enable brothers and sisters of children with additional needs to share their experiences and feelings about being a sibling and connect with children in similar circumstances. The sessions included activities such as using puppets, painting, writing and drawing. We also teach the children simple relaxation strategies to use if they feel stressed or anxious. We have both really enjoyed running this first course and learnt a lot along the way. Children are great teachers! Our first course was for children in key stage one, and we are looking to run another in the coming year aimed at children at key sta e two. A big thankyou must go tojackie and Margaret who gave such a warm welcome to parents who stayed in the church lounge after the children had left them. The parents were served refreshments and given the opportunity to chat together and enjoy a much-needed break. Jane Appleyard and Dianne Bates Mothers. Union Mothers, Union is a Christian Charity with over 4 million members, both men and women, reaching out to 84 countries. Our Branch at All Saints, isjust one tiny part (28 members at present) of this world wide organisation, but we are very proud of the contribution we make towards helping families, here and abroad, to build better, safer and self-sustaining lives, whether it's through money we have raised, which amounted to £700 in 2024, or much needed items collected which included toiletries for patients in our local hospital, candles to be sent to soldiers in The Ukraine, items given to Women's Refuges, baby items sent to the New Hall Women's Prison and help for Overseas Projects. As we continue each year to help the Mothers, Union we meet as a group in the Church Lounge each month and enjoy speakers or social events together. 2024 was a really diverse and entertaining year, starting with a particularly interesting meeting in February, when representatives from The Yorkshire Air Ambulance Sendice entertained us with information, stories and pictures. May found us enjoying a bus tour around historical Halifax organised by Halifax Heritage. We were joined by several interested friends and we shared coffee and cakes in the Church Lounge afte￿ards. It was the sort of day anyone and everyone could enjoy. A particularly special event was held during the 10.30 Church Service in April to acknowledge our Long Serving members. Our MU Area President presented certificates to ladies with membership ranging from 25 to 55 years. A large congregation were present to learn more about the Mothers, Union and were later treated to home-made buns. Our year was filled with interesting speakers, visits, social events, and Afternoon Tea - why wouldn't you want to be part of our Branch? You can join in with us at any time, you don't have to be an MU member and of course, gentlemen arejust as welcome as ladies - I know the name is confusing 11 We have a busy 2025 planned, so as leader of All Saints, MU l extend a warm welcome to anyone who would like tojoin us forjust one meeting or lots of meetings. Margaret Cowie Walking Group In 2024 we had 4 walks led by different people. There was an average of 8-10 people and dogs. On February 18th the walk started at Stoney Royd Cemetery, Whitegate Road entrance. We went up cobbled lane to fields above Siddal, coming down Rosemary Lane to Siddal Top Lane, down Phoebe Lane and back to cars. It took about an hour and a half and some of us then stopped off at a pub on the way back to warm up as the weather was bright but cold. On March 24th we started at Mytholmroyd train station car park at 1.30pm and did a gentle 5 mile walk, suitable for all, along the valley bottom to just beyond Luddenden Foot then back along the canal towpath to Mytholmroyd. We were very lucky with the weather again and had beautiful views. A few people stayed for a drink in a local pub afterward, and a couple even had their evening meal there too! Onjune 23rd at 2pm we did an easy 4 mile walk around Lightcliffe and Norwood Green, through two woods and across fields. On August 25th we met at Coley Church at 1.30pm. We walked into Priestley Green, up to Lightcliffe and then Hipperholme and back to Coley- a circular walk which took a couple of hours. Again we were lucky with the weather which was cloudy but dry. There was a break for the next few months as people were very busy and walks couldn't be arranged, but we came back with a strong showing of 11 people and S dogs on March 9th 2025 walking from Luddenden Foot to Mytholmroyd, stopping for refreshment and1005 at a pub (sitting in the beer garden in the sun evenl) and then walking back along the canal. It is a lovely activity where everyone can socialise with each other whilst getting some fresh air, beautiful Yorkshire views and a bit of exercise. Keep a look-out in the notice sheet for where we will get to nextl Diane Williams Eco Group In 2024 a team was put together to maintain the church building. All the members of the Eco Group Team were part of this group so it was decided, as much of the building work focussed on environmental issues, to combine the two groups. As a church we continue to