## The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St. Mark's, Kensal RiseClient name 

**Report and Accounts Year ended** ...31 December 2024 

**1 Lamb's Passage, London EC1Y 8AB www.stewardship.org.uk** 



## Legal and Administrative Information 

Charity Number 1132172 

Working Name St Mark’s Kensal Rise Address Bathurst Gardens, NW10 5HX 

St. Mark’s Church is based at the Church and Hall on the corner of Bathurst Gardens, Kensal Rise, and All Souls Avenue, Harlesden. It is part of the Brent Deanery, in the Willesden Area, in the Diocese of London within the Church of England. 

Trustees at time Katie Barringer of writing Sue Bush Angie Hansel Deanery Synod Rep Rosabel Johnston Paul Kidner Deanery Synod Rep Church Warden 

Deanery Synod Rep Appointed July 2024 Appointed May 2024 

Maria Mak Vivienne McKoy-Salt Church Warden Alan Meakin Treasurer & Deanery Synod Rep 

Michael Mclean Douglas Morton Latham Noble John Palmer Michelle Percharde Secretary Rev Dave Roberts Vicar & Chair Siobhan Scott Caroline Winterburn 

Appointed May 2024 Appointed May 2024 

Appointed May 2024 

Trustees who Shantel Earl  - May 2024 stood down in Gillian Thompson - May 2024 2024 Flora Dugbarty - December 2024 

Safeguarding Lead 

Kellie Jarret 

Independent Sarah Crispin ACA Examiner Stewardship Services (UKET) Limited 

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The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Saint Mark, Kensal Rise Bathurst Gardens, Kensal Rise NW10 5HX - Charity number 1132172 



## Executive Summary - The Vicar’s view 

_by Revd. Dave Roberts_ 

In 2024, we introduced a new phrase to describe what we are trying to do as a church: ‘ _**encouraging everyone to go deeper** ’_ ! The point of  this phrase was not to change direction, but rather to name what God has been doing among us for generations and to help each of us  to consider how we can go deeper in our personal discipleship and encourage others through our gifts, testimony, and generosity. 

**Encouragement** is something I see in the culture of  everything we do here. It shows itself in a joyful culture of invitation and welcome. It also allows Jesus’ radical teaching to hit home without leaving us feeling overwhelmed. Following Jesus is not a task to be completed, nor is it ‘done’ at baptism. Rather, we are pilgrimages together and all in need of encouragement. 

We don’t, however, all have the same spiritual needs. That’s why we offer different ways for **everyone** to go deeper! This is part of our history  as a Parish Church, but also reflects the incredible diversity. We encourage the young through school visits and outstanding children’s groups, seeing up to 75 under 18s each week; we encourage our seniors through Wednesday fellowship and the team of home-visitors; we encourage new faith at Alpha, growing faith through Lent courses, and we develop spiritually maturity through leadership within different ministries. Encouraging _everyone_ also informs our approach to All Age worship. In February, for example, our Christingle services had baptisms, dramatic readings, craft, teaching, and an orchestra of 15 people of all ages. This is not always neat and tidy, but we believe it brings God honour and joy! 

But what are we primarily invited to? We believe that we are called to more than community, self-knowledge, a moral framework, or even the healing of your body and soul. The invitation is to **go deeper** into the love shown in the Gospel  of Jesus - personal encounters of Divine love and grace. Jesus loves you: He died for you; He asks you to trust and follow Him. A memory from this year illustrates this: at our Good Friday service, this story of God’s love was told by our kids, then meditated on in worship, silence, Bible readings, liturgy and reflections. In the last half an hour we shared the Sacrament, began to worship and then a wave of intense gratitude and love swelled and broke out all over the church as we worshipped God in the Holy Spirit. We went deeper together and it was beautiful. 

The fruit of this love grows over a lifetime. This year we mourned the passing of 10 members of our parish or church, among them June Edwards and Norman Mitchell, both incredible examples of the rich, deep lives our church stands for. Mr Mitchell maintained a curiosity and depth of service that never diminished through his 104 years. June’s depth of wisdom, love, and leadership in the church is sorely missed. In heaven they now have what they sought in life - not just _deep_ knowledge, but _full_ knowledge  of the depth of God’s love, just as they are fully known.. 

I hope that, whoever you are, you have been encouraged to go deeper and you know ‘what’s next’ in your walk of faith. Thank you. It is your love, time, giving, and service which makes this church happen. We look forward to going deeper in 2025 and beyond. 

Revd. Dave Roberts, 

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The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Saint Mark, Kensal Rise Bathurst Gardens, Kensal Rise NW10 5HX - Charity number 1132172 



## 1.  Our Vision (Aims & Purposes) 

St Mark’s Kensal Rise is a local church family and the parish church of Kensal Rise and East Harlesden. 

We exist to KNOW and to SHOW the depths of God’s love. 

We do this by encouraging EVERYONE to go deeper. This is reflected in our values: 

- Deeper Encounter in prayer and worship 

- Deeper Wisdom from God’s word 

- Deeper Friendships 

- Deeper Generosity 

- Deeper Service in our community 

- Deeper Diversity 

- Deeper Witness 

The Church Council has the responsibility of working with the incumbent, Revd. Dave Roberts, and the staff team in promoting the mission of the Church - pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. The PCC, through prayer and discussion, seeks to discover how best to encourage the church to fulfil its mission to encourage everyone to go deeper. 

## Public Benefit: 

When planning its activities for the year the PCC gave consideration to the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit. As a church, we exist for the benefit of the whole community and look to love our neighbours as ourselves and be of service. This is what it looks like to go deeper in our community. 

Practically, our projects and partnerships include: 

- a worshipping community gathering on Sundays and meeting throughout the week for personal encouragement, fellowship, and learning to be more like Jesus 

- partnering with local schools to offer learning and pastoral support, including at Princess Frederica Primary School, and Kenmont School 

- running weekly social groups including 

   - two drop-ins for teenagers 

   - two Parents and toddlers groups 

   - a seniors fellowship group 

   - Gardening and recreation in our community garden 

- providing premises for the activities of: 

   - Brent Dementia Cafe 

   - ‘Young Roots’ Refugee Youth Club 

   - ‘Wildfires’ Kids community Group 

- supporting partner community projects including 

   - Kensal Warm Spaces 

   - Interfaith Night-shelter for the homeless 

   - Christmas Food packages (Love Christmas) 

- providing pastoral care and connection to the housebound 

- conducting Parish services of baptism, marriage and funerals with relevant pastoral care 

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The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Saint Mark, Kensal Rise Bathurst Gardens, Kensal Rise NW10 5HX - Charity number 1132172 



## 2.  The Ministry of St. Mark’s  (Objectives & Activities) 

The general functions of the PCC are stated within section 2 of the Parochial Church Councils (Powers) Measure 1956. In 2024, these activities manifest in the following ways: 

## 2.1 Ministry Activities 

## Services: 

- 

   - Sunday Worship, weekly, 10:30am 

      - Our main weekly celebration includes singing, prayers, reading and teaching on the Bible, and serving Holy Communion. 

      - We are especially blessed in the musical gifting of our congregation and children. In 2024 we held four Sunday services in which an orchestra of children played in our worship service. We also hosted the Harlesden Community Gospel Choir for our Christmas Carol Service and Easter Sunday service. We are really grateful to the whole worship team, but especially Tim who leads the Choir and Ruth,  Sophie and Ann-Katrin for gathering our orchestra, the St. Mark’s Ensemble. 

      - Our first Sunday each month is ‘All Age’ and we thank Caroline, Vanessa, and Becky for taking a lead in these fun and energetic services. On all the other Sundays there are 4 age-appropriate groups for under 18s, led by a fantastic team of more than 30 volunteers. We would like to see this ministry better resourced as there is a big opportunity to support our children’s discipleship in these groups (see report below). 

