Parish of Crookham
Annual Report and
Financial Statements of the
Parochial Church Council of
Christ Church Crookham
for the year ended 31st December 2022
Incumbent
The Reverend Steve Franklin
The Parish Office, Christ Church, Gally Hill Road, Church Crookham, Hampshire GU52 6LH
Registered Charity Number 1132174
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE PARISH OF CROOKHAM FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022
Contents
| 1. | Structure, Governance and Management ......................................................................................3 |
|---|---|
| 2. | Administrative information.............................................................................................................4 |
| 3. | Aims and Purpose ...........................................................................................................................5 |
| 4. | Objectives........................................................................................................................................5 |
| 5. | Review of the Year and Achievements ...........................................................................................5 |
| 6. | Future Plans ....................................................................................................................................8 |
| 7. | The Electoral Roll ............................................................................................................................9 |
| 8. | Safeguarding Compliance ...............................................................................................................9 |
| 9. | Report on the Fabric of the Church ..............................................................................................10 |
| 10. | Deanery Synod..........................................................................................................................10 |
| 11. | Financial Report ........................................................................................................................11 |
| 12. | Independent Examiner’s Report...............................................................................................14 |
| 13. | Financial Statements.................................................................................................................15 |
| 14. | Housekeeping ...........................................................................................................................23 |
| 15. | Worship.....................................................................................................................................26 |
| 16. | Fellowship .................................................................................................................................28 |
| 17. | Community................................................................................................................................30 |
| 18. | Children & Youth.......................................................................................................................33 |
This report is arranged in two parts:
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Part A: Sections 1 to 13 are the mandatory sections as listed in Chapter 3 of the PCC Accountability Guide.
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Part B: Sections 14 to 18 are reports from the various committees and church groups, providing a reflection of church life at Christ Church Crookham.
Document: CCC-APCM-report-for-2022
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THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE PARISH OF CROOKHAM FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022
Part A: Mandatory Information & Reports
This report was approved by the PCC on 30[th] April 2023.
1. Structure, Governance and Management
Church Wardens are elected at the meeting immediately prior to the APCM, and to which anyone on the Electoral Roll or resident of the Parish may attend and vote. Churchwardens are automatically members of the PCC.
The method of appointment of PCC members is set out in the Church Representation Rules (latest revision 2020). Deanery Synod Members are also appointed in accordance with the said rules at the APCM. The membership of the PCC consists of the incumbent (our Vicar), Churchwardens, Deanery Synod members, Licensed Lay Ministers, and members elected at the APCM. Based on the numbers on the electoral roll our church has up to 12 elected PCC members and each stands for three years, with the intention of having approximately one third of the members elected each year. All those who attend our services or consider themselves to be members of the congregation are encouraged to register on the Electoral Roll and stand for election to the PCC.
The PCC is responsible for making decisions on all matters of general concern and importance to the Parish including deciding how the funds of the PCC are to be spent. PCC members are inducted through a discussion of their role and function in the first meeting of the new PCC, and by going through a review of PCC policies annually. Specific training is provided by the Diocese in Safeguarding. Eligibility and DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks are carried out.
The PCC meets sufficient times to carry out the required business, typically around six times per year. The PCC appoints a Standing Committee to transact PCC business between meetings of the full PCC, and consists of the Vicar, the Church Wardens, the Treasurer and at least two other elected members. It operates within the directions agreed by the full PCC. There are also sub-committees for Buildings & Churchyard and Pre-School Management. In addition there are a number of informal groups for specific areas.
The PCC employs a Parish Administrator and the staff for the Pre-school.
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THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE PARISH OF CROOKHAM FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022
2. Administrative information
Christ Church Crookham is situated in Gally Hill Road, Church Crookham. It is part of the Diocese of Guildford within the Church of England. The correspondence address is: The Parish Office, Christ Church, Gally Hill Road, Church Crookham, Hampshire GU52 6LH. The email and website addresses are: administrator@christchurch-crookham.com and www.christchurch-crookham.com
The Parochial Church Council (PCC) is a charity registered with the Charity Commission under number 1132174.
PCC members for 2022
Incumbent
- Revd Steve Franklin
Licensed Lay Ministers (ex officio)
- Dr Avril Cross, Mrs Rosemary Fox
Churchwardens (ex officio)
- Mr Eric Barnfield, Mrs Briony Allen
Treasurer (co-opted)
- Professor Mark Cross
Deanery Synod (ex officio)
- Mr Michael Gibbons, Mrs Rosemary Fox
Elected Members
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Until 2023: Mr Bruce Bulgin, Dr Keith Mundy, Mr Andrew Munnings, Mrs Pam Selwood (resigned November 2022), Mrs Jane Ash (from November 2022)
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Until 2024: Mrs Helen Anderton, Mr David Pooley, Mr Kevin Fox, Mr David Holdway, Mr Martin Redgrave (resigned November 2022)
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Until 2025: Mrs Marion Foreman
Other positions
PCC Secretary : Mr Ian Coward (from July 2022)
Electoral Roll Officer: Vacant
Safeguarding Officer : Mrs Helen Anderton
Health & Safety Officer : Mr Eric Barnfield Planned Giving Officer : Mr Andrew Munnings
Data Privacy Officer : Mr David Pooley
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THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE PARISH OF CROOKHAM FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022
3. Aims and Purpose
The PCC of Christ Church has the responsibility of working with the Incumbent in promoting in the ecclesiastical parish the whole mission of the church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. It also has maintenance responsibilities for the upkeep of the whole premises including the Vestry Hall, the Jubilee Annexe and the churchyard.
The method of appointment of the PCC members is set out in the Church Representation Rules. All church attendees are encouraged to register on the electoral roll and stand for election to the PCC.
4. Objectives
Our overall activities fall into six main areas that map onto our ongoing development plan:
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Worship . Always of high importance, to ensure our worship caters for all ages, requirements, formal and informal, and also to include those unable to be in church in person.
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Fellowship and discipleship . To further encourage people to meet after/before Sunday services and at other times. We also recognise the value of the fellowship of groups that support our worship such as flowers, choir, music group, bell ringers, job squad etc.
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Service to the community . To provide pastoral and physical support to the local community, as well as specific church groups, events for the community, and facilities available for use by the community.
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Proclaiming the message. To share the saving Gospel of Christ with all. Although this often overlaps with other activities, it is essentially a meeting with those who see themselves as outside the Church and the kingdom of God.
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Children & youth . We encourage families and children to be part of our church community, through a number of channels including children-friendly services, community events, our preschool, and our close links to Crookham Infant School.
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Housekeeping & infrastructure . To ensure Christ Church Crookham is well-managed, provides well-maintained facilities for use by the local community, is financially self-supporting, is compliant, committed to individual safeguarding guidelines and has effective communication channels.
5. Review of the Year and Achievements
We began 2022 with continuing restrictions due to the COVID pandemic including masked worship in the church building. Since then we have been adapting to life without these restrictions, although we have continued in the practice of intinction, the dipping of communion wafer into the wine.
In February, The Russian army invaded the Ukraine, which was to have far reaching repercussions throughout the world, including severe hunger in places which had relied on Ukrainian grain, sudden rises in the price of petrol, and large scale migration of refugees fleeing the conflict. There have also been price rises for electricity and gas, which have precipitated the spiral of inflation, rise in mortgage costs, demands for wage increases and widespread financial problems.
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THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE PARISH OF CROOKHAM FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022
The Queen’s Jubilee was celebrated in June by the local churches together, though the death of the Queen in September caused a great deal of sadness for the country.
We live in a time of uncertainty, and people’s ideas of what is reliable are being shaken up. The challenge to the Church is whether we can present something which is solid and reliable. Our church has gone through a time of considerable change and as we go forward through 2023, we need to carefully think through the coming transformation. We must ask:
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What needs to change?
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What will change involve?
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What do we want to keep?
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How do we manage all this while still putting people first?
This document includes reports in detail from our various committees, work groups and individual office holders. Some observations are summarised below, mapped onto our ongoing development plan.
Worship
In 2022 we continued with our post-COVID pattern of services at 9am and 11am, with coffee/tea between, and also once per month ‘Cake Church’ which is an informal service for families and children. Every Wednesday we have an Evening Prayer service, and Night Prayer once per month.
Our annual services of Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter, Harvest, Remembrance and Christmas were conducted and at least as well attended as in previous (pre-COVID) years. Our Christmas Eve Christingle Services were particularly well attended with altogether over 300 people. In the course of the year there was one wedding, 20 baptisms, ten funerals held in Church and eight interments of ashes.
The COVID epidemic forced us to rethink the way the physical space in the church was used. As a result we now have fewer chairs permanently set out making it easier to rearrange the space when required.
For those unable to attend a service in-person we continue to offer live-streaming of the 9am service on the 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month. While few watch the service live, we usually have up to 20 ‘views’ of each service after a day or so.
Our worship is enhanced by many groups, and we thank all those who contribute their time and expertise. These include the sacristans, the choir, the music group, the handbell team, the flowers team, those who provide tea/coffee, the live-streaming techies, and Jenny in the office producing the weekly service sheets and documents. Special mention and our thanks to Derek Canfield for his ongoing support and skill playing the organ. Laura continues to lead ‘JAM’ (Jesus And Me) for the younger people during the 11am service, and we thank her for her ongoing work with this. We also recognise the contribution made by many others in the services, such as the sidesmen, the readers, and those preparing and saying the intercessions. A particular mention to Ros Fox and Avril Cross, our LLMs, for their ongoing contributions in leading services or parts of services.
Fellowship and discipleship
During Lent, Ros led a study course which was greatly appreciated. In September Ros organised a parish pilgrimage, walking to Ewshot for a picnic followed by a visit to St Mary’s church. The PCC had an ‘Away Day’ in October at Stockton House in Fleet to think about where we are going as a church, and also to hear a presentation by Jan Drummond on Christians Against Poverty.
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The buildings continue to be used by community groups, including by our own Pre-school every weekday morning, the Parents & Toddlers group known as “Little Bells”, and “Coffee and Conversation” which is an informal gathering of friends at the church.
Led by Marion Foreman, the pastoral care team continues to provide a more formal structure to the existing network of friends. The “Coffee and Conversation” sessions have been an ideal focus to encourage meeting up for prayer and exchange of news.
