Annual Report of the Tarporley Parochial Church Council and Accounts for the Year Ended 31[st] December 2025
A photo from the 150[th] Anniversary service for St John’s in Cotebrook (courtesy of Paul’s Portraits)
(l-r) Revd Alex Sanders, Revd Trevor Davies, Bishop Mark of Chester, Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire Lady Alexis Redmond, and Revd Jim)
Annual Report of the Tarporley Parochial Church Council and Accounts for the Year Ended 31[st] December 2025
What follows is a brief report of our Parish life in 2025.
Looking back, it again staggers and amazes me just how much was accomplished and enjoyed in the parish over the last twelve months! The descriptions of what occurred are only a pale reflection of the time, energy, money and love that has been poured into parish life in 2025: as ever, nothing would happen without the willing and selfless commitment of so many people across the three churches, so thank you all for what you have been able to offer.
It has been another year of growth and development, with plenty of new initiatives and events, which have added to a real sense of togetherness and unity, and a deepening of our collective experience and understanding of God.
My thanks go to clergy colleagues who helped sustain and enhance ministry and mission in the parish during the year – especially Revd Trevor Davies and Revd Jenny Bridgman– as well as Church Wardens and officers and members of our PCC for their unstinting hard work and complete support.
Let us continue to look for God’s presence in Tarporley, Eaton, Cotebrook, Rushton and Utkinton, and be ready for where God wants to take us next.
With every blessing
Jim
Revd. Jim Bridgman Rector of Tarporley
The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Tarporley A Registered Charity: Number 1130496
Aim and Purposes
St Helen’s Tarporley Parochial Church Council (PCC) has the responsibility of cooperating with the incumbent, in promoting in the ecclesiastical parish, the whole mission of the church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. The PCC is also responsible for the maintenance of the Parish’s three churches: St Helen’s Tarporley, St John and the Holy Cross Cotebrook and St Thomas, Eaton their attendant churchyards and The Done Room. In pursuing these aims and purposes the PCC has due regard to the Charity Commission’s concern for public benefit.
Objectives and Activities
The PCC is committed to enabling as many people as possible to worship at our churches. Our services are open to all, and we are committed to making and keeping our churches, both during and outside of worship, welcoming sacred spaces where people can encounter the presence of God, sanctuary from an often-stressful world and, if they wish it, a place in a welcoming and caring community. When planning our activities for the year, both our regular worship and our extra activities, we have considered the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit. We are open to all and actively encourage participation in our services and activities from all sections of the community believing as we do that every person is made in the image of God. We try to help each other grow in knowledge and love of God and his son, our Lord Jesus Christ, through our worship and prayer and discipleship activities believing that the good news of the gospel enriches and gives purpose and direction to life. And we try to follow this teaching and communicate God’s love for all people through our pastoral and outreach work.
Achievements and Performance
Back in autumn 2022, the parish vision process identified a number of priorities:
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a. Exploring a new pattern of worship.
-
b. Deepening prayer and discipleship.
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c. Improving Facilities.
-
d. Engagement.
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I. With communities.
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II. With ‘un-churched’ people.
III. With schools.
During 2025, we continued to press ahead with making these priorities into reality.
a. Exploring a new pattern of worship.
In 2025, we continued to offer a broad range of services across the three churches, each with a different way to encounter God. As well as ensuring that our regular services of Communion were offered, we continued to hold Café Church, Songs of Praise and Evensong, as well as special services through the year.
Café Church continued to take place on the second Sunday of the month, settling on services taking place every month in the Done Room to make the best of the kitchen and toilet facilities. In 2025, we looked at the Creation story in Genesis, with seven sessions each looking at one day of the story, and having time to discuss and
think. Café Church continues to offer a different way to worship and get to know others from across the parish, and as ever we are very grateful for the many volunteers who have provided breakfasts for us during the year ( pictured below )!
Songs of Praise at St Thomas’ has also been firmly cemented into the regular pattern of worship, regularly drawing people from across the other two churches to hear (and sing) the music that has shaped the faith of the people in the pews. Members of the congregation at St Thomas’ have stepped up and out of their comfort zones to share their journeys of faith and life in music and word, which continue to inspire and move, and help us get to know each other better. We are thankful to the Jessie Hughes Committee for letting us have our wonderful refreshments there afterwards, and for the team of helpers who help to feed the body after having fed the soul!
Evensong on the third Sunday of the month is cherished by those who attend. In the winter months
and darker nights, the service remained at St Helen’s at an earlier time of 4pm, and then once the clocks changed, we continued to put Evensong ‘on tour’, visiting all three churches. In October, we were joined by the Nave Choir from Chester Cathedral, and Canon Rosie Woodall, Canon Precentor, Vice Dean and Canon Librarian at Chester Cathedral (see left) who led a beautiful service of Evensong: the choir sang the introit Holy is the true light by William Harris, with responses by Richard Shephard and Canticles were Hugh Blair in B minor. They sang Psalms 99 & 100 and finished with the anthem I will lift up mine eyes by Herbert Sumsion. The singing was superb,
and well received by a large congregation, who also enjoyed a sherry and refreshments afterwards!!
Joint services on months with 5 Sundays only occurred once in the year (due to the fifth Sunday often falling on a major feast day); however there were a number of special joint services throughout the year – the year began with a service to mark the 150[th] anniversary of the consecration of St John and the Holy Cross in Cotebrook. Undeterred by a snowstorm and adverse weather, a good congregation joined from across the parish where Bishop Mark, bishop of Chester, preached for us and led the service with clergy past and present also in attendance. Following the service, a meal was provided at Cotebrook Village Hall, with a special presentation on the history of St John and the Holy Cross given by local historian Maurice Hunt. It was a fantastic way to start the year, mark the place church has had in Cotebrook, and pray for those who still give so much of their time to keep faith alive in Cotebrook. There were also a number of different services across 2025, from a Joint service for Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, welcoming our sisters and brothers from Tarporley Chapel to St Helen’s, to a service to mark Bell Sunday which recognised the role and ministry of our talented group of Bellringers.
