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2025-12-31-accounts

Lavant Churches

APCM Report

2025

“Behold, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs forth…”

Isaiah 43: 19

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Trustees Annual Report and Financial Report of the Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastcal Parish of Lavant

St Mary with St Nicholas Church, Lavant

Registered Charity no. 1131684

For the year ended 31st December 2025

Part 1 Trustees annual report
Parish reports
Part 2 Statement of receipts andpayments
Statement of assets and liabilities
Notes to the accounts
Report of the Independent Examiner
Website:
www.lavantchurches.net
Priest in Charge:
The Revd. Laura Darrall
The Rectory, Pook Lane, East Lavant, PO18 0AH
Independent Examiner:
Mr P Tostevin
48 Maplehurst Road, Chichester, PO19 1HR
Bankers:
Barclays Bank PLC, 74/75 East Street, Chichester PO19 1HR
Co-operatve Bank, PO Box 250, Skelmersdale, WN8 6WT

Structure, Governance and Management

The Parochial Church Council (PCC) is registered with the Charity Commission as required by the Charities Act 2011. Its governing document is the Parochial Church Councils (Powers) Measure 1956.

During the year, the following served as members of the Parochial Church Council:

Priest in Charge: The Rev’d Laura Darrall (Chair – 2025 – present)
Wardens: Gina Bill (2020 – present)
Iain Campbell (2022 – present)
Representatve of
The Deanery Synod: Sue Tostevin (2023 – present)
Elected Members: Jenny Quest (2020 - present)
Deecie Tester (2020 - present)
Cynthia Blades (2023 - present)
Mike Kingsford (2024 - present)
Jo Heather (2024 - present)
Frances Talbot (Children and Family) (2025 – present)
Treasurer: James Pickford (2024 – present)
Secretary to the PCC: Zoe Mann (2024 – present)

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Our aims and purposes as a charity

The primary objective of Lavant PCC is the promotion of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to the doctrines and practices of the Church of England. The PCC has the responsibility of cooperating with the priest in charge, the Reverend Laura Darrall, in promoting in the ecclesiastical parish, the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical.

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

Objectves and Actvites

Our Vision/Mission statement: To lead the people of Lavant and the surrounding area into the knowledge and love of God and bring them into the life and worship of Christ’s Church

When planning our activities for the year, the priest in charge and the PCC have considered the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit and, in particular, the specific guidance on ‘charities for the advancement of religion’. We hope to enable local people to live out their faith as part of our parish community through:

To facilitate this work, it is important that we maintain the fabric of St Mary and St Nicholas and ensure the financial sustainability of the two churches.

Atendance at Worship

Attendance grew throughout the year, with several new families, individuals and couples joining us in worship and fellowship.

In October 2025 (when the average yearly attendance is calculated), the average weekly attendance was 135, including 23 children. This is significantly up from the previous year of 94, including 11 children.

There are 139 parishioners on the Church Electoral roll following a complete revision in 2025.

There were 5 weddings, 2 blessings after a civil marriage. There were 6 funerals in church, 0 in other locations officiated at by our clergy and 10 Committals and Interments of Ashes. There were 5 baptisms, 2 adult confirmations and 4 children admitted to Holy Communion.

A greater number of the church family have been involved in leading various aspects of worship, alongside our priest in charge and clergy team of retired priests with PTO (for whom we give thanks!). We continue to seek to extend the opportunities for the exercise of ministry and gifts within the life of our community.

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– Public Beneft Our actvites and outreach

The church family warmly welcomes visitors from within and outside the parish boundary. It is our pleasure to offer a vibrant and inclusive welcome to people from all walks of life who feel they would like to join in the life of Lavant Churches. We offer as part of our mission and outreach:

Financial Notes

Thanks to the work of the Treasurer and finance group, the reports and figures presented at our PCC meetings have been clear and easy to understand, with a focus on transparency, communication, encouragement and clarity.

St Nicholas Chancel Trust

Is held entirely by the Chichester Diocesan Board of Finance. Claims may be made for assistance with insurance premiums for St Nicholas.

Why we hold some money in reserve

It is PCC policy to maintain a balance on the general unrestricted funds, which equates to approximately three-six months’ worth of unrestricted payments as contingency against unforeseen situations in line with the Charity Commissioners advice.

Employees

The PCC is fortunate to be able to continue appointing a Children and Family Worker, an Organist, and a selfemployed Bookkeeper.

Signed on behalf of the Parochial Church Council:

By: Rev’d Laura Darrall Date: 1[st] April 2026

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Annual Reports

Priest in Charge Report

This year has been a year of relationship building, of getting to know one another and delighting in the adventure that any first year of ministry will entail. Learning the rhythm of the parish, the dynamics of the village and listening deeply to what has come before so that we might rebuild and, with the Spirit’s guidance, move ahead – “See I am doing a new thing, now it springs forth…” (Isaiah: 43: 19)

2025, it is fair to say has been a wonderful year. Every morning, I have thanked God that he called both Jo and me to Lavant, and I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for making us feel so welcome and supported in all that we do. This year has been categorised by Joy.

We began 2025 by exploring the theme of more prayers and more parties, acknowledging that prayer is the breath of our faith, and only with prayer’s wind in our sails can we begin to live out our Christian calling. And that our Christian fellowship and hospitality are intrinsically linked to its outworking.

We deepened our experience of prayer by running the Prayer Course throughout Lent with a group of 20 joining each week. And we expanded our Holy Week liturgies to include meditative Taize compline, a Walk of Witness, and the return of the Quiet service during Advent. I gently began including more silence into our times of worship after members of our congregation voiced a desire to be still with God after the Lent course, with quiet morning prayer also being instated on Mondays, along with our monthly prayer group moving into the Rectory to be in person during the winter months.

To deepen our understanding and relationship with Holy Communion, I led a teaching Eucharist for our congregation alongside the joyful admission to Holy Communion of four of our young people, which culminated in a Celebration Communion in July with a very full St Nicholas! As well as celebrating Sue and Colin’s confirmations later in the year. Our Let’s Celebrate services have developed into a bi-monthly All Age Communion, and I began asking the children in our 8am service to serve with me at the altar, to encourage involvement and belonging. We also saw 3 new lay ministers of communion being commissioned to administer the chalice.

