ST PAUL’S CHURCH, ST ALBANS
Blandford Road, St Albans, Herts, AL1 4JP Registered charity number 1131697
ANNUAL REPORT
and summary accounts of the Parochial Church Council
2022
Vicars: Rev Jono and Rev Diane Tregale
Bankers: Barclays plc. PO Box 104, St Albans AL1 3AN Central Board of Finance of the Church of England, 80 Cheapside, London, EC2V 6DZ
Auditors: Myers Clark, Egale 1, 80 St Albans Road, Watford WD17 1DL
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Table of Contents
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 3 Electoral Roll and Church Attendance ...................................................................................................... 3 Vicar’s Report and Review of 2022 ........................................................................................................... 3 Worship and Services .......................................................................................................................................... 4 Sharing faith ....................................................................................................................................................... 5 Staffing ............................................................................................................................................................... 5 PCC and Vision .................................................................................................................................................... 6 Groups, events & activities .................................................................................................................................. 6 Children and Youth .................................................................................................................................. 7 Sunday Groups .................................................................................................................................................... 7 Events and Other Groups .................................................................................................................................... 8 Schools and Community Work ............................................................................................................................ 8 Mission .................................................................................................................................................... 9 Buildings ................................................................................................................................................ 10 Risk Management .................................................................................................................................. 11 Church Governance and Structure .......................................................................................................... 12 Staff ....................................................................................................................................................... 12 PCC Members ......................................................................................................................................... 13 Deanery Synod ....................................................................................................................................... 14 Finance Summary .................................................................................................................................. 14 Income .............................................................................................................................................................. 14 Spending ........................................................................................................................................................... 16 Looking forwards .............................................................................................................................................. 17 Reserves Policy ................................................................................................................................................. 17 Grants to Missions and Charities ....................................................................................................................... 19
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Introduction
The Parochial Church Council (PCC) is responsible for the employment of full-time and part-time staff team, the upkeep of the church building and the adjoining church halls and rooms, and also for a curate’s house.
The PCC is a corporate body established by the Church of England and is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales. The charitable purpose of the PCC is to promote, in the parish of St Paul's, the whole mission of the church: pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical.
St Paul’s is the parish church for Fleetville, St Albans, in the Diocese of St Albans, and has a population of about 12,000 within its parish.
Data from the Church Urban Fund shows St Paul’s to be one of the least deprived parishes in the country. Most homes are owner-occupied, with the largest group of people being in managerial/administrative/professional employment. Many have level 4 qualifications and above, and generally people have good health and are not limited by disability in day-to-day activities. There is a high percentage of families in the parish, and a significant minority of Asian/Asian British, along with those of Eastern European, Caribbean and other heritages. Despite the general affluence, a number face financial and other hardships.
Electoral Roll and Church Attendance
Our electoral roll, published on 12 March 2022, named 276 people as members of St Paul's Church.
Church attendance during 2022 continued to grow post pandemic: the average adult Sunday attendance in October was 194 compared with 146 for the same month in 2021. This is in part due to the return of Sunday evening worship from October, as an informal gathering. The growth includes those returning to the building post pandemic and also a number of new members, who we are delighted to welcome. Around 60 children and young people attend each Sunday: we have been encouraged to see this number growing in 2023, as we connect with several new families.
Many continue to watch our services online, including those joining from afar and those taking the opportunity to catch up on a service or talk that they would otherwise have missed. Typically, our services attract around 100 views each week.
Our new electoral roll, published on 4 April 2023, names 271 people as members of St Paul's Church.
Vicar’s Report and Review of 2022
It is a joy to reflect back on 2022 as a year in which St Paul’s continued to build back after the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. By the end of the year there had been growth in the numbers of people engaging with services and activities, across a wide age range. Please read on for an overview of church activities – and more current information can be found on our website which we were delighted to launch in the autumn ahead of the Christmas season. With updated videos and photography and a simpler design we’re already - receiving enquiries about church life through the website: www.stpauls stalbans.org
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Worship and Services
After consultation, the 8am service was relaunched in March as the new 8:30am service, also changing its liturgy from Book of Common Prayer to Common Worship. Whilst still being a traditional liturgical service of Holy Communion, the change to a later time and to more modern words was implemented to make the service more accessible to new people. Usual attendance has grown from an average of 10 at the start of the year to 20 at the end, and with a more diverse congregation. Four or five pianists support the service with hymn singing. Once a term the congregation share a cooked breakfast together after a service.
A monthly midweek service of Holy Communion on Wednesdays was also introduced in March, attracting similar numbers and using the same liturgy. Many who attend then remain to participate in the Pop-In Café.
The 10:30am service has continued to grow and find fresh identity as an all-age congregation with Holy Communion twice a month (once with children included). The team of worship leaders and musicians have ably stepped up following the departure of a full-time worship minister the previous year. A number of young people are involved in the worship bands, whilst many of the older young people serve as part of the youth and kids’ ministry teams. A dedicated prayer ministry team offers to pray with people every week but has not yet returned to its pre-pandemic size. The team is highly valued and there have been some wonderful testimonies of God at work through them.
Alongside the prayerfully prepared sung worship, intercessions, reading, sermon and other elements, most weeks there are additional ‘words’ or ‘pictures’ from God which have been brought by a variety of people and which often speak directly to people’s lives and situations. Sermon series during the year included Psalms, Nehemiah, encounters with Jesus and the ministry of Jesus. In the autumn term we followed this with a series on how we partner with God in our work (paid and unpaid) and his call for us to co-create with him. A four-session course called ‘Shape’ was written and delivered alongside this which helped around 30 people to explore their shape and calling.
In December 2023, the monthly all-age service was relaunched in order to be more accessible to children and families. ‘Sunday Fun Day’ begins with 45 minutes of informal community building activities (breakfast, Lego, craft, play) followed by 45 minutes of worship and teaching all together. A large number of families from Tots, SaturDads and other activities joined us. Sunday Fun Days provides an opportunity for the whole of the church family to be the welcome team that day.
It was wonderful to be able to return to offering both bread and wine at services of Holy Communion from September. Although involving more complicated logistics, the way of doing this to be the most inclusive as possible, has been appreciated.
Throughout the year we have held a number of one-off Sunday evening services including ‘worship nights’, prayer gatherings, prophetic training, and visits from mission partners. In October a new weekly Sunday evening was launched known simply as ‘The Gathering’. These are held entirely in the Concourse with a relaxed and welcoming feel, café style, aiming to be accessible to newcomers, those exploring faith, and to teenagers and young adults. Evenings typically include worship, discussion-based Christian learning, and informal prayer. Numbers vary between 20 and 40 attending across a wide age range.
Easter activities began with prayer stations set up in the church from Palm Sunday and through Holy Week. There was an Agape Supper on Maundy Thursday, and a creative reflective service on Good Friday morning, followed by Easter Trails for children and families in the afternoon at both Clarence Park and Longacres Park, attended by around 150 people. A traditional Holy Communion service at 8:30am on Easter Day was followed by an all-age Holy Communion at 10:30am which saw the largest attendance in church for several years.
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Christmas in 2022 was thankfully not affected by Covid-19 as it had been the previous year. The Nativity Trail in church welcomed many children from local schools, the Home-Schooling Community and toddler groups, and Carols in the Park drew over 100 people to Clarence Park for open air carol singing. This year the traditional service of Carols and Readings happened first, with Beer and Carols, a more contemporary and relaxed café style gathering, taking place the following Sunday. Both attracted good numbers. In contrast we also held two Quiet Christmas services, a morning and an evening, for those who value a quieter and more reflective opportunity to mark Christmas. Two Crib Services on Christmas Eve afternoon were well attended, followed on Christmas morning by a Holy Communion at 8:30am and an all-age celebration at 10:30am.
We are grateful for all those who serve throughout the year to make our services happen - welcomers, stewards, lay assistants, musicians, leaders and preachers, and the refreshment team. Thanks too are due to members of the flower team who decorate the church week by week, and especially for the major Christian festivals. Their beautiful displays enhance worship for all and point to the glory of God.
In 2022 we had 2 baptisms, 2 weddings and 5 funerals at St Paul’s Church.
Sharing faith
In March 2022 St Paul’s became part of an online Leading in Evangelism Learning Hub run by the Church Pastoral Aid Society. The St Paul’s faith sharing hub (six people) have been exploring how to nurture a faith sharing culture, better listen to God and to people and engage in faith conversations in a natural way. The learning has been cascaded to ministry leaders. Two homegroups have specifically focussed on faith-sharing during the autumn term and made resources available for other groups to use.
Hope Explored – a three-week course enabling people to explore Christianity, was run on Monday evenings in January 2022. The group were keen to keep exploring and it continued to meet each week until the summer holidays. A second course also ran on Wednesday mornings as part of the Pop-In Café with large numbers attending. Following on from this, a testimony slot has been introduced at Pop-In each week which leads to informal discussion and questions afterwards.
