DIOCESE OF ST ALBANS ST PAUL'S ST ALBANS ST PAUL'S CHURCH, ST ALBANS Blandford Road, St Albans. Hert5. AL14JP Registered charity number 1131697 ANNUAL REPORT and summary accounts of the Parochial Church Council 2025 Vlcars.. Revjono 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 Audltors: Myers Clark, Egale 1, 80 St Albans Road, Watford WD17 1DL St Paul's Church, St Albans-Annual Report 2025 Table of Contents Introduction...................-........... Electoral Roll and Church Attendance........ VicGrs'Report and Review of2025................. .. Vlsion and Values...........................-... .. Overvlew of the year.............................................-..-........-......-..................- DeanerySynod.................-................--..... Sofeguardlng....................-....-...................... Buildings and Fabrlc ReporL.....-........................--...- Risk Management....- ........ . Church Governance and Structure........ PCC Members...... .. ... Finonce Summary............................-_.--.-... Income........... Spendlng............................................... . .. . Looking forwards..........................-.....-........... ..... Reserves Pollcy... ..... Grants to Mlssions and Charities.............-.............--..-.-.................... .. . ..io ..12 ..12 ..13 St Paul's Church, St Albans- Annual Report 2025 Introduction The Parochial Church Council IPCCI is responsible for the employment of staff and for the upkeep of the church buildin& adjoining church halls and rooms, and 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, evangelistlc, 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 genera5 affluence, a number face financial and other hardships. Electoral Roll and Church Attendance Our electoral roll, published on 21 March 2025, named 228 people as members of St Paul's Church. Church attendance during 2025 was similar to the previous year with an average of 188 adults and 51 children each Sunday, with about 280 adults and almost 100 children attending regularly at the end of the year. N umbers of online viewers has also remained similar to the previous year with our services attracting almost 100 views each week. For the 830am service online viewing often doubles the size of the congregation. During the year the clergy conducted l adult baptism, 2 re-affirmations of baptism, 3 child dedications. 3 weddings and 13 funerals in church. Our new electoral roll, published on 10 April 2026, names 228 people as members of St Paul's Church. Vicars, Report and Review of 2025 As we reflect back on the mission and ministry of the church throughout 2025 it Is helpful to be reminded of the core vision and values which shape all we do. Vision and Values We believe God is calling us to go . Deeper in relationship with our Heavenly Father, focussed on Jesus and dependent on his Spirit. We seek to grow in our understanding of the Bible and in the gifts and fruit of the Spirit as we become wholehearted disciples. St Paul's Church, St Albans - Annual Report 2025 Closer as an authentic community in Jesus where every person is welcomed, loved and empowered to serve, and enjoy life together. We pray and work for unity amidst our diversity, building meaningful relationships which span generations and cultures. Wlder as we reach out and overflow with the life-changing love and presence of God in our parish, communities, places of influence and beyond. We are committed to care for God's world and its people. We long for many to know and follow Je5US. And ... In all that we do we seek to be Jesus-centred, filled and overflowing with the Holy Spirit, guided and inspired by the Bible, expectant and hungry for God our Father to be at work. Prayer is the engine house of our personal and corporate life and we seek to listen for God's voice. We want to offer heart-felt and whole life worship to God. We value and honour people of all ages and recognise the need to invest in younger generations. We are called to generosity and hospitality. Overview of the year We have been able to celebrate God's work amongst us throughout the year with the publication of 'Llght and Life, in January, March, July, September and November- with a further edition in January 2026 looking back to Christmas. Full of photos, reports, and faith-building stories, these paint a colourful picture of the mi55ion and ministry of St Paul's Church. Copies are available from the church office. Worship & Services.. Three weekly services continued through the year,. 8.30am Traditional, 10.30am Contemporary with children's ministry, and 7pm Informal. Special services included 'Flavours of Home, celebrating the ethnic diversity of the church, and 'Safeguarding Sunday, highlighting our commitment to caring for all God's people. Sharing Faith: Alpha continues to be a great opportunity for people to explore the Christian faith. The course ran twice, in the Spring and Autumn terms, with guests coming along who we had no prior connection with. In addition, a small focus group of church members continues to meet to encourage faith-sharing in all aspects of church 5ife, reflecting the 'Wider' strand of our vi510ll. Pastoral Care.. The Pastoral Care Team continued to grow, supporting many people with both practical help and listening prayer. The clergy take the lead with funeral and bereavement ministry. Older People's Ministry- The monthly lunch club for the over-705 regularly reached capacity during the year, and the weekly Pop-ln Café continued to draw in those from outside of the church. Christian messages at both events point hearers to Jesus. Youth, Children & Families.. our ministry to younger generations flourished during the year with an active programme reflecting the church's vision to grow Deeper, Closer and Wider. Sunday groups, mid-week groups, regular socials and trips away all contributed to this. Big outreach events included the Easter Trail in Clarence Park and the Nativity