# **St Margaret’s Church** St Margaret’s Church Wolston, **Wolston, Brandon and** Brandon and **Bretford** Bretford 

**Annual Report and Financial Statements of the Parochial Church Council** 

**For the financial year ended** 

**31 December 2024** 

**and the PCC year to the end of April 2025 APCM to be held on Thursday 1 May 2025 @ 19.30** 

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**Vicar: Associate Minister: Church Administrator** : **Children’s Work Team Leader: Safeguarding Officer:** 

Revd. Malcolm Ingham Revd. Paul Simmonds Mrs Jayne Hayward Mrs Ellie Gallant Mrs Josie Gadsby 

**Bank:** HSBC Bank, Church Street, Rugby **Independent Examiner** : Mr Keith Francis **Church Architect:** Mr Simon Bird 

## **PCC Members:** 

Members of the PCC are either ex-officio, elected by the Annual Church Parochial Meeting (APCM), co-opted in accordance with the Church Representation Rules or represent the parish on a Synod. 

I **ncumbent** : Revd. Malcolm Ingham [Chair] **Wardens:** Mrs Ruth McCartney Mr Simon Mulley 

## **Elected Members:** 

Miss Naomi Brown, Mr Graham Clark, Mrs Josie Gadsby, Mrs Jain Galliford, Mrs Dawn Webb, Mr Derek Leaf, Mrs Jenny Lumsden, Mr John Marlow, Mrs Kate Willis 

## **Co-opted members :** 

Dr Stephen Wigmore 

## **Ex officio:** Revd Paul Simmonds 

## **Representatives on the Diocesan Synod:** 

Mrs Helen Simmonds 

## **Representatives on the Deanery Synod:** 

Revd. Malcolm Ingham, Mr David Gadsby , Mrs Jayne Hayward, Mrs Melissa Ralph & Mrs Helen Simmonds [Lay Dean] 

## **Officers:** 

Mr David Gadsby (Church Secretary & Lay Chair) Dr Stephen Wigmore (Treasurer) 

Mrs Jayne Hayward [Electoral Roll Officer & minute secretary] 

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## **Mission Statement** 

We, as the Parish church of Wolston, Brandon and Bretford, exist to:- 

Worship God. 

Be and make disciples. 

Serve and care for those around us. 

## **Vision Statement** 

We have a vision to see: - 

A people who are encountering God in their day to day lives. 

A people that are being set free by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

A people who are learning and are equipped to live Jesus’ way. 

A people who are courageous, who take risks for Jesus. 

A people who are reaching out to a new generation. 

A people who will serve and care for those around them (at home, in the street, at work, and in the wider world). 

## **Church Organisation** 

At the centre of the church leadership structure is the three way organisational link of the Vicar, the PCC and the MLT [Ministry Leadership Team], all ably supported by the church office. 

However, we believe that everyone should be involved in different 

temperaments, both inside and outside the church building itself. 

Each Anglican church has in place a series of groups and processes which enable the safe and smooth running of a church within the Church of England. 

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Margaret’s these groups have been in existence for many years, to enable the church to meet its aims. 

different sections:- Church Organisation and Structure, and St Margaret’s Group reports. 

## **Vicar’s Report     March 2024/25*** 

Well, it’s a sorry state of affairs when the vicar only does half a job, but the reality is that I wasn’t around for a significant portion of 2024 and so my report can only be a partial one. 

It was lovely (although stressful and exhausting) moving into Wolston at the beginning of May and being licenced to St. Margaret’s and St. Peter’s a few days later, we enjoyed getting to know the villages and the people as I had opportunity to get around as many groups as I could in those initial weeks. 

Much of 2024 was about trying to establish and build up relationships, getting to know people, finding out who’s who, and how things work, see what’s going well and can grow, identify what is struggling and needs a little TLC and spot what has, perhaps, had its day. 

Of course, being new means introducing new things accidentally as well as deliberately, but it has been good to consciously introduce things like a Lamas service at Church Lawford, baptism preparation evenings on Zoom as well as reintegrating baptisms into our main services. During 2024, our benefice has become part of the Mission Hub hosted by St. Paul’s, Leamington Spa. This is a diocesan initiative to help resource our ministry and it has been a good support. We are still an active member of the deanery and working together with Wolston Baptist Church at Remembrance and Christmas has been a great witness of Christian unity. 

In our Sunday services we have worked through several sermon series including ones on Acts and Habakkuk. As leaders in the churches we are constantly looking at how we can make our worship more intention and meaningful as we draw close to God in our weekly gatherings. In November, it was a joy to finally be licenced to St. Leonard’s, Ryton although the existing pattern of services across all three churches made Christmas quite tricky to navigate. 

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As always, the vicar cannot do his job without the help and support of the parishes, however, there just isn’t enough space to thank everyone here but I would be remis if I didn’t, at least, thank the Church Warden’s, PCC’s and staff for all that you have done since May, but also during the vacancy. 

Together as church fellowships, my hope and prayer is that we will seek to build our faith, lives and ministries on God’s Word, be equipped by his Spirit, glorify God and point people to Jesus. That should keep us busy. Malcolm Ingham 

## **PCC Report 2024/25*** 

Since the APCM held in March last year the PCC has met 12 times. Regular items have been: 

Monitoring of all aspects of Church finance and agreeing actions to improve them. 

Regular updates on safeguarding policy and procedures, to ensure all our practice is compliant with what is needed. 

Agreeing and monitoring of Church maintenance as outlined in the fabric report. 

Consideration of Deanery Synod issues, particularly the Parish share and plans for potential changes to benefices. 

Specific items which the PCC have discussed, approved and subsequently supported include: 

- The arrival & installation of Revd Malcolm Ingham as Priest-in-Charge 

- Agreed to continue employing a part time children’s and family worker to develop our outreach to young families. 

- Agreed the changes to service time and pattern. 

- Agreed to hire a cleaner for 3 hours / week 

- In addition, we have received reports on all the ongoing ministries of the church and discussed/ agreed actions to support and develop them. 