In the autumn term we ran a successful and well attended Alpha course on Monday evenings (incorporating guests from the ‘Hope Explored’ group). It attracted many people from outside of the church. Some literally turned up off the streets to come! We also ran Alpha on Tuesday lunchtimes and were thrilled that some participants from our Art Club came along. Both groups continued into January 2023. It has been a privilege to see God drawing people to himself and to see such a committed group of people serving on teams to facilitate these initiatives.
The New Estates group have continued to prayer walk the streets of the new estates regularly. They also sang carols at Christmas whilst delivering invitations to come to St Paul’s.
Staffing
It was wonderful to have a new office team begin in January with the appointment of Julie McKinlay as Operations Manager (3 days a week) and Cheryl Bannatyne as Office Administrator (3 days a week). Working alongside them, Lynn Gower has continued as Caretaker and Bookings Manager, and Wendy Cottingham supports one day a week. The impact of a committed office team, serving the mission and ministry of the church, has been considerable.
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After 4 years as Associate Vicar, Andre Radmall moved on in August to explore new opportunities for ministry. We remain hugely grateful for his leadership during the interregnum and for the gifts he, together with Zoe, shared with us as a church.
PCC and Vision
It has been a privilege to serve alongside such a wonderful, committed and gifted PCC over the past year. Prayerful and wise – and willing to embrace what the Lord is calling the church to. At the APCM in March we thanked Jo Fisher as she stood down as Warden, and welcomed Jim Wright in her place. From the PCC we also received resignations during the year from Lesley Kempsford and Caroline Gatland.
Though there is much to celebrate at St Paul’s, the impact of Covid-19 lockdowns and an interregnum, appears to have exposed some areas of church life needing to be strengthened. After a period of observation and conversation, a number of areas were highlighted at a vision evening in April, following which a congregational consultation was held in the form of a ‘5 Questions’ survey which has continued to shape ministry priorities for the staff team and PCC. The busyness of church life in the autumn, and the need to be responsive to new things that God seemed to be doing in deepening connections with people on the fringe of church, slowed the vision process – but there is joy in seeing the church continuing to grow.
Groups, events & activities
Home groups continued to meet throughout the year with new members joining some groups. One group multiplied into two, but sadly at the end of the year one other group disbanded. Overall, there are about 125 church members who attend regularly. Groups provide a great community for deeper relationships and for pastoral care, prayer and bible study.
Alongside these groups we also usually run a number of courses and this year these included ‘The Identity Course’ written and presented by Andre Radmall. The course, exploring issues relating to how we see ourselves, and where we get our identity from, drew insights from both scripture and psychology, and was also filmed for future use.
We run a range of daytime groups open to the community. Once a month we host a lunch club for seniors: offering a two-course meal, friendship, and a short ‘thought for the day’ on a faith topic. Wednesday Pop-In Café has been a valued place of welcome and connection throughout the year, and regularly includes a guest speaker sharing an interesting life story and the relevance of their faith.
“Pop-in is a friendly, warm environment – such a pleasure to be able to socialise.”
“It’s good to look forward to as I live alone.”
“Excellent from a Christian point of view and also from a company point of view.”
Our activity groups have grown in number and memberships, now covering walking, strolling, crafts, art, gardening, litter picking, pub visits and more. Most importantly, they create opportunities for friendship, encouragement, and welcome to newcomers and to friends outside St Paul’s.
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“I moved to St Alban’s just as lockdown restrictions were easing and I only knew a friend of a friend here. Someone suggested to join the walking group and I signed up. I knew I wanted to walk as part of exercise and I love nature so I thought it would be prefect to have company for that. What I didn’t realise was that this group provided a lot more than just a mere physical exercise. Sandra’s and Angela’s group has become my safe place in this new city. Through the regular walks I got to know ladies who have been open to connect at a deeper level and give me a sense of belonging. It felt safe to share joys and sorrows as we walked together and I really appreciate that some were willing to pay the cost of giving me a listening ear when going through a challenging time. At the end of the year when I look back I realised that God has shown me his grace, kindness, acceptance and love through this group. Many thanks to the leaders and all the members too who put Christianity into practice.”
The summer months usually see a large contingent from St Paul’s attend the New Wine summer conference; and this year we were delighted that the event took place after being cancelled for the previous two years. A smaller group than usual camped together, about 20, spread across a wide age range. We were encouraged in our faith as we shared with thousands of others in worship, prayer, bible teaching and the ministry of the Spirit.
Children and Youth
At St Paul’s, we believe that children and young people are full members of the body of Christ and we seek to encourage, disciple and challenge each other as we journey together. We champion parents to disciple their kids, and provide space for kids to connect with God. We want them to have fun by participating in creative, active and memorable friendship-building activities. As our young people grow, we want to empower them to be true disciples of Jesus - giving opportunities to grow in leadership, giftings and service.
Sunday Groups
During 2022 we saw some exciting restructuring and the launch of new groups and initiatives. Some of our children’s groups merged and a new structure was launched in September: Base Camp for under 3s, Scramblers for 3 years until end of Year 1, and Adventurers for Years 2-6. By starting kids’ groups at 10.30am on two or three weeks in a month we allow more space for chat and connecting with God amidst the fun activities.
In December our first Sunday of the month all-age service was transformed into Sunday Fun Day, involving a mixture of fellowship, food, and fun activities for all ages, as well as worship, Bible content, discussion, prayer, games and reflection.
We have 80 children on the registers of our children’s Sunday groups (aged 0-11yrs) and our average Sunday attendance is around 38 each week. Over 25 volunteers, including some older members of our youth group, regularly commit to preparing, leading or helping in these Sunday groups during term time.
Pathfinders continues to run on a Sunday morning for youth in years 7-9. At the beginning of the year, they followed the Thrive Course, which included topics focusing on identity, mental health and emotional wellbeing – particular relevant as we were emerging from the challenges of the pandemic. They have also
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followed Youth for Christ materials on friendship and face-to-face encounters with Jesus and gone back to basics. In addition, the Youth Band has seen growth in numbers, ability and confidence.
We currently have 39 youth listed on our registers in this group, with an average weekly attendance of 12. We have a team of 4 adults and 3 older youth running this group.
Events and Other Groups
Young people in years 9-13 meet weekly in term time on Thursday evenings and a Youth Alpha course ran at the beginning of the year. It was very successful, resulting in some brilliant conversations with the young people about their understanding of God. It included a sleepover where the group watched the Holy Spirit Alpha videos, and had a time of prayer ministry and interaction with prayer stations.
In April, Tori and Rachel ran an online Parenting for Faith Course with around 20 people participating.
Summer was a busy time with Tori and Rachel taking eight St Paul’s kids away on a Scripture Union Camp called SUbmerge, as well as on 267 Weekends away. While the kids’ ministry teams took a well-deserved rest the Summer Sundays still brought lots of ‘Play and pray’ activities for families to take part in together. There was also a series of Summer Wednesdays, where our usual Wednesday Pop-in Café expanded to create space for families from our Tots and Tiny Tots groups. The youth group hosted their annual summer events including the Grub Crawl and Youth Family Summer BBQ.
A pair of Light Parties in October were a great success. We welcomed 102 children to the first and shared a gospel message about Jesus being the light in the darkness. Later, we had over 30 young people enjoy laser tag, a silent disco and ice cream sandwiches. And in November Duggie Dug Dug came to St Paul’s and led his Crazy Science Party. We were encouraged to see many families from the community come to this event.
Our other regular groups - Tots, Tiny Tots and SaturDads - have continued to run and grow from strength to strength, providing valuable spaces for parents and carers of younger children. In October we launched First Friday Adventurers, a monthly social for children in Years 2-6. Children from church have regularly invited their friends from school, which has been great to see!
We also launched Explore, a group for Years 7-9, meeting every other week. The group kicked off with 18 young people and we have seen this group remain steady at about 15 young people each time. It is a space for games, friends and a question of the week which we all discuss together. A couple of the older youth come along and support the wonderful team who help run this.
Youth mentoring is another exciting initiative with 8 young people in regular contact with a mentor. It’s still early days for this but there have been really encouraging stories of relationship building between mentor and mentee and of some great conversations.
Schools and Community Work
St Paul's aims also to support children through work in and with schools. We welcomed 90 children from Fleetville Infants into church to learn about Thankfulness at Harvest time. Diane and Tori also did a Harvest assembly for the children at Oakwood Primary.
We welcomed over 350 school children, plus their teachers and some parents, to our Nativity Trail for Schools, where we shared the good news of Christmas and children had the opportunity to learn about advent and make a Christmas card.
