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2020-12-31-accounts

Annual Report and Accounts of the Parochial Church Council

St Boniface St Martin in the Wood

for the year ending 31 December 2020

Annual Report and Accounts of the Parochial Church Council for the year ending 31 December 2020

ending 31 December 2020
Page
1. Letter from the Vicar 2
2. Parish Mission Action Plan: achievements and future 3
3. Our values 5
4. Ministry team 6
5. Achievements, performance and overview of the PCC 8
5.1 Youth and children’s work 15
5.2 Worship and spiritual growth 26
5.3 Mission 28
5.4 Church centres 31
5.5 Administration and communication 32
5.6 Ministry with older people 32
5.7 Regular social events 35
5.8 Churchwardens’ report 35
6. Review of financial activities and affairs 45
Appendix 1: Administrative information 56
Appendix 2: Structure, governance and management 58
Appendix 3: Charitable objectives and risk management 59

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1. Letter from the Vicar

Ian writes:

What a year 2020 was! It has been a year of great difficulty for us all. But in the midst of the pandemic, we have seen God at work and his blessing upon us. I have been amazed and humbled by the way people have cared for their friends and neighbours, adjusted to the changes throughout the year, embraced new ways of worshipping together and have contributed in many creative ways to the life of our parish in this pandemic season.

I hope this report gives you a clear picture of what we have been doing in 2020 and you may discover things that have happened that are news to you! It is a real blessing to have a parish team that has adjusted to the challenges that this pandemic has given us and to see people continuing to minister within our congregations and wider community in new and creative ways.

The generosity of this parish is amazing and that extends to our finances too. I would like to thank you for your financial generosity which, most importantly, enabled our parish life and mission to continue over this demanding time. Your response to our Giving and Gift Day of £40,200 was staggering and enabled us to finish a hard year with balanced books.

As we contemplate 2021 and all that lies ahead post pandemic, I hope we can move forward confident in the continuing provision and blessing of our loving Heavenly Father. Covid-19 has changed the Church, our community and world. We will be ready for all that God is calling us to in the future, seeking to be light in our community, sharing the love of Jesus with others in many ways.

I hope this report is an encouragement to you. If you are reading this and wondering whether God might be calling you to involvement in the life and ministry of this parish please contact me – it is always great to talk to people about how they can use their gifts in the parish and beyond.

Though this year has been a very tough one for us all, our parish has continued to serve our God in so many different ways. It is real privilege to be the vicar of such a parish.

I commend this report to you and I hope you enjoy reading it!

Every blessing

‘The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.’ (Lamentations 3: 22-23)

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2. Parish Mission Action Plan: Achievements and Future

Parish of Chandler’s Ford: our pMAP 2019-2022

Background

Along with all other parishes in the diocese, in 2019 we prepared our new pMAP (Parish Mission Action Plan), which runs for three years from October 2019 until 2022 and is laid out below.

Progress

With Rev’d Garry Roberts’ departure in late 2019, the Covid-19 pandemic developing in early 2020, and restrictions on meetings, activities and services, progress on the plan has been understandably limited. However, we continued with the ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ initiative, ran an online Alpha Course, ran ‘The Prayer Course’, provided resources to help people pray and launched ‘Connect Groups’ which replaced our congregational care schemes. We continued to support Eastleigh Basics Bank, ARK and Fledge.

Our Current pMAP

An Overview

We are a very active parish, engaged in all sorts of missional activity and we have much to be thankful for as God has led us forward. We want to maintain and develop our parish mission further. To enable this to happen, we believe we need to spend time further building up and developing our parish community. We believe that God is calling us to a season of equipping. Specifically, we believe that we need to prioritise:

  1. Discipleship and prayer: going ‘deeper’ with God and encouraging all in their spiritual growth in preparation for new mission opportunities.

  2. Building a greater ‘attractional community’ by working on our welcome of others, building on our pastoral ministry and having more social activities.

  3. Praying for and expecting Kingdom growth in our parish.

We believe that by prioritizing these areas, we will not only be able to sustain our current mission, but also be better able to develop new missional opportunities too. So we want to spend the first half of this new pMAP period on these priorities, which are elaborated in greater detail below.

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Discipleship and Prayer

Jesus commissioned his disciples to make disciples (Matthew 28: 16-20). We will seek to focus on discipleship in a variety of ways. These will include:

  1. A preaching series on discipleship.

  2. Increasing the profile of parish small groups, as learning together in such groups is a great way to grow as a Christian.

  3. Offer discipleship course.

  4. Run a parish prayer course focusing on the practicalities and ways to pray daily as Christians.

  5. Provide resources to help us in our daily praying.

  6. Re-launch a regular parish prayer meeting – focus on mission and Kingdom growth.

  7. Explore developing prayer cells in the parish.

Building Community

We will seek to build our community further by:

  1. A preaching series on welcome.

  2. Run a parish-wide course to further equip everyone to be welcomers in all our congregations.

  3. Develop a welcome pack.

  4. Review and develop our parish pastoral care and publicise it.

  5. Review our congregational care schemes.

  6. Run more parish social activities.

Pray for and expecting Kingdom growth

We want to see more people coming to know Jesus Christ and prayer is at the heart of this desire. As well as providing welcome and community to enquirers, an important issue is our confidence in sharing our faith story with friends. So, we will:

  1. Explore ways that we can help people share their Christian story with others.

  2. Continue to provide Christian enquirers courses in the parish at least annually.

  3. Run a Christian apologetics course.

  4. Continue to commit ourselves to the ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ initiative and personally praying for five non-Christian friends.

Eastleigh dMAP

As part of the Eastleigh Deanery, we are also committed to the Deanery Mission Action Plan, agreed in Autumn 2018. Below is the written submission which we have agreed from the northern cluster of parishes for the Eastleigh Deanery dMAP:

The northern cluster, consisting of the parishes of St Francis, Valley Park, Parish of Chandler’s Ford and St Peter’s, Boyatt Wood, seek to work more closely together in mission, ministry and training. The northern cluster parish leaders will convene to work out the details of how we can

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work more closely together that we might see more of God’s Kingdom of God come in our parishes. In the meantime, we are committed to:

  1. Sharing information across the cluster about future courses that may be of interest to others (e.g. Alpha, Marriage, Parenting).

  2. Encouraging personal, practical and financial support within our parishes of local ecumenical mission such as Chandler’s Ford & Eastleigh Street Pastors, ARK, Fledge, CAP and Eastleigh Basics Bank.

  3. Supporting our deanery in pursuing and developing links with the dioceses of Newcastle and Bukedi, Uganda.

Conversations with the Rev’d Dr Sarah McClelland, Lead Minister of St Francis, about working more closely together have happened, but the restrictions of 2020 have stopped this happening. St Peter’s Boyatt Wood went into vacancy and so halted three-way parochial conversation. With clergy post recruitment suspended due to diocesan financial crisis, this situation is unlikely to change soon.

In summary, we want to equip and encourage everyone to live out more fully their call as a disciple. We want to develop a deeper spiritual life in our parish and build greater community and spread the Good News of Jesus Christ with our friends. We look forward to seeing God at work in deeper ways our midst over the next few years.

3. Our Values

Our Vision and Values

As we look forward, it is important to bear in mind our values. Our parish values are based on Mark 12: 30-31:

Jesus said the first commandment is ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbour as yourself.’ (Mark 12: 30-31)

Therefore, as a parish we aim to:

Love God

Love one Another

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Love Chandler’s Ford and Beyond

4. Ministry Team

The year was a very challenging one, but the ministry team rose to all the challenges with great energy and creativity. Though inperson services stopped mid-March, the parish was soon online offering services via Facebook and Zoom for our children and young people. We would like to thank all who have been involved and in particular Tom, Becca and Debbie. Debbie (Children and Schools’ Minister) and Becca (Children and Families’ Minister) had only been appointed at the end of 2019 and, along with Tom, our Youth Minister, have done amazing work over the last year in sometimes very difficult circumstances. They have provided sterling support to the children, youth and families in the parish.

Penny Thatcher continued her ordination training on the Winchester Pathway, based at Wolvesey in Winchester and is in her final year. We were delighted to be informed that she will be serving her curacy in the Parish of Chandler’s Ford, after ordination in July 2021. In

addition to studying, Penny has continued to minister in various ways in the parish. She has continued to liaise with and offer support at the Valley Lodge Care Home. She is also a member of the 4pm co-ordinating team and, along with Ian and Ruth Divall, oversaw pastoral work in the 4pm service congregation. Penny has led and preached at 4pm service several times, as well as preaching at Encounter.

Up till mid-March, Ian met for prayer during the week along with a few of our parishioners at 9am at St Martin in the Wood. Also, Evening Prayer was held at St Boniface on Wednesdays at 5.30pm, led by either Rob Hayter or Jean Nolan. Both Morning and Evening Prayer went online in April and continued so throughout the rest of the year.

Over the year, Ian continued to have additional responsibilities not directly associated with the parish. As well as being a training minister, he is a member of Diocesan Synod, on the Eastleigh Deanery Standing Committee and is an Honorary Chaplain at Hampshire Hospitals Foundation Trust.

We were very blessed in this parish through the ministry of the Revd Canon Peter Doores and the late Revd David Boutflower who brilliantly adjusted to leading online

services. We want to pay tribute to the ministry of David in the parish and all that he gave us in his

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time here. His death was a shock to many and he will be greatly missed. Due to family reasons, the Revd Andrew Williamson has had time out but is planning to lead services again in 2021.

We want to thank one of our Licensed Lay Ministers (LLM), Rob Hayter, who has been regularly preaching online, mainly at our Morning Service. Another of our LLMs, Pauline Lewis, announced her retirement in the summer after many years and we want to thank her for her long and dedicated service in the parish. We look forward to marking her retirement properly at a service in 2021. Our third LLM, Gina McCausland, has been on sabbatical for the year.

We want to thank the 4pm service co-ordinating team for all their hard work in leading the 4pm service. The team consisted of Ian, Tom Young, Becca Wicks, Debbie Pearce, Sarah Smith, Giles Richardson, Penny and Ian Thatcher, Steph Forward and Stuart and Ruth Divall. Carol Hodgson, Paul Smith and James Jenkins were also involved with the 4pm service at the beginning of 2020 but stepped down from the co-ordinating team midway through the year. We would like to thank all of them for all that they contributed throughout their time on the co-ordinating team.

Our churchwardens, Una Barter and Pippa Giles, did a huge amount to ensure this parish

operated well and safely during this pandemic and we thank them for all that they have done in the last year. Pippa resigned at the end of August and we are delighted that Lynne Mursell was voted in as churchwarden at our delayed APCM in October. She is settling in well. Our deputy and assistant wardens are always willing to give a great deal of time to the parish, but this year circumstances have limited their opportunities to be involved. We continue to be grateful to them for all that they contribute, a lot of which is unseen in the background. Our warm thanks

are expressed to Tim Groves, Paul Burgon and Jackie Hill for their oversight at St Martin in the Wood and Rosemary Ford, Linda Read, Mary Shepherd, Marion Smith and Stuart Divall for all that they contributed to St Boniface. We are grateful to all of them for their time, commitment and expertise.

Throughout the year, we had regular clergy-wardens’ meetings via Zoom. We have continued the pattern, established last year, of weekly parish team meeting where Ian and staff meet to discuss parish operations, share and pray together.

Our administrator, Suzie Pavitt, continues to do a great job remotely with regular visits to the Parish Office. Over the year she has been ably assisted by office volunteers and we thank them very much for all their work. Our office is a crucial part of our parish operation and without it we would not be able to function effectively. Jo Streat has continued to do a sterling job as Ian’s PA (part-time) and continues as our able PCC Secretary.

The lay pastors, co-ordinated by Ann Brew, have quietly given much care to many people across the parish, even during the lockdowns we have lived through. Though focused towards those bereaved, their work also encompasses other pastoral situations.

Our home communion visitors have not been able to visit private homes around the parish this year, due to restrictions. Jean Nolan has continued to offer support to residents and staff at Challoner House and Penny Thatcher has also done this at Valley Lodge Care Home. We hope that we will be able to continue building relationships and hold services in both homes again very soon.

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During the pandemic, we have rearranged church pastoral support and Connect Groups which have replaced the St Martin’s Carers’ Scheme and the Contact Scheme for worshippers at the 10.00am service at St Boniface. Jean Nolan and the late Joy Barnard oversaw these schemes and we thank them for their work. We want to pay tribute to the contribution that Joy made to the parish over many years and we will miss her encouragement and wisdom.

I would like to express my thanks to all who are involved in pastoral ministry in this parish and the way that this has continued over a very difficult year. We could not function effectively without you all using your gifts in this crucial area of ministry.

5. Achievements, Performance and Overview of the Parochial Church Council

Achievements and Performance

The number of people on the electoral roll at the APCM was recorded as 317. The parish completes and returns an annual return form for the diocese, as part of the process of compiling national church statistics.

