��������� **A place of Welcome Worship & Wonder**
**ANNUAL REPORT and ACCOUNTS for the year ending 31 December 2023**
**PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF WYMONDHAM ABBEY with SPOONER ROW**
## **Registered charity number 1130495**
**© Wymondham Abbey PCC · 2024 · Rights reserved**
**www.wymondhamabbey.org.uk**
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**PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF WYMONDHAM ABBEY with SPOONER ROW**
Registered charity number 1130495
## **Annual Report and Accounts**
# **for the year ending 31 December 2023**
## **Table of contents**
|**Table of contents**||
|---|---|
||page|
|Agenda for Annual Vestry Meeting for election of churchwardens 2024|4|
|Minutes of Annual vestry Meeting 2023|5|
|Agenda for Annual Parochial Church Meeting 2024|6|
|Minutes of Annual Parochial Church Meeting 2023|7|
|Statutory Reports for year ending December 2023|12|
|Electoral Roll report|12|
|Parochial Church Council (PCC) report|12|
|Abbey services 2023|12|
|Financial statement follows after reports on parish activities|13|
|Fabric report|13|
|Deanery synod report|14|
|Holy Trinity Church, Spooner Row report|14|
|Churchwarden’s report|14|
|Reports on Parish Activities|15|
|Treasurer’s report|20|
|Independent examiner’s report|24|
|Financial statement for year ending 31 December 2023|25|
|Profit and Loss|25|
|Balance Sheet|29|
|Statement of Cash Flows|30|
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**www.wymondhamabbey.org.uk**
**PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF WYMONDHAM ABBEY with SPOONER ROW**
Registered charity number 1130495
## **THE ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING**
**Saturday 20 April 2024 at 10:30am In Wymondham Abbey**
**The Annual Vestry Meeting of Parishioners for the Election of Churchwardens**
## **AGENDA**
1. Opening prayer
2. Statement by the Reverend Canon Christopher Davies, Interim Priest-in-charge
3. To receive and approve the Minutes of the Vestry Meeting held on 4 March 2023
4. Matters arising from the minutes
5. To elect and appoint two churchwardens.
6. Meeting closes
_The meeting is followed directly by the Annual Parochial Church Meeting which is intended only for those named on the Church Electoral Roll._
**www.wymondhamabbey.org.uk**
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**PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF WYMONDHAM ABBEY with SPOONER ROW**
Registered charity number 1130495
**The Annual Vestry Meeting of Parishioners for the Election of Churchwardens**
# **Saturday 4 March 2023 at 10:30am in Wymondham Abbey MINUTES**
## **Present:**
**66 people were present**
**Apologies**
20 apologies for absence had been received and registered.
- 1 The meeting opened with a reading and prayer
- 2 Reverend Canon Christopher Davies, Interim Priest-in-charge addressed the parishioners and reminded the meeting that Bishop Graham had used the powers of the CW measure 2021 (section 10(1)(c) and (d)) and appointed two Interim Churchwardens on 17 July 2022.
- 3 **Election and appointment two churchwardens**
Jim Hartley and Brian Randall had both been nominated.
There were no further nominations and they were duly elected
Fr Christopher thanked them and spoke about how hard they had worked together since their initial appointment in July.
- 4 The vestry meeting closed
**www.wymondhamabbey.org.uk**
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**PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF WYMONDHAM ABBEY with SPOONER ROW**
Registered charity number 1130495
# **THE ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING Saturday 20 April 2024**
## **AGENDA**
1. Apologies
2. To receive and confirm the minutes of the APCM held on 4 March 2023
3. Matters arising from the minutes
4. To receive reports:
- a. Electoral Roll
- b. Proceedings of the Parochial Church Council (PCC) and the activities of the parish during 2023
- c. Financial statement for the year ending 31 Dec. 2023
- d. Fabric report
- e. Deanery Synod report – Humbleyard Deanery Synod did not meet in 2023
5. To elect four parochial representatives of the laity to the Deanery Synod for a three-year term
6. To elect up to 15 members to the Parochial Church Council for a three-year term
7. To appoint a person to be the Independent Examiner of the PCC for 2024/2025
8. Any other business
9. Address by Reverend Canon Christopher Davies
The Blessing
**www.wymondhamabbey.org.uk**
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**PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF WYMONDHAM ABBEY with SPOONER ROW**
Registered charity number 1130495
# **Annual Parochial Church Meeting Saturday 4 March 2023 in Wymondham Abbey**
# **MINUTES**
## **Present:**
66 people were present.
- **1 Apologies**
20 apologies for absence had been received and registered.
## **2 Reports:**
**a Electoral Roll**
A completely new roll had been prepared for this year as previous records were incomplete and contained many errors. There were currently 158 names on the roll of whom 25 live outside the parish. 57 had not been listed on the previous roll.
## **b Proceedings of the Parochial Church Council** (PCC) and activities of the parish in 2022
It was thought that two PCC meetings had taken place in January and March 2022 but records were incomplete. The ‘APCM’ held on Sunday 29 May 2022 was declared null and void by the Archdeacon, as was the APCM held in 2021.
On 12 July 2022 Bishop Graham Usher and Bishop Alan Winton met the six members of the PCC and Treasurer, Peter Bussey. Following this meeting the Living was suspended and Jim Hartley and Brian Randall were appointed interim churchwardens.
The PCC met five times during the remainder of the year. The PCC’s main concern during this time was to: address the poor state of the finances, welcome back worshippers and the wider community and visitors into the life of the Abbey.
The report of the activities of the parish during 2022 provides ample evidence that thanks to our ever-growing team of volunteers our church community is thriving.
The following groups/activities have reports included in the Report of Parish Activities:
|Holy Trinity Spooner Row|Fellowship Group|
|---|---|
|Abbey Fairs|Pastoral Care Course|
|Abbey Flowers|‘Hugge’ – Quiet Space Group|
|Abbey Garden Party|Food Parcels|
|Abbey Hall|Godly Play|
|Baby and Toddler Group|Music in the Abbey|
|Bell Ringers|Parish Lunches|
|Cafe|Publicity: Social Media and the Website|
|Centering Presence|Safeguarding at Wymondham Abbey|
|Choir|Servers|
|Christmas Tree Festival|Shop|
|Churchyard and Herb Garden|Warming Wymondham Spaces|
|Discussion Groups:|Welcome Desk, Visitors and Tours|
|Ponderings in Lent and Preparing for Christmas||
## _**Q**_
_**Sara Barton-Wood** asked whether there would be someone on the new PCC with a_ _**green agenda** . Fr Christopher explained that the churchyard, which Hilary Hunter looked after, had previously received an Eco Church award. Barbara Randall commented that some members had been to an Eco Church meeting in Cringleford recently and hoped the PCC would pursue this matter further._
**www.wymondhamabbey.org.uk**
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**PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF WYMONDHAM ABBEY with SPOONER ROW**
Registered charity number 1130495
- **c Financial reports:**
Fr Christopher introduced this item by explaining that the Bishop’s letter of 7 October had allowed us to run two meetings together, for 2021 and 2022, as both the previous APCMs had been declared null and void.
There were no PCC records of this period. Computers had been wiped clean and papers shredded. Fr Christopher asked for the parishioners’ forbearance with the delay in preparing the accounts and reports ready for the Annual Parochial Church Meeting.
Fr Christopher assured everyone they would be able to ask questions later in the meeting.
## **1 A report on the examined accounts for the year ending 31 December 2021**
This was given by Chris Grant who had been appointed Treasurer in October 2022.
Chris Grant explained that he had finally received the 2021 accounts following examination by Aston Shaw a few days ago. The statement showed that there had been a loss on the year of almost £100,000 from £267,117 in 2020 to £164,118 on 31 Dec 2021. The financial information would be entered on the Charity Commission website as soon as possible.
The beginning of the Treasurer’s written report referred to 2021 as follows:
_‘I along with the current PCC am not able to comment on the 2021 accounts, except to say that the delay, figures, stress and cost in producing them ‘long after the event’ has been shocking but a salutary reminder to a PCC and the Diocese of what must never be allowed to happen again. I hope we can leave 2021 in the digital archive of the Charity Commission and now look forward to renewed transparency with simple, clear, regular and recorded financial reporting.’_
**The meeting accepted the accounts for the year-ending 31 December 2021**
## **2 Financial report for the year ending 31 Dec. 2022**
The Treasurer highlighted the following from his report for 2022
- 2022 was another year of financial uncertainty.
- there was unsustainable spending and little income in the first half of the year.
- a new PCC was in place from August
- there was a positive bank balance at the end of the year.
The key steps taken to achieve this recovery had been:
- reducing paid staff down to an organist and a Parish Manager.
- reducing reliance on external paid professional services.
- canceling subscriptions for telephones, card payment machines and rented storage space.
- paying off outstanding debts including a loan from Norwich Diocese.
