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2022-12-31-accounts

Table of Contents

Introduction p.2
Church Ofcers p.2
PCC Membership p.3
PCC Structure, Governance & Management p.3
Electoral Roll p.4
Ministry Reports p.4
Minister’s Report p.4
Churchwardens Report p.8
Financial Report p.10
Buildings Management Group (BMG) p.10
Health and Safety p.12
Safeguarding p.13
Data Protection p.15
Activities of the Parish p.16
Worcester Deanery Synod p.16
20/20 Vision Project p.17
Claines Community Café p.18
Eco Church p.18
Quest Bereavement Group p.19
The Worcester Foodbank p.19
Children and Young People p.19
Claines CE Primary School p.20
Lunch in Company (LINC) p.21
Church Magazine p.21
Social Media p.22
Little Friends p.22
Little Fish p.23
Mother’s Union p.23
Parish Music p.24
Spark to a Flame p.24
Bell Ringing p.25
Flower Guild p.25
Kingdom Arts p.25
Christian Aid p.26
The Children’s Society p.26
Legacies p.27
Accounts p.28

Introduction

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The Parish Church of St John Baptist is part of the Diocese of Worcester within the Church of England. The correspondence address is Claines Parish, Cornmeadow Lane, Worcester, WR3 7NY.

The Parochial Church Council is a charity registered with the Charity Commission (Number 1130734). Members of the Parochial Church Council (PCC) are either ex- officio or elected annually by the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) in accordance with the Church Representation Rules.

Church Officers

Standing Committee: Priest in Charge Reverend Jo Musson Churchwardens Philip Kear with Ian Cramp until May 2022, then Annette Summers PCC Secretary Helen Fitzgerald PCC Treasurer Janet Wilson

Ministry Team: Priest in Charge Reverend Jo Musson Associate Priest Reverend Jennie Hayward Associate Priest Reverend Peter Davies Licensed Lay Ministers Jan Kear John Butterworth Authorised Lay Ministers Paul Fulbrook & Rachel Cramp Parish Administrators Tammara Adams Health & Safety Officer Ian Cramp Electoral Roll Officer Julie Palmer Data Protection Officer Reverend Jo Musson Safeguarding Officer Lorraine Deeprose Children’s Worship Rachel Cramp Independent Examiner Tony Archer Banks Barclays Bank PLC, Worcester HSBC, Worcester

PCC MEMBERSHIP at the end of 2021-2022 term

Ex-Officio

Reverend Jo Musson Chair Philip Kear Churchwarden - Completed 11 years Annette Summers Churchwarden - Completed 1 year Jan Kear LLM Since 2020

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Elected Members (up to 12)

Jo Siddles – Lay Vice Chair since 2016 Janet Wilson - Treasurer since 2014 Helen Fitzgerald - Secretary since 2018 Laura Stevens since 2016 Lorraine Deeprose since 2018 Annette Summers since 2018 Ian Townley since 2020 Julie Palmer since 2020 Judy Hooper since 2020 Deanery Synod Members Paul Fulbrook since 2017 Jan Hayden since 2017 Ian Cramp since 2017

The appointment of PCC members is set out in the Church Representation Rules. All church attendees are encouraged to register on the Electoral Roll and may stand for election to the PCC. The work of the PCC is carried out at regular meetings, throughout the year. In addition regular Standing Committee meetings have been held, comprising the Vicar, Wardens, PCC Secretary and PCC Treasurer

PCC STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

The work of the PCC was also undertaken through meetings of various sub-groups: Standing Committee Ministry Team 20/20+ Vision, Project Group Buildings Management Group Parish Magazine Committee

When they have met, these groups have provided regular reports to the full PCC meetings, in addition to reports from the Deanery Synod representatives.

Electoral Roll – Julie Palmer

The Church electoral roll is the register of electors for the parish. In the same way that being on the civic Electoral Roll allows you to vote in parliamentary and local elections and referenda, joining the Church Electoral Roll means that you can vote on Church matters, attend the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) and stand for election to the PCC.I took over the role of electoral roll officer at the AGM in May 2022 and would like to extend a big ‘thank you’ to Andrew Oddy for all of his work before me and for all of the help and advice he provided handing over the role. At the 2022 AGM there were 128 members on the electoral roll. During 2022 two new members were added and 4 were removed from the list. So at the end of 2022 there were 126 members on the Church Electoral Roll.

MINISTER’S REPORT- Rev. Jo Musson

2022 was an encouraging year, and we gave thanks that we could be back in church, in the Hall and Institute, gathering, worshipping and socialising together again. The church played an important role as a place of worship and bereavement for two significant National events: the Jubilee and the death of the late Queen, Elizabeth II. Lay ministry flourished and many of our groups grew. More children were admitted to their first communion and the school came back into church. As we settled into a new normal following the pandemic, we were blessed in so many ways and reminded that through it all, God has been there with us. Now we can look forward to the future with some exciting new

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initiatives. I am as ever grateful to everyone who participates in the life and ministry of the church and most especially to Phil Kear, Annette Summers, Janet Wilson, and Helen Fitzgerald and all of the Ministry Team, in particular Rev Peter Davies who has been such a significant support over the last twelve months.

Collaboration - Working Well Together

We began a process of exploring how we could work more closely with St Stephen’s Church. Together with Reverend Andy Todd, Curate Reverend Lindsey Coulthard, lay people from St Stephen’s and Saint George’s we met to explore how the three local churches could work more effectively together. On 9th June the standing committees of St Stephen’s, St George’s, and Claines met to continue the conversation around ‘Working Well Together,’ with a lively exploration (using Lego) of what we might achieve for the community by working together more closely. In July we met again, this time facilitated by Rev’d Alison Maddocks who helped us explore further, assessing impact and outcomes and looking at ‘what could possibly go wrong?’ Having a social together was identified as a ‘quickwin’ start, and as a result 45 people in 3 teams enjoyed a Skittles Afternoon at the Alma Tavern. St George’s won! It was a great start, breaking down barriers and preconceptions and I hope this will be the beginning of further socialising to break down any perceived barriers.

Mission

One of the highlights of our mission in 2022 was celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. We led a short worship service on the Recreation Ground and worked with other community groups (Scouts, Guides, RBL, local Councilors and businesses) to put on a large outdoor party, with activities, music, and a large picnic. Hundreds of people attended and it was a wonderful example of the whole community coming together. A Mulberry Tree was ceremoniously planted by our Queen for the Day – Pauline Coupland. Both the joint Jubilee services were well attended. Following the death of the late Queen, the church became a place for people to remember and give thanks, with a large framed photograph of her majesty on display. Thanks to all those who enabled this to happen.

Once again we came together with the other North Worcester Churches and ran a stall at the Worcester Show. The Show was even bigger than usual and held on the Racecourse. With record temperatures, several toddlers and dogs appreciated the mini paddling pool which was initially intended as a prayer activity!

The weekly Mailchimp newsletter now goes to more than 330 people via email and around 20 people by post. We hit our record recently with 204 people opening the email. By marketing standards this is great. Thanks to the ‘Posties’ who deliver printed copies by hand every week to ensure that everyone gets to read the week’s news. Thanks too to Rachel Cramp who dissects the news each week and posts it onto Facebook thus spreading the information and the Gospel even further afield!

Following a successful application, we were allocated a Mission Accompanier – Nigel Tween. His support and consultancy came through a grant from the Healthier Churches fund. Nigel will be able to help us access further funding from the Healthier Churches fund. Nigel is an experienced Pastor from the Elim Church, previously Principle of Regent’s Bible College. As well as meeting with me for one-to-one coaching, and with the Parish reps, he has visited Kingdom Arts and Little Friends and will come and preach at both churches in 2023. He is very encouraging of all that we are doing and wrote this: ‘You have accomplished a huge amount of lasting change in just ten years and now offer a wide menu of activities in terms of worship and community focused events. You have built excellent connections with wider parishes, individuals and organisations.’ Nigel is helping us explore the possibility of getting funding to employ a Children’s, Families’ and Youth Worker shared between the three local churches.

Beer & Carols was back to its pre-pandemic energy at The Mug House and The New Inn thanks to the help of my sister Reverend Sarah Hewitt and her husband Neil for the saxophone accompaniment. It is wonderful to see so many young men making a point of attending this annual event, some dressing up for the occasion in shirts, ties and jackets!

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With Sue and Trevor Davies’ joyous music we sang carols and danced at Homenash and Gheluvelt Court, and with Pat Dorman (Rebecca’s father in law) at Fernhill House and the Belmont Care Home. The Christmas Trees and flowers were magnificent and a true witness to the joy we encounter at Christmas.

Phil and I attended the New Communities Group to consider the possibility of applying for support to engage with the new residents on the two new housing estates. This is something else we could consider through the Healthier Churches Fund.

Members of both parishes engaged with the National Consultation ‘Living in Love and Faith.’ Several people took part across the whole Deanery, organised by the Area Dean and with thanks to Ian Cramp as zoom driver. This was part of the consultancy around marriage and the blessing of same sex couples and the bigger picture of working towards being more inclusive.

