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2021-12-31-accounts

2021 Trustees Report of the Parochial Church Council of St Anne’s Church, Shevington

Aims and Purposes

St. Anne’s Parochial Church Council (PCC) has the responsibility of cooperating with the incumbents, Reverends Andrew and Jenny Brown, in promoting in the ecclesiastical parish, the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. The PCC is also specifically responsible for the maintenance of the church building and St Anne’s parish centre.

Objectives and Activities

The objective of St Anne’s PCC is to enable as many people as possible in the localities of Shevington, Standish Lower Ground and Crooke to access services and worship at our church and to become part of our church community

Our services and worship put faith into practice through prayer and scripture, music and sacrament. When planning our activities during this difficult year with various Covid restrictions, we have considered the Commission’s guidance on public benefit and, in particular, the supplementary guidance to charities for the advancement of religion. In particular, we try to enable ordinary people to live out their faith as part of our parish community through:

To facilitate this work it is important that we maintain the fabric of the church building and parish centre and maintain the graveyard.

Achievements and Performance

Worship and Prayer

2021 has been a particularly challenging year with Covid 19 restrictions coming into force from 23[rd] March, 2020. Pre-pandemic we offered weekly:

We used service booklets and enjoyed singing hymns and worship songs accompanied by our resident organist.

At the height of the pandemic our church building and parish centre were closed and we were only able to meet virtually. However, throughout this period, a service pre-recorded by Andrew or Jenny was released on our YouTube channel at 11am on Sunday mornings and we had the comfort of knowing that our church members were able to take part in worship at home at the same time. An unforeseen bonus of this was that people anywhere in the world could join us, and friends living abroad did. For those who were unable to join online a printed version of the service, along with a news sheet keeping people in touch, was delivered weekly by a small army of volunteers to everyone on the electoral roll.

In addition to Sunday worship, our vicars, or occasionally a member of the congregation, prerecorded a mid-week meditation and prayer time which was made available on our website for anyone to watch.

As Covid restrictions were relaxed St Anne’s was able to open its doors once more on 18[th] March 2021 with regular disinfection of surfaces, hand sanitising, social distancing and wearing of masks. Services were projected on a large screen so that we didn’t need to touch books and at first we were not allowed to sing. By the time we were allowed to sing again our organist had moved to a new home in a different area and we were using recorded music. It has taken many months for our most vulnerable members to have the confidence to join in-person worship and so a short online worship service is still produced weekly, and some still receive a weekly mailing.

Our regular weekly attendance before Covid was 83. It is now 63. We have an ageing congregation so some are now housebound, some have sadly died and others have moved out of the area.

We are fortunate at St Anne’s to have a church primary school in Standish Lower Ground. Throughout the pandemic Jenny and Andrew have worked creatively with the headteacher and staff to produce regular online school assemblies, moving to outdoors assemblies when restrictions and the weather allowed, contributing to the RE curriculum and offering pastoral support to the staff. Prior to the Covid 19 pandemic, Sunday worship was occasionally offered in the school building and this has not yet resumed. It is hoped to establish a new congregation centred around pupils and parents at the school and extending more widely into the community in that area of the parish.

There was also a monthly ecumenical service at Crooke Methodist church which our vicar took turns in leading and it is hoped that this will resume early in the new year.

Pastoral Care

The pandemic has provided an opportunity to assess all that we do at St Anne’s church and how we use our resources. It has highlighted what we value most and has raised up new volunteers. It has shown us that we can adapt to changing circumstances and can care for each other no matter what. Our pastoral team has been particularly busy this year. Each member of the team was given a list of people to telephone each week to see how they were getting on and if any help was needed. Each member of the team then reported back to Rev Jenny so that the clergy were able to keep in touch with every member of our church community.

