# THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF ST STEPHEN with ST JOHN, WESTMINSTER Registered Charity Number 1132179 ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2024 THE PCC OF ST STEPHEN WITH ST JOHN, WESTMINSTER ## INFORMATION PAGE |Correspondence address|St Stephen with StJohn, Westminster| |---|---| ||St Stephen's House| ||Hide Place| ||London, SW1P 4NJ| |Vicar|Rev Graham Buckle| ||c/o StStephen’s House| ||Hide Place, London, SW1P 2NJ| |Bankers|National Westminster Bank,| ||169 Victoria Street| ||London, SW1E 5BT| ||CAF Bank| ||25 Kings Hill Avenue| ||Kings Hill, West Malling| ||Kent, ME19 4JQ,| ||The CBF Church ofEngland Funds,| ||CCLA, One Angel Lane| ||London, EC4R 3AB| |Independent Examiner|HeatherCheesman FCA| ||Chichester Accounting| ||104 Stockbridge Road| ||Chichester| ||West Sussex PO19 8QP| |Solicitors|Winckworth Sherwood,| ||Minerva House| ||5 Montague Close| ||London,SE19BB| 7 ## ANNUAL REPORT OF THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2024 ## Aims and Purposes St. Stephen’s PCC has the responsibility of co-operating with the Incumbent, the Revd. Graham Buckle, in promoting in the ecclesiastical parish the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelical, social, and ecumenical. It has also maintenance responsibility for St Stephen's House at Hide Place, London SW1P 4NJ. ## Objectives and Activities Our aim asa church is to be a welcoming community that celebrates the joy and the challenge of the Christian faith; and to be a place to which we come to worship God, in order to go out and live more faithfully in the wider world. “The parish church that is genuinely open to God ’s mission and accessible to its community, and where people with unlike life stories can encounter one another as friends in our highly compartmentalised society,is an ancient idea that is always fresh.” - Richard Chartres, former Bishop of London We believe that our mission is substantially expressed through faithfully sustaining the life of an Anglican parish church in the centre of London, rooted in worship and in the local community. ## In particular: - building up the church community on the foundation of the existing diverse congregation, - building on our work with young people to rejuvenate the congregation, - to engage with local issues of poverty, homelessness, and isolation. - becoming more outward looking to reach out and communicate better with local people and other churches and faith groups. When planning the activities for the year, the Vicar and the PCC have considered the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit and the specific guidance on charities for the advancement of religion. ## 2024 - Building Up ## Achievements and Performance **==> picture [481 x 200] intentionally omitted <==** **----- Start of picture text -----**
Despite the global challenges of conflict and climate change, as the world moves away from the
immediate crisis of COVID, this past year has been one in which we have been able to stop, look around,
and discover where we are in the wake of the pandemic, and where we wish to grow next. This has
involved some difficult conversations around the numbers attending on Ee, Mt ces
Sunday, but has also revealed a tremendous appetite to continue the core tk wa Die ly
work of the church: being the gathered people of God in this specific place, es ee ay doe
whilst reaching out to support some of the most vulnerable in our society a So Bie Td
and internationally. ree. ae em so
Liturgy and Worship et hears
As the gathered people of God, our church life continues to centre around =—|§_ 46a Sine bi:
our liturgy and worship. While we have continued to livestream our an
services, online attendance has been minimal. Nonetheless, we feel it fg ee
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8 remains important to offer this option for our loyal congregants who may be travelling or have limited mobility. **==> picture [478 x 200] intentionally omitted <==** **----- Start of picture text -----**
Prayer shapes the rhythm of our daily life, with Morning and Evening Prayer taking place every weekday
in church and on Zoom. Since Advent we have also had Midday Prayer at 12 noon everyday. These
services continue to be well attended, with some new participants joining regularly. Our weekday
Eucharistic services have seena slight change in schedule, now held at 17:00 on Mondays and 12:30 on
Wednesdays. These times were chosen to welcome those who may a