Service to the community
In 2022 the number of church events increased dramatically, starting off as fundraising events in response to our financial shortfall, but gradually taking on more of a ‘people gathering’ nature.
Most of these have been small, relatively informal events such as workshops, competitions, fayres, sales and afternoon teas. We also organised three major events: Summer Fayre, a Jazz Concert, an Arts Festival and the Christmas Fayre.
We continued to support our three main chosen charities, Christian Aid, The Children’s Society and Royal British Legion, and we thank those who lead our initiatives for these important charities. The community Feed-A-Child project was again organised to help families at Easter, in the summer and at Christmas. These campaigns were very successful with donations providing much needed support in these difficult times, helping 34 families at Easter, 38 in the summer and 37 at Christmas. We thank Laura and the team for their work in this area.
Together with Fleet Baptist Church (FBC) we engaged with Christians Against Poverty (CAP), arranging for training of Jan Drummond from our church and Amy Gilman from FBC. Once trained, they began the first course of Life Skills. It is hoped that other churches will join in this venture.
Proclaiming the message
Engaging with people outside the Church is one of the hardest tasks we find in our culture of electronic communication. It often happens naturally between individuals, but the Church’s message can be lost in the torrent of other messages. Proclaiming the message often takes place together with serving the community.
The four projects collectively owned by the Churches in Fleet and Church Crookham combine explicitly ‘proclaiming the message’ with ‘serving the community’:
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Fleet and Church Crookham Together in Schools (FACCTS)
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LivingStones Christian Centre
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Fleet Angels, the street pastors
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Hart Foodbank
We use a number of different routes to inform and publicise church events, including traditional methods such as the parish magazine, the weekly leaflet and noticeboards, but also have firmly adopted technology routes of our website, social media and emails. The parish magazine is also available as an emailed document with 130 people receiving it this way. The website has around 20 visits per day on average, while our Facebook Group has nearly 200 members.
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THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE PARISH OF CROOKHAM FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022
Children and youth
Our Pre-school continues to provide a much-needed service for children of ages 2-4, and where Revd Steve is a regular visitor. Close links are kept with the infant school and the junior school, with assemblies and visits.
Our thanks go to Sarah Griffiths for continuing to run “Little Bells”, the mother and toddlers group.
Housekeeping & infrastructure
Our financial position has significantly improved from last year although we need to recognise this was particularly due to significant legacies and a gift. We had no major, unplanned expenditure, but we did carry out a number modest repairs to church and grounds. Our events have been a successful mechanism for outreach into the local community, and also raised a significant amount of money over the year. The majority of the congregation now use planned giving with income tax reclaimed where applicable. This together with gifts and legacies has put the church finances on a good footing for the next year or two.
To make the church function requires many people working behind the scenes, and particularly we would like to thank Jenny in the office, and Eric and Briony our Church Wardens. We also thank those in the various church groups, working parties and subcommittees that make so many valuable contributions to the life of the church.
There are a thousand other activities, chance encounters of pastoral care, administrative tasks, and acts of service which make up the life of our church community. Our thanks to everybody involved in supporting the work of Christ Church Crookham in whatever capacity.
Revd Steve Franklin
6. Future Plans
In 2023 it is clear there are many challenges as a result of events happening globally, nationally, within the local community, or within our own church. While we cannot solve these we can provide a church that is caring, inclusive, supportive and welcoming, while also ensuring the facilities will continue to be here in the future.
Our activities will continue to be primarily steered by our development plan focusing on Worship, Fellowship, Service to the Community, Proclaiming the Message and Children & Youth, all supported by ‘Housekeeping & infrastructure’ functions.
The invasion of Ukraine and the financial crisis were quite unforeseen, and it is likely that there will be more events yet to come for which we cannot prepare. We will commit ourselves to holding firm to what has sustained us; our faith in God, our bond of fellowship and our common mission to our Parish.
Revd Steve Franklin
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THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE PARISH OF CROOKHAM FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022
7. The Electoral Roll
The Electoral Roll for 2023 has been updated from the 2022 roll in accordance with guidelines from the diocese. There are 151 names on the Electoral Roll for 2023 which includes 4 new additions. There are 137 people resident within the parish while 13 live outside of the parish.
The updated Electoral Roll has been displayed in the church for inspection since the 16[th] April 2023.
8. Safeguarding Compliance
During 2022 we have had no safeguarding concerns reported to us. Guidance about how to seek help has been made freely available on our website and in our parish magazine. It can also be found on the diocesan website for both Surrey and Hampshire. You can also find information about Authorised Listeners who can support victims who have come to harm within a church context.
Guildford Diocese now has a Parish Safeguarding Dashboard, which is used to monitor Safeguarding arrangements within each parish and to feed back to Diocese. It also keeps Safeguarding Officers up to date with local and national changes.
Training continues and is either by an online session which you can do in your own time, or via Zoom which you can book on the diocesan website under Safeguarding training. The ability to do training in your own home without having to trek to Guildford has made training much easier to access. Anyone who holds any position in the church needs to complete Safeguarding training, to raise awareness of safeguarding issues and how to support people. If you are uncertain of what Safeguarding level is required for your position the Diocesan website has a table showing exactly what is needed for each role. Basic Awareness and Foundation training is mandatory for all members of PCC. Being a member of PCC is a responsibility and holds certain duties – the training helps members to exercise that responsibility. Training needs to be renewed every three years at the highest level.
DBS checks have continued and online DBS checking is now standard, with those undertaking it finding it very simple.
Safeguarding is overseen by the Representative, but it is everyone’s duty to protect and support all users of our church, our parish and our community. I thank everyone who has shown their support for this vital work.
The PCC has complied with the duty under section 5 of the Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure 2016 (duty to have regard to0 House of Bishops’ guidance on safeguarding children and vulnerable adults).
Helen Anderton
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THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE PARISH OF CROOKHAM FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022
9. Report on the Fabric of the Church
The Quinquennial Review inspection occurred in 2020, and identified a number of areas where attention is needed, including:
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The roof has some cracked tiles and split lead flashing
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Lead damaged by squirrels
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A need to inspect the bell cote
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Repointing suggested at a number of locations
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In one location the timber fascia and soffit has some decay
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Some stones have fallen out from above a lancet window
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Near the porch canopy some cladding has become loose
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Some plaster de-bonding has occurred
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Inspect and log headstones for risk of falling over
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Inspect and log trees at least annually for damage or falling risk
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Some material containing asbestos was detected in five areas
Building works completed: gutters cleaned, roof repaired (which previously was creating damp on the inside walls) and specific trees trimmed.
Routine maintenance and checks continued as normal, including fire-alarm testing, PAT tests, general H&S checks, boiler maintenance and fire drills (Pre-school).
We are grateful to the many volunteers who help maintain the buildings and grounds.
Eric Barnfield & Briony Allen
10. Deanery Synod
Aldershot Deanery Synod met in February 2022 at St Philip’s and St James’s Church, Fleet, and in October at St Paul’s, Tongham. Topics discussed ‘Green Shoots’: outdoor initiatives in the Deanery and Local Ministry Training. The Christ Church Crookham representatives: Revd Steve Franklin, Mike Gibbons and Ros Fox were in attendance at both meetings and full reports have been given to the PCC.
Ros Fox
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THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE PARISH OF CROOKHAM FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022
11. Financial Report
The financial statements and notes to the financial statements are given at the end of the Annual Report. This report provides an overview for parishioners who are not financial specialists. The references in brackets give the relevant heading or note section of the financial statements.
After a couple of years badly affected by COVID, 2022 was back to something like a normal pattern of practice and behaviour. We returned to two standard church services on a Sunday with many other events to involve the broader community. However, the lasting impact of COVID has resulted in a more contemporary pattern of financial support for the Parish. Hence, plate giving remains at a low level, but our planned giving has risen significantly and also our sundry donations, often through the card reader, which has become a popular means of giving. However, our income this year has been dramatically impacted by a couple of significant legacies and also a major gift, which had a knock-on effect on our gift aid recovered.
After two very quiet years, our community fund raising events in 2022 blossomed with something almost every other week through much of the year. Aside from plant sales and similar events we had a very successful ‘Gift your Gift’ event in January for those gifts which could be passed on. However, the most significant event during the year was the Arts Festival in October which involved displaying the work of 50 local artists, performances by eight musical groups, and refreshments. This was a very successful event for our artists involving a turnover of almost £10,000. Other significant fund-raising events included a Graham Hix and Friends musical concert which raised almost £2,000.
During the year we carried out a range of fairly modest repairs including:
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Some tree surgery in the churchyard (£2,100)
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Removal of a hedge due to box blight and replacement with a fence (£1,610)
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Repair of the fence at the front of the churchyard (£540)
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Roof repairs (£250)
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Electrical repairs (£429)
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Repair then replacement of a water heater (£320)
We also made a provision for substantial repairs to the toilets, the north wall, and the bell tower to meet the demands of the recent QI at £27,500.
The authorised spend on repairs and renovations has been limited and targeted at being effective for the congregation, whilst ensuring the fabric of the Church is well maintained.
A notable element of income and expenditure in these accounts is the operation of the Pre-school. This continues to be a very successful service to the community which is generally in high demand from families in the village. However, although there was some recovery in 2022 in terms of child numbers, many parents reduced the hours of their children in the Pre-school and the staff continued their efforts to help all the children in their socialisation after many had been isolated for much of the early part of their lives. The financial loss was mitigated to some extent by staff reducing their hours where they could. However, because it is now very difficult to find staff who are qualified on entry into the profession as practitioners we expect to pay the cost of training new staff. During 2022 we trained one staff member with another planned for early 2023. The Pre-school has direct costs of £70,044 which mostly goes on staff salaries. In addition, there are a range of overhead costs such as administrative support, cleaning, use of the Vestry Hall, clergy vestry, the dedicated storage area, etc. To be clear, following on from the Government legislation regarding the auto enrolment for workplace pensions the PCC approved the Church Workers Pension Fund as the appropriate vehicle for its workforce and this was enacted from the 1st June 2016.