We held several Bible Study Groups, with people attending in person and via zoom. During Lent we explored ‘Women of Holy Week’ by Paula Gooder and In Advent we read and discussed Paula’s biblebased novel ‘Lydia’. Both series were well received and attended.

Another highlight in our mission was on Sunday 20th November when Dean Jones a regular member of our Café Church congregation was confirmed at Worcester Cathedral. Dean gave this testimony: ‘I live in Claines with my wife Melissa and our four beautiful children aged from 7 to 23. I am a retired police detective chief inspector and served 30 years in the West Midlands and West Mercia Police. Having always lived my life in what I believe to be a good way and bringing my children up in the same way, respecting and wherever possible helping those less fortunate than ourselves and attending our local church and indeed the family friendly cafe church I thought the time was right for me to confirm my beliefs by making the commitment to be confirmed. I have very much enjoyed the pre confirmation sessions with my Vicar Rev Jo, and these have enabled me to learn more and consider more deeply the elements of what it means to be a Christian’.

Ministry Team

A major loss for both churches in 2023 was Reader Judy Morris who left Worcester to return to her hometown of Barrow. This left a large gap in the Ministry team, our funeral ministry and more generally across the breadth of missional events and socials at Saint George’s. Judy is remembered fondly for her big heart for the marginalized and for being able to rustle up a feast for the masses without batting an eyelid.

Following an invitation to both congregations to consider whether they were being called to step up and fulfil a role in ministry, Phil Kear and Ian Cramp from Claines and Alison Clarke and Lyn Crowther from Saint George’s, embarked on training to become Authorised Lay Ministers in Leading Worship. ALM is a one year course which trains people to lead worship, to be aware of CofE guidelines and resources, to write liturgy, reflections and prayers. They will be licensed in September 2023. Please hold them in your prayers.

Rachel Cramp commenced her second year of training to become a Licensed Lay Minister (Reader) and successfully finished a 3 month placement at St John’s in Bedwardine. She is already contributing to services and preaching, as well as continuing her role at Claines School as Governor and leading assemblies and Godly Play. We look forward to her licensing as a Reader (LLM) on 9[th] September 2023 with great anticipation.

Family Support and Occasional Offices

We continue to support families at times of loss through our funeral ministry, several bereaved spouses joined the Quest group. We held a number of Weddings and I am grateful to Rev’d Peter and Vergers Gwen and Derry for their support and hard work, also to the MU Baptism reps Gwen Clifford and Jane Saint who attend the monthly zoom Baptism Preparation sessions, and arrange the rota of MU ladies who support two baptism services every month. Their help is invaluable, and they themselves are an important link between church and Little Friends and Fish.

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Over the last year many families were catching up from lockdown and as a result we baptized over 40 children plus 2 adults! I am grateful to Jan Hayden who kindly makes up the wedding and baptism packs for both churches and checks they are well stocked. Many of our baptism families attend Little Fish, our monthly Toddler Service, and the Little Friends Baby & Toddler group. Although numbers have dropped a little since we lost the older children to school, it is still appreciated, and we know from experience that numbers will creep up again. Looking ahead it is essential to our ministry that we continue to support these groups after the imminent ‘retirement’ of Jennifer Chow.

Thanks to the MU team: Pat, Annie, Jane, and Jan these groups would not happen and well done to them for leading it one month themselves whilst I was on holiday! We must never underestimate the effect such activities have on our mission and outreach and Mothers’ Union are there at all of them. Well done and thank you from the bottom of my heart! Claines MU is truly the foundation stone of so much of our ministry and mission.

In the Parish Office on 14[th] November our new administrator Tammara Adams started. Tam has picked up the role brilliantly and is ensuring a caring and efficient presence and support for both churches. A huge thank you to Gwen Clifford and John Brady who continue to cover gaps and holiday leave and have done a wonderful job training and supporting Tammara.

Children’s Ministry

On 20[th] July Claines School and Y6 parents came back into church for the first time since March 2020, to say farewell to the Y6 Leavers. The Autumn term felt like a return to normality with the whole school and their parents back at church for their Harvest Festival. Because of lockdown, for many of the children and their parents, it was their first time they had ever been inside the Church and there was a wonderful sense of joy and gratitude.

Rachel Cramp and I attend every service in church with the school. Members of the congregation are always most welcome to come and help us with welcoming the families and crowd control - most of these services result in around 350 people in church! We also go into school and lead activities, Godly Play and assemblies, and recently we attended the theatre to see the children perform with Worcester Musical Theatre Group. I am grateful to Rachel for her commitment and diligence as a School Governor building effective links between church and the staff and children.

Both Reception classes from the new North Worcester Primary Academy visited Claines Church in July; for many of the children it was the first time they had ever been inside a church! They were excited to walk across the field through the corn which was taller than most of them. We gave each of them a small gift of a Bible Story to keep as a memento. I was also invited into the school to teach a class about baptism and baptize a baby (doll) – who the children named Petal!

Rachel and I attended a Children’s Work Training evening with the Deanery Synod and I also attended the Calling Young Disciples End of project celebration where we recognised the progress we had made through working with St George’s and St Stephen’s over the years for children’s events. Towards the end of the year we put on Children’s Christmas Parties at both churches for our church families which was a great success. Sadly we had no Junior Bishop again at Claines but Rachel and I are hopeful that with some creative planning this can be remedied for 2023.

Worship

I am most grateful to Vanessa who arranges our organists (Simon Taranzuk and Robin Walker who each play monthly and are excellent musicians), and also leads the Choir and Music Group (Orchestra), which now includes saxophone and bass guitar. We are blessed to have someone of her calibre. I am grateful to Adrian who leads the band Spark to a Flame at Café Church. The commitment of so many singers, choristers and musicians is a real blessing to us all, and ensures a varied programme and something for all tastes. Following a consultation with those who attend the afternoon services, we now use CDs and a special Celtic Song Book as well as the hymn book.

It has been encouraging after the pandemic to see numbers at normal services creeping gradually back up, with an average of around 40 communicants. PCC decided not to bring back the common

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cup, having adopted the practice of the priest intincting the wafer in the wine, a situation which is reviewed regularly by the PCC. Some minor revisions to the pattern of worship were implemented which worked well and facilitated a better spread of clergy resource across each month. Reverend Peter reached a significant birthday (congratulations to him!) and quite rightly asked to have 2 clear weeks off each month which we have achieved through me not attending Café Church. I am hugely grateful to him for his support, dedication and prayerful ministry. It is a delight that Rev Jennie continues to play an active part, and as well as her ministry, I thank her for her friendship and support. Her practical teaching sermons are always appreciated.

One of the positive things to come out of the pandemic is our ability to offer online worship and we have a small number of people regularly worshipping with us via ZOOM. This can be a real lifeline for people who cannot attend church or get out of the house (or if they have Covid) and I am grateful to our three Zoom drivers Barbara Mitra, Elisabeth Witter and Janet Wilson for their continued dedication.

We ended 2022 with some wonderful worship and gatherings to celebrate the birth of our Lord, and it was wonderful to see people coming back to church for the Crib Services, Midnight Mass and Christmas Day. The Carol Service was truly a highlight and I am grateful to the choir for their hard work and dedication. The Eco Christingle Communion was something new and wonderful to see how well our Eco Christingles of crocus bulbs planted in biodegradable pots were received by young and old alike.

Sadness

2022 was another year when we had to say farewell to some of our long serving members: Malcolm Darling, Ken Ashman, Bernard Potter and Lynne Barnacle. Within the community the death of Judy Allen, publican at The Mug House, came as a huge shock and it was humbling to see the church packed with people who are more often used to walking past the church doors, for her funeral. The Archdeacon gave a wonderful eulogy. We pray that all those who rest in peace will rise in glory. On a personal note, I am grateful to everyone for their kindness and support following my Dad’s death, it was reassuring to know my family were being held in your prayers and I am grateful to all those who held the fort in my absence. Thank you.

Looking ahead

2023 promises to be an exciting year, with the possibility of a paid children’s, families’ and youth worker, new Lay ministers and finally and at long last – toilets in the church! Claines Church is recognised as being a vibrant and effective missional community. We have much to offer and much to celebrate. Thank you to you all for your hard work and commitment. “ For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.” Jeremiah 29.11-13

CHURCHWARDENS’ REPORT- Phil Kear and Annette Summers

We started 2022 with excitement as we gradually moved out of the restrictions over the previous two years, and within a few weeks doors would be opened across Claines as we welcomed Ukrainian families into our community when they fled war in their country. We are so grateful to all those providing spaces in their homes and the opportunity to share time with Ukrainian families at many of our church activities.

The year brought changes to the Church Wardens as Ian Cramp stood down. We are so thankful to have had his wise council in the past but even more grateful that he continues to support us with his knowledge and wisdom. Thank you, Ian. After stepping in to cover Phil Kear’s temporary absence, Annette Summers was voted in as a warden at the APCM and continues to learn the role.

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A significant high was the late Queen’s Jubilee in June. We saw a large turnout at the Rec on Cornmeadow Lane where many of the local organisations came together and we were lucky with the British weather. However, later in the year we were all saddened by the passing of Queen Elizabeth and joined the country in its period of National Mourning.

Inventory

This has been checked and found to be in good order.