wish to stay on after our popular social gathering, Tea@3. we *
Our three Sunday services have broadly maintained their attendance,
with | &. cy oe | =
the joyful addition of some new families becoming part of our yi — 4 oe o's *
worshipping community. We also welcomed Belle Chan formally into i me tf Da Cd (
ourNsenga Eucharistic Community, who was confirmed by the Bishop Lusa Y mrtoy venteoof> Ft a}|
Ngoy at St Paul’s Cathedral in November. ss Ping PAN
As the Venerable Katherine Hedderly, Archdeacon of Charing Cross, noted in her visitation report
following her visit on 24 June:
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‘The regular pattern of prayer and Eucharistic worship underpins the busy life of the church and its ministry. It is a wellspring for all that happens here and reflects the faithfulness of the ministry team and the church community.’ This year, we were delighted to celebrate with members of our congregation in significant moments of life and faith. We welcomed Georgina, Albert, Benjamin, Arthur, and Olivia in baptism, and celebrated the wedding of Hayley and Cian after Easter. We were also saddened by the deaths of friends of our community: Both Harry Greenway and Lawson Crawford, who died in 2024 were important members of our community and will be sadly missed. Highlights from the Year - e 10 Anniversary: To mark Graham’s 10" year as our vicar in January, we had a wonderful service, with a packed church, and many friends attending. - e Lent Reflections: In keeping with our year’s theme of environmental stewardship, we held a Lent book study on Saying Yes to Life by Ruth Valerio. This was complemented by guest speakers, including Westminster’s Net Zero Officer Alison Moulden—who also spoke at our PCC away day—and other diocesan leaders who shared their journeys towards Net Zero. We also hosted a Diocesan Lent Listening Group, enabling us to participate collectively via Zoom and explore how these practices might be applied in our own context. This proved to be a deeply enriching experience for our team and wider community. **==> picture [464 x 130] intentionally omitted <==** **----- Start of picture text -----**
e St Stephen’s Weeks: These celebrations featured lectures on aa \ ona He W Hl
our founder, Angela Burdett-Coutts, and a wide range of a Wh | —! ‘i
musical events. Highlights included recitals by pupils from aes
Burdett-Coutts | aa i ade | id Me
Secondary School,Primaryas well Schoolas performances and The Grey Coat by Floreatand Hospital the — Eggs: i ¥ aeae ‘2Pe yy SSS,te é i
Civil Service Choir—whose rendition of Will Todd’s Jazz Missa, fg
Brevis was especially well received. Joyful community favourites fF xd
such as our annual Zumbathon, the parish picnic, and a Sound of if Fe
Music singalong made for a truly festive occasion.
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9 **==> picture [483 x 499] intentionally omitted <==** **----- Start of picture text -----**
ay i) |Til - Michaelmas BBQ: Spearheaded by Nadine and a dedicated
"glee ea see » team of volunteers, this event featured a delicious barbecue
a ij Jey in tombola, craft tables, and stalls. Funds raised supported future
at aiiLp “dh community activities, and the event successfully brought together
ey ie v people from across all our services and the local neighbourhood.
od — acum e Animal Blessing Service: This i a cz sie
much-loved annual service continues to draw participants from Ne “4 sit Alan
across the parish. It offers a unique and joyful opportunity to = aan ~ e) a
celebrate our animal companions in an inclusive and prayerful a ie a ,
setting. om A reel :
Teaching Ss oS
crater enmeiucpeeme St Stephen’s has consistently been a place for the —— a
ie TNS | P formation and teaching of clergy, and this year we have bid a fond farewell to
ee () AS \ Ae our curate, Helena Bickley-Percival, who has not gone far as she has joined the
me see ohPps team at Westminster Abbey and we could not be prouder.
i —_ 5. Sant We have also said goodbye to Jeremy Cavanagh, who had been splitting his
14 mm training between St Stephen’s and St Saviour’s churches and who has now
iq moved on to St George’s in Melbourne. In June we welcomed David Jones as our
( | new curate and we have continued to be supported by Deacon Lee Barford. We
4 Mee Mave joined in many special services with our neighbours and friends, especially
with St Matthew’s on Palm Sunday and for our respective Patronal Festivals.
