St Clement's Church, Urmston Annual Report of the Parochial Church Council for the Year Ended 31 December 2023 St Clement's Church is situated at the corner of Stretford Road and Manor Avenue, Urmston. The Benefi￿ of Christ Church, Davyhulme and St Clement's, Urmston was formed in 2014. It is part of the Deanery of Manchester South and Stretford, the Archdeaconry of Manchester and the Diocese of Manchester wrthin the Church of England. The correspondence address is: St. Clements Church Manor Avenue Urmston Manchester M41 gGH Independent Examiners Burton & Co 76C Davyhulme Road Urmston M417DN Website:. vwN.stclementsonline.co.uk www.achurchnearyou.comlchurch1158991 The Parochial Church Council (PCC) is a registered charity. The charity number is 1131185. SafoguardiTrg The Parish Safeguardlng coordinator Is Mrs Rose Corke who can be ¢ontacted on 07954 489235 The Diocese of Manchester partners with thirtyone.eighl In relation lo Disclosure li.e. DBSI services and accessing their safeguarding Helpline when required For DBS related queries, please contact them on 0303 003 1111 option 1. In the event of the Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser being unavailable due to being on holiday or other absence, you will be advised to contact thityone'eight for safeguarding advice on 0303 003 1111. This also Includes any emergency safeguarding queries outside of office hours on weekdays and weekends. An Information Sharing Agreement beNveen the organisations will allow the Oiocesan Safeguarding Adviser lo receive copy of the advice thityone'eight may offer the parish churchlealler. Sl Clement's has Complied wrth the duty under section 5 of the safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure 2016 to adopt A Safe Church Policy and "A Vulnerable child and Adult Policy. these will be re-affirmed at the A.P C.M. In 2024. We also need lo be aware of how quickty the rned￿ is changing people's perception of our responsibilities and we need to be extremely careful what ￿ put on social media in the church's name Objectivos and Actlvities St Clement's PCC has the responsibility of co-operating. during the interregnum, with the Archdeacon. A￿a Dean and other clergy in the parish in promoting In the ecclesiastical parish the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic. social, ecumenical and the diocesan and deanery mission action plans. 11 also has maintenance responsibilrties for the Parish Church, Branch Church. Parish Hall and the Curacy house. Revlew of the Year We started 2023 still in interregnum, and ended rt still in Interregnum despite our hopes that this would be the year the vacancy would be filled. However our hopes had been confirmed as in November 2023 we were able lo announce that Revd Matthew Carfisle had been appointed to the vacancies of Si Clement. Urmslon and St Mary. Davyhulme. He look up the post in April 2024. Legalty we a￿ still in a joint benefice with Christ Church, Davyhulme but this will now t* undone and a new joint tsenefi￿ created for St Clement, Urmston and St Mary, Davyhulme. The major event of the year was the closure of the Bfanch Church building after over 80 years as a place of worship The decision was made very reluctantly by the PCC and a very lively public meeting showed us that the Ioc81 people also saw this building as an important part of the community. However the deteriorating fabric and increasing health and safety issues made the decision unavoidable. We are now in the process of disposing of the land and building. The Branch Church building has closed but the Branch Church goes on. The congregation at the monthly services has transferred to the Humphrey Park Community Cenlre, ensuring that we st'll have a presence in that part of our parish. Being a presence in the community is one of the things that we're called to do-ln 2023 after the Covid break St Clemenl's again joined the ￿11 walks in Manchester city ￿ntre- a demonstration that the church is very much a presence in the communty. Mil walks were a regular event that we all looked forward to when many of us were growing up and It's good to see the tradits.on contrnuing. We're a presence in the Umiston communrty t￿. Open 3 momings a week for anyone to call In for a cuppa or a chat", host lo up to 100 walkers who use the church as their base befo￿ and after their walk on