**T R U S T E E S ’ R E P O R T & A C C O U N T S S T P E T E R ’ S C H U R C H 31 S T D E C 2 0 2 4** |**Administrative Overview**
**...............................................................................3**| |---| |Administrative Details of the Charity
...........................................................................3| |Trustees
....................................................................................................................3| |**Structure Governance & Management**
**...........................................................4**| |Appointment of PCC Members
...................................................................................4| |Organisation of the PCC
............................................................................................4| |**Objectives and Activities**
**................................................................................5**| |**Reports**
**...........................................................................................................6**| |Rector’s Report
.........................................................................................................6| |Church Wardens’ Report
...........................................................................................7| |The Choir
.................................................................................................................8| |Coffee Shop
.............................................................................................................8| |Bellringers
................................................................................................................9| |Pastoral Care Team (PCT)
..........................................................................................9| |Time to grieve
.........................................................................................................10| |Mothers’ Union, Filton Branch
..................................................................................10| |Rosary Group
.........................................................................................................10| |Uniformed Organisations
.........................................................................................11| |Deanery Synod
.......................................................................................................12| |Online Presence
......................................................................................................14| |Brabazon Belles
......................................................................................................14| |Other Groups
.........................................................................................................14| |**Annual Financial Report ...............................................................................16**| ## **A D M I N I S T R A T I V E O V E R V I E W** As charity trustees, the Parochial Church Council (PCC) of St Peter’s Church Filton has pleasure in presenting the annual report and accounts for the year ending 31st December 2024. This report has been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) 2005. ## **A D M I N I S T R A T I V E D E T A I L S O F T H E C H A R I T Y** - Registered number 1131957 - Parish name: Filton - St Peter’s Church, Gloucester Road North, Filton, Bristol BS34 7BQ - Independent Financial Examiner: Tony Malpass - Bankers: The Co-operative Bank - Safeguarding Officer: Anne-Louise Pam - Church Architect: Steve Davis ## **T R U S T E E S** |Thomas Moller (Church Warden and Lay Chair)|Chris Gooding (Secretary)| |---|---| |John Cahill (Treasurer)|Janet Moller (Church Warden)| |Amy Atkinson (Deputy Church Warden)|Linda Rawlings (Accessibility Advisor)| |Jenny Connor (Deanery Synod)|Jess Dyke| |Sue Horseman|Ian Horseman| |Claire Eade (LLM in Formation)|Faith Tutton (Parish Administrator)| |Anne-Louise Pam (Safeguarding Offcer)|Roy Hale| ## **S T R U C T U R E G O V E R N A N C E & M A N A G E M E N T** Management of the parish is performed by the Rector with the assistance of a number of parishioners who form the Parochial Church Council (PCC). All governance, management, procedures and policies are maintained in accordance with the standard Church of England practice. ## **A P P O I N T M E N T O F P C C M E M B E R S** PCC members are elected for a term of three years at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting. Candidates for election must be members of the church who following a conversation with the Rector and/or PCC Secretary (regarding the roles and responsibilities of such a position) have been duly proposed and seconded by members of the church, who are themselves registered on the electoral roll. At the end of three years, PCC members may choose to be re-elected for a further term of three years, after which they must step down. PCC members who have served for six years are not eligible for reelection for a period of not less than 12 months. The Rector is a permanent member of the PCC. The PCC Secretary and Treasurer are elected by the PCC. Members of the congregation who have been elected to represent St Peter’s at the Deanery Synod are also members of the PCC. ## **O R G A N I S A T I O N O F T H E P C C** The Rector takes the role of PCC Chairperson and a minimum of four full meetings is held each year, in addition to the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM). PCC meetings are structured around discussions regarding: - Vision, mission and values - Financial, general purposes and Hall - Health and Safety and well-being, including a particular emphasis on accessibility, inclusivity and safeguarding. The Standing Committee, made up of the officers of the PCC (Rector, treasurers, secretary and church wardens) convene on an as-needed basis to make urgent decisions on behalf of the full PCC regarding the day to day management of the church. ## **O B J E C T I V E S A N D A C T I V I T I E S** St Peter’s is a welcoming Anglican church with its heart in the sacraments and its place in the centre of the community. At St Peter’s we are devoted to developing a holy consciousness. We believe that worship is something that can be expressed in everything we do. Our philosophy is deeply rooted in the Holy Scriptures and the sacraments. We provide a place for all, regardless of age, gender, sexuality, race or ability. We offer all members of the church a chance to become part of something greater, to grow their love for God and for one another in our beautiful community. Our vision is to serve God, by serving individuals, families and the community of Filton. By placing God at the centre of all we do, we come together to grow in our faith and be sent out in our discipleship to create connections and build relationships with all those in the community. We act in and through our relationship with God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - and with one another, to seek to make His kingdom known in this place. To enable us to do this as effectively as possible, our priorities are centred around four strands of growth: growing deeper; growing younger; growing in influence; and growing in number. This is detailed more fully in our Vision Plan which is updated biennially and can be viewed on our website. Our worship is based on the Eucharist in which all are called to participate. We try to be liturgically innovative and spiritually challenging. We aim at musical excellence and try to involve our young