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THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE PARISH OF CROOKHAM FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022
Total donations to charities included:
Churches Together in Fleet & Church Crookham (£1,750), The Children’s Society (£400), ‘Feed a child’ – support for Crookham families in need (£2,175 with costs in the year of £1,765), and a new venture to support those finding difficulty on managing with very limited budgets – Christians Against Poverty (CAP) at £540.
Principal sources of income were:
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Pre-school income from Hampshire County Council, employer vouchers and parents together are the largest single source of income for the PCC at £85,934 [Note 2c].
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The majority of the congregation donate by planned giving, much of which can have income tax reclaimed. There are others who give in other ways, some of which is also income-tax reclaimable. The total of these [Note 2a] is £157,979, something of an increase from the £88,388, given in 2021, which is largely due to a single significant gift and a couple of legacies. Our planned giving income this past year was up on previous years and together with the significant gift and legacies, has put the church finances on a good footing for the next year or two.
Financial Administration
Our finances continue to be administrated by the following team which was initially put in place at the 2017 APCM and re-affirmed each APCM since:
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Treasurer: Professor Mark Cross
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Planned Giving Officer: Andrew Munnings
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Pensions Officer: Bruce Bulgin
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Independent Examiner: David Sprot
Reserves Policy
It is the policy of the PCC to maintain sufficient unrestricted funds to meet running costs of the Church’s ministry, maintenance of the buildings and emergency situations. The Reserves are sufficient to sustain the church operation under normal circumstances for about six months should all income cease.
Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others
There are no funds in this category.
Financial Risk Management
The PCC income is less than £500,000 per annum so there is no requirement for a formal financial risk policy. However, it is sensible to consider the main areas of risk. These are considered to be:
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Costs arising from unplanned repair or maintenance work that is not covered by our insurance policies. The policies are believed to be adequate and are with Ecclesiastical Insurance, the recognised insurers for churches and PCCs.
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A Quinquennial Review inspection occurred in the summer of 2020, and although no serious issues were uncovered, there are some costs arising from the findings of our Inspecting Architect’s report which was published in 2021. All of the urgent minor work from the 2015 inspection have been completed. It is anticipated that the costs can be contained within current income and special appeals if necessary.
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A significant amount of necessary tree maintenance work was carried out in 2017 and 2018 and any remaining is well within current income levels.
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THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE PARISH OF CROOKHAM FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022
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Under normal circumstances, although the Pre-school income base is the subject of variation because of Government changes to the funding of early years education, its income is reasonably stable.
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There is always a risk of accidents in the church premises and churchyard with claims against the PCC. No specific financial contingency can be made. The risk can be reduced by ensuring adherence to Health & Safety regulations.
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The church is generally in good repair and the PCC has been diligent in ensuring the QI conclusions have been actioned. However, it is clear that some large ticket items such as the church window frames and the roof will need serious renovation in the next decade or so. The PCC will need to consider how best to raise a fund to support such renovations as this must surely be an intergenerational project – delivered by one for those who follow! In this current year some funds have been secured to deal with the 2021 QI recommendations.
Financial Summary
The church community is pretty much back to life in terms of activity and has been extremely fortunate to have been the recipient of legacies and a substantial gift which have transformed our medium term financial position. Our loss of £20,000 in 2021 has been turned into a surplus of £46,000 for which we thank God and our friends, through their gift, and the fundraising efforts which have made an immense difference to our financial outlook. However, our long term goals remain: to a) pay off the remainder of our Diocesan debt as soon as possible now, and b) to put together a fund to enable the restoration and repair of the church window frames and the roof over the coming decade (a project in this coming decade for those that follow on!).
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THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE PARISH OF CROOKHAM FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022
12. Independent Examiner’s Report
This report on the financial statements of the Parochial Church Council (PCC) for the year ended 31[st] December 2022, as set out on pages 15 to 22, is in respect of an examination carried out in accordance with the Church Accounting Regulations 2006 (the Regulations) and section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 (the Act).
Respective responsibilities of the PCC and examiner
As members of the PCC you are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements; you consider that the audit requirement of the Regulations and section 144(2) of the Act do not apply, and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to issue this report on those financial statements in accordance with the terms of the Regulations.
Basis of this report
My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145 of the Act and to be found in the Church guidance, 2013 edition. That examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the PCC and a comparison of the accounts with those records. It also includes considering any unusual items or disclosures in the financial statements and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the view given by the accounts.
Independent examiner’s statement
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:
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(1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respects the requirements
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to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Act; and
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to prepare financial statements which accord with the accounting records and comply with the requirements of the Act and the Regulations have not been met; or
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(2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the financial statements to be reached
D Sprot, ACMA
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THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE PARISH OF CROOKHAM FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022
13. Financial Statements
| Unrest- ricted Desig- nated Restrict- ed Total Notes Funds Funds Funds 2022 2021 INCOMING RESOURCES Incoming resources from donors 2a 157,979 0 0 157,979 88,388 Other voluntary incoming resources 2b 26,543 0 0 26,543 4,169 Income from charity & ancillary trading 2c 99,828 0 0 99,828 95,212 Income from investments 2d 17,266 0 8,259 25,525 21,882 TOTAL INCOMING RESOURCES 301,616 0 8,259 309,875 209,651 RESOURCES USED Grants & donations 3a 3,346 0 400 3,746 1,779 Activities directly relating to work of the church 3b 213,074 0 695 213,769 196,063 Fund-raising and publicity 3c 9,696 0 0 9,696 0 Church management and administration 3d 29,778 0 0 29,778 31,427 TOTAL RESOURCES USED 255,804 0 1,095 256,899 229,269 NET INCOMING RESOURCES/RESOURCES USED 45,812 0 7,164 52,976 (19,618) BALANCES BROUGHT FORWARD 0 265,335 0 265,335 390,988 BALANCES CARRIED FORWARD 45,812 265,335 7,164 318,331 371,370 FIXED ASSETS Tangible fixed assets 5 250,000 250,000 CURRENT ASSETS Debtors 6 12,168 12,521 Short Term Deposits 61,618 60,818 Cash at Bank and in hand 153,195 74,553 226,981 147,892 Liabilities Falling Due within 1 year 7 (52,635) (26,522) Net Current Assets 174,346 121,370 TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES 424,346 371,370 LIABILITIES FALLING DUE AFTER ONE YEAR 0 0 424,346 371,370 REPRESENTED BY FUNDS Unrestricted 95,674 33,262 Designated 10 265,335 265,335 Restricted 9 63,337 72,773 Endowment 0 0 Total 424,346 371,370 |
Unrest- ricted Desig- nated Restrict- ed Total Notes Funds Funds Funds 2022 2021 INCOMING RESOURCES Incoming resources from donors 2a 157,979 0 0 157,979 88,388 Other voluntary incoming resources 2b 26,543 0 0 26,543 4,169 Income from charity & ancillary trading 2c 99,828 0 0 99,828 95,212 Income from investments 2d 17,266 0 8,259 25,525 21,882 TOTAL INCOMING RESOURCES 301,616 0 8,259 309,875 209,651 RESOURCES USED Grants & donations 3a 3,346 0 400 3,746 1,779 Activities directly relating to work of the church 3b 213,074 0 695 213,769 196,063 Fund-raising and publicity 3c 9,696 0 0 9,696 0 Church management and administration 3d 29,778 0 0 29,778 31,427 TOTAL RESOURCES USED 255,804 0 1,095 256,899 229,269 NET INCOMING RESOURCES/RESOURCES USED 45,812 0 7,164 52,976 (19,618) BALANCES BROUGHT FORWARD 0 265,335 0 265,335 390,988 BALANCES CARRIED FORWARD 45,812 265,335 7,164 318,331 371,370 FIXED ASSETS Tangible fixed assets 5 250,000 250,000 CURRENT ASSETS Debtors 6 12,168 12,521 Short Term Deposits 61,618 60,818 Cash at Bank and in hand 153,195 74,553 226,981 147,892 Liabilities Falling Due within 1 year 7 (52,635) (26,522) Net Current Assets 174,346 121,370 TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES 424,346 371,370 LIABILITIES FALLING DUE AFTER ONE YEAR 0 0 424,346 371,370 REPRESENTED BY FUNDS Unrestricted 95,674 33,262 Designated 10 265,335 265,335 Restricted 9 63,337 72,773 Endowment 0 0 Total 424,346 371,370 |