use the A Rocha UK award scheme to work towards our Gold Award. Some aspects of eco-church are now embedded in our community. These include praying regularly in church intercessions for climate change and environmental matters; lifestyle tips and advice on caring for the environment included in the weekly newsletter and on the website. A Repair Café was set up in January in All Saints Church Hall where people can bring items to be repaired instead of throwing them away and buying new. This is run by members of several local churches, including a regular team from All Saints. In August some of the local community came together to build a bug hotel behind church. In September, an organisation called Pennine Cropshare placed one of their sheds in the church grounds. Bags of organic, locally sourced vegetables can be ordered and collected there by people in the local community. At the beginning of each year since we started our eco-church journey, we have been encouraging members of our congregation to complete a Household Lifestyle Audit on the Creation Care website looking at ways they can become more environmentally aware. This has had limited response in the past so at the turn of the year a further option of completing a paper copy of a similar survey was offered. Feedback from Creation Care showed five households had been involved but a further fifteen had taken the paper survey. This increased awareness will surely have an impact and further the change we are committed to making as a church. Options for making the church building more environmentally sound have been considered during the past year. A meeting with the church architect to discuss options helped rule OLSt certain ideas but to move forward it was agreed to arrange an energy audit of the whole building. This has been agreed at PCC but has not yet taken place. Replacing the current lighting in the main body of the church with an LED system to save energy has been explored. Meetings have taken place with two elertrical companies. They have each created designs and given quotes for completing the work but repairs to the church roof have had to be prioritised in the meantime, so unfortunately the lighting scheme has had to be postponed. In October 20241 attended an eco-church conference in Bradford organised by the diocese. Jen and I went to a talk in November giving teams who are looking to achieve the Gold Award advice and ideas. A Rocha UK have recently launched a new survey. This updated survey reflects the urgency and complexity of the climate and biodiversity crises, and is designed to match the scale of action needed., These meetings and the renewed survey provide endless ideas for ways we can move foroiard. If you have an interest in the environment and would like to contribute to the work we are doing please speak to me orjen. And PRAY .. continue to pray for environmental issues in our locality and the wider world but please pray for the work we are doing here at All Saints, that there will be an increased awareness in our congregation and that we can move forward and make a difference protecting God's Creation. Dianne Bates Repair Café Skircoat Repair Cafe is an independent group- run by people of any faith or none and is linked to the worldwide charity Repair Café international. However, is very much supported by the congregations both at All Saints, and other churches across our Churches Together group. IYS great to work together with people from across the area with a shared aim to reduce waste, develop community and support people who may be affected by the cost-of-living crisis. There are 3 main groups of volunteers at our repair café -front of house, café team, and of course fixers. The front of house team are involved in the general running of the day - each item that is brought into the café has a form which must be filled in - partly for our records, and partly to ensure that the people who attend know that we are all volunteers- there is a clear statement that we are not running a professional service. Not everything can be fixed - and some items are broken while attempting a fix. The front of house team matches up attendees with fixers and aim to do this in an orderly manner. While attendees wait for the appropriate fixer to become available, they can grab a drink and a snack from the pop-up cafe. This adds a real sense of community to the event ~ people are very welcome to drop in even if they don't have anything to fix, just to have a piece of cake and a cuppa. Sarah Frank Welcome Garden APCM Report-2025 Our dedicated and enthusiastic Garden Team. with one new member this last year, have continued to garden on a weekly basis from March to December. We have continued to do battle with the weeds. prune shrubs and introduce a few new plants and we have discovered an ingenious way to get rid of the moss on the paths in an eco friendly way. We continue the work to improve the grassy areas mindful that we are not trying to make a perfect lawn but we would like to maintain an attractive space for people to sit, children to run around and outdoor groups to meet. We