      - Our October average attendance figures show that we have approximately 100 adults and 55 children each Sunday. 

      - Each week, approximately 20 people have a formal volunteer role in our Sunday services. 

- Morning Prayer, weekly, 9am 

      - Our Tuesday, in person prayer meeting gathers at 9am and has an average attendance of 4. We are able to pray specifically for needs of the world, the church and then for each other and this has been a great encouragement and support to everyone attending. 

- Prayer and worship night, monthly, 7pm 

      - On the last Sunday of each month we gather in the evening for more informal worship and prayer. This is especially enjoyed by those with a more charismatic spirituality and those with a deep love of prayer and worship. Gathering about 8-12 people we have focussed on prayer ministry and testimony. This service has struggled to gain consistency in service and attendance but has also provided some of the most beautiful moments of free worship this year. 

- Seasonal Services 

      - This Easter we enjoyed a full Holy Week including daily prayer, a ‘bring and share’ Maundy Thursday supper, Good Friday reflective service and Sunday Holy Communion. This was a precious time and has set a good pattern for future years. 

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The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Saint Mark, Kensal Rise Bathurst Gardens, Kensal Rise NW10 5HX - Charity number 1132172 



- Remembrance season included traditional services for Remembrance Sunday, and All Souls where families from our funeral ministry were invited to remember loved ones who had passed. 

- Christmas was a wonderful celebration with a full church for both our Carol Service and family Crib Service. Especially memorable was the Carols by Candlelight Service with the Harlesden Community Gospel Choir and St. Mark’s Carol Choir. 

## Small Groups: 

- We have 5 small groups in which members of the church help each other live out their faith and share the love of Jesus. Each group has between 8 and 14 members.  They meet weekly, fortnightly or monthly. One group has formed from (and continues to lead our annual Alpha Course. 

- The Seniors small group, ‘Wednesday Fellowship’ continues to have regular celebrations and events and we are thankful to Revds Anthea and Roy for their support of this important ministry. 

## Life Events 

As the parish church for Kensal Rise and East Harlesden, we are privileged to officiate for Life Events (baptisms, weddings, and funerals). In 2024 there was almost a funeral every month and this has been a significant ministry in the life of the church. 

In 2024, we held: 

- Baptisms of children: 5 

- Baptisms of adults: 2 

- Reaffirmation of Baptism Vows in water: 1 

- Funeral Services: 10 

- Confirmations: 0 

- Weddings: 0 

## Pastoral Care 

- We continue to offer pastoral care to all members of our community. This comes largely through Small Groups, but there is also a core team of people who have experience in pastoral conversations. This team has a focus on home visiting to the 8 members of our congregation who are currently housebound. We also offer care for people preparing for Life Events listed above. 

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The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Saint Mark, Kensal Rise Bathurst Gardens, Kensal Rise NW10 5HX - Charity number 1132172 



_Caroline Winterburn_ 

## 2.2 Children’s Ministry 

## Sunday Kids’ Church 

St. Mark’s is blessed with the number of children and young people we have within our church family.  Each week we average 3 little ones in the creche (18 months-3 years old), plus the babies that stay in church, 10 in the Explorer group which is Reception-year 2 (ages 4-7 ) and another 23 in our Adventurers group which is years 3-6 (ages 7-11.) We are so thankful for the energy and vibrancy they bring to our church family, and it’s our prayer that each one of these children, through attending Kids’ Church, will come to know how deeply loved they are loved by God, how each of them are unique and how God has given each of them special gifts to be used for him. Our prayer is that they will each come to accept Jesus into their lives and go on to serve him as they grow up here and then through their lives wherever they may be. 

It is such a responsibility and a privilege to be teaching and nurturing our children and to lay down these firm foundations in Jesus. We have an absolutely incredible team of 30 kid’s church volunteers who selflessly give up their time to prepare and deliver exciting sessions in their various groups and who nurture and care for our children week by week. This is such an important and vital ministry and as a leadership team at St. Mark’s we are so very grateful to every one of our wonderful volunteers. 

During 2024, we started a new pattern where children go into church with their parents after they have signed in, rather than heading straight into their groups. This has meant that they can be part of the worship at the beginning of the service.  This was partly prompted by some of the children saying how much they enjoyed the worship and were sorry not to be in church for it.  It’s been so lovely to see the children enjoying using the flags as they express themselves in worship.  After the worship, usually during the Peace, they go out to their groups. On the  Sundays that we have communion, the children return to church for this. Otherwise, the parents collect their children from the groups at the end of the service. 

## Seasonal Events 

As well as our Sunday Kids’ Church sessions we ran the Light Party again at the end of October last year. We had 50 children attending, many of whom are not part of our usual congregation. It was a wonderful opportunity to have lots of fun – with massive inflatable basketball hoops, light related crafts, bouncy castle, face painting and food, but the most important part was when Jenny Erber gave a fantastic talk about Jesus being the Light of the World and how he encourages us to shine his light in the darkness around us. It’s a wonderful opportunity to share the truth of the gospel with many children and their families (many of whom stay during the party) that don’t usually come to church.  We were very grateful to our friends at Hope and Anchor Church, Hackney  who built us a wonderful, huge lighthouse that stood centre stage! 

Christmas and Easter have also been opportunities for the children to get involved more in our main services with Carols around the Crib on Christmas Eve and at the Family Hour on Good Friday when the children and young people were involved in acting out the events of that first Good Friday. It was incredibly powerful and so encouraging to have all ages taking 

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The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Saint Mark, Kensal Rise Bathurst Gardens, Kensal Rise NW10 5HX - Charity number 1132172 



## part. 

During the All Age Sunday services we have endeavoured to encourage many of the children and young people to take an active part in the service, and it’s been lovely to see many of them being keen to be part of it. 

## Parent & Toddler Group 

Our Parent and Toddler Groups run in term time on Tuesday afternoons and Wednesday mornings. We average about 40 children per week so with their parents and carers too, the hall and church are both buzzing with the sounds of chatting and playing. There are different areas set out with different types of toys. This enables different skills to be used – fine motor skills, sharing, listening quietly to a story and joining in with the singing. 

“It’s not just a toddler group” is the name of research that has shown that children who attend parent and toddler groups are so much more ready for school because of what they have learnt through being in a toddler group. Also many of the adults have said that coming to toddlers has been their ‘lifeline’ so it’s not just about providing a safe space for children to play, but a safe space for the adults where they can be encouraged, supported and if necessary signposted to other agencies that might be able to help further with a specific issue. This is a place where people are finding a community that cares about them. 

Parents and Toddlers is an incredible opportunity for us to “Show the love of Jesus to our community” – the heart of our values and mission statement. There are 3 of us that volunteer on Tuesdays, and 3 on Wednesdays, and a big shout out to Pete who comes every Tuesday to help us set up and who then returns on Wednesdays to help put everything away. This is such an important part of our mission and ministry, but we desperately need more help! If you feel you can help out – even on a rota and not every week – then please speak to Sue or Caroline. 

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The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Saint Mark, Kensal Rise Bathurst Gardens, Kensal Rise NW10 5HX - Charity number 1132172 



## 2.3 Youth Ministry: 

_by Vanessa Richards_ 

## Grounded Youth Group 

The  values  of  the  youth  ministry,  ‘Grounded  Youth’,  are  guided  by **Ephesians  3:16-  19** ,  which means  we  want  our  young  people  to  ‘be  strengthened  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  to  enable  God  to dwell in their hearts through faith, that they may be rooted and grounded in love.’ 