Fabric, Fixtures, Fittings and Furniture

All relevant checks have been carried out.

An Archdeacon’s Faculty was approved to remove pews to create a social area at the rear of the church. This work was completed in November, and we are grateful to all those that helped prepare the area and arrange the storage of the pews. The area has been used already on several occasions by different groups and feedback so far has been very positive. It will be reviewed to see if this should be made permanent as part of the next phase to re-order the church.

The church notice board was damaged during a storm early in the year and we were grateful to Stan Summers for its restoration and reinstatement.

Quinquennial Inspection

The Quinquennial report is due in 2023 but we have outstanding items to address from the previous report. These will be reviewed and prioritised.

Churchyards

Muddy Boots have continued to strim and mow the churchyard. Andrew Johnson mows the paths and Garden of Remembrance and he and Steve Taylor have provided their services as Sexton, and we are very grateful for their continued support.

Church Buildings

A program of works to ensure all the church buildings are maintained is well managed. Alan McWilliams with support of the Building Management Group Team manage the Hall and Institute buildings and we are very grateful for their work. However, they were hit by a catastrophe when the ceiling in the Institute came down and all bookings had to be cancelled from September which had a big impact on their finances. They have managed to regain bookings and the roof and new lighting is a tremendous asset.

We thank Gordon Smith for all his help in and around the church and grateful to our cleaning team who are truly our unsung heroes.

Across all our buildings we have had to focus attention on our energy costs as the country was hit with increases and Phil Kear has been invaluable in managing this on our behalf to ensure we maintain control.

Parish Giving

We are fortunate that we maintain a strong Parish Giving Scheme which is well supported but we must never sit back and rest on our laurels and be thankful for those who support the church with their regular giving. Our finances are ably looked after by Janet Wilson, and we thank her for the superb control she maintains.

Thanks

It always hard to name individuals as we are so lucky in Claines to have many volunteers that carry out their duties and without whom we would be unable to function. Thank you to you all. Special thanks are due to the following: -

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We are so grateful to all that volunteer as without you our church could not operate.

We would also like to acknowledge our Ministry Team. We are blessed to have such a strong group that support us in all areas of worship as well as meeting the needs of the congregation. Thank You

FINANCIAL REPORT- Janet Wilson

After 2 years of disruption 2022 has been a year of adjustment. The main change on the financial side has been the introduction of The Ministry Share Scheme which is the new name for the Parish Share Scheme.

From January 2022 this changed to create a clearer link between the amount of stipendiary ministry in a parish (or a group of parishes) and the amount contributed. Our Ministry Share is calculated on Claines and St George’s combined and covers the cost of stipend, pension, housing costs, training for new priests and a contribution towards Diocesan support. Claines portion for 2022 was £39,454, 60% of the total for the two churches, and I am pleased to report that we were able to pay this in full. We paid an additional £4,000 towards the Ministry Support Fund to assist during the transition period.

The regular income from The Parish Giving Scheme and Standing Orders remains at nearly 90% of our total voluntary giving, and collections at services gradually increased during the year. We also received a legacy from John Barton. A contribution of £1,500 towards church funds was received from the Magazine Fund which was greatly appreciated. Again, our expenditure was well controlled, and our Energy, Insurance and Alarm System costs make up a large portion of our outgoings.

Our charitable giving was spread across 7 charities including YMCA, Practical Action, Samaritans, Food Bank, FareShare , A Rocha and FCN. During this year we have made application to several Charitable Trusts for grants towards our Reordering Project. We have been successful in obtaining funding from four Trusts and we have yet to hear from four more. In addition, we have received some generous donations and are confident that we will be fully funded early next year.

A huge thank you to everyone for their ongoing financial support and involvement, your gifts make a real difference to the life of the church.

BUILDINGS MANAGEMENT GROUP (BMG)- Alan McWilliams

General statement

As you are aware the Covid 19 pandemic continued for the first few months of 2022, however, complying with the Government recommendations we were able to continue to hire out the Hall and Institute. Four Free issue cycle racks have been fitted to the walls; two at the Institute and two at the Parish Hall.

As you are aware, Ann Sansome retired at the start of 2022 after numerous years as treasurer of the BMG, we are extremely grateful for her service and dedication. Ann handed over the role of Treasurer to Sheryl Robinson who we are fortunate to have as a valued member of the BMG.

BMG committee

The present committee consists of the following members: Alan McWilliams (Chair), Katrina Boucher, Jan Hayden, Ian Cramp, Sheryl Robinson (Treasurer) and Dillwyn Price. Although Gordon Smith is not a member of the BMG, his input in carrying out minor repairs to the various Church, buildings and landscape is greatly appreciated by all.

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During the past year 2022-2023 we had four meeting to discuss and ensure that the Parish Hall and Institute complied with current Covid Government Recommendations and have in place all the sanitizing materials required. We also discuss the various Building Maintenance Projects that we planned and consequently carry out this year. We continue to have two cleaning contractors, Jenny Radley and Emily Rowlands who clean the Parish Hall while Julie does the Institute

Maintenance request forms received over the last 12months

Although we have been subject to the Covid restrictions the Hall and Institute have been in use for most of the year although we have however had very few requests which have been verbal Listed below is the official number of requests received although a number of additional minor items of maintenance have been carried out as deemed necessary. Church………………… 2 Church house…….. 1 Parish Hall………..… 3 Institute……………… 2 Total 8

Building Inspection report

It is the intension that a revised report will be compiled in 2023 that covers the external and internal element of our three buildings, House, Institute and Parish hall

Maintenance Items/projects worthy of note

Church - The original Quinquennial Report and the actions identified have stayed under the control of the Church Wardens and PCC. However, BMG have carried out small maintenance items as and when requested with the replacement of light bulbs as required and the repairing of the electrical components to the 3rd lamp hanging light adjacent the alter. We were involved in organising the adjustments to the electrics in the combined effort to remove the 6th pew in the North West corner that now is the social area. The fire extinguishers had their annual service in June 2022.

Institute Church House – Our new tenants are very happy with the house and have asked if they can carry out the landscaping to the back garden and also if they can decorate the various rooms to their requirement. During the year we have arranged for the oil boiler to be serviced and we have carrying out the annual internal house inspection and found all was well. We have replaced the 3 old metal kitchen windows with new that have double glazed glass units which will help the thermal efficiency of the house. When funds are available will arrange for the sitting room windows to be replaced with similar. The holes in the access road to the car park were made good with cold bitumen macadam.

Institute – This year although we still had Covid Restrictions the bookings for the building were picking up but as you all know in September a small section of the plastered ceiling fell down, fortunately no one was in the building at the time. As we were unsure of the stability of the remaining areas we replaced the whole of the existing plastered ceiling with plasterboard and a skim coat of plaster. The existing florescent lights were replaced with new LED units, 2 loft access hatches where installed and an additional 300mm of loft insulation installed. Therefore, from September the Institute was closed for bookings until January 2023 which obviously affected our income. The heating on/off programme times are adjusted as required to suit the bookings. The fire alarms and firefighting equipment have had their annual service carried out. The timber palisade fence between the car park and the children’s play area that was blown down has been reinstated.

The hedges around the house, Institute and carpark have had their annual trim as required. We are truly thankful to Gordon Smith and the local farmer Mr Kevin Gwillam who carried out the work.

Parish Hall – This year we carried out the annual servicing to the heating system, the fire alarms, the firefighting equipment plus the servicing of the gas water heater in the kitchen. The grass to the garden and external areas has been cut as required by Marks Gardening Services with the external Defibrillator regularly checked by the Community Café’.

This year as planned and agreed with the PCC we carried out the various building enhancements

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which include the external painting, insulating the end gable wall to the main hall plus the replacement of a number of existing single glazed metal windows to the Ladies toilet, the gable end wall and the porch lantern with new double glazed UPVC units. These measures will no doubt help with the Thermal Efficiency of the hall and therefore reduce the heating costs. As and when funds are available we will be look at replacing the remaining single glazed metal windows with new ones that are double glazed, insulating the external walls on the inside, modernising the kitchen facilities and supplementing the existing heating system with additional heaters. The debris and unwanted equipment stored in the outbuilding was cleared out with the help of volunteers and either given away or dump in the skip provided.

Over the past year particularly in January and February, with the help of the groups using the Hall and the BMG team we kept the building open for business all in accordance with the Covid 19 Government guide lines.

Finances – As you are aware, our income is generated from the letting of the Church House, the Parish Hall and the Institute. However, this year our income has mainly been generated from the house rent and the parish hall bookings. The income from the institute bookings was curtailed in September due to the repairs to the ceiling. The income from the Parish Hall and Institute in January 2023 is reasonable healthy. The bookings for the Hall and the institute allowing for a 5 day week and possible 9 hours availability the present capacity for the hall stands at 70% and the Institute at 40%, the figures exclude weekend bookings.

In April 2020 we increased the rates to the Hall and Institute by a small amount. We have planned at our next meeting in May to assess the increased energy costs and if necessary, inform our regular hirers by letter if the rates need to be increased.