- joining the Parish Giving Scheme (PGS)
- building legacy protection to ensure that critical systems and data remains secure
- attempting to re-instate PCC control over the Spooner Row bank accounts
The generosity and support of the Wymondham Abbey Preservation Trust (WAPT) have enabled the abbey to maintain heating to welcome: regular congregations, visitors, Baby and Toddler group, Winter Warm Spaces and an environment for our dedicated volunteers to work in. WAPT have also paid for restoring the floors, redecorating and completion of the sound system. Thanks were also given to:
- Fr Christopher and the church wardens for advice and understanding of the past situation
- Chris Jackson for her long-standing and efficient management of gift-aid
- Susan Bunting at the Diocese of Norwich
- Robert Culyer and team for setting up the Parish Giving Scheme and to those who had joined
- Sarah Sayer and the team for restoring the now thriving shop
**www.wymondhamabbey.org.uk**
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**PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF WYMONDHAM ABBEY with SPOONER ROW**
Registered charity number 1130495
- Robert Ayers for agreeing to be our independent examiner
- Peter Bussey from Abacus Accountants for his help in unraveling the 2022 accounts
- Wymondham Abbey Preservation Trust (WAPT) for having faith in the new PCC
We look forward in 2023 to:
- the restoration of the Friends of Wymondham Abbey (FWA) at their March AGM
- regular donations from the Parish Giving Scheme
- increasing income from visitors, shop, three fairs and ticketed music events
- meeting the abbey’s monthly running costs
- paying our full Parish Share.
- reviewing a clearer and simpler financial reporting system
- finding alternative bank services (Barclays Wymondham branch closes in April)
- continuing improvements to the website.
- developing the volunteer’s portal to help plan rotas, life event bookings etc.
- _**Q** Mike Halls asked about designated funds totalling £237,000 listed in the 2021 statement from_ _**Fred Buttolph and Ron Hyam** . The answer given was that it was currently impossible to access these accounts because signatories had gone away and current trustees had no mandate. It was hoped that in due course funds would be found within CCLA and made accessible._
- _**Q** Chris Lawrence commended Chris Grant on his report._
- _He asked about the_ _**Going Concern basis** statement and the payment of our_ _**Parish Share** :_
_‘The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis as the PCC believes that material uncertainties have mostly been identified. The PCC has considered the level of funds held and the expected level of income and expenditure for 12 months from authorising these financial statements. The budgeted income and expenditure are sufficient with the level of reserves for the PCC to be able to continue as a going concern.’_
_Fr Christopher stated that the backlog of unpaid Parish Share of £250,000 had been written off by the Diocese. It was expected that the current year’s share for one full-time priest would be around £65,000 and that we were planning to pay it in full._
- _**Q** Mike Williams_ _**commended the accounts** and the clear way they had been set out together with a very good report. He received assurance that we were only using income to pay costs and items such as insurance were funded by the Preservation Trust._
**The meeting approved the financial statement for 2022**
- **d The Fabric report was given by Fabric Officer, Andrew Naylor**
He highlighted the following activities:
- tweaks to the new lighting system
- plans to replace floodlighting and upgrade the lights in the churchyard paths
- the firm ‘Wallwalkers’ found loose masonry in the east tower which will need repairs
- roofs were inspected and repairs to fix the leaks planned for early summer
- emergency lighting repairs in the new extension
- upgrades to the lighting in the tower staircases.
Visits by the DAC assessed how much of the HLF interior layout was still in place. An Omnibus faculty would restore the interior layout back to the 2016 arrangement, including position of shop, chamber organ and other items, as well as giving permission for space behind the altars to allow celebrants to face the congregation.
**www.wymondhamabbey.org.uk**
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**PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF WYMONDHAM ABBEY with SPOONER ROW**
Registered charity number 1130495
## **Fabric report continues**
Looking into 2023, we hope to progress repairs on the roof and East tower. The sound system will be installed and move on with plans for lighting the outside.
As ever we are indebted to the advice and great generosity of the Wymondham Abbey Preservation Trust in funding most of this work.
There were no questions.
- **e Deanery Synod report** – none as the Deanery Synod had not met in 2022. It was hoped a Rural Dean would be appointed soon.
- **3 Election of up to four parochial representatives of the laity to the Deanery Synod** There were no additional nominations. Barbara Randall and Morwenna Thomas were elected for a three-year term.
- **4 Election of up to 15 members to the Parochial Church Council** .
- The following had been nominated and were duly elected for a three-year term: Philip Aldred, Ruth Brett, Isabel Davidson, Kay Dorling, Christopher Grant, David Hamilton, Hilary Hunter, Catherine Mack, Andrew Naylor, Alex Perry and Sarah Sayer.
The next PCC meeting would be on Monday 13 March at 5.30pm.
- **5 Appointment of an independent examiner of the PCC**
Robert Ayers had agreed to be our examiner for 2022/2023and was duly appointed.
- **6 To consider the option of other means of voting at future APCMs** to enable those who couldn’t attend the meeting in person to vote. This matter had been discussed recently by the present PCC and agreed in principle. Barbara Randall explained that this required the agreement of 2/3rds of those present for this to come into force for next year’s APCM. The great majority raised their hands in assent.
- **7 Any other business – Questions from the parishioners**
- _**Q** Tony Vale, although not a parishioner himself, spoke on behalf of the residents of Wymondham. He wanted to express_ _**appreciation from the townspeople** for the work of the Abbey and the restoration of its valued position in the community._
- _**Q** Pat Newman asked about the_ _**position of the nave chairs** and requested a restoration of the previous arrangement with all chairs facing forwards._
_Jim Hartley, Church warden, responded that currently half the chairs faced forward and that the arrangement allowed space to welcome children into the centre of the main service for Godly Play. It was important that two previous congregations lived together in harmony._
- _**Q** Catherine Norris commented that other ways should be used to attract children into church._
- _**Q** Chris Jackson thought Godly Play could be moved forward to allow more chairs to be turned._
_Fr Christopher said the matter would be addressed by the new PCC._
There were no other questions
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**PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF WYMONDHAM ABBEY with SPOONER ROW**
Registered charity number 1130495
## **8 Address by Reverend Canon Christopher Davies**
_It is a joy to see so many of you here this morning and sharing in the life of the Abbey and Spooner Row. A great deal has been achieved – more than I thought possible, more than I dared hope. But God has been good and faithful as He only can be and He has blest our endeavours._
_After a protracted period when the Abbey was open only for a short time each week, on the 8[th] September, following the death of Queen Elizabeth, the Abbey was open every day and has remained so ever since._
_Last Sunday 135 people came to worship at the two services and there is a real sense of fellowship – young and old together, God’s people learning and living out the gospel and we must cherish this and build on it as we welcome others and invite them to share in this pearl of great price._
_To think that we now have almost 100 volunteers is nothing short of a miracle and I want to thank each and every one of them for giving that priceless gift of time enabling us to be open and to welcome visitors and pilgrims every day of the week. This is such an important ministry and if you are one of those who give of your time to staff the shop or the welcome desk,_ _**Thank You.**_
_You have only to glance at the visitors’ book to see how much the Abbey is appreciated and to see that people visit this place, literally, from all over the world._
_The PCC has worked extraordinarily hard these last few months. Since my appointment in September they have met five times. The churchwardens have been particularly busy as we have grappled with the issues of a lack of governance and financial control. But as you will have seen from the financial report we are back on track and in this current year we will have restarted the payment of the Parish Share which, in turn, will ensure the appointment of a future Vicar._
_Thank you to all who have joined the Parish Giving Scheme and to those who regularly make financial contributions by envelope or other means. Your generosity is, quite simply, the vital seed corn and the means by which God’s love can be made known in our community. It is, of course, the community that we are here to serve and I am delighted to share with you that the Papillon Trust has agreed to part-fund an outreach worker to strengthen our links with the community and particularly the several thousand children in our town’s schools. I see this as a vital part of our mission and one of building for the future. Alongside this appointment the PCC has charged a small group to set in place the appointment of a Director of Music and we hope to have someone in post by September. The Abbey’s music, in all its forms, has in the past played a significant part in its ministry and witness and I look forward to this once more being the case. Music brings people together and can be a great evangelist._
_I am conscious that a great many changes have taken place in the last five months – some people have left the worshipping community, others have joined. Change can be unsettling and cause tension but I want all of us to redouble our efforts in putting harmony and joy at the heart of all that we do and all that we are._
_Harmony and joy, as you will be aware were not ever present in the life of the early church – the disciples sometimes argued as they jostled for position but, ultimately, they lay aside their personal preferences and came together for the greater good of the gospel and the emerging church. That is what we must do. So much has been achieved and there is here so much God-given potential. We are called, firmly called, in the gospel to look to the needs of others. It’s by doing that that we shall continue to grow and truly be the people God calls us to be._
_Thank you for all that you have done to get us where we are and thank you for all you will continue to do as we move forward together. May God Bless us all._
_Fr Christopher, Interim Priest in Charge_
The meeting ended with the Blessing.