A wonderful community initiative came from a Serpentine % iy T= i “ey ; i
Swimmer who is a film Producer for Ken Loach. He was . i \: oe ty. \O\ | fie
keen to show his most recent film “The Old Oak” ina i 4 i | hig i er “| i i
community space with a meal together. This we mn i ct | a a Le if i
successfully hosted with many people coming to watch (ag agAse. Re oo + u le Es
the film and sharing food, from all sections of our y Na 8 Sn
Centrecommunity.and Wehad raisea won d overerful £1000night forin January, The Cardinalof questions Hulme j ; . : b |
and discussion after. o; ‘ *
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## Art Project **==> picture [478 x 181] intentionally omitted <==** **----- Start of picture text -----**
Anne Grebby’s 15 Lenten paintings was installed in Saint Stephen’s for Lent 2024. ‘Reading between the
lines’ was a series of painiting by Anne, which began in 2021, with an exhibition in All Saints Church,
Brighton, shown for Passiontide 2022 in Canterbury Cathedral Crypt and now, (with the addition of
three new paintings), and was installed in Saint Stephen’s for Lent 2024.
TA Ne am I fy Anne’s paintings are intended to immerse the eye in the visible and
the infinite mystery of
id mM a | 1 7 Th @4_ open us to an awareness of the invisible...
i)” imal a : an of God, inviting one “to cross the boundary of each picture frame and
ae AS a po 4 Wi ceeortipany Jesus as he approaches his death, resurrection and
TE Sa eee ascension”.
a ol = @ Anne also kindly did several workshops with some of the pupils from
A z : 4 both our school, Burdett Coutts and Westminster Under School. It
5 ‘ae io «Was a very successful project and we thank Anne.
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10 **==> picture [481 x 716] intentionally omitted <==** **----- Start of picture text -----**
eta ll) Ke Pe * Community Outreach
foa av 21 Ve : i a, 7 i /)| __fi welcome, andSt Stephen’s continually the care ofseeksthe vulnerable to be a place and where deprivedall arelies at the
al ee aD ame aa} el heart of our community.
of ia Je RS Ngtbe te Lee On Fridays every other week we host a wonderful team of
| Sain aie 2 emeweee volunteers provide a hot lunch for some of our most needy
ae A “: fen hi =) guests from our local community. Thank you Thurdy and her
ae iy if ——— mS isan ES coe WOE. a
w- Oe 6 6 . aa U7
: et EP The churchremains an | 4 ‘ie i
important venue for a number of groups, and this year has 7 q fa) a : Se ra |
hosted choirs, orchestras, dance groups, the Arts Society and am =e fran Sa
Kingsway College. ee | ee NG =|
Our ae SS int t 4-
links with the Queen Mary hostel, Garside House, and p ae ad } ‘ 4
Dean Abbots House continue to enrich the life of our parish. "2 3S ¥ pws |
Clergy continue to take services at each place, as well as visit ~Zii i ¥ ae A ee
for pastoral care.
Young People
| ae aly lik Our involvement with local schools continues to be a vital part
Te a\ Ce ly ! | * * of our ministry. Both Burdett-Coutts and Westminster Under
ba ae) &. i \ i School visit St Stephen’s weekly for Collective Worship, and
4 :id 4 iis “A | 1 | since September, clergy have also been actively supporting The
ie Bei. me Grey Coat Hospital with their weekly worship during the
aaa blige | | | interim period before the appointment of a new chaplain. We
°(aes Dole.hg Ria R fay ))|| were very proud of our school Burdett-Coutts involvement in
nS Oa } 53) ei the Diocesan Schools Service at St Paul’s Cathedral in January:
Fp wen ;te A.oan jae ”areaVE areofferingespecially.a dedicatedproud toJuniorbe one Church.of the fewThis growingchurchesministryin the
is a source of great joy and vitality within our congregation. We are deeply grateful to our committed
team of Junior Church leaders who volunteer on a rota basis to lead sessions during the 10am Parish
Eucharist most Sundays.
Several of our family-friendly events continue to draw large numbers of children and families to the
church. These include our much-loved Pancake Party, the festive Michaelmas BBQ, and our joyful
Animal Blessing service.