Thanks to all members who have contributed to discussion and decisions this year. 

_Jayne Hayward Minute Secretary & PCC member._ 

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## **Treasurer’s Report  year ending 31st Dec 2024 *** 

In 2024, we maintained three types of fund – the General Fund (covering regular income and expenditure of the Church), Designated Funds (which the PCC has set aside for specific purposes) and Restricted Funds (where the donor has specified the purpose on which the funds must be spent). 

2024 saw the Church record a general fund deficit of £4,708, compared to a surplus of £91 in 2023. Expenditure increased by around £10,000, of which around half was due to the ongoing effects of high inflation affecting utilities, insurance and wages; and the fact we began paying for a cleaner. The other £5,000, which produced the deficit, was due to settling a historic underpayment of electricity costs caused by a lack of meter readings over the previous four years. This has now been resolved by installing a smart meter, which should prevent any future underpayments. 

Against the increase in expenditure, we saw a £4,000 increase in regular giving, thanks to the continuing generosity of church members following the financial appeal in 2023; and a record contribution from Maggie’s Café of £9,800 across the year, £1,300 higher than in 2023. Many thanks to all the volunteers and customers who make the café such a success. These increases in income were offset by a £2,000 reduction in grants received, due to one-off grants the previous year from Coventry Diocese that weren’t repeated. 

We were also blessed to receive a generous bequest from the Last Will and Testament of Richard Postlethwaite, amount to £19,800. This money is being kept as a separate fund for the time being, and church members are encouraged to pray and consider how we can best use this money to advance God’s work in our parish. 

Our grants to support other Christian ministries and needs in the local community and abroad were £3,930; with regular donations made to Coventry Youth For Christ, Interface Uganda, OMF International, Scripture Union, Coventry Foodbanks and Eco Church. Following a review by PCC, we have updated the list of organisations we will be supporting by grants, and these will now be: Open Doors, Church Mission Society, Mercy Ships, Scripture Union, Rugby Youth for Christ, Coventry Foodbank and Eco Church. 

The net result of the above is that we now have £25,655 in the General Fund and £27,832 in Designated/Restricted funds. The policy of the PCC 

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is to keep at least 3 months running costs in the General Fund and this is currently being met. 

The 2025 forecast is for the church to see a small surplus of £500, similar to 2024 (once the effect of the historic electricity settlement is removed). Of course, this is only our best estimates and is entirely dependent on the continuing generosity of our community, successful fundraising from operations, and the development of our ministry in the coming year. 

On a personal note, I am standing down as Treasurer after six years in the role, so thank you to everyone who has assisted me with the finances over that time: particularly Chris Carter for handling the Gift Aid claims and previously the cash, David Gadsby for taking over banking the cash, Keith Hayward with building matters, Jayne Hayward with all the office admin, and church wardens with a wide range of small and large tasks. 

_Honorary Treasurer - Dr Stephen Wigmore_ 

## **Fabric Report & Church Maintenance Group 2024/25*** 

Lots of small jobs have been completed to keep the church buildings and the church in good repair and to ensure that our services run smoothly. A few of the activities that have taken place over the last year 

- Path under main gate re-laid with paving blocks and drainage channel installed. 

- Path by the Brandon Gate repaired 

- Both main gates and Brandon gates painted 

- Main path lights repaired, and additional path light fitted 

- Nave roof repointing and parapet top slabs repaired. 

- TV monitor mounted on wall at back of church and a new Projector and 

- Lectern microphone installed. 

- Ground levelled paving installed for bins outside Boiler house 

- Church door and Priest’s door rubbed down and preservative applied. 

- Kitchen floor repaired 

- Old church rooms painted including doors and windows. Main church room doors painted. Outside guttering repaired 

- Wild flowers have been planted at the back of the churchyard near the container. 

We plan to re-tile the tower and install felt this summer - waiting for faculty approval. 

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Larger jobs that need to be planned and funds raised for long term improvements are the repairs to stonework on the outside and inside of the church building. 

On-going is how best to repair the potholes on the access driveway to the church 

Thanks to all those who have helped keep the church safe and fit for all our services, and a special thanks to Keith Hayward who gives so much of his time in helping with the upkeep of the church. 

_Simon Mulley & Ruth McCartney -  Churchwardens_ 

## **Electoral Roll 2024/25 *** 

A new Electoral Roll has been compiled in 2025 as required under the Church Representation Rules. There are now 81 members, with 20 living outside the parish. 

_Jayne Hayward - Electoral Roll officer._ 

## **Safeguarding 2024/25 *** 

The care and protection of children, young people and adults is the responsibility of the whole church. 

The PCC plays a key role and receives a safeguarding report each month. During the year the PCC has reviewed various documents and the Action Plan which shows our progress with safeguarding requirements and what more needs to be done. You must all be aware of the criticism of the Church of England because of past safeguarding issues. As a result we now have a new learning framework for working with children, young people and vulnerable adults. This includes Mandatory Actions such as DBS certificates and training and also National Safeguarding Standards. These are the broad statements of what the Church of England wants to achieve within safeguarding work eg safer recruitment, assessing and managing risk and supervision and support. The Parish Dashboard a tool to help us with this shows 80% on Mandatory Actions and we are making progress with the newly introduced standards from 100% in some but others which need to be looked at. The Parish safeguarding Officer’s Forum which takes place via Zoom 3 times a year can be useful. It has included talks from outside speakers one of which 

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was about support from other organisations. This came just when I needed it. Also talking to those from other churches makes me realise how fortunate I am to be surrounded by people who understand what we are trying to achieve. We are fortunate that most of our church family understand why we need DBS certificates and why we need to undertake training. If we don’t have these then activities cannot take place. During the past year there have been no safeguarding issues. Our grateful thanks to all those who give their time to nurture and support children, young people and adults in our church. 