have adapted the homemade bird feeders to encourage songbirds and provided a metal mesh sheet over the pond in the graveyard to protect small animals that live in the pond from predators and for health and safety reasons. Spring life is returning to the garden. Paul Gunningham Deanery Synod There were three Deanery Synod meetings in 2024. The first session took place on 24104124 at Stjohn's Warley. Each church was asked to create a display to showcase two things they did well as a church. Synod members then had a chance to rotate and find out more about what is happening elsewhere in the deanery. A whole group discussion then took place to identify strengths in our deanery and areas of possible improvement. Archdeacon Bill Braviner and Revd Helen Collings from Leeds Diocesan Lay Training Department attended. The second session took place on 18106124 at St Thomas Heptonstall. Archdeacon Bill Braviner and Revd Helen Collings from Leeds Diocesan Lay Training Department attended again to lead a second session looking at identifying deanery strengths and what support we would like to continue to develop other areas. The last session took place on 04111124 at St Jude's. Revd Helen Collings returned to report back on the signposting of resources available which might be of use to the deanery. The Area Dean discussed trying to build a deanery brand and the benefits of having a strong identity and the possibility of working together, particularly at events such as the Charity Gala, Halifax Show, Calderdale Pride. Revjen gave a presentation on Eco-church awards. An update was provided on the Trinity Academy church plant. Halifax& Calder Valley This year the three deanery synod representatives have been Diane Williams. Margaret Greaves and Caroline Pembertc deoneig Building Fabric Report 2024 During the previous 12 months work has been caried out in response to actions required in the Quinquennial Report, ongoing repairs have been completed and annual checks and maintenance have taken place. Several works were carried out, responding to actions deemed essential on the latest Quinquennial Report. New timer fans were installed in each of the toilets and extra sockets were installed in the main office. Gravestones that had been labelled unsafe by the Calderdale Bereavement Services were laid down and the bell tower gulley was cleaned out. Repairs were necessary in several areas: a fill and flush valve was replaced in one of the toilets; a leak on the lounge boiler was resealed but further problems have required parts to be replaced more recently,. the wireless temperature control unit for the heating system was replaced and protection glass from one of the windows had to be replaced due to a breakage. Routine maintenance included the annual Lightning Protection System Test and Inspection in September," the bi-annual fire alarm and the Annual Fire Extinguisher maintenance. The gutters were cleared in November. The buildings team have been working on two major projects this year., the church roof and replacing the lighting in the main body of the church. Lighting designs, and quotes for the completion of the work, have been acquired from two companies. Unfortunately, this project had to be put on hold as work on the roof was considered a higher priority and the team have been pursuing this for a number of months. Work needs to be carried out to repair part of the creche roof and to repair the flat roof above the storeroom at the back of church and the back door lobby. The PCC have agreed that this work can go ahead along with a patch repair to the south aisle roof. A faculty has been sought to complete this work but negotiations are still ongoing with the church architect and the Diocesan Advisory Committee. Quotes have also been sought to replace the south aisle roof (another recommendation in the quinquennial) but it was decided to put this on hold until an energy audit had been completed so any recommendations from the audit could be incorporated into the roofing project if necessary. Most of the work completed during this past year has been of a minor nature, however, the preparation and ongoing discussions about the lighting and roof works should mean these major projects can begin in the next few months. Dianne Bates Parish Hall The Parish Hall is held in Trust and is managed by eight Trustees who meet on a quarterly basis. We are well supported by Sue Blackwell who does much of the day to day management and minor maintenance in the Hall and Diane who is our Treasurer. Over the last 12 months we have gained a new regular hirer, a musical activity class for very young children, that meet on Thursday mornings. Also the Skircoat Green Repair Café was launched injanuary 2024. It meets every 2 months on a Saturday afternoon. Some come in to get something repaired and some come in for refreshments and a chat. The Hall continues to be used for a wide range of activities, particularly during term time, which provides life enhancing benefits to a large number of people in the community. We also hire the Hall for parties and meetings at weekends and during