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← The Parochial Church Council Of The Ecclesiastical Parish Of Buxted And Hadlow Down

2023-12-31-accounts

PARISH OF BUXTED AND HADLOW DOWN

CHARITY REG NO. 1130925

Trustees’ Annual Report and Financial Report for the year ended 31[st] December 2023

Contents

Trustees’ Annual Report 1 – 6
Summary of Receipts and Payments 7
Statement of Assets and Liabilities / Statement of Funds 8
Notes to the Annual Financial Report 9 – 10
Independent Examiner’s Report 11
Incumbent:
The Rev’d C. Peter Molloy, The Rectory,		 Church Road, Buxted, Uckfield,
TN22 4LP

Churchwardens: Mrs Margaret Scott, 5 Totease Mews, Church Road, Buxted, TN22 4AF Mr. Martin Shaw, Coopers Green House, Coopers Green, Uckfield, TN22 4AT Bankers: HSBC Bank plc, 63 High St., Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 1XQ

Indep. Examiner: Mr Peter Haining FCA, Horns Lodge, Meres Lane, Cross-in-Hand, TN21 0TY Churches: St. Margaret’s Church, Buxted Park, Buxted St. Mary’s Church, Church Road, Buxted St. Mark’s Church, Main Road, Hadlow Down

Website: www.bhdchurches.co.uk

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Parish of Buxted and Hadlow Down

Trustees’ Annual Report

for the year ended 31 December 2023

In some ways 2023 has been a season of considerable change and uncertainty: we gathered to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles and the ushering in of a new era; we witnessed the beginning of yet another tragic war; we, with most of the Western world faced unprecedented cost of living increases with the rising cost of energy and borrowing rates.

Through it all, we carried on in the parish with the work which has been our task here since 1250- proclaiming the good news that Jesus Christ has died and rose again. That through him we have been set free to live and love according to his pattern, and we also have the assurance of eternal life after death again following our Lord. We give thanks for the heritage of faith that has been passed on by those who have gone before us, and we pray that through the grace of the Holy Spirit, we will be faithful in our day as they were in theirs. The following aims and objectives guided our activities in 2023.

Our aims and purposes as a charity

The PCC has the responsibility of co-operating with the incumbent in:

What we planned to do to achieve our charitable objectives

When planning our activities for the year, the PCC continued to consider the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit and, in particular, the specific guidance on ‘charities for the advancement of religion’.

The council has complied with the duty under section 5 of the Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure 2016, fully recognising its duty to have due regard to House of Bishops' guidance on safeguarding children and vulnerable adults.

In 2023, we endeavoured to continue with the following objectives to fulfil our aims:

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What we achieved and how we affected beneficiaries’ lives

Attendance at worship

We have been grateful to see new families and people join us in 2023, and mourn the loss of some who have gone to their eternal reward. The church family welcomes visitors from within as well as outside the parish boundary. Visitors attend by personal choice and we are pleased to welcome people from all walks of life to take part in the life of the church. We contend that voluntary attendance to worship the Lord Jesus Christ is a major demonstration of the public benefit of our activities.

At 31 December 2022, there were 182 parishioners on the electoral roll, of whom 62 were not resident within the parish. During 2023, 6 names were added and 11 removed, due to death or leaving the parish.

The average regular weekly attendance across the parish, over the year, was 86 adults and 12 children (excluding school services).

We continued a full complement of Services at Christmas and Easter. Happily, these numbers continue to increase.

Our Director of Music has led the choir at St. Margaret’s in providing a high-quality music program and engaged with Buxted Primary School, providing music for school assemblies.

Our Sunday School Program at St. Margaret’s continues to bless the congregation with a growing number of young families. 2023 also saw 2 additional servers join our Youth Server’s Guild, taking our total number to 5.

Teaching, baptising and nurturing new and existing believers

In 2023, we had 8 Baptisms, 8 weddings, 1 blessing, 14 funerals, 4 Memorial Services, 1 Crematorium service and 3 Burials of Ashes. We maintained the existing pattern of 4 services on a Sunday in the parish (with the exception of 5th Sundays and Patronal feasts where we gathered for united worship). In addition, special services were arranged including; The Cross in Words and Music on Good Friday, A Service Commemorating the Coronation of King Charles III, Royal British Legion Remembrance Services and Lessons and Carols.

Outreach

We were pleased to see an increase in Outreach activities in 2023. St. Mary’s hosted a Lenten Quiet Day with the Bishop of Lewes speaking. We had a well-attended Open Day and Craft Fair at St Mary’s. St. Margaret’s hosted a new initiative with a very successful Open Day in October. We had a lovely garden party in Coopers Green and a Harvest Supper and Lunch. We were pleased to welcome Nicola Stock back for a concert also in October. The Social Committee has already set an ambitious calendar for 2024 and we hope to grow in this area.