people in worship as much as possible. The structure of the services is wide and varied, to cater to as many tastes as possible, including services taken from Common Worship and the Book of Common Prayer. Pastoral care is a commitment shared by all members of the Christian community. The Rector is assisted in this by the Pastoral Care Team, made up of trained volunteers. The church aims to be the Spiritual Hub of the Community. We are actively involved in touching the lives of people of all ages and conditions in life, both in religious and non religious contexts. We do not seek to place barriers in people’s way, aim to be accessible and approachable to all and hope to encourage people to undertake their own spiritual journey. The church is carefully organised and run by its PCC, with day to day control in the hands of the Standing Committee. There are many aspects of church life that this report emphasises, and we publish our work through the weekly pew sheets, our web site, our social media presence, and through the wider press. It is the parish’s policy to prioritise our payment of parish share, to maintain the church structures in as best a state of repair as we can, to further our presence in the Community to support external charities as need directs, and to make a commitment to the work of the Children’s Society and Christian Aid. **Reality of Strategy to date:** This strategy has resulted in St Peter’s Church enjoying a strong congregation with well-nourished souls. Our Lord calls us to be planters and sowers, not merely gatherers, and this process takes time. ## **R E P O R T S** ## **R E C T O R ’ S R E P O R T** _Thomas Moller, Church Warden and lay Chair of the PCC_ As has happened 25 times previously, since 1547, the church finds itself in a period of change after its 26th consecutive Rector left the Parish for pastures new. Revd Lizzie celebrated her last Eucharist with us at Petertide on Sunday 30th June and since then we have been without a Rector. Progress moves slowly with the Diocese as we realistically look at another 12 months until a new Rector is installed by an also new Bishop of Bristol; after the Rt Revd Vivienne Faull announced her retirement earlier this year. St Peters has survived 25 times previously in vacancy and 8 months into this current vacancy, we continue to do so again. As a Parish, it is the job of all of us to maintain Christ’s ministry in Filton, regardless of our own experiences, and to maintain the tradition of the Church that we are known for across Bristol and that still draws people towards us. We have been blessed to have welcomed, so far, 17 Priests (a mix of both retired and still active servants of Christ) from within the Diocese of Bristol during this time of vacancy. Particularly special thanks are given to Fr Rod Cosh and Fr Allan Sheath who, despite illness and personal circumstances, have helped to ensure regular continuity of Masses and ensure the sacraments have been administered to all the faithful in Filton. Their flexibility and devotion to the service of God has been paramount during this time and the church would be in a very different place without them, so extended thanks are given to both of them. ## **C H U R C H W A R D E N S ’ R E P O R T** _Janet Moller & Thomas Moller - Church Wardens_ 2024 saw the church go through yet another cold winter and this has definitely impacted on the number of people regularly attending services. As our eyes turn towards the warmer months, our period in the metaphorical wilderness draws near to an end. This is not only highlighted because of the spring and summer being upon us, but also the exciting prospect of us having a new heating system in place for the end of 2025. Eight Herschel ‘Halo’ heaters are expected to be installed in the Nave of the church, and during this time the heaters in the Lady Chapel and the Coffee shop will also be updated. At the time of writing, the faculty request has been submitted and we are just waiting on the response from the Diocesan Advisory Committee. We know the lack of heat has made worshipping in church more difficult, but as was reminded to us recently, Christ suffered on the cross and as a result we must all suffer one way or another in our lives. The lack of heating in church has been a small measure of this, so our thanks are given to every single person in the community who has still shown the devotion and demonstrated the incredible importance of regular worship. As Christians we are called to be at church every Sunday, regardless of rain or shine (and even the cold) so the perseverance shown during this period has been an example of our strength as a Parish. Regular work continues to take place across the church and the church hall. We have been blessed to have Nick Moller installed as a Verger for the church with particular attention for the upkeep of the Church Hall. This has involved everything from cleaning and fixing toilets to managing the bookings and the upkeep of the woodwork and metal around the church, so special thanks are given to him for the dedication and care shown to the church. The fabric of the church has required its usual bout of care and consideration when work has been carried out; to ensure we are caring for St Peters as best we can. Through everyone’s efforts over the past year, the church continues to be sustained sacramentally by its Priests, liturgically by David Haslum and his team, musically by Viv and the choir and spiritually by all the congregation and volunteers. It is important we thank God for this and pray for his sustained presence and influence over the coming year. Now more than ever it is of the utmost importance we all pray for our Church as it looks towards its future, whilst still maintaining its strong Anglo-Catholic tradition in the heart of Filton. ## **T H E C H O I R** ## _Viv Wilkinson, Musical Director_ Church choir rehearses Fridays 7-8.30pm in the church, and in the choir vestry in winter. All are welcome to join, you do not need to be able to read music or be a fine singer. Help is given at rehearsals for all levels and ages. It was lovely this year to reintroduce the Advent carol service. At this year’s Nine Lessons and Carols we included a carol composed by our very own Alex Ball. The new Alleluia was very well sung in the Parade service, really appealing to the young people. The choir usually sing new unfamiliar hymns a few times in the communion hymn slot before introducing them as a main service hymn. We are looking forward to a new liturgical setting for Lent. An appeal for funding repairs to the church organ was set up including a very successful quiz night with church fayre stalls and raffle. Donations can be made online. Thank you all for your support. Autumn Leaves sing a long is popular as always. We have a caring support network and enjoy our fellowship. All are welcome, you don’t have to sing if you don’t want to, just come and have a good time! We moved back to the church hall when it was vacant but are now once more in the coffee shop 10.30-12noon first Saturday of the month. The Christmas sing-a-long was very successful as always and was streamed on the church Facebook account. Viv Wilkinson 07884374448 ## **C O F F E E S H O P** ## _Coffee Shop Manager, Mandy Leslie_ The coffee shop continues to meet each week Monday to Thursday between 10.00am to 1pm. We are a designated warm space and everyone is welcome. Freshly made soup and bread is available on Thursdays, kindly donated and