2017 2018 2019 2020
Baptisms 50 48 52 8
Number of couples married in church 9 7 8 1
Funeral services in church 20 39 19 12
Funerals at crematorium 13 15 6 29
Easter Day communicants 283 226 356 0
Easter Day worshippers 418 300 464 0*
Communicants on Christmas Eve/Day 384 348 313 113
Worshippers on Christmas Eve/Day 1066 973 863 121

*There was no attendance at church in person on Easter Sunday following the lockdown in place since March in response to the Covid pandemic. On Easter day there was a live streamed service from the Vicarage.

There are challenges in coming up with a meaningful figure for average attendance in a year that has been anything but normal. The figure for the average Sunday attendance for adults is based on the number of Sundays where congregations were allowed to attend in person, and this was 62 adults.

The average number for children is calculated on attendance at services where children could attend and reflects the more normal pattern of attendance in the first three months of the year pre-covid: 27 Children.

We are including the details of the midweek communion services offered at St Martin's over 24 weeks between lockdowns. Average attendance was 25.

Safeguarding

There are currently 64 people with a DBS clearance certificate.

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Risk assessments have been written for all church openings, online and Facebook services and meetings, children’s and youth work and face to face meetings.

The Domestic Abuse Policy and the Policy for Transporting Children in a Car were reviewed in 2020. The Guidelines for Young People Travelling by bus or train was reviewed and updated. These guidelines are for when young people are travelling by themselves.

The PCC has eight policies in red binders at the back of both churches.

List of policies:

The Church of England have produced a ‘Safer Environments and Activities’ document. The PCC have agreed that we refer to this document alongside our own policies.

We also have an A5 booklet, ‘Guidelines for visiting people at Home or in Care/Nursing Homes’

The policies are available on the parish website and can be found here www.parishcf.church

An overview of PCC business this year

As 2020 was an unusual year, most of the PCC meetings throughout the year were conducted virtually via Zoom. The APCM also had to be held in October rather than April with only a limited number of people present but with many others joining via Zoom. As in previous years, Malcolm Banks, our treasurer, gave monthly financial updates and Gloria Brown, our safeguarding officer, gave a monthly safeguarding update. The subcommittees also presented the minutes of their meetings.

In January, the PCC met with Bishop Debbie, Bishop of Southampton, at St Martin’s to discuss the future of the Associate Minister post. Bishop Debbie highlighted the importance of writing a job description that would

allow the new associate to build on what was already going on, and with a view to expanding this work. She encouraged the PCC to take time to pray about this and discern the right direction before writing the role description. The PCC met in February to begin this process.

The PCC discussed the feedback from the Christmas services. The Many Mangers event had gone well with over 700 people coming through the doors of St Martin’s to view the nativities from around the world. The Christmas services had also been very well-attended. There was discussion over how to encourage people to come to church through the year as well as at Christmas.

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There were updates on safeguarding, children’s work and youth work. Tom gave an update on the youth work highlighting the homework café starting in February and an ecumenical youth worship group starting up locally.

Church accounts were being moved across to the new Sage software, with thanks to Sue Frane and Malcolm Banks. Sue Frane retired at the end of January after 12 years of serving as the bookkeeper for the Parish of Chandler’s Ford. Ian thanked her for all her years of work on behalf of the parish. Malcolm took on the role of bookkeeper temporarily, whilst a job description was drawn up. Jackie Richardson then took on the role of bookkeeper in July.

Christine Clark proposed that all the toilets in the church centres were twinned with others around the world through the toilet twinning scheme and this was agreed unanimously.

The March PCC was the last of the year that we met in person, being just a couple of days before the first lockdown began. It was a socially distanced affair with many of the items being postponed to give time to the essential business of approving the text of the annual report and the accounts. These were duly approved in preparation for the APCM, which was then postponed from April until later that year when restrictions eased slightly. The APCM was finally held in October.

At the end of the meeting, Ian outlined a way forward for the church in light of the new restrictions as places of worship were closed due to Covid-19. The parish began offering resources through the website and Facebook page and paper copies of the newsletter were distributed to those who did not have internet access. Ian emphasised that the Church is the people and not the buildings and encouraged everyone to support each other in any way possible. The parish was asked to pray daily at 9am and 9pm for the emergency services, the government and the world.

Ian also volunteered St Boniface to be a SPOC (a single point of contact) and wrote to local councillors to let them know ways in which the church was offering pastoral care to anyone who might need it. Sunday services then went online, many of which involved the vicarage chickens. People in the parish became proficient in the art of Zoom!

May’s PCC was therefore held on Zoom. Ian spoke about how this crisis was unprecedented in our life-time but that God had been working through people’s faith in action and by their love and care of others around them. Ian expressed thanks to a number of people whose attitudes and actions specifically enabled the parish to continue to be church, though in a different way, through this crisis.

Through this period, Tom, Becca and Debbie delivered an online programme for children and young people of Sunday services and activities. Judith Bird’s huge efforts ensured people had regular spiritual support and parish information via the weekly e-news and paper packs. Ian expressed his gratitude to all those involved in leading worship online and for those running Messy Church, the 4pm service and Encounter as many people had had to quickly learn new skills and become familiar with new software. Tom had produced very thorough risk assessments to ensure that all safeguarding aspects of social media and engagement with children and youth were adhered to. Ian said that we would not have been able to offer such a rich and varied programme without such enthusiastic engagement of many people and that this had been a blessing to many through the long nine weeks of lockdown.

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As Ian had offered our churches for possible emergency relief for use by Eastleigh Borough Council, in the weeks running up to Easter St Boniface had become a food distribution hub manned by Chandler’s Ford Help volunteers, issuing donated food to NHS and vulnerable people. Post Easter, the focus changed to food parcel distribution and these were packed at St Francis, Valley Park.

It seemed likely that when church services resumed, they would be very different for an indeterminate time, with distancing measures, restrictions on singing and use of hymn and service books. A large amount of hand sanitizer was ordered!

Ian and the wardens decided to open up St Boniface initially as it was larger, making social distancing easier. It also had a good internet connection for live streaming the services and the parish office was located there. The Covid crisis forced us into areas of digital ministry that had not been previously explored and it was felt that it was worthwhile continuing to have an online presence as some would not be able to join for health reasons and a continuing digital presence would be important for future mission and ministry.

Although this time was a challenge, Ian was greatly encouraged by the way people engaged in church in a different way and there was great love, support and kindness shown by those in the parish to their neighbours and friends, living out our calling to love (Mark 12: 33). Two examples were the great support for giving carers’ packs of hand cream and chocolates in several of our local care homes and the generosity of support for Eastleigh Basics Bank as the box on the vicarage drive was rarely empty!

In light of filming services, Ian sought permission from the PCC to place discreet cameras in St Boniface to record services for those who would be unable to attend. Faculty was not needed as nothing was attached to the walls, but notices would go up so that people were aware that the services would be filmed.

Malcolm gave a report on the finances noting that the financial landscape had changed enormously in a few short months. Although the hirers’ income had been mostly lost due to the closure of buildings, thankfully much of the regular giving had continued, which meant that there was less of a shortfall than had been feared. Four members of staff were furloughed as they were unable to access the churches to do their jobs. Thanks were also received from USPG, Eastleigh Basics Bank, CMS and Church Army for the donations they have received from the Mission Committee on behalf of the Parish of Chandler’s Ford.

At the July PCC meeting, Ian gave an update of how things had changed since the previous meeting in May. St Boniface had been opened for personal prayer since mid-June and funerals, weddings, baptisms and communion were now allowed but with heavy restrictions. Very comprehensive risk assessments were put together before the buildings were opened to the public. Small congregations began attending some of the Sunday services. An online questionnaire was sent out which helped determine the best way forward and gave an idea of how people felt about returning to the building for services.

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Ian made the PCC aware that, due to the current circumstances and a muchdiminished clergy team, the future service patterns would now need to change. The registry was closed during this period and Ian was unsure as to when it would open as many of the registry priests were over 70. Ian was therefore the only full-time clergy member in the parish, although the retired priests were very generous in giving their time taking services. There are many baptisms, weddings and funerals in the parish, which need to be taken by a member of the clergy, so Ian outlined the difficulties in also then running so many Sunday services as well. The PCC were informed that, at this time, the Associate Minister post had been frozen due to constraints on the diocesan budget. A stipendiary curate was also unlikely in the near future.

Ian asked the PCC members to pray for him as he explored what the new pattern of services could look like. He asked people to pray for the growth of mission in Chandler’s Ford and beyond. Ian encouraged everyone to talk to each other and to him about the challenges that we face. He reflected that we hope to look back on this time as a time that God did things in our midst and see a future that is more reflective of God’s mission in the parish.

The Domestic Abuse Policy and the Transporting Children Policy were reviewed and approved by the PCC. The parish statement on domestic abuse was shown to the PCC before being displayed on the notice board in both churches.

Malcolm gave an update on the finances. Although expense had been contained, there was a fall in income, principally from hiring the buildings, which meant that there was a £25,000 gap between income and expense. Ian had written to the congregation and there had been an encouraging response to this. The Common Mission Fund figures for 2021 had also been received and they had been reduced by £14,000. In light of the financial situation, it was decided that replacing the window at St Martin’s would be put on hold as it was not an essential expense. Ian and Malcolm would be meeting to look at ways to try and further reduce expenditure and match it with income.

Advertising for a new bookkeeper had begun and Malcolm was very pleased that Jackie Richardson was able to take up this role.

The PCC dates for 2021 were approved and 7 October 2020 was set as the new date for the APCM.

In September, Ian updated the PCC on the weekly three service pattern which had been put in place: a 10am live streamed service, a 4pm live streamed service and a live 10am Said Eucharist on Wednesdays at St Martin’s. Messy Church and Encounter continued online on the third Sunday with a 9.15am Communion from St Boniface on that Sunday. New Wine had been very successful over the summer when people met in the field and watched the content on the big screen. Both Debbie and Becca continued to put up films and information on the Facebook pages and Wiggle Worship also continued online. Ian felt that this pattern seemed to be working well.

Christmas service planning was underway and Christmas services such as Christingle were to be filmed and offered to schools to watch online.

Risk assessments had been completed for all the church activities in the current climate and these included online/Facebook Sunday

services, using Zoom to deliver youth work, youth group meeting in the field, youth group

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attending New Wine online, opening of St. Boniface for private prayer, opening St. Boniface for Sunday services, opening St. Martin’s for Wednesday Communion services and Little Stars Sunday creche group picnic. A risk assessment for youth work at St Martin’s was in the process of being written.

Malcolm gave the PCC an update on finances noting that, although we had a cumulative gap of negative £36,000, the general fund still stood around £29,000. All expenses had been reviewed and were now as low as they could be, giving very limited opportunity to expand any new practical missional activities due to a need to keep expense down. The overarching aim would be to keep the deficit down to under £14,000, which Malcolm hoped would be possible.

The APCM was held in October via Zoom with a very few people attending in person. Sandy Groves, Paul Anfield, Stuart Divall, Judith Bird, Giles Richardson and Christine Clark were voted on to the PCC with Tricia Urquhart standing down as her term had ended. Ian thanked Tricia for the contribution she had made during her time on the PCC. Carole Hodgson, Lynne Mursell, Anne Davies and Jean Nolan were voted on to the Deanery Synod for a period of three years.

At the beginning of the November PCC, Tom Young, Becca Wicks and Debbie Pearce were all coopted as members of the PCC until the next APCM.

Bishop Tim, Bishop of Winchester, had given permission for Penny to serve her curacy as a selfsupporting minister in the parish and Ian was delighted to have Penny undertaking her curacy here.

Due to the new lockdown, all services were, once again, live streamed only. The election of officers was held and the following people were voted in:

Election of Officers:

Lay-Chairman (Christine Clark) Secretary (Jo Streat) Standing Committee Secretary (Gloria Brown) Electoral Roll Officer (Anita Jarman) Treasurer (Malcolm Banks) Parish Accounts Administrator (Jackie Richardson) Finance Administrator (Ann Brew) Regular Giving and Gift Aid Administrator (Jim Rooke) Parish Health and Safety Officer (Linda Read) Disability Liaison Officer (Duncan McKellar) Safeguarding Officer (Gloria Brown) Deputy Safeguarding Officer (Linda Read) Risk Management Officer (Vacant)

Jackie Richardson and Gill Skates were appointment as representatives of Churches Together in Chandler’s Ford, along with Liz Plummer, as the Twinning representative.

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Committee members were voted in as follows:

Finance and Stewardship Committee

Malcolm Banks, Giles Richardson, Jim Rooke, Christine Clark, Ian Bird, Lynne Mursell, Una Barter.

Jim Wicks stood down from the Finance and Stewardship Committee and Ian expressed his thanks to Jim for all that he had done whilst on the committee.