In Holy Week, there was a new service of Tenebrae on Maundy Thursday, a service of darkness, remembering Jesus’ gradual abandonment during the night before he died. With darkness and light, reading and plain song, it was an emotional and moving start to the Triduum. On Good Friday, members of Tarporley Chapel joined for a series of reflections and interactive prayer stations at St Helen’s based on the Archbishop of York’s book The Things He carried . Then Easter day began with a dawn, sunrise Communion service outside at The Drays with a bacon sandwich, again joining with friends from Tarporley Chapel, rounding off an ecumenical Holy Week rejoicing in our common faith in the resurrection of Jesus.
1,1 *lL- .li,:!i,b_ ry:.
In the autumn, as well as harvest services where we supported the work of eco-charity Smart Havens Africa, we also celebrated All Souls’ with our annual service of remembrance, this year using a short book on grief called Waterbugs and Dragonflies (see right)
There was a full complement of patronal services across the year too: for St Helen’s day, we gathered for a communion service followed by strawberries and fizz on May 21[st] ( pictured right ) for St Thomas’ day, there was the now annual BBQ at The Drays in Eaton in July ( below left ); and Holy Cross Day this year fell on a Sunday, so on 14th September there was a joint service in Cotebrook, and a meal very kindly provided by Charles and Sandra Hardy in the Village Hall ( below right ). All of the patronal services helped to bring the three churches together in joyful celebration.
Messy Church is one of the ways that we try to connect with the young people of the parish: from those who are not used to church, and have no faith background, as well those who attend church, come for baptism or have encountered the Christian faith through our church school and want to learn more. This year Messy Church looked at some of the saints of the Bible, and some of the things that Jesus said about himself. And there was the ever popular chocolate making session at Easter with Charles and Sandra Hardy! ( pictured right ) Throughout the year, there was plenty of fun to be had with crafts, games, songs and plenty of food ( see below )!
b. Deepening prayer and discipleship.
The Friday Bible Study at The Drays (pictured right) in Eaton continued to expand through the year, and has now become a regular highlight each week for many who attend; during the year, we studied a collection of Psalms before Lent, culminating in a Pre-Lent Quiet day; the annual Lent book group read The whole Easter story by Jo Swinney, giving an environmental look at the death and resurrection of Jesus, which stimulated a lot of discussion and thought. In the summer, we began a study of the Acts of the Apostles looking at the start of
the early Church and the lessons it gives for today, before returning in the Autumn to part 2 of the Heroes of the Old Testament to supplement the autumn sermon series. The year ended with the Advent book group reading Bishop Guli Francis-Delqani’s book Listening to the Music of the Soul , with its added approach of combining words with music and her approach as an Iranian Christian. All in all,
it has been a varied year, with much stimulating discussion and learning, plenty of great questions and laughter, with those who attend deepening both faith and friendships in the very convivial and hospitable setting of The Drays. If you haven’t tried it, come along on a Friday at 10am!
There were also a special set of Lent talks on Sunday evenings at Tarporley Chapel entitled ‘Refresh’ , looking at some of the basics of Christian faith and practice, with guest speakers Bishop Mark and Revd Jenny Bridgman.
c. Improving Facilities.
By the Spring, the renovations to the Done Room were finally completed – the roof overhaul, repairs to the gable ends, repainting, addition of a fire escape and a refit of the kitchen meant that the Done Room was hopefully fit and ready for another 400 years of service! We held a grand reopening on April 27[th] , with the Lord Lieutenant, lady Alexis Redmond, and Sir Phil ( pictured right ) doing the honours.
At St Thomas’, ( pictured left ) the planned eco-upgrade of the heating
gained faculty permission, and new air heaters and infra-red heaters were beautifully installed by Brian Rathbone, with new LED dimmable lighting added at the same time, meaning that the oil boiler is now no longer needed, and heating and lighting at St Thomas’ is a lot more eco-friendly. The heating has made a big difference, and thanks to Mike Wilson and his team of engineers who helped to mastermind the process.
Plans for a toilet and kitchen at both St Helen’s and St Thomas’ continued to be discussed, with faculty permission for St Helen’s submitted, and waiting approval before an idea of costing and timescale can be finalised. At St Thomas’, there were still discussions about the scale of the project, whether to include an extension at the rear of the vestry, or simply to turn the now defunct boiler room into a toilet and redesign the vestry. Discussions and options are still ongoing!
At St John’s ( pictured right ) the lighting was replaced with LED lights, thanks to an Eco-based grant from Chester Diocese, and at the end of the year, the inside was repainted too – so by Christmas, St John’s looked very clean, crisp and impressive.
d. Engagement.
I. With communities.
Each of the three churches in the parish continue to make positive impacts and connections with the surrounding local community.
St John and the Holy Cross built upon the good relationship with Utkinton and Cotebrook Parish council through the year: in June, the church helped take part in the Big Community Festival at Tirley Garth, having a stall offering Fair Trade items to purchase and some simple games. In addition, the parish council attended the Act of Remembrance at the end of November’s service at St John’s, and helped with a reading at the Carol service. Councillor Charles Hardy kindly used some of his budget to pay for Eco Church noticeboards in our churchyards.
A group of singers and organist Chas Hardern continued to entertain residents monthly at Iddenshall Hall and Beeston View Nursing homes singing a collection of hymns and popular songs, much to the delight of the residents. The residents again collected food for the Foodbank at Harvest which we received in church and we also led the singing of Christmas carols for their Lantern parade.