**www.wymondhamabbey.org.uk**
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**PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF WYMONDHAM ABBEY with SPOONER ROW**
Registered charity number 1130495
## **THE ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING**
## **Saturday 20 April 2024**
## **STATUTORY REPORTS FOR YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 2023**
## **ELECTORAL ROLL REPORT**
A new Electoral Roll was prepared for the APCM held on 4 March 2023. At that time there were 158 on the roll. 57 of whom had not been listed on the previous roll.
Since the last APCM there have been six deaths and 16 new names have been added. There are currently 168 names on the Roll. 26 live outside of the parish.
_Barbara Randall, Electoral Roll Officer_
## **PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL (PCC) REPORT**
The Annual Vestry Meeting (AVM) and Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) were held on Saturday 4 March 2023 attended by 66 people. Two churchwardens were appointed at the AVM.
At the APCM two people were appointed to serve as Deanery Synod representatives. An additional eleven people were appointed to serve as PCC members. There were seven PCC meetings during 2023, all well attended. One member resigned in December.
During 2023 PCC business has included the appointment of Rob Goodrich as Director of Music and Iain Drayton as Health and Safety Officer. The PCC was unable to appointment a Youth and Families worker but the PCC has agreed to pursue the role of developing a Parish Nurse Scheme in Wymondham. The Abbey schoolroom is now leased on a long let of seven years to ‘Clear Company’, a Community Interest Company that organises our fund-raising ‘Abbey Days’ fairs.
The PCC approved 9 Applegarth as the new vicarage (following the sale of Herfast House by the Diocese). The Churchwardens commenced the process of preparing for the appointment of a new Vicar in 2024.
The reputation of the church within the wider community greatly increased during 2023. The church has been open every day and over 33,000 visitors received a warm reception from our team of volunteer welcomers. Many more attended special services and concerts throughout the year.
The reports on Parish Activities will provide ample evidence of what a thriving and welcoming place Wymondham Abbey has become, only possible with the help of very many dedicated volunteers and the wonderful support and spiritual guidance of Fr Christopher.
_Barbara Randall, PCC Secretary_
|**ABBEY SERVICES – 2023**||
|---|---|
|**Services:**||
|Baptisms|19 including three adults|
|Weddings|7|
|Funerals|14|
|Burials of ashes|2|
|Funerals in crematoria|7|
|**Attendance figures:**||
|Average Sunday|154|
|Easter communicants|194|
|The four Sundays of Advent plus Christingle|903|
|Three school carol services|717|
|Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services total|984|
|Advent and Christmas total|2,604|
Around 20 people received Communion at home each month during 2023.
**www.wymondhamabbey.org.uk**
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**PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF WYMONDHAM ABBEY with SPOONER ROW**
Registered charity number 1130495
## **The weekly pattern of services was as follows:**
Monday to Friday: Morning and Evening Prayer each day at 10am and 3pm or 4pm Weekday morning Eucharist on Wednesdays at 10.30am
Centering Presence prayer group weekly on Tuesday at 10.30am
Sunday services: Sung Eucharist at 10.30am, Evening Prayer with hymns at 5pm
Special Eucharists on Feast Days
The most notable increase in worshippers has been the number of families attending the 10.30am services. The Sunday evening service has a regular congregation of 12 or more.
The appointment of a Director of Music in September and subsequent development of both an enlarged senior choir and a junior choir plus a primary school choir visiting once a month further increased congregation numbers.
_Barbara Randall, PCC Secretary_
## **FINANCIAL STATEMENT**
The Treasurer’s Report for the Year ending 31 December 2023 is at the end of this document, following the reports on Parish Activities.
## **FABRIC REPORT**
As you are all aware, 2023 was a year of consolidation and getting the Abbey back on track in many ways, and the various Fabric works are no exception to this.
We began the year with a very detailed inspection by our architect from a cherry picker of the high level stonework both inside and especially outside around the monastic ruins, where a protective fence had been placed previously to protect from suspected falling masonry. Her report has highlighted a significant schedule of stabilisation works, alongside those already planned for the East Tower, which we hope to make a start on in 2024. When complete we hope to be able to remove the wire fence and “tunnel” and return the building to its 2015 appearance.
In mid-summer scaffolding arrived and our long planned programme of roof repairs began. The team from Norfolk Sheet Lead have done a very thorough job welding and patching every crack and pin-hole, and some more major repairs in the sumps and gutters where water ingress was rotting the wood below. They’ve also renewed some flashings and repointed masonry cracks. They returned in the autumn and again early in 2024 to fix some very well hidden defects which we suspect have been causing water penetration for many years. Only time and weather will tell but we have confidence that they roofs are in a good condition, although one cannot expect a building of this construction to be totally watertight in all stormy weathers.
Other external changes include the provision of signs at the ha-ha warning of the steep drop, which were organised and paid for by the Papillon Trust following a Health and Safety review, and the planting of some fruit trees in the wildlife area.
During the course of the year there were also scissor lift platforms in the building for access to put in high level trunk wiring for the new sound system, and the installers came back in November to mount the loudspeakers and electronics to drive it. The system has been a number of years in the planning and what we now have is far advanced technically from the original concept, but will hopefully provide a future-proof backbone for audio and video for many years to come. In the meantime, I’m sure we are all enjoying the clear sound even in the far corners of the building. Much thanks goes to the Friends for their patience, vision and generosity in funding this work.
The interior of the building was given a much-needed facelift by the completion of refinishing work on all of the parquet flooring and the stone floor of the Lady Chapel, again funded by the Friends of Wymondham Abbey.
There has been a lot of catching up with routine but important maintenance including safety checks on all electrical appliances, servicing of boilers and installation of smart meters which should enable us to manage our consumption more easily.
**www.wymondhamabbey.org.uk**
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**PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF WYMONDHAM ABBEY with SPOONER ROW**
Registered charity number 1130495
The Quinquennial inspections of both the Abbey and Spooner Row are now done and we await the reports from the architect to plan the next five years’ priorities.
Moving into 2024, work on the Sedilia will be taking place to conserve its remarkable and fragile terracotta mouldings, and the Bells will have been overhauled by the time of the APCM.
As always we are indebted to the advice and great generosity of the Wymondham Abbey Preservation Trust in funding most of this work. We are in a very privileged and rare position to be able to look after this great building without having to continually fundraise and their continued support is always hugely appreciated. _Andrew Naylor, Fabric Officer_
## **DEANERY SYNOD REPORT**
Humbleyard Deanery Synod has not met during 2023.
A planned reduction of the number of deaneries south of Norwich was finalised on 26 March 2024 with the result that Humbleyard Deanery will be dissolved and the benefices incorporated into other deaneries. Wymondham with Silfield and Spooner Row will join the Thetford and Rockland Deanery together with the Benefices of Hethersett and High Oak , Hingham and Scoulton and Woodrising. _Barbara Randall, Deanery Synod Representative_
## **HOLY TRINITY CHURCH, SPOONER ROW**
Two monthly services are maintained - Eucharist on the 2nd Sunday and a lay led Service, Ministry of the Word, on the fourth Sunday of each month. Average attendance for both Services is 12. Coffee, tea and biscuits are served after each Service. At Christmas, 2023, we had 36 Communicants on Christmas Day, over 40 congregation for Carols Round the Organ and a similar number for the Crib Service.
Our Community stays strong and very positive. During 2023 the Church is hired out each week by Norwich Music Group, and throughout the year by various other groups or people. For example, Art Exhibitions and Recording Sessions. A Wedding is already booked for July 2025.
Our thanks, as always, to Father Tony Snasdel for all his devotion to us. _Philip Aldred_
## **CHURCHWARDENS’ REPORT**
Brian and Jim would like to thank everyone for the tremendous goodwill and support that we have received throughout the year. Without it our task would have been much more onerous.
After the very demanding initial six-month period following Catherine Relf-Pennington’s resignation, 2023 has been a period of stability and growth. It has been a particular joy to be part of a growing and loyal congregation and gives us hope that the turbulent past is now well behind us.
The Wardens have been ably helped by the Assistant Wardens Chris Grant (also Treasurer) and Andrew Naylor (also Fabric Officer). We meet more or less fortnightly with Father Christopher to discuss a wide range of issues, spiritual, pastoral and practical.
Following Fr Christopher’s decision to retire in 2024, we then set to write a Parish Profile, aiming to attract a new Vicar who will lead us on our journey in faith. This took a lot of time and thought and many rewritings. We are very grateful for the help we received from many sources in the production of this important document.
As well as dealing with practical matters we have tried to support Guild Team Leaders in a number of new initiatives. The expansion of the volunteer base has allowed us to manage many more activities and events and we feel very blessed with the number of people, church-goers or not, who devote their time and energy to the Abbey.