_Josie Gadsby - Safeguarding Officer_ 

## **Rugby Deanery Synod  2024/25*** 

**Area Dean** Revd Steve Gold **Lay Dean** Helen Simmonds **St Margaret’s representatives** Malcolm Ingham, David Gadsby, Jayne Hayward, Melissa Ralph, Helen Simmonds 

Our church is part of Rugby Deanery. 11 clergy look after 27 church communities. 

The clergy, they meet in regular Chapter meetings. 

To keep an overall eye on the delights and challenges in the deanery, 4 clergy and 4 laity meet as the Deanery Leadership Team. Helen Simmonds is part of the team which at times is a challenging job. We plan the 3 synod meetings each year aiming to make them interesting and informative for all who come. Last June we were visited by Bp Ruth who spoke about the place of Children & Angels in the Church. She asked who has inspired our faith which resulting in several touching responses. In November, April Gold who is the leader of the schools’ work for the whole diocese challenged us to make full use of our links with schools in our parishes and introduced the idea of getting year 6 children together at Harris School in the summer term. (The team organising this have decided to limit  it to those children preparing to go to Harris School.) At our meeting in March we heard about the sort of structures that can make life less complicated for us all. 

The Deanery Leadership Team recommend the Parish Share each year then this is verified at the last synod of the year once Diocesan Synod has met and we are certain of the amount we need to pay. As some of you are aware, not all churches are able to pay for their clergy but the deanery works together to try to pay the full amount. This is becoming 

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more difficult. The Area and Lay Deans often work with churches to encourage them to allocate their money wisely and generously. Helen Simmonds on behalf of our Deanery Reps 

## **St Margaret’s School, Governors Report 2024/25*** 

At the beginning of this academic year, David Gadsby stood down as a Foundation Governor after many years of service in this role. I know I speak for the board when I say how much his calm, considered insight and advice was valued by us all. Thank you, David, for your dedication and support over the years. 

Malcolm has joined Sam Gallant and myself as Foundation Governors, and together we work to form a visible link between St Margaret's Church and School. Under the leadership of Mrs Michelle Clemons, the school is keen to further develop its distinct Christian identity, and this has formed a considerable part of discussions in recent meetings. 

Wolston St Margaret's is due to be inspected by SIAMS (The Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools) soon, so we, along with the other governors, will be doing all we can to support the school as they prepare for this. 

## _Jenny Lumsden - on behalf of the Foundation Governors_ 

## **St Margaret’s School Chaplaincy 2024/25 *** 

During the past year we have continued our close links with the school. Weekly assemblies have been led by our team of Josie Gadsby, Chris Mulley, Eva Leaf, Malcolm Ingham and Ellie Gallant. We have used New Testament stories of parables and miracles, and this last term have been talking about Christianity and Christians answering many questions raised by the children. It is a pleasure to go into school to share our faith with the children who listen, take part in a wide variety of presentations and respond as necessary. We are truly blessed. Chaplin’s Chat in the school’s newsletter Brookside continues to be hosted by Eva Leaf, Helen Simmonds and Paul Simmonds. Classes from Wolston St Margaret’s School and Binley Woods Primary School have visited the church as part of their RE lessons becoming more aware of various parts of the church building and its contents and the significance of some of our services. Josie spent time with Year 6 children towards the end of the summer term 

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using Scripture Union’s It’s Your Move to support them as they prepared to move to secondary school. It was a truly rewarding afternoon sharing their concerns and hopes and realising how much they cared about their time at school in Wolston. The school has held Easter, Harvest and Christmas Services in church, the latter being ably led by children from Year 2. At these services the church is full of children, staff and parents. 

_Josie Gadsby on behalf of the Chaplaincy team_ 

## **Sunday Morning Children’s Groups 2024/25 *** 

We continue to run a Sparklers session for children every Sunday and this is aimed at children from pre-school through primary school age.  The sessions are planned around the reading for that week’s service and include bible teaching, games and crafts along the same theme.  We have seen a wonderful increase in numbers of children that attend on a regular basis and probably have a core group of around 10 children.  Ellie Gallant plans sessions for each week and the sessions are currently led by Ellie and Sam Gallant, Maddy and Steve Wigmore and Dawn Webb and Paul Ralph, on a rota basis. 

A group for older children is run once a month, planned and lead by Chris Mulley.  Currently we have one young person who regularly attend these sessions which usually include discussion based around the week’s Bible reading. 

_Ellie Gallant - On behalf of the Children’s Work Team_ 

## **Arise! Men’s Breakfast 2024/25 *** 

The ARISE group has been going for 15 years now and we often get up to 30 men attending. In the last meeting we had 4 people. 

The ethos of the group is not just a men’s club, it is to encourage men in their faith, so that they are able to take their place in the world and fulfil God’s purpose for their lives. It is of course open to men of faith and those who do not have faith, yet. Long may it continue. 

This year we had an eclectic group of speakers who graced our ‘afterbreakfast’ speaker slot. 

A number of individuals from the group shared their personal lives and achievements including Phil Scullion (May), Alan Williams who told us about his work life and interest in all things technical in the NHS and Military (Sep). Nigel Malka has written a book that seeks to combine the four Gospel narratives together (Oct). Rev Rob Ballard has also written a 

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book on ‘Spiritual Warfare’ and shared aspects of his life and ministry in various parts of the world (Nov).  Closer to home we invited the Rev John Taylor of St Bartholomew’s Church in Binley to share aspects of his life and ministry.  In December we had our usual gathering but with carols and input of a Christmas nature from the members. A group of men also went out and about singing carols. 

Invited visitors were David Malam of ‘SASRA’ (July) who takes the Gospel and Christian faith to the British military, who were also active during the 1[st] . World War. After two years of sending emails I finally got Rev Lynda-Rose of ‘Voice for Justice UK’ (April), to share about her work with the Government, challenging them and keeping them on their toes as to matters pertaining to Christian ethics, and the rights and wrongs in the governing process. 