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Rachel has continued to work with STEP (a local charity and one of our mission partners working in secondary schools). She helped to lead a lunchtime Explore Group at Beaumont discussing the big questions of the universe like what is the purpose of humanity! She also took part of an 8-week leadership course at Verulam where 10 boys looked at influence, character and perseverance amongst other topics.
During 2022 there have been exciting developments in a wider network of youth work initiatives. The 267 Project, STEP schools work, Young Life, Youth Work at the Abbey and YWAM Harpenden as well as a number of churches with volunteer and employed youth workers have been coming together. The result is the St Albans Youth Work Collective. This Collective aims to work together to reach unreached young people in St Albans.
CHRISTIANS AGAINST POVERTY (CAP)
St Paul’s hosts and runs a CAP Debt Centre, serving St Albans and the surrounding area. It is one of over 300 such centres across the UK, providing free debt advice and money education to local people regardless of faith or background. Rachel Martin, Debt Centre Manager, shares her thoughts on the last year:
As I have sat praying and thinking about what to write, I have felt totally overwhelmed by God’s love for the poor and needy. It remains a privilege, as the Centre Manager for CAP, to be part of an organisation driven by compassion and excellence, providing help and support to some of the most vulnerable people locally, whilst remaining Christ-Centred. However, it has undoubtedly also been the hardest year to date for me in this role. We came out of the pandemic thinking ‘the worst was over’ – little did we know! As a result of more people being in debt, we have seen increasing numbers turning to loan sharks and money laundering. With this has come increased compliance requirements and complex situations.
Most of our clients are also facing mental health issues, making it more difficult for them to work with us and requiring additional help from our services. 46% of our new clients have identified as having mental health problems – a worrying statistic.
The Centre has worked at capacity over the last year, continuing (post pandemic) to work face-toface with clients in their homes. We have also been running regular Life Skills courses for outside organisations and groups, helping people to budget and make their money go further. These have been popular due to the cost-of-living crisis and issues around fuel costs etc. Sadly, in many cases is not possible to balance a budget. Once clients have paid their housing costs and fuel and water etc. they are left with little or no money, leaving them with the heart-breaking choice of whether to heat their homes or feed their family. Please pray for these families as they try to keep their heads above water. We are seeing increasing numbers of people being evicted as they can no longer afford to pay their rent.
We now have a fully trained second Debt Coach, Harriet, which is a huge help. She will be looking after our clients for 3 months in 2023, whilst I am on Sabbatical. Please pray for her as she holds the fort. Please also pray for me – that this time may be a time of seeking and exploring what God would like me to do going forwards.
If you would like to know more, or join our support team, please contact Rachel.
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Mission
At St Paul’s we are committed to mission – sharing God’s love, challenging injustice, caring for our world, serving our community and supporting the wider work of God’s Church. We give away 15% of all our general income to mission: a full list of the mission organisations that St Paul’s supports is given at the end of this report. These organisations are reviewed by PCC on a rolling 3-year programme, with bids invited for any unspent balance at year end. PCC also makes occasional gifts, for example for individuals undertaking mission projects, meeting hardship needs, or when there are humanitarian crises.
Included within this support are 12 ’Key Mission Partners’, working locally or overseas, with whom we have closer ties. We share updates and remember these partners in our corporate and individual prayer. Each partner is encouraged to have a Mission Link within the congregation; and there are a number of prayer support groups where church members can encourage and pray for individual partners; these are often held on Zoom to give a direct contact with the partner.
We are very grateful to our MADGE (Mission, Action, Do, Give, Encourage) group who have set up and encouraged this mission awareness and support. Early in 2022 this group indicated they would like to hand over to a new team: interim arrangements are in place whilst we consider how we best promote and support the wider mission of the church.
Buildings
We are blessed with a flexible and well-functioning building for our church and halls, that combines the old and the new and provides a valued meeting place for church members and the wider community. This has been especially appreciated over the winter, when the concourse was used as a Warm Space for the local community, as well as providing a comfortable area for church members to gather. We have been pleased to see hall use increasing close to pre-pandemic levels, with a number of new groups using our facilities.
Every five years, the Diocese requires a ‘Quinquennial inspection’ of the church and halls, to identify any areas that may need attention in the short and medium term. Our last Quinquennial took place in 2019, and during 2022 we have undertaken the majority of recommendations to be addressed before the next inspection. These included repairs to high level stonework and brickwork, removing or replacing any loose masonry (work completed in January 2023); and installing snow guards to mitigate the risk of roof tiles falling onto pedestrian areas. Both these projects were carried out under faculty (Diocesan permission). In addition. external woodwork on the halls was repainted; handrails at entrances added or repaired; and other minor repairs and decorations undertaken.
The church also owns a house in Brampton Road which, during 2022, was occupied by our Associate Vicar and then rented to the Diocese to house a local Vicar temporarily. A new boiler was installed during the year, and some minor maintenance and decoration undertaken between tenancies.
Lynn Gower, our caretaker, continues to take excellent care of our building throughout, and we are very grateful to Lynn for all her work in managing lettings and welcoming our community users. We are also fortunate to have a small volunteer team to carry out simple and not-so-simple repairs, and advise where professional skills are needed.
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CREATION CARE
St Paul’s has a Creation Care Group that encourages thought, discussion and action which places God’s creation at the centre of what we do, why we do it and how we do it. Phil Nalpanis shares about this aspect of our church life:
At St Paul’s we are also committed to caring for God’s wonderful creation: preserving what’s good in God’s creation and seeking to reverse the damage humankind has done and continues to do, in so many ways, to that creation.
Together with over 5,000 churches we are part of Eco Church, A Rocha UK’s sustainability programme and award scheme for churches in England and Wales, and achieved a Silver Award in 2021. The Eco Church structure provides a framework to look at all aspects of how we as a church care for God’s creation, under five headings: Worship & Teaching, Buildings, Land, Community & Global Engagement, and Lifestyle. The first four of these are about what we do as a church; lifestyle is about what we do as individuals.
Also, General Synod voted in February 2020 for the whole of the Church of England to achieve net zero carbon by 2030. And that includes us!
Some activities we engage in as part of our creation care are regular litter picks, having recycling bins around the building, maintaining a no-dig garden, pursuing energy efficiencies wherever possible and encouraging individuals within our community to think of ways they can contribute through their own lifestyle choices. We also ran an event in May in conjunction with the annual St Albans Sustainability Festival. And we are looking at how we can pursue our Eco Church Gold Award.
Risk Management
We have identified the major risks to which the PCC is exposed, and have undertaken risk assessments for all areas of activity. During the year we have reviewed our policies for Health and Safety, Safeguarding, Social Media and GDPR/privacy, for any changes in activities and developments in statutory requirements or recommended practice. We have also completed a professional fire risk assessment as required every five years. We hold a register to log any incidents.
We have continued our use of ChurchSuite to manage contacts and communications, and to ensure all required training is up to date. During the past year we adapted our COVID risk management in line with any government guidance released.
The PCC takes out adequate insurance cover against fire, theft, employer’s and public liability and other insurable risks. Clear procedures are in place for the authorisation of expenditure and secure receipt and recording of income.
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Church Governance and Structure
St Paul’s Church is guided by and responsible to the Synods of the Church of England and to its appointed Bishops and their officers.
PCC members are trustees under charity law in relation to the legal and financial responsibilities. The PCC has a Standing Committee made up of the Vicars, both Church Wardens, Lay Chair of the PCC, and Treasurer. It considers and makes decisions on matters relating to staffing or finance, as delegated from PCC.
The Finance Committee is made up of the Vicar, one Church Warden, Lay Chair and Treasurer, plus a member of the congregation with financial expertise. There is also a Maintenance Committee with members appointed by the PCC, including the Operations Manager and a Church Warden.
The PCC complies with legal obligations and best practice; that the financial systems are effective, accounts are properly kept and presented, budgets monitored and that due care is taken over any investments; that the church records are kept properly; that Health and Safety, Fire Safety, Child Protection and Vulnerable Adult, Disability Discrimination and Data Protection have policies and that these are upheld and regularly reviewed; that legal records are well kept and that proper insurance is provided. The PCC has complied with the duty under section 5 of the Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure 2016 (duty to have due regard to House of Bishop’s guidance on safeguarding children and vulnerable adults.)
The PCC appoints all staff except the Vicar or curate. The diocese provides legal advice on contracts and employment issues. We have a Staff Handbook that clarifies policies and is updated and reviewed annually by the PCC. The Archdeacon checks these legal aspects annually.
Some financial decisions are delegated; the Operations Manager can spend sums up to £500; the Maintenance Group has a ceiling of £2,000; spend above this must be approved by PCC (or by Standing Committee, following delegation from PCC). Spend is reported to PCC at least termly.
The Vicars meet regularly with staff and with the Churchwardens, and Standing Committee meets regularly to discuss PCC business, policy issues, any HR matters and financial decisions delegated to it by PCC.