_Brian Randall and Jim Hartley_
**www.wymondhamabbey.org.uk**
**Page 14**
**PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF WYMONDHAM ABBEY with SPOONER ROW**
Registered charity number 1130495
## **REPORTS ON PARISH ACTIVITIES**
## **ABBEY ARCHIVE**
During 2023 several academics and historians researched in the Muniment Room. An early banns register has been transcribed prior to deposit in the Diocesan Archive. The 1440 Wymondham Market and Fairs Charter was remounted at the cost of the Town Council. A 1446 Grant of land on which the west tower was built, bearing the seals of the Prior and Monastery, will be re-mounted soon, thanks to the generosity of the Friends of Wymondham Abbey; who have also offered to print a booklet containing a summary of documents held in the Parish Archive. This is under preparation, and when complete its contents could also be added to the Abbey Website for the benefit of researchers. The conservation and listing of documents continues.
_John Herne_
## **ABBEY CHOIR**
## **January – July 2023**
I was asked to become the interim choir director in November 2022 until a permanent Musical Director could be appointed. The choir was a small group of singers of all ages. As a retired Lay Minister at the Abbey, I was very aware of the musical genre both traditional and modern that had been a part of its former styles of worship. I felt that it was extremely important to try to meet the spiritual (musically speaking) needs of both previous congregations who were now worshipping together.
Although the choir usually only sang in three parts we tackled a wide variety of music including a wonderful modern worship song “Touch me with ashes” (accompanied by violin) during Lent and a more traditional joyful Easter anthem on Easter Sunday. I would like to thank those who sang in the choir and cheerfully had a ‘go’ at whatever I suggested and also Peter O’Connor who was an amazing help with choice of more traditional music as well as accompanying us during rehearsals. We had a great deal of fun during those nine months and as a music teacher I am so proud of what the choir managed to achieve. _Ruth Brett_
## **September – December 2023**
I am so delighted to have returned to the Abbey after a three-year gap, as are the rest of my family and a good number of singers, who with me, formed the Wymondham Choristers back in 2019 at the outbreak of the pandemic. We were fortunate to have Daniel Ayers as our accompanist for the Eucharist at the beginning and end of his first term as organ scholar at Royal Holloway. Working together again with Peter O’Connor has been a real joy at the Choral Evensongs and the trilogy of carol services. Whilst inheriting some lovely singers on our return, we have welcomed a good number of new members to the choir of all ages, but most notably the youngsters launching the Abbey’s Junior Choir, skilfully led by my wife, Lorna. My music team and I are excited for the future of our role at the Abbey and how we can enrich the worship in the abbey community and
beyond through our ministry. _Rob Goodrich, Director of Music (appointed September 2023)_
## **ABBEY JUNIOR CHOIR**
The Junior Choir was launched in September by the end of the year we had 15 members. The children range in age from 6 to 11 years and are supported by Rebecca Ayers who helps lead the singing, assists with music theory activities, and has accompanied on keyboard.
The choristers have sung at four services, including Harvest and the Crib Service. They have learnt a range of repertoire, some of which they have sung on their own as a children’s choir. They are also enjoying singing in harmony with the adult choir and their confidence is growing. The children are working towards their first RSCM Voice for Life chorister medals.
We are very grateful to Rachael Murrel, who has sorted through our existing choir robes and altered many to ensure all the choristers look smart. The junior choristers were joined by the Robert Kett School Choir for two services in 2023. The choir, 30 strong, led by Julia Dove, filled the chancel on both occasions. It has been wonderful to welcome so many children and families to these services. _Lorna Goodrich_
## **ABBEY COMMUNITY CRAFT FAIRS**
In 2023 we had three extremely successful craft fairs, welcoming we believe over 8,000 people through the doors across the three events which is amazing. We have been working with Julie Briggs at Clear Company now for some years and have established a well-known presence and what people can expect from our ‘Abbey Days’ fairs. As a minimum the community can always enjoy lots of craft stalls, local street food, live music, our Abbey Café, Tombola, fun activities for all the family and always a children’s treasure hunt plus usually much more. All the fairs in 2023 were very well received and feedback from stall holders and visitors has always been positive and complimentary, most stall holders now book their place up to a year in advance so they don’t miss out. We always need volunteers to help on the day, either in the Café, on the Tombola Stand or marshal duty outside directing stall holders at set up – if you can spare a few hours and would like to help in 2024, I would love to hear from you. _Hayley Cornwall_
## **ABBEY FLOWERS**
Easter will be the start of a new year for flowers in The Abbey arranged by a small team of ladies. We are very grateful to Andy Free for his sponsorship over the past year. If anyone would like to sponsor an arrangement in memory of a loved one or for a special anniversary or event we would be delighted to accommodate them. As part of our remit, Mothering Sunday is a special occasion, this year we are producing 140 posies. By special arrangement we are also happy to arrange flowers for weddings. If anyone
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would like to join our small team we would love to hear from them, help will be given if required and an allowance for flowers. _Doris Waymark_
## **ABBEY HALL / WYMONDHAM COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROJECT (WCOP)**
The Abbey Hall has continued to host Parish lunches (limited numbers since September - see WCOP.) plus a number of regular outside groups which included: Tiny Talk (weekly - April - September), Greening Wymondham, Weight Management (weekly), Brownies (weekly), Council Polling station. (twice).
In September we welcomed the WCOP (foodbank) at relatively short notice. This arrangement has worked well. About ¼ of the floor space has been permanently used for storage of food (etc) The project hires the entire space on Monday and Friday afternoons for preparation and Tuesday and Saturday mornings for distribution. They also have access for deliveries at other times when the building is not being used. The WCOP are currently looking for a permanent building but have been assured that they will be able to remain in the Hall until they find suitable premises. _Jim Hartley_
## **CAFÉ TEAM**
The café in St Benedicts has run successfully on a selfservice and donation basis throughout the year allowing it to be available to the public and volunteers during Abbey opening hours without the need for a volunteer rota to operate. Tea, coffee and biscuits are always available with instructions on how to help yourself.
A simple to use card donation station with optional gift aid was installed in September and has proved a popular alternative to cash donations. Following two thefts of cash boxes, a permanent cash slot has been fashioned into the furniture of the kitchen counter with secure access. Café donations were in the region of £4,279 with expenses of £618 resulting in a surplus of £3,661.
Coffee and tea are served every week by the team after the Sunday morning service. The team have operated a very successful paid service of refreshments and cakes for the three Abbey fairs and Winterfest, contributing over £1,800. They also serve hot drinks at Abbey concerts, Friday soup and cheese during the winter up to Easter and also contributed to the welcome and the income.
Thanks to all the café team for their hard work, a special thanks to Sue and Andrew Naylor for keeping supplies constantly stocked and to all who provided delicious homemade cakes and biscuits. _Diana Grant_
## **BABY AND TODDLER GROUP**
Wymondham Abbey Baby and Toddler Group has had a busy year. The group has proved to be very popular with local families. At the start of the year, we found our numbers of attendees grew quickly and we would often have more than 60 families turning up on a Thursday morning. Unfortunately, this meant we sometimes had to turn people away for safety reasons. We introduced a booking system after Easter, to help control numbers. The numbers are now capped at 50 children per week and the spaces book out within minutes of being released on a Sunday evening. We currently have over 500 members on our Facebook group.
Our sessions always have a theme and some of the themes have included: Epiphany, World Book Day, Easter, Noah’s Ark, The Creation, The Coronation, Science Week and many more. Each week we provide toys for the children to play with, refreshments for families, and plan a range of craft activities, messy play, songs, and stories to support the theme of the day.
We have a fantastic team of volunteers who help to set up, run and tidy away each week. I am hugely grateful for their efforts. We really couldn’t run without them. _Lorna Goodrich_
## **BELLS**
Morning services have had bells every Sunday throughout the year. We also marked Coronation Day with additional ringing.
An inspection by the bell-hangers in January 2023 showed some minor issues requiring attention and this work will be done in 2024. Our thanks to the Abbey Preservation Trust who have offered to fund this. _Hayden Charles_
## **CENTERING PRESENCE**
Every Tuesday between 10.30 and 11.30am a small group meet at the Abbey to be still before God. This activity of paying attention and focusing on our internal world helps quieten the mind from the constant thoughts and impulses and frees our true self to experience more of God’s love and peace.
Over the last year we have practiced a number of exercises to guide us in our prayer life including those in Anthony de Mello’s book _A Way to God_ such as body and breath awareness, imaginative prayer and _lectio divina_ . Currently for lent both desert and wilderness meditations based on reflections by Annie Heppenstall in _The Healer’s Tree_ have played a central part of our time together. After Easter our focus will shift to sacred encounters found within nature.
Although all these can be practiced at home alone, it is easier to achieve concentration and practice these exercises profitably as a group of people who are also attempting to achieve the silence that these exercises bring.