Unrest- ricted Desig- nated Restrict- ed Total Notes Funds Funds Funds 2022 2021 INCOMING RESOURCES Incoming resources from donors 2a 157,979 0 0 157,979 88,388 Other voluntary incoming resources 2b 26,543 0 0 26,543 4,169 Income from charity & ancillary trading 2c 99,828 0 0 99,828 95,212 Income from investments 2d 17,266 0 8,259 25,525 21,882 TOTAL INCOMING RESOURCES 301,616 0 8,259 309,875 209,651 RESOURCES USED Grants & donations 3a 3,346 0 400 3,746 1,779 Activities directly relating to work of the church 3b 213,074 0 695 213,769 196,063 Fund-raising and publicity 3c 9,696 0 0 9,696 0 Church management and administration 3d 29,778 0 0 29,778 31,427 TOTAL RESOURCES USED 255,804 0 1,095 256,899 229,269 NET INCOMING RESOURCES/RESOURCES USED 45,812 0 7,164 52,976 (19,618) BALANCES BROUGHT FORWARD 0 265,335 0 265,335 390,988 BALANCES CARRIED FORWARD 45,812 265,335 7,164 318,331 371,370 FIXED ASSETS Tangible fixed assets 5 250,000 250,000 CURRENT ASSETS Debtors 6 12,168 12,521 Short Term Deposits 61,618 60,818 Cash at Bank and in hand 153,195 74,553 226,981 147,892 Liabilities Falling Due within 1 year 7 (52,635) (26,522) Net Current Assets 174,346 121,370 TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES 424,346 371,370 LIABILITIES FALLING DUE AFTER ONE YEAR 0 0 424,346 371,370 REPRESENTED BY FUNDS Unrestricted 95,674 33,262 Designated 10 265,335 265,335 Restricted 9 63,337 72,773 Endowment 0 0 Total 424,346 371,370 |
Unrest- ricted Desig- nated Restrict- ed Total Notes Funds Funds Funds 2022 2021 INCOMING RESOURCES Incoming resources from donors 2a 157,979 0 0 157,979 88,388 Other voluntary incoming resources 2b 26,543 0 0 26,543 4,169 Income from charity & ancillary trading 2c 99,828 0 0 99,828 95,212 Income from investments 2d 17,266 0 8,259 25,525 21,882 TOTAL INCOMING RESOURCES 301,616 0 8,259 309,875 209,651 RESOURCES USED Grants & donations 3a 3,346 0 400 3,746 1,779 Activities directly relating to work of the church 3b 213,074 0 695 213,769 196,063 Fund-raising and publicity 3c 9,696 0 0 9,696 0 Church management and administration 3d 29,778 0 0 29,778 31,427 TOTAL RESOURCES USED 255,804 0 1,095 256,899 229,269 NET INCOMING RESOURCES/RESOURCES USED 45,812 0 7,164 52,976 (19,618) BALANCES BROUGHT FORWARD 0 265,335 0 265,335 390,988 BALANCES CARRIED FORWARD 45,812 265,335 7,164 318,331 371,370 FIXED ASSETS Tangible fixed assets 5 250,000 250,000 CURRENT ASSETS Debtors 6 12,168 12,521 Short Term Deposits 61,618 60,818 Cash at Bank and in hand 153,195 74,553 226,981 147,892 Liabilities Falling Due within 1 year 7 (52,635) (26,522) Net Current Assets 174,346 121,370 TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES 424,346 371,370 LIABILITIES FALLING DUE AFTER ONE YEAR 0 0 424,346 371,370 REPRESENTED BY FUNDS Unrestricted 95,674 33,262 Designated 10 265,335 265,335 Restricted 9 63,337 72,773 Endowment 0 0 Total 424,346 371,370 |
Unrest- ricted Desig- nated Restrict- ed Total Notes Funds Funds Funds 2022 2021 INCOMING RESOURCES Incoming resources from donors 2a 157,979 0 0 157,979 88,388 Other voluntary incoming resources 2b 26,543 0 0 26,543 4,169 Income from charity & ancillary trading 2c 99,828 0 0 99,828 95,212 Income from investments 2d 17,266 0 8,259 25,525 21,882 TOTAL INCOMING RESOURCES 301,616 0 8,259 309,875 209,651 RESOURCES USED Grants & donations 3a 3,346 0 400 3,746 1,779 Activities directly relating to work of the church 3b 213,074 0 695 213,769 196,063 Fund-raising and publicity 3c 9,696 0 0 9,696 0 Church management and administration 3d 29,778 0 0 29,778 31,427 TOTAL RESOURCES USED 255,804 0 1,095 256,899 229,269 NET INCOMING RESOURCES/RESOURCES USED 45,812 0 7,164 52,976 (19,618) BALANCES BROUGHT FORWARD 0 265,335 0 265,335 390,988 BALANCES CARRIED FORWARD 45,812 265,335 7,164 318,331 371,370 FIXED ASSETS Tangible fixed assets 5 250,000 250,000 CURRENT ASSETS Debtors 6 12,168 12,521 Short Term Deposits 61,618 60,818 Cash at Bank and in hand 153,195 74,553 226,981 147,892 Liabilities Falling Due within 1 year 7 (52,635) (26,522) Net Current Assets 174,346 121,370 TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES 424,346 371,370 LIABILITIES FALLING DUE AFTER ONE YEAR 0 0 424,346 371,370 REPRESENTED BY FUNDS Unrestricted 95,674 33,262 Designated 10 265,335 265,335 Restricted 9 63,337 72,773 Endowment 0 0 Total 424,346 371,370 |
Unrest- ricted Desig- nated Restrict- ed Total Notes Funds Funds Funds 2022 2021 INCOMING RESOURCES Incoming resources from donors 2a 157,979 0 0 157,979 88,388 Other voluntary incoming resources 2b 26,543 0 0 26,543 4,169 Income from charity & ancillary trading 2c 99,828 0 0 99,828 95,212 Income from investments 2d 17,266 0 8,259 25,525 21,882 TOTAL INCOMING RESOURCES 301,616 0 8,259 309,875 209,651 RESOURCES USED Grants & donations 3a 3,346 0 400 3,746 1,779 Activities directly relating to work of the church 3b 213,074 0 695 213,769 196,063 Fund-raising and publicity 3c 9,696 0 0 9,696 0 Church management and administration 3d 29,778 0 0 29,778 31,427 TOTAL RESOURCES USED 255,804 0 1,095 256,899 229,269 NET INCOMING RESOURCES/RESOURCES USED 45,812 0 7,164 52,976 (19,618) BALANCES BROUGHT FORWARD 0 265,335 0 265,335 390,988 BALANCES CARRIED FORWARD 45,812 265,335 7,164 318,331 371,370 FIXED ASSETS Tangible fixed assets 5 250,000 250,000 CURRENT ASSETS Debtors 6 12,168 12,521 Short Term Deposits 61,618 60,818 Cash at Bank and in hand 153,195 74,553 226,981 147,892 Liabilities Falling Due within 1 year 7 (52,635) (26,522) Net Current Assets 174,346 121,370 TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES 424,346 371,370 LIABILITIES FALLING DUE AFTER ONE YEAR 0 0 424,346 371,370 REPRESENTED BY FUNDS Unrestricted 95,674 33,262 Designated 10 265,335 265,335 Restricted 9 63,337 72,773 Endowment 0 0 Total 424,346 371,370 |
Unrest- ricted Desig- nated Restrict- ed Total Notes Funds Funds Funds 2022 2021 INCOMING RESOURCES Incoming resources from donors 2a 157,979 0 0 157,979 88,388 Other voluntary incoming resources 2b 26,543 0 0 26,543 4,169 Income from charity & ancillary trading 2c 99,828 0 0 99,828 95,212 Income from investments 2d 17,266 0 8,259 25,525 21,882 TOTAL INCOMING RESOURCES 301,616 0 8,259 309,875 209,651 RESOURCES USED Grants & donations 3a 3,346 0 400 3,746 1,779 Activities directly relating to work of the church 3b 213,074 0 695 213,769 196,063 Fund-raising and publicity 3c 9,696 0 0 9,696 0 Church management and administration 3d 29,778 0 0 29,778 31,427 TOTAL RESOURCES USED 255,804 0 1,095 256,899 229,269 NET INCOMING RESOURCES/RESOURCES USED 45,812 0 7,164 52,976 (19,618) BALANCES BROUGHT FORWARD 0 265,335 0 265,335 390,988 BALANCES CARRIED FORWARD 45,812 265,335 7,164 318,331 371,370 FIXED ASSETS Tangible fixed assets 5 250,000 250,000 CURRENT ASSETS Debtors 6 12,168 12,521 Short Term Deposits 61,618 60,818 Cash at Bank and in hand 153,195 74,553 226,981 147,892 Liabilities Falling Due within 1 year 7 (52,635) (26,522) Net Current Assets 174,346 121,370 TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES 424,346 371,370 LIABILITIES FALLING DUE AFTER ONE YEAR 0 0 424,346 371,370 REPRESENTED BY FUNDS Unrestricted 95,674 33,262 Designated 10 265,335 265,335 Restricted 9 63,337 72,773 Endowment 0 0 Total 424,346 371,370 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notes 2a 2b 2c 2d |
Unrest- ricted Funds 157,979 26,543 99,828 17,266 |
Desig- nated Restrict- ed Funds Funds 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8,259 |
Total | |||
| 2022 2021 157,979 88,388 26,543 4,169 99,828 95,212 25,525 21,882 |
||||||
| 301,616 | 0 | 8,259 | 309,875 209,651 |
|||
| 3a 3b 3c 3d |
3,346 213,074 9,696 29,778 |
0 0 0 0 |
400 695 0 0 |
3,746 1,779 213,769 196,063 9,696 0 29,778 31,427 |
||
| 255,804 | 0 | 1,095 | 256,899 229,269 |
|||
| 45,812 0 0 265,335 |
7,164 0 |
52,976 (19,618) 265,335 390,988 |
||||
| 45,812 | 265,335 | 7,164 | 318,331 371,370 |
|||
| 5 6 7 |
250,000 250,000 12,168 12,521 61,618 60,818 153,195 74,553 |
|||||
| 226,981 147,892 (52,635) (26,522) |
||||||
| 174,346 121,370 |
||||||
| 424,346 371,370 |
||||||
| 10 9 |
0 0 |
|||||
| 424,346 371,370 |
||||||
| 95,674 33,262 265,335 265,335 63,337 72,773 0 0 |
||||||
| 424,346 371,370 |
Document: CCC-APCM-report-for-2022
Page 15
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE PARISH OF CROOKHAM FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022
The financial statements on pages 11 to 22 were approved by the Parochial Church Council on 30[th] April 2023 and signed on its behalf by:
Revd Steve Franklin, Vicar, Chairman
Professor Mark Cross, Treasurer
Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31st December 2022
1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Church Accounting Regulations 2006 together with applicable accounting standards and the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities as revised 2005.
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention.
Funds
General funds represent the funds of the Parochial Church Council (PCC) that are not subject to any restrictions regarding their use and are available for application on the general purposes of the PCC. Funds designated for a particular purpose by the PCC are also unrestricted.
Restricted funds represent donations or grants received for a specific object or invited by the PCC for a specific object and can only be expended on the purpose for which they were given. Any balance remaining unused at the end of each year must be carried forward as a balance on that fund. The PCC does not usually invest separately for each fund. Where there is no separate investment, interest is apportioned to individual funds on an average balance basis.
Designated funds are part of the unrestricted funds set aside by the PCC for a particular purpose. Unrestricted funds are general funds, which can be used for PCC ordinary purposes.
The financial statements include all transactions, assets and liabilities 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.
Incoming Resources
Planned giving, collections, donations and fees are recognised when received. Tax refunds are recognised when the incoming resource to which they relate is received. Grants and legacies are accounted for when the PCC is legally entitled to the amounts due. Rental income from the letting of church premises is recognised when due. Interest is accrued. All other income is recognised when it is receivable. All incoming resources are accounted for gross.