delivered to us by B&A meals. When the coffee shop is open, then the church is also open - and we do get people coming in to spend a quiet time in prayer, or just to look round our beautiful church. It is lovely to be able to have the building open to people in this way. We discovered last year that the coffee shop should have been registered as a food business - this is because it provides food on a regular and organised basis. It is to do with food safety, not with whether food is sold or not. To comply with regulations, we needed to have hot and cold water hand washing facilities and we now have a portable washbasin in the coffee shop. This was a legal requirement for the coffee shop. There is also a lot more paperwork involved, as we have to be able to show what we do - so I have been updating policies, procedures and checklists. I have also completed online food safety and hygiene training to level 3 (as advised during our inspection). The coffee shop would not be able to keep going without a wonderful team of volunteer staff and cake makers. Some of our volunteers have had to retire, and so this year it is a priority to recruit - both to staff the coffee shop and bake cakes. I would like to say a massive thank you to everyone who has supported the coffee shop, and for all the support that you have given me. ## **B E L L R I N G E R S** _David Haslum, Tower Captain_ The bells were rung for Sunday services and practice nights throughout the year. Six quarter peals were rung during the year. Three were rung by the University of Bristol Society. They rang a quarter peal of Stedman Doubles for the Corpus Christi procession on Sunday 2nd June. The bells sounded very lovely while the procession was taking place. On Sunday 30th June a quarter peal was rung as a farewell tribute to Lizzie on her last day as rector. Lizzie learnt to ring here about twenty years ago before she was ordained. She was always very encouraging and supportive of ringing. Our youngest ringer Maddison is making good progress and also rings at Thornbury and Stone. Practice night is on Thursday 7.30pm - 9.00pm ## **P A S T O R A L C A R E T E A M ( P C T )** ## _Louise Lyddon, Janet Moller & Margaret Qoura_ St Peter’s has a small, dedicated team of fully-trained volunteers who supported the Rector until the end of June, and now support the PCC, giving pastoral support to those members of the community who need it, at times when they need it most. The group either ring, visit, or take communion to our ill or housebound church members when necessary. Unfortunately since Revd Lizzie left, there have been no volunteers meeting to discuss this church work. ## **T I M E T O G R I E V E** _Margaret Qoura_ I am a retired counsellor and as such, thought it would be helpful to others to use my knowledge and experience in a Christian volunteering area. I spoke to Revd Lizzie and it was agreed that I would help cover the needs of bereaved people. I run Time to Grieve, and I am to be found in the coffee shop from 10.30am on the first Wednesday of the month, This is not run as a group, although it could be if there was a demand for it. Some weeks no-one comes needing help, but sometimes someone does - it matters not - I am there, that is the point. I also make occasional phone calls to others plus following up on people’s losses by telephone. I am advertised in Filton voiced as a trained counsellor - it should say _retired_ counsellor as I am no longer registered with the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy. This automatically terminated when I was no longer receiving 1.5 hours of supervision per month; I also no longer carry indemnity insurance for the same reason. There are legal reasons for not purporting to be an active counsellor. ## **M O T H E R S ’ U N I O N , F I L T O N B R A N C H** _Linda Rawlings, Branch Leader_ Our group meets every 2nd Thursday of the month at 2pm in the Coffee Shop. Over the past year we have supported the Filton Children’s centre with children’s knitted items, and also supported other Mothers’ Union projects in the diocese. We also joined other members at the Bristol Diocese annual meeting, and Bristol West deanery groups for joint activities. We are committed to following in our founder Mary Sumner’s footsteps. Come and join our friendly group. For more information contact Linda Rawlings or Louise Lyddon. ## **R O S A R Y G R O U P** _Mary Arnold & Louise Lyddon_ The rosary is the story of the New Testament. Through the beads, we follow the life of Mary and Jesus with simple, repetitive prayers (words are provided). Saying the rosary takes about half an hour. Rosaries can be provided. We are a small group of 7-8 people and Mary’s dog, with an average attendance of 4 people per session. We meet on the second Thursday of the month at Mary’s house. Refreshments and fellowship are very much part of the act. ## **U N I F O R M E D O R G A N I S A T I O N S** _Deb Wilkey & Debbie Curry_ We have had a busy and interesting 12 months in the life of Girlguiding! Rainbows have worked on the Construction Interest badge, where they became Town Planners and drew their own towns. They made a large marble run using recycling materials and built a building using marshmallows and spaghetti. The Rainbows worked on their Animal Lover badge. They made a pet egg and had to look after it for a week and fill out a diary. Brownies have worked on their Jobs Interest Badge. They had to produce their dream job and advertise. We had visits from the police, Great Western Air Ambulance, and the fire brigade bought along the fire engine where the girls loved getting wet when using the fire hose! The Brownies also worked on a Mindfulness badge, and they also did a First Aid badge. Over 200 Brownies took over the Concorde Museum where we enjoyed an Aviation Day. The girls made rockets, coded Robots so that they could explore Mars and explored the museum. After our visit to Concorde, we then ate our lunch under Concorde. The Rainbows and Brownies did a Feathers and Flamingos challenge badge where they made bird cakes, big flamingo pictures using handprints, bird biscuits, bird boxes. We went to Elm Park for a scavenger hunt and did bird watching. Using materials, they found from the woods they made a collage. We had a trip to Slimbridge where we saw lots of flamingos and other birds. We finished off with a pink party! The Rainbows and Brownies worked on a Girlguiding Great Western Air Ambulance badge where they made marshmallow launchers, played angry Charlie, learnt about first aid, they drew the mascot Charlie, decorated rocks and learnt about the Helimed 65. The Rainbows and Brownies made lanterns and joined in the Lantern parade at Elm Park. We also had fun on the Santa Train at Avon valley and we also watched the panto Rapunzel at SGS college. The girls enjoyed celebrating Chinese New Year where they made snake puppets, learnt to write their names in Chinese and made snake fruit kebabs. The Brownies and Guides had a joint camp at Youlbury Scouts Activity Centre, near Oxford. The girls went go karting, had a go on the 3G giant swing, tie-dyeing neckerchiefs, pioneering where they built a car, team challenges, abseiling and fun games. Guides also did axe throwing!!! Guides have also been very busy with Badge and challenge work, completing such badges as personal branding. We had a team work term, with a bake off, walk in the dark to Snuff Mills and played games in the dark. Lots for team building activities in the