Beginners as well as seasoned practitioners will gain inspiration, rich insight, and practical knowledge of a contemplative prayer practices that can open you up to deep experiences of inner healing and peace. We look forward to welcoming you to this sacred space. _Gill Grey_
## **CHURCHYARD and HERB GARDEN**
A Churchyard Management Plan was approved by the PCC in March. The Medieval Herb Garden was restored with replacement plants and brass nameplates. Re-instating of
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the Wildflower and Wildlife Conservation Areas included removing wire fencing and laurel plants. Compost bins, bird boxes and mini bug hotels were installed. The Abbey roses were pruned to flower in abundance later in the year. All works were funded from the sales of herbs and
Wymondham Abbey roses.
The Abbey Churchyard Team (ACT) meet regularly to plan events. A very successful ‘Love Your Churchyard’ event in June was supported by ‘Greening Wymondham’, Norfolk Wildlife Trust and Wymondham Nature Group. We supported NWT’s ‘Big Green Event’ in the Abbey Hall. In July six hazel and three crab apples trees were donated and planted in the conservation area. Grasses were left to grow and the hay harvested in August. Paths to the Garden of Remembrance were kept mown. In September the Wildlife Conservation Area was awarded Best Biodiversity and Conservation Project in the whole of East Anglia. Our ‘Green Halloween’ event was very successful with over 70 adults and children attending. Fr Christopher blessed the churchyard. The children searched for wildlife, enjoyed pumpkin soup, craft work and watching bats at dusk. Ann Roberts from Norfolk Wildlife Trust surveyed the churchyard throughout the year and identified 26 new species to add to our previous survey in 2017. The earliest survey listed 47 species – we now have 213 since creating the wildlife area. _Hilary Hunter_
## **CONCERTS IN THE ABBEY**
Concerts are an important aspect of our outreach, bringing over 2,500 people into the Abbey who might not otherwise visit. They are an important source of revenue from: hire of the building, tickets sales and donations for events we organise ourselves and interval refreshments. Profit on concerts in 2023 totalled £4,888.
There were nine full evening concerts during 2023, including three visits by Wymondham Symphony Orchestra, and one each by Wymondham Choral Society, Wymondham Youth Orchestra with Pulham Village Orchestra and Cawston Band who led a very popular ‘Last Night of the Proms’ event. Two Rotary clubs put on mixed concerts and Norwich soprano Hayley Moss held the audience’s attention for a whole evening on her own. In addition, we held three Saturday morning organ recitals when our recitalists were encouraged to pull out all the stops. There was quiet reflective music too!
The young beneficiaries of the Buckton Rice Memorial Trust were delighted to be back in the Abbey once more for their annual Sunday afternoon concert.
Music is also very important in our worship. We were very pleased to welcome back the Cavick Quartet during Lent when they performed Haydn _’s Seven Last Words_ alongside meditations from Fr Christopher.
Our small team of concert volunteers have worked tirelessly to ensure the smooth running of these events and offer a warm welcome to all our performers and audiences. An important aspect of this is serving interval refreshments: tea, coffee, fruit juice and wine. The team can refresh over 200 people in 20 minutes, but it does require careful organisation! If you like music, please join the stewarding
team. And don’t forget to come and enjoy the music in our beautiful Abbey. Thirteen concerts are already in the diary for 2024. _Barbara Randall_
## **DISCUSSION GROUPS**
## **‘We Believe’**
A series of informal discussions held on alternative weeks from January to July. Based on the Creed and the Beatitudes these proved to be interesting and engaging. Eight people attended regularly. **‘Who is Welcome’**
A time of reflection and discussion based on the film ‘The Green Book’. Held on five evenings during Lent the participants found the subjects very moving and challenging. The film raised issues around power, integrity, wealth, hypocrisy, prejudice, loyalty and family values. Six people attended. _Jim Hartley_
## **ECO CHURCH AWARD SCHEME**
Launched in 2016 by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Eco Church Award Scheme is for churches who want to show their care for God’s earth by our care for it: in worship and teaching, buildings and land and engagement with the local community, in global campaigns and in the personal lifestyle of our congregation. We gained a Silver Award in November. _Hilary Hunter_
## **GODLY PLAY**
Godly Play continues to be an integral part of the Sunday Eucharist. Numbers coming to sit in the circle with the storyteller average five children plus their parents with larger numbers when Robert Kett school visit or the Junior Choir join us for worship. The story presented follows the themes of the service usually the Gospel reading. Each week the activity table in the Lady Chapel is well stocked with response materials and a lectionary-based worksheet. It is also used by visitors to the abbey during the week. There are six members of the Godly Play team. We attended a training workshop in September and have links with the diocesan children’s work support and the Godly Play UK network.
The substantial stock of Godly Play equipment has been relocated from ‘difficult-to-store’ furniture in the Lady Chapel to a cupboard in St Benedict’s. _Fiona Prentice_
## **GUILD OF ST BENEDICTS**
St Benedict insisted that hospitality be one of the highest values – “Let all guests who arrive be received as Christ.” The “guest” may be a stranger, a friend in the making, those in our community who are marginalized, or our closest friends and family. The number of visitors to the Abbey and comments in the visitor book endorse what an amazing job our volunteers are doing.
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What a fabulous year it has been. The Guild has gone from strength to strength. By attending the social get-togethers, more and more Guild members have become aware of those who they would not normally see. We are so lucky to have such an amazing group of volunteers who make up the members of the Guild. This year we have had a couple of social events. It was really lovely for us to join together in worship at one of the events. Those members who are not Christian said that they were more than happy to just sit during the prayers and be at peace with their own thoughts. The volunteers are an amazing group of people and the envy of the majority of churches across the Diocese of Norwich. Thank you for all that they have done and an added thank you to Jim Hartley who has been a tremendous support. Keep up the good work. _Robert Culyer_
## **HEALTH AND SAFETY REPORT**
Back in July 2023 Father Christopher asked me if I would consider the role of ‘Health and Safety Officer’. A ‘Fire Risk’ document dated 11 Nov 2021 was available which I have analysed revealing 65 non-compliance’s. These are mainly due to unavailable documentation at the time of the inspection. The over-all risk assessment for both the Abbey and the Abbey Hall were medium with no major / life threatening issues outstanding.
Working with both the Fabric Officer and the Church Wardens, we have identified the resolution of the noncompliance that relate to signage, fire alarm / emergency lighting testing and log-books and a two other issues. These are slowly being addressed. The remaining issues will be resolved in 2024. Should other issues be discovered or pointed out these will be assessed immediately so that they can be resolved in an appropriate time scale. _Iain Drayton_
## **LIFE EVENTS – WEDDINGS**
In 2023 there were 38 enquiries, six weddings, one blessing of a marriage and one external banns published. 2024 and 2025 look to be much busier!
Now we have a Director of Music in place, we can offer a choir for weddings and several couples have booked this for their services in 2024 along with organ and organist. Four of the six weddings in 2023 had bellringing. Father Christopher, the wardens, Chris Grant, Hayley Cornwell, Rob Goodrich, the vergers and Hayden Charles, the tower captain, are all so helpful and loving in how they serve the couples and their families. It is a joy to be part of this life events’ ministry! _Fiona Prentice_
## **NEWBORN GROUP**
A monthly group for parents of babies under six weeks old was set up by a midwife in 2022. This was due to the lack of health visitors in the area. All parents of newborn babies are invited to meet in St Benedict’s. This provides new parents with an opportunity to ask any questions, talk over any
problems and meet other parents. There are usually between 7 and 12 babies, all with at least one parent. Margaret Hartley helps with teas and coffees and reassures any Abbey visitors that St Benedict’s is still available for refreshments. She also has a chance to invite the parents to visit the Abbey again and some have done so. At least one baby and parent are regulars at the Parent and Toddler group. _Jim Hartley_
## **PARISH LUNCHES**
After a very long break, Parish Lunches made a return to the Abbey Hall. With the support of several volunteers an average of fifty people enjoyed a three-course meal on the first Sunday of the month. Unfortunately, on one or two occasions the lunch had to be cancelled due to the lack of volunteers and team leaders.
The lunches were not intended to be a fundraiser merely a social occasion for those on their own. Each lunch made a profit enabling us to donate to Wymondham Rotary Club, the Children’s Society and raising £2,061.50p for the PCC. An appeal for new team leaders sadly hasn’t yet succeeded, so we still require help to continue. _Joyce Reynolds_
## **PUBLICITY: SOCIAL MEDIA and the WEBSITE**
We took over a website whose design did not really meet our requirements. Thanks to the generosity of the Wymondham Abbey Preservation Trust, we were able to commission ad new one. We managed to find a local designed who has produced for us an attractive and easyto-use website. We can edit it ourselves to keep it up to date. It has received many compliments.
We continue to post regularly on the Wymondham Abbey Facebook page, which has a good number of followers, and enables us to keep local people abreast of our activities and happenings. We have produced a succession of posters and flyers promoting event within the Abbey.