Parish Church and Centre Committee

Barbara Dobson, Paul Burgon, Christina Oldham, Jim Rooke, Jenny Greasley, Anne Davies, Una Barter, Linda Read, Jane Keen, Lynne Mursell and Jeremy Hyde.

Mission Committee

Jean Nolan, Anne Addiss, Giles Richardson, Lynne Mursell, Ian Bird, Jackie Richardson and Una Barter.

Tricia Urquhart stood down and Ian thanked Tricia for all that she had done during her time on the Mission Committee.

Communications Committee

Judith Bird, Ian Bird, Paul Anfield, Sandy Groves and Carole Hodgson.

Becky Cooke stood down and Ian thanked her for her involvement with the Communications Committee.

Standing Committee

Ian Bird, Lynne Mursell, Una Barter, Malcolm Banks and Christine Clark are all on the Standing committee by virtue of their roles as vicar, church wardens, treasurer and lay chair of the PCC respectively. Jean Nolan and Gloria Brown were voted on to the standing committee.

Gloria Brown spoke about safeguarding and the PCC agreed to adopt ‘The Umbrella body agreement’ drawn up by the Diocese of Winchester, which allows the diocese to be the umbrella body for safeguarding issues. This was signed by Ian and Gloria and sent to the diocese.

Malcolm Banks spoke about the Giving and Gift day in October, to which there had been a fantastic response. Around £37,500 had been raised which put the parish in a financially better position than was believed to be possible earlier in the year. Ian thanked all who had given so generously.

It was agreed that Lynne Mursell would be added to both parish bank accounts as a co-signatory in her role as churchwarden.

Malcolm spoke about the budget for 2021 but noted that income from hiring the buildings would be difficult to predict due to ongoing lockdowns. The budget was accepted unanimously by the PCC and Malcolm was thanked for all that he had done to manage the finances of the parish through such a difficult time.

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Christine Clark was supported by the PCC to complete the pastoral Bishop’s Commission for Mission course (BCM). The Bishop’s Commission for Mission are courses for lay people and a number of people in the parish have already completed BCM courses.

Debbie, Becca and Tom all gave feedback on the children, schools and youth work and Ian thanked them for all their efforts in keeping the children and youth engaged through this difficult period.

Ian spoke about the plans for the Christmas services. Every day in December, a member of the congregation posted an Advent reflection on the parish Facebook page. There was a livestreamed carol service and a Zoom nativity service on Christmas Eve. Debbie, Becca and Tom had also pre-recorded a Christingle service for schools to use. A small congregation were able to attend the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services and these were also live streamed.

It has been an eventful, if slightly strange year in the life of the PCC! If you would like to be at the heart of all that goes on in the parish and help to make the decisions that determine the future shape of things to come, then do consider standing for the PCC at the next APCM.

5.1 Youth and Children’s Work

Children’s Ministry

Our Children’s Ministers, Becca and Debbie, write:

2020 was a most unusual year!

Debbie and Becca started their new roles and were quickly launched into a very different way of doing their jobs! We have had to quickly adapt to trying to find ways to ensure that we are still able to engage with our children and families when we have not been able to meet in person.

As a reminder of how our role is shared, Becca is Children’s and Families Minister and Debbie is Children’s and Schools Minister. Becca concentrates on 0-5 years age range and takes the lead at Little Stars Sundays and Little Stars toddler group, Wiggle Worship and also being involved in wider family ministry. Debbie works with the 6-11 age range leading Groundbreakers on a Sunday, Xplode after school club and coordinating the work with local primary schools. There is significant overlap with all the age ranges and also with youth work to ensure that there is good continuity and a unified approach. We are both involved in planning and leading Messy Church, holiday club and special services. This year it has been particularly true that Tom, Debbie and Becca have combined skills and resources and got used to meeting online, recording and editing!

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As we entered the pandemic in March, Tom, Debbie and Becca realised the importance of trying to provide resources, encouragement and information in a central, easy to access way. We each have our own groups that have individual online based information sharing systems but we decided to create a central location where all of these things could be combined, making it easier for parents, children and youth to be able to access one hub so we created the Parish of Chandlers Ford Youth and Children’s Facebook page, all of our online services, stories, Zoom meetings, fun worship songs, craft activities can be found in one place, allowing freedom for access to groups that perhaps weren’t attended before the pandemic.

Groups during the Week

Wiggle Worship

For pre-school children with their carers, Wiggle Worship replaced ‘Praise and Play’ at the beginning of last year. It took place every Wednesday morning at 10.30am at St Boniface church in the Salisbury room. It consisted of a short, toddler-friendly session with songs, stories and activities. The group became small in number with several young babies and we had begun discussions exploring how this group might change and evolve in the future; however, lockdown halted this. Fiona Benham continued to provide refreshments when we were still able to meet. Thank you, Fiona, for your faithful service to us. From March, Wiggle Worship went online via the Wiggle Worship Facebook group. Ably assisted by Prayer Bear, each week Becca records a Bible story, often a craft to go with it and a prayer. We still sometimes wiggle along to or Wiggle song at the start of the session. We have also met via Zoom so that we could have Wiggle Worship live which is great (if noisy!)

Little Stars Toddler Group

Little Stars started the year as it always has, jam-packed with fun and excitement, craft, messy play, stories, cake, songs, tea and friendship but, as with all our other activities we sadly had to stop meeting in person. Little Stars, like Wiggle Worship, moved to online Little Stars with a little chat to accompany it. This has been well received, with stories being shared wider and people commenting with their thanks to us. Due to the uncertainty and monotony of life during this year, I decided to keep this going through the school holidays (when Little Stars wouldn’t normally

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meet) and have just recorded my 50[th] story! I also intersperse stories with encouraging posts, funny posts, links to parenting support or information, mental health support, local resources etc. At the end of the summer term we would usually celebrate the huge mile stone of some of our Little Stars starting school. This year, as we were unable to do this together so each child received a starting school story and letter through the post and when we read stories about starting school Becca named the children.

In November we would usually have our popular bonfire party, attended by 500 people. Again, we were unable to hold this so instead the team met to put together resource bags for families to collect so they could have their own bonfire fun at home. Each bag contained hot chocolate, marshmallows, glow sticks, bonfire collage craft resources and a package of tea bags and a chocolate bar for the parents. Debbie and Becca were at St. Martins to say hello and to distribute 60 bags to local families.

The bonfire bags were such a success and it was so wonderful to see parents bumping into each other and catching up that I decided to run ‘Little Stars Strolls’ to enable a parent or carer to meet with one other and go for a stroll, it didn’t matter if they already knew each other or if they met someone new. We provided a chocolate bar, hand warmers, map of the local area and different eye-spy nature hunt. We met some new mums and were heartened that new friendships were formed.

In December we held an outdoor Christmas celebration, the Little Stars

Nativity trail. We hid characters from the Christmas story around the grounds of St.Martin’s. Children and parents were to able to come along, find the characters, the last of which was baby Jesus. Each child collected a Jesus pebble (that Debbie and I handpainted) before coming to get a Christmas goody bag with chocolate coins, Christmas crafts, a nativity sticker book and a copy of the Christmas story.

A huge thanks to the wonderfully committed team who continue to pray for, love and support the parents and carers even when we are not able to meet together.

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Xplode After School Group

Xplode is our afterschool club for children in year R to year 6, which meets every Tuesday during term time, from 4-5.15pm at

St Martin in the Wood. The group is centered around having fun and building friendships, which occurs through games, making crafts, snacks and sharing something from our week. Xplode is led by Debbie, Tom and Pete Knight, with Margaret Doors and Audrey Beale organizing the snacks and very needed, cups of tea and coffee! A huge thank you for their enthusiasm and commitment, the group would not run without it. Our plans were to re-launch the group in 2020

as numbers were low, however Covid-19 put a stop to that. From the first week of lockdown Debbie has led the group via Zoom, which has been a huge learning curve, working out which games you can still play in your own homes.

The children have been amazing and adapted to this new way, very quickly and we have received some very positive feedback from parents, saying their children look forward to Tuesday eves. We have been able to continue making crafts which Debbie drops at the children’s homes every other week, then we join together to create and chat. Through lockdown we have been blessed that another family has joined and Yr R children from current families started attending, therefore our weekly numbers are now 13. Debbie would like to say a big thank you to Margaret for attending Xplode every week and joining in all the fun.

Sunday Groups

Xplorers - St Martin in the Wood

The children who are part of Xplorers have been encouraged to join in with our online groups.

4pm Service

The 4pm children and youth ministry for the 4pm service currently has two children’s groups, Little Stars and Groundbreakers. Little Stars serves children aged 0-5 and Ground breakers is for children aged 5-11. With Covid-19 we have been unable to meet since March. However, we have done all that we can to maintain relationships and provide spiritual input from afar!

Little Stars

It is very difficult for children of a very young age to access online church although they are very welcome to join in! Throughout the year we have delivered or posted resources to the homes of those with very young children. For example, at Easter we sent the Easter story, craft and some Easter chocolate home. We celebrated the star of the summer holidays, those starting school and, of course, birthdays!

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In the summer Becca started ‘Little Stars Picnic Church’ which met once a month and was a socially distanced event enabling families to come to church at lunchtime with their own picnic rug (which designates their area) and their own lunch. The service has a Bible story theme which we share together, we pray, then each family has a bag with individual craft resources to do as they eat their lunch. Although we had to pause for a month due to lockdown, we were able to celebrate Christmas together in this way, with each child receiving a nativity story book and each family receiving a parenting resource book.

Groundbreakers

This year, three children moved from Groundbreakers to Focus and four children moved up from Little Stars. It has been a strange year but this hasn’t stopped us from joining together. Once lockdown started in March we began a monthly meet up via Zoom, for fun, games and sharing our lives. We also posted many activities on the Parish Youth and Children Facebook page for them to get involved. The team decided that it would be good to start teaching the children again, as we had no idea when we would all be back together, therefore in September we committed to weekly Groundbreaker sessions. The group either meets on Zoom, watches a prerecorded session or Messy Church via Facebook. Over the last term we focused on Christian Foundations and are now joining the adults looking at Colossians. We are blessed to have the technology to meet together and are delighted to meet up with other families in the parish. A big thank you to the children's team for all their hard work in planning, filming, editing, Zooming and encouraging the children.

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Messy Church

Messy Church has continued throughout lockdown via the internet, with families joining in at home. We encourage everyone to still have their bacon roll, fruit, coffee, tea, etc. before the session starts at 10am, to give them that Messy Church feeling. Some of our themes this year have been Jesus walks on water, God is everywhere and being thankful in all circumstances. These were chosen to encourage families that they are not alone in this difficult time. In December we organised a Messy Church Zoom Nativity where children could come dressed as a nativity character and join in the Christmas story.

Other events:

Holiday Club

Sadly, this had to be cancelled this year. We were lining up lots of fun with ‘WonderZone.’

Uniformed organisations

Usually we would welcome our uniformed organisations into church throughout the year but especially at Christmas for a Christingle service. Tom, Debbie and Becca recorded a Christingle service in St Boniface that was sent to Scout groups and other uniformed organisations to enable them to have their own Christingles at home.

Schools’ Ministry

2020 has been a very tough year for schools due to Covid-19, therefore as an assemblies team we wanted more than ever to support them, letting them know how amazing they are. Throughout lockdown we were able to provide four online videos, which were shared with the children in school, reminding them they were not alone and that Jesus loves everyone. Debbie and Matthew lead the first session talking about emotions, how it was OK to feel happy or sad at this time. Debbie has kept in close contact with the seven schools we have links with and dropped a card and biscuits in to each, reminding them we are here and praying for them. One of the schools contacted the team to say how

sad they were that they had not been able to visit St Boniface before Christmas, but could we create a video for them about the changes the church goes though to prepare for Christmas. Debbie, Becca and Tom filmed this in mid-November, which made Suzie laugh as we all turned up in Christmas tops!

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Other news

Fun@4

Fun@4 launched at the end of 2019. This interactive, fun monthly event was designed to be held on the third Sunday of the month when Messy Church would have been held in the morning. Its purpose was to strengthen relationships and community through social activities. This too went online via Zoom! We have held quizzes, scavenger hunts, bingo, challenges, chocolate Olympics. It has been well attended by families across the congregations.

In December we made up 50 ‘bags of

blessing’ containing a bag of chocolate, hand sanitiser, hot chocolate sachets and a note to remind each household that they were loved. These were distributed to homes of people living in Chandler’s Ford with love from the parish.

Baby and Pregnancy Loss Service

In October we held our first baby and pregnancy loss awareness service to mark the end of a week raising awareness and promoting openness to accessing support. The service was an informal time of grieving and remembering through prayer and reflective activities. Thank you to Mel and Jon Westmacott who were instrumental in this.

Thank You!