term, including stem activities. The guides have also taken part in County events, a sleepover at Air Hop with 200 other guides. Thinking Day activity with 300 young members, taking part in activities such as Nordic Walking, African dance and drumming, football skills alongside games and crafts. Rangers completed challenges and their entrepreneur badge. They held a murder mystery night. They took part in the Scout and Guide Monopoly run around Bristol completing their board. Both Guides and Rangers spent the summer term outdoors with games and fire lighting – pitta bread pizzas, fruit cones and of course smores. We also completed the parliament week badge, with discussions and activities. At the end of the summer term we went to the Aqua Park in Bradley Stoke for a session on the inflatable water park. A group went to Belgrade, Serbia in October to visit our Serbian to see our Serbian Scouting friends, Rangers had a day trip to Cardiff as their Christmas event, which included some retail therapy and Pizza for lunch!!! In August Livvie Atkinson and Emma Curry took part in their Silver Duke of Edinburgh expedition. ## **D E A N E R Y S Y N O D** _Jenny Connor_ The key theme for 2024-2025 is Priority Communities Network (PCN). This scheme has funding to support 14 parish contexts in the top 12.4% on the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD). Part of this funding is going towards the recruitment of Operations Hub Managers. The Diocesan newsletter in April introduced one of these - Toni Bush – who is a “Church buildings community Engagement Enabler” in the Diocese, inviting churches to become part of the “Buildings for Mission” pilot project- starting from Easter and running until the end of 2025. The PCN project is designed to support the development and growth of churches through engagement with the local community, in order to increase and diversify use of the church and its buildings, and enhance capacity and skills needed to plan and fund future building projects. The project is being funded through the Church of England to work with 8 churches in the Diocese to assess the impact of a proactive resource, (such as Toni) to help facilitate, advise and support work for each church chosen. The goal is to create a legacy for the Diocese on how parishes can best be supported and enabled to develop their buildings as part of “Transforming Church. Together” theme continuing from 2024. With additional operational and administrative support, the aim is to help clergy and their teams feel a burden is released which will enable them to focus more on mission and ministry in their contexts. Many are hoping to focus their investment on children and young people’s ministry, an area that St Peter’s is considering although this parish is not one of those included in the scheme. In July 2024, Revd Becky Waring was confirmed as the next permanent Archdeacon of Bristol. She has worked in the private, voluntary and charity sectors and served parishes in lay, self-supporting and incumbent capacities, most recently as Vicar of St Martin’s Knowle. She was installed at Bristol Cathedral on 1 Sept 2024. Rev’d Becky has since taken several services at St Peter’s and been involved on a regular basis with the St Peter’s PCC as it deals with the challenges of the Vacancy period at St Peter’s A new Diocesan Fundraising Support Team was announced. The objective is to address the struggle to raise funds in churches across the Diocese, to keep their churches running, maintaining buildings, but also to be generous with our time and funds to support others as we follow in Christ’s footsteps, and work within the Diocesan Vision of “Transforming Church. Together”. The fundraising support team can help churches with many different areas, including grant management; fundraising for larger projects; and growing income with regular giving and legacies, although this is not an exhaustive list. The PCC treasurer John Cahill has already met with this team and will be feeding back information to the PCC following on from this meeting. The overall aim of the team is to improve the financial sustainability of our shared future and committing to help with the struggles in achieving this in our individual parishes. July also saw the departure of one of our Co-Area Deans, David Stephenson; he will be sadly missed. In September 20204, the last of the events for “Growing Faith. Together” in 2024 was held to consider inviting and identifying communities around our churches, and thinking together about how we can explore creative and clear pathways that will lead people from encounter, through belonging and into commitment. We looked at different ways in which School ministry is being offered across Bristol and the City Deanery, with a presentation from Pippa White, Priest at St Aidan’s, who also has an additional schools focus role. In November, Rev’d Lizzie Kesteven (Area Dean and Vicar of St Mary’s churches Fishponds) included in the Diocesan Newsletter a prayer for St Peter’s Church, Filton as it navigates its way through the Vacancy period. Bishop Viv announced that the Rev’d Kat Campion-Spall, Rector of the Harbourside Churches benefice, has accepted the invitation to be Co-Area Dean of City deanery. This will be for an initial period of three years with effect from 1 January 2025. Kat will serve alongside the current Area Dean, the Revd Lizzie Kesteven. NOTE: For anyone considering becoming a Deanery Synod Representative I can recommend it as an interesting role which can be challenging but also rewarding. There are only usually a maximum of 3-4 meetings a year (in the evening) and it is a great way to explore other churches as the meetings move round different churches within the diocese. You also get to meet, worship and debate with a diverse range of people. I have really felt this year that we have investigated together ways to make our churches relevant and sustainable and I can then feed that back to St Peter’s PCC re resources and assistance that could really help us as we go through our Vacancy period, and continue our mission to provide a living example of what it means to follow Jesus within our community. Jenny Connor - March 2025 Jenny Connor and Claire Eade are Deanery Synod Reps on behalf of St Peter’s Church. ## **O N L I N E P R E S E N C E** _Faith Tutton, Parish Administrator_ Online worship continues to remain vital. There is a whole group of people for whom online worship has become their preferred mode of worship. This group is valued as part of the church community just as much as those who come in person. We have an active and vibrant Facebook page which gives details of special services and last minute changes to services. ## **B R A B A Z O N B E L L E S** _Amy Atkinson_ No report available ## **O T H E R G R O U P S** **Open House:** Tuesdays 9.30am - 11.00am in the Church Hall. Leaders: Caroline and Richard White, 0117 975 5681, which much help from Open House friends. Open House is run by Caroline and Richard White on Tuesday mornings in the church hall from 09.30 to 11.00 but people do arrive earlier. Our purpose is companionship with the addition of tea, coffee, toast and home made cakes. We average about 21 people sat around one large table so no one is left out. We aim to have 2 trips a year with the help of Four Towns Community Transport; last year we made it to a garden centre and butterfly world near to Wootton Bassett and then Clarks Village in Street for Christmas Shopping. For those who do