The parish has strong links with both Buxted School and St. Mark’s School Hadlow Down. Both schools usually hold services, at least twice a term in St. Margaret’s, or once a week at St. Mark’s. While St. Mark’s has always enjoyed a good relationship with the school, St. Margaret’s has seen a real boost since the arrival of the new Head of Buxted School. The Rector is ex-officio a Governor of both schools and Lara Roberts is a Foundation Governor at Buxted School. The PCC Foundation Governors at St. Mark's, for all or part of the year, were, Andy Cook, Sue Willmott, Dick Brown, and Diana Midson.

The Buxted Messenger continued to provide monthly details of parish and community news and events. The monthly print run is 440 copies and the magazine is available on subscription or to purchase in various places in Buxted and Five Ash Down. The Hadlow Down magazine, which is delivered to all households in the village, also includes details of parish and church matters.

Provision of the church buildings and churchyards for people to enjoy

We are proud of the fact that all three of our churches are usually open each day, for all to enjoy; whether as a visitor or seeking a quiet place for prayer and contemplation. The comments from visitors are universally appreciative of the fact that they are open, show that they are cared for and provide a tranquil space. Whilst their central role is as a place of worship, we have also used them as facilities for the benefit of the wider community.

The fact that our churches and their churchyards remain open, and in a good state of repair, is thanks to the ongoing support and hard-work of so many people; but having the benefit of historic buildings brings with it responsibilities. This year we underwent a new round of quinquennial inspections, while there are no major issues, all of our churches require upkeep and we will need to move forward with those recommendations as soon as reasonably practicable, and have already made good progress. Our churchyards also benefit from the attendance of a number of volunteers, both regular and those at ad hoc working parties.

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Issues of Health & Safety are taken seriously, with matters resolved as they arise. No significant issues were reported in the year.

We are grateful to the Friends of St. Margaret’s for grants to enable the works to be undertaken without undue pressure on the parish’s funds. This year St. Margaret’s saw repairs to the boiler house roof, and repairs to the two south doors.

St Mark’s has a number of maintenance issues that need to be addressed. Some critical repair to stonework took place this year. We have also been grateful for the interim Head at St. Mark’s CEP School, who has been addressing the drainage issue which had caused flooding in the St. Mark’s Churchyard and created damp in the church. The bulk of that work will be completed in the summer of 2024, and we can then look at remedying some of the damage to the church after that.

St. Mary’s underwent some tile replacement work on the spire and vestry roofs, and a re-securing of the lightening rod. Funds were raised for the restoration of the mural. These did not reach the point of initiating a fundraising campaign for a substantial restoration, but they are being held with the hope that the existing murals can be preserved.

St Mary’s Church Hall has been steadily increasing its use and is becoming a source of income for the parish as well as a great resource for the community. We were pleased to offer the Hall free of charge as a gathering place for the Ukrainians living in Buxted and broader area.

Provision of pastoral care for people living in the parish

The pastoral work in the parish remained an ongoing focus during the past year. We are grateful to Fr. David Milnes for working with the Rector. We were also joined by Fr. Simon Hobbs, this year as both priest and organist. He is currently assisting with some vacancies in the Heathfield area, but we hope to see him return soon.

The Lunch Club has continued to operate. This has been aimed at the elderly and those living alone and regularly provided a hot Sunday lunch to approximately 30 people.

We were also able to make a substantial gift to support a family facing considerable health issues in the parish. Through the raising of private funds and through the gift from the PCC.

Financial review - General Fund

The classification of receipts and payments continues to follow the latest Charity Commission and Church of England directives. The financial results of “The Friends of St Margaret the Queen Buxted” are not included, as this is a separately registered charity. The following are the items for the fiscal year to 31[st] December 2023:

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Financial review - Designated Funds

The designated projects funds for each church holds legacies and other donations that were felt by the PCC to have been given for that church or were general reserves of that church when the single parish was created. In 2023 funds were spent at St Margaret’s on the installation of a new audio system, a new rectors board, improvements to lighting, architect’s fees towards re-ordering plans and further assessment of the reuse of the burial ground. Wherever possible, the PCC respects donors’ wishes and uses the funds for one-off projects at the specified church.

Financial review - Restricted Funds

At St Margaret’s, the final phase of extensive cleaning and general overhaul of the Bevington Pipe Organ was carried out in February 2023. At St Mark’s, there was expenditure on maintenance of the churchyard and repayment of the balance of an archdeacon’s loan, which was taken out in 2016 to pay for the vestry conversion and roof repairs. Other restricted funds are used, wherever possible, for the purposes intended, particularly where the endowments provide income.