the holidays. We continue to make improvements to the Hall and are looking to add to our number of Trustees over the next year. Please get in touch with me if you are interested, iys good fun and not too onerous. Paul Gunningham Music Group The Music Group continues to meet in various combinations to provide songs appropriate to the service themes including late 20 century'classics" and 21 st century standards, while introducing new songs to the repertoire regularly. There are currently 11 active members of the Group which includes three Leaders, who choose the songs, organise the practice and take charge in services; six instrumentalists and five specific vocalists. Our aim is to lead the music in such a way that congregations can worship God in song in an uplifting way. lan Byfield Coffee Morning Thursday coffee morning has continued to run weekly throughout 2024 with short breaks for Christmas, Easter and summer. It is run by myself and Roy Croft. Our aim is to provide a warm and friendly welcome to everyone who attends. Our average weekly attendance is around 16 people from both the church and the wider local communityjoining us. for ho drinks , toast and biscuits. Il During 2024 we held several special events. During Christian Aid week in May we held a coffee and cake event In September we celebrated Fairtrade week. Diane Williams prepared a display, gave a short talk and provided a selection of Fairtrade goods for people to sample. The event raised £52 for the Fairtrade foundation. We recently welcomed the head teacher (Mrs Watson) and some year 6 pupils from All Saints school. Our members enjoyed chatting with them and sampling the lovely cakes they brought with them! We also celebrate Easter, Harvest, Christmas and birthdays . We continue to run on a nominal voluntary donation. During 2024 we have been able to make charitable donations to Christian Aid and Fairtrade. We have also made donations to the church account. Pauline Stead Ladies Who Paint The group, now in its 15th year, continues to thrive. We have 18 ladies who attend regularly, or now and again, and they are all enthusiastic. We have a good mix of those who are church members and those who aren't, some of whom have found out about it via the website! Watercolour has been our primary focus this year with a session on pencil crayon. We've produced paintings including sealland abstract pieces. landscapes. Celtic lettering. kittenlfox head, Japanese cherry blossom, calligraphy, puffin, feathers and a quirky harbour in line and wash. Coming up in 2025 there will be a workshop, lead by Anne Allen on Chinese brush painting. A highlight of 2024 was an exhibition of our work, in the church lounge, over three weekends. Many pirtures were sold and 113 donated to church funds. continue to enjoy leading this group, even when it gets difficult to find subjects we haven't covered over the years! l am grateful that we still have ladies attending who have done so right from the beginning. Sue Blackwell Qullting The group now consists of 20 members, we have regular members who attend monthly and they account for about 16 each month. We have been doing many projects, such as, making small purses, table runner, fabric tubs. knittin& embroidery, appliqué and much more. We welcomed 3 new comers to the group and they are enjoying it. The group members are extremely supportive and caring as well as being helpful to new members. We offer refreshments throughout the day and generally sit together for lunch. The team offer pastoral support to those who feel they need someone to talk to privately. It is a very cohesive group. We all appreciate the venue as irs close to where the majority of members live. Rosslyn Gowers Alpha The Alpha course commenced in January 2025 with 3 delegates enrolled, plus a further 4 email enquires from individuals who were invited but did not attend. A further delegate joined at week 3 as the partner of those who commenced initially. The Alpha team Uohn and Christine Bouckley and David and Wilma MacGregor) have been supported in the facilitation of the meals by Roy Croft and Paula Straw, and with a prayer support team of Alethea Earnshaw and Christine Henderson. This season we have met in the church lounge each week and provided a simple meal before watching the videos and engaging in group conversations. We have started to pray at each session from week 4, and the Holy Spirit session is to be held in church on Saturday 8th March. One of the delegates is regularly attending worship at All Saints, and the others are peripherally connected to the church having moved into the Parish. All delegates seem to be engaging with the course materials and topics. and gaining confidence in discussing their questions and thoughts and experiences around their faith. Christine Bouckley Appleyard Small Group Our group meets fortnightly in the church lounge. We're a mixed bunch of folk, some who are newer to their Christian faith and others who are further along their journey. We decide as a group what we'd like to focus on for a few weeks, 'studY. Irs a very informal group where everyone