As a result of our activities we are finding ourselves with a greater engagement with the Wymondham community, which is an important aspect of being the town’s parish church, and improved our desire for meaningful outreach. _Brian Randall_
## **SAFEGUARDING AT WYMONDHAM ABBEY**
The Abbey follows the most recent guidance on the Church of England website which is covered in an e-manual. The three main modules of training are Basic Awareness, Foundation and Leadership and are completed online. Most Abbey volunteers _(church officers is the term used by the diocese)_ are not required to complete any training modules but are ‘encouraged’ to complete Basic
Awareness. PCC Members are required to complete Basic Awareness. Other roles that require higher levels of training are Church Wardens, Director of Music, Choir Leaders, Godly Play Leaders.
Most volunteers have now successfully completed the courses required by their roles with the exception of a very
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small number who are being assisted with the process. Records of individual requirements and courses completed are kept on the Abbey secure database in line with GDPR privacy requirements. Contact details for The Safeguarding Officer, pso@wymondhamabbey.org.uk are on display throughout the Abbey buildings and all are encouraged to make contact and discuss any issues as they arise. Reminder signs that young people must be supervised by an adult at all times have also been installed at the visitor entrance. We are fortunate to have had no safeguarding incidents during the year requiring referral or action by the Diocese. _Diana Grant, Safeguarding Officer_
## **SERVERS**
Altar Servers are there to assist the Priest and to encourage people to worship God and see His Glory. It is a ministry of prayer, reverence, rituals, a great privilege and responsibility, and not to be taken lightly! Very few people are allowed in the Sanctuary as it is a Holy Place. Sadly, the Team has totally changed during 2023 due to families moving away, illness, school pressures, university. September saw earnest training in all the tasks and reflecting on reasons for actions and the symbolism of such moves. This has developed a rewarding fellowship among us and deepened our faith and understanding. We are now a happy team of ten but do need more to join us. Age is no barrier! Could God be calling you? You are very welcome to come and have a quiet chat with me anytime to explore this special joyous ministry. _Morwenna Thomas_
## **SHOP**
The shop reopened in 2022 and thanks to Sarah Sayer, now retired, it became very successful and by the end of 2023 it had turned over £33,000. Sarah was dedicated to the shop and came in almost daily to check stock, train volunteers, and ensure everything ran in a professional manner, yet in keeping with the ethos of Wymondham Abbey. Not surprisingly after Sarah left it was very hard to find people able to follow in her footsteps.
We now have a shop management team using their individual interests and skills to address the many elements of a successful retail business: recruitment and training of volunteers, communications, stock purchasing, costings and profit margins, bar coding and ensuring the till tallies as well as oversight of the stock generally. We aim to make volunteering easy and enjoyable and ensure the Benedictine tradition of welcome is extended to the things we sell and how we engage with our visitors. My thanks to everyone, past, present and future who are involved with the Wymondham Abbey shop, as a comparative ‘newbie’ I really appreciate how helpful and supportive everyone is. Thank you so much. _Vivienne Clifford-Jackson_
We arranged a series of six talks between April and October. The illustrated talks, all given by unpaid speakers, were on topics ranging from medieval medicine, medieval music in churches, talks on travels in India and landscape architecture through to an informal concert of West Gallery music in Spooner Row Church.
All were well attended, with an average audience of 80. The talks were on a free entry, retiring collection basis, and raised around £600 for Abbey funds. Refreshments were provided afterwards, which allowed informal chats with the speakers. As well as raising much needed funds, the talks also ensured that a good number of people were welcomed into the Abbey who might not otherwise consider visiting. We are planning six more talks in 2024. _Brian Randall_
## **WELCOME DESK, VISITORS AND TOURS**
We are delighted to say that we now pretty much have a full complement of volunteers for the Welcome Desk Monday to Saturday. If we open the Abbey on Sunday afternoons during the summer (in the past that has proved very popular with the public) we will need to recruit some more.
## **Visitors:**
Last year we had over 33,000 visitors – a record! They came from not just this country but all over the world and have many complimentary remarks in the Visitors’ Book about the beauty and atmosphere of the Abbey as well as the warmth of welcome and helpfulness of the Welcomers.
## **Tours:**
We conducted 20 tours last year including three for volunteers. The make-up of the tour parties varies a lot, ranging from the local Beavers pack and Ashleigh Primary School Reception class to U3A groups and, most heartening, two visits from Eckling Grange Care Home for retired clergy. They must like us as they have just booked another tour!
We hope to increase the number of tours as time goes on and look forward to when the Mid Norfolk Railway is once again coming into Wymondham. To this end we are happy that Julia Hanson and Peter Wadlow have joined our Guide Team.
_Gill Curtis and Carol Bolderstone_
## **A WARM WELCOME AT THE ABBEY**
During the early part of 2023 we were offering soup lunches on Fridays as one of Wymondham’s ‘Warm Welcome Spaces’.
Other social groups met regularly in St Benedicts and continue to do so. The ‘Crochet & Conversation’ group meet weekly on Wednesdays and many other individuals and families enjoy the space to study after school or just to meet up with friends. _Barbara Randall_
## **SUNDAYS AT THREE**
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## **TREASURER’S REPORT**
**For the Year ending 31 December 2023**
Income in 2023 amounted to £376,323 which included generous reserved gifts of £92,421 (Outreach / Organist and Choir leader fund with gift aid). After grants of £115,370 (Building repairs, gas and electric utilities support, Friends), the ‘Sustainable’ balance of £168,532 was from Giving via the Parish Giving Scheme, visitor donations, gift aid, events and the Abbey shop.
After inheriting two consecutive years of losses, we turned an important corner at the end of the 2023 financial year by enjoying a small surplus of about £3–4,000 based on what we view as sustainable income. This included, for the first time in several years, the Parish Share of £65,000 being fully paid. With an increase from £65,000 to £70,420 in 2024, although challenging, we forecast to again pay in full and return a modest surplus.
Our sister church of Spooner Row has a building fund of £26,870 and sufficient regular income to meet essential annual expenditure such as utilities and insurance.
Significant activities:
- The Parish Giving Scheme (PGS) has seen a steady increase in support, with regular giving from 51 Members approaching £3,400 per month including Gift Aid.
- The two contactless card donation points contributed over £5,000 having been in place since June (Main door) and September (Cafe). Both stations accept Gift Aid which is collected by the card providers and deposited to our account daily.
- Total giving from all sources contributed £104,059.
- Events generated a profit of around £15,000 on an income of around £21,000.
- The shop generated a profit of around £14,000 on an income of around £24,000
We continue to use every generously given pound wisely and carefully, and it’s again important to point out that certain large expenditures necessary for comfortable heating levels in the Abbey, major repairs to the roof leadwork, complete overhaul of the website, completion of the sound system have all been funded externally by the generosity of the Wymondham Abbey Preservation Trust (WAPT) and Friends of Wymondham Abbey (FWA) without whose ongoing support the Abbey would not be financially viable. The comfortable heating this winter has resulted in being able to welcome regular congregations, over 33,000 visitors, outreach activities such as the weekly Baby and Toddler group, the Friday Winter Warm Spaces and not least an environment for our dedicated volunteers to enjoy working in.
The planned change of bank from Barclays (Wymondham branch having closed) has been delayed due to the time taken to close obsolete accounts but we hope to find an alternative in 2024.
Thanks go to so many who have supported us this year and particularly to those that have joined the Parish Giving Scheme with regular monthly donations, Fr Christopher and the church wardens for regular advice and Chris Jackson for her long-standing efficient management of gift-aid.
Chris Grant, _Treasurer_
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## **LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION**
## **Structure, governance and management**
The Charity is controlled by its governing document, a deed of trust and constitutes an unincorporated charity. The PCC is a corporate body established by the Church of England and operates under the Parochial Church Council Powers Measure.
Governing Documents of Parochial Church Councils The Church of England have agreed with the Charity Commission that for the purposes of agreeing ‘governing documents’, Parochial Church Councils (PCCs) are governed by two pieces of legislation: the Parochial Church Councils (Powers) Measure 1956 as amended. This defines the principal function, or purpose, of the PCC as “promoting in the parish the whole mission of the Church”. You can find the full text of the PCC Powers Measure in its currently amended form on the legislation.gov.uk database at: www.legislation.gov.uk/ukcm/Eliz2/4-5/3/contents and the Church Representation Rules (contained in Schedule 3 to the Synodical Government Measure 1969 as amended). You can find the full text of the Church Representation Rules in its currently amended form on the legislation.gov.uk database at: www.legislation.gov.uk/ukcm/1969/2/schedule/3
The PCC was registered with the Charity Commission on 9 July 2009.
The Church is classified as a charity under the Places of Worship Registration Act 1855.
## **Charity number:** 1130495
## **Objectives and activities**
The primary objective of the PCC is the promotion of the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to the doctrines and practices of the Church of England. The PCC is required to co-operate with the Minister in promoting in the parish the whole message of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, and ecumenical.
The PCC is committed to enabling as many people as possible to worship at the church and to become part of the parish community. The PCC maintains an overview of worship throughout the parish and makes suggestions on how its services can involve the many groups that live within the parish.