not manage well with public transport Richard can take a few in his car. **Knitting Group:** Thursday 5pm in the Coffee Shop Every Thursday between 5pm and 6.30pm, six ladies and one dog meet at Mary’s house. It is our knitting time. We have coffee or tea and biscuits, and put the world to rights, but at the same time we are doing our knitting; yes, we can multitask! We can also teach knitting if anyone would like to learn. Everyone welcome. **Games Morning:** Thursday 10am in the Coffee Shop Thursday morning is our time for games in the coffee shop, which is open from 10am. Caroline and Richard are both available to participate in a choice of games. Typically it is a morning of cribbage and more players would be most welcome; tuition is available. However, there is a selection of other games to choose from. Caroline likes to indulge in such games as Snakes and Ladders, Scrabble, Ludo and Quirkle. Meeting in the coffee shop means that teas, coffees and cakes may be purchased. ## **A N N U A L F I N A N C I A L R E P O R T** _Please see additional document ‘Accounts 2024’_ Annual financial report for the year ended 31°, December 2024 Registered Charity 1131957 1. Accounting Policles 1.1. General The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Church Accounting Regulations 2006 together with applicable Charity Commission standards. The financial statements include all transactions, assets and liabilitl8s for which the PCC is responsible in law. They do not include the accounts of church groups that owe their main affiliation to another body, nor those that are informal gatherings of church members. 1.2. Funds Endowment Funds are funds, the capital of which must be maintained., only income arising from investment of the endowment may be used either as restricted or Un￿strICted funds depending upon the purpose for which the endowment was established. St Pete¢s does not have any funds of this type. Restricted Funds represent., (a) Income from trusts or endowment8 which may be expended only on those restricted objects provided in terms of the trust or bequest, and (b) Donations or grants received for a specific object or invited by the PCC for a specific object. The funds may only be expended on the specific object for which they were given. Any balance remaining unspent at the end of each year must be carried forward as a balance on that fund. Within St Peter's restricted funds usually relate to specific objects Such as the Church heating or other specific charitable objects. The PCC does not usually invest separately for each fund. Unrestricted Funds are general funds which can be used for PCC ordinary purposes. Design8ted Funds are funds which have been designated by the PCC for a speciflc purpose. These can be transferred to Restricted or Unrestricted funds with the agreement of the PCC. 1.3. Incoming Resources (Receipts) Planned giving, collections and donations are recognised when re￿ived. In some charitable organisations it is common practice to accrue anticipated amounts such as this as soon as they are believed to be legally entitled. However we have had past instances where expectations have not been met and as the occurrence of such sums is very infrequent we have decided to account for them only on receipt. Any other income 18 accounted for when it is receivable. All incoming resources are accounted for gross. 1.4. Resources Expended (Payments) Mission grants and donations are accounted for when the decision is agreed by the PCC, Amounts re￿iVed for mission or specific objects, such as the annual lent box appeal, are dealt with as restricted funds. All other expenditure is generally recognised when it is incurred and is accounted for gross. 1.5. Fixed Assets Consecrated and benefi￿ property is not included in the accounts in accordance with s.96(2)(a) of the Charities Act 1993. 2024 Financial Report Page I Annual financial report for the year ended 31$t December 2024 Registered Charity 1131957 Movable church furnishings held by the vicar and churchwardens on special trust for the PCC and which require a faculty for disposal are inalienable property, listed in the church's inventory, which can be inspected (at any reasonable time). For anything acquired prior to the year 2000 there is insufficient cost information available and therefore such assets are not valued in the financial statements. Subsequently no individual item has cost more than £1,000 so all such expenditure has been written off when incurred. Equipment used within the church premises is depreciated on a straight-line basis whenever appropriate. Individual items of equipment with a purchase price of £500 or less are written off when the asset is acquired. 1.6. Reserves Policy The reserves policy is based on Church-of-England guidance and assumptions aboul the profile of our ongoing expenditure. This reserves policy has the potential to free up funds for mission work within both the parish and the diocese. The policy is based upon the following Money should only be kept in reserve for specific reasons. Whilst the Bible c18arly indicates that we should not hoard it is also clear that sensible planning for known events and responsibility for others is important It would therefore be prudent to keep six months running costs in reserve. Thls is based on an average of the last 3 years expenditure (Excluding Parish Share) It is prudent to have funds in reserve to cover planned or emergency building work,, thi8 is identified as the Fabric Fund There is a Restricted fund for the replacement Church heating system In general, the level of the reserve held is reviewed annually. The year end reserves status . Business reseNe fund Fabric (Building) fund Restricted heating fund £30,000 £8,505 but planned to increase to £15,000 £35,000 2. Incomlng Resources (Recelpts) The overall income (Receipts) for 2024 was £72,887. This income is similar to most years in the post- covid era with the exception of 2023 when very specific fund-raising was setup for the Church heating (2023 income was approx. £100,000). Early in 2024, the PCC took the decision to stop fund-raising for the Church healing and shift focus to the support and maintenance of the Church., this may have had an effect on the overall income for 2024. Income primarily comes from 4 areas . Donations and Legacies The Church has regular donations using either'Planned giving" scheme or via the Co-op bank. This income was similar to 2023, There are also donations in the Church either via "loose plate collections. or using the Sumup (GiveALittle) machines - This latter was unfortunately oul-of-action for most for the 2. half of 2024 so this may have impacted on donations. As always we extend our deep appreciation to our parishioners and donors for their continued generosity in these challenging times, A note here about gift aid - The Partsh Giving scheme automatically pays out gift aid based on those who identify as tax payers. With the Co-op and SumUplLoose plate donations then the Church has to make a separate application to HMRC for repayment of gift aid. Unfortunately, for 2024 Financial Report Page 2 Annual financial report for the year ended 31st December 2024 Registered Charify 1131957 variety of reasons this has not been claimed for recent years - it is a priority for 2025 to resolve this and claim gift aid for 2024 and previous years. Income from charitable activities This is money from church hall bettings which furthers the objectives of the church. this topic also includes fees for weddings and funerals, There was a small decrease in this income compared to 2023. Other trading activities This includes income from the coffee shop, church hall lettings identified as fund raising and other general fund raising activities. Compared to 2023, then income from this stream is much reduced with no real fund-raising events taking place during 2024. Investments The Church has 3 'current" accounts which pay zero interest but at the same time incur no costs for running the accounts. The Church has a 4th account which is an investment account using CCLA Central Board of Finance (CBF) Church of England Funds. this pays interest on quarterly basis. 