Our  focus  is  for  our  youth  to  have  a  personal  relationship  with  God,  whilst  supporting  each other  to  know  the  breadth,  length,  height  and  depth  of  God’s  love.  We  support  them  to encounter a personal relationship with Jesus, through God’s love. 

## **What do we do and how?** 

Grounded Youth Group is split into Pathfinders (Year 7-9) and Older Youth (OY, year 10+). 

Pathfinders  meet  in  the  upper  room  every  Sunday  morning  during  the  service,  except  on  All Age  service  weeks.  This  year  they  have  stayed  in  the  main  service  until  after  the  first  worship segment  and  then  returned  to  the  main  service  during  the  Peace  for  communion.This change  in  the  format  has  contributed  to  the  growth  in  youth  participating  in  worship  but  also in other areas like sound and projection. 

Pathfinders  also  meet  every  Friday  from  4:30  to  6:30pm.  The  Older  Youth  meet  every  other Friday  at  7  to  9pm,  however  we  are  seeing  less  of  these  youths  once  they  become  18.  The format  of  all  the  Friday  night  sessions  consists  of  outings  (for  example,  attending  events hosted  by  Holy  Trinity  Brompton  church  (HTB),  various  activities,  games  and  bitesize teachings and discussions with refreshments (pizza and drinks) 

Average  attendance  on  Sunday  has  increased  compared  to  2023,  with  8  to  15  young  people each  week.  Fridays  can  be  from  10  to  23  young  people  in  total  across  both  groups **.** We  saw  a rise  in  consistent  attendance  from  September  2024  onwards,  when  our  new  Year  7s  joined Pathfinders for the first time.. 

More  than  10  young  people  who  attended  on  Fridays  and  2  who  attended  on  Sundays  are  not members of our church. The majority who attend on both Fridays and Sundays are boys. 

The  bi-monthly  boys  only  and  girls  only  groups  have  enjoyed  trips  to  the  park,  Nando’s, discussions  and  creative  arts  sessions.  There  is  a  need  to  rethink,  if  and  how  to  continue  both groups due to volunteers’ availability and youth lack of participation. 

In  August  2024,  we  were  able  to  take  6  youths  to  the  Satellites  Christian  Youth  Camp  for  5 days.  Accompanying  the  young  people  were  4  youth  leaders  with  the  help  of  a  volunteer  who drove  a  minibus  with  equipment  and  passengers.  Satellites  provided  the  opportunity  for  our youth to be around peers who love God and learn more about the faith whilst camping. 

We  are  very  grateful  to  our  regular  volunteers,  for  all  their  work  with  their  young  people,  and for  their  commitment  to  safeguarding,  including  undertaking  DBS  checks  and  safeguarding training: : 

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The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Saint Mark, Kensal Rise Bathurst Gardens, Kensal Rise NW10 5HX - Charity number 1132172 



- Sunday Pathfinders – **Justin, Michael, Sharon and Peggy** 

- Friday Pathfinders **- Paul, Simon, Olu and  Charlene** 

- Friday OY - **Caroline, Ruby  and Olu** 

We  have  also  had  ad  hoc  support  from:  Vicar  (support),  Wayne  (DJ),  Rosa,  Carroll  and  Mernell (hospitality), Mary (support) and Sinitta (support). 

Unfortunately,  3  of  the  previous  10  volunteers  we  had  in  2023  were  no  longer  in  the  position  to continue supporting due to health, work and family commitments. Now we have 3 new ones. 

Special  thanks  to  our  Vicar,  Dave,  for  leading  by  example,  Caroline  andeveryone  who  puts  the time  and  effort  into  making  the  youth  group  a  pleasurable  and  thriving  experience  for  all.  I also  want  to  also  take  this  time  to  thank  our  church  family  for  their  support  and  love  in  caring for our young people. 

## **Priorities for 2025 (Our Focus):** 

1. Increase faith and leadership of young people 

2. Increase the capabilities and capacity of volunteers 

3. Safeguarding to be up to date and a priority for all 

4. Support  and  encourage  youth  by  providing  creative  platforms  to  encourage  a  deeper 

- faith 

5. Motivate  and  inspire  youths  to  experience  God  through  serving  their  church  and community. 

6. Transition the new older members from Pathfinders into Older Youth 

7. Encourage the current older youth to support with leading 

8. Work alongside other churches and organisations 

9. Have a fundraising event 

10. Encourage youth to take ownership of their faith journey. 

I  am  thanking  the  Lord  for  his  grace,  provisions,  strength  and  guidance  he  has  provided, which  is  very  evident  in  the  growth  we  are  experiencing  with  our  young  people.  I  am  very aware  there  is  no  growth  without  roots,  so  thank  you  Lord  for  the  foundation  that  has  been set.  I  pray  we  continue  to  pray,  God  will  help  us  to  keep  him  at  the  centre  of  everything  we  do. Amen 

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The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Saint Mark, Kensal Rise Bathurst Gardens, Kensal Rise NW10 5HX - Charity number 1132172 



## 2.4 Partnership and Community Activities 

## Special Events: 

- The 2024 Alpha course saw two groups discuss the foundations of the Christian faith and prompted three people to become baptised in the summer. It was a joyful reminder of the power of listening and accompanying people through the big questions of life and we are grateful to Carrol , Charlene, and Rohim for tireless work in the kitchen as well as to our table leaders, Rachel, Paul, Michelle, and Patrice. 

- The Marriage Course supported 10 couples, both married and unmarried, by looking at the basics of Christian marriage and giving space for reflection and discussion within these couples. It was a great success and would be worth repeating. It is exciting that, from this course, one unmarried couple decided to get married! 

- In October, a Women’s breakfast event was a great encouragement to many.  Over 60 women attended  and heard a testimony of God’s grace in the workplace. There was a willing team of men to serve a delicious breakfast. A big thank you to Kellie, Laura, and Nat for taking a lead in this initiative. 

- December, 2024, we held a large community event, focussing on hospitality, crafts and music. Our main aim was community participation and over 400 of our neighbours and friends came. We also made over £2,000 from the activities, stalls, and refreshments. We are especially grateful to Rachel, Karen, Janka, Anna, Kellie, Karen, and Tom for their contributions as everyone brought their different skills with a shared passion. 

## Night Shelter 

On Friday nights January to March, the Brent interfaith Night shelter resumed but this time in a single location in Harlesden rather than at different locations around Brent each night. Alistair led an enthusiastic team, and despite a slow start with some logistical challenges from the shelter,  our support was deeply appreciated by the organisers, who had lost some teams in the change, and the guests who value consistency. 

## Community - schools: 

St Mark’s continues to work with the parish primary school Princess Frederica, hosting services, assemblies and some RE lessons. Dave takes one assembly every two weeks, focussing on Biblical values and the gospel of Jesus. Children from Princess Frederica also came into church as a whole school 3 times and in classes for 2 lessons. 

Progress supporting Kenmont school began strongly with an invitation to do a whole school assembly and host 2 year groups. However, the headteacher changed mid year and the communication has been slow since. We look forward to doing more with this relationship going forward. 

## Community - Audit and Food Poverty 

After 2 years delivering Christmas Hampers, this year there was not the team available to build a successful Christmas food project. The PCC were sad about this, however it did allow us to ask questions about the needs in our community and how to meet these needs in a relational and sustaining way. Christmas can be a pinch point for many but it is also the focus of other charitable campaigns. 

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The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Saint Mark, Kensal Rise Bathurst Gardens, Kensal Rise NW10 5HX - Charity number 1132172 



The PCC is interested in conducting a community audit to support fundraising efforts to meet the ongoing need for families. We hope that 2025 will be a year where we will see progress towards  projects which will make a difference, and will likely include a Christmas campaign. 