Bucking the trend of recent years, the Tarporley Carnival was enjoyed in sweltering sunshine and high temperatures! We once again partnered with Tarporley Chapel to have a joint stall, and used the theme of Robbie Williams’ ‘Angels’ to good effect not only in plenty of good costumes for the parade ( see below some of the parish angels!) , but also for biscuit decoration, games and crafts. There were plenty of exhausted angels by the end of the day!
To commemorate the 80[th] anniversary of the ending of World War II, there was a VE day service on 8[th] May ( pictured right ), with the lighting of a special beacon by the war memorial and a short outdoor service. Remembrance Sunday was once again very well attended, with big crowds in the procession down the High Street and the service in St Helen’s and around the war memorial. There were also moments of
remembrance around the cross in Eaton, and the week before Remembrance at St John and the Holy Cross’ November service. Thanks goes to Connor and Ian Diskin who in particular work tirelessly to ensure Remembrance is marked well in the village.
As Christmas approached, we worked with Tarporley Parish Council , Tarporley Independent Traders and Tarporley Chapel to be a part of the Tarporley Christmas weekend event; the High Street was closed and filled with stalls from the Makers Market, but St Helen’s remained open with trails inside and outside church, free refreshments, craft activities and the chance to have Christmas presents wrapped for free ( see right ). Later in the day Revd Jim and Revd Mark led some community carol singing and the Blessing of the crib on Burton Square ( see left ).
The social side of life was prominent in the parish this year: from the two Afternoon Teas at the Done Room ably organised by Elaine Meredith ( pictured right, with Peter Deighton Lewis) and the team with its usual mixture of refreshments, raffles, games and lots of fun ( see heads and tails photo below! ), to the annual quizzes organised by both the Bell ringers’ and St Thomas’ church. The Vale Royal Singers gave a concert at St Helen’s full of the music of Sir John Rutter in his 80[th] birthday year ( see below left ).
There were two unique events during the year – the first, a fabulous Spanish Tapas night organised by John Burton ( see photos below ); with Spanish cuisine and plenty of wines to sample courtesy of the Palmers, as well as an Iberican quiz, it certainly added a welcome touch of the Mediterranean in the Spring.
And then in May St Helen’s was transformed into the cat walk for a fantastic Fashion show run by Jan Freeman and her team – with some home grown models ( see below! ), plenty of raffle prizes and food and drink, a great night was had and plenty of money raised for the new eco-heating at St Thomas’.
Kate O’Neil helped to organise a new parish Christmas card with a newly commissioned image of a snowy St Helen’s produced by the very talented Roger Mottram ( see left ), and mantlepieces across the country were soon adorned with a little image of Tarporley, as well as providing a welcome profit for the parish.
The Link continues to keep the community updated with church life, in addition to the Facebook page and weekly email, sharing weekly readings and prayers and upcoming services and events from the three churches. Thanks to Andy Jobson for his sterling work on editing both the website and The Link, and Angela Hicks and her team of distributors for spreading the news across the parish. After eleven years at the helm, Andy signalled his desire to pass on the baton of The Link, so we are on the hunt for a new editor!
II. With ‘un-churched’ people.
The Eco church project, ably headed by Walter Gibson, Nick Parker and Netty Oakes, had a very busy and productive year, beginning with the award of Silver for all three churches, which was a fantastic achievement. There was a focus this year on community engagement, so regular Eco Church articles featured in The Link, and there were quarterly Eco Church film screenings at St Helen’s which provoked much discussion and calls to action. Over the year, we watched Six inches of Soil, Ocean with David Attenborough, The people vs Climate Change, Sea, land and city, and Balancing the scales , giving a great mixture of global stories and ones that impacted the UK.
In addition, the three graveyards continued to be maintained by a mixture of contractors and very willing volunteers, whilst also balancing the need to keep the churchyards presentable with a desire to encourage wildlife
and use our resources responsibly – this was achieved by keeping some grassed areas to grow longer, and maintaining the bird and bat boxes. Grants from parish council and councillors helped to provide a special Eco Church noticeboard in each of the churchyards to keep local communities aware of what we were doing. There were also two big projects inside St Thomas’ and St John’s (the upgrade of the heating, and the installation of LED lights) which have impacted our carbon footprint and helped us to be more sustainable as a parish.
III. With schools
The parish continued to strengthen connections with Tarporley CE Primary through the year; in addition to Foundation Governors Christine Robinson and Sara Diggle, a number of congregation members help listen to children read weekly at school, Revd Jim leads Collective Worship fortnightly, works with teachers to deliver and monitor RE provision and welcomes school in to St Helen’s for educational visits and special worship events at Easter, Harvest and Christmas. During the summer term, Years 3 and 4 returned to find out about St Helen on St Helen’s day, hearing about her remarkable life through a number of activities and crafts such as making holding crosses, rock painting, and making their own Lego saints. After its launch in December 2024 and the appointment of Debbie Wood, the Tarporley Flourish project grew through 2025. Debbie has worked hard to engage the Ethos group and Flourish young leaders, and through the year, the young people helped to plan and deliver 5 sessions for all ages – there was a multitude of crafts, songs, interactive prayers and plenty of cake! The young leaders have really thrived and grown in their spirituality, and we have seen lots of families and children engage with Flourish who are unable to get to church on Sundays. The young leaders also went to the national Flourish conference in Birmingham ( pictured right ), alongside headteacher Kerry Forrester, Flourish worker Debbie Wood and Revd Jim.