3. R8sourc88 8xpand8d {Payments Overall running cost for 2024 was £68,414 which is an increase of £12,595 On 2023. This increase is mainly due to Recruitment of treasurer and churchlhall verger Payment of £5,000 Parish Share General increase in running costs, namely insurance and utility bills, Expenditure is mainly in the following areas Utilities This encompasses such items as gas, electricity, water, insurance, phone, wi-fi etc. We have been fortunate in that some of our energy supply contracts were started before the massive price increase in the past year. However, generally there have been increase in running costs ol the Church and the hall areas. RegularlAd hoc maintenance activities Typically, this includes organ tuning, clock maintenance, electrical checks, fire extinguisher etc. Given the regular use of the Church hall, there are always things to be repair8dlreplaced. Planned (or unplanned) building work In 2024, the hall fire escape had to be largely rebuilt. The outside doors also required treating and painting. People St Peter's PCC has a parish secretary, coffee shop manager, church & hall verger and treasurer. As noted above, the roles of treasurer and church&hall verger were new roles in 2024. St Pete¢s Church has a duty to pay the real living wage which increased by approx. 100/0 in 2024. Non clergy work carried out within the church is either done by professional Irades people employed for the task or by volunteers. Throughout the year the church has enjoyed the services of an organist with an occasional stand in. A note about payments to PCC Members .' Membership of the PCC is voluntary, and members do not receive any payments in the normal course of events. However, members of the PCC along with others who incur out-of-pocket expenses relating to church activities, e.g. Ministry expenses, etc. re￿1ve reimbursements which are recorded in the management accounts. 2024 Financial Report Page 3 Annual financial report for the year ended 31 St December 2024 RegiSte￿d Charity 1131957 4. Assets 4.1. Fixed assets The church possesses no fixed assets which can be held to have any market or balan￿ sheet value. The church owns office and sound reproduction equipment including desks, chairs, a photocopier, radio microphones etc. All of this equipment has been written off on purchase and has no balan sheet value. 4.2. Investments Current assets are primarily the funds deposited in the CBF and the Cowop bank current accounts. The balances on 31 st December are shown on the balance sheet. As previously stated, St Peterfs does not possess an investment portfolio as such, the monies we use to run the parish, pay our utility bills and make our contributions to the diocese in the form of Parish Share are almost totally derived from parishioner giving. S. Debtorn The only debt of any significance outstanding to St Petels PCC is the current amount of income tax recoverable relating to donations made in the current and recent tax years (Gift aid),11 is important to note that Ihese funds are not liquid until the payment is made by HM Revenue and Customs. 6. Credltorn Apart from ongoing payments for utilities and insurance St Peterfs currently has no major liabilities. 7. Parlsh Share We were only able to commit a token amount to Parish Share in 2024,. this was primarily due to the continued uncertainty about the cost of replacement of the Church heating. We do ask everyone to understand how vital Parish Share is to the mission and work of our parish, the diocese and the wider church. Parish Share provides the diocese with an essential source for the funds needed to employ and train clergy and to help other churches in the Diocese. Please consider this in your prayers regarding stewardship for 2025. It is very important that we strlve to return to meeting our parish obligation as soon as we are able. 2024 Financial Report Page 4 Annual financial report for the year ended 31st December 2024 Registered Charity 1131957 Independent examiner's report to the PCC of St Peterfs, Fitton I report on the accounts of St Petels Church, Filton PCC for the year ended 31 st December 2024. Respectlve responsibilitie5 of the PCC and the examlner The members of the PCC are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The PCC considers that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (The 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to Examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act To follow the procedures laid down in the general directions given by the Charity Commi8sion under section 145 (5) (b) of the 2011 Act To state whether any particular matters have come to my attention Basls of thls report My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from you as members of the PCC concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a "true and fair view" and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below. Independent examlner's ststsment In connection with my examination no matter ha8 come to my attention which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requlrements to keep accounting records in accordance with section 41 of the Act., and to prepare financial statements, which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act have not been met to which, in rny opinion, attention should be drawn to enable proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. l[Vx4- Date. *s. /[ /ll d,,A L/,1, 2024 Financial Report Page 5 St Peterfs Church Filton ststement of Assets and Liabilities At 31st December 2024 ene Fix•d 4¥sot4 Mon¢tsry as¥ots Natwegt accounts -Parochial Churoh 15,266 26,191 41.457 55,589 -PCC designate Co-op C8F 18,959 18.959 2,961 36,091 38,091 27,882 8,442 8,442 8,222 Debtors 7,139 15,286 55,051 34,633 104,gSO 101,793 Llabllttl•• Creditors.. Amounts Falllng Du* In One Year 1316 1,316 Not curr•nt a•••ts l••$ ¢urr•nt114bllftl 15,286 55,051 34,633 104,950 100,477 R•pr•s•trt•d ty Unr•¥trlct•d Unre8trld8d- Gen•181 Fund 15,286 15,266 14,897,29 Doilgnat•d De81on8ted - Coffe• Shop Deg1gnated- Church Hall De81gn8teO. Fabrle Fund Déslgnatad - Leg8cle8 & MemorialB D•8ignated - P•nslon r•$erveo -994 -994 1,770 15,22 19,330 19,330 8,505 8,505 8,508 28,232 28,232 28,232 .23 .23 -23 R•Jtfictad Ra8lrtct6d - Book Of Remembrancè R88trlcttsd- Boller Fund AppÈ81 R8strl¢ted- Group Trips .25 -25 60 34,050 608 34,060 608 31,198 608 Fund Ttstal• 15,266 55,051 34,633 104,950 100,477 St Peter's Church Filton Receipts and Payments Account For the period from 01 January 2024 to 31 December 2024 Unrestrlcled R8stri¢t8d Endowmfjnt Total 2023 funds funds fvnd fvnds totsl funds Income and ondowm8nts from.. Donations and lega¢ie5 Income from charitsble advitleB 53,410.26 2,891.94 56,302.20 79,200.67 1,202.00 1,202.00 6,311,40 Other tradlng activ￿88 Inve8tmer 15,162.99 15,162.99 14,978.57 219.71 219,71 307.04 Other Income Totsl income 69,994.96 2,891,94 72,886,90 100,797.68 ExpendI￿re on.. Ral8lng fvnds Expend1￿re on cherftabl• 88,288.80 125 68,413,80 58,077.48 Other èxp8ndlturè Totsl expendlttbre Net Income I lexp*ndfturel re•ourG•I befora tran8fer 68.288.80 125 68,413.80 56,077,48 1,706.16 2,788.94 4,473.10 44,720.20 Galn8 on revaluallon, flx•d ofjsets, ch8rlty'8 own u8t 10.56 Not RoGolpVPayment 1,706 2,767 4,473 44,731 Totsl fvrKl• brought lorward 68,811 70,317 31,868 34,633 100,477 56,746 100,477 Total funds carrl•d fopNard 104,980 Annual financial report for the year ended 31°, December 2024 Registered Charity 1131957 1. Accounting Policles 1.1. General The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Church Accounting Regulations 2006 together with applicable Charity Commission standards. The financial statements include all transactions, assets and liabilitl8s for which the PCC is responsible in law. They do not include the accounts of church groups that owe their main affiliation to another body, nor those that are informal gatherings of church members. 