Our serving at the altar, spilled out into our serving at tables as Prayers turned into Parties. It was a delight to welcome villagers of all ages to the return of the Pancake Party at St Nicholas, over 85 parents and children to our Sausage, Sizzle and Sparkler evening at the Rectory, we held an Ascension Picnic in the Rectory garden, we blessed the cupboards given to us through Ted Farrow’s generous legacy, we had a full Lavant Room for our youth group BBQ, and many more parishioners came to the now annual Rectory Mulled Wine and Mince Pies.

We welcomed over 200 people at Easter, 26 children for our backpack blessing, 150 people for Remembrance (with new orders of service and the introduction of a microphone at the Green!), 172 at the Crib service and numbers up all round in Messy Church, in our children’s and family work and in all our services over the Christmas Season. With a creative and moving Carol Service involving readers from throughout the village community.

The life of our church has been continuously spilling out into the village this year, and it has been a privilege to be a priestly presence at so many community events, both our vibrant regular monthly activities which continue to nourish our village, and ones that only come round once in a while – like the gathering of 100 villagers on the Green as we raised the flag, prayed and remembered those who fought for peace on the 80[th] anniversary of VE day. Opening the brilliant fete with a poem written for our village, entitled Lively Lavant.

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Or the priest nearly launching herself, along with 400 rubber ducks, into the River Lavant in May for the Duck Race…

Our relationship with the local primary school has grown from strength to strength with both myself and Frances, our children and family worker, being present weekly for Collective Worship, termly governors’ meetings and services at Christmas, Easter and Harvest. As well as services for our local Montessori Nursery, Little Harriers. It continues to be a delight to share ministry in this way and to encourage our young people in their faith.

In terms of new developments in our structures and governance, we have begun subgroups of the PCC, to enable more people from our congregation outside of the PCC to step up and have a voice in different areas of our church life, as well as giving support to those who already work so tirelessly. We have seen the start of the Buildings Group, the Eco Group, the Social and Fundraising Group and the Finance Group – please read the reports to find out more and don’t hesitate to speak to me if you’d like to join a group or support in anyway.

We have worked hard to gather clear records for St Mary’s Churchyard, with the invaluable help of the Lavant History Group. It has been an honour to see the map come to fruition and to learn the stories of our village’s loved ones who find their resting place in our churchyard.

After the effects of Storm Darragh, we as a parish sprang into action with the introduction of the Produce Table which, thanks to your generosity, has grown from strength to strength each month and, towards the end of the year, the campaign Raise the Roof was just beginning to raise its head with more to come in 2026.

It has been a year of communication with the introduction of a weekly letter from the Rectory in the Pewsheet; and, importantly, in gaining clarity and exercising diligence with our buildings, our finances, our safeguarding, our governance and our record keeping. None of which could be done without our churchwardens and all our office holders. I am incredibly grateful for all that you do and for your personal support and encouragement. And for everyone who gives to the life of our church in both seen and unseen ways – thank you. You are all so very appreciated and loved. With grateful thanks also to our team of retired clergy with whom it is a delight to share a partnership in the Gospel.

Towards the end of the year, I invited all the PCC to share their highlights from 2025 and their hopes for 2026. Each Highlight of 2025 shared the themes of joy, fellowship and the movement of the Spirit, and each Hope for 2026, the theme of continued growth. So perhaps our Scripture for these two abridging years finds its home in Romans 15: 13, “May the God of all hope, fill you with joy and peace in believing so that you may abound with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

It is incredible to reflect on all that God has done in 2025. So may we continue to grow together in faith, in prayer and in trust in the One who calls us to this place, in this moment and with these people.

For all that has been- thank you. For all that is to come- yes!

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Churchwardens’ Report

St Mary’s

Storm-force winds experienced towards the end of 2024 resulted in structural damage to the spire and weathervane. An early inspection revealed that the timber king post, which carries the weathervane, is severely decayed and had snapped at the junction where the post extends through the top of the spire. The weathervane toppled onto the roof, damaging tiles and puncturing the roofing felt. Subsequent surveys have confirmed that several of the roof timbers are decayed and will have to be replaced.

A temporary faculty was granted for the weathervane to be lifted down to ground level and for contractors to make the roof weatherproof, pending a full repair.

The initial works have been completed, and by way of the Listed Places of Worship Scheme, we were successful in recovering the VAT. The weathervane was taken to a metal worker for repair and is now with a specialist conservator for regilding.

In respect of the roofing repairs, a full faculty is required. To this end, our inspecting architect has prepared a schedule of works for a competitive tender. We are in the process of submitting an application and hope to start the project in 2026.

In the vestry, an ingress of rainwater resulted in a partial collapse of the lath and plaster ceiling. Contractors were engaged to replace missing roof tiles, and once dry, the ceiling was replastered. With the help of volunteers, we will redecorate and replace the floor covering.

In respect of the handrail project, queries around the necessary permissions, planning and faculties have been resolved. Materials have been purchased, and the works will start in 2026.

Heating at St Mary's is provided by an oil boiler. Given the fluctuations in the price of heating oil, we have joined the Parish Buying Scheme. When compared to our annual oil purchase in 2024, we have made a saving of circa 35%

The hearing loop amplifier was found to be defective and has been replaced. A microphone lead serving one of the lapel mics has also been replaced, and the sound system appears to be in good working order.

Following the discovery that St Mary’s has a Klargester septic tank, we contacted Business Stream, who have responsibility for our wastewater, and a refund of charges will follow.

St Nicholas

A defibrillator provided by Lavant Parish Council has been installed. The cost of fitting and the electrical connection was initially paid for by Lavant Churches; however, LPC kindly agreed to reimburse these charges.

The installation of storage cupboards along the west wall was completed in February. A plaque noting that the cupboards were funded by the estate of Ted Farrow has been fixed to one of the cupboard doors.

At St Mary’s, the loop amplifier failed and has been replaced. The sound engineer helped with resetting the audio system.

A new GoodBox card reader has been installed with the added and, hopefully, simpler option of three fixed amounts or any other amount that the donor may wish to give.

Chichester District Council continue to cut the grass in the churchyard, and a programme of maintenance has been agreed with the Lavant Environmental Team.