None of our children’s work would be possible without the generosity of so many people. Thank you to all those who contribute time, energy and prayer into our incredibly important and exciting work.

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Youth Ministry

Our Youth Minister, Tom Young writes:

At the start of the year many people were making jokes about having 20/20 vision… if only we could have foreseen what 2020 was going to bring. It was, without a shadow of doubt, the most challenging year for Christian ministry (in my lifetime at least). A year of disruption, change, adaptation, loss and anxiety. But also, a year of understanding priorities, finding new solutions, spiritual and practical formation and being reminded of the importance of relationships and community. As well as being reminded that, despite all the difficulties and negatives, Jesus is still on the throne and we are still so very loved by Him. God is good through all seasons.

Last year’s youth work report started with me saying how 2019 was supposed to be a year of stability, having started as Youth Minister in 2018 and making some pretty wholesale changes to the way the youth work was done. However, with the departure of Georgia and Craig, Tony and Ruth and Garry and Nicky throughout that year, it perhaps wasn’t as stable as I was expecting. Well, if I was hoping for 2020 to bring that stability, it’s obvious to say that no one got that! Maybe stability is a pipedream. One thing, however, that has remained constant and stable is the incredible support both I and the young people have had from those that give up their time and volunteer to help lead the youth groups. So, to that end, I would like to give a huge thank you to Julie Allen, Hazel Bateman, Jane Bennett, Claire Brendish, Linda Chant, Steph Forward, Rob Hayter, James Jenkins, Rachel Kester, Debbie Pearce, Mary Shepherd, Roy Wright and Becca Wicks.

Wildfire

For the first two and a half months of 2020 this group carried on as usual. We played loads of games, ate even more snacks, built relationships with the young people and provided a place of joy and safety. We were consistently getting between 20 and 30 young people each week, with at least 50% of those being from a nonchurch background. It was a beautiful place to be.

Come the end of March and the first lockdown started. The question was never do we continue with youth work in some capacity or not, but how do we continue with youth work. Like 90% of the population we turned to Zoom. I spent hours frantically googling “games to play over Zoom”; this was not something I, nor anyone else, had trained for and was brand new ground. The one thing I quickly realised (and not surprisingly) is that, more than the games we played over Zoom, the connection we were able to maintain with the young people was so valued. The emails I received from parents thanking the team and me for continuing to meet with the young people and provide them a space of socialising and fun as well as support and care, were testament to this.

During those first few months we set challenges for the young people to do in their ever-increasing spare time; I’ve seen incredible forts built, huge domino runs, exceptional April Fools challenges, socially distant scavenger hunts and even my own face created in some unexpected ways! As well as this we held an online talent show where we were treated to Adele-esque singing, mind-blowing magic tricks, complex origami, keyboard ballads and tuba excellence. The young people are an amazingly talented bunch and, as much as we supported them

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during this time, their joy (especially in the face of such disruption to their lives) was the best antidote for my struggles in those early days of lockdown (with a just-turned-one-year-old tearing the house apart!).

As Summer came and lockdown eased we started to meet in person, socially distanced on the field at St Boniface. Again, I had to find new and innovative ways to engage the young people and to make it a place of fun and safety (and this time safety was in a different way than normal!). So the other leaders and I came up with games that could be done socially distanced, in three pods of six young people, plus leaders. Somehow it worked! As the evenings got darker and the summer sun gave way to the autumn cold, the guidelines changed (yet again) and we were able to meet in St Martins in a (socially distanced) group of 15 young people, plus leaders. We had quizzes, walks, board games and bingo. Despite the youth group being far from what I dreamt of it being back when I started it up in 2018, it still brought life and joy and that is something I’m exceptionally proud of.

The group has certainly changed since the very start of 2020; there are some young people that I haven’t seen or heard from at all since then, despite them having been such consistent attenders. There are also a good number of young people who have become an integral part of the youth group although they were rarely part of the group before the pandemic. Whenever we’ve been able to meet in person, we’ve seen some of the young people turn up who don’t ever attend on Zoom. We don’t know what effect this pandemic is going to have on young people or youth groups, but I am very confident that the youth groups will still be well-attended and young people will still seek them out and find a home in them.

Fuel

The start of 2020 brought the start of a new series for Fuel. We were going through the GREAT DREAM course: a series focused on wellbeing and mental health. My last post on my youth Instagram page before the pandemic was promoting the continuing of this series, looking at the importance of our emotions. It turns out that this course, although we didn’t quite get to finish it, was very well timed and hopefully instilled some important, practical and helpful guidance for the young people as we entered into this pandemic.

Just like Wildfire, we went onto Zoom each week. It was actually much harder to continue to give the same sort of content on Zoom for Fuel than it was for Wildfire. Deep discussions are hard on Zoom and conversation doesn’t flow well. We tried various different courses to spark off conversation and discipleship, some with success, some without. We started the Prayer Course by Pete Greig, before then being able to meet in person outside (as the course used videos we couldn’t continue this, and then we did this course in the 4pm service instead). We did some sessions on wellbeing, joy, discipleship, the Kingdom of God and worship. We also mixed some fun into these sessions; the highlights of which were definitely the weeks where one of the young people would lead us all in how to bake some amazing sweet treats, like cookies and Welsh cakes!

Much like Wildfire, as soon as we could meet in person in a Covid-safe way, we did. Again, in the same way as Wildfire, more young people joined in when we were meeting in person than on Zoom. We were able to meet together just before Christmas and have a small Christmas celebration in person.

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A number of the young people left this group to head off to university in September, which has also had an effect on this group. It was strange not being able to give them a better send-off, but I have been able to still support them in their first year at uni so far, especially with it being far from the experience they would have expected and wanted. More on this later.

A number of this group of young people have been involved in various different services and initiatives outside of the youth group. For example, at the end of the ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ week, three of the older youth and I led an hour of creative prayer on Zoom for the diocese. This was well received and the young people did an amazing job in leading this hour. The young people have also been involved from time to time in the online Messy Church and 4pm services; the prayers that they led during the 4pm services were very well received and talked about for a while, as was the talk a few of them did together for the 4pm Pentecost service.

Unite

This is a monthly ecumenical youth service, joining youth groups across Eastleigh together for a time of worship, prayer and a short relevant talk for the young people. As youth leaders, our hearts are very much for the young people to take responsibility for this group and to use their gifts and skills to lead it. We were able to meet once in person before we went into the first lockdown.

We decided to go online and create a pre-recorded service with a time of worship and a talk for the young people to watch live on Youtube. After the service there was a Zoom hangout for the youth to join. On this Zoom we played some games, got to know

the young people and then create a space for prayer ministry for any of the young people that needed it.

As leaders we feel this has been successful, although far from the original plan we had pre-Covid. It has slightly changed format here and there, sometimes being on Zoom for the whole service, for example, but our vision has remained the same. It’s been amazing to create a space for the young people to be able to be involved and we’ve had some incredible worship sets led by the young people as well as some thought-provoking and inspiring talks.

Homework Cafe

Towards the end of 2019 I was awarded a grant to set up a Homework Café. Since starting as Youth Minister in Chandler’s Ford, I quickly realised that the thing teenagers talked about the most was school. When I asked how their week had been the conversation almost always ended up being about school and most of those times it was about homework. Young people were often turning up to youth group with pieces of unfinished homework, or mentioning how when they get home they will need to do their homework. It also didn’t take very long to notice the amount of pressure the children felt under to constantly be doing well and achieving high grades. This, coupled with the plethora of extra-curricular activities is creating a high amount of stress and a low amount of rest; this is an environment where mental health issues thrive. Chandler’s Ford is a place that is well known for its high achieving schools, with some parents moving into the area so their children can attend these schools; whether said or not, this automatically puts certain expectations upon their children. At a time when young people are also under more pressure now than ever before to look, act, dress

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and be a certain way, it’s no wonder we are seeing more mental health issues, more breakdowns and more recreational drug use within teenagers than ever before.

The café started up after February half term, every Thursday 3pm – 4:30pm at St Martins, having used the grant to purchase some laptops and other necessary resources the homework café started. And then it stopped. In the four sessions we were able to hold there were about five young people who came along, some I knew, some I didn’t. It was a slow start, but it was highly appreciated by the young people that came. In just those few weeks it gave me a number of ideas of how to take this forward and how to have more focused sessions.

Unlike Wildfire, Fuel and Unite, this is one initiative that I haven’t been able to do on Zoom or the like. I look forward to being able to restart this when allowed and hope it will become the sanctuary I dreamt it would be.

Limitless

2019 was the final ever Soul Survivor (the big event of the summer and possibly the whole year); a five-day camp full of worship, prayer, talks, loads of fun and incredible memories made). The plan was to attend Limitless Festival instead, which aimed to be very similar to Soul Survivor. This was obviously cancelled, to the huge disappointment of the young people.

However, Limitless did produce some online content in the summer so, under the then current Government guidelines, we were able to meet together in the field of St Boniface and watch the online services. We spent Friday evening together, under the marquee, watching this service, then we gathered around a fire pit

and played some games and talked into the night, much like we would’ve done if we were at Limitless. The young people then came back for the whole of Saturday, where again we watched the services, played some games and ordered Dominos for lunch. The young people went home for dinner before coming back for the final evening online session and another evening around the fire.

Although this was exceptionally different from how Limitless would have been the young people certainly enjoyed it and, based on recent conversations I’ve had with them, they wouldn’t mind too much if we had to do this again this year.

New Wine

Much like Limitless Festival, New Wine went online this year. This is something a number of the young people often attend, particularly as a number of their parents attend New Wine. So, with the adults meeting outside to watch the New Wine services, I set up a space for the young people to watch New Wine together at St Boniface. Again, it was a time to worship and learn and grow deeper in their faith and discipleship.

After the service we gathered outside under a gazebo and had a time of socialising and playing games. It should also be pointed out that the young people were much better at socially distancing than many of the adults. In fact, throughout this pandemic the young people, in my experience, have been much more compliant in following the rules when coming to church/youth

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group/anything in person, and have moaned much less about having to wear masks than some of the adults.

University

As mentioned earlier, a number of the young people went off to uni in September. This is always such a hard part of youth work. I know as I work with the young people that there’s a very high possibility that they will be leaving once they finish college, but even with knowing this it doesn’t make it any easier when it actually happens. The dynamic of the youth groups always shift as a number leave and a new number join.

This year especially was so different for the young people as they were heading to uni in the midst of a pandemic. To help lift the spirits of the young people as they settled into uni, I collated a scrap book of messages from the adults that know them well through the 4pm service and youth work and sent this up to them at uni. These were very gratefully received and reminded them how loved they are, how awesome they are and how much they are loved by God.

As this academic year has gone on, I have been in contact with them to check they are doing okay. I’ve held Zooms with them and some of them have joined the youth group Zooms when they were back for Christmas too. It’s amazing that they feel so at home in the youth group and still find value in the connection they receive there. Please do keep them in your prayers as this pandemic is going on longer than they expected and it’s making the university experience so far from normal.

5.2 Worship and Spiritual Growth

Psalm 147:1 ‘ Praise the Lord! How good it is to sing praise to our God’

The year started quite normally and we held our regular range of services. At the end of January, St Martin’s hosted the Churches Together in Chandler’s Ford Week of Prayer for Christian Unity service at the end of January. But by mid-March increasing Covid-19 infection levels, hospital admissions and sadly deaths meant huge change; societal restrictions were imposed upon us and church had to shut and go online. Our last ‘normal’ Sunday services, including our monthly Messy Church, were held on 15 March. By 22 March we had pivoted to being online, livestreamed on Facebook initially from St Boniface then, as churches were shut to all, from the vicarage! We had Easter Communion in the vicarage lounge. The vicarage chickens often made guest appearances in the services!

We were able to livestream again from inside St Boniface on Sunday 24 May but with severe restrictions – only the service leader’s household could be present, so Judith, Andrew and I ran services. However, things rapidly eased and from mid-June, Paul Anfield joined us to run the technical side of the services. I want to hugely thank Paul for saying ‘yes’, and for his creativity and desire to develop our morning service and getting to grips with new broadcast software.

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In mid-June we were able to open St Boniface for personal prayer in the mornings, which continued on for a couple of months. In early July, we were allowed to have socially distanced congregations and so had a congregation at the livestreamed morning service. This continued till the second lockdown at the beginning of November. Congregations returned again in early December. At Christmas, we held a ticketed Christmas Communion service at St Boniface on Christmas Day.

In the first lockdown, the 4pm Service and Messy Church quickly went to recorded livestreams and Groundbreakers and monthly online encounter services went onto Zoom. In the Autumn, the 4pm service was livestreamed with service leaders and band in St Boniface until the second lockdown at the beginning of November.

We started a midweek communion service at St Martin’s at the end of August, which was well attended. This service ran to the end of the

year, with the exception of Wednesdays during the second lockdown. Ticketed communion services early evening on Christmas Eve and at midnight were held at St Martin’s too.