1.2. Funds Endowment Funds are funds, the capital of which must be maintained., only income arising from investment of the endowment may be used either as restricted or Un￿strICted funds depending upon the purpose for which the endowment was established. St Pete¢s does not have any funds of this type. Restricted Funds represent., (a) Income from trusts or endowment8 which may be expended only on those restricted objects provided in terms of the trust or bequest, and (b) Donations or grants received for a specific object or invited by the PCC for a specific object. The funds may only be expended on the specific object for which they were given. Any balance remaining unspent at the end of each year must be carried forward as a balance on that fund. Within St Peter's restricted funds usually relate to specific objects Such as the Church heating or other specific charitable objects. The PCC does not usually invest separately for each fund. Unrestricted Funds are general funds which can be used for PCC ordinary purposes. Design8ted Funds are funds which have been designated by the PCC for a speciflc purpose. These can be transferred to Restricted or Unrestricted funds with the agreement of the PCC. 1.3. Incoming Resources (Receipts) Planned giving, collections and donations are recognised when re￿ived. In some charitable organisations it is common practice to accrue anticipated amounts such as this as soon as they are believed to be legally entitled. However we have had past instances where expectations have not been met and as the occurrence of such sums is very infrequent we have decided to account for them only on receipt. Any other income 18 accounted for when it is receivable. All incoming resources are accounted for gross. 1.4. Resources Expended (Payments) Mission grants and donations are accounted for when the decision is agreed by the PCC, Amounts re￿iVed for mission or specific objects, such as the annual lent box appeal, are dealt with as restricted funds. All other expenditure is generally recognised when it is incurred and is accounted for gross. 1.5. Fixed Assets Consecrated and benefi￿ property is not included in the accounts in accordance with s.96(2)(a) of the Charities Act 1993. 2024 Financial Report Page I Annual financial report for the year ended 31$t December 2024 Registered Charity 1131957 Movable church furnishings held by the vicar and churchwardens on special trust for the PCC and which require a faculty for disposal are inalienable property, listed in the church's inventory, which can be inspected (at any reasonable time). For anything acquired prior to the year 2000 there is insufficient cost information available and therefore such assets are not valued in the financial statements. Subsequently no individual item has cost more than £1,000 so all such expenditure has been written off when incurred. Equipment used within the church premises is depreciated on a straight-line basis whenever appropriate. Individual items of equipment with a purchase price of £500 or less are written off when the asset is acquired. 1.6. Reserves Policy The reserves policy is based on Church-of-England guidance and assumptions aboul the profile of our ongoing expenditure. This reserves policy has the potential to free up funds for mission work within both the parish and the diocese. The policy is based upon the following Money should only be kept in reserve for specific reasons. Whilst the Bible c18arly indicates that we should not hoard it is also clear that sensible planning for known events and responsibility for others is important It would therefore be prudent to keep six months running costs in reserve. Thls is based on an average of the last 3 years expenditure (Excluding Parish Share) It is prudent to have funds in reserve to cover planned or emergency building work,, thi8 is identified as the Fabric Fund There is a Restricted fund for the replacement Church heating system In general, the level of the reserve held is reviewed annually. The year end reserves status . Business reseNe fund Fabric (Building) fund Restricted heating fund £30,000 £8,505 but planned to increase to £15,000 £35,000 2. Incomlng Resources (Recelpts) The overall income (Receipts) for 2024 was £72,887. This income is similar to most years in the post- covid era with the exception of 2023 when very specific fund-raising was setup for the Church heating (2023 income was approx. £100,000). Early in 2024, the PCC took the decision to stop fund-raising for the Church healing and shift focus to the support and maintenance of the Church., this may have had an effect on the overall income for 2024. Income primarily comes from 4 areas . Donations and Legacies The Church has regular donations using either'Planned giving" scheme or via the Co-op bank. This income was similar to 2023, There are also donations in the Church either via "loose plate collections. or using the Sumup (GiveALittle) machines - This latter was unfortunately oul-of-action for most for the 2. half of 2024 so this may have impacted on donations. As always we extend our deep appreciation to our parishioners and donors for their continued generosity in these challenging times, A note here about gift aid - The Partsh Giving scheme automatically pays out gift aid based on those who identify as tax payers. With the Co-op and SumUplLoose plate donations then the Church has to make a separate application to HMRC for repayment of gift aid. Unfortunately, for 2024 Financial Report Page 2 Annual financial report for the year ended 31st December 2024 Registered Charify 1131957 variety of reasons this has not been claimed for recent years - it is a priority for 2025 to resolve this and claim gift aid for 2024 and previous years. Income from charitable activities This is money from church hall bettings which furthers the objectives of the church. this topic also includes fees for weddings and funerals, There was a small decrease in this income compared to 2023. Other trading activities This includes income from the coffee shop, church hall lettings identified as fund raising and other general fund raising activities. Compared to 2023, then income from this stream is much reduced with no real fund-raising events taking place during 2024. Investments The Church has 3 'current" accounts which pay zero interest but at the same time incur no costs for running the accounts. The Church has a 4th account which is an investment account using CCLA Central Board of Finance (CBF) Church of England Funds. this pays interest on quarterly basis. 