Our Gardening group of dedicated volunteers continue to meet on Mondays. 3 aF a pe: ae
They have done a marvellous job maintaining and creating new spaces for Rea ee ERY
our church. They have also linked in with some of our groups which use to cae a ree lie
the church to help them with the heavy work. Thank you Sally, Sue, Kyleand ga & “4 se
Rebecca. je Ve aPt — fe
eT spe ca
Evergreen Club RS KO cet
We continue to host events for Over-50s on Mondays, in partnership with ONE Se
OpenAge. Our gardening group has worked hard to maintain the grounds ie :
ve ——
outside of the church, and our crafting groups continue to thrive. We are
grateful to Sally, who leads our ever popular Creative Clay sessions and Nadine, who leads Stitchers in
various creative endeavours, including turning our Christmas tree into tree ornaments to be sold to
raise money for the church. We value our partnership with Emmaus, who provide food and support on
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11 a Friday evening. Emmaus had a hiatus in providing the service at the end of the year, and many thanks to Nadine who sought support from local businesses so that we could keep offering the service through the winter months. ## International Links **==> picture [391 x 223] intentionally omitted <==** **----- Start of picture text -----**
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In February 2024, the Bishop of London visited New York for the installation of the Bishop of New York and was hosted at the Holy Trinity Rectory for a gathering of current and interested NYC/London Link parishes. Throughout the year, parishioners continued to visit one another’s parishes in London and in New York, and Graham Buckle visited New York in May as part of Holy Trinity’s 125" Anniversary. He joined us for our main Sunday celebration with the Bishop of New York, visited parishioners, and volunteered in our neighbourhood supper. During Graham’s visit, we also attended a lecture by the Archbishop of (Old) York, Stephen Cottrell, in which the archbishop shared poems and reflections from his walk on the Camino de Santiago de Compostela. He reminded us of Chaucer’s beginning of The Canterbury Tales, explaining that to “pass the long journey (the pilgrims) told each other stories.” That image of “telling each other stories” is a good one for describing the NY-London link relationship. Since 2016, St. Stephen’s and Holy Trinity have been telling each other stories and creating new ones together. Like a pilgrimage, we have navigated hills and valleys—new ministries and programs, a pandemic, economic and political challenges, and the various joys and griefs we experience individually and communally. Thanks be to God for the shared journey and the shared the faith. As we look to 2025, we look forward to St. Stephen’s 175" and an October pilgrimage to London by link clergy from New York. — John Beddingfield, Rector of The Church of the Holy Trinity. Revd John F Beddingfield ig Wein thecontinue Church to of keep the Province ofin contact Myanmar.as much as The possible situationwith in our friends Myanmar continues to be very desperate, so they are continually in our prayers, and we seek to support them as much as we can. We also welcomed Pastor Ekkehard Kirchner who is a Hospital Chaplain from Berlin, as part of the Berlin-London Diocesan Link. Ekkehard stayed with the Vicar and came to our services over the Harvest Festival Weekend. We look forward to his return. **==> picture [158 x 121] intentionally omitted <==** **----- Start of picture text -----**
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## Communications This year, we have made a concerted effort to grow our social media presence by posting more regularly and intentionally. Our aim has been to keep parishioners and visitors informed about upcoming events and key news from the life of the church. We are pleased to report that these efforts have had a tangible impact. According to the 2024 Digital Presence Report, St Stephen’s has climbed an impressive 14 places to become the Sth highest-ranking church on Facebook within London. On Instagram, we’ve also seen progress, rising two places to 17th. In addition to our social media outreach, we continue to produce a digital newsletter approximately six times a year. Each edition includes a pastoral letter from our Vicar, Graham, alongside highlights and information about special events and activities taking place at St Stephen’s. ## Personnel These activities would not be possible without the dedication, generosity, and faithfulness of both the staff and the congregation. There are many people whose quiet hard work behind the scenes remains indispensable to the life of the church and its work in the wider community. We give thanks for readers, sidespeople, intercessors, choir members, Junior Church leaders, flower arrangers, gardeners, hospitality volunteers, crafting group leaders, servers, PCC members, and all those others without whose support and commitment allow the church to flourish. Jason Richards continues to be our Safeguarding Officer, with Alison Seedat acting as Children’s Champion and