January 2025 was started off with a different input because the British Motor Museum sent two guys from Gaydon to talk about the design and building of that British icon ‘The Mini’.  In February we had the charity ‘Greenpastures’ which invests in houses for those without a home, ably led by Nick Darlington who supports the charity but was a stand in for the speaker who couldn’t attend. Our last meeting (March) was led by Siby Namkha who explained about his work in bringing the Gospel to Muslim folk in the Coventry area, especially students. 

During the year our £1 per person levy on each Breakfast has enabled us to contribute £200 to St Margaret’s PCC. 

_Peter Bridges_ 

## **Avon Grapevine 2024/25*** 

My thanks to the individuals and organisations who provide the articles which change from month to month. Many of them are busy people but try to hold to my requested deadlines, and occasionally my request for their contribution to be sent in a different format. 

My thanks also to the small group of people who generously “top-up” the funds so that we have colour pages back and front each publication. The village events featured on the back page benefit from being in colour. I am frequently told how much the coloured cover enhances the presentation of the Avon Grapevine. 

Perhaps we will have an extended version again this summer after the Garden Walkabout. The double page centre spread of gardens was a great success in 2023. That too will be dependent on funding. 

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Some articles would benefit from an occasional rewrite, eg The Food Bank, to re-focus attention. 

Some of you know that I hope to pass on the baton for 2026, but that is still under “negotiation” so I cannot say more on that. It has been a privilege to pick up the editing of this vital mouthpiece for the village. Final thanks to our printers, who make our magazine look quite professional and do so in quite impressive timescales. 

## _Brenda Reeves, Grapevine Editor_ 

## **Bells Report 2024/25 *** 

There have been requests from visiting teams to ring but due to the church and hall being in use for other activities we had to refuse permission. 

The bells have been rung on the following occasions. 

Saturday 24th February Coventry Diocesan Guild of Bellringers. Saturday 23rd March Coventry Diocesan Guild of Bellringers Saturday 28th September Coventry Diocesan Guild of Bellringers. Saturday 26th October Coventry Diocesan Guild of Bellringers. Saturday 25th November Coventry Diocesan Guild of Bellringers Saturday 25th January Coventry Diocesan Guild of Bellringers. Saturday 22nd February Coventry Diocesan Guild of Bellringers Saturday 29th March Ladies Guild of Bellringers 

The bells and fittings remain in good condition requiring only general maintenance 

Tower Captain -   Keith Chambers 

## **Caleb Cinema Club 2024/25*** 

The Club meets regularly in The Church Rooms on the second Friday of each month. The doors open at 1.15 pm with the intention of starting the film show at 1.30 pm.  Peter and Sheila Bridges continue to work in the background, while Bob Grainger, Carol and Bernard Fry work front of house, they are ably assisted most months by Jane (the Bridges daughter) and Sarah, her friend who come over from Bedworth to help 

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serve refreshments.  The bulk of our supporters are drawn from outside Wolston, mainly from Binley Woods, Bedworth and Coundon. 

The film for the coming month is selected by the filmgoers from a selection offered to them at refreshment time.  All the films are vetted to ensure that they comply with the terms of the rules dictated by The Church Video License. The films are shown without charge, but we do ask for a small contribution, (currently £2 ) towards the cost of the refreshments. A small surplus accrues from these transactions, which when large enough is passed on to church funds. 

The idea of showing films to young families, during school holidays, has taken a firm root and is developing into a separate entity thanks to the efforts of Bob Grainger and Ellie Gallant. 

Peter Bridges on behalf of Caleb Cinema Club 

## **Foodbank 2024/25  *** 

St Margaret’s continues to deliver food, personal hygiene, laundry & baby items etc to the food back in Willenhall, in Coventry, every week.  From reports received from the team there, the last year has proved to be a difficult year for many people, and the numbers attending the food bank have fallen due to a change in the criteria for eligibility. 

We now have two different sites which are established as drop off points, the St Margaret’s church in Wolston & “Fourways”, Station Rd, Brandon. Generally speaking. The amount of food etc items being dropped ff has dropped considerably. 

Some people who struggle to get out to shop have also supported the food bank financially. 

Thank you to everyone for your incredible generosity during the past year, and I hope it will continue during the year to come. 

_Keith Hayward_ 

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## **Little Stars - 2024/25*** 

Team: Eva Leaf, Ellie Gallant, Pauline Caldicott, Maddy Wigmore, Jenny Lumsden, Ginny 

Haw 

We thank God for this year. For fun with families. For Jesus, who gives us wisdom and 

strength. For the church for supporting this important adventure. To start, we said goodbye to 12 of the Little Stars families. It was wonderful to watch 

those little children grow up, but so hard to see them go. And even though we know that 

they are ready for their new adventures, we miss them all. Yet, the remaining parents 

and carers have been great recruiters, and with it has come a new initiative from Ellie – 

opening the church an hour before Little Stars begins. Families are coming early to have 

their lunch. It is a precious and unhurried time. 

The Little Stars team has been wonderful and cheerful. It is our pleasure to work 

together. However, many of us have had significant challenges: 

- We have missed Ginny for the last few months. 

- Eva’s mother died, so Ellie took over while Eva regained her bearings. 

- Maddy moved house. 

- Pauline has stepped up to the mark, but serving coffee/tea is a twoperson job. 

We are deeply grateful to Jenny for stepping in to fill that essential gap. - Chris Carter and Derek Leaf always come in an hour early to help set up. Peter and Mary pop in at the very end to finish tidying up. Thank you. Last, we would like to thank Pauline for creating a beautiful greeting card for Little Stars. We are delighted to have found a printer through Jenny. Thanks to Emily Lumsden for making this happen. 

As for content this past year, we have explored EMOTIONS, SHAPES, and CREATION. As a team, we thank God for Little Stars and this precious opportunity to serve our community. 

_Eva, Ellie, Pauline, Jenny, Maddy, and Ginny._ 

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**Maggie’s Café 2024/25*** 

Maggie's has continued to draw in members of the village for coffee and cake on Wednesday mornings. 