Why we hold some money in reserve

The PCC’s policy is to ensure that sufficient reserves are held to cover three months of revenue expenditure and known commitments in the medium term, including:

The PCC believes that, whilst our reserves currently exceed our minimum requirements, uncertainty over future revenue streams suggest that this is an appropriate and prudent policy to maintain.

Funds over and above day-to-day working requirements are deposited in CBF Church of England deposit accounts. This Policy is reviewed on an annual basis.

Structure, governance and management

The Parish of Buxted & Hadlow Down is a single parish with three parish churches. The Parochial Church Council (PCC) is registered with the Charity Commission as required by the Charities Act 2011. (Reg. No. XT7790) Its governing document is the Parochial Church Councils (Powers) Measure 1956.

A separate registered charity, The Friends of St. Margaret the Queen, Buxted (Reg. No. 282334) raises funds for the repair and maintenance of the fabric and churchyard at St Margaret’s Church.

The method of appointment of PCC members is set out in the Church Representation Rules. The PCC membership consists of the incumbent, the churchwardens, the licensed reader, members of the Deanery Synod and church members elected by those members of the congregation who are on the electoral roll of the Parish. Regular worshippers are encouraged to register on the Electoral Roll and stand for election to the PCC, or to join one of the three church committees / parish groups, where we try to ensure a balance of skills and experience.

PCC members are responsible for making decisions on a wide range of matters affecting the parish, including compliance with health and safety and disability legislation and safeguarding of children and adults. In their capacity as trustees, members of the PCC are responsible for the stewardship of funds and for the appropriate accounting and reporting of parish finances.

The PCC met seven times during the year with an average level of attendance of 65.2%. One of these meetings were inquorate. The individual Church Committees met as needed and the appropriate Deputy Warden subsequently drew the attention of the PCC to matters discussed and decisions made at local level, or to be agreed by the full PCC.

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PCC members who have served at any time from 1 January 2023 until the date this report was approved are:

Ex Officio members:

Incumbent Rev. Peter Molloy Chairman Licensed Lay Reader Mr John Thorpe Churchwarden Mrs Margaret Scott Churchwarden Mr Martin Shaw Treasurer Mr. Justin Roberts Deanery Synod Representative Mrs Patricia Weeks Deanery Synod Representative Ms Lesley Watson Elected laity members: Mr Anthony Arratoon Mrs Valerie Banks Mrs Samantha Butler Mrs Diana Midson Mr John Palmer Mrs Janet Tourell* Paul Dillon-Robinson Mrs Sue Willmott Mrs Allison Ledward

Note: Maximum of 12 permitted

The Trustees’ Annual Report was approved by the PCC on 16[th] April 2024 signed on its behalf by:

Rev. C. Peter Molloy - Chair and Incumbent

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Parish of Buxted and Hadlow Down Flnanclal Statements for tho year ended 31 December2023 Summary of Receipts and Payments Unrestrict tksignat&J Furkts Restricted Funds T¢)tal All Funds 2023 Tot81 All Funds 2022 FurKts Note Recelpts Donations and legac Govemment grants Charitable actiwties Other trading actimties knvestments 67,437 6.716 6,171 3.172 74.608 10,345 8.082 22,975 12.782 128.792 9,816 138,608 68,652 10.416 6,498 18,241 12,222 t16,029 29,974 146.003 457 22.975 1,135 106.345 9.816 116,161 3,679 5.136 Tolal before extra￿rdInary receipts Extravordinary receipts Total Receipts 17.311 5,136 17,311 Pasfft*nts Cost of raising furttjs Charitable costs Tradiro costs Total before extraryordlnary payrnnts Extr8 Oftyina Pa ments Total Payments Net surplusllsh(rfall) befo￿ transfers Transfers btheen Funds 1,575 1￿.c62 8,￿7 110.004 8.716 118,720 1,575 112,351 8.367 122,293 925 103,253 6,529 110.707 42,062 152,769 8,235 4054 14.712 18,766 8335 11,568 19,803 157,289 (2.559) 2.101 (13,6J)) (2,4921 12.1011 14593) 9. 7T7 (18,681) (6,766) Net surplusl{shortfall) after transfers Sale of Investments - Q Organ Fund Sale of Investments - Edentree 113.630) (18,6811 16.766) 172 17.475 11,783 28,972 34.997 21.595 42,962 52An 56.508 100,248 Bankjdeposit accounts at 1 January Bankldeposit a¢¢ounts at 31 De¢¢n&J¢r 23. 130 28,314 63,214 56,508