In April, we also opened a Prayer Space (called The Burrow) on the playground at school full of interactive ways to pray, places to read the Bible and encounter God. We held a special opening service, with guests from Australia who were coming to see the Christian ethos of the school asked to do the official grand opening. The Burrow has continued to be used regularly across the school, and Debbie has worked diligently to refresh the prayer activities and often has a captive audience at lunchtimes listening to Bible stories and thinking about how they affect the lives of the young people.
Thanks in part to the growth in spirituality of the Flourish young leaders, nearly all of them decided to make a step of faith and be Confirmed in June. Revd Jim and Debbie helped to lead weekly Confirmation classes at school, before Bishop Sam came to confirm them in an uplifting service at St Helen’s ( pictured left ). As well as the young leaders, there were a number of High School students who also joined in being confirmed, and all 10 candidates were under 16: great promise for the present and future of the church! Outside of our church school, all of Year 7 of Tarporley High School once again visited in November as part of their joint
history/geography field trip on the local area, and they returned at Christmas for their now annual Christmas carol service. Revd Jim also visited RE lessons at school for GCSE and A-Level students, trying valiantly to answer some of their very deep questions! Eaton Primary made good connections with St Thomas’, through Nick Parker’s continued attempts to engage the school in Eco projects: this year they helped to count wildlife in the churchyard ( pictured right ). It was also a joy to host Eaton Primary for their carol service at St Helen’s, and to welcome classes into church to learn about baptism. We have continued to support the Done Room Preschool too, and welcomed them for performance at St Helen’s at Easter, end of summer term, Harvest and Christmas. Please continue to pray for the staff, pupils, governors and parents of our local schools.
Pastoral Services and Activity
The PCC recognizes that our ministry and churches offer a very important and unique resource at particular moments in people’s lives. It is a joy to be asked to baptise and marry people and share this celebration with family and friends and a privilege to be able to offer help and support to others through our funeral ministry. Rather than dictating the content of these services we work hard with all concerned to make sure that, within a Christian setting, they have a service that holds meaning for them. Such pastoral services mark important rites in everyone’s life and the Church extends the welcome and compassion of God to all people, regardless of their beliefs or background.
In addition to organizing and delivering the service itself the churches are involved in baptism and marriage preparation, helping families prepare for and organise funerals and following up with bereavement visits. Whilst the Clergy undertake most of this work they are supported and enormously helped by the Parish Pastoral Team formed of representatives from all our churches. The PCC also acknowledges the foundational importance of the informal visiting and pastoral care that takes place every day as members of our churches look out for and take care of each other and their neighbours and members of the wider community.
| Church | Number of ‘usual’ Sunday services |
Usual Sunday Attendance* |
Baptisms | Weddings/ Renewal of Vows(RoV) |
Funerals | Burial of Ashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Helen’s | 38 | 59 adults (+5) 3 children (+1) |
11 (-1) | 4 (-) | 27 (+12) | 5 (-) |
| St Thomas’ | 40 | 16 adults (-1) 1 children (-) |
1 (-1) | 1 (-2) | 2 (-1) | 5 (+2) |
| St John’s | 12 | 16 adults (+2) 1 children (-1) |
0 (-1) | 1 (+1) | 0 (-2) | 1 (+1) |
Change from 2024 (+/-)
| (+/-) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Number of services (2024 stats) |
Average Attendance (2024 stats) |
|
| Joint services | 4 (4) | 62 (48) adults 1(8)children |
| Messy Church | 6 (9) | 13 (12) adults 11(12)children |
| Evensong | 11(11) | 14(10)adults |
| Café Church | 7 (11) | 42 (42) adults 8(6)children |
| Songs of Praise | 7 (9) | 32 (32) adults 1(2)children |
- based on average over the year. This however does not reflect the extent of the ‘worshipping community’ (those connected with each church, and whose attendance may be irregular) which is higher.
The Parochial Church Council St Helen's Church, Tarporley End of Year Financial Statements
Year ending 31[st ] December 2025 and Independent Examiners report
Introduction
Below are the accounts for the Parish of Tarporley which comprises of St Helen's Church, Tarporley, St Thomas', Eaton & St John & the Holy Cross, Cotebrook.
The accounts are prepared on a receipts and payments basis.
The Treasurer, whilst having some financial qualifications is not a qualified Chartered or Certified Accountant and all errors and omissions are to be expected.
The document presents a detailed financial report including a Statement of Financial Activities and a Balance Sheet summary for the year ending 31/12/2025, compared with the prior year 31/12/2024. It categorizes funds into unrestricted, restricted, and endowment funds, providing comprehensive income, expenditure, transfers, and net movement in funds, followed by asset and liability details.
Income Overview
The total income for the year amounted to £229,891 , a decrease from the prior year's £306,326 . Income sources include:
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Planned giving: £47,506 (unrestricted funds)
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Collections and other giving: £39,514 (including £3,042 restricted)
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Other voluntary receipts: £57,288
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Gift Aid recovered: £13,969
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Other receipts: £20,584 (including £18,305 restricted)
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Activities for generating funds: £32,212
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Investment income: £7,070 (including £5,262 restricted)
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Receipts from church activities: £11,745
Expenditure Overview
Total expenditure was £197,871 , down from £342,074 the previous year. Key payments include:
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Cost of generating funds: £3,163
-
Missionary and charitable giving: £747
-
Parish Share: £77,604
-
Clergy and staffing costs: £5,688
-
Church running expenses: £39,681 (including £12,601 restricted)
-
Hall running costs: £48,735
-
Church repairs and maintenance: £22,250 (including £10,850 restricted)
Net Movement and Transfers
The net income before transfers was £32,020 , showing a positive turnaround from the prior year's deficit of (£35,748) . Transfers between funds were balanced with gross transfers in and out both at £90,000 . Investment assets experienced a loss of (£5,601) , resulting in a net movement in funds of £26,419 .