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On 24th December 2025, it was noted that four of the May family brass plaques and a candle snuffer were missing. A review of the CCTV recording from the camera that covers the area in front of the vestry revealed that a thief used a lever to rip the plaques from their fixings. It was later discovered that a crucifix had also been stolen. The police were informed, but to date, there have been no developments.

Gina Bill/Iain Campbell

Financial Report, Commentary – Treasurer’s Report & 2025 Result

I am pleased to report that the overall financial situation for the year shows an improvement over 2024, which is healthy. We are not in a position to pay our full parish share, which is £82K, but we have maintained two church buildings, actively supported the community (see other reports) and made a 65% contribution towards our Parish Share. (2024 - 33%). We have improved our reserves and spent wisely on our projects.

Parish accountng system

Over the past 3 years, we have used an accounting software programme called Xero. It is a general accounting programme which we have customised to suit our parish. The Church of England does not have bespoke Parish Finance software, and standard software reports on profit and loss. We are a charity and do not make a profit, so accounts are modified to report on Income and Expenses. The customising of the accounts has developed over the year, and immediate comparison with 2024 is not always apparent.

Specifc major funds

Building Fund

We transferred £10k from the Ministry and Services fund in anticipation of the Quinquennial report for St Mary’s 2026 and received donations, either personal or grants, for £20K for the repairs to St Mary’s roof. The various fundraising activities under the Raise the Roof umbrella have raised £4K, and the fundraising continues into 2026. The closing balance in the fund was £29K, having spent £7k on major repairs. These are sufficient funds for our anticipated 2026 needs.

Children’s Fund

This is our major outreach fund into the community and has been grant-funded in the past. The fund has been depleted by £6.5K over the year and fundraising for 2026 will be undertaken.

Ministry and services

This is the major fund which supports the ministry and mission of the parish. There are several noteworthy results which are summarised below.

Income

Regular giving improved by 17%

Other income improved by 11% despite a drop in the number of marriages. The fees generated from marriages are a significant contributor to our “other income”

The Lavant News continues to make an overall contribution of £2K

Expenses

Parish Share contribution increased by £28.4K, which accounted for the overall expenses with an increase of £26.9K

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We have settled and paid the disputed electricity account.

The closing balance in the fund was £45K, which equates to 6 months' running cost of the parish. This is in line with the Church of England and Charity Commissioners’ recommended reserve policy.

In summary, the accounts reflect a growing community. The results have improved due to the generosity of our members and reflect positively on our mission statement ‘ To lead the people of Lavant and the surrounding area into the knowledge and love of God, and bring them into the life and worship of Christ’s Church .’

James Pickford - Treasurer Lavant PCC

Safeguarding Report

I have been the Parish Safeguarding Officer and lead recruiter for DBS checks for 2025. Ben Smith has been appointed assistant for DBS checks and is able to conduct identity checks. I have also been appointed a safeguarding trainer for the parish. Regular online training and information sessions for parish safeguarding officers are held, which are very helpful.

Five DBS certificates have been issued in 2025. Four of these were renewals, one was a new check. They covered the churchwardens, organist, families, children’s worker and volunteers with children and young people’s activities. Four other volunteers have in-date DBS checks (completed in 2024).

In addition to the online safeguarding training, safeguarding courses for delivery in parishes have been prepared, which can be led by parish trainers appointed by the Diocese. In September 2025, I ran two sessions, each covering the Basic Awareness and Foundation safeguarding training. These were well attended, and more in-person courses in Lavant are planned for March 2026. 27 people completed the Basic Awareness course either in-person or online in 2025, and 27 people completed the Foundation course. One person completed the Safer Recruitment course and also an in-person Leadership course. 10 people have completed the Domestic Abuse course online. Most people in the roles initially identified have completed the compulsory training.

In May 2025, the Diocese introduced a Safeguarding dashboard. This is extremely helpful and guides the Parish Safeguarding Officer through all the safeguarding requirements; we are currently working at Level 2. (There are 4 levels: 0-3.)

In 2026, the Diocese is planning to launch a safeguarding hub, which will keep track of training requirements and DBS checks.

Frances Talbot - Parish Safeguarding Ofcer

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Children and Young People’s Reports

The principal tasks of my role are to nurture children and young people within our community through Messy Church and to support our local school, Lavant C.E. Primary School, mostly by leading, with Rev Laura, the ‘church-led’ weekly Collective Worship. My role also covers informing the congregation and the parish of the opportunities for children and young people at Lavant Churches, building relationships with the children, young people and their families and providing them with pastoral care. I encourage and support volunteers working with young people and children and ensure that all the safeguarding and health and safety requirements for the activities and programmes are met.

My paid role as Lavant Children and Families Worker covers the school and Messy Church activities described below. It also covers giving talks at special services, such as the Church Christingle service and school services.

Leading Junior Church and Youth Group are two of my voluntary roles.

Messy Church

Messy Church usually meets on the second Thursday of the month in term time after school. We have an established, competent and enthusiastic team of helpers, which means the sessions run smoothly and efficiently. We always welcome additional help; it is not necessary to attend for the whole session.

Messy Church is a church in a relaxed environment. Each Messy Church session has a Bible-based theme and is divided into three parts: creativity, celebration and hospitality. We therefore have lots of fun with craft activities, painting, and usually making something to eat. This is followed by a short period of worship, concentrating on the theme and Bible passage. We finish with a shared meal.

In 2025, we had an average of 20 children attending each session, all accompanied by a responsible adult. This has led to over 50 people attending, with over 40 people sharing the meal on some occasions.

In 2025, we held a Messy Church session on Maundy Thursday, focused on The Last Supper; this was well attended and enjoyed by all.

Lavant School and Montessori Nursery actvites

Throughout 2025 Rev Laura and I have shared the school's collective worship sessions on a Thursday.

I supported the school Easter service in St Nicholas’ Church, the Harvest service at school and the Christmas service held in St Mary’s Church.

The children and staff make me feel very welcome in the school. Both Rev Laura and I are now governors at the school.

We welcomed the local Montessori Nursery school, Little Harriers, to St Nicholas’ church for their Harvest, Christmas and Easter services.

Junior Church

Junior Church continues to meet in term-time during the 10 am service, which is supported by an enthusiastic and competent team of parental helpers. We have had an average attendance of 9 children per week, the same as in 2024.

Children from Junior Church help at the monthly Let’s Celebrate services, with reading, intercessions and helping with sidespeople duties.