Staff
The staff team during the year January-December 2022 was as shown:
Vicars: Rev Jono Tregale and Rev Diane Tregale (jobshare 1 FTE Vicar, employed by the diocese, and parttime Director of Ministries, employed by the PCC)
A ssociate Vicar: Rev Andre Radmall (part-time, to August 2022)
Children’s & Families Minister : Tori Moerman-Redding
Youth Minister: Rachel Alexander
Associate Minister: Rev Peter Crumpler (SSM, part-time)
Operations Manager : Julie McKinlay (part-time)
Office Administrator: Cheryl Bannatyne (part-time)
Caretaker & Bookings Officer: Lynn Gower
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Staff members give individual ministry updates to the PCC through the year.
Once appointed, the management of staff has been delegated by the PCC to the Vicars (or someone they delegate it to) and to the Standing Committee, which deals with any HR issues on behalf of PCC, including any grievance or disciplinary process. Ordained staff are responsible to the Vicars and also responsible and accountable to the Bishop.
In addition to these staff our Lay Reader Mike Ford makes a valued contribution to our worship and church life.
PCC Members
The appointment of PCC members is governed by and set out in the Church Representation Rules. Most members have either been elected to PCC or Deanery Synod; Deanery Synod representatives are ex officio members of PCC as are the Churchwardens. New members of the PCC are appointed at the Annual Church Meeting (ACM) and are required to complete a trustee registration form.
The following people served on PCC for all or part of the year January-December 2022
Ex Officio members
Vicar: Rev Diane Tregale Rev Jono Tregale Associate Vicar: Rev Andre Radmall to August 2022 Associate Minister: Rev Peter Crumpler Churchwardens: Mrs Lindsey McLeod Mrs Jo Fisher to March 2022 Dr Jim Wright from March 2022 Deanery Synod: Mr Luke Fletcher Mr Philip Habershon Mrs Rachel Laanest Mr Nick Salisbury (Lay Vice Chair) Co-Opted Members Treasurer: Mrs Sandra Thompson Elected Members Ms Ellie Cook Mr Justyn Evans Mrs Nike Fakoya Mr Luke Fletcher (remove as per Jono?) Mrs Caroline Gatland to March 2022 Mrs Lucy Ginty Mrs Lesley Kempsford (PCC Secretary) resigned August 2022 Mr Nigel Kingsman Mr Paul Lawrence from March 2022 Mr Al Lines Mr John Lowe to March 2022
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Mrs Elizabeth Marriott Mr George Tsafandakis Mrs Kathryn Walker Mrs Caroline Wilkins
from March 2022 from March 2022
PCC Advisors (non-voting members)
Mrs Tori Moerman-Redding (Children & Families Minister) Mrs Rachel Alexander (Youth Minister) Mrs Julie McKinlay (Operations Manager)
There were 9 meetings held during the year. The PCC Committees (Finance and Maintenance) were in contact throughout the year, reporting back to the main meeting. The Standing Committee made decisions between meetings as necessary, also reporting back as appropriate.
Deanery Synod
St Paul’s has a total of four lay members serving on Deanery Synod, providing an important link with the wider structures of the church. During 2022, these members were Luke Fletcher, Philip Habershon, Rachel Laanest and Nick Salisbury (also a member of Diocesan Synod). There were three meetings of Deanery Synod held in 2022 with talks on Youth Matters and the Diocesan Youth Service, a presentation from The Anna Chaplain and a talk from the Clergy Support Trust. David White, Diocesan Secretary also introduced himself to Deanery Synod. During the year, Fr Richard Watson replaced Rev Kenneth Padley as Rural Dean.
Finance Summary[1]
The main factors influencing our finances this year were: a further fall in giving; a recovery in hall rents post pandemic; increases in various costs including staff costs, heat and light and our parish share; and significant spend on repairs to the stoneworks on our buildings.
We ended the year with a £17k surplus on our general fund (i.e. income exceeded spending on day-to-day activities by £17k). In addition, we paid our vicars for some additional hours, which we met from our development fund: including this extra cost would give a deficit of £8.6k.
Looking ahead, finance remains a limiting factor. In order to continue to pay our vicars for additional hours or otherwise increase our ministry staff, we will need to increase income and/or make further cost savings.
Income
Giving income has been declining in recent years and this continued in 2022, with total giving being £41k lower than in 2021. Whilst we are blessed by many generous and committed givers, we continue to feel the effect of demographic change as some of our most generous givers retired and/or moved away. The decline would have been much bigger had we not had a generous response from the congregation following our Celebration Sunday in October. Including gift aid, this gave rise to an additional £15k of one-off gifts and an increase in regular giving of £29k p.a.
1 Subject to completion of audit
St Paul’s Church, St Albans – Annual Report 2022 15
Hall rents continued to recover post pandemic and were £21k higher than in 2021. This was helped by members of the congregation ‘spreading the word’ about the great facilities we have. We also received rent of £9k on letting our curate’s house whilst this has been vacant.
Grant income was £17k less than in 2021, primarily due to furlough receipts in 2021 not being repeated in 2022.
Other sources of income were broadly stable. In particular, we continued to benefit from a £33k distribution from St Peter’s Churchlands Trust (we have a historic connection to St Peter’s).
Our total income for the year (before specific gifts for missions) fell by £24k as compared to 2021.
| 2021 | Income | General | Other funds |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 332,550 | Monthly giving | 295,225 | 295,225 | |
| 52,479 | One off Gift Aid & other donations | 47,857 | 3,601 | 51,458 |
| 66,373 | Tax recovered | 61,778 | 61,788 | |
| 520 | Collections | 1,926 | 1,926 | |
| 29,940 | Hall and curates house rents | 60,043 | 60,043 | |
| 33,500 | St Peter's Churchlands | 33,000 | 33,000 | |
| 2,832 | Activities | 5,863 | 5,863 | |
| 24,435 | Grants | 7,029 | 250 | 7,279 |
| 1,122 | Interest | 2,695 | 540 | 3,235 |
| 0 | Legacy | 0 | ||
| 543,752 | Total St Paul's Income | 515,426 | 4,391 | 519,817 |
| 12,211 | Mission donations | 8,123 | 8,123 | |
| 555,963 | Total Income | 515,426 | 12,514 | 527,940 |
16 St Paul’s Church, St Albans – Annual Report 2022
Spending
Our largest item of spend is our ‘parish share’ contribution to St Albans Diocese. The Diocese pay for all clergy salaries, pensions and training in the area, and parishes contribute according to their clergy numbers, attendance, and ability to pay. Following a diocesan-level review of parish shares which took place in 2022, our parish share for 2023 will be £9k lower than in 2022.
Our next largest item of spend is our wonderful staff team. In 2022 we employed two full time ministry staff plus a part time Associate Minister for part of the year. We also paid for 0.7 FTE of additional hours for our two vicars (0.35 each) which we met from the development fund (their 1 FTE base salary is paid for by the diocese from our parish share as explained above). 2022 was also the first year of our revised staffing structure for our office and support staff (comprising two part time office staff and a full time caretaker), saving over £20k p.a. on pre-pandemic costs. Including our vicars’ additional hours, staff costs were £168k which was £5k higher than in 2021 when we had held admin vacancies and furloughed some staff hours.
Other spending this year has mainly comprised our regular running costs, largely for our premises and the activities we run. These remained broadly stable, with the exception of our energy costs that increased by £13k as a result of a fixed price gas contract coming to an end.
In addition, we continue to give away 15% of our income, plus specific fundraising and collections for missions and charities. In total £84k was given in 2022, as listed at the end of this section, which included £2k transferred from our mission reserve: this reserve now stands at £15k, to be allocated in 2023 or future years.
| 2021 | Spending | General | Other funds |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 163,602 | Parish Share to Diocese | 172,361 | 172,361 | |
| 163,177 | Staff salaries & expenses | 142,811 | 25,863 | 168,674 |
| 60,968 | Premises | 54,376 | 15,495 | 69,871 |
| 5,833 | Children and Youth work | 6,681 | 250 | 6,931 |
| 4,912 | Other ministryand outreach | 10,328 | 10,328 | |
| 10,546 | Social Action(incl CAP) | 3,923 | 6,464 | 10,387 |
| 17,880 | Admin & Governance | 17,637 | 2,333 | 19,970 |
| 1,725 | Cost of events etc | 2,512 | 2,512 | |
| 428,643 | Total St Paul's Spending | 410,629 | 50,405 | 461,034 |
| 73,376 | Missiongiving | 80,293 | 3,428 | 83,721 |
| 502,019 | Total Spending -Charitable Purposes | 490,922 | 53,833 | 544,755 |
| Otherfund movements: | ||||
| Mission tithe | (2,910) | |||
| 10,609 | Depreciation/capitalisation | 10,222 |
St Paul’s Church, St Albans – Annual Report 2022 17
Looking forwards
Looking forwards we face an ongoing forecast shortfall for our-day to-day running costs. The size of this deficit will depend on several factors, the biggest of which is future staffing, including the additional hours for our vicars. For the first half of 2023, we have increased these additional hours to 1.0 FTE (0.5 FTE each): were we to continue on this basis the forecast deficit for 2023 would be in the region of £40k. Whilst in the short term this could be funded from reserves, longer term this is not sustainable.