Sue Wates as our Seniors’ Champion. Phil Perkins has taken on the role of Health and Safety Officer and we continue to care for our parishioners both physically as well as emotionally. We are deeply grateful to our Churchwardens Matthew Morony and Suzanne Standring and our out-going Churchwarden, Edward Barker, as well as the whole PCC for all their hard work. Matthew Blaiden continues as Director of Music and principal organist. We are grateful for the continued support of Rosemary Field (Organist Emeritus) and Jason Richards (Associate Organist), and to Anita Datta and Izzy Wideman, who deputised during Matthew’s summer leave. We continue to give thanks to Laurence Bourton (Ringing Master) and Stephanie Pattenden (Steeplekeeper) and all the bell ringers for their contributions to our Parish Life. Stephanie has continued to be a huge support both in our dealings with the Telecoms company who house equipment in the spire, and in liaising with the builders during the spire renovation work. Our Staff Team also work extremely hard to support the life and ministry of the church. We cannot appreciate enough the work of Jessie, whose dedicated efficient hard work enables so much of what we do, both at church and Napier Hall. We are so lucky to have her as an important and integral part of our team. We are also lucky to have Julie as part of our team who has not only worked hard on the accounts but has ensure that the financial running of our church is in order, and we also thank her all her hard and dedicated work. The PCC are continuing to work to fill some of the gaps left by the departure of Alison, and we are especially grateful to Matthew Morony for his work as Treasurer and Michael Duggan who took over this role following the Annual Meeting when Matthew became one of our Churchwardens. We also give thanks for the work of our vergers — Alex and William — who provide a 13 warm welcome to those entering the church but also work hard behind the scenes to support the clergy through services. We are also grateful to Matthew Blaiden for his work providing music for our services. We give thanks for the leadership and support of our clergy; Graham Buckle, Helena Bickley-Percival, David Jones, Jeremy Cavanagh and Lee Barford. We also give thanks for the Revd Lindsay Meader for her support, to Revd David Hobden, Revd Denise Yeldham and all the other clergy (including Tamara) who have preached or otherwise supported St Stephen’s throughout the year. But we must give thanks for our community and all who worship and play a part of our Christian Community. ## Parish Deacon’s Report This year | want to highlight two initiatives that I've led or co-led this year at St Stephen's. The first initiative is the annual program "God and the Machine". Many Christians sense that they should respond in a faith-based way to challenges such as: * Disruptive technology advancements - a current example is huge increase in the power of Artificial Intelligence (Al) * Climate change - climate change is driven by consumer and policy choices about energyconsuming technologies such as transport and building heating and cooling ## However, making such responses is complicated by: - Rapid change in these technologies - Lack of understanding of how they affect people (especially the “least of us’’) - * How these relate to loving our neighbour as ourselves So, raising awareness and education are required. We at St Stephen’s Church in Westminster are addressing these needs through an annual series of panel discussions between experts in these issues and Christian responses to them, called "God and the Machine". Each discussion is a structured conversation where three or four experts with different perspectives on the topic discuss it in front of the audience. To maximise the quality of the panelists we attract and the audience we can reach, we decided from the beginning to use Zoom to host these discussions. All speakers and the audience are remote. We’ve had speakers and audiences from New York City and Silicon Valley by working with people from Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Manhattan and the Episcopal Diocese of El Camino Real in California. In 2024 the topics of "God and the Machine" were creation care and climate change. We held two sessions with a total of seven speakers. Since using on-line meetings to gather such a geographically dispersed group of participants is fairly uncommon in the church, | was asked to write a blog for the Church of England's Digital Labs Blogs explaining to those who would like to do something similar the advantages, challenges, and how-to's for putting on these sorts of events. The second initiative was the re-establishing of a connection between St Stephen's and the Queen Mary's Hostel. The hostel is in our parish and provides long-term accommodation for homeless women requiring mental health support. In December, David Jones and | held an abbreviated "Lessons and Carols" service with seasonal snacks in the common room of the hostel. About a quarter of the residents attended. The response of the residents was positive enough that we have agreed with the