## Mission Partners: 

The PCC are continuing their commitment to supporting mission partners outside St. Mark’s and maintain the aim to grow our external giving so that we reach a figure of at least 10% of congregational giving, to that end we supported the following partners financially: 

- Fusion (Pippa Elmes) 

- New Growth Ministries, Zimbabwe 

- Operation Mobilization London Mission 

- Scargill House (Phil & Di Stone) 

- Operation Restoration, Bolivia (Roger & Isha Hulford) 

- Youth With a Mission, London Urban Key (local to us) 

- There is Hope Malawi 

- The Children’s Society (supported through our annual Christingle service) 

- Daniel’s Den 

- The Brent Foodbank (through our harvest campaign) 

We have also pledged to join a group of churches to set up a Brent _Christians Against Poverty_ (CAP) debt centre run from St Gabriel’s church,  Cricklewood.. This will begin with a contribution of £1200 a year and provide a CAP service and opportunity for befriending in our parish. 

‘Project  Stork’  initiatives  have  continued  to  be  well  supported  this  year,  collecting  clothes and gifts – as well as Easter Eggs - for women and children escaping domestic violence. 

## Hall Bookings: 

We continue to host partners and create income from our hall bookings. Most notably, we have a permanent tenant, the charity IntoUniversity, in our second office and classroom, as well as regular bookings from local charities, including Young Roots - a refugee youth charity, Wildfires - a children’s Christian weekly event, the dementia cafe, and two creative arts groups 

IntoUniversity (IU) Brent based at St. Mark’s continues to provide educational and mentoring support for local primary and secondary school children through Focus Weeks held in the Church and Classroom, school visits, homework clubs, and university and cultural trips. 

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The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Saint Mark, Kensal Rise Bathurst Gardens, Kensal Rise NW10 5HX - Charity number 1132172 



## 3.  Achievements and Performance 

In this section we reflect on the data processed by the Church of England, known as ‘Statistics for Mission’ and ‘environmental Audit- Financial performance is shown in section 4. 

## 3.1 Parish Statistics 

The Dashboard below shows that 2024 saw an increase in momentum in a few measures. In 2024 we saw a growth in membership of the church with many people joining the Electoral Roll and our mailing list (an excellent indicator of commitment). We also see a turnover of families leaving London and we have noticed that the growth in members is higher than the growth in attendance which implies a pattern of less frequent attendance within our members. It is also excellent to note that our growth in under 18s is faster than our adult attendance which implies our focus on All Age worship and family outreach is going well. 

## _Figure 3.1: Church of England Parish Dashboard_ 

The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Saint Mark, Kensal Rise Bathurst Gardens, Kensal Rise NW10 5HX - Charity number 1132172 

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It is important to note that numbers are not everything!! We would like to think about how we measure depth as well as attendance. However as the parish church, we are accountable for the souls of our parish and believe that sustained numerical growth is a good indicator of our effectiveness towards our vision of encouraging everyone to go deeper: 

|**Measure**|**2023**|**2024**|**change**|
|---|---|---|---|
|Electoral Roll|178|199|+12%|
|Church membership|286|313|+9%|
|Attendance|91 adults<br>53 kids|100 adults<br>55 kids|+10%<br>+13%|



## 3.2 Environmental Impact 

As we modernise our buildings we are mindful of our environmental impact. In early 2024 we installed infra-red heating for our church building.  This has seen a consequent reduction in our gas usage, and, combined with a green electricity tariff, our net CO2 emissions have fallen from 16 to 11.7 tonnes. 

We are also seeking to improve the biodiversity of our open spaces.  This has seen the removal of a large proportion of astroturf in the garden and a programme of planting, including a number of shrubs kindly donated from the Chelsea Flower Show.  A beehive has also been introduced on the roof of the church hall.  More recently, in early 2025, this has been supplemented with a sedum green roof together with a number of bird boxes. 

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The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Saint Mark, Kensal Rise Bathurst Gardens, Kensal Rise NW10 5HX - Charity number 1132172 



## 4. Financial Review 

## _By Alan Meakin, Treasurer_ 

We are pleased to report a surplus of £8,811 (£8,583 in 2023).  However, the picture is similar to previous years in that our regular income is not sustainably covering our running costs.  This year the surplus has been driven by claiming arrears of Gift Aid as opposed to last year when we received legacy payments.  We still have Gift Aid to claim from 2022 onwards, which we will use judiciously,, but this will only provide headroom for a few more years. 

Total income in 2024 was £28,630 higher than 2023.  This was largely due to the Gift Aid claims of £41,716 for 2021 and 2022 (£0 in 2023) substituting for the absence of any legacy gifts (£39,500 in 2023).  Total expenditure, similarly, was £28,402 higher driven by the one-off cost of £17,475 for the new infrared heaters.  Our congregation generously made gifts of £8,452 in 2024 toward this cost, and in aggregate this means we have raised £13,749.  Once the associated Gift Aid has been claimed we will have largely funded the cost of these works. 

We benefited from innovations made during the latter part of 2023.  We have now had a full year within the Parish Giving Scheme which is assisting our cashflow with over £1,000 per month of associated Gift Aid recovery.  Over 50% of our regular income comes through Parish Giving and we seek to encourage further take up.  In addition, the card reader has made giving easier with over £9,000 received through this means. 

## 4.1 Receipts 

Total receipts were £226,514 (2023 £197,884) 

Voluntary income increased to £156,282 (2023 £133,843) 

- regular voluntary giving and collections  for 2024 were £105,314, inclusive of £11,584 of Gift Aid recovered through the Parish Giving Scheme .  This compares with £82,027 in 2023, a welcome 14% increase on a like for like basis (excluding PGS).  Income from standing orders has increased by 8% to £84,132 and collections, aided by the card reader, represent the remainder of the increase.. 

- There were no legacies this year, although  we were overpaid by £4,955 in 2023 and this was an expense in 2024. 

- Brent Council kindly made a grant of  £500 to our Parents & Toddlers Group through their “Love where you Live” scheme.  In addition we facilitated a grant of £1,000 from the Bishop of Willesden’s Mission Fund for the Harlesden Community Gospel Choir, where we act in an agency capacity.. 

- Other donations included £8,452 towards  the new heaters and £220 towards our Hardship fund. 

- Gift Aid claims were received for the  2020 and 2021 calendar years and for the Small Donations Scheme 2022/23 totalling £41,716 (no claims were made in 2023).  We estimate that £42,494 is claimable for 2022, 2023 and 2024. 

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The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Saint Mark, Kensal Rise Bathurst Gardens, Kensal Rise NW10 5HX - Charity number 1132172 



Fundraising income from property letting was consistent with 2023 at £53,197 (2023 £53,016) with a further £1,225 collected after the year end.  The IntoUniversity licence to occupy office and classroom space, expired at the end of March 2024.  They have agreed to a new licence with the fee increasing from £26,072 to £28,170 p.a., but this is yet to be documented.  In addition, last year we reported a deficit of £4,654 of costs associated with the interregnum, but have now recovered £4,589 of which £3,500 represents rental income. 

Church activities for generating funds rose to £12,056 (2023 £10,375).  This includes £3,568 of receipts from the Christmas Craft Fair, within which we are grateful to Wenlock & Taylor, the local estate agents, for sponsorship of £500.  We also received £2,660 of donations towards Parents & Toddlers and there was an insurance claim of £4,486 following a break in. 

## 4.2 Expenditure 

Our expenditure totalled £217,703 (2023 £189,300) 

Of this, £73,500 (2023 £70,000) was our contribution to the Common Fund to provide stipends and employment costs for the clergy and a contribution towards Diocesan costs and the costs of the wider Church. Our offer for 2025 is £76,800 which compares with the request from the Diocese of £99,980. 