Trail in the church attracting hundreds of local children to hear the message of Jesus. St Paul's Church, St Albans- Annual Report 2025 Groups, Events & Activities: Many groups meet outside of service5 to support the church's vision to grow Deeper, Closer and Wider. These included homegroups for prayer and bible study, walking groups and craft groups. Mission Support: We continued to support our Mission Partners with some able to be involved in services and other groups. More detail can be found in the financial summary. CAP.. We continued to SUPPOrtthe work of Christians Against Poverty ICAPI where our Debt Centre Manager, Rachel Martin, supported by a part-time debt coach have again helped many to overcome the challenge of debt. The centre also ran 'Life Skills, courses alongside another local church that offers people access to food as well as a wide range of help, support and resources. Creation Care.. A small group continued to advocate and act for the care of creation. As holders of a Silver Eco Church award we are committed to exploring how church decisions, including about our buildings, can minimise impact on the environment. Staffing.. After being on adoption leave for most of the year we said farewell to Tori, our Children's and Families, Minister, in September as she moved to Bristol for ordination training. Soon after, we began the process of seeking a replacement for her. Earlier in the year, the Vicars, Diane and Jono, were on 'extended study leave, Isabbaticall for three months. Martin, our curate, led ably during their absence. Deanery Synod St Albans Deanery is one of the 20 deaneries making up the Diocese of St Albans. 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. There were three meetings of Deanery Synod held in 2025 with presentations on 'Well-being for All,, 'Support in Ministrf, and 'Being a Deanery Eco Champion,. Reports are also regularly provided from Diocesan Synod and General Synod. Safeguarding St Paul's is committed to the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults and to supporting those who have been victims of abuse, as well as those who may present a risk to others. The PCC has complied with the duty under Section 5 of the Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure 2016 Ito have due regard to the House of Bishop's guidance on safeguarding children and vulnerable adults). The PCC has adopted all the required policies and practice guidance. We have a volunteer Parish Safeguarding Officer (Lindsey McLeod to June 2025 and Rachel Martin from June 20251, with the Youth Minister (Graham Shephardl acting as deputy. Those who work with vulnerable groups in the Parish are recruited in accordance with the Safer Recruitment Practice Guidance July 2021. For those requiring them, DBS checks are renewed and appropriate safeguarding training conducted every 3 years. There is adequate insurance cover for all activities involving children or adults undertaken in the name of the Parish. There have been no issues of safeguarding concern relating to the ministries of St Paul's reported during 2025. 5t Paul's Church, St Albans- Annual Report 2025 Buildings and Fabric Report Every five years the Diocese requires a "Quinquennial Inspection" of the church and ha115 by an architect to identify any areas that might need attention. The latest inspection took place early in spring 2024 and identified a long list of maintenance and repair work required in the short and medium term. We have completed all of the short-term actions and continue to work on a long list of suggested tasks. We are grateful to the Maintenance Group of Dave Keir, Bob Kemp, Martin Marriot, and Daniel Tolmie for undertaking of many of the maintenance works required to keep the buildings fit for purpose. Thank you, a150, to the small number of volunteer5 who respond when the call goes out for support for specific projects such as room decorating. For many years Mike Ford has fixed many of our electrical problems within the building,. Mike decided to "hang up his screwdriverf, at the end of 2025 and we wish to thank him and Jenny for all of their work. It is now 16 years since the church renovations were completed and sign5 of wear and tear are growing. Over the year, in addition to the regular maintenance activities, a number of other activities have taken place, including.. installation of a door between Garden Rooms l & 2,. alterations to the doors from the concourse to the large hall,. repairs to the stairs in the church office,. and installation of new projectors and screens in the main church. Progress with developing our plan for working towards Net Zero Carbon by 2030 have been frustrated by hiccups and administrative problems with the national church plans for providing grants for delivery of the work. In 2025 we engaged with specialists to advise us on options for reducing our carbon footprint for lightillg our buildings and hope to implement early phases of the upgrade project in 2026. We continue to evaluate options to upgrade the heating system and further reduce our carbon footprint. Thank you to Lynn Gower, our caretaker, who takes excellent care of our buildings and 3150 manages lettings and is a welcoming and friendly face for our community users. 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 fire risk assessment. 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. The PCC takes out adequate insurance cover against fire, theft, employerfs and public liability and other insurable risks. Clear procedures are in place for the authorisation of expenditure and secure receipt and recording of income. 