We all value and benefit from the life of St Paul’s, and recognise that so much depends on the commitment of time, skills, prayer and energy of the St Paul’s family. We are very grateful for the financial giving that also underpins all that goes on. We continue to encourage all of us to review our giving regularly, and ask God what He wants us to give to St Paul’s and elsewhere. Please pray for the resourcing of our activities, and your part in this.
Reserves Policy
We plan for future needs and hold reserves for likely building repairs, development of our facilities, and a salaries reserve to provide protection against fluctuations in income, as well as our general reserve. Balances on our reserves at year-end 2022 are shown below, with 2021 comparison. The movements include the PCC’s decision to transfer amounts between funds as explained below.
| Balances on Unrestricted Funds | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | |
| General | 71,807 | 94,554 |
| Building | 138,785 | 95,797 |
| Development | 53,372 | 93,484 |
| Salaries Reserve | 65,000 | 65,000 |
| Mission Tithe | 15.470 | 17,881 |
| Total | 344,434 | 366,716 |
18 St Paul’s Church, St Albans – Annual Report 2022
General fund: Our policy is to hold in the General Fund (a) sufficient reserves to cover the next 12 month’s forecast deficit (£40k for 2023), plus (b) a margin of £30k for unexpected costs/falls in income so as to give us a ‘breathing space to address these. At the end of 2022, PCC decided to transfer £40k to the Building Fund to help replenish this following major building repairs (see below), whilst maintaining the policy level.
Building fund: During 2022 we commenced the repairs to the stoneworks that were highlighted in the 5- yearly ‘Quinquennial’ inspection of our buildings that took place in 2019. The total cost of these (including fees) is almost £60k of which £17k was spent in 2022 with the balance to be spent in 2023 as the works are completed. The fund has been replenished by transfers from the General Fund (£40k) and the Development Fund (£15k) to levels held before the repairs to the stoneworks, taking account of the remaining stoneworks costs falling in 2023.
Development fund: In 2022 we used this fund to meet the cost of our vicars’ additional hours (0.7 FTE) as well as to make a transfer to the Building Fund as noted above. The balance on this fund at the end of 2022 is sufficient to allow cover for the replacement of AV and other plant and equipment now mostly 12+ years old, as well as some provision for new projects.
Salaries reserve: PCC policy is to maintain a minimum six months' gross salary costs in our salary reserve.
Mission tithe fund: This represents the portion of our mission giving that had not been distributed at the end of the year, and which will be available for distribution in 2023 or future years.
Youth mission fund: This is the balance of fundraising and donations, after expenditure, from youth mission trips in previous years. It will be used for similar future initiatives. In 2022, £500 was allocated to Joanna Brown as part of our support for her work with JENGA, leaving a balance of £5,243.
St Paul’s Church, St Albans – Annual Report 2022 19
Grants to Missions and Charities
The following grants and donations were made to missions and charities during 2022.
| From | From | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | Restricted | Total | Total | |
| Fund | Donations | 2022 | 2021 | |
| £ | £ |
£ | £ |
|
| 2:67 project | 1,400 | - |
1,400 |
1,400 |
| A Rocha | 900 | - |
900 |
960 |
| Anna Chaplaincy to the elderly | 500 | - |
500 |
500 |
| Age UK Herts | - | - |
- | 450 |
| AZALEA Women's Refuge | 561 | - |
561 |
990 |
| Alpha - HTB | 250 | - |
250 |
250 |
| Bible Society | 400 | - |
400 |
400 |
| CARE for the Family | 250 | - |
250 |
250 |
| Childrens Society | 250 | - |
250 |
250 |
| Christian Aid | 400 | - |
400 |
400 |
| Christians Against Poverty | 4,000 | - |
4,000 |
4,344 |
| St Albans Communities First | 1,000 | - |
1,000 | - |
| Credit Union, St. Albans | 500 | - |
500 |
650 |
| CMJ | 900 | - |
900 |
900 |
| CMS | 900 | - |
900 |
900 |
| Concordis | 400 | - |
400 |
400 |
| Connect | 900 | - |
900 |
900 |
| CPAS | 450 | - |
450 |
450 |
| Crusaders | 800 | - |
800 |
250 |
| Evangelical Alliance | 250 | - |
250 |
250 |
| FEED | 200 | - |
200 |
200 |
| Mosaic Middle East | 1,000 | 1,000 | - | |
| Fusion | 250 | - |
250 |
250 |
| Grove House | - | - |
- | 450 |
| - Iain Rennie Hospice | 450 | 589 |
1,039 | - |
| Great Lakes outreach | 1,800 | - |
1,800 | - |
| Hatfield Road Day Care Centre | 750 | - |
750 |
750 |
| JENGA | 4,000 | - |
4,000 |
4,000 |
| Japanese Church (RH Stevens) | (45) | - | (45) | - |
| Relationships Foundation | - | - |
- | 250 |
| Kiwoko Hospital | 1,000 | - | 1,000 | - |
| Leakes (direct) | 500 | - |
500 |
500 |
| Leakes - via CMS | - | - |
- | 1,000 |
| Living Room | - | - |
- | 3,000 |
| Local Schools | 300 | - |
300 |
1,430 |
| Mission Without Borders | 4,500 | - |
4,500 |
4,500 |
| Mothers Union Literacy | 900 | - |
900 |
900 |
| New Wine Networks | 250 | 250 | 300 |
20 St Paul’s Church, St Albans – Annual Report 2022
| Oak Church, Stevenage Open Door nightshelter Open Doors Prison Fellowship/Angel Tree Radio Verulam Saltmine Theatre Scripture Union SHARE Trust - Avondale SHARE Trust -general St Johns Farley Hill Red Cross STEP TEAR Fund Throw a Starfish Teach Beyond Townsend School UCCF University of Hertfordshire CU YWAM Individuals Vicar & Warden's fund Total |
From General Fund £ 4,500 250 400 150 150 800 550 3,000 1,500 2,500 - 5,000 650 1,800 1,500 800 250 250 23,328 78,245 78,245 |
From Restricted Donations £ - - - - - - - - - - - - 599 - - - - - 2,240 3,427 3,427 |
Total 2022 £ 4,500 250 400 150 150 800 550 3,000 1,500 2,500 - 5,000 1,249 1,800 1,500 800 250 250 - 25,568 81,672 2,049 83,721 |
Total 2021 £ 4,500 250 400 150 150 - 550 3,000 1,500 1,000 120 5,000 650 - - - 250 250 1,020 21,038 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 72,201 1,175 |
||||
| 73,376 |
ST. PAUL'S PAROCHIALCHURCH COUNCIL, ST.ALBANS Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2022 Index of Contents Page statement of financial resFonsibilitEs of the Parochial Church Council Independent Auditorfs Report Balance Sheet Statement of Financial ActivrtEs Statement of Cash Fk)ws Notes to the Fnanckgl Statements 10 19
ST. PAUL'S PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL ST.ALBANS STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILThIES OFTHE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL The law govemiig Ihe adIninEtrafjc of charrks requyes the trust to prepare accounts which give a truè fa vlew of the stsle of affaTS of the charty at the annual acccuntng date and of ts and eXndItUre for the year th8n ended. In the casè of a Church ol England parish the trustees org Iho EMberS of the Parochial Church Council IPCCI. In prgparing these accounts, the PCC i8 required to: Sd Suitab account prAES and appty them oortsBtenty', and Meet bgal accounting arKI ret&thg crit4. The PCC is r85ponsible for ensurirKJ Ihat proper accountng rrAdS are kept for all fvnds for which they are re8txJnsibk. These LK)d(s must give a tru8 and fair vw4 of the Church's state of gffairs and explan its financial transactions. The PCC must aL80 estsbfish and maintain a satsfactory systern of control of the Church's bjoks of account, tts cash ldirJS and all receipts and remittances.11 is also resp(sible for saf*Juarding the ass8ts and taking reasonabl8 stsps for the prevenli)n aryj de1Jn of fraud or other egUrths. Ch8imian Treasurer
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT TO THE TRusfEES OF THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL, ST PAUL'S, sr ALBANS Oplnion We have audited the financial ststements of St Paul's. PCC, St Albans {'the charitVI for the year ended 31 December 2022 which comprise the ststement of finanaal activities, balance sheet, statement of cash flows and notes to the financial statements, including significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and Untted Kingdom Accounting Standard5. including FRS 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practicel. In OLJr opinion, the financlal statements: •give a true and fair view of the state of the charivs affairs as at 31 December 2022 and of its incoming resources and application of resources for the year then ended: •have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accountln8 Practice,. and •have been prepared In accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011. Basis for opinion We conducted our audit in accordance wilh International Stsndards on Auditing IUKI IISAs IUKII and applicable13w. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditorfs re5ponsibilitles for the audit of the financial Statements section of our report. Wè are independent of the charity in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC'S Ethical Stsndard. and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtsined is sufficient and appropriate to piovide a basis for our opinion. Conclusions relating to going concern In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the tru5tees' use of the going concern basi5 of accounting in the preparatlon of the financial statements is appropriate. Based on the work we have performed. we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, Individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charitls ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least 12 months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue. Our responsibilitie5 and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report. her Information The other information comprises the information included in the annual report, including the tru5tees' report, other than the financial statements and our auditorfs report thereon. The trustees are responsible for the other inforrnation contained within the annval report. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other infom)ation and. except to the extent otheNiise explicitty stated in our report, we do not express anyfomi of assuran conclusion thereon.