Our volunteer numbers have grown this year with new people offering to make cakes and assist with waitressing which has been a huge help, but a big thank you to everyone who helps regularly as we couldn't run it without them. 

As well as  the usual replacements for coffee etc we have also bought extra teapots and cups this year. 

Most of all I would like to thank everyone for their continued support 

## _On behalf of the Maggie’s Team -   Ruth McCartney_ 

. 

## **Who let the Dads Out (WLTDO) 2024/25*** 

This is a group for Dads/male carers and their children. We run the group on the second Saturday of the month and provide tea & coffee, bacon batches, squash and biscuits. There are plenty of toys to entertain the children and there is also a bouncy castle. The group is attended regularly by 12+ Dads and their children, with more than 30 Dads having attended at some stage. 

The group also offers Dads a chance to socialise with other Dads and some lasting friendships have been formed in this safe space. Many Dads have offered their help in clearing away/setting up and have also made donations of pre-loved toys to the group. 

Please pray for this time will be a blessing to all who come. 

_Sam Gallant on behalf of the WLTDO team_ 

## **Pastoral Care 2024/25*** 

We have had a difficult year with illnesses in our pastoral group, which has meant some changes have been made. We are sad to say that Sue Marlow has had to step down as group lead, but we are pleased to keep her as a link person. Sue’s knowledge and experience in this field is of great value. Sadly Juliet is another person in the group that we miss greatly.  We welcomed back Jenny Lumsden to the group which brings our number to ten members. I’m pleased to say that Melissa has agreed 

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to assist with the running of the group and this is a great asset, she also is our official school liaison person. We have managed to maintain contact with a fair few people, phoning, visiting, arranging lifts, and social events. I thank the group for their continued hard work and commitment. We have maintained our link with the school and have managed to run two socials this last year. We have also completed training courses and enjoyed a spiritual retreat day. 

_Sue Burdett - on behalf of the PCT_ 

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## _**St. Margaret's Wolston**_ 

## **Church Running Costs in 2024 (General Fund)** 

## **Expenditure** 

|**Regular running costs:**<br>Quota to Diocese (Clergy Costs)<br>Vicar's Expenses<br>Running the Services<br>Building Maintenance and Running Costs<br>Training Courses, Alpha & Messy Church<br>Administration costs<br>**Other costs:**<br>Donations made (general)<br>Youth work<br>**Total Expenditure**|2024<br>2023<br>£<br>£<br>58,600<br>57,800<br>2,007<br>1,033<br>3,875<br>1,728<br>20,404<br>13,714<br>-<br>316<br>11,705<br>11,509|
|---|---|
||96,591<br>86,100|
||3,930<br>4,423<br>-<br>-|
||3,930<br>4,423|
|||
||**100,521**<br>**90,522**|
|||



## **Income** 

|**Donations and legacies:**<br>Direct Giving from Congregation<br>Donations/Grants (including Clerk's Close)<br>**Other income:**<br>Fees (Funerals and Weddings)<br>Church rooms<br>Investment Income<br>Magazine Income<br>Reimbursement for photocopying<br>Maggie's Café<br>Events<br>Sundry income<br>**Total Income**<br>**Net Income (General Fund)**|£<br>£<br>2024<br>2023<br>71,369<br>67,458<br>2,859<br>4,884|
|---|---|
||74,228<br>72,343|
||1,923<br>1,471<br>2,304<br>1,566<br>1,229<br>957<br>3,306<br>3,404<br>-<br>70<br>9,800<br>8,500<br>2,942<br>2,304<br>80<br>-|
||21,585<br>18,271|
||**95,812**<br>**90,613**|
||**-£4,708**<br>**£91**|



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|**Movement in Other Funds (Restricted and**<br>**Designated)**<br>Youth and Children<br>Garden Walkabout<br>Building Fund<br>Church Gates and Pathway<br>Maggie's Café<br>Postlethwaite Legacy<br>Other Funds<br>Net increase in Funds|-1,534<br>-1,506<br>-672<br>-1,850<br>-         565<br>-2,753<br>196<br>418<br>19,879<br>0<br>-2,549<br>223|
|---|---|
||**14,141**<br>**-      4,856**|
||**£     9,433**<br>**-£    4,765**|
|||



## **Movement in Funds 2024** 

||**Movement in Funds 2024**||
|---|---|---|
||**General Reserve**<br>General Fund<br>**Designated funds:**<br>Building Fund<br>Parish Weekend<br>Church (Maggie's) Café Fund<br>Youth & Children<br>Legacy<br>**Total Designated Funds**<br>**Total Unrestricted Funds**<br>**Restricted Funds**<br>Youth & Children<br>Bible Fund<br>Ukraine<br>**Total Restricted Funds**<br>**Total Funds**|**Opening**<br>**Receipts**<br>**Payments**<br>**Transfers**<br>**Closing**<br>**Balance**<br>**Balance**<br>£<br>£<br>£<br>£<br>£|
|||**30,363**<br>**86,012**<br>**100,521**<br>**9,800**<br>**25,655**|
|||3,203<br>3,100<br>4,950<br>0<br>1,353<br>1,534<br>69<br>0<br>0<br>1,603<br>846<br>10,690<br>694<br>-9,800<br>1,042<br>5,166<br>193<br>1,727<br>0<br>3,632<br>0<br>19,879<br>0<br>0<br>19,879|
|||**10,750**<br>**33,931**<br>**7,372**<br>**-9,800**<br>**27,509**|
||||
|||**41,113**<br>**119,944**<br>**91,915**<br>**0**<br>**53,164**|
|||2,479<br>0<br>2,482                2<br>0<br>309<br>14<br>0<br>-<br>323<br>152<br>0<br>150<br>-             2<br>0|
|||**2,941**<br>**14**<br>**7,426**<br>**0**<br>**323**|
||||
|||**44,054**<br>**119,958**<br>**99,341**<br>**-**<br>**53,487**|