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. St Paul's Church, St Albans-Annual Report 2025 PCC members are trustees uftder charity law in relation to the le8al and financial responsibilities. The PCC has a Standing Comrnittee made up ofthe Vicars, both Churchwardens, 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 thevicars, one Churchwarden, Lay ChairandTreasurer, plusa member of the congregation with financial expertise. There is also a Maintenance Committee with members appointed by the PCC, Includingthe Operations Manager and a Churchwarden, The PCC complies with legal obligations and best practice- ensuring 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 and Vulnerable Adult Protection, Disability Discrimination and Data Protertion have policies and that these are upheld and regularly reviewed,. that legal records are well kept and that proper insurance is provided. The PCC appoints all staff except the Vicars and curate. The diocese provides legal advice on contract5 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,(KIO; spend above this must be approved by PCC lor by Standing Committee, following delegation from PCCI. Spend is reported to PCC at leasttermly. The Vicars meet regularly with staff and with the Churchwardens, and Standing Committee meets regularly to discuss PCC bu51ne55, policy issues, any HR matters and financial decisions delegated to it by PCC. staff The staff team during the year January-December 2025 was as shown: Vicors.- Rev Jono Tregale and Rev Diane Tregale tiob-share l FfE stipendiary Vicar, job-share l FTE Director of Ministrie5, employed by the PCCI Children's, Fomilies, & Community Minister. Tori M-R {to September 2025} Youth Minister.. Graham Shephard Youth Work Trainee.. Lauren Lomax Ipart-time) Curate: Rev Martlr) Watson Associote Minister.. Rev Peter Crumpler Iself-supporting minister. part-timel Operutions Iwonager: Julie McKinlay (part-time) Office Administrotor.. Cheryl Bannatyne Ipart-time to October 2025, full-time from November 20251 Caretuker & Bookings Officer. Lynn Gower Once appointed, the management of staff has been delegated by the PCC to the Vicar5 lor someone they delegate it tol 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. St Paul's Church, St Albans- Annual Report 2025 In addition to these staff our Lay Reader Mike Ford makes a valued contribution to our worship and church PCC Members The appointment of PCC members is governed by and set out in the Church Representation Rules, most having been elected to PCC or Deanery Synod- the latter being ex officio members of PCC, as are the Churchwardens. New members of the PCC are appointed at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting IAPCMI and are required to complete a trustee registration form. There were 10 meetings held during the year. The PCC Committees (Standing, Finance and Maintenance) report to the main meeting as appropriate. Ex Officio member5 Vicar- Rev Diane Tregale Rev Jono Tregale Rev Peter Crumpler Rev Martin Watson Dr Jim Wright (to April 20251 Mrs Laura Bull (from April 20251 Mr David Hardisty Mr Luke Fletcher Dr Robert M-Rlto August 20251 Mr Brandon Solomon Ifrom August 20251 Mrs Rachel Laanest Mr Nick Salisbury IPCC Lay Vice Chairl Associate Minister: Curate: Churchwarden5.' Deanery Synod: Elected Members Mrs Laura Bull Ms Helen Chilton Ms Ellie Cook Mrjon Evans Mr Ju5tyn Evans Mrs Nike Fakoya Mr Babatunde Idowu Mr Paul Lawrence Mr Norman Leinster Mr Brandon Solomon Mr George Tsafandakis Mrs Kathryn Walker Mr5 Caroline Wilkins Dr Jim Wright to April 2025 Honorary Treasurer to April 2025 from April 2025 to August 2025 (transfer to Deanery) to April 2025 from April 2025 PCC Advisors (non-voting members) Mr Graham Shephard (Youth Minister) Mrs Julie McKinlay Ioperations Managerl Mr Andy Thompson IPCC Secretary) St Paul's Church, St Albans - Annual Report 2025 Finance Summary Thank you to each of you who generously gives to St Paul's,. your giving funds our mission and the many activities you've been reading about in this report. Total income in 2025 was higher than in 2024 due to £210K in legacies and £70K in restricted gifts (details below). Excluding these large one-offs, total income was broadly flat compared to 2024.. regular giving reduced, but this was offset by an increase in hall rent and interest. Total expenses in 2025 were lower than in 2024.. we had savings in staff costs, maintenance and heat/light. Our original budget had anticipated a drop in giving (due to the changing demographic of our congregation) but hadn't anticipated a rise in hall rents, nor the savings we made in some of our costs. Consequently, excluding legacies and the large restricted gift, we closed the year with a surplus on our general fund of just over £95K. Looking ahead to 2026, we anticipate regular giving may reduce slightly. we expect staff costs will be higher than last year, and we need to continue investing thoughtfully in maintenance for the upkeep of our buildin85. Consequently, PCC has approved a budget in the zone of breakeven. Income Giving represented over 70% of St Paul's income in 2025 and continues to be essential to fund our activities and mission. Compared to 2024, monthly giving reduced by~£25K1-8% Isome of our most generous givers have retired, relocated or died); we are encouraged that a number of people who recently joined the church have started to give regularly, and others who were already giving increased their donations or gave generous one off gifts. Thank you to each of you who gives regularly to St Paul's. Hall rents continued to grow and were £20K129% higher than in 2024,. this was due to a combination of price increase and extra hires. this was helped by members of the congregation 'spreading the word, about the great facilities we have- please continue to do thisl We benefit from a distribution from St Peterfs Churchlands Trust Iwe have a historic connection to St Peter'sl this was £48,750 in 2025. We received a £20K Brant from the Diocese towards our Youth Work and expect to receive a final tranche ofthe same amount, in 2026. We received two generous legacies totalling £210K; we have transferred 85% of this (after deducting our tithe) to our development fund. We thank and praise God for His generous provision to us as a Church; please pray for