Our responsibility 15 to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the course of the audit, or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether thi5 gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of thi5 oiher Information, we are required to report that fatt. We have nothing to report in thi5 regard. Matters on which we are requlred to report by exceptlon In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the charity and its envimnment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the tru5tee5' report. We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Charities Act 2011 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion: •the information given in the trusteeg report is inconsistent in any material respect with the financial statements; or •sufficient accounting records have not been kept: or •the financial statemer)ts are not in agreement with the accounting records- or •we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit. Responsibilities of trustee5 As explained more fully in the trusteeg responsibilities Statement set out on page 4, the tru5tee5 are responslble for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such intemal control as the trustees determine is necessary to enable the prepar3tion of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. In preparing the financial Statements. the trustees are responsible for a55essing the charitvs ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable. matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the charity or to cease operations, or have no realistic altemative but to do so. Auditorf5 responsibilities for the audit ol the financlal statements Our objettives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditorfs report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assuran. but is not a guarantee that an audit condurted in accordance with ISA5 IUKI will always detect a material misstatement when It exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually 01 in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expetted to Influen the economic decisions of u5eis taken on the basis of these financial statements. Irregularities, including fraud. are instances of non-compliance with law5 and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilitie5. Outlined above. to detett material misstatements in
respect of irregularities, including fraud. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below: The extent to which the audit was tonsklered capable of detectlng Irregularities Including fraud In identifying and assessing the risks of material mlssiatement in respect of irregularities, Including fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations. we considered the following., •The nature of the industry and sector, control environment and performance- •result5 of our enquiries of Management about their own identification and assessment of the risks of irregularities,. •any matters we identified having obtained and review the chariVs documentation of their policies and procedures relating to; identifying, evaluating and complying with laws and gulatIOn and whether they were 8ware of any instances of non-compliance: detectin8 and responding to the risks of fraud and whether they have knowledge of any actual. suspetted or alleged fraud; the internal controls established to mitigate risks of fraud or non-compliance with laws and regulations: the matters discu55ed among the audit engagementteam regarding how and wherefraud mlght occur in the financial statements and any potential indicators of fraud. A5 a result of these procedures, we considered the opportunitie5 and incentwes that may exlst within the organisation for fraud. In common with all audits under15As IUKI, we are also required to perform specific procedures to respond to the risk of management override. We also obtained an understanding of the legal and regulatory frameworks that the charity operates in, focusing on provisions of those laws and regulations that had a direct effett on the detèrminatio of material amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. In addition, we considered provisions of other law5 and regulation5 that do not have a dirett effect on the financial ststements but compliance with which may be fundamental to the charl5 ability to operate or to avoid a material penalty- Audit response to risks identified To address the risk of fraud through management bias and override of controls, we.. ' performed anatytical procedure5 to identify any unusual or unexpected relationships,. •tested journal entries to identify unusual tran5attions," •assessed whether judgements and assumptions made in determining the accounting estimates were indicative of potential bias,. and •investigated the rationale behind significant or unusual transartions. In response to the risk of irregularrties and non-complian wbth laws and regulations, we designed procedures which included, but were not limited to= •agreeing financial statement disclosure5 to underlying supporting documentation; •readin8 the minutes of meetings of those charged with govemance; and
•enquiring of management as to attual and potential litigation and claims There are inherent limitations in our audit procedures described above. The more removed that laws and regulations are from financial transactions, the less likely it is that we would become aware of non-compliance. Auditing standards also limit the audit procedure5 quired to identify non- compli3nce with laws and regulations to enquiry of the directors and other management and the inspection of regulatory and legal correspondence, rf any. Material misstatements that arise due to fraud can be harder to detect than those that arise from error as they may involve deliberate concealment or collusion. A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council's website at= vw4w.frc.org.uvauditorsrespon5ibilities. This description forms part of our auditorfs report. Use of our report This report is made solely to the charitvs trustees. as a body. in accordance with the Charities Act 2011. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the trustees those matters we are requlred to state to them in an audttorfs report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charitvs trustees as a body. for our audit work. for this report, or for the opinions we have formed. Myers Clark Istatutory Auditor) Egale I 80 St Albans Road Watford Herts WD17 IDL Date-
ST. PAUL'S PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL ST. ALBANS 8alanc8 Sheet at31 December 2022 Notes 2022 2021 Fixed Assets Tangiblg fixed as5ets'. Property Equpmenl Investsnents 3.905,819 48,556 32,433 3,905,819 53,350 3.986,808 3 995.908 Current Assttt$ Debtors and prepayments Short term d09tts Cash al bank and in hand 21,4( 241,074 30,907 239,181 135.358 389.025 405,446 Loss: Current Liabilities Amunts falng due withn one year Net Current Assets 29 052 354.155 376,394 Net Assets 4 372 302 Funds Unrestrkted G¢noral Buikling Maintenan¢ DeveloFHnenl Salaries Reswve Unalbcaled Mission Tihe Asset revabJalk)n reserves 71.806 138,786 53,372 65,000 15,470 94,553 95,797 93,484 65,000 17,880 3 970 400 4,307 623 4,337,114 ReStrted Fund- Youth 5,243 5,743 Eowment Funds 28.097 29,445 4 372 302 Approved by the Parochol ChuTch Cour1 on 2 March 2(123 atKI swJned ther behalf by.. Rev J Trega Charman Mrs S ThoTllPSW FCA Treasur
ST. PAUL'S PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL ST. ALBANS Statemant of Financial Actlvities for tho year ended 31 December 2022 Restricted & Endowment Funds Urtrèstrfct8d Funds TOTAL FUNDS 2022 2021 Notes Income and endowments from: Donan$ and gaC Trading activth8 charitab activrtEs Investmenis Other incorne- fvrbugh 281 2b) 2cl 2dl 2a) 446,825 60.043 11.974 458,799 4,692 29,940 2,832 1,122 17,377 5.863 3,23S 2,695 Total Income and endowmgnts 555 963 Expenditure on: Charitable aclNtss 513276 27.074} 27,0371 42,687 Gains and bsses on nvestments 2.4171 { 1,888) 4,3051 4,$93 Net incomelexpenditure 29.4911 1,8491 31.3421 47,270 Balances brought fard 4.337,114 35,187 4,372,301 4,325.033 Balances carrpd forward 4,307.623 33,338 4 340.959 4 372,3D3 Movements on reserves and al recognisefj gal arKI kJ55es are incbjdgj atrx)ve. The notes on pages S to 17 fom part of lhe accounts.