Resources used
Grants and donations are accounted for when paid over, or when awarded, if that award creates a binding obligation on the PCC. The diocesan parish share is an operational (though not a legal) liability
Document: CCC-APCM-report-for-2022
Page 16
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE PARISH OF CROOKHAM FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022
and is accounted for when due. All other expenditure is recognised when a liability is incurred and is accounted for gross.
Church Workers Pension Fund (CWPF) - FRS102 Statement
Crookham PCC participates in the Pension Builder Scheme section of CWPF for lay staff. CWPF is administered by the Church of England Pensions Board, which holds the CWPF assets separately from those of the Employer and other participating employers.
CWPF has two sections:
-
the Defined Benefits Scheme
-
the Pension Builder Scheme, which has two subsections;
-
a. a deferred annuity section known as Pension Builder Classic, and,
-
b. a cash balance section known as Pension Builder 2014.
Pension Builder Scheme
Both sections of the Pension Builder Scheme are classed as defined benefit schemes.
Pension Builder Classic provides a pension, accumulated from contributions paid and converted into a deferred annuity during employment based on terms set and reviewed by the Church of England Pensions Board from time to time. Discretionary increases may also be added, depending on investment returns and other factors.
Pension Builder 2014 is a cash balance scheme that provides a lump sum which members use to provide benefits at retirement. Pension contributions are recorded in an account for each member. Discretionary bonuses may be added before retirement, depending on investment returns and other factors. The account, plus any bonuses declared is payable, unreduced, from age 65.
There is no sub-division of assets between employers in each section of the Pension Builder Scheme.
The scheme is considered to be a multi-employer scheme as described in Section 28 of FRS 102. This is because it is not possible to attribute the Pension Builder Scheme’s assets and liabilities to specific employers and means that contributions are accounted for as if the Scheme were a defined contribution scheme. The pensions costs charged to the SoFA in the year are the contributions payable (2022: £3698, 2021: £714).
A valuation of the Pension Builder Scheme is carried out once every three years. The most recent valuation was carried out as at 31 December 2019. The next valuation is due as at 31 December 2022.
For the Pension Builder Classic section, the valuation revealed a deficit of £4.8m on the ongoing assumptions used. At the most recent annual review, the Board chose to grant a discretionary bonus of 10.1% following improvements in the funding position over 2022. There is no requirement for deficit payments at the current time.
For the Pension Builder 2014 section, the valuation revealed a surplus of £5.5m on the ongoing assumptions used. There is no requirement for deficit payments at the current time.
The legal structure of the scheme is such that if another employer fails, Crookham PCC could become responsible for paying a share of the failed employer’s pension liabilities.
Document: CCC-APCM-report-for-2022
Page 17
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE PARISH OF CROOKHAM FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022
Fixed assets
Consecrated and beneficed property is excluded from the financial statements in accordance with section 10(2)(a) of the Charities Act 2011.
Movable church furnishings held by the churchwardens on special trust for the PCC and which require a faculty for disposal are inalienable property unless consecrated, and are not included in these financial statements. All expenditure incurred during the year on consecrated or benefice property and inalienable church furnishings, whether maintenance or improvement, is written off as expenditure in the Statement of Financial Activities in the year in which it is incurred.
Other buildings held on behalf of the PCC for its own purposes are valued at cost. No depreciation is charged against such properties, but any expenditure on maintenance or improvement is written off as incurred.
Other fittings and equipment used within the church premises, including assets acquired under a finance lease, are depreciated on a straight line basis over 5 years. Individual items of equipment with a purchase price of £1,000 or less are written off when the asset is acquired.
Current assets
Amounts owed to the PCC at the year-end less provision for amounts that may prove uncollectable are shown as debtors.
Short-term deposits are cash held on deposit either with the CBF Church of England Funds or at the bank.
Document: CCC-APCM-report-for-2022
Page 18
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE PARISH OF CROOKHAM FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022
| Unrestricted Designated Restricted 2022 2021 Funds Funds Funds Total Total 2 INCOMING RESOURCES a Incoming resources from donors Planned giving 64,193 0 0 64,193 59,033 Collections at all services 2,773 0 0 2,773 2,777 Sundry donations 62,275 0 0 62,275 12,194 Income tax recoverable 28,738 0 0 28,738 14,384 157,979 0 0 157,979 88,388 b Other voluntary incoming resources Grants & donations 12,893 00 0 12,893 2,497 Fetes, Bazaars and other fund raising events 13,650 0 0 13,650 1,672 26,543 0 0 26,543 4,169 c Income from charitable & ancillary trading Magazine 1,608 0 0 1,608 2,386 Vestry contributions 3,099 0 0 3,099 1,467 Pre-school 85,934 0 0 85,934 82,243 Fees 9,187 0 0 9,187 9,116 99,828 0 0 99,828 95,212 d Income from investments Interest receivable 800 0 0 800 32 Funds of school House Trust 0 0 8,259 8,259 7,450 Rent on Jubilee Drive 16,466 0 0 16,466 14,400 17,266 0 8,259 25,525 21,882 TOTAL INCOMING RESOURCES 301,616 0 8,259 309,875 209,651 3 RESOURCES USED a Grants & donations Missionary & charitable giving UK 3,346 0 400 3,746 1,779 b Activities directly related to the work of the church Ministry: Parish share 82,527 0 0 82,527 81,042 Clergy expenses 2,968 0 0 2,968 1,150 Vicarage expenses 388 0 0 388 377 Visiting Clergy 0 0 0 0 0 Church - running expenses 55,529 0 695 56,224 35,579 Professional fees 970 0 0 970 1,172 Upkeep of services 648 0 0 648 670 |
Unrestricted Designated Restricted 2022 2021 Funds Funds Funds Total Total |
Unrestricted Designated Restricted 2022 2021 Funds Funds Funds Total Total |
Unrestricted Designated Restricted 2022 2021 Funds Funds Funds Total Total |
Unrestricted Designated Restricted 2022 2021 Funds Funds Funds Total Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 64,193 2,773 62,275 28,738 |
0 0 0 0 |
0 64,193 59,033 0 2,773 2,777 0 62,275 12,194 0 28,738 14,384 |
||
| 157,979 | 0 | 0 157,979 88,388 |
||
| 12,893 13,650 |
00 0 |
0 12,893 2,497 0 13,650 1,672 |
||
| 26,543 | 0 | 0 26,543 4,169 |
||
| 1,608 3,099 85,934 9,187 |
0 0 0 0 |
0 1,608 2,386 0 3,099 1,467 0 85,934 82,243 0 9,187 9,116 |
||
| 99,828 | 0 | 0 99,828 95,212 |
||
| 800 0 16,466 |
0 0 0 |
0 800 32 8,259 8,259 7,450 0 16,466 14,400 |
||
| 17,266 | 0 | 8,259 25,525 21,882 |
||
| 301,616 | 0 | 8,259 309,875 209,651 |
||
| 3,346 | 0 | 400 3,746 1,779 |
||
| 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
0 82,527 81,042 0 2,968 1,150 0 388 377 0 0 0 695 56,224 35,579 0 970 1,172 0 648 670 |
Document: CCC-APCM-report-for-2022
Page 19
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE PARISH OF CROOKHAM FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022
| Expenditure on magazine & library Upkeep of churchyard Pre-school Salaries & Pensions Other Pre-school expenses c Fund raising & publicity Costs of fetes & other fund raising events d Church management & administration Telephone & internet Computers & Photocopiers Other administration expenses Staff pay Investment property expenses Bank charges TOTAL RESOURCES USED 4 STAFF COSTS Remuneration Social security costs Pension costs 5 FIXED ASSETS FOR USE BY THE PCC Tangible fixed assets Gross book value As at January 1st 2022 Additions Disposals As at 31 December 2022 Depreciation At 1 January 2022 Charge for year Disposals As at 31st December 2022 Net book value As at 31st December 2022 |
0 0 65,411 4,633 |
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
0 585 0 0 65,411 65,848 4,633 5,779 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 213,074 | 0 695 |
213,769 196,063 |
|||
| 9,606 | 0 0 |
9,606 0 |
|||
| 1,379 2,547 1,570 18,230 5,786 266 |
1,379 2,248 2,547 2,378 1,570 1,558 18,230 20,858 5,786 4,098 266 287 |
||||
| 29,778 | 29,778 31,427 |
||||
| 255,804 | 0 1,095 |
256,899 229,269 |
|||
| 79,943 85,992 0 0 3,698 714 |
|||||
| 83,641 86,706 |
|||||
| 2022 | 2021 Total Total |
||||
| FHL&B | Leased | ||||
| 250,000 0 0 |
0 0 0 |
250,000 250,000 0 0 0 0 |
|||
| 250,000 | 0 | 250,000 250,000 |
|||
| 0 0 0 |
0 0 0 |
0 0 0 0 0 0 |
|||
| 0 | 0 | 0 0 |
|||
| 250,000 | 0 | 250,000 250,000 |
6 DEBTORS
Document: CCC-APCM-report-for-2022
Page 20
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE PARISH OF CROOKHAM FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022
| Prepayments and accruals Tax recoverable on covenants 7 LIABILITIES: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR Amounts due under finance leases Parish Share Other accruals Other creditors 8 ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS BY FUND Unrestricted Designated Funds Funds Fixed assets 0 250,000 Current Assets 148,309 15,335 Liabilities : amounts falling due within 1 year (52,635) 0 Liabilities : amounts falling due within 5 years 0 0 Fund balance (95,674) 265,335 9 RESTRICTED FUNDS End 2021 Incoming Christ Church Community Project (9,265) 0 Funds of School House Trust 38,256 8,259 Parish share debt reduction 883 0 Organ maintenance 18,969 0 Flowers 415 0 Library - Joan Blundell bequest 275 0 Pastoral care 474 0 Supporting children of the Parish 5,766 0 Collections - UK charities 0 4455 55,773 12,714 10 DESIGNATED FUNDS End 2021 Incoming Investment properties 250,000 0 Building and Fabric 15,355 0 265,355 0 |
Prepayments and accruals Tax recoverable on covenants 7 LIABILITIES: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR Amounts due under finance leases Parish Share Other accruals Other creditors 8 ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS BY FUND Unrestricted Designated Funds Funds Fixed assets 0 250,000 Current Assets 148,309 15,335 Liabilities : amounts falling due within 1 year (52,635) 0 Liabilities : amounts falling due within 5 years 0 0 Fund balance (95,674) 265,335 9 RESTRICTED FUNDS End 2021 Incoming Christ Church Community Project (9,265) 0 Funds of School House Trust 38,256 8,259 Parish share debt reduction 883 0 Organ maintenance 18,969 0 Flowers 415 0 Library - Joan Blundell bequest 275 0 Pastoral care 474 0 Supporting children of the Parish 5,766 0 Collections - UK charities 0 4455 55,773 12,714 10 DESIGNATED FUNDS End 2021 Incoming Investment properties 250,000 0 Building and Fabric 15,355 0 265,355 0 |