19 



Our Benefice verses for 2025
I thank my God every time I
remember you. In ali my
prayers P)r ali Of you. I
always pray Luith Joy because
of your partnerst)ip in the
gosFel Pom the Orst day
UTrtil now. t)eing cofiFident
-Wthts. that he who began"
good (oorK in you Luill carry
it on to completion until the
day of Christ JesL&S.
Phiiippians 1 . 3-6
Our Benefice verses for 2025
20

## The Parochial Church Council of 

## St. Margaret’s Wolston 

## Financial Accounts 

Year ended 31[st] December 2024 

Registered as a charity in England and Wales (No. 1130693) 



## **THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF ST MARGARET'S WOLSTON** 

## **STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES** 

## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st DECEMBER 2024** 

|**INCOME FROM:**<br>Note<br>Donations and legacies<br>2(a)<br>Other voluntary income<br>2(b)<br>Investments<br>2(c)<br>Income earned from operating activities<br>2(d)<br>**Total Income**<br>**EXPENDITURE ON:**<br>Grants<br>3(a)<br>Charitable activities: directly relating to<br>the work of the Church<br>3(b)<br>Church management & administration<br>3(c)<br>**Total Expenditure**<br>Net Income/(Expenditure)<br>Transfers between Funds<br>Net movement in funds<br>**Reconciliation of funds:**<br>Total funds brought forward<br>Total funds carried forward||**TOTAL FUNDS**<br>**Restricted**<br>**2024**<br>**2023**<br>**General**<br>**Designated**<br>**Funds**<br>£<br>£<br>£<br>£<br>£<br>71,369<br>19,443<br>-<br>90,812<br>67,458<br>2,859<br>3,000<br>-<br>5,859<br>13,194<br>1,229<br>840<br>14<br>2,083<br>1,411<br>10,555<br>10,649<br>-<br>21,204<br>19,179<br>86,012<br>33,931<br>14<br>119,958<br>101,243<br>3,930<br>-<br>-<br>3,930<br>4,423<br>87,178<br>7,372<br>2,632<br>97,182<br>91,820<br>9,413<br>-<br>-<br>9,413<br>9,765<br>100,521<br>7,372<br>2,632<br>110,524<br>106,008<br>-14,508<br>26,560<br>2,618<br>-<br>9,433<br>-4,765<br>9,800<br>-9,800<br>-<br>-<br>0<br>-4,708<br>16,760<br>2,618<br>-<br>9,433<br>4,765<br>-<br>30,363<br>10,750<br>2,941<br>44,054<br>48,819<br>25,655<br>27,509<br>323<br>53,487<br>44,054<br>**Unrestricted Funds**|
|---|---|---|



-1- 



## **THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF ST MARGARET'S WOLSTON** 

## **BALANCE SHEET AT 31st DECEMBER 2024** 

|Debtors<br>Short term deposits<br>Cash at bank and in hand<br>**Current Assets**<br>Liabilities: Amounts due within one year<br>**Net Current Assets**<br>**Funds**<br>Unrestricted<br>Restricted<br>**Total**|**TOTAL FUNDS**<br>Note<br>**2024**<br>**2023**<br>£<br>£<br>6<br>4,716<br>3,546<br>50,000<br>35,000<br>2,407<br>13,583<br>**57,122**<br>**52,129**<br>7<br>3,635<br>8,075<br>**53,487**<br>**44,054**<br>8<br>53,164<br>41,113<br>323<br>2,941<br>**53,487**<br>**44,054**|
|---|---|



**Approved by the Parochial Church Council on 20th March 2024 and signed on its behalf by:** 

M.Ingham 

The notes on pages 3 to 8 form part of these accounts. 

-2- 



## **THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF ST MARGARET'S WOLSTON** 

## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS** 

## **31st DECEMBER 2024** 

|**2) INCOME:-**<br>**2(a) Donations and legacies**<br>Planned giving<br>Collections<br>Gift Aid recovered<br>Sundry donations<br>Gift Aid recovered<br>Legacies<br>**2(b) Other voluntary income**<br>Grants - Clerks Close Charity<br>Amazon Smile & Give-As-You-Live<br>Building Fund<br>Youth & Children's Fund<br>_(from Diocese of Coventry and WPC)_<br>**2(c) Income from investments**<br>Interest on CBF deposit account<br>**2(d) Income from operating activities**<br>Church (Maggie's) Café<br>Sale of magazine<br>Fundraising Events<br>Fees<br>Contribution for use of Church Room<br>Reimbursement for photocopying<br>Garden of Remembrance deposits written off<br>TOTAL INCOME<br>-3-|**TOTAL FUNDS**<br>**Restricted**<br>**2024**<br>**2023**<br>**General**<br>**Designated**<br>**Funds**<br>£<br>£<br>£<br>£<br>57,209<br>57,209<br>45,033<br>7,710<br>-<br>7,710<br>6,252<br>6,052<br>-<br>6,052<br>10,913<br>394<br>-<br>394<br>4,664<br>3<br>-<br>3<br>595<br>-<br>19,443<br>-<br>19,443<br>-<br>71,369<br>19,443<br>-<br>90,812<br>67,458<br>2,859<br>2,859<br>2,820<br>-<br>163<br>3,000<br>-<br>3,000<br>8,310<br>-<br>-<br>2,859<br>3,000<br>-<br>5,859<br>13,194<br>1,229<br>840<br>14<br>2,083<br>1,411<br>1,229<br>840<br>14<br>2,083<br>1,411<br>-<br>10,649<br>-<br>10,649<br>10,365<br>3,306<br>-<br>-<br>3,306<br>3,404<br>2,942<br>-<br>-<br>2,942<br>2,304<br>1,923<br>-<br>-<br>1,923<br>1,471<br>2,304<br>-<br>-<br>2,304<br>1,566<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>70<br>80<br>-<br>-<br>80<br>-<br>10,555<br>10,649<br>-<br>21,204<br>19,179<br>86,012<br>33,931<br>14<br>119,958<br>101,243<br>**Unrestricted Funds**|
|---|---|