3. R8sourc88 8xpand8d {Payments Overall running cost for 2024 was £68,414 which is an increase of £12,595 On 2023. This increase is mainly due to Recruitment of treasurer and churchlhall verger Payment of £5,000 Parish Share General increase in running costs, namely insurance and utility bills, Expenditure is mainly in the following areas Utilities This encompasses such items as gas, electricity, water, insurance, phone, wi-fi etc. We have been fortunate in that some of our energy supply contracts were started before the massive price increase in the past year. However, generally there have been increase in running costs ol the Church and the hall areas. RegularlAd hoc maintenance activities Typically, this includes organ tuning, clock maintenance, electrical checks, fire extinguisher etc. Given the regular use of the Church hall, there are always things to be repair8dlreplaced. Planned (or unplanned) building work In 2024, the hall fire escape had to be largely rebuilt. The outside doors also required treating and painting. People St Peter's PCC has a parish secretary, coffee shop manager, church & hall verger and treasurer. As noted above, the roles of treasurer and church&hall verger were new roles in 2024. St Pete¢s Church has a duty to pay the real living wage which increased by approx. 100/0 in 2024. Non clergy work carried out within the church is either done by professional Irades people employed for the task or by volunteers. Throughout the year the church has enjoyed the services of an organist with an occasional stand in. A note about payments to PCC Members .' Membership of the PCC is voluntary, and members do not receive any payments in the normal course of events. However, members of the PCC along with others who incur out-of-pocket expenses relating to church activities, e.g. Ministry expenses, etc. re￿1ve reimbursements which are recorded in the management accounts. 2024 Financial Report Page 3 Annual financial report for the year ended 31 St December 2024 RegiSte￿d Charity 1131957 4. Assets 4.1. Fixed assets The church possesses no fixed assets which can be held to have any market or balan￿ sheet value. The church owns office and sound reproduction equipment including desks, chairs, a photocopier, radio microphones etc. All of this equipment has been written off on purchase and has no balan sheet value. 4.2. Investments Current assets are primarily the funds deposited in the CBF and the Cowop bank current accounts. The balances on 31 st December are shown on the balance sheet. As previously stated, St Peterfs does not possess an investment portfolio as such, the monies we use to run the parish, pay our utility bills and make our contributions to the diocese in the form of Parish Share are almost totally derived from parishioner giving. S. Debtorn The only debt of any significance outstanding to St Petels PCC is the current amount of income tax recoverable relating to donations made in the current and recent tax years (Gift aid),11 is important to note that Ihese funds are not liquid until the payment is made by HM Revenue and Customs. 6. Credltorn Apart from ongoing payments for utilities and insurance St Peterfs currently has no major liabilities. 7. Parlsh Share We were only able to commit a token amount to Parish Share in 2024,. this was primarily due to the continued uncertainty about the cost of replacement of the Church heating. We do ask everyone to understand how vital Parish Share is to the mission and work of our parish, the diocese and the wider church. Parish Share provides the diocese with an essential source for the funds needed to employ and train clergy and to help other churches in the Diocese. Please consider this in your prayers regarding stewardship for 2025. It is very important that we strlve to return to meeting our parish obligation as soon as we are able. 2024 Financial Report Page 4 Annual financial report for the year ended 31st December 2024 Registered Charity 1131957 Independent examiner's report to the PCC of St Peterfs, Fitton I report on the accounts of St Petels Church, Filton PCC for the year ended 31 st December 2024. Respectlve responsibilitie5 of the PCC and the examlner The members of the PCC are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The PCC considers that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (The 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to Examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act To follow the procedures laid down in the general directions given by the Charity Commi8sion under section 145 (5) (b) of the 2011 Act To state whether any particular matters have come to my attention Basls of thls report My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from you as members of the PCC concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a "true and fair view" and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below. Independent examlner's ststsment In connection with my examination no matter ha8 come to my attention which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requlrements to keep accounting records in accordance with section 41 of the Act., and to prepare financial statements, which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act have not been met to which, in rny opinion, attention should be drawn to enable proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. l[Vx4- Date. *s. /[ /ll d,,A L/,1, 2024 Financial Report Page 5 St Peterfs Church Filton ststement of Assets and Liabilities At 31st December 2024 ene Fix•d 4¥sot4 Mon¢tsry as¥ots Natwegt accounts -Parochial Churoh 15,266 26,191 41.457 55,589 -PCC designate Co-op C8F 18,959 18.959 2,961 36,091 38,091 27,882 8,442 8,442 8,222 Debtors 7,139 15,286 55,051 34,633 104,gSO 101,793 Llabllttl•• Creditors.. Amounts Falllng Du* In One Year 1316 1,316 Not curr•nt a•••ts l••$ ¢urr•nt114bllftl 15,286 55,051 34,633 104,950 100,477 R•pr•s•trt•d ty Unr•¥trlct•d Unre8trld8d- Gen•181 Fund 15,286 15,266 14,897,29 Doilgnat•d De81on8ted - Coffe• Shop Deg1gnated- Church Hall De81gn8teO. Fabrle Fund Déslgnatad - Leg8cle8 & MemorialB D•8ignated - P•nslon r•$erveo -994 -994 1,770 15,22 19,330 19,330 8,505 8,505 8,508 28,232 28,232 28,232 .23 .23 -23 R•Jtfictad Ra8lrtct6d - Book Of Remembrancè R88trlcttsd- Boller Fund AppÈ81 R8strl¢ted- Group Trips .25 -25 60 34,050 608 34,060 608 31,198 608 Fund Ttstal• 15,266 55,051 34,633 104,950 100,477 St Peter's Church Filton Receipts and Payments Account For the period from 01 January 2024 to 31 December 2024 Unrestrlcled R8stri¢t8d Endowmfjnt Total 2023 funds funds fvnd fvnds totsl funds Income and ondowm8nts from.. Donations and lega¢ie5 Income from charitsble advitleB 53,410.26 2,891.94 56,302.20 79,200.67 1,202.00 1,202.00 6,311,40 Other tradlng activ￿88 Inve8tmer 15,162.99 15,162.99 14,978.57 219.71 219,71 307.04 Other Income Totsl income 69,994.96 2,891,94 72,886,90 100,797.68 ExpendI￿re on.. Ral8lng fvnds Expend1￿re on cherftabl• 88,288.80 125 68,413,80 58,077.48 Other èxp8ndlturè Totsl expendlttbre Net Income I lexp*ndfturel re•ourG•I befora tran8fer 68.288.80 125 68,413.80 56,077,48 1,706.16 2,788.94 4,473.10 44,720.20 Galn8 on revaluallon, flx•d ofjsets, ch8rlty'8 own u8t 10.56 Not RoGolpVPayment 1,706 2,767 4,473 44,731 Totsl fvrKl• brought lorward 68,811 70,317 31,868 34,633 100,477 56,746 100,477 Total funds carrl•d fopNard 104,980