Fund Balances
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Total funds carried forward stood at £347,249 , an increase from £320,830
-
Unrestricted funds totaled £211,874 .
-
Restricted funds totaled £135,374 .
-
Endowment funds remain at zero .
Balance Sheet Summary Assets
-
Fixed assets (investments) increased slightly to £325,988 from £321,589 .
-
Current assets (cash at bank and in hand) rose to £89,333 from £66,765 .
-
Total assets less current liabilities were £414,721 .
Liabilities
-
Short-term creditors increased to £600 .
-
Long-term creditors remained at £67,472 .
-
Total net assets less liabilities were £347,249 , consistent with the total funds carried forward .
Fund Representation
Unrestricted Funds
-
General fund balance: £75,800 .
-
Various designated funds such as Altar Frontal Fund (£416), Choir Fund (£2,111), Churchyard Footpath St H (£3,505), and others are detailed .
-
Notable designated funds include Unrestricted St Helens (£100,401) and Unrestricted St Thomas (£24,315) .
Restricted Funds
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Include Dividends Rest St Thomas (£9,238), Flourish Project (£18,568), Parish Churchyards (£81,756), and Restricted Religious Education (£21,052) among others .
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Some restricted funds such as Restricted St Helens (former cons charity) (£2,000) and Restricted St John (£3,656) are also noted .
Endowment Funds
- No endowment funds reported .
Detailed Asset and Liability Breakdown by Code
The document further breaks down investments and cash holdings by specific fund codes, showing detailed balances for each fund including investments in accumulation shares and bank accounts. For example:
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Parish Churchyards investments: £6,241 .
-
St Helen's Unrestricted investments: £89,902 .
-
Various ancient endowment funds with balances ranging from approximately £4,000 to £67,472 .
-
Bank current account totals £87,534 with specific allocations among general, designated, and restricted funds .
-
Agency collections liabilities amount to £600 .
This detailed breakdown supports the overall financial position and fund balances reported earlier.
This summary reflects the financial status, income, expenditure, fund movements, and asset-liability positions as presented in the document for the year ending 31 December 2025, compared to the previous year, providing a comprehensive overview of the organization's financial activities and standing.
Statement of Financial Activities
| Statement of Financial Activities | |
|---|---|
| Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Endowment funds Total funds Prior year total funds |
|
| Receipts Planned giving Collections and other giving Other voluntary receipts Gift Aid recovered Other receipts Activities for generating funds Investment Income Receipts from church activities Total income Payments Cost of generating funds Missionary and Charitable Giving Parish Share Clergy and Staffing costs Church Running Expenses Hall Running Costs Church Repairs & Maintenance Hall Repairs & Maintenance New Building work Governance Costs Total expenditure Net income / (expenditure) resources before transfer Transfers Gross transfers between funds - in Gross transfers between funds - out Other recognised gains / losses Gains/losses on investment assets Gains on revaluation, fixed assets, charity's own use Net movement in funds Total funds brought forward Total funds carried forward Represented by Unrestricted General fund Designated ALTAR FRONTAL FUND CHILDRENS SOCIETY & OTHERS CHOIR FUND Churchyard Footpath St H DONE ROOM General Mission Fund HEARSE HOUSE Rectors Leaving Fund St Helens Fabric St Helen's Fixed Projector & Screen ST JOHN CLOCK AND BELLS APPEAL Toilet & Kitchen St Helens UNRESTRICTED ST HELENS UNRESTRICTED ST JOHN UNRESTRICTED ST THOMAS Restricted Agency collection DIVIDENDS REST ST THOMAS Flourish Project PARISH CHURCHYARDS RESTRICTED RELIGIOUS EDUCATION RESTRICTED ST HELENS (FORMER CONS CHARITY) RESTRICTED ST JOHN |
£47506 - - £47506 £45288 £36472 £3042 - £39514 £28927 £57078 £210 - £57288 £141969 £13969 - - £13969 £15262 £2279 £18305 - £20584 £11232 £30973 £1239 - £32212 £44311 £1807 £5262 - £7070 £8179 £11745 - - £11745 £11154 |
| £201832 £28059 - £229891 £306326 £1366 £1796 - £3163 £801 £747 - - £747 - £77604 - - £77604 £75344 £5688 - - £5688 £5658 £27079 £12601 - £39681 £34889 £48735 - - £48735 £208161 £11400 £10850 - £22250 £13852 - - - - £3367 - - - - - - - - - - |
|
| £172623 £25247 - £197871 £342074 |
|
| £29208 £2811 - £32020 (£35748) £90000 - - £90000 - (£90000) - - (£90000) - (£1390) (£4212) - (£5601) £7475 - - - - - |
|
| £27819 (£1401) - £26419 (£28273) |
|
| £184055 £136775 - £320830 £349103 |
|
| £211874 £135374 - £347249 £320830 £75800 - - £75800 £70619 £416 - - £416 £416 - - - - - £2111 - - £2111 £2111 £3505 - - £3505 £7555 (£3733) - - (£3733) (£21486) £1006 - - £1006 £1006 £542 - - £542 £542 - - - - - £3819 - - £3819 £3819 - - - - - - - - - - £3687 - - £3687 £3687 £100401 - - £100401 £91038 - - - - - £24315 - - £24315 £24741 - - - - - - £9238 - £9238 £8513 - £18568 - £18568 £8718 - £81756 - £81756 £87139 - £21052 - £21052 £21210 - - - - £2000 - £3656 - £3656 £7788 |
| St John's Churchyard | - | £1102 | - | £1102 | £1405 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNRESTRICTED ST THOMAS | - | - | - | - | - |