The rent for the Church House is fair and reasonable as agreed by our Letting Agent and therefore was not increased. The other factor we took into consideration was the generous work they are carrying out on the landscape and the new cooker they have installed. This year’s balance sheet for 22-23 would have been quite healthy considering we spent in around £20000 on planned upgrades to the various buildings and it would have been similar to last year. However due to the unforeseen repairs required for the Ceiling to the Institute at a cost of £11200 our balance in January 23 stood around £5000. Now that the Institute is available together with the Parish Hall we feel fairly optimistic that our 2023 year ending accounts will be very much healthier. The BMG 12 month accounts are included in the financial section of the PCC Report.

HEALTH AND SAFETY- Ian Cramp

A number of things have changed since the last Annual Report was produced regarding health and safety. The significant reduction in the number of Covid infections has meant that we have been able to resume our activities in a “normal” manner. Government and Church of England advice has also supported this course of action throughout the country. While this does not mean that Covid has been eliminated, the use of vaccinations has meant that the severity of infections and consequential risk to health has been reduced. However, we remember that there are groups of people who may be susceptible to any form of infection and will always take care to ensure that they are adequately protected as far as possible while in our buildings.

We always try to ensure that our properties are properly ventilated and that space is available for persons who feel vulnerable to infection to sit away from others if they desire. We are, of course, happy if persons wish to wear masks. The Ministry team are continuing to regularly review such issues as exchanging the Peace and sharing the Common Cup.

We continue to ensure that our properties are regularly checked to ensure compliance with all necessary Health and Safety standards. We also compile risk assessments for all large events or activities where there could be risk.

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The summer of 2022 was extremely hot and dry and we found that, while visually examining the church, a new large crack was discovered in the South West corner. A specialist structural engineer was appointed and he examined the crack. His opinion was that the crack had been caused by heave in the clay soil and possibly by a tree spreading its roots in a search for moisture. However his recommendation was that there was no danger to the building or congregation and that we should infill the crack.

A further cause for concern was the partial collapse of the ceiling in the Institute which was noticed on 7[th] September 2022. Thankfully, no person was in the building when the collapse of the lath and plaster ceiling occurred, and further details are given elsewhere in the Report. From a health and safety point of view, we established that the risk of a further collapse was possible and, in view of the age of the ceiling, took the decision to completely replace it with a new plasterboard ceiling. We were unable to establish any reason for the partial collapse.

Overall, we had a good year with no significant incidents and thanks are due to all persons using our buildings for taking care.

SAFEGUARDING- Lorraine Deeprose

The Parish continues to keep up to date with all regulations and guidance set down by the Diocese for safeguarding. There were no safeguarding issues at Claines Church in the last year. We continue to check all those in regulated activity with children and adults. The online DBS system for checking suitability has made this process easy for both the applicant and the person checking the ID. Over the next year I will be looking at those people already DBS checked and may need renewals.

It is now a requirement for any new DBS applicant to complete the Basic Awareness Training. Our process when applicants apply for their DBS is that they complete the Basic Awareness Training at the same time, and this has worked really well.

Moving forward with Safeguarding I am going to be looking at the regular activities that take place in our parish weekly and monthly calendar. These are currently: -

The Parish Dashboard is an online tool for PSO to use and enter data relating to the following points:-

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  1. POLICIES AND ACTION PLAN

  2. SAFEGUARDING PROCEDURES

  3. SAFEGUARDING ROES

  4. TRAINING FOR KEY ROLES

  5. DISPLAYED INFORMATION

  6. REVIEWS AND REPORTS

  7. CHURCH ACTIVITIES

  8. NON-CHURCH ACTIVITIES

  9. SAFER RECRUITMENT AND PEOPLE MANAGEMENT

The Dashboard helps me to update regularly to make sure our parish is compliant with all safeguarding regulations. There are 3 levels of compliance Green is good - Amber for action - Red means urgent. I am pleased to report we are Green and at Level 3. At every PCC meeting I submit a Parish Safeguarding Summary Action Plan which hi-lights areas that need data updating.

Safeguarding is EVERYONES responsibility. At St John Baptist Claines we make safeguarding part of our culture, we promote it on our website, on notice boards, in our parish magazine, at every PCC meeting, at church events. Safeguarding is something we are happy to talk about, answer any questions, be open and honest. Our aim and mission is to ‘Promote a Safer church’ where everyone can praise and worship in a safe place.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the PCC, paid & voluntary parishioners and those accessing and participating in all the activities and events our church provides, for their continued support with regard to Safeguarding.

Safeguarding Statement

To the best of our understanding, the PCC of St John the Baptist Claines, Worcester have complied with the duty under section 5 of the Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure 2016 (duty to have due regard to the House of Bishops' guidance on safeguarding children and vulnerable adults). In 2022 we conducted the following:

3 new DBS processed. Total people with an up to date DBS = 29

Number of DBS applications that required referral to DSA/ADSA = 0 Number of DBS that have lapsed without renewal = 0

Number of people who have attended training = 4

Any advice sought from DSA/ADSA this year and any actions as a result? Yes - advice was sought regarding a variety of safeguarding general questions

Are there any safeguarding agreements in place in the parish? No

Have there been any serious incident reports made to the Charity Commission? No Sharing of updates from PSO network meetings? Or training events? PSO submits reports on network meetings and training she and others attended at every PCC meeting Any policy changes/new statements added/new Diocesan/National policies adopted?

1. Safeguarding is on the agenda at every PCC meeting.

2. We include a report in the Church Annual Report, and

3. This Addendum will be incorporated in every year’s Annual report Completion of toolkit/take up of Dashboard? Yes, St John Baptist Claines is Green across Level 3 Dashboard

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Highlights of Parish action plan? To check compliance of all parish activities taking place.

How many children’s/adult activities are taking place in the parish? 5 adult/4 children’s Any new ones planned? Nothing as yet

We currently don’t have defined role description for those working with vulnerable adults and children. The Diocese has templates for most roles within the church, we will be carrying out additional work to produce specific job descriptions for every role.

Parish Safeguarding Polices

Our Safeguarding Policies are reviewed on an annual basis by the PCC. All policies are reviewed and agreed this will take place at our first PCC meeting after the AGM. All our policies are displayed in every church venue, along with ‘Who’s Who’ poster for Safeguarding, plus useful websites and contact details for anyone who needs help, support, isolated or feeling vulnerable.

DATA PROTECTION- Rev. Jo Musson

The systems we use for recording (Life Events Diary) and communication (Mailchimp) are GDPR compliant. Locked cupboards are used for paper records. The use of blind copy on emails is encouraged.

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31[ST] DECEMBER 2022

Signed on behalf of the Trustees

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………

Reverend Jo Musson Date ……………………………………….

Activities of the Parish

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WORCESTER DEANERY SYNOD- Paul Fulbrook

There were three meetings of the Worcester Area Deanery Synod in 2022 with Representative numbers rising from 33 to 39 over the year. Understandably, there will always be people who find that their diaries have a clash of commitments, but it is sad when one hears comments from people in parishes that they had not been aware of a recent initiative or change in Diocesan policy direction. The question usually then asked is why that PCC is not disseminating the information to parishioners given to them by their Deanery Synod Representatives? Of course, some churches cannot find anyone interested enough to volunteer to be a Deanery Synod Representative or if elected to attend the very few annual meetings.

Our first meeting of the year was at St Wulstan, Cranham Drive on Thursday 28th April. Chosen especially so that there would be well lit streets to park in with a bright and cheerful building to sit in where we could be gathered in a friendly manner around tables, rather than serried rows of uncomfortable pews. Our Area Dean, Revd Diane Cooksey reported on the results of the ‘Deanery Enquiry’ questionnaire that had circulated. Unfortunately, some Parish representatives had either not consulted their parishioners or had declined to answer but there were 26 replies from a possible 31 Churches. The aim of the survey had been to get a ‘Base Line’ of what is happening around the deanery as we came out of the pandemic.

This being our first ‘in person’ meeting for a while we were shown a map of the Deanery so that members could get an idea of the geography. We had: 42 Church Buildings; 31 Parishes; 12 Benefices. There are 14 Stipendiary Clergy; 4 Curates; 12 Readers with 4 in training; 27 A.L.M’s but the number of clergy with ‘Permission to Officiate’ was not mentioned.

A lack of a cohesive Youth Programme was the main criticism and that funding an Outreach initiative would probably be the best way forwards for ‘Growing the Kingdom’.

The meeting was handed over to guests, Simon Hill and his colleague Emma who passed out to the meeting identical sets of Lego © which were then used to express concepts that we were being offered on a range of subjects. The aim of this was to encourage people to respond to the question ‘What is the deanery for now?’ It certainly got people talking and feedback was collected afterwards for the Leadership Team to peruse later.

The 5th Session of the Worcester Area Deanery Synod: was held in rural splendour at St John the Baptist, Suckley on Tuesday 5th July. Revd Anne Potter was acting as Area Dean because Revd. Diane Cooksey had departed on sabbatical leave. Again, the meeting was in a comfortable hall and whilst it had required a little navigation to find, in my opinion, Worcestershire in July cannot be bettered. The meeting was opened by the Deanery Lay Chair, Robert Pearce who welcomed us and then asked the acting Area Dean to lead us in a short act of worship. We were shown a video of the local community and school.