Staffing and contractor costs decreased to £49,208 from £51,155 following a review of working hours, partly offset by cost of living pay rises.  Clergy accommodation showed a net receipt of £762 after £1,012 of reclaimed expenses arising from the Interregnum, principally a British Gas refund. 

Running expenses increased to £71,679 (2023 £48,523). This is largely due to the one-off cost of £17,475 for the infrared heaters.  Further to the break in, the insurance claim referred to above was fully expended on repairs and replacement equipment.   Notably, on a like for like basis, we spent c. £3,000 less on gas this year, half of which is attributable to lower usage (associated with the new heaters) with the remainder due to a fall in prices. 

Missionary & Charitable Giving totalled £18,776 (2023 £14,214).  This includes £600 of payments out of our Hardship fund and £1,250 of Mission Partner giving which related to 2023 (left our account on 2 Jan 2024).  In 2021 the PCC agreed a formula to tithe 10% of our income (after agreed deductions) to our Mission Partners. 

## 4.2 Assets 

At the year-end our Cash funds had risen to £128,805 (2023 £119,993). We have other monetary assets not yet available to us but likely to be redeemed. This totals £45,509 (2023 £81,389), including outstanding Gift Aid, estimated at £42,494, recoverable for the years 2022-2024. 

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The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Saint Mark, Kensal Rise Bathurst Gardens, Kensal Rise NW10 5HX - Charity number 1132172 



Liabilities falling due within one year fell from £10,524 to £3,432, principally reflecting the repayment of £4,955 of overpaid legacy. We also hold £1,752 in an Agency capacity for Kensal Warm Spaces and the Harlesden Community Gospel Choir. 

## 4.3 Reserves Policy 

In 2021 we reviewed our Reserves Policy and this provides that we should aim to sustain 5 months of expenses (based on a 5 year rolling average) and never dip below 1 month of expenses except in exceptional circumstances at the discretion of the PCC. On agreement of the PCC Reserves can be utilised but must aim to be replenished thereafter from all sources of income until the threshold is again reached, with the aim of replenishing not later than 3 years from utilisation. We currently seek to maintain reserves of £66,751 (2023 £78,875) and to not go below £13,350 (2023 £15,775).  This reduction arises as a pre-Covid year falls out of the calculation.  General unrestricted funds total £81,562. 

## 4.4 Risk Management 

Our Financial Control Procedures have been reviewed and were formally adopted by the PCC in July 2024.  Revenue budgets are prepared in the autumn prior to each financial year and care is taken to limit contractual commitments to one year. Within the Church building, we have paid particular attention to risks of fire and escape routes, and the appropriate insurance is in place. At the beginning of 2024 our electrical systems were given a thorough overhaul. 

## 4.6 Finance and Treasury team 

We are grateful to our Finance and Treasury team – Alan Meakin, who assumed the role of Treasurer in 2021 and Sinitta Falconer who continues to work diligently as our part-time bookkeeper. 

## 5.  Structure, Governance and Management 

St Mark’s is led by the Parochial Church Council, among whom are two appointed church warden’s, treasurer, secretary, and the Vicar who make up the Standing Committee. 

The method of appointment of PCC members is set out in the Church Representation Rules. All church attendees who consider themselves as belonging to the worshipping community of St. Mark’s are encouraged to register on the Electoral Roll. All those on the Electoral Roll may stand for election to the PCC. The council should reflect the diversity of the church community. 

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The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Saint Mark, Kensal Rise Bathurst Gardens, Kensal Rise NW10 5HX - Charity number 1132172 



## 5.1 Electoral Roll: 

The electoral roll - the formal voting members of St. Mark's Church - now stands at XX. This year was a reset year for our roll. Last year’s roll stood at 199.. The Electoral Roll Officer is Kellie Jarrett 

## 5.2 PCC members (trustees) 

_Ex Officio Members (Ordered Alphabetically)_ 

   - Paul Kidner - Church Warden & Deanery Synod Rep 

   - Vivienne McKoy-Salt - Church Warden 

   - Alan Meakin - Deanery Synod Rep (Treasurer) 

   - Angie Hansel - Deanery Synod Rep 

   - Dave Roberts - Vicar, and member of Deanery Synod 

- Elected Members (Ordered Alphabetically) 

   - Katie Barringer 

   - Sue Bush 

   - Rosabel Johnston 

   - Maria Mak 

   - Michael Mclean 

- Douglas Morton 

- Latham Noble 

- John Palmer 

- Michelle Percharde (Secretary) 

- Siobhan Scott 

- Caroline Winterburn 

## 5.4 Staff: 

**Kellie Jarrett** – Church Administrator with a special  focus on bookings and community partnerships. 

This year, Kellie moved from a 20-hour a week permanent contract plus a 12-hours a week fixed term temporary contract to a single permanent contract of 26 hours a week. This was agreed to be a good balance of the church’s needs now a vicar is in post and has proved to provide a good rhythm for the team and for Kellie. Outside her core job description she has supported many events at the church including a Womens’ Breakfast and introducing flagging and liturgical dance which have greatly enriched the life of the church. 

**Vanessa Richards** – This year Vanessa transitioned  from a 34-hours a week fixed term contract as Youth Pastor to a 26 hour a week role of Youth Pastor and Children’s Coordinator. This represented a review of the church’s needs, especially in supporting Caroline in her volunteer role as Children’s lead. The fruit of Vanessa’s more focused work has been wonderful this year, seeing the number of teenagers engaged in church and youth group increase dramatically across 2024. 

We are incredibly grateful to Kellie and Vanessa for their commitment to church life and love for those they serve. We are very blessed to have their humour, prayers, and passion at St Mark's both within their respective roles and also as members with other great gifts! 

## 5.5 Volunteers 

The church operates because a large group of people give their time and money as an act of love and worship. At the start of the year, we held a joyful volunteer celebration evening hosted by the PCC, and were surprised to see that 90 people were on the invitation list! This represents thousands of hours committed to God through this community in a vast number of ways ranging from the intensely practical tasks of caring for our building through to the 

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The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Saint Mark, Kensal Rise Bathurst Gardens, Kensal Rise NW10 5HX - Charity number 1132172 



pastoral care of housebound members. We are seeing our young people more engaged in this volunteering too and getting excited to be part of this active community. 

There are many people who go above and beyond in such roles and who serve in significant ministries in the parish. Our Church Wardens, Viv and Paul, and Treasurer Alan make a huge impact, largely behind the scenes. Paul and Viv’s contribution to pastoral care and homegroups has brought love to many, and Alan has consistently and quietly pushed us forward in making our church more environmentally friendly and a home to all sorts of animal neighbours! 

Sue and Caroline should be especially recognised for their years of support for families and children at St Mark’s. The Parent’s and Toddlers group is a gift to our community and a resource for many and Caroline continues to lead our Children’s work and teams while we consider how we can resource paid support in this area. It is a huge testimony to her gifting and passion that any future employee would have a strong team and curriculum to use! 

Finally, this year was a landmark for Andy Bush, who has been recognised by the Bishop of London as a Licenced Lay Reader. This is an important role in the church through which a member steps into leadership in a different way. Andy’s preaching is a great blessing and we look forward to working with Andy in other arenas of ministry at St Mark’s 

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The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Saint Mark, Kensal Rise Bathurst Gardens, Kensal Rise NW10 5HX - Charity number 1132172 



## 6. Administrative Information 

## 5.1 Safeguarding: 

Safeguarding is a vital foundation for all that takes place at St. Mark’s. We have a number of procedures, policies and risk assessments as an outworking of our church Safeguarding policy. To show the importance of this area, we have appointed Kellie as our Parish Safeguarding Officer and so these tasks are part of her paid portfolio. 