During the second lockdown, both churches were open for private prayer.

We were able to mark the major festivals, celebrations and events that we normally mark in the parish. Often these were marked in ways very different to normal, but were nonetheless memorable, like Remembrance

Sunday. Thankfully we had filmed the Mayor of Eastleigh and uniformed organisations laying wreaths at the war memorial before the second lockdown!

We even managed to hold some new services and activities in 2020, including a service in October to mark Baby Loss Awareness Week, led by Dr Mel Westmacott and Becca Wicks. Families joined in Spring Harvest after Easter and in early August we attended New Wine online, with gazebos and socially distanced chat in the St Boniface field. We thank Tom Young for organizing the daily Advent reflections given by various people in the parish, based on Tom Wright’s book ‘ Advent for Everyone: A journey through Luke.’

During the year, a number of our services were broadcast on the radio, along with other services from local churches. Some of our morning services, including Messy Church, were broadcast on Lockdown FM, a local temporary radio station, over the early summer. In the Autumn, services were regularly broadcast on Outreach Radio, a newly launched regional radio station, including our Christmas Carol Service and morning service on the 27 December.

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We want thank everyone who has been involved in filming and producing sections of services for most of this year and especially our musicians in the parish who have been very creative in recording as well as playing in services! We thank Paul Anfield, Jenny Greasley and Bob Everett for their technical support and expertise for the morning service and Giles Richardson, Jon Westmacott and Ian Thatcher for producing the livestreamed 4pm services in the year. We thank Tom, Becca and Debbie for their amazing commitment over 2020 in filming and producing services for 4pm, Messy Church, Groundbreakers, Little Stars and the Christingle service, which went into our local schools and to local uniformed groups.

Also, we thank the 4pm Co-ordinating Team, who met regularly to plan, review and support 4pm service in its various forms and various activities over the year. The group is Tom Young, Stuart and Ruth Divall, Becca Wicks, Debbie Pearce, Ian and Penny Thatcher, Sarah Smith, Steph Forward, Giles Richardson and Ian Bird. The monthly online Encounter service has proved popular and we thank Stuart and Ruth Divall, Penny Thatcher and Steph Forward for leading the service.

For most of 2020, in-person groups were not permitted. This could have restricted parish groups, but many, including our homegroups, went onto Zoom and continued throughout the year. We were able to run an online Zoom Alpha Course in the Autumn in the parish.

Men@8, a men’s prayer and bible study group, continued to meet, but online, on the first Saturday morning of the month at 8.00am. We would like to thank those who have led this group.

Novo continued online this year, and we want to thank Debbie Pearce, who leads and coordinates this group.

This year we were involved again in the ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ initiative but online. Tom and a few of our young people led an hour of a 24/7 prayer time organised by the diocese, just before Pentecost.

Our parish branch of the Mothers’ Union has continued to meet on a regular basis on Zoom.

In the midst of all the uncertainty and frustration of this pandemic, it is abundantly clear that God has been at work in our midst and we can be very thankful for his love and faithfulness to us as a parish.

5.3 Mission

Our Mission Committee secretary, Anne Addiss writes:

2020 has been a year like no other and charities everywhere have had to find new ways of raising awareness and funds. At this time our regular parish donations to Christian-led charities are more needed than ever. The Mission Committee has continued to oversee the parish mission day scheme for supporting overseas and local Christian mission organisations. This year we donated to the work of the following organisations: USPG, Church Army, Friends of St Anne's, CMS, and

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the Children's Society (Christingle). Unfortunately, due to lockdown restrictions the only speaker we were able to welcome to the parish was Edgar Ruddock from USPG. Our visiting speakers significantly raise our awareness of the diversity of work being carried out by these organisations to share God’s love around the world and we look forward to welcoming them back to talk to us as soon as they can. We would like to thank those mission representatives involved in organising parish support in 2020 and keeping us informed on their activities. The PCC has continued to support our extra-parochial giving at 10% of our income. Also supported in the year were local charities, including Fledge, ARK, Eastleigh Basics Bank and Winchester Churches Night Shelter.

The Parish Discipleship and Mission document continues to be revised. Again, it has not been possible to have people involved in the various areas of ministry in the church to speak briefly about them to our congregations, but we look forward to the time when talks can resume.

We thank the Mission Committee members: Una Barter, Jean Nolan, Anne Addiss (co-chair), Tricia Urquhart, Ian Bird, Giles Richardson, Jackie Richardson and Lynne Mursell (co-chair) for all their enthusiasm and hard work. Jackie Richardson joined the committee in November as the Churches Together representative. This year Tricia Urquhart stepped down from the committee, her knowledge and heart for mission will be sorely missed. Tricia leaves the PCC and Mission Committee with thanks for her service. The committee would also like to thank church members for their interest, support and generosity to our mission partners and the charities that the parish has supported during 2020.

Christian Aid’s activities were among those seriously impacted by the pandemic; thinking ‘outside the box’ they organised different types of activity. Members of the parish supported activities including a joint virtual service for Christian Aid Week, a Treasure Hunt around Chandler’s Ford and Zoom quizzes. In addition, parishioners generously responded to Christian Aid emergency appeals and the parish sent a £1,000 donation to Christian Aid at the end of the financial year.

This year, we supported three local charities, ARK (Acts of Random Kindness), Fledge (a local charity working with young homeless persons) and Eastleigh Basics Bank and each received £1,200.

The parish continues to support ARK, with several individuals involved in visiting and support.

The parish has practically supported Eastleigh Basics Bank and Hazel Bateman and Sue Caukwell continue to act as our Basics Bank champions. Thank you to all who continue to support this vital local work. This year our harvest gifts went to Winchester Churches Nightshelter.

The regular Traidcraft stalls held at both churches were unable to be held; Tricia Urquhart has continued to take orders for Traidcraft goods.

Churches Together in Chandler’s Ford

One of our CTCF representatives, Jackie Richardson writes:

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Unaware of the impact a virus circulating in China would have on our activities, the calendar of events began in January with visits to other churches, prayer walks and a service to mark the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

Lent studies (Not a Tame Lion) based on the writings of C. S. Lewis began … and then had to be abandoned when the first lock-down was announced.

Similarly, preparations for our stand at the Fryern Funtasia were also halted when this annual event was cancelled.

Our AGM was postponed from May until August when we could meet in person, albeit socially distanced at St Boniface and with plenty of hand gel and masks. At this meeting David Parkinson and Hazel Bateman stood down as chair and secretary respectively. They have been a brilliant team who have served us with great efficiency and drive. Sara Goodhead of the Methodist Church was elected as the new chair, and Jamie Broadby of Velmore Church the new secretary.

By November’s meeting we were on Zoom and making alternative plans for carol singing at Asda. A carol was recorded virtually which was played in all Asda stores in the south, together with a message from our chair. This was also played several times on the new local radio station, Outreach FM. (Grateful thanks to Dean Thomas for providing his technical expertise to enable this to happen.)

At our regular meetings we share news of projects in which we are engaged and prayer needs. In addition, the church ministers meet together regularly.

We are thankful to Denise Gordon of the Methodist Church for also hosting prayer meetings in her home, when circumstances have allowed.

Throughout the year, members of local churches continued their involvement with Christian Aid, Chandler’s Ford Chaplaincy and Eastleigh Basics Bank. The Christian Aid group adapted creatively to the challenges of the pandemic, organising new and original events. Visits by chaplains, when allowed, were valued and relationships strengthened. Eastleigh Basics Bank saw a huge increase in demand, and also delivered Christmas hampers to everyone who had used its service in 2020.

All of these emphasise our commitment to grow in mutual understanding, to pray together, and to work closely together in our common task of sharing in God’s mission and making Christ known.

Weddings

Our Weddings’ co-ordinator, Barbara Dobson writes:

2020 was a year of postponed weddings; however, we did manage to celebrate one wedding in July. It was a very special and happy occasion, albeit with a limited number of guests, dedicated seating and no singing of the couple’s special hymns. Our ‘wedding’ team are thanked for always being available to make these celebrations special – Anita Jarman, Hugh Benham, Paul Anfield, Jenny Greasley and Barbara Dobson , who can put their hand to unusual live music requests, recorded obscure songs by specific artists and even sorting out pet dogs and children in their play carts – all of which we enjoy organising to make the day special for the bridal couple. 2021 will, hopefully, be a busy year catching up on the postponements.

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5.4 Church Centres

St Boniface Centre and St Martin in the Wood Centre

The two church centres have played a slightly different role in parish life this year due to the Covid restrictions. Both churches and centres closed at the end of March when the restrictions were brought into place and services were then live streamed from the vicarage.

After a few months, Ian was able to begin live-streaming services from St Boniface on 7 June. St Boniface opened to everyone for private prayer in the middle of June, after risk assessments had been completed and a thorough cleaning programme set up. From 21 June, Ian was allowed a small technical team to help with the live streaming of the services and thanks go to Paul Anfield, Giles Richardson and Jenny Greasley for all their work. A small socially distanced congregation was allowed to start attending Sunday morning services at St Boniface from 5 July and St Martin’s also opened from 26 August for a small socially distanced mid-week communion service. This pattern of services continued until the second lockdown at the beginning of November and then continued through December, allowing a small number of people to attend the Christmas services. St Martin’s opened for private prayer only during the second lockdown.

The field was put to good use through the summer as the restrictions were slightly eased, allowing for some youth events and New Wine. The weather was thankfully beautiful for the days over New Wine, which allowed for marquees and lights to be put up, giving it a festival atmosphere. This also allowed for a much needed time of socially distanced reconnection with others in the parish.

When Covid restrictions permitted youth groups were able to meet face to face in the centre at St Martin’s. Little Stars also took every opportunity to meet with parents and children in St Martin’s grounds to hand out goody bags and organise socially distanced activities.

In normal times, the centres provide a meeting place for community users including Guides, pilates, yoga and dance groups, therapeutic groups, blood transfusion service, U3A, out of school activities, gardening and a number of other one-off events. Some of the hirers began to return to use the buildings in late summer and thanks go to Jenny Greasley who coordinated and liaised with the hirers to ensure that all the necessary risk assessments were completed. When it wasn’t possible to use the centre a pilates group met on Fortune Field for a number of sessions.

The Parish Church and Centre Committee met regularly on Zoom during the year to ensure the buildings were well maintained despite the closures. Measures were taken, where possible, to reduce the ongoing costs of the buildings, such as switching off the heating whilst the buildings were empty. The bell at St Boniface was repaired a second time and is now fully functional again.

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5.5 Administration and Communication

In normal times, the parish office is the administrative hub of the parish and plays a vital role in our mission. Obviously in 2020, the office had to be closed for much of the time due to the restrictions, but Suzie Pavitt continued to run the office remotely with great efficiency and good humour. Thanks also go to Judith Bird, Ann Brew and Anita Jarman for helping to keep the parish office running during these extraordinary times. Jenny Greasley has done a fantastic job of dealing with the hirers for the church centre and Barbara Dobson continues to help co-ordinate the weddings, although these have been limited this year. There have been a number of funerals this year and our thanks go to all who have helped to steward these or who have been involved with the music or sound.

We continue to be grateful to David Lewis for all that he does in producing the parish magazine and for all those who have contributed to it in 2020. Our thanks also go to Debbie Pearce who has taken photographs, used by Jane Duxbury to produce the front and back covers of the magazine, and also to the wider magazine team, who have faithfully typed, proof-read and distributed the magazine around Chandler’s Ford. Judith Bird has continued to compile the weekly paper newssheet, and the emailed weekly news, for which we would like to express our heartfelt thanks. Thanks also go to everyone who has helped to distribute the fortnightly newssheet and reading packs. If anyone would like to receive parish news electronically then please contact the parish office.

The parish website continues to be another useful means of communication with visitors and congregation alike. Our thanks go to Suzie Pavitt, Tom Young and Jane Duxbury for all that they have contributed to this. All the services are available through the parish website at www.parishcf.church or through our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/parishcf and on YouTube.

5.6 Ministry with Older People

2020 was difficult for all of us, each of us having our own particular challenges, but for those who are older, often living on their own and some without internet, it was uniquely difficult.

Early on in the first lockdown we took requests for people who needed help and matched them with those who were prepared to offer help. Many organised themselves so that people across the congregations shopped for others and regularly phoned people for a chat.

Parish News Sheet Deliveries

Whilst many people have access to the internet, it was particularly difficult for those who did not, who were unable to watch the online services and find out what was going on. A huge amount of effort was made to identify these people, and paper copies of services and news sheets were delivered every fortnight, so they were able to stay in touch with parish activities. These fortnightly deliveries continued without a break right through 2020, thanks to a very dedicated team of deliverers. Due to the enthusiasm of the deliverers, many others, who were able to access the e- news and services online, but still like a bit of paper, also had a news sheet delivered.