## **Public benefit**
The PCC is aware of the Charity Commission guidance on public benefit. It is also aware of the supplementary guidance relating to religious charities. The PCC promotes, where allowed, the whole mission of the church through the following activities: regular public worship open to all, pastoral work, provision for the poor, teaching of Christian worship through sermons, courses and small groups; promotion of Christianity through the staging of events and meetings and the distribution of literature; encouragement for all in faith and wellbeing by developing provision in the churchyard, promotion of the whole mission of the Church through activities for all ages.
**Principal address:** Wymondham Abbey, Church Street, Wymondham, Norfolk, England, NR18 0PH
## **Detailed information:**
Registered Charity Name: The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of SS Mary and Thomas of Canterbury, Wymondham with Silfield and Spooner Row.
Working name: Wymondham Abbey PCC
Bankers: Barclays Bank Plc, 45 Market Street, Wymondham, Norfolk NR18 0AL
CCLA Investment Management Ltd, The CBF Church of England Funds, 80 Cheapside, London EC2V 6DZ
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## **Related parties**
The PCC is supported by Friends of Wymondham Abbey (registered charity number 1064418). The PCC is also supported by Wymondham Abbey Preservation Trust (registered charity number 1054896) and Reverend William Papillon’s Charity (registered charity number 1016604)
## **Independent examiner:**
Peter Bussey, Abacus Accountancy, The Willows, Ipswich Rd, Long Stratton, Norwich NR15 2TG
## **Trustees:**
The following Trustees (who were elected and/or re-elected for three-year term commencing 4 March 2023) served during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were:
Revd. Canon Christopher John Davies, Interim Priest-in-Charge (appointed 1 September 2022) Ruth Elizabeth Brett (appointed 4 March 2023, resigned 31 March 2024) Barbara Joan Randall (appointed 4 March 2023) Morwenna Corfield Thomas (appointed 4 March 2023) Isabel Davidson (appointed 4 March 2023) David Valentine Hamilton (appointed 4 March 2023) Christopher James Grant (appointed 30 October 2022 Brian Peter Marcus Randall (appointed 17 July 2022) William James Hartley (appointed 17 July 2022) Alex Perry (appointed 29 May 2022) Philip Aldred (appointed 1 March 2020) Andrew Naylor (appointed 28 April 2019) Catherine Sian Mack (appointed 28 April 2019) Kathleen Dorling (appointed 28 April 2019) Sarah Sayer (resigned 14 December 2023)
## **Recruitment and appointment of new trustees**
Members of the PCC are either ex-officio or elected by the Annual Parochial Church Meeting in accordance with the Church Representation Rules.
## **Charity Commission listing of account for 2022**
We would like to point out for the record that although the listing for 2022 states ‘Charity reporting is up to date (29 days late)’ the accounts were in fact on-time but impossible to upload due entirely to failure of the Charity Commission login system and website. The Charity Commission emailed a written apology and confirmed that they would remove the late message but have failed to do so or respond to emails reminding them since. We will continue attempts to contact them.
## **Financial statements**
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out and comply with the Charity’s governing document, the Charities Act 2011 and ‘Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)’ (effective 1 January 2019).
**www.wymondhamabbey.org.uk**
**Page 22**
**PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF WYMONDHAM ABBEY with SPOONER ROW**
Registered charity number 1130495
## **Financial review**
The results for the year are set out in the Statement of Financial Activities that follow.
## **Going concern**
The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis as the PCC believes that material uncertainties have mostly been identified. The PCC has considered the level of funds held and the expected level of income and expenditure for 12 months from authorising these financial statements. The budgeted income and expenditure is sufficient with the level of reserves for the PCC to be able to continue as a going concern.
## **Reserves policy**
The PCC aims to cover normal expenditure by regular income. As the income and expenditure both vary from month to month, the PCC's policy is to maintain free reserves in the region of three months average expenditure. On occasions when income does not meet expenditure, the deficit will be drawn from free reserves.
## **Restricted funds end of year**
Outreach project £77,500 (spent £0) Director of Music £6,458.33 (spent £1,292) Concert fund £1,309.69 (spent £0) Spooner Row repairs £26,870 (spent £0)
The Trustees’ report was approved by the Board of Trustees on Sunday 7 April 2024
Revd. Canon C J Davies, Interim Priest-in-Charge
Date: 07/04/2024
**www.wymondhamabbey.org.uk**
**Page 23**
The Willows, Ipswich Road Long Stratton, NR15 2TG Tel. 01508 333040 office@abcabacus.co.uk www.abcabacus.co.uk
## **Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of “Wymondham Abbey PCC”**
I report on the accounts of the above charity number 1130495 for the year ended 31 December 2023
## **Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner**
The charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the Charities Act 2011 (the Act). The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the Act 1993 and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to:
- examine the accounts under section 145 of the Act;
- to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act; and
- to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
## **Basis of independent examiner’s report**
My examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair view’ and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
## **Independent examiner’s statement**
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect:
- the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act; or
- the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or
- the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair’ view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Peter Bussey FFA FIPA
**5[th] April 2024**
abc abacus ~ the name you can count on !
**www.wymondhamabbey.org.uk**
**Page 24**
## **Profit and Loss**
January - December 2023
|**Profit and Loss**
January - December 2023|||
|---|---|---|
|||**Total**|
||**Jan - Dec 2023**|**Jan - Dec 2022(PY)**|
|INCOME|||
|Abbey tours|286.09|220.00|
|Activities and events|19,196.60|6,605.22|
|Bank and building society interest|1,333.52|508.91|
|Donations and legacies|50.00|14,276.35|
|Abbey concerts reserved|1,309.69||
|Abbey Hall fund|2,061.50||
|Childrens worker grant - reserved|4,000.00||
|Director of Music reserved|7,200.00||
|Outreach Fund reserved|62,000.00||
|Tax recoverable on Gift Aid Reserved|15,800.00||
|**Total Donations and legacies**|**92,421.19**|**14,276.35**|
|Donations appeals etc||26,258.66|
|Fees for weddings and funerals|4,262.00|16,031.00|
|Funeral fees|8,326.00||
|Weddingfees|1,635.00||
|**Total Fees for weddings and funerals**|**14,223.00**|**16,031.00**|
|Giving||3,206.87|
|Baby and Toddler|1,603.60||
|Cafe Donations|4,623.61||
|Loose plate collections|2,011.68|1,846.47|
|One-off gift|3,500.00||
|Other planned giving|198.94|1,075.00|
|Service offertory|3,907.30|3,771.24|
|Small card donations|5,153.34|253.11|
|Tax efficient giving|1,140.00|300.00|
|Bankers order|5,160.00|14,709.00|
|Gift Aid - Envelopes||610.00|
|One-off Gift Aid gifts|8,560.00|3,700.00|
|Parish Giving Scheme|31,211.04|2,662.00|
|Tax recoverable on Gift Aid|24,772.73|2,175.50|
|**Total Tax efficient giving**|**70,843.77**|**24,156.50**|
|Visitor cash donations|12,217.61|147.28|
|**Total Giving**|**104,059.85**|**34,456.47**|
|Grants - non recurring|-10,892.97|15,946.20|
|VAT LPW grant|10,892.97||
|WAF grant|8,155.61||
|WAPT grant|102,215.28||
|Winter warmergrant - reserved|5,000.00||