ST. PAUL'S PAROCHL4LCHURCH COUNCiU ST.ALBANS statemgnt of Cash Flows forthe year ended 31 Dgc¢mber 2022 2022 2021 Cash flows from op•ratlng actlvltles: Net kncorn81{expendrturel for the year AdlJsknents for: Depro¢&Yon chargesl capTtalisatiord kjss on d&pos81 Purchase of prop8ty, pL4nt & equiynent IGalnsllLosses on investments Dwidends and l)terest from inv8sbm8nts IlnoreasellDecrease in Debtors In¢reasellDe¢re8so) h Credlcfs Net ¢4$h provlded byllused In) optrntlng a¢tlvlll•s 31,3421 47,270 4,794 5.428 4,305 3.2351 9,505 11,257 4,583 1,1221 15,102 4,T271 73,648 Cashflows from Investlng activltles: DpIendS, inlerest atKI rents from iivestrnents Salg of ftced assets Purchase of prcpety, pknl & equyyT 1,122 1,1(xl 5,4281 Chango In ¢8sh and cash •qulvalents In the Teportlng perfod 6,920) 75,870 Cash arKI equnts at the teginnrvJ ofthe r8pcthg .. 374.539 298,E69 Cash and cash equlvalènts at thè Ènd of th• rgporting poriod 367.619 374 539 Made up as to.. Srt-terM doposts Cash al bank and li hand 241.074 126545 239,181 135.358 367619
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS for the year ended 31 December 2022 1 Accountlng Pollcles Th8 financial statements have bèen prepared in accordance with the Church Accounting Regulations 2006, and the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting for Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in Ihe UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS102)- SORP FRS 10218ffective 1 January 2019). The accounts have departed from the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 only to the extent required to provide a true and fair view. This departure has involved applying SORP FRS 102 (effective 1 January 2019) rather than the version of the statement of R8commended Practice referred to In the regulation but which has since been withdrawn. The accounts are prepared on the basis that the PCC is a going concem, and that the PCC is a publi¢ benefit entity under FRS102. Recognltlon of Income and Expendlturo The ststements are prepared on the accruals basis, that is to say, income and expenditure are rewgnised (included in the accounts) as and when they are earned or incurred, whith rnay be before they are received or paid. Income including legaci&s is recognised when the inflow of benefits is probable. Income Tax reclaimed on Gift Aid donations is accrued for all amounts outstanding from HMRC when a claim has been submitted. Funds and ReseNes General 'unrestricted" fijnds 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. In addibon to the general fund, these include the church building maintenance fijnd, development fund and salaries reseNe, which are designated funds set aside for these particular purposes by the PCC. Details of these reserves. including the PCC'S policies regarding the level of reserves, are shown at note 4. Restricted funds are those given for a specified purpose.They include donations for specific missions and charities. as detailed at note 14. Endowment Funds are another fomi of restrided fund, where money has been given to the church with the spectfic instruction that only the investment income may be spent by the PCC. Full details of these funds are given at notes 6 and 7. io
Flxod Assets Consecrated propety Consecrated land and buildings and moveable church fumishings, consecrated and benefficed propety is excluded from Ihe accounts by s10 (2) (G) Charities Act 2011. No value is placed on moveable church ftjmishings (including equiprnent added under faculty) until a sale tskes plac*.The churthwardens hold this property in trust for the PCC, bul are unable to authorise a sale until a faculty for disposal is granted by the Diocese. All expenditure on consecrated or beneficed buildings and moveable fumishings is written off in the year in which it is incurred. Other Land and Buildings Other land and buildings held on behaff ofthe PCC for its own purposes (the church halls and staff house) are stated at historical cost, taken under FRS102 as the book value at 31 December 2013. No depreciation is charged against such properties if their residual value is great8r than their historical cosl. At each reporting date an assessment is carried out to determine whether an asset should b8 written down (i.e. whether tts carrying amount is more than its recoverable amount). other fixtures, fittings and Offi equipment. Equipment used within the Ghurch premises is held at historical cost and d8preciated on a straight line basis over its expeded useful life. Items with a purchase price of £2,000 or less are written off in the year of acquistbon. Investments Investments are valued at market value at the balance sheet date. io
ST. PAUL'S PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL ST. ALBANS NOTES TO THE FINANCIALSTATEMENTS for the year ended 31 D8combor 2022 2. Income and gndowments RgStrkt8d & UnrnstrfetÈd Endowmont Funds Funds Total 2022 Total 2021 Note al DonatFons and Log8cl¢s PLqnned gwing Unplanned Grft AKI don8tRJ)s Tax r0vered under Grft Aij Co1ctIonS Donalions Local 8uthorly Covkl grant Dwxesan grant lor bull Ying maintenance Local aulhorty Warm Spaces. grant Dc&S3n grant towards energy costs Diocèsan grant fDr youth work Oonalions for Missbn D¢)nations for S1 acth)n st. Peterfs Church LaThJs 295,225 28,066 61,788 1.926 19,791 295,225 28.068 61,788 1,926 22,191 332,550 21,035 66,373 520 29.845 6,808 2,41)) 3,0(X) 2,250 1,279 250 8,123 1201 1279 250 8,123 1,201 250 12,211 1.6CX) bl Tradln9 A¢tlvltles Hall and Church Rental Incom8 51,222 8,821 51.222 8,821 6Q,043 29,940 29,940 ¢1 Charltable actlvlties SoeLg1 Èv8nts MateriaL8 coursgs Fees 1,295 1,295 304 4,264 528 160 dl InStmant Income Intere51 and dThiklends l Other Income Furk)ugh (Job Relentn &heme} 17,377 Total Income and endowments 12.514 12
ST. PAUL'S PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL. ST. ALBANS NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS for the ye8r 31 D8cernber 2022 3. EXpondIre R•81¢ & Endowrnant Funds Unrestrlctsd Funts Toial 2022 Totsl 2021 al Charltsbl¢ actly1es- MIs81on and charitable glvlng The C*urch Ovetseas.. Mlssh)n Reliof and development Home m'.5Eion s8cu.ar chaiitias VICr & Wardens. Fund grants 32.555 3.450 40.140 2.100 500 599 1,740 589 33,055 4.049 41,880 2,689 2,048 25,870 2.510 38.021 6,000 14 80.293 bl Church •xp8n588 Padsh Sharè to Dv)cese Ministry staff salar$ and pensk)n cOnbUt]n8 Mln18try staff eKP8nses, aCConTr)datn and tralnh)g Youth & ¢hldrtrn's wort Evangelism and pUblty Pastor8VM8teria Worshp and musl¢ Upkèep ofservkes and mhtsty Books 2nd SU notes Soci818vents So81 action. including CAP Churth & Hall runnlng expense$'. Heat and IEqht Insurance Maintenancs Developmenvbui(ng eXpendure C8rètakÈf8 sal8ry and accornMdat AdrninlstsatioD an s&crela¢o1 salaries Con$utt8nGy- ICT & OffK8 of1e and station8ry Audit fee Net asset IlepToclaUonllcapttalBatb)nl Loss on dwosal of a858t 172,361 172,361 163,602 110,239 110,239 128,743 8.122 6.681 2.875 221 5,703 1.529 288 2.224 3.923 8,122 6,931 2,875 221 5.703 1,529 288 2,224 10,387 4,912 5,833 1.395 20 3,030 487 182 1.563 10,546 250 6,464 25.726 6.305 22,345 15,495 25,726 6.305 22.345 1 S,495 13,074 6,163 27.077 14,654 18,991 18,991 18,045 31,322 4.359 7,538 5,740 31,322 6,692 7,538 5,740 11,477 7,415 5,166 5,299 2.333 10.222 10.222 10.609 648 462.209 9.047 471 256 439 900 Totsl 8xpendIre on ¢harltabl• a¢U¥ltle$ 542.502 554,977 513,27fj 13
ST. PAUL'S PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIU ST. ALBANS NOTES TOTHE FINANCIALSTATEMENTS for the yeor &nd•d 31 D8c8mb8r 2022 4. Unrestrfcted Funds al Th• Church Bullding Mantenance Fund is for rn&F)r repar armj rnaintenare work on church bulldhgs, and rnar equlptnent replacement. Repaks Irchjde works kdentiw n thg qurwuenp.K?I nsp9ckn by the church's arhitect. The st hspectDn tcok place in 2019. DurwYJ 2022. st4K repairs to a vabje of £15.495 w8r8 uTrI8rtEk8n, with th8 bala olworks takiig pbce in 2023. bl Th8 Church DwdoFment Fu1 i5 for wovBx)n of anhartl (8ciIt£S 8fKI ewi)rt, or other devebpment prqects. PCC agre that Ib.i% tund be reed, wbth a transfer of £35,000 to lyJlding luNI to rèklsnL%h thk l01hing the stonthvork before tExt qu4tv4uefinl WpeCt[)n. cl The Sabrs Reserve an amunt set aSe io Cover cixnmknwit8 empby88 costs. It b cakukted to provkje a minimum three rrK)nths' gross saLary costs. dl Thè General Fund s general reserve for day to day exprK1thre. The suW5 be carrw forward to h81p fwd rUnng costs fDr2023. 81 The PCC makes donatiorts to ms$i)ng 8Th1 charts as a tithe. catuTabl a5 15% of unrgstrrted Incixne. Grants are awarded on account ol the tthe during the year. The UnaJcated Mi55K)r. Trthe at the of the year Is carrigd ft)rw8rd use the year. fj The Capl8lsatiorVDepreci4tK)n Fund repr6sents arTh)unts charg n th8 Staternerrt rf Fina&9115 but not get agaknst the General CK othgr fvtKts. Openlng Balaneè 1.1.22 Transfers between funds Clo$lng Balanc• 31.12.22 Inme Expendtture Fund G8neral Chur¢h Buiktng Dev9knwnent Salarbs Reserve M6sK)n Tithe Asset revaluation reserves 511.192 527.(K16 15.495 6,9331 55.000 1 4D,8631 71,806 138.766 53.372 65.000 1S.470 95.797 93.484 751 17.8 2.4101 3.970.4th) 2.417 4,7941 3,9e3,189 Total 4337114 515427 544.918 4 3D7 623 5. Restri¢t Funds balance 0fthndrag and (>natx)ns the 2016 and 2019 youth mBsDn trips. after exp8ndrLur8,1s hokl in theyouth FU. Dumg 2022. £5(X) olthis fiJThl was 8knat8d as part ofthe ¢hur¢h8 SUPW)rt for Joanna Brown IJENGAI. baviig a bahnce of£5,243. Incornè of £11,974 receed for specrfr rni8S organi58tK)n5 or actwitses und8rt8k8n by St Pauls str¥)wn as restr¢ted (note 21 arnl wes futy spent withii the h)ancl year (note 31.