is welcome to contribute to the discussion as we listen to each otherfs opinions and share our thoughts. We look at various stories, books and people in the Bible using different resources to help us dig a bit deeper. Perhaps as important as the Bible study is the support we give each other as we do life with all its battles and blessings. Jane and Keith Appleyard Bouckley Small group The group which usually meets alternate weeks in our home has been suspended to facilitate the Alpha course, with key homegroup members actively attending each week to share a meal, join the discussions, and support the catering needs for the course. This has helped to deepen their involvement within church and mission, and drawn us together as a group. In order to maintain contact with our wider more peripheral members, we have regular WhatsApp chat and had a meal out in February as a social event, and aim to re-start a more usual pattern of meetings after Easter. The Group is small, and whilst open to all, seeks especially to welcome those exploring faith, or who are new to church. John and Christine Bouckley MacGregor Small group Our small group has 12 adult and 3 teenage members, with children of members who join in for periodic social events, giving us an age range from 8 to over 80, although we are rarely all able to attend a meeting. We meet every Monday evening, with one or more of the teenagers coming about 2 in every 3 weeks, depending on homework and exam commitments. As a group we continue to take turns in leading, be that leading Bible studies, choosing worship songs, or bringing cake (an important part of our meetings). We each play to our strengths, and no one is ever pressurised into leading. The aims of our group are to meet with God, to help each other grow in faith, to bear one anotherfs burdens, and to learn to walk more closely with Jesus in our daily lives. The picture below is one of my favourite illustrations of one of these aims. During the last year we have gone through the "Practicing the Way Course" particularly with the aim of answering one of our teenagers question's, "How do I live as a Christian day by day?, We are also getting to the end of a series looking at the life of Abraham, and we are about to embark on a series of studies looking at the Sermon on the Mount. Finally, I would say that we are always open to gaining new members, so if you are on the lookout for a housegroup, feel free to give us a go. David and Wilma MacGregor Whitaker Small Group Our small group currently has 6 members, the numbers have reduced over the years due to members going to be with the Lord and others unable to attend due to age related problems. We meet every Wednesday evening for a couple of hours. Thi5 happens at the residence of Audrey and Brian Roberts for three weeks of the month and atjoan Nuttall's during the fourth week. We sing songs, have a prayer time and also a Bible study. The Bible study is based on either one of the books of the Bible or we use a theme study. Together we learn to understand God's word together and in a way that helps us live our lives for the Kingdom of God. We support each other in dealing with the various problems that we face and therefore continue to grow in faith as a group. We do meet out for a meal every now and then. We would be very happy to welcome anyone who would like to join the group. Brian Roberts. Safeguarding The PCC has complied with the duty to have due regard to the House of Bishops safeguarding policy and practice guidance. 11, uljnj 11 Saint? the Safeguarding team continue to review and test our procedures and aim to grow our church awareness and culture around safeguarding. We keep confidential notes of any concerns and share with the Diocesan team where there are safeguarding concerns to escalate. There are clear links between the Diocese team and the local team at All Saints and known offenders are highlighted to us if it is deemed they may be likely to attend our services. Whilst we hold to the principle that all are welcome to worship. there are processes in place to maintain the safety of our vulnerable members (of any age) should these situations arise. Our local progress in safeguarding policy is mapped within a parish safeguarding dashboard which is shared with the Diocesan safeguarding team, and includes elements such as the scope of our remit of responsibility, safer recruiting of volunteers, and a register of appropriate training. We aim to ensure there are clear personal boundaries of behaviour to ensure we maintain a transparent and open culture where safeguarding of all is ensured. This means that we are all personally responsible and accountable for our own actions or omissions, We are all "eyes and ears" and are reminded to consider raising any concerns to the Safeguarding officer, team member or leader. To improve the visibility of the safeguarding team there is a new poster in the lounge with information, and the'designated person" will wear a lanyard at the morning service. We are investigating a new resource for our younger members called "Find your Roarf, which we hope will