We were then treated to an exceptional talk by Geoff Sansome, Head of Agriculture at Natural England who had worked in both Russia and Ukraine for several years, about the history, culture, and current situation in Ukraine. He went on to speak about the refugee and invasion problems caused by Russia and local efforts to help in Worcestershire.

Our 6th Session of the Worcester Area Deanery Synod in November was due to the need for parking and street lighting, held in St Stephen, Barbourne. The Area Dean having returned to harness welcomed us to the meeting and it was gratifying that more Synod representatives felt able to attend. Revd Andy Todd, the Vicar introduced us to the church building where although we were warm and well lit, we had to sit in pews. Guest speakers, Sian Morgan and Helen Laird gave an input to the meeting about the ‘Calling Young Disciples’ Scheme. A short introduction and a short video included descriptions of youth work in: Kidderminster; Halas; Stourbridge; Leigh; and also Warndon. As we had discovered on the Deanery questionnaire post-covid this was the area that all parishes in our Deanery wanted to develop. Members were then able to explore the opportunities offered and ask questions about the direction that their parishes could expand in.

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On a slightly downbeat note, Revd Andy Todd gave the meeting the current Diocesan budget view on the new Ministry Share system. His message was clear. If you as a Church can meet the financial demand, then OK, if not then there may be repercussions about future levels of paid ministry. Some churches will become uneconomic. Unrepresented churches will lose that discussion opportunity.

Revd. Diane Cooksey spoke more on the ‘three priorities’ and Developing Diocesan Strategy document that is now available on the Diocesan website. The Kingdom People Vision had not been replaced by this, but the strategy highlights the direction of travel and intentionality in the use of resources to encourage and enable church growth. It was very helpful to have fulsome explanations of this. The continued diocesan vision for all churches to become Healthy and Sustainable reiterated the point that sustainability includes being able to fund the Ministry as well as the Mission.

One of the priorities focussed on connecting with children and young families with the possibility of employing some Children/Youth/Family Workers in a couple of parishes in each deanery. The hope is that across the diocese each major centre of population will have at least one flourishing church with children/youth and families. As always current and up to date information was provided to members to pass on to their PCC’s and also to their congregations.

Another priority spoken of was around the developing New Worshipping Communities e.g., walking church; forest church; café church with the emphasis they will involve new people rather than recycling existing congregations. This is something that all parishes are being asked to get involved with and we hope to devote some time in Synod during 2023 to focus on this. Bishop John has made it clear that he intends that there will be training provided to support clergy and laity and we will pass this on as soon as we hear how that develops.

As ever, the ages of Deanery Synod members increases, and I urge you all to consider recruiting younger parishioners to take on the task ahead.

20/20+ VISION PROJECT- Ian Cramp & Phil Kear

2022 was a good but somewhat frustrating year regarding the project. It was necessary to update all the quotes that had been received both pre- lockdown and during lockdown to ensure that they were correct. There were also some queries from the Registry which meant that public notices had to be amended and feedback obtained from consultees such as Historic England and the Victorian Society in view of the time that had elapsed since the project was originally submitted in 2019. However, the final scheme was submitted to the Chancellor of the Ecclesiastical Consistory Court in early August 2022 and approval to proceed granted on 27[th] October 2022 subject to 2 conditions.

Despite the time that has elapsed, we have worked hard on finalising details and trying to arrange a project programme. The project will start with the removal of the wall tiles in the North porch followed by the relocation of the organ console in order to give room to rearrange the vestry ready for the new toilets. Much care and attention to detail is required to ensure that everything is done effectively and disruption is minimised. It is also very important to ensure that good tradespersons with the correct skills and expertise are used.

Much time has been spent on fundraising and this has involved us in the preparation of applications for grants from a number of organisations. This has been very successful and significant sums of money have been obtained towards the cost of the project. We are so grateful to Janet Wilson and Rev Jo for their hard work.

While these activities are taking place, we are also thinking about Stage 2 of the project. This involves further improvements to the church to encourage its use for a number of activities. In November 2022 we removed a number of pews from the North West corner of the church to create a flexible gathering area where refreshments could be served. This work has been done using an Archdeacon’s Permission which means that at the end of a three-year trial period either a faculty has to be obtained or the area restored to its original condition. (The removed pews have been carefully

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stored on stage in the Parish Hall). The trial is very successful and is helping us to finalise our plans for the North part of the church and the needs of the congregation. We are also thinking about how best we can share with others the interesting features of our wonderful church.

CLAINES COMMUNITY CAFÉ- Jane Saint

The Claines Community Café is open every Tuesday afternoon from 2.00 - 3.30 in the Parish Hall. Tea or coffee and fresh homemade cakes and pastries are served at minimal prices and we are delighted to be currently welcoming 40-50 friends each week. The highlight of 2022 was our Christmas Celebration afternoon when we enjoyed live music, dancing and a visit from Father Christmas with a gift for everyone. The prestigious award of Star Baker of 2022 was presented to Sue Price whose Eccles cakes and sausage rolls are top quality and always in great demand.

A huge thank you from the café team to all our skilled volunteer bakers - we couldn’t run the café without their delicious cakes. Thank you also to all our cheerful and friendly customers who make the café a pleasure for the team to run.

We have been happy to be able to make donations from our funds towards repair projects and the replacement of equipment at the Parish Hall. Our grateful thanks go to Brown and Fincher Ltd Euronics in Droitwich for their generous donation of a new fridge and to our treasurer Dil Price for organising it. Come and join us at the Café - there is a warm welcome for everyone.

ECO CHURCH- Ian Cramp

The good news is that we applied for and obtained our Silver Eco Church award in December 2022. This is a significant achievement. It looks like we have 51 churches in the Diocese registered with the Eco Church site and, at the time of writing, 37 who have achieved an award (22 bronze and 15 silver).The Church of England has announced that it wants all churches to have Net Zero Emissions by 2030. There is a lot of work to do to achieve this and at Claines we are in a strong position as we are all electric and using “clean” electricity.

The award reflects the measures that have been taken to promote sustainability and minimise use of resources not only in church buildings but in the local community. Members of the church are also encouraged to participate in their own homes by managing energy use, using eco-friendly products and other initiatives such as cycling and car sharing. There are a number of criteria to meet including:

Rev Jo Musson said “We are very pleased that, having previously received the bronze award, our continuing efforts have been recognised by the silver award. I encourage everyone to consider how they can help to protect our environment and our planet by using eco-friendly products. It is so important for us all and for future generations that we modify our behaviour to better care for creation.” We now intend to continue with our work and aim for the gold award. In some areas, such as worship and teaching, we have already achieved this standard.

QUEST BEREAVEMENT GROUP- Tricia Greenwood

The group is for someone who has recently lost a loved one and can chat to others in a similar same position. The numbers have stayed at a steady 12-15 including 2 new members, we hope they are enjoying the fellowship. We meet every third Thursday of the month for tea and cake. During the year we had afternoon tea at Davids Nurseries which was very enjoyable. We all entered a

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competition and won a bench which is now in the Claines Church Hall Garden. We had Christmas Dinner at the New Inn, Ombersley Road, we could not fault the meal and they looked after us all very well. If you are interested in joining the group please contact Rev. Jo for more details.

THE WORCESTER FOODBANK- Adrian Musson

2022 has seen increased Foodbank demand from people in Worcester. Each month has seen increases ranging from 35% - 50% compared to the same months in 2021 as the cost of living crisis has hit home for local residents. Worcester Foodbank has added an additional shift on Tuesdays to cope with these increases and this is proving to be effective and needed. The people in Claines parish are regular givers to the Worcester Foodbank, both in food and monetary donations and we also have several individuals from the parish who volunteer their time on duty at the warehouse and doing deliveries to support this much needed charity. Thank you to all of you.

CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE- Rachel Cramp

Children’s Worship Area – Children continue to use the Worship area well – especially on second Sundays when the Children’s Altar is set up, which the children do during the sermon, with volunteers, parents or with older children leading. They reflect on the meaning of what is placed on the altar, and they take part in prayer activities.

In addition there are always Bible Book bags, with books and activities that can be taken to the children’s pews or they can sit at the little tables in the Worship area, and there are always books and colouring sheets and a Children’s Lectionary.

Godly Play - On the fourth Sundays of the month Godly Play stories take place in the Institute, with wonderful ‘wondering’ after the stories are told, by Godly Play leaders Rachel Cramp or Lorraine Deeprose.

Café Church takes place on third Sundays and is for all ages and whole families, with lots of interaction with the children, and during 2022 we were able to resume offering our usual breakfasts. The number of families and children attending has continued to grow.

First Sundays are Worship Together services where the sermons are planned to engage all ages, including children.

Worship in the Wild – One session has been held in the churchyard for Claines School during 2022. It is hoped to hold more Worship in the Wild sessions in 2023, to be held jointly with Saint George’s and St Stephen’s churches.

Posada – This Advent the Posada was sent out and visited families, Claines School and Cornmeadow Nursery.