WhatsApp groups were set up so that folk could remain connected. There were many requests for prayer as members of St Anne’s and their family and friends succumbed to covid and other traumas, but also words of encouragement and joy as we sought to encourage one another in our shared belief that God is with us in all circumstances. And as we discovered skills we never knew we had, two Bible study groups continued to meet via Zoom.

Our parish newsletter is now distributed monthly to all parishioners on the Church Electoral Roll either via email or on paper. The newsletter keeps our parishioners informed of the important matters affecting our Church along with articles that help develop our knowledge and trust in Jesus.

Mission and Evangelism

One of the first groups to re-start in the parish centre in September was Sparkles, a weekly meeting for any pre-school children and their parents/carers. They enjoy play, fellowship and a Bible story over a cuppa. They met in the church building for Harvest in November and for their Nativity in December when 45 children and their families came.

Christmas time provided an opportunity to do something new so we had an evangelistic ‘Family Carol Service’, a ‘Blue Christmas Service’ for all who had lost a loved one during the year, and ‘Christmas Outside’ on Christmas Eve for families with young children to gather round the stable scene and hear the Christmas story and sing songs, both in Shevington and Standish Lower Ground. Due to worries about the spread of the Omicron variant of Covid our indoor Christmas services were not well attended. However ‘Christmas Outside’ proved very popular, especially on the park in Shevington where the estimated attendance of adults, children and dogs was somewhere between 60 and 70, but, in spite of the torches, it was so dark that it was impossible to count!

Helping those in need is a demonstration of our faith. Thus when the opportunity arose at the beginning of the pandemic to allow our parish centre to be used as a distribution centre for a new local food bank we were happy to agree. Rev Jenny was soon drafted onto the organising committee and members of St Anne’s generously added essential items to those supplied by local supermarkets and businesses. When the need for the food bank was deemed to have passed the enterprise changed to become Shevington Community Pantry. Their aim is to reduce food waste, and support less well off families, by selling food donated by local shops and supermarkets which, for example, is close to its ‘use by’ date or has damaged packaging, and would otherwise be consigned to landfill.

In line with Biblical teaching, we also give 10% of our unrestricted income to support Christian missions at home and overseas which share our vision of, ‘knowing Christ better and making Christ better known’. This vision involves not just maintaining what we already do, but seeking opportunities to engage with the local community and ‘make new disciples.’

In 2022 there are plans to re-start groups for children and young people in line with the Vision 2026 aim of ‘inspiring children and young people’. To this end our vicar will be attending a youth leadership training course run by the diocese to ensure that our groups are appealing and relevant to the young people of today, and enable them to become ‘worshipping and prayerful children and young people that love Jesus and want to follow Him, and who live out their faith in communities, in friendships and in families.’*

We are currently in the process of updating the training of personnel who can use the kitchen in our parish centre to Level2 Food Hygiene so that we can use this resource more effectively. We hope to start both Ladies’ and Men’s Prayer Breakfasts in the new year. These are a great opportunity for committed Christians to invite their non-Christian friends to hear and experience the gospel message in an informal setting.

Financial Review

Income

Expenditure

Total expenditure for 2021 was £94,137 of which £61,219 was for parish share. Parish share is the contribution each parish makes to the diocese for, amongst other things, clergy housing and stipends. The sum that the churches have to find is shared according to a formula that is based mainly on a head count of the congregations. For 2022 the amount requested by the diocese increased by nearly 11%, but following a discussion with members of the Diocesan Board of Finance the increase has been reduced to around 3%, and this year we will have to pay £63333. This is a lot of money, and is far more than the single salary our vicars, Jenny and Andrew, receive. But the parish system works on the basis that better off parishes support the less well off so that all can have a paid minister. In order to make savings, many parishes are being merged to form larger group ministries with fewer clergy. The hope is that if we keep making payment of our parish share a priority we will continue to have a full time paid minister at St Anne’s.

We continue to remain committed to giving 10% of our unrestricted income to support mission, which this year amounted to £5790 plus £1230 carried over from 2020.