| Total funds | £211874 | £135374 | - | £347249 | £320830 |
Balance Sheet (Summary)
| Balance Sheet (Summary) | |
|---|---|
| As at 31/12/2025 As at 31/12/2024 |
|
| Fixed assets Investments Current assets Cash At Bank And In Hand Liabilities Creditors: Amounts Falling Due In One Year Net current assets less current liabilities Total assets less current liabilities Liabilities Creditors: Amounts falling due after more than one year Total net assets less liabilities Represented by Unrestricted Unrestricted - General Funds Designated Designated - ALTAR FRONTAL FUND Designated - CHOIR FUND Designated - Churchyard Footpath St H Designated - DONE ROOM Designated - General Mission Fund Designated - HEARSE HOUSE Designated - St Helens Fabric Designated - Toilet & Kitchen St Helens Designated - UNRESTRICTED ST HELENS Designated - UNRESTRICTED ST THOMAS Restricted Restricted - DIVIDENDS REST ST THOMAS Restricted - Flourish Project Restricted - PARISH CHURCHYARDS Restricted - RESTRICTED RELIGIOUS EDUCATION Restricted - RESTRICTED ST HELENS (FORMER CONS CHARITY) Restricted - RESTRICTED ST JOHN Restricted - St John's Churchyard Endowment Fund Totals |
£325988 £321589 |
| £325988 £321589 £89333 £66765 |
|
| £89333 £66765 £600 £52 |
|
| £600 £52 |
|
| £88733 £66713 |
|
| £414721 £388302 £67472 £67472 £67472 £67472 |
|
| £347249 £320830 £75780 £70599 £416 £416 £2111 £2111 £3505 £7555 (£3713) (£21466) £1006 £1006 £542 £542 £3819 £3819 £3687 £3687 £100401 £91038 £24315 £24741 £9238 £8513 £18568 £8718 £81756 £87139 £21052 £21210 - £2000 £3656 £7788 £1102 £1405 |
|
| £347249 £320830 |
| Statement of Assets and Liabilities (by code) | Statement of Assets and Liabilities (by code) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class and nominalcode | General | **Designated ** | **Restricted ** | Endowment | Total | Last year |
| Fixed Asset - Investments | ||||||
| Parish Churchyards CB3022780 | - | - | £6241 | - | £6241 | £6501 |
| St Helen's Unrestricted CB3022775 | - | £89902 | - | - | £89902 | £80374 |
| Unrestricted Parish Churchyard & Fabric CB3022769 | - | - | £36957 | - | £36957 | £38496 |
| J Palmer Ancient Endowment CB3022768 | - | - | £35228 | - | £35228 | £36695 |
| Miss Lewis Ancient Endowment CB3022776 | - | - | £12431 | - | £12431 | £12948 |
| Lady Grisell Ancient Endowment CB3022777 | - | - | £5704 | - | £5704 | £5942 |
| Eaton Church Wardens Fund CB3022784 | - | £4040 | - | - | £4040 | £4208 |
| John Derek Davies CB3022779 | - | - | £4574 | - | £4574 | £4764 |
| Canon Hughes Ancient Endowment 109001124S | - | - | £67472 | - | £67472 | £67472 |
| 2014 investment (Accum Shares) St Thomas UST | - | £19045 | - | - | £19045 | £19420 |
| 2014 investment (Accum Shares) General fund | £26980 | - | - | - | £26980 | £26980 |
| 2014 investment (Accum Shares) Done Room | - | £98 | - | - | £98 | £98 |
| 2014 investment (Accum Shares) Parish Churchyards | - | - | £5402 | - | £5402 | £5402 |
| 2014 investment (Accum Shares) RRE | - | - | £4940 | - | £4940 | £4940 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 investment (Accum Shares) USH | - | £6967 | - | - | £6967 | £7341 |
| Total | £26980 | £120054 | £178953 | - | £325988 | £321589 |
| Current Asset - Cash At Bank And In Hand | ||||||
| Bank Current Account | £47020 | £16020 | £24493 | - | £87534 | £65051 |
| CCLA (CBF) deposit account | £1767 | - | - | - | £1767 | £1690 |
| Petty Cash | £31 | - | - | - | £31 | £22 |
| Total | £48819 | £16020 | £24493 | - | £89333 | £66765 |
| Liability - Agency Accounts | ||||||
| Agency collections | - | - | £600 | - | £600 | £52 |
| Total | - | - | £600 | - | £600 | £52 |
| Liability - Creditors: Amounts falling due after more | than one year | |||||
| Canon Hughes Ancient Endowment 109001124S | - | - | £67472 | - | £67472 | £67472 |
| Total | - | - | £67472 | - | £67472 | £67472 |
| Net total assets | £75800 | £136074 | £135374 | - | £347249 | £320830 |
| Represented by | ||||||
| General (Unrestricted) | £75780 | - | - | - | £75780 | £70599 |
| Designated - AFF | - | £416 | - | - | £416 | £416 |
| Designated - CF | - | £2111 | - | - | £2111 | £2111 |
| Designated - DONE | - | (£3713) | - | - | (£3713) | (£21466) |
| Designated - Fabric | - | £3819 | - | - | £3819 | £3819 |
| Designated - Footpath | - | £3505 | - | - | £3505 | £7555 |
| Designated - GMF | - | £1006 | - | - | £1006 | £1006 |
| Designated - HH | - | £542 | - | - | £542 | £542 |
| Designated - TFSTH | - | £3687 | - | - | £3687 | £3687 |
| Designated - USH | - | £100401 | - | - | £100401 | £91038 |
| Designated - UST | - | £24315 | - | - | £24315 | £24741 |
| Restricted - DRST | - | - | £9238 | - | £9238 | £8513 |
| Restricted - FLP | - | - | £18568 | - | £18568 | £8718 |
| Restricted - PCY | - | - | £81756 | - | £81756 | £87139 |
| Restricted - RRE | - | - | £21052 | - | £21052 | £21210 |
| Restricted - RSH | - | - | - | - | - | £2000 |
| Restricted - RSJ | - | - | £3656 | - | £3656 | £7788 |
| Restricted - SJCY | - | - | £1102 | - | £1102 | £1405 |
| Total | £75780 | £136094 | £135374 | - | £347249 | £320830 |
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Reports from Our Three Churches regarding Fabric
At St Helen’s there was quinquennial work on the roof and pointing and plastering in the interior of the building undertaken during the year. Around the outside of church, the paths were treated to ensure people didn’t slip in the wetter weather.