Prepayments and accruals Tax recoverable on covenants 7 LIABILITIES: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR Amounts due under finance leases Parish Share Other accruals Other creditors 8 ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS BY FUND Unrestricted Designated Funds Funds Fixed assets 0 250,000 Current Assets 148,309 15,335 Liabilities : amounts falling due within 1 year (52,635) 0 Liabilities : amounts falling due within 5 years 0 0 Fund balance (95,674) 265,335 9 RESTRICTED FUNDS End 2021 Incoming Christ Church Community Project (9,265) 0 Funds of School House Trust 38,256 8,259 Parish share debt reduction 883 0 Organ maintenance 18,969 0 Flowers 415 0 Library - Joan Blundell bequest 275 0 Pastoral care 474 0 Supporting children of the Parish 5,766 0 Collections - UK charities 0 4455 55,773 12,714 10 DESIGNATED FUNDS End 2021 Incoming Investment properties 250,000 0 Building and Fabric 15,355 0 265,355 0 |
Prepayments and accruals Tax recoverable on covenants 7 LIABILITIES: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR Amounts due under finance leases Parish Share Other accruals Other creditors 8 ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS BY FUND Unrestricted Designated Funds Funds Fixed assets 0 250,000 Current Assets 148,309 15,335 Liabilities : amounts falling due within 1 year (52,635) 0 Liabilities : amounts falling due within 5 years 0 0 Fund balance (95,674) 265,335 9 RESTRICTED FUNDS End 2021 Incoming Christ Church Community Project (9,265) 0 Funds of School House Trust 38,256 8,259 Parish share debt reduction 883 0 Organ maintenance 18,969 0 Flowers 415 0 Library - Joan Blundell bequest 275 0 Pastoral care 474 0 Supporting children of the Parish 5,766 0 Collections - UK charities 0 4455 55,773 12,714 10 DESIGNATED FUNDS End 2021 Incoming Investment properties 250,000 0 Building and Fabric 15,355 0 265,355 0 |
1,668 2,268 10,500 10,253 |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12,168 12,521 |
|||||||
| 0 0 (23,635) (26,635) (29,000) (2,887) 0 0 |
|||||||
| (52,635) (26,522) |
|||||||
| Unrestricted Designated Funds Funds |
Restricted Funds |
Total 2022 2021 |
|||||
| 0 148,309 (52,635) 0 |
250,000 15,335 0 0 |
0 63,337 0 0 |
250,000 250,000 226,981 147,892 (52,635) (26,522) 0 0 |
||||
| (95,674) | 265,335 | 63,337 | 424,346 371,370 |
||||
| End 2022 (9,265) 46,515 883 18,274 415 275 474 5,766 0 63,337 End 2022 250,000 15,335 265,335 |
|||||||
| End 2021 | Incoming | Outgoing | End 2022 | ||||
| (9,265) 38,256 883 18,969 415 275 474 5,766 0 |
0 8,259 0 0 0 0 0 0 4455 |
0 0 0 (695) 0 0 0 0 (4455) |
|||||
| 55,773 | 12,714 | (5150) | 63,337 | ||||
| End 2021 | Incoming | Outgoing | End 2022 | ||||
| 250,000 15,355 |
0 0 |
0 0 |
|||||
| 265,355 | 0 | 0 | 265,335 |
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Notes
2a – The vast majority of donor income arises from our planned giving programme where approaching 100 folk either have standing orders or give regularly through envelopes in the plate.
2b - The receipts for Churchyard Upkeep include £15 for the upkeep of a family grave and £30 from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission for the maintenance of the war graves in the cemetery.
2c – Our income from ancillary trading comes principally from our Pre-school serving our young families and in the community use of our spaces.
2d – Our income from investments arises principally from the rental of our two properties – one on Jubilee Drive and the other on Gally Hill Road, both in Church Crookham.
4 - During the year the PCC employed organists, cleaners, a parish administrator, an assistant and Preschool staff, none of whom earned more than £60,000 p.a. (2021: Nil). Together these employees equate to 5 full time employees (2021: 5).
Payments to PCC members and persons related to PCC members: The expenses paid to various members of the PCC may have included an immaterial proportion relating to their specific function as a member of the PCC.
No payments were made in 2022 to persons closely connected to members of the PCC (2021: Nil).
5 - An investment property fund was set up by the PCC in 2013, to buy the freehold property, which is held as an investment, and is let.
There are no endowment funds to report.
There are no contingent liabilities as at 31 December 2022 (2021: Nil)
The registration number of the Crookham PCC with the Charity Commission is 1132174.
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Part B: Committees & Groups Reports
14. Housekeeping
Standing Committee
The Standing Committee (SC) consists of Revd Steve (Incumbent), Eric Barnfield (Church Warden), Briony Allen (Church Warden), Mark Cross (Treasurer), plus three members appointed by the PCC: Helen Anderton, David Pooley & Dr Avril Cross. The SC acts under any specific direction passed by resolution by the whole PCC, and that it cannot exercise a power that requires the whole PCC to pass a resolution.
The SC has met regularly throughout the year by Zoom to transact day-to-day business as required between the main PCC meetings. It also sets the agenda for PCC meetings.
Among the items discussed were:
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Various details concerning the transition from COVID restrictions to ‘normal time’.
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The employment of contract cleaners.
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The Garden of Remembrance contract [five years] arranged and paid for by Maurice Kent.
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The intent to employ a youth worker in collaboration with Fleet Parish.
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Removal of the box hedge and putting a temporary fence in place
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Social committee and Fundraising committees have replaced by an Events team.
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The proposal to form a Finance team.
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Appointing/approving of school governors
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Considering which insurance company to use.
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Planning the dedication service
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Coordinating various events and activities, including the coffee morning, and Christians against Poverty course.
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Simplifying the paperwork for the All Souls service.
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Liaison with the deanery for the Bishop’s visit.
Revd Steve Franklin
Pre-school Management
The Pre-school continues to provide a nurturing and supportive environment for local children. Families are welcomed with open arms into the “Pre-school family” and children make significant progress under the current excellent staff team (at least that is what OFSTED says!). The year has not been without its challenges: the team are finding they are under constant pressure to be educators, social workers, family liaison, speech therapists, behaviour management specialists, to mention just a few, as external services become increasingly stretched. However, the team has risen to the challenge and have enjoyed the emotional rewards that the job brings. Every day is a learning day now!
One of the staff took on her Early Years Educator level 3 qualification. This is a demanding course at the best of times, however, this one was based online, due to a hangover from COVID and proved sadly to be very challenging because it was not as well supported from the course provider as one might expect. With an outstanding team effort, our colleague passed the course and we now are able to use her in our ratios set by the government. In May we took on another member of staff. Despite advertising widely, we did not receive any applications from qualified personnel. As a result we have taken on an unqualified lady though with an excellent educational background, who has proved to be
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an great addition to the team. We are in the midst of enrolling her onto an apprenticeship scheme which should be more supported and importantly less costly.
Government funding remains an issue, the funds that we receive from Hampshire County Council do not reflect the minimum wage increases that we need to reflect in our staff pay and across the country very sadly, employees are leaving, as they too struggle with the rise in living costs. The Early Years Alliance led by Neil Leitch is the voice of the early years workforce and they campaign constantly for greater recognition of us as educators in these formative years of our children. I am extremely proud to work for Christ Church and run the Pre-school, the school provides a very important service to the families of the local community, giving the children an excellent base for the next phase of their education and helps them to become the best our unique children can be!
Tracy Jarvis, Pre-school Manager
The Christ Church Community through formal liaison with the Pre-school Management Committee and day to day interaction with the vicar, wardens and myself as the Committee chair work closely with Tracy and her team to support the work of the Pre-school. In this report we would like to recognise and acknowledge the work of our friend and colleague Maurice Kent who died during this past year after a long battle with cancer. He was my predecessor and provided all kinds of practical support for the Pre-school over many years, including being a very jovial and gentle Father Christmas for generations of children. We can only echo Tracy’s concern over the funding base for the Early Years Sector – we are grateful to our staff group for the dedication and commitment.
Mark Cross, Chair - Pre-school Management Committee
Buildings and Churchyard Committee
We have had a busy and interesting year in our church and had to deal with a range of problems from faulty manhole covers, infestation of caterpillars in our box hedges, blocked gutters in the Lefroy building, faulty lock on the kitchen external door and many trees needing pruning (and even cut down in one case). We have managed to complete the work in the vicarage car park but are waiting for permission to prune one tree in the churchyard.
Minor problems have been fixed in both of our properties. There is a concern that the School-house is very cold and our tenant is finding it hard to live there.
Two quotes have been obtained to paint the south wall of the church and the toilets.
Eric Barnfield, Briony Allen
Health & Safety
There have been three Health and Safety inspections over the past year. There were no major problems to report. I am pleased to say that the kitchen, church and other rooms of the church have been kept in safe and clean condition.
Eric Barnfield
Data Protection (GDPR)
I am pleased to report that there have been no data breaches this year. We have been reviewing the data security of the IT systems at the church and have put in place a series of improvements. In the
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year ahead, we will be updating the details of what members’ data is stored and what it can be used for. To this end, there will be a fresh questionnaire sent out to all members to ask for their permission to hold their data and approval for its use.
David Pooley
Job Squad
We are pleased to report that the Job Squad has had a successful year, meeting approximately every three weeks. The church yard is in good condition, neat and tidy, and as a result, more graves have begun to be tended by relatives.
Unfortunately, the box hedges have been badly affected by the box tree moth to such an extent that the box hedge by the patio in front of the south door has had to be uprooted and replaced with a wooden fence. Other box bushes in the church yard have also suffered and have had to be removed.