We have taken big steps in making St Mark’s safer and communicating how we do so. We hope to build a safeguarding culture at our church and as such we want to see more people trained, and empowered to report concerns they might have. 

St. Mark’s also has a Children’s Champion, Sue Bush, whose responsibility is to make sure children are nurtured within the worshipping life of the church. 

## 5.1.1 Parish Dashboard 

Our safeguarding actions and requirements are recorded on the Diocese Safeguarding dashboard which is copied below 

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The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Saint Mark, Kensal Rise Bathurst Gardens, Kensal Rise NW10 5HX - Charity number 1132172 



This dashboard has improved greatly over the last year, moving from 21% completion to 51% and addressing all ‘red’ issues. The actions that will move us forward include targeting 3 specific volunteers to complete their advanced training, and addressing the “Church Activities” section which includes producing a complete set of  Risk Assessments for all activities. 

## 5.1.2 Goals for 2025 

## **Key Safeguarding Priorities** 

- Ensure all volunteers complete basic safeguarding training 

- Keep ahead of DBS renewals as required 

- Reach level 3 on the Diocese Safeguarding Dashboard in 2025 

## **Church and PCC priorities** 

- Create a culture of safeguarding in newsletters, from the pulpit and safeguarding Sunday 

- Review all church Risk Assessments and include understanding of risks into church life 

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The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Saint Mark, Kensal Rise Bathurst Gardens, Kensal Rise NW10 5HX - Charity number 1132172 



## Buildings and Maintenance: 

St  Mark’s  has  stewardship  over  the  site  on  Bathurst  Gardens,  including  the  church,  hall  (with kitchen  and  stage  room),  classroom,  upper  room,  and  two  offices.  We  also  have  stewardship of the ‘Curates House’ property at 82 Herbert Gardens which is currently occupied. 

## Fabric & Church Warden’s Report 

This report covers the period Jan 1st – Dec 31st 2024 

Since Paul Kidner’s appointment as Churchwarden at the last APCM, he has  been actively involved with the Vicar in reviewing the state of the buildings and supporting him and the ‘buildings group’ in applying for grants and raising funds towards improvements to the heating system and the garden. 

The main achievement this year was the installation of infrared heaters. The PCC signed off a motion to apply for permission to hang these in the main church building to address the generational problems we have had for many years with low Winter temperatures. Having taken appropriate advice that the existing heat delivery method of radiators was insufficient for the space we have obtained the necessary permissions and installed sixteen heater units in the church. In future we aim to use the electric heaters with the gas boilers for backup in very cold weather. 

We have been awarded £3,500 to safeguard and diversify our Church Garden. This is an exciting way to relaunch interest in this space this year and we are very grateful to Brent Towards Net-Zero for the funding 

We had a burglary in November and have since the year-end had two more - although nothing significant has been stolen it has highlighted lapses in our security systems - these have now been reviewed and money has been and will be spent to avoid recurrence. 

Paul has joined with the Vicar, John Palmer, Kellie Jarrett and Sue Bush on the building group during the year. We continue to seek advice from Glenn Ford and from Ann Katrin Koester on various matters including developing sustainable solutions to heating and maintenance. 

**City Bridge Trust Eco-Audi** t: In November we heard  that our application for an ‘Eco-Audit’ from the City Bridge Trust had been accepted and we were, therefore, eligible for a professional environmental audit and then to apply for funding to fulfil the recommendations of this audit. We look forward to receiving this document to shape our future building maintenance and use. 

The quinquennial (5 yearly) inspection of the Church was carried out in March 2023. Besides ongoing maintenance tasks a number of the items highlighted in the report have now been attended to. We plan this year to have the Church Hall refurbished and attend to deficiencies in the flooring in the church and chancel. A number of areas on the roof were noted as being in need of attention so we intend to address these and hope that the occasional leaks we have been experiencing will reduce. 

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The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Saint Mark, Kensal Rise Bathurst Gardens, Kensal Rise NW10 5HX - Charity number 1132172 



We continue to have our hall well used by the community on a rental basis and have the classroom and one of the offices let to Into University during the weekdays. These provide useful additional income. Viv and I would like to thank the PCC for all their hard work and support over the last year. 

Since the arrival of Dave and Rachel in July 2023 we would like to acknowledge and thank them both for the  enormous amount of hard work they have both put in. Dave has been full of energy and enthusiasm and has exhibited strong leadership in all areas of  the life of our church. It has been a pleasure to work with them. 

Paul Kidner and Vivienne McKoy – Salt Churchwardens 

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The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Saint Mark, Kensal Rise Bathurst Gardens, Kensal Rise NW10 5HX - Charity number 1132172 



## 5.3 Wider Church Affairs 

St Mark’s church is part of the Church of England, which, in turn, is part of God’s one Holy Church! We try to engage with the Church at a Diocese level (we are in London Diocese) and at Deanery level (we are part of Brent Deanery) 

It has been a difficult, and somewhat damaging year for the Church of England as an institution. The publication of the Makin Report into the historic abuses of Lay Reader John Smyth has caused the resignation and discipline of leaders including the Archbishop of Canterbury in a time when the church is divided on issues of doctrine and pastoral issues of sexuality. We must prayerfully lament this division and abuse. 

At the same time, on the parish level, we are seeing something of a different story - church attendance in the Church of England grew 6% this year, a trend of growth that we are seeing in our own church. In the period between 2021 and 2024 sales of Bibles have doubled, with much of that growth coming from Millenials and Gen-Z. We must learn the lessons about humility and accountability while prayerfully offering hope to this rising generation. 

## 5.3.1  London Diocese Update 

by Oliver Holme, General Secretary of London Dioceson Synod 

The Diocese of London is the largest and most diverse in the Church of England. We have over 500 churches and 750 licensed clergy. We are able to have a church in almost every community, supporting the vision for every Londoner to encounter the love of God in Christ. In 2024, 50 new deacons were ordained and early draft statistics indicate that Average Weekly Attendance in London grew by 7.5% to over 60,000. 

During 2024, we have continued working towards our priorities of becoming a younger, safer and more racially just Church. For example: 

- 19 London Youth Apprentices engaged 715 young people weekly and funding was granted to enable the launch of five youth ministers in Hackney and Islington. 

- In a challenging year for safeguarding, referrals to the Diocesan Safeguarding Team increased substantially, indicating more trust and confidence in the safeguarding service. 789 people were given safeguarding leadership training, and 3,808 DBS checks were carried out. 

- Churches across the Diocese engaged with Race Equality Week, Racial Justice Sunday, and Black History Month last year, reflecting on racial justice and committing to action. 

The breadth of parishes and Bishop’s Mission Orders in London nurtured confident disciples, compassionate communities and creative growth in an amazing variety of ways. They also contributed over £23m in Common Fund, an increase of almost £1m. Alongside £13.2m income raised by the London Diocesan Fund (LDF) and £3.6m from LDF reserves, this paid to provide ministry and support parishes across the Diocese. 