As mentioned elsewhere in this report, St Thomas’ is enjoying a new heating system. The very cold winter has presented some challenges and there will need to be a few tweaks to ensure warmth in the very coldest of weather. There are plans being discussed to replace the boiler room and build a small extension off the vestry to house a toilet (with cess tank) and kitchen. The repairs suggested in the Quinquennial can be done as part of the extension project as most of the items listed are connected to the vestry and boiler house. The repairs will, therefore, be done at the time of the extension or will become unnecessary as the boiler house and associated guttering and roof will be removed as part of the remodelling. There are some issues with a few damp patches under the wooden floor which are being dealt with carefully. Otherwise, the internal fabric is well maintained and loved by the congregation. The churchyard is being maintained by Nick Parker with a view to caring for the environment. We have raised beds and tubs for the primary school children to plant and wild flowers and bulbs have been planted. A bat box has been installed on the east side of the church. The area for interment of ashes under the south and east side of church has been re-seeded and tidied .
2025 was a busy year for St John’s . Our rolling programme of repointing continued, this year focusing on the west gable wall. This programme is very nearly completed and the stonework and roof are now in good condition. Some minor repairs were carried out to the vestry steps to make them safer in wet weather and improve drainage. The next phase of fabric work is going to focus on the aesthetics of the building. To this end, as mentioned elsewhere in the report, we installed LED lighting throughout the church and had the interior walls repainted. This has brightened the interior considerably .
St John’s Church, Cotebrook – repair works
-
The outside steps to the vestry door have been repaired and the drain area resurfaced to prevent pooling of water by the door.
-
New gravel has been laid on the main path with support from the Parish Council.
-
Another stage of repointing was done in July concentrating on the west gable end wall by Steve Edwards.
-
The new noticeboard was fixed to the south wall.
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The interior of the church was redecorated by Mr Wayne Stockton in December.
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New LED lighting was installed Mr Brian Rathbone. Church appearance looks better.
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• Some urgent repairs were done to the roof to replace missing and damaged tiles by Mr Gregory.
St Thomas Church, Eaton – repair works
-
A new heating system (fan heaters and infrared glow heaters) was installed replacing the oil fired boiler.
-
LED lights have also been installed and new sockets which are now in the right place!
St Helens Church, Tarporley – repair works
-
The steps down to the Boiler house were power washed and are now less slippery.
-
The white altar frontal was repaired by Pat Harding.
-
The notice board was repaired on the High Street and a new notice board was erected in the Lych gate area about work involved with Eco Church and management of the graveyard.
-
A faculty was submitted for a new lavatory, kitchen, eating and meeting area in the north west area of the church along with a glass vestibule just inside the North door.
-
• Henry Williams returned to apply a resin bonded adtex (grit/gravel) system to the flag stoned path on the south side of the church so that people don’t slip on it.
-
The restoration work on the Done Room was completed and there was an official opening by the Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire and Sir Phil Redmond on 27th April.
-
Mr Tom Livingstone repaired a section of the churchyard wall that runs up to the High Street entrance which was leaning due to a tree which was previously removed.
-
Following the quinquennial report a few years ago urgent works were recommended to the roof along with repointing certain areas of the external walls and some plaster work in the chapel. The works were List B and permission was granted. Tenders were submitted and Bullen Conservation was appointed with a quote of £28,202.24 + VAT. Bullen Conservation started some of the work in December as there was water ingress from the roof. A grant application was made to the National Churches Trust.
-
A faculty was submitted for repair work to the stained-glass windows again highlighted in the Quinquennial Report.
Safeguarding
The PCC thanks all the volunteers for their time and commitment given in running activities across the parish and for their understanding in having background checks completed. We take the safeguarding of our children and vulnerable adults in church extremely seriously and DBS checks and procedures ensure all who are vulnerable as well as those who volunteer are protected.
During 2025, Liz Neely stood down as our PSO, with thanks for all her hard work in the role. She was succeeded by Fiona Kay.
Over the past 12 months no safeguarding incidents have been reported. The Parish Safeguarding Dashboard has been regularly checked and any items that have come up for renewal have been discussed, checked and amended accordingly. There are some items in the red but these are in hand. DBS checks have been undertaken throughout the year for new members of the PCC and for those whose certificates have come up for renewal from the PCC, Messy Church and Bellringers.
The PCC have regularly addressed safeguarding at their meetings throughout the year and have completed the following safeguarding worksheets provided through the safeguarding dashboard. Promoting a healthy and safe culture.
Promoting the welfare of vulnerable groups Supporting people in safeguarding roles
The PCC have received regular updates from the PSO at their meetings. The PSO and Reverend Jim Bridgman have met regularly throughout the year to discuss safeguarding and have discussed worksheet 4A Victims and Survivors of Abuse.