wisdom for the PCC as we explore how God guides us to use these gifts. We received a generous restricted donation of £60K, which was mostly used to replace our end-of-life projectors and screens in the Church,. the balance has been ringfenced for future AV repairs / replacements. We a150 received a £IOK restricted donation which has been used to create a hardship and benevolence fund. St Paul's Church, St Albans- Annual Report 2025 2025 Totsl 2024 Income Unrestricted Restricted 330,001 73,269 74,988 2,657 69,646 47,250 11,211 20,500 17,536 35,000 Monthly giving One off Donations Tax recovered Collections Hall & housing rents Sl Petels Churchlands Activities Grants Interest & dividends 304,555 71,854 75,659 2.299 89,584 48,750 8,854 304,555 148,230 75.659 2,299 89,584 48,750 8,854 20,495 25,791 210,000 76,376 20,495 956 24,835 210,000 ac 682,058 1,754 Total St Paul's Income Mission donations 836,390 97,827 765 934,217 765 683,812 Total Income 836,390 98,592 934,982 Where the money comes from Legacy Regiilar glvlng Grants, Interest, Other Hall &hou5ing renrs Onp ofFdonafion.5 Mission Glft Aid tax Spending Total spend in 2025 wa5 lower than in 2024, due to lower maintenance, salary, heat and light costs12024 costs also included £19K for replacing a boiler). St Paul's Church, St Albans-Annual Report 2025 li Our largest two items of spend are our staff team and our Parish Share, togetherthey represent about 75% of our spend (excluding our mission tithe). Our Parish Share is our contribution to St Albans, Diocese- it was slightly lower than 2024. The Diocese pay for all clergy salaries, pensions and training in the area and for incumbent housin& and par15hes contribute according to their clergy numbers, attendance, and ability to pay. Our staff team cost £191K in 2025, this is lower than in 2024 due to having a vacancy for the Children's and Families Minister role for some of the time. In 2025 we employed a Youth Minister, a part time Youth Intern, a Children's, Families and Communities Minister (until October. but she was mostly on adoption leave) and we paid for l FTE of our two vicar510.5 each} - their l FTE base salary is separately paid for by the Diocese from our Parish Share as explained above. The office and support team conslsts of two office staff11.4 FTE at the start of the year, increased to 1.8 FTE towards the end of the yearl and a full-time caretaker. Our Curate'5 salary is a150 covered bythe Diocese from our Parish share. Other spending this year has mainly covered our regular running costs, largely for our premises and the activities we run. While some items have seen inflation-based increases we had savings in maintenance and heat/light Costs. In addition, we continue to give away 15% of our unrestricted income, plus specific fundraising and collections for missions and charities. In total -£83K was given in 2025, as listed at the end of this section; we have also transferred the balance of our 15% 'tithe'1-£49K) to our mission reserve, to be allocated in 2026 orfuture years, We continue to fund the runningcosts of ourCAP debt centre,from our Mission giving. 2025 Total 2024 Spending Unrestrlcted Restricted 164,451 199,040 103,838 8,507 8,916 Parish Share to Diocese Slaff salaries & expenses Premises & equipment Children and Youth work Other ministy and outreaGh Social Action Admin & Govemance Cost of events elc 161.788 170,735 76,366 4.259 9,335 161,788 191,230 77,165 4,259 9,335 20,495 799 17,052 4,521 15,297 5.864 15,297 506,325 90.475 Total St Paul's Spending Mission Total Spendlng - Charitable Pur oses 443,644 75.482 21.294 7,135 464,938 82,617 596,800 519,126 28,429 547,555 12 St Paul's Church, St Albans- Annual Report 2025 Where the money goes Ministi-y & Admin et social... Premises_ Staff Mission Parish Share Looking forwards The demographic of our givers continues to change.. as people's circumstances change some who have been among our most generous supporters are no longer able to give at the same level. In addition, our 2025 finances benefited from several one-off gifts that are unlikely to be repeated in 2026. While we continue to control costs carefully, some expense5 are rising due to inflation. As a result, our current forecast is that our finances for 2026 will be broadly around breakeven. To continue to maintain our current level of giving, we rely on new givers and existing givers reviewing what they give. We all value and benefit from the life of St Paul's, and recogni5e 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 underpin5 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. If you don't currently give maybe you're new, or haven't quite got round to it yet - please would you prayerfully consider whether you are able to start giving? Visit our website for more information on how to give: htt www.st auls-stalbans.or ive. 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 2025 are shown below, with 2024 comparison. The amounts shown include the PCC'S decision to make transfers between funds as explained below. St Paul's Church, St Albans- Annual Report 2025 13 Unrestricted Fund Balances 2025 2024 General Building Development Salaries Reserve Mission Tithe Total 138,720 164,944 303,121 122,000 90,652 819,437 96,434 162,649 77,776 111,500 41,885 490 244 Generolfund.- Our policy is to hold in the General Fund lal sufficient reserves to cover any forecast deficit for the next twelve months, plus Ibl a margin of at least £30K for unexperted costs/falls in income so as to give us 'breathing space, to address these. At the end of 2025, PCC decided to transfer £223.5K Imostly from recent legacies) to the Development Fund to fund future development projectlsl, and £10.5K to the Salaries Reserve to bring it back up to our desired level, while keeping the General Fund above our policy minimum. Buildingfund.. this fund is for major repair and maintenance work on church buildings, and major equipment replacement. There wa5 no spend on this fund during 2025. Developmentfund.. this fund is intended to be used to enhance our facilities and equipment, or to fund other development projects. We used -£2K from the Development Fund in 2025 as part of a small project to finalise the concourse and a few other areas of the Church. PCC decided to transfer £223.5K (mostly from recent legacies) into the Development Fund to cover future development projectlsl. Salories reserve.. PCC policy is to maintain a minimum six months, Bross salary costs in our salary reserve. We transferred £10.5K to this reserve to bring it back up to our desired levels. Mission tithefund.. 