Open the Book - During 2022 in the Spring and early part of the Summer Term we continued to record stories every fortnight. We have worked as one Open the Book team, with people from both Claines and Saint George’s taking part, and the stories are sent into Claines Primary and St George’s CofE Primary and we sent the stories into the Pupil Referral Unit. The schools are very appreciative of the resource and classes can show the recordings when it is convenient to them.

We are grateful to Ian Cramp for helping with technical side of the Zoom recordings and to everyone who takes part – we have lots of fun recording the stories and we are getting more inventive in our ‘productions’!

We hope to resume going into Claines Primary in 2023.

Preparation for First Communion – in the early months of the year, children joined preparation sessions in Claines Institute, and took their First Communion on Easter Sunday at both Claines and Saint George’s churches.

Looking ahead to 2023 we hope to hold our popular Pancake Party, jointly with Saint George’s and St Stephen’s, and hope to prepare another group of children for First Communion.

CLAINES CE PRIMARY SCHOOL-Rachel Cramp, Governor

A few highlights of the year at Claines CE Primary School!

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At the start of the year it was wonderful that Covid restrictions were being eased, and during the year things returned to normal and it was a very busy year for the school. In the Spring, the first Ukrainian child joined the school, and the children held a Humanitarian Ukrainian Appeal sale, to help the people of Ukraine.

At Easter a service was held in Claines church again, though parents were not able to attend, due to ongoing Covid restrictions. Afterwards great fun was had at a cupcake challenge!

The school sports teams including netball, boys’ football and girls’ football, all played very well and importantly the children were congratulated on the excellent spirit in which they played.

In May the Queens Jubilee was celebrated in school and the Year 5 and Year 6 Choir sang Jubilee songs at the Claines British Legion, which brought tears to the eyes. An amazing number of school trips took place: to a Synagogue, a Hindu Temple, to Weston- Super-Mare for a seaside project, to the Botanical Gardens, Wimbledon and a Tri Golf Festival to name but a few! More than £2000 was raised for school at the Summer Fair, children took part in Coin Art and a Competitive Drama festival where they achieved a distinction, and they held many other fund-raising activities. In the summer the SATs results were excellent – the children were congratulated, and the staff thanked for their hard work throughout the pandemic. An interesting curriculum initiative has taken place in morning phonics lessons, which has led to excellent participation and results.

At Harvest, Remembrance and Christmas, services were held at Claines Church, and parents were able to attend again as usual. The children always lead the services and sing; they are always joyful and moving. In Year 6 Worship leaders are involved in worship in school assemblies and church services.

In the autumn Worcester County Cricket Club worked with Year 5, as they prepared to become Playground Buddies to the younger children. Year 6 children act as Buddies at the gate in the mornings and listen to younger children read.

At the AGM in September, Dr Mike Best stood down as Chair of Governors, though he remains as Governor. Mrs Claire Green was elected as the new Chair of Governors and Dr Geof Smith as ViceChair.

LUNCH IN COMPANY (LINC)- John Brady

LINC lunch continues to take place on the second Saturday of every month providing a meal and a good chat for those who attend. Meals range from Shepherd’s pie, to pork chops in cider, to salmon, to….well, you name it. A forthcoming meal will be Toad in the Hole which I’m told is eagerly anticipated.

Puds are just as good, custard with most, and the Christmas meal is not to be missed. This year our annual meal out at the Perdiswell was no longer possible, it having closed. Instead we were grateful to St George’s for being able to have fish and chips in their Magdalene room. Finding a suitable pub to replace the Perdiswell that meets our needs has proved difficult. Hopefully something will turn up this year. It is nice to get out somewhere different once a year.

Sadly, as is the case every year, some of our regulars are no longer with us. We wish those who have moved away, or are unable to come along due to ill health, some good dinners wherever they are. Hopefully you may be able to join us again in the future. It is always good to have people return for the occasional meal.

Thanks, should also be expressed, in this report, to the members of the team who provide LINC lunches, that is, Jane and Simon Saint, Matt and Laura Stevens, Ian Townley, Jan Kear, Pat Harris, Alan Long, Anne Ray and myself. We all feel that providing LINC lunches is a very rewarding

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experience. If you would like to help in the future, please get in touch with any of those mentioned. New helpers would be most welcome.

Finally, we would welcome any new diners to our lunches and our company. If you are on your own then please do get in touch with us, or the vicar, and we will contact you.

CHURCH MAGAZINE- Pat Oddy

The Church Magazine underwent a complete change of production team during the course of 2022. Steve Taylor retired as editor at the end of 2021 after more than 25 years in post. Then, in the autumn, Andrew Johnson retired as Magazine Treasurer and Advertising Manager and Margaret Study retired as Distribution Manager after more than 30 years. Presentations were made to Steve and Margaret at the morning service on 27th November 2022 and a few days later the new editor delivered a similar token of the parish's esteem to Andrew Johnson. The new team is:

The magazine continues, as it always has, to record the life of the Church in Claines, but now also features news and reports of events in the wider community. The introduction of email and social media means, however, that the Magazine cannot usually be the first to announce forthcoming events, but it does provide a more permanent forum for recording the life of the Parish - or at least it would if a set of magazines had been kept on file year by year.

I have collected magazines from a number of people to cover the last 25 years, but the run is by no means complete and before 1990 very little appears to have survived apart from a few bound volumes from the very early 20C and a single volume for 1960-61. The latter suggests that 60 years ago someone was binding annual sets, but where are they now? If you know, or if you have any old magazines, please contact the editor.

The number of magazines printed each month during the year fell from 350 in February to 300 in December.. The fall was due to a few people deciding not to renew but also to a review of the actual number of magazines needed by each of our hard working delivery volunteers, to whom we are very grateful.

SOCIAL MEDIA – Rachel Cramp

Throughout 2022 Social Media has remained an important way to communicate with the congregation and wider parish. Facebook has continued to be very important, though during the year it was agreed that as the midweek services had returned to the normal routine, they no longer needed to be live streamed. The main Sunday services are however live streamed on Zoom. We currently have 1183 followers on the Claines Church Facebook site, 73% women and 27% men; a quarter of the current audience are aged 35-44, and just less than a quarter aged 65+.

There has again been a substantial increase on the Claines Parish Hall and Institute site, up to 489 followers, 86% women and 14% men; 40% are aged 35-44 and a further 20% aged 45-54. Hirers of the Hall and Institute appreciate being able to place ads and updates on their classes.

We also continue our presence on Claines Church Twitter with 557 followers, and Rev Jo continues to update the Claines Church Instagram page.

We would like to thank our ‘Zoom drivers’; all who contribute to the Facebook sites and Rachael Wilson who looks after our Claines Church website: https://claineschurch.co.uk

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LITTLE FRIENDS- Jennifer Chow

Little Friends is run entirely by volunteers from the community, with support from Mother's Union members and Reverend Jo Musson. We meet during term time in Claines Parish Hall on Tuesday mornings (except for Little Fish Tuesdays). Originally established as a complement to Little Fish, Little Friends aims to provide a secure, comfortable and friendly space for young children and their carers to gather and socialise every week, whilst also providing a convenient and accessible link to Claines Church. We currently keep in touch with attendees via our email address (claineslittlefriends@gmail.com) and blog (https://claineslittlefriends.blogspot.com/).

With HSBC having introduced bank fees for charitable bank accounts in 2021, in early 2022 we closed our Little Friends bank account and our funds are now managed as a sub-account of Claines Church. Whilst this means we are no longer strictly subject to holding committee meetings, we will still meet as a volunteer team whenever needed to discuss any pressing or essential issues.

Attendance has remained fairly steady, although there have been occasional dips in numbers. Going forward we will work on promoting Little Friends a bit more via print and social media to ensure that potential attendees are aware of the group.

In July 2023 I will step down from my organiser role which I have held since Little Friends started running in 2014. Throughout the years we have regularly asked for more helpers from among our attendees. As we anticipate the transition to a new organiser (or team of organisers), we will require additional volunteers to ensure that Little Friends runs without interruption in September 2023.

In the meantime, I would once again like to thank our beloved refreshment ladies from Claines Mother's Union, our lovely mum volunteers and our dedicated annexe helpers for their outstanding collective contribution. Thanks to our volunteers’ ongoing commitment, Little Friends has been able to continue serving families in the local community as originally intended.

LITTLE FISH - Pat Price

Our Little Fish session is held on the third Tuesday of the month in the Parish Hall, from 10 am until 11.30 am, and is aimed at pre-school children. The children come along with a parent or carer to join in with songs, prayers and an interactive Bible story read by Reverend Jo. At Easter time and Christmas we hold the session in Church.

On arrival at the hall, the children attach their named fish to the board and then collect items hidden around the room which relate to the planned story. We sing some songs then settle down for a short story, after which the children sit down to make a picture. We then stop for refreshments and a chat and end the session with the Hokey Cokey (in which the children take great delight).

Topics covered in 2022 were: The birth of Jesus, Jesus gets lost, Jesus said “Let the children come to me”, Jesus teaches us how to pray, Jesus performs miracles, Jesus is alive, Jesus makes people better, the Story of Pentecost, Teddy Bears picnic, the Good Shepherd and the Parable of the mustard seed.