The ‘new’ PSO has made a spreadsheet to keep track of when DBS’s are due for renewal and who has completed the Basic, Foundation and Leadership courses and the other safeguarding courses and when these are due for renewal. There has been frequent liaison with the Bellringers to ensure good safeguarding practices are in place and risk assessments when they have visiting ringers. The PSO is currently undertaking all the training needed to be considered competent to carry out the role.
The parish took part in the Safeguarding Survey and parishioners were encouraged to complete the online questionnaire. In addition the parish also took part in Safeguarding Sunday using resources, hymns and prayers, provided by Church House.
The PCC considers that it has, to the best of its knowledge, taken all reasonable steps to comply with the duty under section 5 of the Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure 2017. St Helens Parish Church takes its duty and obligation to protect all extremely seriously. We have adopted the national Church of England's robust procedures and guidelines. You can find out more about the national policies and procedures at www.churchofengland.org/safeguarding.
If you have any safeguarding concerns or issues of a safeguarding matter then you can find useful contact information below and at www.chester.anglican.org/socialresponsibility/safeguarding
In line with the diocesan regulations on safeguarding the PCC has adopted a Policy Statement on the Safeguarding of Children and Adults in the Church. There are notices in the Church providing contact
details for Childline and Family Lives and also contact details for the Rector and the Parish Safeguarding Officer should anyone wish to speak privately and in confidence on safeguarding issues.
Electoral Roll
The Electoral Roll of the church is a list of people who consider themselves to be members of one of our three churches including those who are housebound or unable to attend regularly. Everyone is welcome and forms, available in our churches or from the Electoral Roll Officer, are completed by each individual (over 16 and baptised). We are grateful to our Electoral Roll officer, Jenny Christian, who oversees this work.
2025 saw the complete revision of the Electoral Roll, which happens every 7 years. After the revision the Electoral roll stood at 146
(2024: 190; 2023: 199; 2022: 199; 2021: 190; 2020: 199; 2019: 191; 2018: 202; 2017: 198; 2016: 205; 2015: 185)
Malpas Deanery Synod Report
Our Parish is well represented by Phillip Posnett, Dianne Ouseley, Elaine Meredith, and Revds Jim and Jenny Bridgman.
This year the Rural Dean, Revd Tim Hayward, has introduced a Deanery ‘Unsung Hero’ award, for people who go about quietly doing enormous amounts of work in parishes without recognition. One of our Deanery Synod representative, Elaine Meredith, nominated Pat Harding from our parish ( both pictured right, with husband Peter and Churchwarden Liz Neely )—Pat has acted as sacristan at St Helen’s for 19 years, setting up and putting away the communion table for services, changing the colours of church with the seasons,
ensuring we are stocked with candles, wine and wafers, and keeping our linen and altar frontals clean and in beautiful condition. She has also served as Churchwarden, Sidesperson and ran the kitchen for the Afternoon Teas for many years: all in all, a very worthy recipient!
Synod met in May 2025 at Bickley where the guest Speaker, Rachel Gourley, Head of Huxley Primary School explained the concept of a Flexi school where the pupils attend school part time, being home schooled for remainder of week. Synod also met at Waverton in September to listen to a talk by Revd Canon Lamek Mutete, on the book he had written entitled Crossroads , the proceeds of which will improve the lives of people living in his childhood home of Zimbabwe. Elaine Meredith updated Synod on the success of the Flourish Project running between the Tarporley C of E Primary School and the Parish of Tarporley. Deanery Songs of Praise Service was arranged for the end of September in Cholmondeley Chapel.
Joining Deanery Synod as a Rep from our Parish is a good way to liaise with fellow Parishes and share ideas!
Structure Governance and Management
The PCC is a corporate body established by the Church of England. The PCC operates under the Parochial Church Powers Measure. The PCC is a Registered Charity. As trustees of the charity the PCC members are responsible for making decisions on all matters of general concern and importance to the parish including deciding on how the funds of the PCC are to be spent. There is a Standing Committee comprised of the Incumbent, 2 Church Wardens, Treasurer and Secretary of the PCC, and two further PCC representatives. This Committee will consult only in extremis when a decision must be made between PCC meetings. The full PCC met five times during the year
Given its wide responsibilities the PCC has a number of committees, each dealing with a particular aspect of Parish Life, but all these committees report back to the PCC for decision making.
In 2023, three new sub-groups were formed, with each member of the PCC assigned to one subgroup. The committees are:
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Worship, Mission and Pastoral group
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Finance group
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Buildings group
Each group would meet between PCC meetings, to look in further depth at their areas, and then provide reports to full PCC for discussion and comment.
Administrative Information
Walter Gibson completed his term of office, and then stood successfully for re-election. At the APCM on Sunday, 11[th] May 2025 the following were elected to the PCC unopposed, for a period of three years:
Greg Hudson, Debbie Terry, Walter Gibson.
During the year, Duncan Gordon resigned from PCC.
There were still 2 vacancies on PCC, and 1 vacancy on the Standing Committee. Revd Jenny Bridgman, as a member of General Synod, also joined PCC.
The lay membership of the PCC currently comprises the following:
John Burton Walter Gibson (PCC Standing Committee) Charles Hardern Sandra Hardy Greg Hudson Liz Neely (Churchwarden; PCC Standing Committee) Rosemary Lilley Amelia McCourty Elaine Meredith (Deanery Synod rep; PCC Standing Committee) Andrew Needham Christine Noblett Kate O’Neil Phillip Posnett (Churchwarden; Deanery Synod rep; PCC Standing Committee) David Smithson (Treasurer; PCC Standing Committee) Debbie Terry Paul Emerson (ex offico Secretary; PCC Standing Committee) Dianne Ouseley (Deanery Synod Treasurer, not PCC)
Greg Hudson has been appointed Health and Safety Officer