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Beacon Café

2020 started in a normal way, with the usual fortnightly meeting with lots of coffee, cake and chat. This lasted until March when we were forced to close due to the first lockdown.

Beacon Café was then rebranded as Beacon Café on the Phone , and people were encouraged to phone one another on Tuesday mornings. We spent a lot of time phoning people to check they were OK to have numbers swapped, which also gave an opportunity to check whether people needed help with shopping or other help. Then the phoning started! It was gratifying to attempt to phone people on a Tuesday morning only to find all the phones were engaged as people were talking to each other. Particular thanks to Lawson Smith for his regular phone calls with the gentlemen on the ‘Men’s table’, who were very grateful for this support.

Cake and Chat

As the year progressed and it became apparent it was unlikely we would be able to meet indoors, Beacon Café was reinvented again, this time as a delivery service. We were inundated with generous people who were happy to make cakes and had just the right number of people to deliver. Each fortnight we sent out a bag with a particular theme, with a leaflet on that topic with poems, prayers and other articles and information. There was also a puzzle booklet with crosswords, word searches etc, all on the same theme. In each bag also went an item related to the topic, mainly thanks to the creative efforts of members of the congregations. We had laminated leaves, knitted/crocheted poppies for the Remembrance bag, pots of bulbs and Christmas decorations. In return, the recipients made Christmas decorations which were hung on the Christmas tree at St. Boniface and featured in the Christmas services.

People enjoyed the bags, and a number of them requested bags for friends who were bereaved or were just having a hard time. By December, we were delivering 40 bags each fortnight. Thanks go to Judith for organising this!

Connect Groups

‘Connect Groups’ have now been established amongst the older members of our congregations as part of our parish initiative to keep everyone connected during this time of pandemic, particularly through the winter months.

These groups took some time to organise and all who wished to be involved have now been contacted, with the help of our Parish Administrator. Groups can still be added to with any latecomers and we look forward to hearing feedback of how they are going!

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Local Care Homes - Challoner House and Valley Lodge

The parish has had links with Challoner House for many years, and more recently with Valley Lodge. In normal times, a team delivers a monthly Home Communion Service (Challoner House) and monthly Songs of Praise service (Valley Lodge) to residents who wish to attend. Again, in normal times, Home Communion is taken to residents in their rooms, should they request it. We might also be informed via staff, of a request to pray with a resident in their room.

In these times of pandemic and lockdown, visits have ceased, but we have kept up contact in different ways during the year. These have included delivering daffodils for Mothering Sunday, palm crosses in Lent, chocolate eggs at Easter and a gift hamper for the staff in the summer term. In October, a service card with prayers and readings was delivered for those residents who usually attend the monthly service and any others who requested it.

In November, parishioners were asked to knit or crochet poppies and there was an overwhelming response. Approximately 150 poppies were made and some of these were taken into the care homes. These were well received and much appreciated.

At the beginning of December 2020, two of the team at Challoner House were able to conduct a short Advent service from the newly built ‘pod’, via microphones/speakers either side of the perspex screen. (The ‘pod’ enables complete separation from the residents and is accessed from outside.) In the Christmas week, a much-reduced carol service was delivered to residents from the ‘pod’, using Christmas readings and recorded carols.

With monies donated by parishioners, gifts were prepared and given to both care homes for every member of staff during the first lockdown and at Christmas.

These were very gratefully received and they were so pleased to be remembered.

Judith Bird, Jean Nolan, Penny Thatcher

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5.7 Regular Social Events

Although the regular events in the parish in normal times would include Holiday at Home, Beacon Café, Men’s Breakfasts, Women’s Breakfasts, Film nights, NOVO, Mother’s Union and St Martin’s Lunches, along with many other one off events, these have sadly not been able to happen in 2020 due to the Covid-19 restrictions and the buildings being closed. We hope that many of these will resume as soon as the coronavirus restrictions allow.

5.8 Churchwardens’ Report

Parish of Chandler’s Ford, Annual Report from the Churchwardens, including the Report on Ornaments and Fabric for St Boniface and St Martin in the Wood April 2020 - March 2021

As Churchwardens of the Parish of Chandler’s Ford, we are pleased to submit this report on behalf of St. Boniface and St Martin in the Wood Churches.

One Parish, two churches working together

1. Ornaments and Fabric:

We can confirm that the ornaments and fabric of St. Boniface and St Martin in the Wood are in good order.

This year has been like no other. The spread of the coronavirus pandemic lead to a nationwide lock down in the middle of March 2020, which did not fully end until July.

There was a further lock down in November and we are now in the midst of a third lockdown as we approach Lent. It has therefore not been possible to complete outstanding work in the usual way. Long periods of church shutdown have had a negative impact on the parish income streams from our hirers and priority is therefore being given to work that is deemed urgent.

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2. Quinquennial Review:

In January 2019, the Quinquennial review was carried out at St Boniface and St Martin's by our Quinquennial architect Duncan McKellar, RIBA AABC MSc Building Conservation.

The inspection highlighted the following list of works that need to be carried out in the next five years and their priority.

Priority A - urgent, B - within 1 year , C within 2 years and D within 5 years Other items are general maintenance and decoration .

a) St Boniface

  1. Gutters + rain-water downpipes maintain + decorate A & B The low-level gutters and drain-pipes have been cleaned; the cast iron ones have been decorated up to and including the hoppers in 2019. Clearing of high-level gutters outstanding.

  2. Investigate cause of flaking paint finish to church walls B

Investigations continue.

3. External door to vestry needs decoration and repair floor B

Door repaired and redecorated in 2019 by the community team; floor repair outstanding. During periods when we have been able to open the church in 2020 a one-way system has been in place in order to be Covid compliant and the exit is through the flower vestry. A temporary solution has been to place a carpet over the floor to ensure the surface is safe and smooth to the tread.

4. Remove existing hall resin floor and replace with new B

Temporary repairs carried out in 2019 have proved to be effective.

  1. Replace blinds in Cloister Lounge with e.g., fire resistant voiles D

  2. Window mechanisms in hall need refurbishment/locks D

  3. Dado rail in cloister lounge to protect walls from chairs D

8. Tidy up cables in office: repairs to cloister windowsill C

Items 5, 6, 7 & 8 still outstanding

b) St Martin in the Wood:

1. Remove moss from roof and clean gutters + downpipes B

The gutters and drainpipes have been cleared, and this will happen on an annual basis; Removal of moss outstanding and currently under review. This is dependent on volunteer time or available funding.

2. Check storm water drainage is working to capacity B

Following the work carried out in 2019 no further action is required.

3. Non-slip nosing and finish to vestry steps B

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Completed

4. Repair Sanctuary leaded glass window D

  1. On-going breakage to sanctuary leaded glass window requires expert investigation B In 2019 a panel of polycarbonate sheeting was installed to prevent further accidental damage by people sitting on the sill. A specialist has visited St Martin’s and provided quotes for a number of options as to the best way forward to repair the window. The recommendation is to repair the glass on site and fit new toughened and laminated double glazed panels externally.

A second quote was also secured for the repair work and this was submitted to the Church & Centre Committee in March 2020. A crowd-funding approach was considered but thought not to be appropriate. However, it was agreed that this project was an essential repair and the cost should be met from the Fabric Fund.

Subsequently at the September Church & Centre Committee it was reported that the project will need to remain on hold until we have a clearer idea of our financial position.

6. Rusting radiator in female toilets to be replaced C

  1. Move hand drier in female toilet away from radiator C

8. Loft insulation to be replaced where disturbed and increased D

9. The vestry needs insulation C

Following an investigation and survey of the ceiling void above St Martin’s vestry, discussion took place about the possibility of installing insulation both above the vestry and in the vertical wall to the sanctuary to cure a cold spot. As a block brick wall sitting on an RSJ prevents access to the roof space above the vestry, an access hatch will need to be cut to access this area before the insulation can be carried out. Two contractors have quoted for this work.

The proposal was approved by the C & C committee in March 2020, however, in view of the current financial circumstance, it is not felt appropriate to put this to the PCC at the present time.

  1. Replace non-working roof light in library and insulate walls B Completed In 2019.

1, 4/5,6, 7, 8 & 9 above are still outstanding

3. Church Documents:

The current church services register, wedding, funeral and baptismal records are in order and kept up to date. From these records the annual Parish Mission Statistics have been completed and submitted to the Church of England Membership Return. The record of documents and registers appertaining to the church indicates which records are kept in various places in the churches and which registers and historical papers are in the Hampshire Records Office.

4. Faculties and The Chancellor's General Directions :

At St Boniface during this period the following faculties have been submitted:

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28 May 2019: Application for permission to install a defibrillator for community use on the choir vestry wall (north wall). To be of the type which would be integrated into the defibrillator network that South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust oversees. Application Granted, to be carried out within 12 months of 3rd October 2019.

As a result of the pandemic permission to extend this deadline has been granted and the period extended for 12 months to October 2021.

This is a project to install a defibrillator at each church and is to be fully funded by donations; we await further advice on progress.

6 February 2020: Application for Archdeacon's permission for a Temporary Reordering. To remove up to four pews in order to move the children's area to a space in front of the sound desk. This would offer a safer, larger area and free up access to the outer door.

Application Granted expires 3 Feb 2022. There are ten months in which to apply to the court for a full faculty.

5 . Building Insurance:

Following a review of parish Insurance in 2017 we have been insured with Trinitas, who offer a single parish-wide insurance covering both churches. This continues to offer value for money. Currently, on the advice of the insurer, we are exploring the cost of having an alarm fitted to the areas of the roof which are lead covered.

6. Other Projects:

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7. The Grounds:

We are grateful to the people who care for our grounds and car parks, keeping them in a good state.

The grounds and gardens at both churches are regularly maintained by a professional gardener and volunteers. Additionally, moss clearing is under way at St Martin's (car park and paths).

8. The Church Centre and Church Buildings:

The Parish Church and Centre Committee, with representatives from most congregations, oversees the running of the churches and centres, ensuring the buildings are kept clean and well decorated for the benefit of church groups and community hirers. Employed staff and volunteers are involved in the cleaning process. The last time the committee met in person was in March 2020 and since then meetings have been via Zoom.

Early on in the first lock down we were pleased to be used as the hub for food distribution, in conjunction with Chandlers Ford Help.

The NHS Blood Donation Service has used St Boniface seven times from April to 20 December. Few other activities have been able to run for any length of time. Strenuous efforts were made to effect changes in the building which would make it Covid compliant and suitable for our hirers when it was possible to return after the first lockdown. This included temporary flooring in the large upstairs room (York) which in the end did not work out. A pilates group met in Fortune Field for a period in the summer – an innovative approach!

9. Social Events - in spite of the restrictions of Covid-19!

At the end of July, the parish joined in the New Wine activities online and in Fortune Field.

To keep in touch with parishioners during Covid restrictions the following was put in place:

In January 2021 there was an ecumenical Christian Aid Quiz on Zoom which was enjoyed by many parishioners.

Fairtrade – Tricia Urquhart very helpfully continued to take orders

Men@8 – online

Women's Breakfast – restarted online Mothers' Union Evening Group – online

Connect Scheme implemented to keep people in touch

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Home Groups mainly continued online

Additionally, we continued to support Eastleigh Basics Bank throughout this period. St Boniface was the hub for food distribution for Chandler’s Ford Help in early lockdown. In February 2021 half-term Becca Wicks initiated our own scheme for collecting and distributing food to families in need – Nobody Goes Hungry.

In these difficult times, the leadership team has devised a postcard as a way of communicating to the wider community assuring them of our love and directing them to useful resources should they need further help.

Church Twinning: in October 2020 we were due to host our Twinning friends from Germany and France. The early plans that were under way had to be shelved and it is very much hoped that Twinning can go ahead as we would all like later in the year.

We were pleased to set up a parish coffee Zoom session on Sundays at 11.00 am. We had our first meeting on 14[th] February and it went very well with people clearly pleased to be seeing each other after such a long time. We will continue to schedule these opportunities to catch up and chat until we can meet again face to face.

10. Family and Young People's Activities:

Family and young peoples’ groups were mainly online during this period due to Covid restrictions. There were opportunities to hold some activities in both churches and some face-to-face youth groups.

Picnic church outside or inside St Boniface was created.

Little Stars took every opportunity to meet parents and children outside St Martin's whenever they could to handout themed goody bags and organise socially distanced activities, e.g., a treasure hunt in the grounds of St Martin’s culminated in finding pebbles painted with a sleeping baby Jesus.

The Christingle service was pre-recorded and made available across schools and uniformed organisations. These were accompanied by the materials needed to make Christingles which were assembled and delivered safely.

The 4 o’clock Informal service was delivered mainly online.