We are always happy to welcome new members, and very much appreciate the help and support of the mums/grandparents/carers of our Little Fish. Of course, the sessions could not go ahead without the assistance of Jo’s helpers – Jan Hayden, Jane Saint, Pat Price and Annie Ray.

MOTHER’S UNION - Gwen Clifford, Jan Hayden and Rachel Cramp

After all the Zoom meetings and the need to meet outdoors and sit two metres apart, we were able to return to some sort of normality last year.

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We had a variety of speakers at our meetings; a local poet, a bee keeper, a representative of the Hereford and Worcester Fire Brigade, and a senior member of the MU who helped us to reflect on the changes taking place in our worldwide organisation. We supported the MU campaign to raise awareness and to rid the world of modern-day slavery when our members knitted chains that decorated the inside and outside of Claines Church and who can forget the chain on the War Memorial? We honoured our late Queen, Patron of the Mothers’ Union in June; to commemorate her Platinum Jubilee we planted a Queen Elizabeth Rose just outside the South Porch of Claines Church. We enjoyed a delicious afternoon tea at Holland House in July. Our members organised a Harvest Supper in October, the first one to take place in the parish for quite a few years. The Sausage Sizzle event in November was a successful fundraiser and also a marvellous community get together. We enrolled six new members during the year. At the close of the year we were able to donate £800 to various MU projects both at home and abroad and we thank you all for supporting the work of the Mothers Union in Claines.

PARISH MUSIC - Vanessa Gunter

Both the choir and the instrumental group have enjoyed a successful year. The lifting of Covid restrictions has enabled both groups to return fully to what we love – using our voices and instruments to facilitate worship for all. This is an incredible privilege and something we never take for granted.

The choir have enjoyed singing in a number of weddings during the year, in addition to our regular services. These are always lovely occasions and it is a joy to be part of a couple’s special day. This year’s Carol Service was a real highlight. For many of us, we felt it was one of the best we have done! We are always on the lookout for new members, especially tenors and basses. Everyone is welcome.

The instrumental group have worked hard this year and have continued to develop our already extensive repertoire. It has taken a while, but we have now completed a gradual transition to using AHON for the majority of our services, only occasionally returning to Sing Praise where we feel this is more appropriate. This has allowed us to offer more varied hymns and allows us to work more closely with the readings and themes set for each week, which is definitely an important development for us.

As with the choir, we are always keen to welcome new members to the group. Both groups are in a great place at the moment, and we thoroughly looking forward to continuing our mission in 2023.

SPARK TO A FLAME - Adrian Musson

It was great to get back to a more normal worship pattern in 2022. After some initial trepidation at the start of the year, we had almost forgotten about the worries of COVID by the end of the year. We led worship at Claines Cafe Church and it was great to get back to live performances after the prerecorded needs of COVID.

In August we also returned to the Worcester Show on what turned out to be the hottest day of the year. We were under a shelter but the temperatures were around 38 degrees. Andy Todd from St. Stephens and some of the team from St. Georges worship band also joined us. We brought out the sunshine in our playing and singing for the attendees of the show.

December saw us leading a Christingle service and two packed crib and carol services. It was a great way to end the year.

This year we are looking forward to welcoming new singers and members of the band (all budding musicians are welcome - please contact the office if you're interested).

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BELL RINGING - Martyn Hills

Claines no longer has enough bellringers in the local band to ring the bells for Sunday services. This is a position unfortunately shared by the majority of churches with bells. Ringing is now largely achieved by bell ringers coming together from different churches - this is challenging when service times coincide.

On a more positive note, a band to ring the bells can usually be arranged for couples choosing to get married at Claines. Leaving through the South door to the sound of the bells is a very memorable finale to the church element of the day.

Like a lot of mechanical things, bell fittings deteriorate when they are not used regularly. Fortunately, 8 ringers from various churches have been coming together on the 4th Monday in the month at 10:30 to ring a quarter peal, around 1h of ringing. These are very good ringers, if you get a chance to listen then this is what very good bell ringing sounds like.

A bell was tolled at Claines on Friday 9th September for 1hr to mark the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the muffled Tenor bell was tolled 96 times at 1 minute intervals before the funeral on 19th September.

Guidance published by the National organisation of bellringers and the Church of England ensured that virtually all churches with bells were tolling their bells on the same days at the same times. Where availability of ringers allowed, there was open (unmuffled) ringing for the proclamation of King Charles III on Saturday 11th September. Extensive further pieces of muffled/half-muffled ringing in memoriam of Queen Elizabeth took place until the day of the state funeral. The vast majority of this ringing is published on a website, https://bb.ringingworld.co.uk.

On the 26th September the quarter peal band, who ring at Claines each 4th Monday in the month at 10:30, rang 1280 changes of Elizabeth II Jubilee Surprise Major. It is hoped that the bells can be rung for the Coronation on 6th May 2023.

FLOWER GUILD - Pat Harris

Last year we were glad to get back to arranging flowers for the weddings in church. There were 10 weddings last year for which we did the flowers for the couples. The Posies were made for Mothering Sunday, and at Easter the flowers were donated in memory of loved ones, which we were happy to arrange. Harvest was a lovely time for the flowers, of which some were taken to people in the community who were sick or lived on their own. The Poppies were placed in the church for Remembrance Day to remember the lost. Christmas was a joyous time for us to decorate for Christmas. Our Plant sale were very well attended and the plants were given by many friends as well as ourselves, this boosted our funds towards the flowers in church when there were no weddings. Many thanks to all our ladies.

KINGDOM ARTS - Alex New & Sue Ashby-Davies

It has been such a blessing to be back again in full swing at Kingdom Arts. We are grateful to God and look to celebrate in this report all that God has done for us this year. We have enjoyed our new theme, looking at different “Heroes of the Faith” and it has been so interesting following the lives and faith journeys of Oscar Romero, Mother Theresa, Gladys Alyward and John Newton to name a few. Thank you to those on the team, who researched their hero and presented it in such exciting ways. It was glorious too to look at the different places in the world where these people lived and worked to match up our art expressions to the art and culture of South America, India, China and Africa.

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We have also experienced our own sadness this year as we mourned the death of lovely Vikki (a wonderful artist, seamstress and saxophonist) who’s untimely and sudden death happened in October. We have grieved with her husband David (one of our Worship leaders and website provider). We are so grateful to him for continuing in these roles. We hold him in our prayers.

Do look at our website and see the art work in the Gallery and unbelievably wonderful creative writing which is created each month (kingdom-arts.co.uk) We are developing and encouraging more people to take roles in running some of the “art” tables. We are amazed at the talent God has brought and is continuing to bring to our fellowship. We are hitting numbers we have never had before! God is good! None of this would happen without the support, care, love, hard work and encouragement for the amazingly gifted team. Each member brings their own particular and unique gifts and talents to be used unstintingly. Barbara and Bod, Clive and Lyn, Jan Butterworth, Pam, Trevor, Margaret Stokes, Carolyn and our “Soup Maker Supermo” Jan Kear. We can’t thank you enough. Thanks also to Rev Jo for her never ending support and encouragement.

CHRISTIAN AID - Alison Clarke

Christian Aid Week 2022

Ambitious plans for royal themed walks around Worcester and a celebration tea to mark HM Queen Elizabeth’s platinum jubilee did not come to fruition due to family and personal illness. Nevertheless, between our two churches we raised a fantastic £1,263.27. Thank you! Claines – a collection raised £163.45 and GiftAid was claimed. Christian Aid Week was the theme of our May Café Church at St George’s.

East Africa Hunger Appeal

A devastating drought in East Africa (the worst in 40 years), compounded by general food supply difficulties caused by the war in Ukraine, brought the threat of serious famine in East Africa in summer 2022.As an emergency response church our September 2022 collection at St George’s raised £100 for this appeal.

Turkey/Syria Earthquake Appeal

Following the devastating earthquakes on Monday 6 and later on 20 February this year, upwards of 50,000 lives have been lost and countless homes, buildings and infrastructure destroyed. Together we raised £1413, with an additional £793 in GiftAid, in just over a week. I was bowled over by your generosity. The money was sent via Christian Aid to the DEC appeal.

Annual Fish and Chip Supper

It was great to see some St George’s friends amongst the 50 or so people who came to Worcester Christian Aid group’s annual supper. We were warmly hosted by Ombersley Road Methodist Church in their church hall and delighted to meet our new West Midlands manager for Christian Aid, Batanai Padya and to greet again our former West Midlands manager, Kate Ormerod, who is now managing the whole of England!

Thank you for your warm, generous and ongoing support for Christian Aid.

THE CHILDREN’S SOCIETY- Julie Palmer

The Children’s Society fight for the hope and happiness of young people when it's threatened by abuse, exploitation and neglect. They do this by gaining a deep understanding of the needs of young people and by supporting them through their most serious life challenges. The charity works with young people who have suffered abuse, who have run away from home or are struggling with mental health issues. They look out for young carers and those who are at risk of being groomed by criminal groups. To find out more about the work of the Children’s Society please visit https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/

All the money donated via box collections and the Christingle Service goes directly to the charity. In 2022 the Church we raised £389 for the Children’s society. £78 was raised at the Christingle service and £311 was raised via the box collections. This year the Christingle service had a more

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environmentally friendly approach. There was concern about spending a large amount of money on oranges, most of which would be thrown away after the service. So this year the Christingles took the form of a small biodegradable plant pot containing a spring bulb and some soil. The pot was encircled with some red tape. Inside the pot we placed a candle, 4 cocktail sticks and sultanas. The young people were also given a small packet of sweets so they didn’t feel they had missed out. We are hoping they will water the bulbs and bring them back into church once they have flowered.