## **THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF ST MARGARET'S WOLSTON** 

**NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 31st DECEMBER 2024** 

|**3) EXPENDITURE:-**<br>**3(a) Grants/Giving**<br>**3(b) Activities directly relating to**<br>**the work of the Church**<br>Ministry : diocesan quota<br>: clergy expenses<br>Church - running expenses<br>Church - maintenance<br>Buildings and equipment<br>Magazine Printing<br>Ministry Consumables<br>Youth & Children Work<br>Garden Walkabout Fund<br>Alpha<br>Messy Church<br>Church (Maggie's) Café<br>Building Fund<br>Churchyard<br>Ukraine Appeal<br>**3(c) Church management & administration**<br>Administration<br>Printing and stationery<br>Consumables and IT Contracts<br>Staff costs - Administrators<br>Cleaning<br>TOTAL EXPENDITURE||**TOTAL FUNDS**<br>**Restricted**<br>**2024**<br>**2023**<br>**General**<br>**Designated**<br>**Funds**<br>£<br>£<br>£<br>£<br>£<br>3,930<br>-<br>-<br>3,930<br>4,423<br>58,600<br>-<br>-<br>58,600<br>57,800<br>2,007<br>-<br>-<br>2,007<br>1,033<br>16,692<br>-<br>-<br>16,692<br>11,668<br>712<br>-<br>-<br>712<br>1,046<br>3,000<br>-<br>3,000<br>1,000<br>2,292<br>-<br>-<br>2,292<br>1,743<br>3,875<br>-<br>-<br>3,875<br>1,728<br>-<br>1,727<br>2,482<br>4,209<br>1,608<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>672<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>266<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>50<br>-<br>694<br>-<br>694<br>1,468<br>-<br>4,950<br>4,950<br>8,985<br>-<br>-<br>2,753<br>150<br>150<br>-<br>87,178<br>7,372<br>2,632<br>97,182<br>91,820<br>327<br>-<br>-<br>327<br>1,853<br>2,098<br>-<br>-<br>2,098<br>2,120<br>6,568<br>-<br>-<br>6,568<br>5,792<br>420<br>-<br>-<br>420<br>0<br>9,413<br>0<br>0<br>9,413<br>9,765<br>100,521<br>7,372<br>2,632<br>110,524<br>106,008<br>**Unrestricted Funds**|
|---|---|---|



-4- 



## **THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF ST MARGARET'S WOLSTON** 

## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS** 

## **31st DECEMBER 2024** 

## **4) STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES - Year ended 31st December 2023** 

|||||**Unrestricted**|**Unrestricted**|**Funds**|**Funds**|**Restricted**|**Restricted**||**Total**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||**General**|**Designated**||||**Funds**||£|
|||||£|||£|||||
|**INCOME FROM:**||||||||||||
|Donations and legacies||||67,458|||-||-||67,458|
|Other voluntary income||||4,884|||1,000||7,310||13,194|
|Investments||||957|||338||116||1,411|
|Income earned from operating activities||||8,814|||10,365||-||19,179|
|Other||||-|||-||-||-|
||**Total Income**|||82,113|||11,703||7,426||101,243|
|**EXPENDITURE ON:**||||||||||||
|Grants||||4,423|||-||-||4,423|
|Charitable activities: directly relating to||||||||||||
|the work of the Church||||76,334|||1,468||14,018||91,820|
|Church management & administration||||9,765|||-||-||9,765|
||**Total Expenditure**|||90,522|||1,468||14,018||106,008|
|Net Income/(Expenditure)|||-|8,409<br>|||10,236|-|6,592<br>|-|4,765<br>|
|Transfers between Funds||||8,500||-|10,175<br>||1,675||-|
|Net movement in funds||||91|||60|-|4,917<br>|-|4,765<br>|
|**Reconciliation of funds:**||||||||||||
|Total funds brought forward||||30,272|||10,690||7,858||48,819|
|Total funds carried forward||||30,363|||10,750||2,941||44,054|
||||||||**2024**||**2023**|||
|**5) Staff Costs**|||||||£||£|||
|Wages & Salaries|||||||9,050||7,400|||
|National Insurance|||||||0||0|||
||||||||9,050||7,400|||
|The PCC employed 1 (2023:|1) part time administrator throughout the year,|||||||||||
|and 1 (2023: 1) part-time children and families team||leader||||||||||
|**6) Debtors**|||||||**2024**||**2023**|||
||||||||£||£|||
|Gift Aid Accrual - unrestricted|||||||3,262||3,371|||
|Gift Aid Accrual - restricted|||||||-||175|||
|CAF donation received, not yet banked|||||||500||-|||
|Church Lawford wages & expenses contribution|||||||953||-|||
||||||||4,716||3,546|||
|||-5-||||||||||