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 2026 or future years. Grants to Missions and Charities The following grants and donations were made to missions and charities during 2025 From General Fund From Restricted Donatlons Total 2025 Total 2024 2..67 project A Rocha Alpha International Anna Chaplaincy to the elderly AZALEA Women's Refuge Bible Society CARE for the Family Christian Aid Christians Against Poverty Credit Union ISI. Albans Community Bank) CMJ UK CMS 1,400 900 250 500 550 400 1,400 900 250 500 550 400 1,400 900 500 550 250 400 350 400 6.480 500 2,900 6,000 480 6.480 900 900 I'ii 900 900 900 14 St Paul's Church, St Albans-Annual Report 2025 Concordls Connect CPAS CrL¢S8ders St. Albans Evangelical Alliance FEED Fusion Haffield Road Day Care Centre Haven Hop8 Herts Yourbg Homeless JENGA Kiwoko Hospital Leakes (dired} Local Schools Lulon Roma Trust Mission Without Borders Mothers Unlon Literacy New Wlne Nelworks Oak Church, Stevenage Open Door nightshelter Open Doors Scripture Union SHARE Trust- Avondale st. Johns Fartey Hill St. Marls, Pockham S21tmine Trust STEP TEAR Fund Towns8nd schC￿l UCCF University of Hertfordshire CU WORTH Women's Refuge Individuals 400 900 450 800 350 200 250 300 9CKJ 450 550 350 450 550 350 50 5,000 5,OiXI 1.000 4,000 s,000 s,o(K) 500 600 1,5 3,000 4(]0 350 3,500 250 400 550 3,000 1.000 1,500 5(N) 500 1,000 400 350 3,500 250 400 550 350 3,500 250 400 550 1.OCwJ 1.000 1,000 7.000 834 3.914 800 250 250 2,000 150 27.660 400 250 250 30.S(KJ 715 31,215 71,984 1.245 73,229 81.254 Vicar & Vvardens, fund 178 178 929 So¢ial Action - CAP Debl Centre- 3,320 5.890 9,210 8,292 Total 75.482 7.135 82.617 90,475 Plus £49K mission tithe transferred to mission reserve to be allocated in future years 'includes running costs of our own CAP Debt Centre ST. PAUL'S PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL, ST. ALBANS Flnancial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2025 Index of Contents Page Statement of financial responsibiliti'es of Ihe Par(Khial Church Council Indep8ndenl Auditor's Repjrt Balance Sheet Statement of Financial Activities Staternent of Cash Flows Notes to the Financial Statements 10 19 ST. PAUL'S PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL, ST. ALBANS STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL The law governing the administration of charilies requi￿$ the trust￿ to prepare accounts which give a true and fair view of the stale of affairs of the charty at the annual a¢¢ounting dale and of its income and expenditure for the year then ended. In the case of a Church of England parish the trustees are the member5 of the Parochial Church Counal IPCC). In preparing these accounts, the PCC is wuired to.. Select surtable a￿ounty'ng policies and apply them consistently.. and Meel legal accounting and reporting criteria. The PCC is responsible for ensuring that proper accounting records are kept for all fvnds for which they are responsible. These books must give a tnje and fair view of the Church's state of affairs and explain its financial transaotK)ns. The PCC must also establish and maintain a satisfactory system of control of the Church's books of account, tts cash holdings and all receipts and remitiances. 11 is also responsible for safeguarding the assets and taking reasonabte sleps for the prevention and detection of fraud or other irregutarities. Chairman Treasurer Date INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORTTO THE TRusfEES OF THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL ST PAUL'S, 5r ALBANS Opinion We have audited the financial statements of St Pauys, PCC, St Albans I'the charit￿) for the year ended 31 December 2025 which compri* the statement of financial activities, balance sheet, statement of cash flow5 and notes to the financial statements. includin8 significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparatlon is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including FRS 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Pra¢tice}. In our opinion, the financial statements: 'give a true and fair view of the stste of the charirf5 affalrs as at 31 December 2025 and of its incoming resources and applicatlon of resources for the year then ended; •have been properly prepared In accordance with United ￿IngdOM Generally AC￿pted Accounting Prartice,. and •have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Chartties Art 2011. Basis for oplnlon We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standard5 on Auditing IUKI IISAS IUKII and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditorfs respon51bilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We 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 FRCS Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. Conclusions relating to going concern In auditing the financial ststements, we have concluded that the trustees. use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate. Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material un￿rtaintieS relating to events or condition5 that. individually or collectively. may cast significant doubt on the Charitys ability lo Continue as a going concern for a perlod of at least 12 months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue. Our responsibilities and the responsibilitie5 of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report. Other Inlormatlon The other information comprises the inforniation included in the annual report, including the trustees. report, other than the financial ststements and our auditorfs report thereon. The trustees re responsible for the other infomiation contained within the annual report. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other InfO￿natIon and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our reFK)rt, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon. Our responsibility 15 to read the other information and. in doing so, consider whether the other infomiation is materially inconslstent 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 this gives rise to a material missiatement in the financial statements them*lves. If, based on the work we have performed. we conclude that there 15 a material missiatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact. We have nothing to report in this regard. Matters on whlch we are requlred to report by exceptlon In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the charity and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have Dot identified material mis5tstements in the trustee5' report. We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Charitie5 Act 2011 requlres us to report to you Sf, in our opinw)n: •the information given in the trustees, report Is inconsistent in any material respect with the financial statements; or •sufficient accounting records have not been kept; or •the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records; or •we have not received all the infomiation and explanations we require for our audit. Responslblllties of trustees As explained more fully in the trustees. responsibiltties statement set OLrt on page 4, the trustees are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give true and fair view, and for such internal control a5 the trustees detemiine is necessary to enable the preparation 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 assessing the chariws ability to continue as a going concern, di5c105in& 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 alternative but to do so. Audltorfs re5ponslbllltles for the audlt of the financial 5tatemrrts Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assuran￿ 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 assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit condutted in accordance with ISAS IUKI will alway5 detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material rf, individually or In the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements. Irregularitie5, including fraud. are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities. Outlined above, to detect 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 audlt was considered capable of detecting Irregularitle5 including fraud In identlfying and assessing the risks of material misstatement in respect of irTegularitles, Including fraud and non-compliance with lavls and regulations, we considered the following; •The nature of the industry and sector, control environment and performance; •results of our enquiries of Management about their own identthcatlon and assessment of the risks of Irregularitie5: •any matters we identified having obtained and review the chariW5 documentation of their policles and procedures relatin8 to; identifying, evaluating and complying with laws and regulation and whether they wère aware of any instances of nonst. At each reporting date an assesgment is carried out to determine whether 8n asset should be vnitten down {i.e. whether its Carr￿ng amount Is more than its recoverable amounti- other r￿tUres, frttings and office equipment. Equipmenl used within the church premises is held at histOTical cost and depreciated on a straight line basis over rts expected useful Itfe. Items with a purchase pri￿ of £2,000 or 5es£ are written off irb the year of acquisition. Invèstments Investments are valued at market value al the balan￿ sheet date. 11 ST. PAUL'S PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL, ST. ALBANS NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS for the year ended 31 December 2025 2. IncLMne and •ndowm•nts Restrfcted & Unrèstricted Endowmènt Funds Funds Total 2025 Total 2024 al Don8tlon8 and Legacles Plannèd giwThJ Unplanned Gift Aid donations Tax recovèred u￿1•r Gift Aid Collections Donations Dioce8an gr8rtt ftr Y￿ work Donations for Mission Donations for social actSon Sl. Pelerfs Church Land8 Leggoes 304.555 30,133 75,659 2.299 111,871 20,495 765 6,226 48.750 210.0 330,CQ1 29,301 74,988 2.657 37,541 20,500 1,754 6,427 47,250 35,OCK) 30.133 75.659 41.721 70,150 20,495 765 8.226 48,750 210,QMXJ 713.117 97,fj36 810,753 S85,419 bl Trdding Actfvitse¥ Hall and Church letlings OlhÈr rÈnt81 incomè 89,5PA 89.646 89.584 89.584 69.646 cl Charftable actIvI￿o$ So¢i81 evonts Materials and course5 Faès 2.1C 2.1C 93 6.655 4,396 234 6,655 8.854 11.211 dl Investment Income Irrtergst 8nd dithdends 24,835 25.791 17,53S Total Incomè and ondowm•nts 83S.M> 98.592 934.982 683.812 12 ST. PAUL'S PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL, ST. ALBANS NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS for the year ended 31 Decemljer 2025 3. Expenditurè Restrlclod & Unrestricted Endowment Fund Funds Totsl 2[125 Total 2024 al Charitable activitses: Mlsslon and charltable glvlng The Church Overseas.. Mission Relief and development Home mission S8caJlar charibes Vicar & Wardens, Fund grants Sodal aclion - CAP Debt Centrg 23.1 1.734 41.lJOO 6,150 178 3.320 23.100 1.734 42,2 6,150 178 9,210 28.150 6,714 45,740 2,650 1.245 5,890 8,292 14 75.482 7,135 82,617 90,475 bl Church oxpgn¥gs PaNsh Share to D￿ceSe Ministry staff s818ries and pension contributions Ministry staff expenses, accommodation and training Youth & children's work Evan￿lisM and publicty Pastoravmaterials Worship and music Upkeep of séNices and ministry B￿kS and SU notes Social events