the meadows. venue for school carol services and for occasional concerts. a meeting place for Trafford Veterans Whe￿ ex-service people can gel together for support and friendship", and a warm hub last winter. Financial Reviow 2023 Total receipts for 2023 were £82.023- just a little hwher than 2022's £79,210. And yet again, payments were even higher.. £83.960 instead of £77,816 the previous year. We spent more than we earned and the gap had to be bridged, yel again, by a transfer of funds from our reserves. Unplanned expenditure Included bills for just over £2000 to fell dead and diseased trees in the Parish Church grounds, and at the curacy house. 11 also included the cost of making the Branch Church safe when the condition of the roof forced closure- even an empty building has to be protected from weather and vandalism. And rt is also more expensive lo insure. We managed lo increase our conth"bution lo tt)e mission of the Diocese of Manchester- parish share - bul were still unable to pay the amount requested in fvll. The shorttall has again been written off by the Diocesan Board of Finance. However. now that we have a stipendiary pnesl again. though only part-time. we have lo do our utmost lo pay in full Through the diocesan Discussion and Agreement process we negotiated a small reduction in our share of the diocesan budget, from £35.343 to £31.00 this year. followed by larger payments of £33.500 in 2025 and £36,000 In 2026. Even these sums are challenging amounts. which come al a lime when we are facing the very considerable cost of restoring the Rose Window at the east end of the Parish Church's north aisle. Income from digital giving has increased and a new, more effective broadband signal in the Parish Church is helping to increase the use of our digital donation box. The PCC Is very grateful to all those faithful members of our congregations who already support us through regular giving of money or time or'in kind" providing goods for sale. raffle pnzes. refreshments, and the flowers that adom the Parish Chur¢h. St Clement's PCC May 2024 St. Clements Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For the period trom To 01.01,2023 3111212023 Section A Receipts and payments UnrestricteLI funds Investment Funds Restricted tunds Tolal tund$ Last year to Ih¢ rwrest £ to the twre$t £ lo the nearest t Al Recei ts Voluntary Recelpts Beoul•r Glvlng Planned Giving- G1tt Aid In(otne Tax R£rovereO her Planried Giving Ol￿er Colleciions Qift Aid Credited lo Parish $￿arf *ourt 9.020 2.669 31.715 1.371 {2.669} 9,020 2,669 17,D42 2,981 2,669 Other Volunta Rec Age UK Heaiirg Hub Donatiors & Receipt5 lor Other Chanties Donations lor Carwt Tiles VAT Recoyered on Building Wo Fuel Bill Grapts troffl DI0￿Se 250 2,500 Acliville5 lor Generwllry FU￿1$ 4200 100 4.278 2,788 CollÈe IAoinings Higp Tèa Concèrts 100 RelieshmÈntS 3,865 1,701 $16 Surdnes Recelpts from Church Actlvlles Fees loi Weddirgs ard Furpr*s 8ranch Church Roorn Hire ParisP Hall R(otn Hire 9.791 1.175 13,C67 9,791 2.922 6.099 13,109 13,067 Inve¥tment Incorne enial ol Curacy House nk Attount InterEsi 8.509 Olher Incomlng Resources CCLA Account Sundry r￿elp[S Sub total (Gross incorne for ARJ A2 Asset and Investment sales, l$ee table). 811)23 82,tr 72,710 Sub total CCXX Rl accwnts Issi 08..'0512024 Total ￿eiptS 82.023 82.023 72,710 A3 Paymenls Church Ac1*v1￿*S Dio¢esan Parish Sfrère Inist$r's Work ng Exp2r$es Vicaiage Cosis Church Rur ning Expenses Churctt klaifierance Upkeep ol Sefvices and Wa9eS Parish Ha.1 Runnirg Experses 2&6fj9 28,569 18,500 8.552 9.609 8.552 14￿3 9,768 8.783 1.498 4.894 Wirdow Repairs New Carpel Ti1gS Occagoral Sepiice Fee5 9,572 5,73S House Exptrns•$ Cui3cy House Experses Curacy House ljanagement Fees Fund Flalsing Expense5 Suthid% (of Ihe CFifisimas Fair Refreshments 100 Club Piizes Money raised IOT Qlhei chariDe5 470 1.gJ2 470 1,902 Support Cosgs Photo¢cpier Cornmunicaiiop Cosis 1ndeper.dent Examir3t¥)n EI￿111ClIY Plumbing and Heating W31er Rates OutrE3ch Èrd Vlebsite 1.266 776 300 3.780 99 13,on 2.678 13,07J 2,678 1.022 Gardering and Grounds Maintenance 2.D94 Bank ¢karps Sub total 83. 69.846 A4 A$5et and in¥estment purchzse5, (see tablel Shop Equiprnenl Tea Bar Equirmrent Sub lot81 Totalpayments 83.960 4,894 88,854 69,846 Nel olre¢eipt*(paymenls) 6,831 2,864 A5 Translers between funds A6 Cash lunds last year en