## **THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF ST MARGARET'S WOLSTON** 

## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS** 

## **31st DECEMBER 2024** 

|**7) Liabilities (Creditors)**|||||||||**2024**|**2024**|**2023**|**2023**||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||||||£||£|||
|Diocesan Quota outstanding||||||||||55|5,115|||
|Electricity and Gas Bills outstanding|||||||||1,400|||900||
|Deposits - Garden of Remembrance|||||||||2,180||2,060|||
||||||||||3,635||8,075|||
|**8) Fund Details**||||||||||||||
|**Movements in Funds**||||||||||||||
||**Opening**|**Receipts**||**Payments**||**Transfers **|||**Interest**||||**Closing**|
||**Balance**||||||||||||**Balance**|
||£|£||£|||£||£||||£|
|**Unrestricted Funds**||||||||||||||
|General Fund|30,363|84,783||100,521|||9,800||1,229||||25,655|
||**30,363**|**84,783**||**100,521**|||**9,800**||**1,229**||||**25,655**|
|**Designated funds:**||||||||||||||
|Building Fund|3,203|3,000||4,950||||0||100|||1,353|
|Parish Weekend|1,534||0||0|||0||69|||1,603|
|Maggie's Café|846|10,649|||694||-9,800|||41|||1,042|
|Youth & Children|5,166||0|1,727||||0||193|||3,632|
|Legacy|0|19,443|||0|||0||436|||19,879|
|**Total Designated Funds**|**10,750**|**33,092**||**7,372**|||**-9,800**|||**840**|||**27,509**|
|||||||||||||||
|**Total unrestricted funds**|**41,113**|**117,875**||**107,892**||||**0**|**2,069**||||**53,164**|
|**Restricted Funds**||||||||||||||
|Youth & Children|2,479||0|2,482||||2||0|||0|
|Bible Fund|309||0||0|||0||14|||323|
|Ukraine|152||0||150|-||2<br>||0|||0|
|**Total Restricted Funds**|**2,941**||**0**|**2,632**||||**0**||**14**|||**323**|
|||||||||||||||
|**Total Funds**|**44,054**|**117,875**||**110,524**||||**0**|**2,083**||||**53,487**|



## **9) PCC Expenses and Remuneration** 

Under the Statement of Recommended Practice for Charities, it is now required to report certain information relating to remuneration and expenses paid to members of the PCC and their immediate families. 

In accordance with this requirement, it is reported that expenses of £2,007 (2023: £0) were paid to Malcolm Ingham during the year. In addition, although remunerated by the Diocese of Coventry, the Diocesan quota referred to in note 3(b) is primarily used to fund his stipend and housing, while the remaining quarter contributes to training new clergy. 

Of the wages referred to in note 5, £6,568 were paid to Jayne Hayward, who is currently a PCC member, for her 12 hours a we working in the Church Office. The wage rate for her and the families worker is the current National Living Wage. 

-6- 



## **THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF ST. MARGARET’S WOLSTON** 

## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 2024** 

## **1. Accounting Policies** 

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Church Accounting Regulations 2006 together with applicable accounting standards and the Charities SORP (FRS 102). 

The financial statement has been prepared under the historic cost convention except for the valuation of any investment assets, which are shown at market value. The financial statements include all transactions, assets and liabilities for which the PCC is responsible in law. They do not include the accounts of church groups that owe their main affiliation to another body, nor those that are informal gatherings of church members. 

## **Funds** 

General funds represent the funds of the PCC that are not subject to any restrictions regarding their use and are available for application on the general purposes of the PCC. Funds designated for a particular purpose by the PCC are also unrestricted, but are shown separately in the accounts. 

Restricted funds are those that must be spent on restricted purposes and details of these funds are shown in note 9 to the accounts. 

## **Income** 

## _**Voluntary income and capital sources**_ 

Collections are recognised when received by or on behalf of the PCC. Income tax recoverable on Gift Aid donations is recognised when the income is recognised. Grants and legacies to the PCC are accounted for when received. 

Funds raised by garden parties, the church café and similar events, or by sales of books and magazines, are accounted for gross. 

## _**Investment and other income**_ 

Rental income from the letting of church premises is recognised when the rental income is paid. Interest from investments or deposits are accounted for when received. 

## **Expenditure** 

## _**Grants**_ 

Grants and donations are accounted for when paid over. 

## _**Activities directly relating to the work of the Church**_ 

The diocesan parish share is accounted for when due. Any parish share unpaid at 31st December is provided for in the accounts as an operational (though not a legal) liability and is shown as a creditor in the Balance Sheet. 

**- 7 -** 



## _**Expired Cheques**_ 

From the start of 2021, cheques issued by the Church that have not been cashed for over 1 year will be written off to income (having been originally recorded as expenditure when issued). 

## **Fixed Assets** 

## _**Consecrated property and moveable church furnishings**_ 

Consecrated and beneficed property of any kind is excluded from the accounts by s.96(2)(a) of the Charities Act 1993. 

Moveable church furnishings held by the Vicar and Churchwardens on special trust for the PCC, and which require a faculty for disposal, are accounted as inalienable property unless consecrated. They are listed in the church’s Inventory which can be inspected (at any reasonable time). For inalienable property acquired prior to 2000 there is insufficient cost information available and therefore such assets are not valued in the accounts. Items acquired since 1[st] January 2000 have been capitalised and depreciated in the accounts over their currently anticipated useful economic life on a straight line basis. 

All expenditure incurred in the year on consecrated or beneficed buildings, individual items under £5,000, or on the repair of moveable church furnishings acquired before 1 January 2000 is written off. 

## _**Current assets**_ 

Amounts owing to the PCC at 31st December in respect of fees, rents or other income are shown as a debtor less provision for amounts that may prove uncollectible. 

Short-term deposits include cash held on deposit either with the CBF Church of England Funds or at the bank. 

- 8- 



Inde
endent Examiner's Re
ort to the PCC of St Mar
aret's Church Wolston.
I report on the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 December 2024, which
are set out on pages 1 to 8.
Respective responsibilities of the PCC and the Examiner
As members of the PCC you are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements, you
consider that an audit is not required for this year under the regulations of the Charities Act
2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to:
examine the financial statements under section 145 of the 2011 Act;
follow the procedures laid down in the general directions given by the Charity Commission
under section 145(5){b) of the 2011 Act., and
state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
This report, including my statement, has been prepared for and only for the PCC as a body. My
work has been undertaken so that I might state to the PCC those matters l am required to state
to them in an independent examiner's report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent
permitted by law, I do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the PCC as
body for my examination work, for this report, or for the statements I have made.
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 financial statements presented with those records. It also includes
consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the financial statements and seeking
explanations from you as trustee 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 financial statements 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 cause
to believe that in any material respect the requirements,
to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act., and
to prepare financial statements which accord with the accounting records and
comply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act
have not been met, or to which in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable
proper understanding of the financial statements to be reached.
Mr Keith Francis B.Sc., FCMA, CGfvI4, MCT
50B Main Street
Wolston
CV8 3HJ
11 April 2025