|**Total Grants - non recurring**|**115,370.89**|**15,946.20**|
**www.wymondhamabbey.org.uk**
**Page 25**
|||**Total**|
|---|---|---|
||**Jan - Dec 2023**|**Jan - Dec 2022(PY)**|
|Grants - recurring||11,913.42|
|Other funds generated||253.04|
|Rent from lands or buildings|1,474.00||
|Abbey hire|855.00||
|Hire - AbbeyHall|1,870.00||
|**Total Rent from lands or buildings**|**4,199.00**||
|Sales income|||
|Cafe sales||1,837.66|
|Other Products|275.00|140.00|
|Shopsales|24,351.12|6,857.42|
|**Total Sales income**|**24,626.12**|**8,835.08**|
|Unapplied Cash Payment Income|107.24||
|Uncategorised Income|500.00|38.57|
|**Total Income**|**376,323.50**|**135,342.92**|
|TOTAL|**376,323.50**|**135,342.92**|
|EXPENDITURES|||
|Abbey Hall|||
|Hall running maintenance|4,993.29|551.14|
|Insurance - Abbey Hall|904.33||
|Utilities - Abbey Hall||130.60|
|Electricity - Abbey Hall|950.00||
|Gas - AbbeyHall|1,033.90||
|**Total Utilities - Abbey Hall**|**1,983.90**|**130.60**|
|**Total Abbey Hall**|**7,881.52**|**681.74**|
|Administration|512.90|9,786.02|
|Church office telephone|801.81|3,095.50|
|DBS costs|98.00||
|Guild expenses|143.75||
|IT Costs|3,304.94|443.50|
|Office Equipment|1,482.90|991.33|
|Office Supplies, Postage and Stationery|1,441.31|107.48|
|Subscriptions|780.22||
|Workingexpenses of incumbent|394.61|340.66|
|**Total Administration**|**8,960.44**|**14,764.49**|
|Advertising/Promotional|659.10|572.00|
|Bank Charges & Fees|805.15|1,654.45|
|Bookstall costs|9.00||
|Cafe purchases|612.74|1,439.61|
|Church Cleaning & Maintenance||31,635.00|
|Cleaning contractors|3,002.25|3,219.71|
|Cleaning materials|471.44||
|Cleaning waste collection|1,029.09||
**www.wymondhamabbey.org.uk**
**Page 26**
|||**Total**|
|---|---|---|
||**Jan - Dec 2023**|**Jan - Dec 2022(PY)**|
|Repair and maintenance Abbey|517.98|-342.00|
|Funded by Abbey|281.53||
|Funded by Friends|2,510.00||
|Funded byTrust|78,463.99||
|**Total Repair and maintenance Abbey**|**81,773.50**|**-342.00**|
|**Total Church Cleaning & Maintenance**|**86,276.28**|**34,512.71**|
|Church running - utilities|752.56|291.25|
|Church running - electricity|11,706.51|4,520.71|
|Church running - gas|12,676.20|13,802.82|
|Church running - water|532.82|50.29|
|Water charges Abbey|-232.85|1,197.88|
|**Total Church running - utilities**|**25,435.24**|**19,862.95**|
|Costs of fetes & other events|5,706.86|2,838.85|
|Ticket Sales for event hirers|1,196.09||
|**Total Costs of fetes & other events**|**6,902.95**|**2,838.85**|
|Costs of services|680.29|11,768.36|
|Bell Ringing|1,125.00||
|Church flowers|962.16|215.88|
|Diocese fees|4,465.00||
|Organist|3,191.52|2,410.00|
|Printing|2,065.00|1,213.61|
|Service consumables|3,035.29||
|Service sheets and print|78.55||
|Verging||4,822.61|
|**Total Costs of services**|**15,602.81**|**20,430.46**|
|Giving to missionary societies||12.25|
|Guild|1,129.31||
|Home mission||1,395.00|
|Mission - Consumables||1,765.61|
|Web and social media content||1,197.25|
|**Total Home mission**||**4,357.86**|
|Insurance - Abbey|11,913.42|832.35|
|Interest Payable|5.67|5.79|
|Ministry parish share etc (Diocesan)|70,000.00|2,823.00|
|Organ / piano tuning|575.00|517.50|
|Other Professional Services||230.00|
|Accountancy paid services|6,998.80||
|Legal Fees||8,883.80|
|**Total Other Professional Services**|**6,998.80**|**9,113.80**|
|Rent paid (storage)||1,250.72|
|Shop Purchases|10,186.65|3,236.33|
|Spooner Row|||
**www.wymondhamabbey.org.uk**
**Page 27**
|||**Total**|
|---|---|---|
||**Jan - Dec 2023**|**Jan - Dec 2022(PY)**|
|Insurance - Spooner Row|398.93||
|Repair and maintenance - Spooner Row||184.00|
|Upkeep of churchyard - Spooner Row|1,102.00||
|Utilities - Spooner Row|1,038.77|102.09|
|**Total Spooner Row**|**2,539.70**|**286.09**|
|Telephone|38.75|10.00|
|Uncategorised Expense|201.90|762.69|
|Upkeep of churchyard||5,568.30|
|Wages & Salaries||42,472.36|
|Aviva Pension|762.87|524.45|
|Director of Music|2,916.65||
|Employment administration||46.90|
|HMRC|2,194.90|-154.16|
|Salary of parish administrator|12,542.36||
|Salary of Verger|1,136.00||
|Travel and Accommodation||144.90|
|Wages & Salaries Aviva Life|500.58|231.00|
|**Total Wages & Salaries**|**20,053.36**|**43,265.45**|
|**Total Expenditures**|**276,787.79**|**168,799.39**|
|NET OPERATING INCOME|**99,535.71**|**-33,456.47**|
|OTHER INCOME|||
|Z02 Other Gains/(Losses)|4,798.24|-9,126.26|
|**Total Other Income**|**4,798.24**|**-9,126.26**|
|OTHER EXPENDITURES|||
|Givingto other causes|146.00||
|**Total Other Expenditures**|**146.00**|**0.00**|
|NET OTHER INCOME|**4,652.24**|**-9,126.26**|
|NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)|**£104,187.95**|**£ -42,582.73**|
**www.wymondhamabbey.org.uk**
**Page 28**
## **Balance Sheet**
As of December 31, 2023
|||**Total**|
|---|---|---|
||**As of Dec 31, 2023**|**As of Dec 31, 2022(PY)**|
|FIXED ASSET|||
|**Tangible assets**|||
|Office Equipment Cost|56,482.44|56,482.44|
|Office Equipment Depreciation|-56,482.44|-56,482.44|
|**Total Tangible assets**|**0.00**|**0.00**|
|**Total Fixed Asset**|**0.00**|**0.00**|
|CASH AT BANK AND IN HAND|||
|Abbey Activities account|76.35|73.07|
|Cash in hand|165.00|57.76|
|CCLA (CBF) Account|2,612.86|2,025.55|
|Investments|47,576.64|42,778.40|
|PCC Main account|78,903.67|40,489.75|
|PCC Saver account|80,016.86|6.02|
|Shop account (Cash & Cheques)|75.00|75.00|
|Shop Saver account|0.10|0.10|
|Spooner Row Current account|3,851.67|4,250.60|
|Spooner Row Saver account|26,844.96|26,591.57|
|Vicar and Church Wardens account|961.84|961.84|
|Weddingfees account|-782.72|5,718.07|
|**Total Cash at bank and in hand**|**240,302.23**|**123,027.73**|
|DEBTORS|||
|Accounts Receivable|312.00|189.00|
|**Total Debtors**|**312.00**|**189.00**|
|CURRENT ASSETS|||
|Prepayments|2,149.00|0.00|
|Stocks|3,502.87|636.52|
|Undeposited Funds|0.00|-442.87|
|**Total Current Assets**|**5,651.87**|**193.65**|
|NET CURRENT ASSETS|**246,266.10**|**123,410.38**|
|CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR|||
|**Trade Creditors**|||
|Accounts Payable|985.78|1,007.13|
|**Total Trade Creditors**|**985.78**|**1,007.13**|
|**Current Liabilities**|||
|(Deposits for weddings) Loans received|4,200.00|1,050.00|
|Accruals|15,357.97|-752.56|
|Tax and NI Control|0.00|571.41|
|**Total Current Liabilities**|**19,557.97**|**868.85**|
|**Total Creditors: amounts falling due within oneyear**|**20,543.75**|**1,875.98**|
|NET CURRENT ASSETS(LIABILITIES)|**225,722.35**|**121,534.40**|
|TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES|**225,722.35**|**121,534.40**|
**www.wymondhamabbey.org.uk**
**Page 29**
|||**Total**|
|---|---|---|
||**As of Dec 31, 2023**|**As of Dec 31, 2022(PY)**|
|TOTAL NET ASSETS (LIABILITIES)|**£225,722.35**|**£121,534.40**|
|CHARITY FUNDS|||
|Retained Earnings|121,534.40|164,117.13|
|Surplus/(Deficit)|104,187.95|-42,582.73|
|**Total Charity funds**|**£225,722.35**|**£121,534.40**|
## **Statement of Cash Flows**
January - December 2023
|**Statement of Cash Flows**
January- December 2023||
|---|---|
||**Total**|
|OPERATING ACTIVITIES||
|Net Income|104,187.95|
|Adjustments to reconcile Net Income to Net Cash provided by operations:||
|Accounts Receivable|-123.00|
|Prepayments|-2,149.00|
|Stocks|-2,866.35|
|Accounts Payable|-21.35|
|(Deposits for weddings) Loans received|3,150.00|
|Accruals|16,110.53|
|Tax and NI Control|-571.41|
|**Total Adjustments to reconcile Net Income to Net Cashprovided by operations:**|**13,529.42**|
|**Net cashprovided by operating activities**|**117,717.37**|
|NET CASH INCREASE FOR PERIOD|**117,717.37**|
|Cash at beginningofperiod|122,584.86|
|CASH AT END OF PERIOD|**£240,302.23**|
**www.wymondhamabbey.org.uk**
**Page 30**
**PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF WYMONDHAM ABBEY with SPOONER ROW**
## **Registered charity number 1130495**
**© Wymondham Abbey PCC · 2024 · Rights reserved**
**Notes**
**www.wymondhamabbey.org.uk**
**Page 31**
Wymondham Abbey, Church Street, Wymondham, Norfolk, NR18 0PH office@wymondhamabbey.org.uk +44 (0)1953 605671 wymondhamabbey.org.uk © Wymondham Abbey PCC · 2024 · Rights reserved