hospitality Socia] action Chur(* & H811 running èxpenses.. Haat and IKJht Insurance Maintenance Garden ol Rest Developmenvbuikling expermlrture AudiDvisual equipment Caretakerfs salary and accommodation Administrabon and secretarial salaries Payroll admillistration Consultancy- ICT & Office offi￿ and stat'onery Audit fee Nel asset depreciationllcapitalisation} 161,788 161,788 164,451 87,232 20,495 107,727 114,599 6,724 4,259 3.737 9)2 2.561 6.724 4,259 3,737 502 2,￿1 1,836 12.561 8,507 3,692 76 2,053 2,718 377 4,521 26.934 7.635 27.438 28,934 7,635 27.438 799 1.722 e95 33,853 7,154 35,752 1,722 19,8 24,4T7 24,477 23.605 52.302 1.145 52,302 1.145 905 6,587 6.660 48,275 1,078 1,652 7,872 6.450 6,587 11,942 11,942 7,226 21,294 464,938 506,325 Total expendiiurn on ¢harilabl• ￿ti¥l￿ 519,126 28,429 547,555 596,800 13 8T. PAUL'S PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL ST. ALBANS NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS for th• yèar ènded 31 December 2025 4. Unreslrfctsd Funds l The Church Buikjing maIntenan￿ Fund is for rnaior repair and Maintenan￿ worfK Dn church building3. and major equipmènt replacement. Rèpa rs indude works iden,if￿￿ in the quinaugnnial in8peL*ion by the church's archite¢t. The last inspection took plar£ in 2024. bl The Church Devdoprnont Fund 15 for the prowsion of enhantxd fac41itses and equipmgnl. or other development projects. Transfets of £223,500 were made frrm the General Fund to prowd& for devdopment projects. cl The S818ries Reserve 18 an amount set aside to o)ver our commitments on 8￿￿Oyee costs in the eventuality that a severe fall In ino)me requires 3tsff to b& madè radur¥JanL It is cal¢￿Iated to provKle approximatdy SLK months, gr05S 8a18ry costs. Transfers of£lO.500 ￿re made frw the G￿ra1 Fund lo en5urewe keep tt)i$ atthe right level. 41 Th¢ Ganeral Fund is our general reserve for day to day exp8nditur•. Th8 surplus wll carried fO￿ard lo hdp fvrTrd runniro ￿$t¥ In fuwre year5. el The PCC makes donations to Missior￿ and charit￿ as a irthe, caltsJlated as 15% 01 unrestricted I[￿OMe. Grants 81B awarded on account of th• ￿tha during the year. The Unlbcatsd Mission rrthe a the end ofthe year is carried forward lor use in thè follown9 ye8r. fj The Cap[￿lsation1D8proCiatson Fund fepres&ts amounts thargwj in the Statement of FinanL7al A¢Uv￿.es but not set agalnst the General or other funds. Openlng Balanc 1.125 Incomo and galns Tr#n8f•r4 between funds Closln9 Balan¢• 31.12.26 Expond1ts5ro Fund General hurch Building tkveloprnellt Salaries ReseNe MI￿0￿ Tithe As8et revalu8lion reser¥e ,434 162,650 Tl,716 111.5(NJ 41.884 3.947.925 830,526 1 517,4021 1 270.6391 138,719 164.945 303,121 122,0 ).652 3,991.929 3,567 1,722} 223,500 10,500 46,788 44,819 8151 Total 4,438,169 835.573 519,124 56.748 4,811,366 S. R•8tslctsd Funds A donation of £eo,oixi was r￿￿ed duri[￿ the ye8rfor th• purpose of upgradirvJ the audiovi8ual ￿UIpMent Used in the church By erKI of1he period £53,634 had been S￿nt and the baLanct rtmoins in the ￿$tricted fund for lurtherAV works. A donation of £10,000 was received to enable Ihe creation of a Hardship and Benevdence fvDd. None of thi8 had been spent by the end of the peistyj. The balancè of fvndraisiro and donatio￿ for the 2016 and 2019 y(yJth wr115s￿￿ thps, after expeTh*iture. is held in the Youth Mission Fund. A donation was rècèivéd in 2024 to ena￿e discretionary asYStan￿ to begiven to dEnts ofthe Chrisb"ans Against Povety Debt Centre managed by St Psuf$. These donations have only t*en used in part and a baL4nc* of£1,596 is being carried forwarrj as a restTKted fund. ST. PAUL'S PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL. ST. ALBANS NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ror thè year gnd¥d 31 D¢cember 2025 5. Restrlcted Fund8 cont. Income re￿iVed for speafic mission organisations or a(knbes undertaken by St Paul's Is shown as re8lricted (note 21. The funds were all Spent￿thin the finanoal year (note 31. The balances on these ￿ndS atthe balance Sheet date. aVaILab￿ to be spent on these purp)5es, were as follows.. Oponlng Balance 1.1.25 Closlng Balancg 31.1225 Income Expendlbjre Transfer Fund Youtr) MiSs￿n Christians Against Poverty Audiow8ual Equipment Hardstrip and BerEvdence FUTh Youth Minister So&81 Act￿￿ 5,243 1,740 5,243 1,596 6,366 10,000 1441 1 53,6341 10,CK 20,495 6,991 120.4951 1 7.1351 144 97.486 27.6301 53.634 23,205 6. Endowment Funds The balances on these ftjnds al the balan￿ sheet date: ccmpnsing the acuJmuLated surpluses of Inec¥ne over expendibjre, available Ic* be spent on these wrposes. were as fc4k)ws.' Openlng Balance 1.1.25 Movement on and galns ExpendlbJR Investment Closlng Balance 31.12.25 Transfer Fund Choir 8nd Churth Mu&c Garden of Rest P￿r InveslThenl revaluation 8,295 4.653 3,158 15,313 218 { 5,9201 2,591 7,282 3,426 14,676 7931 8371 Total 31.419 1.1C6 799 3.114 27,975 Tr8nsf¥s comwse the ￿81￿0￿.0n be￿On the Choir and Churth Muwo and Garden of Ro81 Funds of previous ye8rs' dwidènd incomè". and thè u8e of the CIM)ir and CIMJrth FurKJ to meet the costs of a new digital keyboard. The Poor Fund re￿Ve$ income eamed on U)e inves1ments ofthe Thumham Charity. a separate Gharity established by bequesifor the assistan￿ of the pcrfx ol the parish. 15 ST. PAUL'S PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL. ST. ALBANS NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMEKrs for the year ended 31 De¢¢mber 2025 7 Inv8#tmonts The PCC holds invesbments forthÈ Choir & chur¢￿ Music Fund and Garden of Rest FJnd, each set up wth a14acy from a parishioner. The capital of the Funds, which car.not be SFent in the norrnal Course ol ovents, is ir.vested in the Investment Fund of the Centr81 B08riJ of Finan¢e of the Church of England. The PCC also h)Ids an investrnenl fram ts GeneTa Fund in the Irwe5tment Fund. The historical cost ol this investrnenl is £10,Cts). The market valuab'on8 of these investsnents atthe beginning and end of the ye8rwere'. 