Parish of Buxted and Hadlow Down

Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2023

Statement of Assets and Liabilities

----- Start of picture text -----
Unrestricted Funds
Restricted Endowment Total All Total All
General Designated
Funds Funds Funds 2023 Funds 2022
Assets Note Fund Funds
Bank Current Account 13,738 - - - 13,738 9,973
CBF C of E Deposit Funds 15,234 42,962 28,314 - 86,510 46,535
Total Bank & Deposit Accounts 28,972 42,962 28,314 - 100,248 56,508
E - 2023 Heating costs (Costello Trust) 1,250 - (1,250) - - -
CCLA Q4 2023 Interest 201 320 360 - 881 -
Gift Aid recoverable 3,815 159 - - 3,974 2,032
VAT recoverable (by grant) 580 - - - 580 446
Total Debtors 5,846 479 (890) - 5,435 2,478
Investments at Market Value - 35,501 53,826 123,513 212,840 271,836
Total Assets 34,818 78,942 81,250 123,513 318,523 330,822
Liabilities
2024 & 2025 -Wedding & Blessing Deposits 400 - - - 400 800
December 2023 - Utilities 687 - - - 687 2,307
V - Churchyard Maintenance 620 - - - 620 -
E - Stonework Repairs 420 - 2,098 - 2,518 -
E - Electrical Condition Report 828 - - - 828 -
Archdeacon's Loan 8 10,000 - - - 10,000 15,000
Q - Audio System - 7,141 - - 7,141 -
Parish Share 2022 - - - - - 13,954
Q - Architects Fees re Reordering - - - - - 2,773
Total Liabilities 12,955 7,141 2,098 - 22,194 34,834
----- End of picture text -----

Statement of Funds

Designated Funds
Q - Projects Fund
V - Projects Fund
E - Projects Fund
Total Designated Funds
Restricted Funds
Q - Organ/Music Fund
V - Fabric Fund
E - Churchyard Fund
V - Churchyard Fund
E - Costello Trust
Charity Collections
Total Restricted Funds
Endowment Funds
Abdelnoor Trust (E)
Costello Trust (E)
Total Endowment Funds		 Investments
Jan 1
Receipts
Payments
Transfers
Dec 31
@ mkt. val.
12,166
38,570
(18,767)
-
31,969
35,501
2
-
-
-
2
-
9,427
1,564
-
-
10,991
-
21,595
40,134
(18,767)
-
42,962
35,501
797
13,045
(8,797)
-
5,045
28,938
1
2,575
-
(1,153)
1,423
-
3,855
2,705
(2,488)
-
4,072
24,888
806
26
-
-
832
-
17,671
5,219
(5,000)
(948)
16,942
-
-
2,570
(2,570)
-
-
-
23,130
26,140
(18,855)
(2,101)
28,314
53,826
10,970
112,543
123,513
Deposit Accounts

This Financial Report for the year ended 31 December 2023, including the notes following, was approved by the PCC and signed on its behalf by

Signed:

Notes to the Annual Financial Report 1. The financial statements of the PCC have teen prepar&J in aCCordar￿e with the Chartties kt 2011 and current Church k¢C￿nting Regulat)ns, usirKJ the Receipts and Payments basis. 2. The financial statements do not Ir￿1￿je the results of Th8 Friends of St. Margaret thg Qu99n Buxted. separately registergj chartty. which raises fijnds and makes grants to the PCC against fabric and churchyard exFenditure at St Flar￿S Church. 3. The PCC maintains a des￿Jnat￿ fund for each church. primarily to eamiark funds spec￿￿allY donat￿ to that church from legacies, etc. 4. Analysls of tolal re¢elpts Lknrestricled FuThJs General [ksi￿at￿￿ FurKI Funds Restricte FuTrJs Total All Funds 2023 TolalAII Funds 2022 Plann&1 giving {excl lax ￿fUrKts) Planned giving (no tax refund5) Loose cash col￿tIOnS Gift Aid recovered Legac Grants . non-¢knmment Other donations Charitable donations Total donalions and le acies Grants - Central 13)vemment Grants - District ￿vemMent Grants - Local (3)vemment Total Governnnt Grants 24,gJ9 24,909 1.954 15,911 10,270 1,1100 720 17.274 2,570 74.608 6,137 1,878 2,330 10,345 8.082 8,082 5,235 4462 24,796 2,106 17,084 10.397 15.911 10.270 720 13.673 5,207 7.957 1,105 68.652 7.492 1,674 1,250 10,416 6,498 6,498 3,819 4,233 7,679 2,510 18,241 11.610 612 12,222 116.029 3.601 2,570 6,171 67.437 457 1,878 6,716 8,082 8,082 5.235 4.462 9,694 3.172 Fees for weddings and funerals Total charitable activities Fun¢>raising events Buxied ￿essenger reC￿pts st. H811 receipts Other Church events Total trading activities Dividends on investments it Interest Total Investrront inco Total receipts {before eXtra￿rdInary) Extra-ordinary receipts Grants from The Friends of St. Trkrgarefs knsurance Claim - Q Sale of knvestments - W Total Extr&ordinaryrKeipts Totsl Recei 22,975 1.049 22,975 11.263 1,519 12.782 128.792 3.102 7.112 1.135 106.345 3.679 5.136 17.311 8.716 1.1LKI 8.716 1,100 29,974 9,816 116,161 9,816 138.608 29,974 146,003 5,136 17,311 5 Edentree hvestsnent von￿j￿ent ctsed the Nmty Balanc&J Fund in Septemt*r 2023. in whrh we had invesled General and Q Projects Funds. The IKIUMJa￿ prrxeeds were transferr￿1 to interest bearing CCLA deposit accounts.