11. Lay Work within the Parish:

There are many people who work hard to make sure that we keep the church buildings and fabric in good condition. There are others whose outreach work takes them beyond the church as a building, offering support to those in Chandler’s Ford and beyond.

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12. St Martin’s 60[th] Anniversary

Sadly, due to the pandemic we have not yet been able to celebrate the 60[th] anniversary of St Martin’s. Anne Davies had researched this and 2020 was the 60th anniversary of St Martin’s and the 20th anniversary of the building of the extension. Several members of St Martin’s congregation were at the original dedication in 1960 and Anne ha d recorded an oral history of their memories. It was planned to update Margaret Hegan’s history of the church and have the updated booklet ready for the patronal festival in November.

13. Church Life

The life of our church is supported by, and would not survive without, the tireless work of active, committed volunteers. Many people work quietly behind the scenes, all offer time, talent and expertise and none of this is taken for granted. We would like to thank everyone who keeps the church a vibrant and active part of our community.

Unfortunately, because of the pandemic, some of the work undertaken by volunteers had to cease or be carried out differently. We were touched that so many people offered their assistance and were willing to help when the need arose during this difficult year.

We would like to thank all deputy and assistant wardens who have helped as they were able at St Boniface and St Martin’s. Thanks also go to our volunteer church cleaners, sacristan, flower arrangers and office volunteers who help with admin and bookings; those who look after church heating and locking when needed and keep an eye on the buildings when they have been locked down. Thanks to the parish magazine and e-news editors, contributors and distributors; for pastoral work which has taken on a different form and members of committees who have generally been attending meetings online.

The choir has been unable to lead services; however, they have had some opportunities for practice and continued to meet together online.

We are extremely grateful for the help (and advice) we receive from our parish administrator and the vicar's PA, and for the invaluable support from the PCC.

Lynne wishes to express particular thanks for the support she received from Ian, Una and the Deputy, Assistant and previous St Martin’s wardens when she took on the role in October. She has also very much appreciated the messages of support and welcome she has received.

Showing our appreciation to our volunteers was restricted this year and we embraced technology and sent e-cards of thanks. Not quite the same as mulled wine and mince pies!

A Special Thank You from Both of Us to those who have been so helpful and supportive to us during the year,

without whose help our job would be impossible.

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Although few of the usual events of the year took place, Covid presented us with opportunities as well as

challenges, and we have witnessed church being re-imagined during this pandemic.

Straight after the first lockdown Ian broadcast directly from the vicarage with the support of his family (and the chickens!). So, there was never a Sunday without a service! There was the memorable Palm Sunday service when many came to see the donkey grazing on the vicarage lawn and collect palm crosses placed by the gate. An outreach opportunity!

In January and February two community support challenges were met in the parish:

In both cases we were overwhelmed with the response from our generous church family and the community.

We moved into offering online services from St Boniface as restrictions changed. Later, when allowed, the services were supported by the tech skills of members of our congregation, who have gone on to develop their technical expertise to produce amazing productions.

St Martin's was opened for midweek communion on 26 August which was welcomed by all of us, moving to personal prayer only during the second lockdown in November.

Detailed risk assessments had to be in place for congregations to return safely to each church, with mask, hand sanitiser, contact tracing, a one-way system, distanced seating arranged, an air flow through the building and cleaning regimes. We have all become cleaners!

This report cannot be completed without thanking our leadership team for their commitment and dedication to the work of our Lord in this place and for their patience, care and wholehearted support.

We are thankful to our Licensed Lay Ministers and retired clergy and the gifts that they bring. Very sadly David Boutflower died in the autumn: we are very grateful for the contribution he made to the parish and extend our condolences to Lynne and family. Pauline Lewis has decided to retire after

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many years of dedicated service for which we thank her; she will be greatly missed! Penny continued with her journey as ordinand here, contributing to many areas of church life.

Debbie Pearce and Becca Wicks, as Children's Ministers, and Tom Young our Youth Minister, have shown great imagination and flair in carrying out their respective roles in vastly different times. We are very appreciative of the vital work they are undertaking to maintain contact and offer support in creative ways.

We all continue to benefit from Ian’s ministry, keeping him and his family in our prayers. Ian has worked tirelessly to provide inspiring, varied, continuous worship, pastoral care, funerals, outreach and mission during this unprecedented and challenging year. The workload was exacerbated by much reduced resources with the permission to re-appoint an Assistant Minister being withdrawn, together with a curate replacement.

One thing is for certain, with God’s grace and guidance there will be changes in the parish as we move forward. We pray for Ian as along with the leadership team he leads us through this challenging time, which inevitably will also offer many opportunities.

To everyone we would like to say -

A HUGE THANK YOU! Thank you for your support, help and encouragement during the year The Churchwardens.

Una Barter and Lynne Mursell Churchwardens March 2021

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REVIEW OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES AND AFFAIRS

Perhaps the most notable thing about 2020 isn’t what didn’t happen but what did happen. A great deal is written about the events that were cancelled and the activities we couldn’t take part in and elsewhere in this report there will be accounts of those. However, you will also have read about the things that did happen in a new way and that was just as true of our financial activities.

Dealing first with the things that didn’t go well last year:

However, the other side of the coin shows very clearly who we are as a parish and the things that we did make happen:

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safe and secure way to accept donations with little effort on the part of the finance team.

It is very heartening to see what we were determined to make happen and to understand what it means to be part of the parish of Chandler’s Ford.

Overview of Accounts

Expense for the year exceeded income by £15,818 resulting in a consolidated balance of £95,013 at the end of the year.

No legacies were received during the year.

Reserves

The Parish reserves policy is reviewed annually by the PCC and currently states:

It is the policy of this Parish to hold unrestricted reserves in the General Fund equivalent to two months budgeted expenditure. At least half of this amount should be held in deposit accounts.

The Fabric Fund is intended to cover unforeseen building problems, works identified at the next Quinquennial inspection and likely expenditure within the next 5 years. It is the intention that as it is used to fund work it will be restored up to a reserve figure of £30,000. The PCC will look to achieve this in a reasonable period of time, taking into account other demands on funds

During 2020 a long serving member of the finance team retired. Sue Frane maintained the accounting records for over 12 years and decided in January to pass the job on to somebody else. Sadly, it was December before we were able to mark the occasion with a presentation after the service in St. Boniface.

We are blessed that Jackie Richardson has volunteered to take up the role of Accounts Administrator and maintain the accounting records. Jackie joins Anne Brew, Jim Rooke and Malcolm Banks in making up the parish finance team.

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Accounting Policies

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

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention except for the valuation of investment assets, which are shown at market value.

Funds

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

The accounts include all transactions, assets and liabilities for which the PCC is responsible in law. They do not include the accounts of church groups that owe their main affiliation to another body or those that are informal gatherings of church members.

Incoming resources

Voluntary income and capital sources

Collections are recognised when received by or on behalf of the PCC.

Other income

Rental income from the letting of church premises is recognised when the rental is due.

Resources used

Grants

Grants and donations are accounted for when paid over, or when awarded, if that award creates a binding obligation on the PCC.

Activities directly relating to the work of the Church

The diocesan Common Mission Fund contribution is accounted for when paid. Any contribution unpaid at 31 December is provided for in these accounts as an operational (though not a legal) liability and is shown as a creditor in the Balance Sheet.

Fixed assets

Consecrated property and movable church furnishings

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

Movable church furnishings held by the Vicar and Churchwardens on special trust for the PCC, and which require a faculty for disposal, are accounted as inalienable property unless consecrated. They are listed in the church’s Inventory which can be inspected (at any reasonable time). Items with a purchase price of over £1,000 may be capitalised and depreciated in the accounts over their currently anticipated useful economic life on a straight-line basis, if the PCC considers this to be appropriate.

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

Other fixtures, fittings and office equipment Equipment used within the church premises may be depreciated on a straight-line basis over 4 years. Individual items of equipment with a purchase price of £1,000 or less are written off when the asset is acquired.

Income from investments

Dividends are accounted for when due and payable. Interest entitlements are accounted for as they accrue. Tax recoverable on such income is recognised in the same accounting year.

Current assets

Amounts owing to the PCC at 31 December 2020 in respect of fees, rents or other income are shown as debtors less provision for amounts that may prove uncollectable.

Gains and losses on investments

Realised gains or losses are recognised when investments are sold. Unrealised gains or losses are accounted for on revaluation of investments at 31 December.

Short-term deposits include cash held on deposit either with the Diocesan Loan Fund, at the bank or any other approved deposit taker.

47

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF THE CHANDLER’S FORD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL

I report on the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2020, which are set out on pages 49 - 55

Respective responsibilities of Trustees and Independent Examiner

As the members of the Parochial Church Council, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts; you 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 report

My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commission.

An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the Chandler’s Ford Parochial Church Council and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes considering any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from you as trustees 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 matter has come to my attention:

(2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Mrs. M D F Atkinson FCA Atkinsons Chartered Accountants 32 Hiltingbury Road Chandler’s Ford SO53 5SS

31[st] March 2021

48

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES For the year ended 31 December 2020

For the year ended 31 December 2020
Unrestric. Restricted **TOTAL ** FUNDS
Funds Funds 2020 2019
Note £ £ £ £
INCOMING RESOURCES
Voluntary income 1(a) 255,229 5,000 260,229 270,508
Activities for generating funds 1(b) 16,673 0 16,673 37,959
Investment income 1(c) 481 0 481 735
Incoming Resources from Charitable Activities 1(d) 5,912 0 5,912 9,480
Other Incoming Resources 1(e) 2,379 0 2,379 866
------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
£ 280,674 5,000 285,674 319,548
======== ======== ======== ========
RESOURCES USED
Charitable Activities 2(a) 293,957 7,306 301,263 323,870
Fund Raising 2(b) 229 0 229 691
------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
£ 294,186 7,306 301,492 325,761
======== ======== ======== ========
NET INCOMING/OUTGOING RESOURCES -13,512 -2,306 -15,818 -6,213
TRANSFERS BETWEEN FUNDS
(All balancing, see note 11) 0 0 0 0
NET MOVEMENT IN FUNDS after transfers -13,512 -2,306 -15,818 -6,213
BALANCES Brought Forward at 1 JANUARY 2020 93,392 17,439 110,831 117,044
------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
BALANCES CARRIED FORWARD
AT 31 DECEMBER 2020 £ 79,880 15,133 95,013 110,831
======== ======== ======== ========

49

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET AT 31 DECEMBER 2020

Note 2020 2019
£ £
FIXED ASSETS
Tangible fixed assets 7 206 206
------------ ------------
CURRENT ASSETS
Debtors 9 4,169 8,128
Short term deposits (Dioc. Loan Fnd & Deposit Accounts) 88,219 78,112
Cash at bank and in hand - General Fund 5,748 35,630
------------ ------------
98,136 121,870
LIABILITIES
Short Term (due within one year) 10 3,329 11,245
------------ ------------
3,329 11,245
94,807 110,625
NET CURRENT ASSETS ------------ ------------
£ 95,013 110,831
NET ASSETS ======== ========
FUNDS 11
Unrestricted 79,880 93,392
Restricted 15,133 17,439
------------ ------------
£ 95,013 110,831
======== ========

Approved by the Parochial Church Council on 17th March 2021 and signed on its behalf by:

Rev'd Dr Ian Bird (Chairman) Malcolm Banks (Treasurer)

The notes on pages 51 - 55 form part of these accounts.