## 5.3.2 Deanery Synod Report 2024 

by Alan Meakin 

The Deanery Synod is an elected group from all the Church of England churches in Brent. As a church we are allowed up to 3 members on the Deanery Synod, plus any Clergy who sit ex 

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The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Saint Mark, Kensal Rise Bathurst Gardens, Kensal Rise NW10 5HX - Charity number 1132172 



stmarks
KENSAL RISE
GO DEEPEQ
officio. It meets 3 times a year, usually to address a particular theme. Our current
representatives are Paul Kidner, Alan Meakin and Angela Hansel.
The three meetings this year covered the work of the Mothers, Union, Climate Action and
Safeguarding.
On 23rd January Pauline Mccalla, who is the Willesden Area representative for The Mothers,
Union (London Diocese), presented an overview of the work of the Mothers, Union in
supporting families, prisoners. and refugees in the Area.
While we are not engaged with the Mothers, Union, the nature of their work and ambitions
are reflected in activities at St Mark's. including working with women's refuges and
foodbanlE. It also highlighted how we can work with other churches in our neighbourhood,
not necessarily under the auspices of the Mothers. Union. to address areas of need.
On12th June we heard about Brent Council's response to Climate Action in the Borough, and
how churches can act responsibly in their stewardship of God's creation, with tips from a
church awarded an Eco Church Bronze Accreditation.
A Faith Climate Action Plan has been launched by Brent's Faith Climate Action Group as a
resource for places of worship in Brent to use and help promote greener behaviours and
sustainable ways of living. The plan focuses on key areas where faith organisations and
places of worship can have a long-term environmental impact. a5 well as saving money
(e.g.on energy bills) and promoting a healthier lifestyle for their congregations. Our progress
in this area is detailed in Section 3.2 of thi5 report.
On 29th October Angela Colman, the Diocesan Safeguarding Officer for the Willesden Area
led us in a Biblical reflection on safeguarding, and spoke about howwe can all make our
churches safe spaces for everyone.
Using Biblical passages, Angela highlighted safeguarding scenarios, including identification
of victims and appropriate courses of action. Significant progress has been made in the
Willesden area over the last couple of years to improve the culture with emphasis on
compliance with procedures and best practice. As a result of increased diligence, there has
been an increase in Safeguarding referrals. Our progress in this area is detailed in Section 5.1
of this report.
Approved by the Parochial Church Council on 28° April 2025
Signed on their behalf
by Revd Dave Roberts (Chair)
and Paul Kidner (Church
en)
25
The Pavochial Church Council olthe Ecclesia*iol Parfsh o15airt MaTk, Kensal Rise
Bathurst G¥rdens. Ken5al Rise NWIO 5HX- Charity number 1132172

## **INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT** 

## **TO THE TRUSTEES OF** 

## **The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St. Mark's, Kensal Rise** 

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St Mark, Kensal Rise ('the charity') for the year ended 31 December 2024 on pages 27 to 31 following. 

## **Responsibilities and basis of report** 

As the trustees of the charity, the members of the PCC are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the 2011 Act’). 

I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act. 

## **Independent examiner’s statement** 

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect: 

1. accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act; or 

2. the accounts do not accord with the accounting records. 

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. 

## Sarah Crispin 

Sarah Crispin (May 15, 2025 14:15 GMT+1) 

Sarah Crispin ACA 

Stewardship 1 Lamb's Passage LONDON EC1Y 8AB 

Date: May 15, 2025 

26 



## **THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST MARK, KENSAL RISE** 

## **RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT** 

## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024** 

|Notes<br>**_Income receipts_**<br>Voluntary receipts<br>2(a)<br>Fundraising income<br>2(b)<br>Church activities<br>2(c)<br>Investment income<br>2(d)<br>**_Total receipts_**<br>**Payments**<br>Church activities<br>Common Fund<br>Clergy and staffing costs<br>3(a)<br>3(b)<br>4<br>6<br>**_Total payments_**<br>Transfers between funds<br>7<br>**Net movement in funds**<br>Cash funds as at last year end<br>**Cash funds at this year end**<br>A<br>Net of receipts / (payments) before transfers<br>Mission giving and donations<br>Repayment of legacy<br>Church running expenses|General<br>Designated<br>Funds<br>Funds<br>£<br>£<br>146,391<br>1,219<br>53,197<br>-<br>10,118<br>1,861<br>1,480<br>-<br>211,185<br>3,080<br>**211,185**<br>**3,080**<br>73,500<br>-<br>49,805<br>-<br>52,302<br>750<br>175,607<br>750<br>17,456<br>720<br>**193,063**<br>**1,470**<br>-<br>4,955<br>-<br>4,955<br>**193,063**<br>**6,426**<br>18,122<br>(3,346)<br>(4,041)<br>-<br>**14,081**<br>**(3,346)**<br>67,481<br>46,162<br>**81,562**<br>**42,816**<br>Unrestricted Funds|Restricted<br>Funds<br>£<br>8,672<br>3,500<br>77<br>-<br>12,248<br>**12,248**<br>-<br>(1,012)<br>18,626<br>17,614<br>600<br>**18,214**<br>-<br>-<br>**18,214**<br>(5,965)<br>4,041<br>**(1,925)**<br>6,350<br>**4,426**|Total<br>2024<br>£<br>156,282<br>56,697<br>12,056<br>1,480<br>226,514<br>**226,514**<br>73,500<br>48,792<br>71,679<br>193,971<br>18,776<br>**212,747**<br>4,955<br>4,955<br>**217,703**<br>8,811<br>-<br>**8,811**<br>119,994<br>**128,805**|Total<br>2023<br>£|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||133,843<br>53,016<br>10,375<br>650|
|||||197,884|
||||||
|||||**197,884**|
|||||70,000<br>56,564<br>48,523|
|||||175,086<br>14,214|
|||||**189,300**|
|||||-|
|||||-|
||||||
|||||**189,300**|
|||||8,583<br>-|
|||||**8,583**<br>111,411|
|||||**119,993**|



The notes on pages 29 - 31 form part of these accounts. 

27 



## **THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST MARK, KENSAL RISE STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024** 

|**A Cash funds**<br>Cash at bank with immediate access<br>Petty cash<br>**B Other monetary assets**<br>Gift aid due to charity<br>Loan<br>Amount recoverable for interegnum expenses<br>Other debtors<br>**C Liabilities**<br>**Falling due within one year**<br>Other creditors<br>Fee for Independent Examination<br>Agency creditor<br>Accrued expenses|General<br>Designated<br>funds<br>funds<br>£<br>£<br>81,562<br>42,816<br>(0)<br>-<br>**81,562**<br>**42,816**<br>42,494<br>-<br>1,790<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>1,225<br>-<br>**45,509**<br>**-**<br>-<br>-<br>1,680<br>-<br>1,752<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>**3,432**<br>**-**<br>Unrestricted Funds|Restricted<br>funds<br>£<br>4,426<br>-<br>**4,426**<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>**-**<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>**-**|Total<br>2024<br>£<br>128,805<br>(0)<br>**128,805**<br>42,494<br>1,790<br>-<br>1,225<br>**45,509**<br>-<br>1,680<br>1,752<br>-<br>**3,432**|Total<br>2023<br>£|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||119,706<br>287|
|||||**119,993**|
|||||74,185<br>1,790<br>4,589<br>825|
|||||**81,389**|
|||||5,962<br>1,590<br>1,318<br>1,653|
|||||**10,524**|



The accounts were approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf by: 

## Dave Roberts 

Dave Roberts (May 15, 2025 13:09 GMT+1) ___________________________________Revd Dave Roberts May 15, 2025 Date: ______________ 

The notes on pages 29 - 31 form part of these accounts. 

28 



## **THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST MARK, KENSAL RISE** 

## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS** 

## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024** 

## **1 Accounting policies** 

The accounts have been prepared on a receipts and payments basis and comprise a statement that shows the charity's receipts and payments, a statement that summarises the charity's assets and liabilities and related notes. The accountancy profession have determined that only accounts prepared in accordance with applicable accounting standards present a 'true and fair' view and, as these receipts and payments accounts have not (and cannot) be prepared in accordance with accounting standards, these accounts do not present (and are not intended to present) a 'true and fair' view of the charity's financial activities and state of affairs. 