LEGACIES - MAKING A LASTING DIFFERENCE

Only some five per cent of people in the UK have left a gift for a charity in their will, and yet legacies are the largest single source of income for many charities in this country today. Once you have provided for your family and friends, leaving a gift to Claines Church will ensure that our work can continue for many years to come.

Legacies have over the years, and thanks to the generosity of those who have made bequests, contributed greatly to the work and mission of Claines church. The PCC appreciates all bequests both large and small. There are many types of gifts that can be made:

Pecuniary legacy – a cash gift of any size. Specific legacy – items of value such as property, a car or jewellery.

Residuary bequest – balance of your estate after all debts, taxes, expenses and other legacies have been paid.

All legacies are tax free. If you make such a gift in your will, its value will be deducted from your estate before inheritance tax is calculated. If you are thinking about leaving a legacy or have already remembered us in your will, we would love to talk to you about it; everything you say will be treated in the strictest confidence. We would then have the opportunity to thank you for your generosity. When considering leaving a legacy, we recommend that you consult a Solicitor who will be able to give you specialist advice according to your own individual circumstances.

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St John the Baptist Claines PCC ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2022 R37 26

PCC of St John th• 8aptl8t. Claln Slatemont of Flnanclal A¢ti¥lUo forth•y#r gnd•d 31st D8c•rnb•r 2022 CW R•qlbtrthTr No 1130734 INCOMIIIG RE8OURCE8 v0￿Mary Irlxmo 3.715 61511 62JS7 12 23 14 Is 81 40.5T4 InL¥Jrrefrom Ct¥Jrch acYwY95 T.701 48.276 10.386 129,801 35,833 4,710 4.815 17.843 TOT￿1￿c¢mNQ RES￿R¢ AESOURCtS EXPWIDED 5 Dfgwabrty tuThts 216 1.1rAI S7.124 216 1.1 121.124 216 1.1 .712 32 13 A¢ll￿rS dire¢Uy reL3trffj to 1.158 7.3 TOTAL RESOUIIC&8 EXPENDED ,J22 M.328 13&111 92.734 lIETIN¢￿IlN￿1oLIT1je￿i AESOIX¢FS Trydn$l￿ bg114een lunds MET MOVEMENTIN FUNDS 17.512 13.314 17,542 $210 12,314 8ALPJICES8ROUGIFf FORWADAT 1ST J￿•v•￿V 37.493 71.356 129.645 117.331 6ALiIIcE3C￿1R￿ FOIIW•JID AT31ST DECEIWER 19.951 IQ740 12443S 129,14S Bal•n¢e Sheet at 31st ￿￿ember 2022 FfxEDAIWS 10.607 71.351 caBhat￿r and S2.372 1734 LLAWUTESAIIOVNTS F•LL11￿ IMIEIIITTr•IONE 8.976 129.089 129.645 14435 FUNDS UrrfwrKt Designated 4744 19.gsl PAI.740 37.493 71.358 1x435 129.64$ Aprycd bytr PCC ￿ 1¥.5[1.3 .. sy*d￿#sb￿$Yl¥ bL.¥￿st) 27

PCC of St John the 8aptist. Clalnes Nots$ to the Financial Statements Forthe y¢ai onded 31st D•¢smbTX I. ACCOiINTIMG POUCJES 0St UnrestrKted fLY&c4Th be ￿cr￿0￿￿1pL￿e RestrKts4 FLrt5 r¢￿sent al frtyD Irtststhaiae as pftréthd kl Ir1￿11$ dtrtru&t trbBQL%t Incomlng resources Othpr Resources usèd nts and domatlo ie• tothewth ￿t￿ChUr As al 315l Dttembtr2022 t36.549 IW21 f29.OWI ol(w ￿. 2022%tya £39.454 I￿2} £67.8371. kn la)21 Q1.IXKllYJJ fry￿1 p•d)IfLI tkn the4th FEbt Flxed •ssets C￿r¢¢￿al& Of￿ ￿1￿) 15 trtym the x¢tyJr4s ty s.9E42MaidthECtwtrs•d 1993. AN eindrture In￿lled In church furni5h￿95 acwyed before 1siJarM¥y X￿3 Othor fixture. fftt5ngs gnd ofN¢•qw4wn•nt EquiynentU5ed ￿1th1n y¢as. Ir￿ equipment ith a purchase W￿￿QfI￿Ssow£I.{w(yW￿kndvthIthè wad. Current assots 28

PCC of St John tha 8aptlB( Claln Notes t¢ the Financial Statements 7. 4¢01•WGREWJRCES gMny4fid 39.114 J¥A 4.136 41J6 12TJ fyam5 1519 Log￿ 3.715 44 •.7 31m 25.035 7.701 7.701 40574 376 J&631 4mJ 4.81$ 471• 4(7M 17. I29￿1 105.O4• 3. RESOURCES EXPEMDED Zl1 216 &2 1.1 1.1Ql 1.1th1 1.1 DK)ceMnkllnffjs ¢knrw¢￿1Ps 43A54 50A 9rn7 172 1.152 1¥674 1.162 Paftsh Wl $2.513 1.617 $2.613 Im7 .124 1.158 10141 TOTLRE80URCESEXPEMDEO 60J22 91733 29

PCC of St John the 8aptisL Clain•s Notes to the Financial Statèmènts Forthg y•ar¢nd•d 31GtD¢4b￿b￿ 1021 xeo ￿SeT$ ¢O$T 31siLknmbw2022 DEPRECNTIUI Ch¥g INb)• èt 315ltknember2tr22 NET BOTh(¥￿UE As at 31$1 DXeM￿2o2? As •131siDetember2W21 UE¥r¢xs 1.$10 lo.￿? lo.￿7 Inwy 21,(lJ) 2.011 30

PCC of St John th• Baptis( Clain#s Notes to the Flnancial Statements Foith• w4ar•nd•d3l￿c¥wFlolz 7. FufiDStETILS sa￿1￿ al 1122 Ir￿ur• 3112 ZJ.T44 Ch 37.079 $2.611 1Q 144 8￿Y and Trx 107 445 1.9$7 S47 nc t.649 4.997 37.493 ￿.Tr6 Ro5ty)r4b W Graves 9? 81 Bl Fttthytree 8pVknNJ 1$$ 155 12.249 12. 1(1.588 61.381 740 Yo￿￿ Y(xth 752 12 243 1.641 4.557 J.FA)7 2,$91 71.351 17.YJ .7•) 31

PCC of St John the Baptlst. Claines Notes to th• Flnan¢ial Statements Forth• y•arqndqd 311t0•c￿bV￿22 . MfiiisTRY 5H•JIÉ As al 3151 Oe(ernbw 2022£&.519 (2>21 E29.ro)Idw ak¢•1•￿ r1 ¢mYkn￿&Shwfj ￿￿2022￿75 t39.45412021 £67.8371. +kn•)J>rtc4£6.gJ512ts21 £21.Wnlw•pt¢Y+WIry P•Yli IW21 £17.8371 g. TRUMAND OT￿lAcCOu11T5 InBs Fr￿ FU￿ Ilrytrn Holl d£thlat 31$tO￿￿1thr￿22 W21 t4871, th al Irffjithe £49713)21 £10.7n) m b)e 1rr￿￿tr￿rrtFLVKl C4Mn ainen Lvy at 31st 202212021 £5271 The EW Whinfi8kSkn Tn¥IQ.￿Jf3lII £2.￿lin￿￿￿eCMF Fur 31 tkn•T WL(kYJZI £2.T15)&￿F£3.sj3(￿Q1 £3.*91. 32

St John Bapti5t- Reser¥es Polky The Charity CommlssSon requires the Church to be acrountsble for all the money that comes Into its han(Js. The general aim is to expend tts funds for the purposes of the Church ratherthan putthem aslde for some un5peufied future purpose. The varrou5 furKls held by St Jijhn Baptist and for which the PCC 15 re￿￿tsIe are set out on page 6 of the Annual Accounts General Fund The need for a policy for thi5 fund is to ensure that the level of balance5 15 adequate. but not too high. to ensure the Church's 4Yability and future. It is considered that the ideal balance to aim for is between 33% and 5LVA of our annual turnover. Part of this balance would be for an adequate working balance. The remainder would provide cushlon for a sudden reduction in income or a large item of expenditure such as an urgent bulldlng repair or equipment replacemenL With an annual turnover of about £60,(*)) these parameters indicate that a reasonable balance would be be￿en £20,￿ and É30.(KJO. Our balance as at 31st December 2022 was £23,744 i.e. at the lower end of the range. Monltorlni of Funds This is done by the PCC in March when the annual accounts a￿ considered. Janet Wilson Church Treasurer 2zI3Iis 33