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Youth Group

The youth group has met on Mondays during term time.

We have had a varied programme with many different activities. We have made altar frontals, worked in St. Mary’s churchyard, been on walks, played games and made pancakes and biscuits.

Lavant Churches once again sent a group in 2025 to Maycamp at Plumpton Race Course, joining with the youth group from St John’s Southbourne. We hired a marquee, providing a safe, sheltered space on the exposed site at Plumpton. The event was greatly enjoyed by the young people and leaders attending. The hire of the marquee, purchase of a tent for the boys and the cost of food for the young people were covered by a donation from the 2024 village fete (at which we ran an activity stall), as well as sales of cakes, marmalade and donations from the congregation. We are grateful for all the support we receive.

We have had an average weekly attendance of 3 over the year.

Services

The church Christingle service in December 2025 was well attended and enjoyed by the adults and children.

Thank you to the volunteers

None of these activities would be possible without the help of many volunteers, some of whom help at more than one activity. Their contributions are gratefully acknowledged with sincere thanks.

Lavant News Children’s Actvites

All the activities are reported in Lavant News and to the PCC meetings.

Rev. Laura Darrall

Rev. Laura Darrall became our priest-in-charge just after the Christingle service in December 2024 and has enthusiastically inspired all our activities. Her encouragement for all and attendance at many of our activities has been welcomed with grateful thanks. We look forward to an exciting 2026 and beyond.

Frances Talbot Lavant Children and Families Worker

Toddlers

St. Nicholas’s Toddler Group is still going strong. At present, we have over 20 children on the Register. Some children come every week, others once or twice a month, but we have averaged 14-15 most weeks. Most children come from Lavant or North Chichester.

We have a great team of 5 helpers. The Craft Table operates weekly and is very popular. We also have board games and occasional cooking sessions. There are plenty of ride-on toys. We have purchased a replacement trike and aprons. Also, courtesy of the Lavant Fete donation, we have bought some dressing-up uniforms and fancy dress.

As well as Crafts, we have playdough, a large selection of books and puzzles and giant Lego. Plenty of toys are available on the central mats to suit all ages who come. We always finish with a sing-along with movement and actions. It is a really lovely group and great to see the parents/carers having time to relax and socialise. We still only charge £1 per family group and provide refreshments mid- session.

Barbara Treverton

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Organist and Choirmaster Report

Things have certainly settled down in the parish since last year, but that is not a bad thing! Music in the parish continues to thrive, and the congregation, Choir, and Rev. Laura support the music-making during services with great enthusiasm. The general feeling of enthusiasm and growth has been fantastic to feel, and the singing has been phenomenal – I don’t think I’ve ever been able to “pull out all the stops” quite this much!

Organs

I continue to make things work at St Nicholas with the Keyboard, and recently added my bass amplifier to the keyboard to make it a little less tinny, which has had very positive feedback. I am looking at putting together some proposals to get a new life out of the organ in situ, or even possibly donating my home instrument to the church. This, of course, requires PCC approval, and I will be looking into the options and putting together a detailed proposal of the options I have discussed briefly with Rev Laura in due time. As a clarifying note, this is not going to require significant funds, so please rest assured. All costs (however slight) will be in the detailed proposal, which I hope to have ready for the PCC by Autumn ‘26 at the latest.

The organ at St Mary's continues to be a wonderful instrument for enhancing services, with no issues to report. The window opposite has developed a rattle with certain occasional pedal notes, as the lead latticework now wiggles slightly against the cross bar on the Easternmost window pane. I doubt this is of any real concern, but I felt it was worth mentioning.

Choir

I am pleased to report a continuation of our average attendance of 8-10 choristers at full attendance.

We have continued to provide anthems for major services, taking on more advanced compositions, occasionally my own, with gusto and great competence.

The choir has agreed to perform in partnership with St Martin’s in the Field’s at St Mary’s in May 2026, something that our Rev Laura has brought to us as a wonderful opportunity to fundraise and make music. I am sure that more details will be revealed on this event in due time to the parish.

The choir continues to perform fantastically, and numbers remain consistent since last year. I hope to look at options for recruiting for the latter end of the Summer Holidays, as we still have some empty pew spots we can fill.

I would like to thank everyone, as always, for their assistance in making things run smoothly at Lavant Churches, and I look forward to the next year of making wondrous music in worship with you all.

Luke Hayden

Electoral Roll

The electoral roll of a parish must be revised annually, except in a new year in which a new roll is prepared (this happened in 2025). Information pertaining to the Electoral roll may be found at the back of both churches, and will be presented by John Wiles, our electoral roll officer, at the APCM.

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Readers and Sidespersons Report

Total number of Readers and Sidespersons:

2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 41 34 21 33 39

8am: Sides only:

10am: Sides only:

3; Readers only: 2; Both dutes: 5. Total: 10 people 6; Readers only:13; Both dutes:10 Total: 29 people (includes 3 x people who do both dutes at all services)

The congregation continues to support the services at St Mary's and St Nicholas by serving as Sidespersons and Readers. 2025 has seen an increase in Reading duties at the 8am services, due to both lessons being read at this service. The number of Readers has remained steady, but Sidespersons have reduced. Consequently, people are doing more duties per month and at the main festivals. No one has complained! However, it would be wise to recruit more people onto the Rota list.

Sara Pickford

Lunch House

Lunch House has had another busy year. We have been in operation for at least 24 years (could be 25 but can’t quite remember!) We meet on the second Wednesday of the month at 12 noon at St Nicholas ' Church. Our numbers have remained stable, usually around the 26 mark, but sometimes as many as 35, which means that we always need to cater for larger numbers just in case. It is a pleasure running this group as it is so well-received. Our customers are always appreciative of the tasty food we serve, but even more important is the social interaction, a chance to meet and have a good chat, especially during the winter months when people don’t get out so much. We have found that even when the weather has been foul, we are still busy, as it is a much-needed chance to socialise. We have also found that a hearty roast lunch is very welcome, so many living on their own don’t bother with the hassle of cooking a big meal just for themselves.

We have been delighted that Rev Laura regularly comes and interacts with our customers. She often rolls up her sleeves to help, which is much appreciated, and it is a great way of getting to know those who might not be regular churchgoers.