Our thanks go to Peter Dunkerley and his neighbour who have burnt all the non-compostable material on the tip at the south side of the church yard. This area has now been tidied and all the leaves etc can be neatly contained and composted.
The trees in the church yard have been surveyed and necessary work has been carried out to ensure safety.
Our small but industrious team has carried on enthusiastically, fortified by coffee, hot cross buns and doughnuts. We would like to thank all those who are part of the team, and we welcome anyone who would like to join us on Saturday mornings every 3 or 4 weeks, particularly as with an aging team, we have lost the help of three members.
Ian and Jan Coward
Administration
The church requires a wide range of administration tasks to function smoothly, not just during normal working hours but also sometimes weekends and also from home when required. The office is generally open to visitors 11am-1pm, Monday to Friday.
Key responsibilities are summarised here:
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Phone calls, emails and in-person enquiries
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Production of the service sheets for the 9am and 11am services, plus special services such as at Christmas and Easter
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Ordering of items such as stationery, office supplies, items for church services, and general supplies
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Organisation and liaison for weddings, funerals, interments and baptisms
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Parish Magazine distribution, co-ordination, printing and subscriptions
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Fire alarm testing
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Venue hire (bookings, documentation and access)
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Office and other equipment management
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Parish returns
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Invoices for hall hire, funerals, interments, weddings, monuments and memorial services
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Assisting with the co-ordination and promoting of events.
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Numerous ad hoc tasks
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Areas where additional focus could be of great benefit:
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More emphasis (time) on events marketing
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Enhanced graphic design skills to enable higher-quality publicity materials
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Increased focus on hiring of the church venues
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Website authoring
Jenny Baker
15. Worship
Bell Ringers
The Christ Church Crookham Hand Bell Ringers continue to enjoy meeting once a week to practise our change ringing and our tunes. Each ringer has a bell in each hand and each bell has its own designated note.
We continue to ring for a Sunday Service once a month. Local groups often ask us to ring the bells. We have not been asked to ring at any residential homes recently, but that is probably a result of having had the COVID restrictions when no such visit was possible. We are always happy to visit care homes when asked, as long as the date required is in good time so that we can ensure that seven people can all be at the same place at the same time!
We are unable to play some tunes that people ask for as we only have 13 bells which are in the scale of G.
We often get given a donation for Christ Church when we play away which we gratefully accept.
Diana & Peter White
Church Choir
The choir has continued to lead the singing during the 9am Eucharist service on the second and fourth Sundays each month. Due to other commitments, rehearsals are generally only possible immediately before the service. However, we were pleased, for the first time since before lockdown, to be able to sing a number of choir-only items at the Christmas Carol service, which was well received.
Looking ahead, we are looking forward to singing two anthems on Easter Sunday, and to resume singing the psalm after Easter, taking over from the recordings made by Paul Bodiam and others.
Our numbers, again due to other commitments, fluctuate significantly, sometimes as low as six, sometimes as high as thirteen. The choir remains inclusive and would welcome newcomers of any ability.
Martin Dakin
Flowers
We have had another busy and enjoyable year creating arrangements in Church, and also using our skills for Church Fund raising initiatives. The Christmas wreath workshop proved popular again this year so we ran a second workshop, and our arrangements sold well at the Christmas Fair and Summer Fair. It has been lovely having The Lady Chapel back in use so we have resumed providing
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arrangements in there as well. We continue to be committed to using environmentally friendly products as far as possible in the Church arrangements.
The team currently consists of 12 members working on a rota system to provide the arrangements. We were sad to say farewell to Gill Farthing, a long-standing team player, as she moved to live near family, but are extremely grateful for her generous financial donation to establish a flower fund for us.
We are always pleased to welcome anyone interested in joining our team so please do come and have a chat about it. I would really thank all the current team members for their continued commitment and support and we look forward to another flowery year at church.
Angela Clarke
Live Streaming
We started live-streaming some of our services on Palm Sunday, 28th March 2021. This continued during 2022 with 33 Sunday services and 3 funeral services live-streamed, one of which had over 600 ‘views’. We settled into a pattern of live-streaming the 9am Parish Eucharist on the 2[nd] and 4[th] Sundays of the month.
Preparation is still fairly time-consuming although significantly more streamlined than when we first started, requiring preparation of the document for displaying the text including hymn words, preparing the laptop documents, setting up the ‘live’ event on YouTube, updating the website, and posting a notification on Facebook.
The use of a second camera by means of a wifi connected mobile phone webcam (‘droid-cam’) has worked well, and is necessary when the high altar is used. It has also been used to provide a view from the back of the church during funeral services.
My thanks to Mike Gibbons for his support as an additional live-streaming operator. To continue livestreaming we really need at least one other person to help us. Full training will be given.
Kevin Fox
Music Group
The Music Group has continued to provide live accompaniment for the 11am service on the third Sunday in the month, and has also played at the two ‘Songs of Praise’ services at 9am on the fifth Sunday in the month and for the two Christingle/Crib services on Christmas Eve. Membership has remained constant, with the addition of a keyboard player, Nicole Le Jeune, a relatively new member of the 11am congregation.
Music selected includes much from the new hymn book, with a small number of old favourites from New Hymns and Worship Songs. Having increased the available pool of singers to six in 2021 means that we can provide a strong lead for new items, enabling us to continue fully to embrace the opportunities offered by the new books.
Ros Fox
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Sacristans
Over the past year Maureen, Helen, Brian, Lindsey, Douglas, Jenny, Emily and I, have managed between us to organise the church altar area ready for the church services. Unfortunately we are to say goodbye to Maureen as she feels it’s time to give up. Maureen has been serving for many years and I will miss her very much. I'm sure Steve and the congregation all thank her very much for all her hard work and reliability. With this said it shows us that we are quite low on staff to do the work of the Sacristans. Being a Sacristan means you work with another person once a month to dress the altars ready for the church services.
I would like to thank all concerned for being there and for being part of this friendly team.
Pam Selwood
16. Fellowship
Coffee & Conversation
The group meets most Thursdays in the Lefroy Room from 10am for an hour and half of chatting and laughter and it has been a delight to see friends spending time being able to support each other in a relaxed environment. Folk are still encouraged to bring their own mugs to help with any concerns about the transmission of COVID, but for those who are unable to we have church mugs available. There is also a plentiful supply of biscuits.
We have been pleased to welcome new people, some of whom have been able to make friends with others in church and some of whom are happy just to come and drink coffee while joining our wide and varied conversations.
If you have a quiet moment, do come and join us!
Norma Inglis, Pam Selwood, Katherine Gibbons
Coffee Drop
Coffee Drop is now in its second year and allows our pre-school parents to pop into Christ Church via the south door for warmth, coffee or just a chat. Amusingly I had thought it would be most busy on cold days but it was in the warmer days when I had the big south door wide open and both of the internal glass doors pined back that things suddenly took off! Children are naturally curious and were very happy to bring their parents into the church to look around. Their early morning energy is easily adapted to the long aisles and the ‘morning run and shout’ was born. Parents are now more comfortable coming into the church and talking to one another and the children are very happy running up and down playing Hide and Seek with a collection of teddy bears.
Sometimes a parent will come back into the church for a coffee and chat after dropping their child at Pre-school. One little girl now asks to pop in on the way to school! Working with Pre-school we host three special coffee mornings for new parents, Mothers’ Day and Fathers’ Day.
It is lovely to welcome other visitors who have come looking for help or to visit the church for a specific reason.
Katherine Gibbons
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House Group
We reported to the 2022 AGM that early in that year we had embarked on a short series entitled ‘Waiting on God’ or Waiting for the Lord’, a theme we felt was as apt in our own time as in any other and for which we used four Old Testament case studies. These were Abraham, Saul and Josiah, each of whom at some point slipped up on this with profound consequences - and David . He in the major matter of the ascent to the throne, for which he had been anointed and prepared as shepherd and soldier, put aside opportunities to seize power and waited till it was given to him and so became Israel’s greatest king.
We had sessions for prayer, when necessary using the telephone conference facility in the earlier months with a special focus on the sufferers of COVID and the challenges and hardships for those involved in their care. Over the last five months, holidays apart, we studied the remaining ‘prison epistle’, Paul’s letter to the Philippians, a much-loved, heart-warming, text and an appropriate finale to our five year experiment which came to an end in October. It was my conviction that it was my time to give up as leader. Happily, for me and I think for all, Steve chose to relaunch the idea ‘on site’ in the Lefroy Room with Mike Gibbons now leading the studies. That is what we have done from November until now, just as enjoyably as before. It is still held fortnightly on a Tuesday evening but from 7.30 till 9.00. We are delighted to welcome anyone who cares to give us a try.
Cedric Dowe
Pastoral Care
In the past 12 months, as people have adjusted to the ‘new normal’, it has been possible to provide more opportunities for members of Christ Church to pray together and spend time with each other. We have continued to keep in touch with those who are unable to attend services but still wish to be included.
The Lefroy Room on Thursday mornings has become the hub of our Pastoral Care. All are welcome to join the Prayer Circle at 9.15. Requests for prayer can now be made via the prayer tree and box (with thanks to Mike and Briony) in the church or via the office. At 10 o’clock on Thursdays, following prayer, Coffee and Conversation are provided each week, including in the school holidays as it has proved a welcome venue for those enjoying the company of others. In addition, Katherine has continued with her Wednesday morning ‘Coffee Drop’ for those waiting for Pre-school to open and Briony supports Sarah’s ‘Little Bells’ toddler group on Thursday afternoons. We value the informal network of members of our church family who keep in touch and support one another as caring friends, making phone calls and visits.
We have made a point of advertising the church as open whenever there was something happening which enabled people to come in and chat. We are grateful to Revd. Steve for managing the reinstatement of the Lady Chapel as a quiet space, his ‘Church Open‘ sign with guide book, and for facilitating events which encourage people to gather - eg. on the lawn for plant and cake sales in summer, for the Arts Festival in the church in the autumn, for various Christmas-related activities. There were several people who came into the church when it was opened during the period of mourning for the late Queen Elizabeth. All of the above provided opportunities for conversations.
We are now looking to see how we can support the needs of those in our wider community including future CAP courses.