be suitable for use within the Sunday clubs and embolden our children to speak out if they have any concerns. Following a disclosure. the PSO or deputy will liaise with the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisor to ensure a co-ordinated support is facilitated and appropriate support is offered. Statutory services may also be included such as the police or social services. Information leaflets for victims and survivors of abuse is available with regard to independent support available {Safe Spaces). Christine Bouckley ## All Saints’ Church Dudwell Lane, Halifax HX3 0SD ## 1130479 End of Year Financial Statements Year ending 2024 ## **Introduction:** We have had a better year financially, although are still running a negative budget due to rising costs. The PCC made a number of cuts last year which have helped to balance the books. These included cutting admin and cleaning hours, adjusting our heating usage and cutting our charity giving slightly from 10% to 8%. We received a legacy from the estate of Mary Parkin for which we were extremely grateful, and this has been invested at present whilst the PCC consider the best of use of this money. ## **Fund Analysis and Description, Balances at Year End:** |General Fund|£20,181.13|The general bank account,| |---|---|---| |||balance of funds end year.| |Church Maintenance Fund|£4,795.57|
A reserve fund where PCC| |||Policy is to endeavour to| |||maintain a balance of £5,000| |||in the fund. £980 was used| |||from this fund for roof repairs| |||this year.| ||£150,000|In addition we invested most| |||of the Parkin Legacy in this| |||account| |General Reserve Fund|£7,414.75|PCC Policy is to endeavour to| |||maintain £5,000 in this fund.| |Harrison Bequest|£10,588.60|This fund is designated for| |||use within the Copley Area| |Susan James Memorial Fund|£9,720.06|
An endowment fund. The| |||balance in excess of £10,000| |||may be used for Christian| |||Education purposes. The| |||balance may be drawn down| |||to £9,000 if necessary. Some| |||was used this year for training| |||for the Growing hope Sibling| |||Course.| |Parish Hall Reserve Fund|£6,878.38|A designated fund, intended| |---|---|---| |||only to be utilized when it is| |||considered that day-to-day| |||running expenses of the| |||Parish Hall cannot be met| |||from their general funds.| |||Policy is to maintain a| |||balance of £5,000.| |Virgin Garden Project|£5,683.57|A Restricted Project fund, at| |||present used for the| |||Welcome Garden Project.| |Virgin Parish Hall|£14,168.55|A Restricted fund for the| |||Purpose of maintaining the| |||fabric of the building and the| |||day-to-day running of the| |||Parish Hall. This fund is| |||administered by the Trustees| |||of the Hall and not available| |||for Church use.| |Music and Worship Fund|£1,751.61|A Restricted fund for| |||purchases for music and| |||worship| |Coffee Morning|£1,325.62|This is a restricted fund for| |||the coffee morning group,| |||funded by donations.| Last year we reported a unresolved amount of £33,410.47 which was due to a software issue. The independent examiner has found that the fund amounts were incorrectly added by the software, probably due to trying to re-designate them and alter the funds to reflect current usage. The correct amounts have now been put in as our starting balances and this covers the unresolved amount. Statement of Financial Artivities pr￿ryear Fu￿5 Funds F￿d$ 2024 Voluntary Inwffl• 81￿99 14.23&50 95,Y47.18 75.985.80 IrNe5tmEnt Inctsm• L61040 537.41 2,142.91 9C6.29 Othw Ihcomlni I&W16 177.15lJXI 196.610. 19.917.6S Toi•l Ineom• IW77.14 1rn7$LI• MW9AO 5J2AI £1gItstyJAS £96A09.74 Ch•rlt4ble Aciivltl•J 6S.9)SA) 2J2454 257.14 69,339.68 5,033. RunnI￿Colts 3I039J5 I3￿31.51 49,072.06 74,196.30 OlhEr 2S,479.01 Tptsl •xp•thur* •45.N £II*,101.74 i Inc4m•l(*Ap•ndtturnl r•soLYf•J 7JI 176M3US L5J•.75 I1￿5• £11OH.S7 Trnfiif• Gross trnn$le￿bet¥veen lunds-ln 356?. Gross translers between luntts-o 633Sm 27 N•t sn lund5 170101 I￿.75 Balance Sheet ioaj FIK•dAu•ts T4X41 FW*ss•ts 19Jl4. CU1r•ntA*￿tt 401 vlrgihGth￿rll 17.55aJS 402 Vityirt Pn)i￿lI￿*s￿nat•dj -iarden 5%1&64 19.551.OJ 40aVirsin Pwi5h Halllfestrirtedl 14.16&55 II962S6 404CCL4 Haryiwn Ide*8n•tedJ lo￿￿60 lo￿54￿1 40S CCL4Genernl ReseThelde*na¢e¢J 7.414.75 406CCL' _-hurth Maintenance14e98natedl Pafknn WYlde5i8na*di 407 CCLAParish Hall Aeserbelde5i%n¥edl 4.79557 4553A6 6￿78￿B 6531 408 CCL4 SusanlarneslEndwnenii 9,72Un ,0￿65 409 In¥estMent5hddwtth 0SDrue Idegi￿￿oI ZQSAccounts Recelvab 1.56634 15,847.75 15.707 Totsi U66J1039 £*VII7. 204 A(¢¢untspJvable 2.479fj1 3.B85.05 £2A79JI EU1%ty5 N•lA55¢t￿r￿I￿(dI￿ttj f284.D1535 £107.916.64 Ex¢ess/dofkftto dot• L74VA71 11.14741 Zoistartbrf￿larrfeS TOt•l r•w¥ 107.916ffj1 119.W.52 4mSJ5 I•￿￿1•d byFwds iJrrfostrlct•d 3Lan.52 29Jn.9S J5M&36 35J6&47 fle5trf¢ted 37.IM31 )1gW6 9.720ffj6 lo￿30.65 Totsl t1••￿1$35 107.91& Statement of Assets and Llablllties 19.W.OD 19,984. l&lTr)J.91 20.181.13 17.55a95 1gJ51 19.$51.C¢ S,SBa.57 5.818.61 rwn P4rtSh H 14W55 12,962.56 $9.5M 15,707MS Curr*nt•ib•i•.In%wlrni CCL4Churyh Mahitonali¢* 4.79SS? 4.7Y5.$7 4,S53X6 CCi*th¥TthM•lniopi¥