All thanks to our amazing team of helpers, cooks and servers. We are always pleased when someone comes to join our happy band. Our thanks too to the fete committee, who once again enabled us to provide a fabulous Christmas Lunch free of charge. It means so much to our customers, some of whom spend Christmas Day itself on their own; this is a chance to share in the Christmas spirit.

Cynthia Blades

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Tea and Chat

Tea and chat meet at St Nicholas on the 3rd and 4th, and the occasional 5th Wednesday of the month from 2 pm — 3-30 pm. We are a mixed group of locals and church goers who enjoy a lovely tea of savouries, scones and cakes with copious cups of tea and lots of chat and laughter. It is free, donations only if they wish too, although we can regularly pass on donations to the church to help with heating. Our lovely ladies who run it freely give of their time and ingredients; we are very grateful. We are an all-female group, but would love to welcome gentlemen too, why not pluck up courage and come with a male friend for moral support?

Cynthia Blades

Brunch Café

It seems incredible that the Brunch Cafe at St Nicholas has been running for almost nine years! It was the initiative of dear Garvis Snook, and after his death, it felt like a fitting memorial to keep it going. We started with a simple offering of bacon or sausage baps and perhaps a croissant - it was always an imperative to serve good coffee and create a welcoming space for all comers, including well-behaved dogs! Village Brunch Cafe is open on the first Saturday of the month from 9.30 to 11 am. We regularly serve 40 or 50 breakfasts, and our menu has expanded to a full English of eggs, bacon, sausage, mushrooms and baked beans; all washed down with great coffee and tea, with toast and croissant to finish. We have great fun as the Brunch team, with much laughter and banter from our kitchen crew.

We run on a donation basis, and since we reported to the APCM last year, we have been able to donate £300 in July to church funds, £250 in January to the Raise the Roof campaign and a further £250 to church funds thanks to the generosity of our customers. This year, a new toaster was purchased, and we were very grateful that the Fete Committee agreed to match fund a new banner, contributing £60 to the £120 cost. The core of the Brunch team was also happy to run this year's Harvest Supper, with the help of members of the Raise the Roof team; we came together again as a combined team to lay on the recent Pancake Party. We are very grateful for everyone's support!

Lindsay & Iain Campbell, Clare & Damon Everson, Jo Heather, Sarah & Rob Newman, Tanya Nichik and Ben & Amanda Smith.

Church Flowers

St Mary’s

There are two teams who kindly help with providing flowers at each church on alternate weeks, in line with the service schedule, in pairs. There is a wider group who help at the festivals and with special occasions. Flowers are mainly provided as a donation to the church giving, however, in January the PCC agreed to a budget of £300 for the purchase of flowers, so we hope to increase the number of willing hands and to give an even better display at the festivals. The flower team at St. Mary’s also supports the external florists who do wonderful displays for our wedding ceremonies.

In June, three members of the team (Lindsay Campbell, Amanda Smith and Sarah Newman) will be representing Lavant Churches with a display at the Chichester Cathedral Flower Festival.

Thank you for all your creativity and commitment.

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St Nicholas'

Since we last reported, it has been another busy year for the flower team at St Nicholas. The church has a simple beauty that provides a blank canvas for displays large and small. It has been particularly pleasing to be able to use the window sills of the west windows, which have been revealed now that the new cupboards have been installed, in place of the blue display boards that used to block this view.

Our displays tend towards the unstructured, fitting the style and feel of this small country church. Flowers and greenery are often sourced from our gardens and the local hedgerows. In the busyness of life, it is always a pleasure to spend time in St Nicholas' church, thinking of those who have gone before us and decorating it with flowers and greenery for everyone to enjoy. If you have a yen to dabble in flower arranging, do have a chat with one of us. We work on a rota basis, usually in pairs - coming together as a team for the larger festivals. Karel Bartholomew, Lindsay Campbell, Clare Evison, Sarah Newman and Jean Sherrington.

Lavant News

Happy to report we are back to a full team running the Parish News. At the end of 2025, we welcomed Jo & Jane to the team, which has helped spread the workload. Amanda & Gina had been working on it for the last year/18 months with no other help. Jo D-O has come on board as an Editor to work alongside Amanda, whilst Jane Davey has joined the team to assist Gina as she works in Marketing.

We have also introduced quarterly meetings, so everyone is kept in the loop with any issues raised.

1250 copies are printed every month

Delivered to every house in Lavant, and some in Summersdale.

The cost of the magazine is approx. £520 per month, which Amanda keeps an eye on and shops around periodically. Instaprint still maintain the best price, and we have just been given a further discount for being a loyal customer.

Delivery from the printers seems to be an ongoing saga with DPD. It has been reported to the printers, and we are now working together to correct this problem.

The Editors are currently using Microsoft Publisher to create the magazine, but come September Microsoft will no longer support this programme. Plans are underway to investigate Canva (Free) & Adobe (paid for by a donation from the Lavant Fete Committee).

Feedback from the community is good, quoted “it’s a really good mag with a variety of articles”. Bishop Luffa school featured in last year, so was given a copy of the magazine when it came out. They were very impressed with our magazine, saying “it’s the best they’ve seen”.

Amanda Smith

Brass Cleaning Report

Once again, six friends, under a rota led by Sue Jackson, went monthly to the Rector’s vestry to remove wax and candles before the candlesticks were polished or buffed. Wax from the copper plates under the two candles by the altar was also cleared before polishing. The processional cross was polished less regularly, together with any other small pieces of brass.

Sue Jackson

15

Monthly Prayer Meetng

In a year when much prayer has been needed, the monthly evening prayer meetings were held in St Mary’s in the summer, then moved into the Rectory over the colder months, rather than meeting via Zoom, which has been the practice in previous years. Thanks go to Rev’d Laura and Jo for hosting.

We continue to pray for the world, the church, the local community, those who have asked for prayer and are listed on the pew sheet, as well as all who put requests on the prayer trees in St Nicholas and St Mary’s, and the bereaved in the parish and their families.

Prayer trust leaflets and bookmarks are available in both churches for anyone who wishes to use them and are changed according to the church year.

The monthly evening prayer meetings continue on the 4[th] Tuesday of the month at 8.30pm, and all are welcome.