Marion Foreman
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17. Community
Christian Aid
Over the course of 2022 we focused, as we have normally done, on supporting the longer-term development of Christian Aid, that is to say programmes aimed at reducing the adverse effects of climate change and improving access to sources of clean water and other measures to aid farmers who are often women having to provide on their own for their children and grandchildren. In particular we followed the cases of some remarkable women in Kenya. Donations were down overall on previous years but perhaps understandably so given other pressing causes we are involved with near to home not to mention the increasing pressure on family budgets due to COVID and to the war in Ukraine.
Our contributions built up as follows:- Christian Aid’s cut from Lenten soups (with thanks to Helen Anderton): £60; Christian Aid Week in May: £498; Christian Aid’s proceeds at Harvest: £241. Total £799. We might also mention the first quarter of 2023 when we did make an Emergency Appeal, in response to the catastrophic Turkey-Syria Earthquake. Here, of course, other charities are actively involved notably the Disasters Emergency Committee in which Christian Aid is one of fifteen participants. Nevertheless we raised £460 for Christian Aid’s own work in the area. At least half the donations we receive in successive appeals are Gift-aided. This conveys no added merit but does further help the coffers! I appreciate the support that continues to be given to Christian Aid despite the number of other charitable causes our church has taken on.
Cedric Dowe
Feed-A-Child
Following from our success in 2021 we continue to help families during the school holidays who would usually get free school meals. We helped three schools: Crookham CofE Infants, Crookham Juniors and Tweseldown Infants, supporting 34 families at Easter, 38 summer and 37 families at Christmas.
This could not have been achieved without the amazing support of our community and from our local shops: Carol, the Community Champion at Elvetham Heath’s Morrisons and Alpesh and Kajal at Nisa Local and Post Office, Northfield Road, who have helped with amazing discounts. Alongside the food donations, we also received £2,175 in financial donations, we spent £1,765 in additional food donations leaving £800 approx. carried forward for Easter 2023.
The Team during the year have been: Judy, Laura, Lucy, Marion and Pam. A massive thank you for everything the team has done to help these families.
Below is one of a number of responses we received.
I wanted to thank those at Christ Church, on behalf of the governors at Tweseldown Infant School, for the food hampers you kindly gave us for those children who are less fortunate that others at this time of year. I think this Christmas will be particularly challenging for these children and families and your generosity will remind them that there are people in their community who hold them in their thoughts.
Debbie Stephenson, Chair of Governors.
Please continue to follow and support this important campaign.
Laura Roberts
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Christians Against Poverty (CAP)
CAP trains and equips churches to transform lives and release them from the burden of debt and proclaim good news to the poor. Christ Church have partnered with CAP to bring hope to Church Crookham and Fleet and in October 2022 myself and Amy Gillman from Fleet Baptist did some fasttrack training with CAP to deliver Life Skills courses.
Life Skills is a weekly group open to anyone to help re-build confidence, self-worth and skills in order to enjoy life. A place to feel included and be supported, and encouraged to achieve goals.
The weekly sessions involve:
-
Looking at the pressure to spend
-
Creating a budget, using energy wisely
-
Shopping smart and making money go further, such as menu planning, shopping list
-
Healthy eating, self-worth and healthy relationships
We ran our first 6-week course in November at Fleet Baptist, and had four regular attendees from different walks of life.
Jan Drummond
Events Team
Following the creation of the Events team in January 2022, we have now seen a full year of fundraising. The Events team co-ordinates the calendar of events, Steve and Jenny overseeing this, so that we maintain a continual and varied range of events throughout the church year. A forecast of upcoming events is now standard in our parish magazine, on our website and in our weekly service notes. Events for the year April 2022 to April 2023 have included:
-
Plant sales
-
Summer fayre
-
Open Gardens
-
Cake sales
-
Baby and Toddler Fayre
-
Art Exhibition
-
Fish and Chips supper
-
Christmas fayre
-
Wreath making workshop
-
Gift your Gift table top sale
-
Cake competition
-
Mothering Sunday craft morning
-
Mothering Sunday Cream Teas
Of particular note have been the plant sales, which have generated £1500 over three mornings. The summer fayre was revived after the long pause owing to COVID. We ran it at the Memorial Hall again as a trial, with the thought of reviewing it after the event to assess its ongoing viability, as each event has to score positively on the “effort v outcome” calculation [outcome being financial and outreach]. Whilst we will continue with the summer fayre we felt that the effort and cost of continuing at the Memorial Hall was not viable, so we will attempt to run our next summer fayre at the church, using all our facilities and grounds to maximum effect.
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Another new venture was the Arts Festival, run by Andrew Munnings and Heather Bailey. This took place across the week of October half term and was a vast undertaking. Whilst our overall profit was not huge, given the effort involved, it has made a huge impact and so with refinement we will attempt it again this year. Huge thanks to all who helped with this event, which was a leap into the unknown for us.
These events have generated thousands of pounds for Christ Church and moreover have increased our outreach and accessibility to our local community. We are starting to be seen as a place of welcome and interest other than through our services, which can only be a good thing. The team would like to thank all those who have helped in any way to running these events, from organising to simply moving chairs on the day to help set up. Without each and every person who helps the events could not take place.
However, a lot of the work falls to a very small band of people and we would love to see more people getting involved. It is sad to have to beg for help each time we have an event, rather than see people spontaneously step forward. We would love people to offer to help, rather than to be persuaded! We welcome all suggestions for events – please contact Steve, Jenny or Helen via the office – and we thank each and every person who offers their help to support our church events.
Helen Anderton
Communications/Publicity
We inform our community about our church in a wide variety of ways:
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Notice boards (inside and outside).
-
Notices in the weekly leaflets and service booklets.
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Parish Magazine. Since 2020 we have offered the option of traditional printed booklet or as an emailed pdf document. Each month in 2022 approximately 130 regularly received the magazine by email, and about 45 as a printed book. Payment and distribution for the magazine is managed by the office. Thanks to the team of magazine editors for putting each edition together, and to all the contributors, who together make the magazine an interesting and informative publication.
-
Website. On average has about 20 visits per day. We ensure the website has up-to-date information about services, community events, who's who, church groups, and a full church diary. The site also has a daily prayer cycle and provides links to our on-line streamed services. The site provides the capability to make online donations through JustGiving, and more recently a ‘members’ area showing rotas, documentation and APCM forms.
-
Facebook. Our Facebook group “Christ Church Crookham” has nearly 200 members, and is used regularly to inform of services, specific events and special notices. Any group member is able to make postings.
Moving forward, our challenge is to ensure our various communication routes are accurate, consistent and complete, and we recognise all methods are important whether traditional or new ‘tech’. Our thanks go to everyone involved in the communication of all aspects of our church.
Kevin Fox
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18. Children & Youth
Little Bells
The group is still doing really well. We've always been fortunate to have enough attendees to make the hall feel full and vibrant but never so many that the hall feels packed. We have some lovely regulars and are so grateful to have Briony and Steve as regular helpers. The group currently runs every Thursday 12:30 till 14:30pm and only closes over Christmas and for a couple of weeks over summer. We have regular events and weekly crafts/activities.
In 2021 we launched Baby Bells, a soft play for children under 12 months but unfortunately we closed the group at the end of 2021 due to the lack of uptake. It was of course a disappointment to have to close but I'm very grateful to have been able to have the opportunity.
We had two baby & toddler events in 2021, both making around £200 for the church. Although there has been some discussion about doing some more events this year I feel that the effort it took to organise the event was not worth the lack of attendees to the event. I'm happy to re-evaluate in the future but for now I would prefer not to arrange any further events.
Sarah Griffiths
JAM and Jelly
2022 was predominantly back to normal for JAM (Jesus And Me) and Jelly (Jam not yet set). The age group for the year as been between 2 months and 16 years old. The older children are now part of the helpers team, which is enabling us to have 1-to-1 help for the younger children.
This year we help our pancake tea, approx. ten children attended plus some adults from the congregation. In December we were able to do a live nativity play the children dressed up as different animals and adults from the congregation took on the main characters. It was great to join the two teams together.
We hope that 2023 children will return across all ages and that we grow in numbers.
Laura Roberts
Crookham CE Aided Infant School
“Join Report to the Parochial Parish Council March 2023
Our thanks to all members of Christ Church for your continued support for the school. We are delighted to share a little of our learning highlights since our last report.
Irresistible Learning
As a school improvement priority over the last year we have been reviewing our curriculum offer to ensure that we can truly deliver on our School Vision of irresistible learning for all our pupils. This has involved a careful selection of topics – keeping central those that deliver ‘wow’ moments in learning, such as The Fire of London in Year Two, but also adding themes with relevance to our pupils’ own life experiences and our local context, such as A Victorian School for Year One.
Our curriculum planning now not only ensures compliance with all National Curricula requirements, including progression in core knowledge, skills and vocabulary, but also has guaranteed ‘irresistibility’ so that our pupils achieve well and are well- prepared for their next steps in education.
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THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE PARISH OF CROOKHAM FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022
How do we know that our curriculum is irresistible? We see it daily in our pupils’ enjoyment of learning, their high levels of engagement, how well they progress and achieve, and their exemplary behaviour. We see happy children! We share in their successes! We use external monitoring measures such as Leuven’s scales of well-being and involvement to regularly review our curriculum impact and make all our teaching and learning the best it can be – for all members of Team Crookham.
Our highlights include:
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Welcoming parents back into school to celebrate their children’s learning journey – we have had nativities, Mothers’ Day treats, workshops of support, art exhibition, open classrooms, cricket lessons, sports days, fetes, fairs, singing clubs, treasure hunts and music lessons, theatre groups, travelling books and so, so much more!
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Our Early Reading Curriculum focus which is equipping children with all the skills they need to read well and develop a love of books.
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Our investment in specialist Mathematics CPD for all our staff so that our pupils have high quality teaching in developing efficient calculation strategies.
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Our wrap around care clubs which go from strength to strength providing a safe and fun, home from home environment for our pupils before and after school.
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Our Parent PTA, FOCIS, who continue to fundraise and promote such as strong family feel in our school community
Thank you to our friends at Christ Church for your support over the year and to the many local community groups with which we have such great partnerships.
Katharine Bowen (Headteacher)
Document: CCC-APCM-report-for-2022
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