50

RETURN OF PARISH FINANCE

The Accounting Policies are detailed in the page headed "Accounting Policies"

INCOMING RESOURCES (RECEIPTS)

INCOMING RESOURCES (RECEIPTS)
1 Unrestric. Restricted **TOTAL ** FUNDS
Funds Funds 2020 2019
Voluntary Income
1(a) Gift aided planned giving 152,027 0 152,027 163,814
Non-gift aided planned giving 5,767 0 5,767 6,727
Non-gift aided collections at services 668 0 668 4,660
All other donations 48,358 4,000 52,358 46,049
Income tax recovered on all gift aided donations and GASDS 48,409 1,000 49,409 49,258
Legacies 0 0 0 0
Grants 0 0 0 0
------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
255,229 5,000 260,229 270,508
------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
Activities for Generating Funds
1(b) Income from the use of church buildings 15,816 0 15,816 31,982
Fund-raising 857 0 857 5,977
------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
16,673 0 16,673 37,959
------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
Investment Income
1(c) Dividends and Interest (gross) 481 0 481 735
------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
481 0 481 735
------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
Incoming Resources from Church Activities
1(d) Magazines 2,289 0 2,289 2,531
Fees 3,313 0 3,313 4,070
Event receipts 310 0 310 2,879
------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
5,912 0 5,912 9,480
------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
Other Incoming Resources
1(e) Insurance claims 685 0 685 0
Other Income 1,694 0 1,694 866
------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
2,379 0 2,379 866
------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
TOTAL INCOMING RESOURCES 280,674 5,000 285,674 319,548
------------ ------------ ------------ ------------

51

2 RESOURCES USED (PAYMENTS)

RESOURCES USED (PAYMENTS)
Unrestric. Restricted **TOTAL ** FUNDS
Funds Funds 2020 2019
Church Activities
Mission Giving and Donations
Mission and relief agencies 25,500 0 25,500 31,562
Secular charities 0 0 0 0
Payments from special collections 2,303 0 2,303 6,251
------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
27,803 0 27,803 37,813
------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
Ministry
Common Mission Fund 153,808 0 153,808 148,019
------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
153,808 0 153,808 148,019
------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
Clergy and staff costs
Clergy and staff expenses 1,561 0 1,561 5,938
Parsonage house 104 0 104 99
Salaries, wages and honoraria 63,359 6,250 69,609 64,305
------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
65,024 6,250 71,274 70,342
------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
Church running expenses
General mission and outreach 4,164 0 4,164 8,419
Youth work 650 961 1,611 1,761
Children's work 350 95 445 1,539
Event costs 1,435 0 1,435 2,734
Upkeep of services 3,233 0 3,233 5,066
Expenditure on parish magazine 972 0 972 1,604
Church administration 8,111 0 8,111 11,786
------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
18,915 1,056 19,971 32,909
------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
Church and Centre Running Costs
Church and Centre running costs 28,407 0 28,407 29,753
------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
28,407 0 28,407 29,753
------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
Church and Centre Repairs and Maintenance
Major repairs, replacements and redecoration 0 0 0 6,234
New building work 0 0 0 0
------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
0 0 0 6,234
------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
293,957 7,306 301,263 325,070
------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
Cost of Generating Funds
Fund-raising 229 0 229 691
------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
229 0 229 691
------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
TOTAL RESOURCES USED 294,186 7,306 301,492 325,761
------------ ------------ ------------ ------------

2(a) Church Activities

2(b) Cost of Generating Funds Fund-raising

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3 INCOME TAX RECOVERED

Income tax recovered under the Gift Aid scheme includes £788 (2019: £2,836) claimed under the Gift Aid Small Donations Scheme on small cash and contactless card donations for which a Gift Aid declaration had not been completed. A further tax reclaim of £384 is included in payments from special collections.

4

STAFF COSTS(Funded by General Funds, included in the above) 2020 2019
£ £
Wages and salaries 67,413 64,176
Employers National Insurance Contributions 372 3,663
Employers Pension Contributions 1,824 1,449

During the year the church employed an organist, a Parish administrator, a PA to the vicar, a Youth Minister, two part time Children's Ministers and three cleaners for the Church Centres. The value of donated assistance has not been quantified.

5 PAYMENTS TO PCC MEMBERS

Becca Wicks is employed as Children's Minister in the parish and during the year was paid £11,754 (2019: £6,328). Debbie Pearce is employed as Children's Minister in the parish and during the year was paid £11,754 (2019: £0). Tom Young is employed as Youth Minister in the parish and during the year was paid £26,406 (2019: £25,863). During the year the PCC paid £209 (2019: £585) to Jeremy Hyde for work carried out in his professional capacity. No other member of the PCC has received any remuneration or other benefits. There were no other disclosable transactions in respect of PCC members, persons closely connected with them or other related parties.

6 INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REMUNERATION

'
INDEPENDENT EXAMINERS REMUNERATION (Funded by General Funds, included in the above)
2020 2019
Amounts payable in respect of: £ £
Independent examination 1,200 1,200
------------ ------------
1,200 1,200
======== ========
7 FIXED ASSETS FOR USE BY THE PCC Land and
Buildings Total
£ £
7(a) Tangible fixed assets
GROSS BK VALUE At 1 January 2020 206 206
Additions 0 0
------------ ------------
At 31 December 2020 206 206
------------ ------------
DEPRECIATION At 1 January 2020 0 0
Charge for the year 0 0
------------ ------------
At 31 December 2020 0 0
------------ ------------
NET BOOK VALUE At 31 December 2020 206 206
======== ========
At 31 December 2019 206 206
======== ========

Equipment costing less than £1000 has not been included. The Land & Buildings comprises only the church car park in Hursley Road (shown as the cost of transfer of ownership to the PCC from the Chamberlayne Estates). The St Boniface and St Martin's Centres

7(b) Investments The PCC currently has no Investments (shares etc).

53

8 ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS BY FUND

Assets Unrestric. Restricted
Funds Funds Total
FUND NAME: £ £ £ £
General Fund 206 53,674 15,133 69,013
Fabric Fund 26,000 26,000
------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
Fund balance £ 206 79,674 15,133 95,013
======== ======== ======== ========
DEBTORS 2020 2019
£ £
General Fund 4,169 8,128
------------ ------------
£ 4,169 8,128
======== ========
LIABILITIES
Short Term (amounts falling due within one year)
General Fund 3,329 11,245
------------ ------------
3,329 11,245
======== ========
FUND DETAILS
A summary of the movements of each of the various funds follows:
Fund Bal. Incoming Outgoing Surplus/ Transfers Fund Bal.
FUND NAME: 01/01/2020 Res. Res. -Deficit of Funds 31/12/2020
General Fund - Unrestricted 67,392 280,674 294,186 -13,512 0 53,880
General Fund - Restricted 17,439 5,000 7,306 -2,306 0 15,133
Fabric Fund 26,000 0 0 0 0 26,000
------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
£ 110,831 285,674 301,492 -15,818 0 95,013
======== ======== ======== ======== ======== ========

9

10

11 FUND DETAILS

Figures include stock, assets, debtors and liabilities where appropriate.

The purposes of the various funds are...

General Fund - Unrestricted - the monies used for the normal running of the churches General Fund - Restricted - monies given for specified purposes including legacies, not available for normal running expenses Fabric Fund - Designated - for major repairs

The sum of £3,778 has been raised towards the installation of defibrillators at both churches and is held in the General Fund - Restricted.

TRANSFERS of funds: 2020 2019
From the General Fund to the Fabric Fund 0 2,339

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12 DONATIONS (GRANTS TO CHARITIES)

The PCC made the following gifts to charities:

Mission Giving 2020 2019
CMS 4,000 4,442
Eastleigh Bukedi Link 0 4,435
USPG 4,000 4,435
Friend's of St Anne's Liuli 4,000 4,435
Church Army 4,000 4,435
Children's Society 4,400 4,435
Christian Aid 1,000 1,445
Fledge 1,200 1,000
Wings Like Eagles 0 1,500
ARK 1,200 1,000
Eastleigh Basics Bank 1,700 0
------------ ------------
Total Extra-Parochial giving 25,500 31,562
------------ ------------
A variety of retiring collections, special services and events were organised for specific charitable
purposes, and the proceeds were sent directly to the appropriate charities. Details of the amounts
are given below.
Bukedi Link 75 0
British Legion 0 346
Winchester Churches Night Shelter 0 149
USPG 33 0
Eastleigh Basics Bank 0 408
Church Army 0 37
CMS 10 0
ARK 0 600
Collections for gifts 0 1,123
Fledge 0 215
Friends of St. Anne's 0 65
Crisis 0 1,359
Traidcraft 0 188
Blue Cross (on behalf of Sherborne House School carol service) 0 90
Children's Society 0 756
Winchester Hospice 0 600
Sebastion's Action Trust 0 300
Christian Aid 0 15
Toilet Twinning 420 0
Rehema Project 445 0
Carers' Packs 1,319 0
------------ ------------
Total 2,302 6,251
------------ ------------

55

Appendix 1

Administrative information

The Parish of Chandler’s Ford is a densely populated suburban community situated midway between Southampton and Winchester. The two Anglican places of worship comprising this parish are St Boniface church, Hursley Road, and St Martin in the Wood church, Queen’s Road. The parish is within the Eastleigh Deanery and the Diocese of Winchester. The address for correspondence is: The Parish Office, St Boniface Church, Hursley Road, Chandler’s Ford S053 2FT.

The PCC’s banks are: NatWest Bank, 123 Winchester Road, Chandler’s Ford, Eastleigh, Hampshire SO53 2UA CAF Bank, 25 Kings Hill Ave, Kings Hill, West Malling ME19 4JQ

The independent examiner is: Mrs M. D. F. Atkinson, Atkinson Chartered Accountants, 32 Hiltingbury Road, Chandler’s Ford, Eastleigh, Hampshire SO53 5SS.

Parochial Church Council members who have served from 1 January 2020 until the date this report was approved are:

Incumbent

Revd Dr Ian Bird

Associate Minister Vacant*

Ordinand

Penny Thatcher

Churchwardens: Pippa Giles (until 10.2020) Lynne Mursell (from 10.2020) Una Barter

Representatives on the Deanery Synod:

Jean Nolan Lynne Mursell Carole Hodgson Anne Davies

Elected PCC members:

Christine Clark (Lay-chair) Linda Read Chris Giles Anne Addiss Jeremy Hyde Judith Bird Tricia Urquhart (Until 10.20) Giles Richardson Penny Thatcher Gloria Brown Becky Cooke Paul Anfield (From 10.20) Stuart Divall (From 10.20)

56

Sandy Groves

(From 10.20)

Co-opted for one year

Tom Young (Youth Minister) Debbie Pearce (Children and Schools’ Minister) Becca Wicks (Children and Families’ Minister)

57

Appendix 2

Structure, Governance and Management

Parochial Church Councils were given a legal status for the first time under the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act 1919 and by the Parochial Church Councils (Powers) Measure 1921 . A Parochial Church Council is a body corporate which means the PCC is a separate body from the people who serve on it and no-one on the PCC can be made liable for its debts. Being a body corporate also means that a change in membership of the PCC does not affect the PCC’s liability for its debts. Each new PCC should honour the contracts undertaken by the previous PCC.

The PCC is registered with the Charity Commission (Registered charity No.1131152). The appointment of PCC members is governed by and set out in the Church Representation Rules, and all church members are encouraged to register on the Electoral Roll and stand for election to the PCC.

There are 15 elected members who are elected to serve for a period of three years, and approximately one-third of the elected members retire every year, ensuring both continuity and an influx of fresh ideas. New PCC members are given a copy of The PCC Member’s Essential Guide by Mark Tanner. Additional advice and assistance to new members is available from the PCC Secretary throughout the year. Churchwardens and parish officers attend training provided by the diocese when appropriate.

The Standing Committee comprises the Vicar, churchwardens, lay vice-chair, PCC treasurer, two other members of the PCC and the standing committee secretary (chosen annually by the council, non-voting). The Standing Committee transacts the business of the PCC between meetings, often at short notice, but is always subject to the direction of the PCC.

There are four sub-committees of the PCC: the Finance and Stewardship Committee; the Parish Church and Centre Committee, who are responsible for the fabric and management of their buildings and grounds; the Communication Committee and the Mission Committee; which considers both outreach and charitable giving. A copy of the Terms of Reference under which these sub-committees operate is available from the parish office. Officers are appointed annually to carry out specific tasks, e.g. safeguarding, health and safety. In 2020, appointed officers are listed in the minutes of the November PCC meeting.

In addition, the PCC appoints representatives annually: one to Chandler’s Ford Community Association and up to six to the ecumenical Churches Together in Chandler’s Ford Committee.

The PCC employs a part-time administrator, Suzie Pavitt, to run the parish office and supervise a team of volunteer office assistants. The PCC also employs Jo Streat as part-time PA to Revd Dr Ian Bird, a full-time Youth Minister Tom Young, a Schools’ and Children’s Minister, Debbie Pearce and a Families’ and Children’s Minister, Becca Wicks.

Appendix 3

Charitable Objectives and Risk Management

The PCC’s general functions are set out in the Parochial Church Council (Powers) Measure 1956 , section 2: ‘It shall be the duty of the minister and the PCC to consult together on matters of general concern and importance to the parish.’

The functions of the PCC are:

58

The Church is called to be pastoral – to look after individual people; to be evangelistic – to tell people the Good News and invite them to accept it; to be social – to help the poorer members of society and those suffering from racial, economic and other forms of injustice; and to be ecumenical – to encourage good relations with other Christian denominations. The PCC’s primary objective is the promotion of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to the doctrines and practices of the Church of England.’

This shows the link between the PCC, the Deanery Synod and the Diocesan Synod. Each PCC has on it one or more members of the Deanery Synod who act as a link between the Deanery Synod and the council.

Financial objectives are outlined in the Financial Report on pages 45-55.

Risk management

As trustees, members of the PCC are aware of their corporate responsibility to monitor and manage the risks to which the PCC is exposed. At the last review, all major risks were assessed and mitigation steps taken to ensure they were managed to an acceptable level of risk. The risk register is available for inspection in the parish office and will be reviewed again in 2021 once the buildings are re-open and Covid19 restrictions have been eased. The PCC will undertake the review, overseen by the clergy and churchwardens.

59