Karen Crossley

Grave Concern

This report is very similar to previous years, and like last year, at no time did we have a full turnout. The group consists of some 7 active members, a reduction of one since last year, and although this sounds a lot, we all have other essential commitments as well.

The group is a dedicated and effective team with everyone involved working very well together.

As reported last year, we could do with more volunteers to spread the workload a little, so before the start of the mowing season, I have prepared a short appeal notice for insertion into the Lavant News and the Pew Sheet in 2026, but at the time of writing, no recruits have come forward.

The battery-operated mower has proved to be a great asset as it is light and used to mow the more difficult areas of the churchyard.

As and when Church funds allow, more battery-operated equipment would be beneficial, particularly a multitool as this can be used as a strimmer, edger, hedge trimmer and chainsaw. At the moment, I bring my own.

The mowers will have to be serviced ready for the season starting in April 2026, with other machinery planned to be serviced later in the year.

Richard Boyce

Summersdale Study Group

The group met throughout 2025, and continued to watch and discuss The Chosen, a dramatisation based on the life of Christ and his disciples.

Philip Tostevin

Archive

With regard to the Archives, I have continued to look after them as no one has come forward to take over. In conjunction with the History Project, which I’m involved with, I have updated the names on Memorial Path tablets from records in the Archives, so I have passed that list to Rev Laura. Barbara Treverton

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Deanery Synod

The Deanery Synod consists of members of the clergy together with laity team members from parishes within the Deanery. There were meetings of the Deanery Synod on the 28th January, the 11th June, the 20th November, and a finance meeting on the 30th September.

The January meeting focused on Deanery governance and working together. Discussion groups concluded that better communication between parishes would enable them to share ideas and good practices.

In June, the main part of the meeting was a presentation by Rev Jo King, the Diocesan and Disability advisor, on becoming a more welcoming church. This provided insights and support for making our churches a more welcoming place for those with different disabilities.

The November meeting included a presentation by Eloise Armstrong on behalf of the local charity Children on the Edge, founded 30 years ago by Anita Roddick. It works with refugee and marginalised children and young people worldwide with themes of justice, dignity and hope; providing education and protection. There are projects in many parts of the world; the presentation gave details on the work in Uganda and Bangladesh.

The autumn finance meeting featured a presentation by the Diocese on their growth strategy, parish share and ministry costs, draft budget for 2026 and analysis of ministry costs for 2026. Part of the growth strategy will be aimed at coastal areas of highest need and population, particularly increasing the number of children and youth workers. A budget deficit is still forecast for 2026, and parishes are asked to consider topping up their parish share pledge at the end of the year if funds are available. Sue Tostevin

Pastoral Care Team

This service continues to be advertised within our Lavant News magazine and on the E-news but there has again been little call for the service over the past year. There was one enquiry for help with travel to an appointment, which the pastoral team was able to assist with.

Gina Bill

Church Cleaning Report

A small team of people meet on the third Monday of every month to hoover, dust and polish in St Mary’s. The monthly cleaning ensures that St Mary’s remains looking well cared for, and visitors often comment on how beautifully kept the church is.

Currently, there are not enough team members to extend this to St Nicholas Church. However, occasional cleaning does take place alongside what is done by the outreach groups that use the church.

The team is always happy to welcome new people who are willing to come and help with this undertaking, as with more people, it might be possible to set up a rota for more regular cleaning at St Nicholas.

Gina Bill

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Church Bookings Report

On the bookings' side of things, the past year has been similar to the year before. There have been various Youth Group activities, Luke Haydn's concerts, a wreath-making course, and meetings of the Environmental Team, Allotment Association, Lavant History Project, and Lavant fete organisers, etc.

There were also some one-off events such as a visit from the Organist's Association, and a children's party.

Fortunately, most users already have keys and are familiar with the venues, making these bookings quite straightforward.

Below are details of 'Hire Charges' which remain unchanged.

BOOKING FEES

9am – 12 noon 2pm – 5pm 6pm – 11pm

St Nicholas Church £18 (+£10) £18 (+£10) £32 (+£10)*

St Mary’s Lavant Rm £20 (+£10) £20 (+£10) £25 (+£10)*

St Mary’s Church only £20 (+£10) £20 (+£10) £35 (+£10)*

Church + Lavant Room £35 (+£10) £35 (+£10) £55(+£10)*

*Winter surcharge 1st November to 31st March inc.

Additional hourly rate £6/hour

Regular users:

10% discount. Discount doesn't apply to the winter surcharge.

The following is a full list of all the events booked by me, including any money raised:

Luke Haydn concert rehearsals at Lavant Room/St Mary's, on 21/4/25, 25/4/25, 5/5/25 and 9/5/25, followed by the concert at St Nicholas's on 10/5/25, to raise money for church funds.

May Camp (Frances Talbot) at St Nicholas's on 15/5/25

Organists' Association (Clive Stroud), whilst touring churches for the day, visited St Mary's, on 17/5/25

Raffle ticket preparation at Lavant Room, on 23/5/25

Meeting of Chichester Youth Leaders (Frances Talbot), at Lavant Room, on 3/6/25

Refreshments for the funeral at St Mary's, at Lavant Room, on 9/6/25. Fee of £20 charged.

Lavant Environmental Team at St Nicholas's on 13/6/25

Youth Group Barbecue (Frances Talbot) involving St Nicholas's and Lavant Room, on 7/7/25

Meeting with MP at St Nicholas's on 26/8/25

Meeting of Youth Leaders (Frances Talbot) at Lavant Room, on 28/8/25

Lavant Environmental Team at St Nicholas's on 12/9/25

Safeguarding Training at St Nicolas's on 14/9/25

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Allotment Association at St Nicholas's on 16/9/25 Fee of £22 charged (to include heating).

Safeguarding Training at St Nicholas's on 17/9/25

Lavant History Project at Lavant Room on 29/9/25. Fee of £25 charged.

Lavant Youth Group at St Nicholas's on 29/9/25

Church Fundraising Team at Lavant Room on 7/10/25

Luke Haydn concert rehearsals at Lavant Room/St Marys, on 10/10/25, 15/10/25, 17/10/25, 19/10/25, 22/10/25 and 24/10/25, followed by the concert at St Nicholas's on 25/10/25, to raise money for church funds.

Church Fundraising Team at Lavant Room on 4/11/25

Allotment Association at St Nicholas's on 6/11/25. Fee of £22 charged (to include heating).