Notes to the Annual Financial Report (continued) 6 ￿al is of total Unrg$tri¢ted Funds Restrict&J FuThJs Total All Funds 2023 Total All Funds 2022 FuThJ Funds FundraisirrfJ expenses Total cost of raisin Charitable grants and donations Parish share to Chichester Dtiese Insurance of church85 Clergy expenses Sunday sch(M)VChildr8n's wlxk Water, Gas, Electricty, arKI Oil Printing & photocopying Other regular church runniThJ costs Church events Church maintenance & retsoration msce1lan￿JS costs Total charilablo costs Church hall expenses azine rintin and other costs Total trading costs Total paJTrnts (bofora extrawordinary) EXtra￿d1n0rypaYMents Fabric & ch, ard costs Q -"Friends" Q - Audio S￿leM Q - South Pisle RedeVeh?pm￿t Q - Electrical Lighting upgrades Q . Wyvem ODJan Q - Pipe Organ Repairs & Cleaning V- Mjral Repairs E - Archdeacon's Loan r 1.575 1.575 1.575 1.575 3,570 52.000 7.164 925 925 1,105 57,861 6,513 7,456 funds 2,570 7.164 475 475 9,368 2,020 10.061 5,970 1,676 6,791 1,351 11,630 2,414 103,253 3,409 3, 120 6,529 110,707 2,020 8.178 1.349 10.045 997 100.062 5,293 3,074 8.367 110.004 3.782 16.921 1,957 112.351 5,293 3.074 8,367 122.293 4.054 8.235 4.054 8.235 8,716 8,716 7.093 3,773 29,974 7.093 3,773 568 3,326 2.850 ent 5,000 34,996 157.289 Total Extravordinarypayments Tolal Pa ments 8.716 118,720 14.712 18,766 11.568 19,803 42,062 152, 769 Transfers bets*en funds E F￿ating Costs 2022 - Costello Trust DeFM)Stt kcount - CBF Dewstt 1D 1948} 1948} V thjral Repairs 2022 - V Fabric Fund - General Funds Total transfors bet￿8n funds (1,153) (1,153) 1,153 1,153 1101 (2,101) An Archdeacon's loan of £20.OW was recewd in 2016 to hdp fund the ro)f repairs and vesty conversion at Si ￿Ork's. The remaining balance of £5,CKX) was repaNJ in 2023. addttional loan of £10,oc￿ was received in 2019. to help fijnd the gutter repairs at St - the interest free loan is repayable by April 2026. KEY: Q = St. ￿£￿aret the Queen V= SL Plary the IArgin E = St. ￿rk the E￿a￿dist io

Independent Examiner's Report

to the members/trustees of the Parish of Buxted and Hadlow Down

I report on the accounts for the year ended 31st December 2023

Respective responsibilities of the Trustees and Independent Examiner

As trustees of the charity, the members of the PCC are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. They consider that an audit is not required under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed.

It is my responsibility to

Basis of Independent Examiner’s Statement

My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from the management committee concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in a full audit, and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the accounts.

Independent Examiner's statement

In connection with my examination, no matters have come to my attention

  1. which give me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements

  2. To keep accounting records in accordance with s.130 of the 2011 Act; or

  3. To prepare accounts which accord with these accounting records

    • have not been met; or

  4. to which, in my opinion, attentions should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Peter Haining FCA

The Kings Mill Practice

Horns Lodge Meres Lane Cross-in-Hand Heathfield East Sussex TN21 0TY

Date: 5th April 2024

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