General funds are unrestricted funds which are available for use at the discretion of the PCC in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity. Designated funds comprise unrestricted funds that have been set aside by the PCC for particular purposes. Restricted funds are donations which are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors; they include donations received from appeals for specific activities or projects. 

|**2**<br>**a)  Voluntary income**<br>Planned giving<br>Collections<br>Legacies<br>Other grants<br>Other donations<br>Gift aid recovered<br>**b)**<br>**Fundraising income**<br>Property lettings<br>**c)**<br>**Church activities**<br>Church events & activities<br>PCC fee income<br>**d)**<br>**Investment income**<br>Interest from cash deposits||Unrestrict|Designated<br>funds<br>£<br>420<br>299<br>-<br>500<br>-<br>-<br>**1,219**<br>-<br>**-**<br>1,861<br>-<br>**1,861**<br>-<br>**-**<br>ed Funds|Restricted<br>Funds<br>£<br>250<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>8,422<br>-<br>**8,672**<br>3,500<br>**3,500**<br>77<br>-<br>**77**<br>-<br>**-**|Total<br>2024<br>£<br>101,047<br>4,267<br>-<br>500<br>8,751<br>41,716<br>**156,282**<br>56,697<br>**56,697**<br>10,377<br>1,679<br>**12,056**<br>1,480<br>**1,480**|Total<br>2023<br>£|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||General<br>funds<br>£<br>100,377<br>3,968<br>-<br>-<br>330<br>41,716<br>**146,391**<br>53,197<br>**53,197**<br>8,439<br>1,679<br>**10,118**<br>1,480<br>**1,480**|||||
|||||||78,070<br>3,957<br>39,500<br>3,500<br>8,816<br>-|
|||||||**133,843**|
|||||||53,016|
|||||||**53,016**|
|||||||9,363<br>1,012|
|||||||**10,375**|
|||||||650|
|||||||**650**|



29 



## **THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST MARK, KENSAL RISE** 

## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS** 

## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024** 

|**3**<br>**a)**<br>**Clergy and staffing costs**<br>Cost of payroll<br>Running costs for clergy accommodation<br>Clergy expenses||Unrestrict|Designated<br>funds<br>£<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>**-**<br>ed Funds|Restricted<br>Funds<br>£<br>-<br>(1,012)<br>-<br>**(1,012)**|Total<br>2024<br>£<br>49,208<br>(762)<br>347<br>**48,792**|Total<br>2023<br>£|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||General<br>funds<br>£<br>49,208<br>250<br>347<br>**49,805**|||||
|||||||51,155<br>5,210<br>199|
|||||||**56,564**|



Revd Dave Roberts (who is a clergy member of the PCC) receives a stipend from the Diocese; the cost of this stipend is not included in the above payroll cost however it should be noted that some of the Parish share is used to help pay the stipend. Revd Dave Roberts was provided with accommodation (which is customary for clergy) and the cost of this accommodation is disclosed in the above note, along with expenses incurred whilst serving as clergy. In the year, a refund for utility costs was received which is why the running costs is showing as a negative amount. 

|**b)**<br>**Church running costs**<br>Ministry expenses<br>Insurance<br>Independent examiner's fee<br>Printing, postage and stationery<br>Telephone, internet and IT<br>Church light and heat<br>Church running expenses<br>Church repair & maintenance<br>**4**<br>**Mission giving and donations**<br>Mission partners<br>Social & development<br>Hardship|8,274<br>6,653<br>1,590<br>6,433<br>4,204<br>8,443<br>5,216<br>11,490<br>**52,302**<br>16,400<br>1,056<br>-<br>**17,456**|750<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>**750**<br>-<br>720<br>-<br>**720**|336<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>382<br>17,908<br>**18,626**<br>-<br>-<br>600<br>**600**|9,361<br>6,653<br>1,590<br>6,433<br>4,204<br>8,443<br>5,598<br>29,398<br>**71,679**<br>16,400<br>1,776<br>600<br>**18,776**|7,415<br>4,456<br>1,542<br>4,674<br>2,879<br>12,484<br>6,913<br>8,160|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||**48,523**|
||||||9,264<br>3,680<br>1,270|
||||||**14,214**|



## **5 Acting as agent** 

On occasion the charity receives money on behalf of other charities or community groups, which it banks and then pays out to these organisations. This income is received as agent for these other organisations and the income, and the related payments, are excluded from the Receipts & Payments account and from the cash reserves. Any money that has not been distributed by the year end is noted as a liability in the Statement of Assets & Liabilities. 

During the year the charity acted as agent for Kensal Warm Spaces and, in that capacity: 

a) paid £59 (2023: paid £354) 

- b) at the year end the charity owed £587 (2023: £646) to Kensal Warm Spaces 

During the year the charity acted as agent for Diocesan fees and, in that capacity: 

a) received £1,116 (2023: received £672) 

b) at the year end the charity owed £484 (2023: £672) to the London Diocesan Board of Finance 

During the year the charity acted as agent for Harlesden Community Gospel Choir and, in that capacity: 

a) received £1,192 (2023: received £nil) 

b) at the year end the charity owed £1,000 (2023: £nil) to the Harlesden Community Gospel Choir 

30 



## **THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST MARK, KENSAL RISE** 

## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS** 

## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024** 

## **6 Return of legacy payment** 

The PCC received a substantial legacy in 2023. Notification was later received that the legacy had been overpaid and £4,955 was returned in 2024. 

## **7 Movement on designated, restricted and endowment funds** 

|General funds<br>Designated funds<br>Legacy fund<br>Youth & children's work<br>Parent & Toddler fund<br>Restricted funds<br>Love Christmas fund<br>Hardship fund<br>Wednesday Fellowship<br>Vicarage Interregnum<br>Garden Fund<br>Heating system fund<br>Total funds|Opening<br>balance<br>£<br>67,481<br>39,500<br>2,861<br>3,801<br>**46,162**<br>1,307<br>520<br>381<br>(4,654)<br>3,500<br>5,297<br>**6,350**<br>**119,994**|Receipts<br>£<br>211,185<br>-<br>420<br>2,660<br>**3,080**<br>-<br>220<br>-<br>3,577<br>-<br>8,452<br>**12,248**<br>**226,514**|Payments<br>£<br>(193,063)<br>(4,955)<br>-<br>(1,470)<br>**(6,426)**<br>(336)<br>(600)<br>-<br>1,012<br>(814)<br>(17,475)<br>**(18,214)**<br>**(217,703)**|Transfers<br>£<br>(4,041)<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>**-**<br>-<br>-<br>65<br>-<br>3,976<br>**4,041**<br>**-**|Closing<br>balance<br>£<br>81,562<br>34,545<br>3,281<br>4,991|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||**42,816**|
||||||970<br>140<br>381<br>-<br>2,686<br>250|
||||||**4,426**|
||||||**128,805**|



## _**Restricted funds**_ 

**Love Christmas fund** - a specific fund to collect donations to be expended on providing Christmas hampers to people within our community who are experiencing hardship. 

**Heating System Fund** - the cost of installing a new infrared heating system and donations from the congregation specifically for this purpose. **Hardship fund** - collection and dispersal of mones for the practical support of individuals/ families in the community who are experiencing hardship. **Wednesday Fellowship fund** - Subscriptions collected from our Over 60s group that meets on Wednesday afternoons, for use on any group activities/outings 

**Vicarage interregnum fund -** To record expenses incurred on the vicarage during the course of the interregnum which are subsequently recoverable. Income to cover this deficit was received in 2024 and the fund will no longer be used going forward. 

**The Garden fund** - In 2023, a grant of £3,500 from Brent Council to improve the biodiversity of the church garden. 

31