LPC meeting at Lavant Room on 12/11/25

Lavant Environmental Team at St Nicholas's on 14/11/25

Lavant Fete Open Meeting at Lavant Room on 26/11/25. Fee of £35 charged (to include heating).

Church Fundraising Team at Lavant Room, on 2/12/25

Christingle Preparation at Lavant Room, on 6/12/25

Charity Wreath-making Course at St Nicholas's on 7/12/25. Discretionary donation requested.

Christingle Service, at St Mary's, on 7/12/25

Allotment Association at St Nicholas's on 11/12/25. Fee of £22 charged (to include heating).

Children's party, at St Nicholas's, on 13/12/25. Fee of £46 charged (to include heating).

Clare Morrison

Subgroups – Finance – Buildings – Eco – Social and Fundraising

Finance Group

The Finance Group is one of the subgroups set up by the Priest in Charge to create an effective management structure for Lavant Parish Church. The group was established in 2025, and its members are Priest in Charge (ex officio) James Pickford (chair), Gina Bill, Frances Talbot and Caroline Loten. The brief given to the group is:

  1. Financial Oversight and Stewardship

  2. Budget Planning and Monitoring

  3. Parish Share and Giving

  4. Compliance and Reporting

  5. Financial Planning for Mission and Ministry

  6. Financial Communication and Congregational Engagement

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The group meets approximately once every 6 weeks, depending on the workload and time of year. The FG spreads the workload and embodies the role of financial management in our parish. The subgroups are to encourage shared responsibility throughout the parish and a shared understanding of roles in the parish to enable sustainability.

In 2025, the group customised the Xero financial package to be Parish-friendly and successfully applied for several grants for the St Mary’s Tower Project. 2026 will see a continuation of its work and applications for grants for the Children’s Fund.

Buildings Group

Rev Laura, Iain Campbell and Rupert Burton attended an initial Diocesan Buildings meeting in October 2025, marking the commencement of the Buildings Group. The session provided resources and guidance on the faculty process. Meetings have continued into 2026.

Environmental and Sustainability Group – Lavant Churches

We are very pleased to report that great progress has been made in this area of our churches’ development.

We are registered as part of A Rocha – Eco Church. The survey is designed for a single building, so we are beginning with St Nicholas and will continue with St Mary’s in due course; some answers can be duplicated.

The five categories cover all aspects of our church life, and our environment team is currently working its way through the criteria for each one. This helps us to assess the good environmental practices that currently exist at Lavant Churches, and to find the areas where there are opportunities to improve. The work that we are already doing means that we are well on course to attain the bronze award, and we plan to work towards silver and gold in due course.

We were delighted to receive this comment from Oliver Gammon (CDC) in July 2025:

As part of my role as an Environment Officer for Chichester District Council I am starting to look at the biodiversity of Closed churchyards managed by the Council. I was recently able to spend some time in the St. Nicholas churchyard in Lavant. I was very impressed with the abundant biodiversity of the wildflowers which are established there. These, in turn, appear to support a wide range of invertebrates. Also interesting to find you have a hibernaculum on the site. I imagine a number of different amphibians and reptiles could potentially live in such a rich habitat. I am pleased to say there is very little more I could recommend in ways to improve the biodiversity on site. I commend all those responsible for their efforts in creating this habitat.

20

Social and Fundraising Group

In July 2025 Rev Laura set up a Social and Fundraising team as a sub-group of the PCC, chaired by Sarah Newman. We had two objectives - to provide outreach and fun through social events plus to generate money to pay for St Mary’s roof repairs. The fundraising campaign was labelled Raise the Roof with a target of £10k for this team.

A group of energetic, creative individuals have run a series of events since this point – Harvest Supper, Pancake party, Bridge afternoon - and supported several others (Luke’s concert, Christmas market tombola, and let’s not forget the wonderful monthly produce table). In addition, we have been asking members of the community (church and wider village) to adopt tiles to help us with our target.

The fund level changes weekly, but at the last count, we had raised in excess of £7k with the donations and grants, giving a total of £30k+ towards the roof repairs at St Mary’s. An amazing achievement, so thank you to all who have participated and supported us, especially the Finance team and the designers of our church model.

We look forward to Desert Island Discs, the Duck Race, a sponsored walk, a murder mystery and the village fete. Thank you for all the energy and many, many ideas. Sarah Newman

Accounts

The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastcal Parish of Lavant Statement of Financial Activities for the year ended 31[st] December 2025

CONTENTS

Page 22 Statement of receipts and payments 23 Statement of assets and liabilities 24 Notes to the accounts 28 Report of the independent examiner

21

Summary of Financial Receipts and Payments

The financial effect of our activities during the year can be summarised as follows

Unrestricted Unrestricted Unrestricted Total Total
All Funds
2024		 Notes
3

5
General
Fund		 Designated Restricted Endowed All Funds
Funds Fund/s Fund/s 2025
Income and endowments from:
Donatons, grants and legacies
Charitable actvites
Other trading actvites
Investments		 £
95,988
5,489
8,659
277		 £ £ £ £ £
88,913
7,163
8,273
271
- 28,984 - 124,972
- 0 - 5,489
- - - 8,659
- - - 277
Total received 110,413 - 28,984 - 139,397 104,620
Expenditure on:
Fund-raising
Charitable costs
Trading costs
Fixed Assets		 0
92,764
6,048
-		 625
95,043
5,692
-
- - - 0
- 19,066 - 111,830
- - - 6,048
- - - -
Total paid 98,812 - 19,066 - 117,878 101,360
Net income or (net expenditure) 11,601 - 9,918 - 21,519 3,260
Transfers between funds
Net movement in funds		 (9,719) -
- 9,719 - -
- - - - - -

22

Bank accounts at 1 January 45,495 - 19,352 - 64,847 61,587 Bank accounts at 31 December 47,377 - 38,989 - 86,366 64,847 A&L