2024 Ch￿r and Church Mdsic G8rden tsl Rest General Fund 3,840 11,454 19,577 4.000 11,931 20,393 Total Funds 34,871 36,324 Tho ¢h8ng¢ In value of1hese investrnents is slKywn in tre Ststement ol Finanua Activfae5. 16 ST. PAUL'S PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIU ST. ALBANS NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS for the year ended 31 December 2025 Flxed Awts al Land and Bulldlngs Property owned by the PCC for ils ovm purrK)5es indknde5 the church hall C4)mpth and the curate's house. Thi$ 1$ ineluded in the acwjnts at tr.i8tJr¢al cosL UneEr FRS102 thi$ Ks taken as the market value as at 3f December 2013. There ha5 Lwi no rnov￿￿t in the cx)sL depre￿atIon or nèt book value of pro￿rty assets duriNJ the year. b} Equipmèrrt The PCC owns captsl a]uipmentwhith is shrp￿ In actc¥Jnts at its historical cost le$8 depreciation and imp8irtnetLts, as bel(Yw. Equikynenl is deprery8ted ovwi18 SXF4Ct&l usefvl life, nomially S years for ICT and 10 years for olher equitTh84t Equipmeni shown b8tow Indudes PV pands, heatrrrtJ and corrtrol system5. fire Se￿Or system, kltchen applian￿, the office plotoeop èr, Avsystems in hall, and cameras and stdge ligh￿ng In church. During 2025, £53,643 SFent on AV equipm&)t In church, fijn￿￿ by a re8trid8d donation., and £3,1',4 on a new digital keyboard. Met from Ihe Ch￿r atvj Ghur Music restricthd fijnd. The capitalised spend ts s￿￿￿ as a trartsfer tr*ts4Een fiJThls ill the statement ol Finan¢k81 AC*vit￿$ ISOFAI. CA)8t brought forward at 1 January 2025 Additions le￿ di8po8al8 171,951 56,748 Cost (arrial forward at 31 D8cemb&r2025 228,699 Depreciat'on brought forward at 1 January 2tr25 Depwiat'on in the year Depreriab'on eliminated on disposal DeprecA8b'on carrK* forvrard at 31 D&zmber 2025 140,843 11,942 152,785 Net Vdue 1 J8nu8ry 2025 Net Book ValL* 31 ti&wnber 2025 staff Costs Lxjriw the year the PCC ern￿oYed a full-tirr£ Youlh Minister, Chihjren's Minister, Youth Intern 8nd Caretaker, ¥$ W811 as a part b.me Opefations Manager. Churth Administraior 8nd CAP debt advice supportwothgr. and paid lorpart li￿￿ additional hour5 for our Vwars. Total salary (osts were a3 kl¢)w". Oired salarie Employery Nl Ernploy8r pènskn cx)ntributions 167,260 7,062 Total Fund* 187,553 In addition to these salaries the caretaker is pmvKledwith 8caXnmtsJat￿. No staff fell into the over £eo.ocrtJ pay band. 17 ST. PAUL'S PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL. ST. ALBANS NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS for the year ended 31 December 2025 staff Co3ts cont. The PCC participates in the Churtsl of England Defi￿￿ ContritAJtions Scherne (DCS) wthin the Church Workars Pension FLtnd. The PCC (onlribuies 8.5% of Iiasic 8alary arKI employees opt. bul are not required, lo make a Qorrtribub￿. In addition to paid staff, unpaid volunteers and a seif-sUPFxx￿n9 Minister moke a substantial contribution to all the activities of the church, inc4uding thildren's and youth byork, muwc and worship, small group work and administr8tlVe 8UPPOrt. Given the diffiujtiies of calcuL4hrvJ a monetary value for this aciivity itls not included in the accounts. 10. Commltmonts and liabilitlgs TheTe were no outstsnding liatrAltbès attha yw-erM1. PCC Membern. ltrustees} remuneration, expenses and donatlons The Virxrs are IxTrth ernployÈès ar￿ trUSt￿s. they am 8ach employed by the PCC on a 0.5 basis and joindy received total remunefalion from the PCC of £45.262 (the Diocese employs them for their other 0.5 FTE eath). They also recelved r￿mbu[Ser￿ent for expenses incurred, tolalling £4,561 Ilhese include childrens and youth activities, cost of services. AV oquipment. maint¢nance, catering for various activities. et¢.) Four othertruslees claimed reimbursÈrnent of incurr8d tolalling £126 for supplies purthased for various activities leg Al￿a, youth. club). During the yeaT PCC memtErs made donations to St. Pau￿'S totallirMJ £80,743. 12. Related Party Interests The followng rela￿1 party inteTe815 have identified. 3rMI transadions incurred. TruB Related Transaction &)ther is Truslee of Door. St. Albans Laura Bull Mission donation £25D Laura Bull Mother is TTuslee 01 Haven Ho Daughter is ernployee al Open Doois ission donation £S,OCMJ Kath n Walker Mission donation £4(Y) 13. Post year*nd events During the yèar th• PCC was infom)ed thal a substantial legacy has been left lo Ihg chursh in the wll of 8 former member. Probate has been gr8nled, but the degree of uncertainty as to the amunl that ￿711 evenlualfy be rewved is such that il is rKJt considwed prudent to for it in thes8 8ccounts. 18 ST. PAUL'S PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIU ST. ALBANS NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ft>r the year ended 31 December 2025 1& Grants to Misslon8 and Chawltlos frjllowng gr2nts 8nd donath)nS￿Ere jn￿l0 ¢harltsJ durirrfJ theyear. Tolal 2024 Fund OonatioTr 2025 2..67 prqect A Floch3 Alpha International Anna ChsplaiD¢y lo the ehyerty AZALEA Women's Refvge Bible Soci&ty CARE ft￿the Farnily Chrl$tian Aid Ghrl$tlan$ Against Poverty Ciedll Union, Sl. Ajbans MJUK CMS Concord Connect 1,400 250 250 soo 5QO 550 250 4tM) 350 400 6,4 500 2,9DO 9DO 400 900 450 800 350 200 250 3QO 550 4CN) 6.4WJ 900 CPAS CNsadets St. Abans EvangelKal Wlian< FEED 450 550 350 Fusion Haffi8k1 Ro* Day care Centre Haw Hope Herts Yo'Jng HunetgSS JENGA Krwoko H05k¥tal Leakes Idirectl Local Sch(x)l$ LLrton Roma Trust Mis$ion w￿hOUt Border8 Mothers Unlrffi Lrteracy Newwine Nettvorks 02k Church, Stevenag8 Open Door npJhtsheller Open Doors Scripture UnKn SHARE Tru5t- Avonoa Sl. John5 F91￿Y Hlll St. Mavs, p￿naM salts￿1￿ Trust STEP TEAR Fund Townsend School UGCF Unfversty of H8rtfOrd5h1￿ CU 5,OCI] 1,Otx) 4,OCM) 1,0 5CKI 600 3.￿0 400 350 3,800 250 400 550 3.000 1.000 1.500 400 350 3,500 250 250 550 550 1.0 1,OC 7.OC(I 4,500 3,914 800 250 250 834 400 2Ks 250 Women's R8fryJ8 IndNblud5 150 27,860 715 31,215 71,984 n.229 81,254 Vicar &WaTden'$ fund 178 176 Swai Action. CAP Debt on 5,890 Total TSA82 90 19