Overall, expenditure exceeded income by £10,183 of which £5845 is attributable to the church.

Reserves Policy

It is PCC policy to try to maintain a balance in unrestricted funds which equates to at least three months unrestricted expenditure. This is currently equivalent to £20000 and is held to smooth out fluctuations in cash flow and to meet emergencies. The cash balance of £24783 held in unrestricted (including designated) funds at the year end is above this due to generous donations and legacies in the past..

The balance of £11,900 in the Fabric restricted fund is retained towards meeting the cost of repairs which may be required as a result of the Quinquennial Inspection due in 2022. The funds deposited with the CCLA Church of England Deposit Fund (£6672) are designated for maintaining the fabric of St Anne’s but could be used for other purposes if the need arose.

Conclusion

Throughout the last 2 years our ability to generate income has been severely curtailed by the Covid19 pandemic and it is a testament to the faith and commitment of the membership of St Anne’s under the dedicated leadership of Andrew and Jenny, and above all the grace of God, that we have continued throughout to worship and serve members of the church and the wider community. We have incurred a considerable deficit in 2021 but 2022 is looking much better. The parish centre is being hired out on a regular basis and should once again fund itself. We will recover Gift Aid in 2022 every 4 months rather than just once a year and the effect of bringing that up to date will be an increase, for this year only, of around £6000. However we will have the expense of a quinquennial inspection of our church building, and the cost of any recommended repairs over the next 5 years.

Structure, Governance and Management

The method of appointment of PCC members is set out in the Church Representation Rules. At St. Anne’s the membership of the PCC consists of the incumbents, churchwardens, and members elected by those members of the congregation who are on the electoral roll of the church. All those who attend our services / members of the congregation are encouraged to register on the Electoral Roll and stand for election to the PCC.

The PCC members are responsible for making decisions on all matters of general concern and importance to the parish including deciding on how the funds of the PCC are to be spent. The full PCC met seven times during the year with an average level of attendance of 94%. Given its wide responsibilities the PCC has a number of committees each dealing with a particular aspect of parish life. These are: Ministry, Mission, ‘Grounds and Buildings’ and Finance. These committees report back to the full PCC with their decisions which are discussed and approved as necessary.

Administrative Information

St. Anne’s Church is situated on Church Lane, Shevington. It is part of the Diocese of Blackburn within the Church of England. The correspondence address is St Anne’s Vicarage, 81 Gathurst Lane, Shevington Wigan WN6 8HW. The PCC is a body corporate (PCC Powers Measure 1956, Church Representation Rules 2006) and a charity currently registered with the Charity Commission, registration number 1130901.

Ex Officio members:

Elected members:

Approved by the PCC on 23[rd] March 2022 and signed on their behalf by the Reverend Jenny Brown (PCC chairman)

*Quote from VISION 2026 IMPLEMENTATION PLAN (2021 – 2024) The Diocese of Blackburn p.27

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Independent Examlner's Report to the membersltrustees of St Anne's Church, Shevington, Pa Church Council. I report on the accounts of the church for the year ended 31 December 2021 which are set out i to4. Respective Responslbllltles of Trustee5 and Examlner The church's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The church's trustees that an audit is not required for this year under section 144{21 of the Charities Act 2011 (the 20. and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to- Examine the accounts (under section 145 of the 2011 Actl- To follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commissii (under Section 14515llbl of the 2011 Actl,. and To state whether particular matters have come to my attention. Basis of Independent Examinerf5 report My examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions givertr by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity an comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning matters, The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a 'true and fair view, and i is limited to those matters set out in the statement below. Independent examiner's statement In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention.. which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act- and to prepare accounts which accord with the accountlng records and comply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act have not been met. (Namel (Datel I rlry lip'L'L (Relevant professional qualificatlon or body) 4C HtI, (Address) li pil￿￿, Èrf}¥TrlColl C￿1