Statement of Assets and Liabilities

Our financial position at the year-end was

Unrestricted Unrestricted Unrestricted Total Total
All Funds
2024		 Notes
R&P
General
Fund		 Designated Restricted Endowed All Funds
Funds Fund/s Fund/s 2025
Assets:
Bank current account
Cash		 £
47,377
-		 £ £ £ £ £
64,847
-
- 38,989 - 86,366
- - - -
Total bank, cash and deposit accounts 47,377 - 38,989 -
86,366
64,847
Debtors & Prepayments
Gif Aid recoverable		 -
2,450		 1,203
1,930
- - - -
- - - 2,450
Debtors 2,450 - - - 2,450 3,133
Chancel Trust holding 1,506 3,788
- - - 1,506
Investment Assets 1,506 - - - 1,506 3,788
Asset Purchases - -
- - -
-
Fixed Assets - - - -
-		 -
Total assets 51,333 - 38,989 - 90,322 71,768
Liabilites:
Magazines adverts received in advance
Parish Share
Utlites and other creditors		 3,498
-
634		 2,251

-
2,687
- - - 3,498
-
-		 - -
- - - 634

23

-
Total liabilites 4,132 - - - 4,132 4,938

This Financial Report for the year ended 31st December 2025, including the notes following, was approved by the PCC and signed on its behalf by The Revd. Laura Darrall, PCC Chairman on 5[th] April 2025

Notes to the Financial Report

1 The financial statements of the PCC have been prepared in accordance with the Charities Act 2011 and current Church Accounting Regulations, using the Receipts and Payments basis.

2 The following assets are recognised but not valued in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities: Movable church furnishings held by the churchwardens on special trust for the PCC, which require a faculty for disposal.

3 Analysis of total received

3Analysis of total received
Unrestricted Total Total
All Funds
2024		 Notes
4
General
Fund		 Designated Restricted Endowed All Funds
Funds Fund/s Fund/s 2025
Planned giving (excl. tax refunds)
Grant income
Loose cash collectons/Good Box
Donatons and Special appeals
Gif Aid recovered
Legacies
Fund raising
Miscellaneous
Stelae inscriptons		 £
58,125
5,000
11,633
4,940
14,453
-
1,837
-
-		 £ £ £ £ £
47,596
7,386
9,717
6,686
13,766
150
2,077
-
1,535
- - - 58,125
- 8,865 - 13,865
- 759 - 12,392
- 13,262 - 18,202
- - - 14,453
- - - -
- 4,208 - 6,045
- 820 - 820
- 1,070 -
1,070
Donatons, grants and legacies 95,988 - 28,984 - 124,972 88,913
Fees for weddings & funerals 5,489 - - - 5,489 7,163
Charitable actvites 5,489 - - - 5,489 7,163
Magazine income
Magazine advertsing
Hall letngs
Insurance claim		 283
8,310
66
-		 -
7,760
513
-
- - - 283
- - -
8,310
- - - 66
- - - -

24

Other trading actvites 8,659 - - -
8,659		 8,273
Bank & CBF deposit interest 277 - - -
277		 271
Total received on all funds 110,413 - 28,984
-
139,397		 104,620

4 Grant income

General Fund:- £5,000 was received for general purposes from the Joan Ainslie Trust.

Restricted Funds:- Grants of £5,000 and £3,000 were received from The Spillers Trust and Benefact Trust respectively for the repair of the roof at St Mary’s. A grant of £865 was awarded under the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme as compensation for irrecoverable VAT on building work.

5 Analysis of total paid

5Analysis of total paid
Unrestricted Total Total
All Funds
2024		 Notes



6
General
Fund		 Designated Restricted Endowed All Funds
Funds Fund/s Fund/s 2025
Stewardship costs
Fund raising expenses		 £
-
-		 £ £ £ £ £
-
625
- - - -
- - - -
Cost of raising funds - - - - - 625
Charitable grants and donatons:
Parish share to Chichester Diocese
Salaries and honoraria incl NI
Council Tax
Other clergy costs
Insurance
Water, Gas, Electricity, and Oil
Upkeep of services (inc choir)
Church repairs & maintenance
Upkeep of churchyard (inc Stelae)
Other church running costs		 1,895
55,004
3,120
4,788
2,661
3,961
7,848
3,380
2,880
1,048
2,280		 - - - 1,895 1,716
31,566
9,120
1,800
3,556
3,849
17,818
3,164
11,197
1,120
789
- - - 55,004
- 5,145 - 8,265
- - - 4,788
- - - 2,661
- - - 3,961
- - - 7,848
- 748 - 4,128
- 7,068 - 9,948
- - 1,048
- 3,513 - 5,793

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Children/youth work
Stelae inscriptons
Administraton		 381
-
3,518
-
-
-
-

2,536
-
56		 - 2,917
-
3,574		 2,426
3,366
3,556





Charitable costs 92,764 - 19,066 - 111,830 95,043
Magazine printng
Bookstall costs		 6,048
-
-		 - - - 6,048 5,692
-
-
- - - -
- - -
Trading costs 6,048 - - - 6,048 5,692
Other payments - - - - - -
Total paid on all funds 98,812 - 19,066 - 117,878 101,360

Wages and salary costs

2025 2024
£
8,265		 £
9,120
8,265 9,120

8 Payments to PCC members: No payments were made to PCC members during the year other than for reimbursement of expenses incurred on behalf of the PCC.

9 Statement of Funds

9 Statement of Funds
Balances
b/fwd
1 Jan 2025		 Income Expenditure Transfers,
other
gains
and losses		 Balances
c/fwd
31 Dec 2025
Restricted Funds £ £ £ £ £
Building Fund - 25,915
6,864		 10,000 29,051
St Nicholas’ Fund 4,669 - 3,513 - 1,156
Mission Fund -
11,931		 -
674

-
7,737
-		 -

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Youth/Children’s Mission
St Mary’s Garden of
Remembrance
Choir Fund
Handrail		 140
1,795
817		 1,070
320
1,005		 -
-
952		 466
-
(747)		 5,334
1,210
1,368
870
Total of all restricted funds 19,352 28,984 19,066
9,719		 38,989
General fund
Designated Funds		 45,495
-		 110,413
-		 98,812
-		 (9,719)
-		 47,377
-
Total of all unrestricted funds 45,495 110,413 98,812 (9,719) 47,377
Total All Funds 64,847 139,397 117,878 - 86,366

9 Statement of Funds (cont.)

Restricted funds are not invested permanently but are to be spent within reasonable timescales. Unrestricted funds are not subject to any donor restrictions and can be spent as the PCC decides.

27

Independent Examiner Report

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

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