ST. PAUL'S PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL ST.ALBANS NOTES TOTHE HNANCIAL STATEMENTS for the y8ar ended 31 De¢ember2022 6. Endowmont Funds The baknces on these funds 8t thè shset date. the accUmuj 8urpluses of Tme ov8r expondu. avaikbk to be Spent the88 KXJryX)S88. wo as fiknls". Opening Balanco 1.122 Ck)slng Balance 31.12.22 In¢om• ExpendlluTe Fund Choir and Church Mus Garden of Rgst Poor Investment reVtn 7,091 4,115 2,744 15,495 7,440 4.250 2,800 13,607 135 Total 29.445 28,097 The Pwr Fund includes inconE earned the fNeStrrts ofthe Thumham Charty, a separate charity established by bequest for the assistance of Ihe pc4)r of Ihe par6h. 7 Invgstmènts The PCC hokys investments for the ch( & Church MUS Fund aThJ GaTden of Rest Fund, 8ach set up with a gacy frorn a church member. Th8 caprtal of the Funts. whKh cannL LE spent wi the norfflal c(Jurse of events, k8 wivested in the Investment Fund of the ctraI803rd of Fiiance ofthe Church ol England. The PCC also hDld5 an investmentfrom ts general fvnd n the Invesfrnènt FurK1. htsknrical cost of this vestment is £10,000. The market valuatb)ns ol these nv9strnts atthe and end ol the year were.. 2022 2021 and Church Mus G8rd8n of Resl Gener81 Fund 3,572 10,653 18,2D8 12,068 20,625 Tot Funds 32 433 The chang8 in value of1hese YeSentS E shn n the &alerrEnt of Financial knbvth&s. 15
ST, PAUL'S PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL ST. ALBANS NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS for the year ond8d 31 December 2022 Flxed Asspts Land and Buildings PrOrtY tytvned by the FCC wrFK)sès nckjdes the church hall CoMpX and the curate's house. This 15 inckjded wi the accounts at hiStOral cosL Und8r FRS1C12 this is taken as the market value as al 31 De[ber 2013. There has been r4J Vernent In tha cost, depreciathTh or net book v81u6 DI property assets dur1 the year. bl Equipment Tha PCC owns caFAtal equ1 whh shcmn n the accounts al its hislorical cost b$s depreei9tK)n inparrrEnts. as bebw. Equpment K% depreciated o¥ ks expected useftjl IKO, nNmaly 5 yaars for ICT and 10 yeaTS for olher wu¥)ment. Equi)mant shown bekw [r1leS PV p8rth: hethg and access control systèms. fire sensor system, kitch aptABnces, the olFKe &¢>¢¥). AV systems n the hal, and camams and stag8 liqht9 in church. Cost brougm forward at l January 2022 Addthons kss rliswsaL8 Cost carrEd forward at 31 tlecember 2022 166.525 DepreCiatn brght fLYward at 1 January 2022 D6pre¢thn n the year Deprecobon elminaj on dEal DeprecHb'on carrd forward al 31 Decemter 20Z2 113.175 10,222 Net 8()k Vabje 1 January 2022 Net PKK)k Vakje 31 DEmber 2022 Staff Costs DurwvJ th8 y88rthg PCC empbyed a tuvlwne Miitster. Chhjren's Mknister arKI Caretaker. as wel as part-lime ASsl8te V¢ar. OperatS Manager, Church Admintstrator and CAP debl a(fve support worker nd Fdrt lime additw)nal hwrs ft our VKaTS. Tolal salary cosls were 8S t%l(M: Drect salarEs Employers Nl Employer pensJn C£triK)r Total Funds 146,964 5,573 In addItn to these saLgries Ihe carelaker B provKled with CoMmrX1atM. No fell into Ihg over £60,QOO pay band. 16
ST. PAUL'S PAROCHIALCHURCH COUNCIL ST.ALBANS NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS forthe year end8d 31 Dècember2022 Staff Costs cont. The PCC partwat&5 n the Church of gland Dèf1 Contnbutrjns Scheme IDCS} With the Church Workers PensK)n Fund. The PCC Gontrbutes 8.5% of basc sakny and employees can opt, txrt are Th)t raquirèd, to make a cottributs"on. In adrtK to paij staff. unpabj vokjntgors and a seW4upwknro Mini%ler mak& 8 subs18ntial conlrbulion to all the ae1D1.eS oflhe church, chren'S aTrJ youth work, rnusK and w(*shlp, cataring, small group work and admi)tstr81ive support. Gwen the gf cakuktiYJ a rncetary vakte for activity it not included in the aCCOLmts. 10. Commitments and Ilabllltl&s There were outstand9 Sab&es at the yeaT-end. PCC M•mbors' (trustees) rernungrtion. expenses and donations StafF members who wer8 ako PCC members n the year (ltl15trat0r and secretary) rec&w rgtnuneration as n mle 9 alA)vè. Expenses b)ta £'1.949 were pavj to the crgy. 12. Ralated Party Interestg The folkjwing r8kted party interests have t Klenbw. and translI)n$ incurrèd. Trustee Related Trustee. Door St. Albans TrJnsaction LrKJse McLeod Misslon dOnaln £250 During 2022 PCC memters made dcali)n8 to SL P8u&'s totakng £64.873. 13. CapStal Commltments As al 31 Dernber 2022, a ¢traCtfOr th8 repar of stonewLYks was li w(NJre3s, with tender1 works d vakne £29.718 + VAT cStand lor coMpt)n in 2023. 17
ST. PAUL'S PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL ST.ALBANS NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS for the year erKJed 31 Decembor 2022 1 Grants to Mlsslons and ChaTi11gs Thè folowing grBntS 8nd donatrjns were mth to MSjn8 and charitss durit¥J the year.. From Géra1 Fund Frnm Rtstriet•d Donafi?nJ Total 2022 Total 2021 2..67 proi8cl ARocha Anna Chaplaincy to the e%Jer Poe UK Herts AZALEA Wornen's Raf AJpha- HTB Bib SOcty CARE for the Famty Childr8ns Christian AKI Christians Against Poverty st Abans Cornmunth8s First Cradit Unk)n, St. Abar cw GMS Concordis Connect CPAS Crusaders Evanggloal AIEnce FEED Osa MdIe East Fusiin Grove House lakn Renn Hospr Great Lakas outrèach Haffiekj Road Day Carè Cèntrè JENGA Jopanose Church IRH Stevens) Just Love Rebli)nships Found*K)n Kwoko Hospital Laakes Idirecl) Laakas- VB CMS Chaco Church Trust l La Caklwa LNing Ro(¥n Local Schcw) Mi5svJn Wrtht Borders Molhefs UnK)n Literacy New Wine N8lworks Oak Church, Stevenage Open Door npJh(sher Open Dcors PrBon Fe&)wshvJAngel Tree Radio Verubm &ttmine Thèatrè Scripture Unijn 1.4 1,400 5CMJ 500 450 561 561 250 400 250 250 4CM) 4,000 1,0 250 400 250 250 400 4,344 650 9fX) 9(Y) 450 450 250 260 200 250 250 200 1,000 250 250 250 450 1,039 1,800 750 4,000 451 750 750 4,000 451 250 1,0 3,000 1.430 4.500 Jo 250 4,500 250 400 150 150 300 4.500 900 250 4,500 250 400 150 150 250 19) 150 550 16
ST. PAUL'S PAROCHIALCHURCH COUNCIL ST.ALBANS NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS forth8 year gnded 31 December 2022 SHARE Trust- Avonda SHARE Trust-general Sl Johns FarY Hil Red Cross STEP TEAR Fund Thr(M a S*arf6h Teach Beyond Townsand Scho UCCF Unwersty of Hertfordshirs CU YWAM Indfvidua 3,IX)O 1.500 2,500 1,500 1,000 120 5,000 650 5,000 1,249 1,81Y) 250 250 250 250 250 250 1,020 21,038 23,328 2240 25,568 78,245 3,427 81.672 72,201 1.175 Vicar & W8rd8n's fijnd 2.048 Total 17