Queen Mary's Hostel's staff that St Stephens clergy would organise a few such events a year. ## Lee Barford Parish Deacon 14 Assistant Curate’s Report Since arriving in June my experiences of the parish have been deeply (9) )))/=s== aT ie rewarding and very happy, due in no small degree to the heartfelt ao a tal [ns welcome and loving support both Fran and| have received from =~ RY ie everyone here at St Stephen’s. It is a great privilege to have been J y ‘Y AN called to such a diverse parish with so many opportunities to serve its eae it | ; : a\ people in ministry and mission. eos Vee oud Transitioning from ordinand to curate is a big jump. It demandsa shift SY _\ a £ ofstudy focus to communityin many ways: service; from andhometown from reflectingto new onparish; liturgy from toacademic doing it. 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## Report from Director of Music ## The Choir We continue to receive valued support from a wide pool of occasional singers, particularly at major services such as Choral Evensong and the Carol Service. However, the reduced number of regular singers on Sunday mornings that began in 2023 has persisted through 2024. Although there has been interest from prospective new members, most have only been able to commit occasionally, if at all. As of spring 2025, our regular choir remains small, and we warmly welcome new singers in all voice parts. No formal audition is required; anyone with basic music-reading and aural skills, who can advise on availability in advance, is encouraged to join. Music is taught and developed in rehearsals. To express interest, please email music@sswsj.org or speak to Matthew Blaiden. In the face of these ongoing challenges, we are especially grateful to our regular choir members for their commitment and adaptability. Their musical contributions on Sunday mornings and at other services have been central to our worship. In addition to weekly services, the choir sang Choral Evensongs in January and during St Stephen’s Week, Choral Compline during Lent (in partnership with St Barnabas, Pimlico), and led the opening of our joint Palm Sunday service with St Matthew’s. As ever, the choral year concluded with our traditional service of Lessons and Carols. ## Associate Musicians Our Associate Musicians have continued to enrich our liturgy and musical culture. Floreat sang at our termly BCP Choral Eucharists—now held at St Stephen’s—with organ played by the Director of Music. The Civil Service Choir also returned to perform Will Todd’s Jazz Missa Brevis during St Stephen’s Week. ## Concertsand Recitals Our recital series was again well supported by both associate and visiting musicians, with varied and imaginative programming: - e The Londinium Consort: Early music in one of their first public performances e Olly Bowes: Song recital with pianist Kaishun Ypsilantis - e The Prince Consortium: Instrumental chamber music by RCM musicians - ° Grey Coat’s & Burdett-Coutts Schools: Lunchtime concert during St Stephen’s Week - e Annabel Gordon & Olivia Martinez: Chamber recital with piano by Matthew Blaiden and Helen Prentice - e Catrin Lewis & Louisa Lam: Themed song recital, A Musical Menagerie 16 We regret the postponement of the planned April recital by associate musician Shafali Jalota and pianist Jack Redman, and hope to welcome them soon. ## Matthew Blaiden Director of Music ## Safeguarding On the safeguarding side, developments and updates continue to be fed through the new Church of England safeguarding dashboard, onto which we have transitioned over the past few years. This will be due a fresh look over the next year or so to make sure that the procedural side of things continues to tick along in the background. This will be in good hands as | hand over the safeguarding role to Mike Bolton. Of course, the bottom line remains the same in that the PSO’s key role is to ensure any concerns are communicated to the Diocesan safeguarding team for their expert input. One of the areas where we have had to put that into practice from time to time has been in working out the best way to support more vulnerable members of the community who come into our church. As ever, our staff and volunteers are on the front-line here: they are tasked with striking a balance between welcoming all comers and ensuring that everyone continues to feel safe and secure. They doa brilliant job and we are very grateful. In several circumstances, we have swiftly obtained further guidance from the Diocesan team and this has been a smooth process. Overall, | believe SSSJ would be in a good position to deal with any more significant safeguarding issues should they arise (praying, of course, that we are never in that position). ## Jason Richards ## Safeguarding Officer ## Report from Charitable Giving The charitable giving working group continued to engage with the charities supported. Pimlico Toy Library, the Cardinal Hume Centre and United Society Partners in the Gospel (USPG) visited the congregation to talk about their work. The congregation also nominated charities St Stephen could support with funds carried over from the previous year. Support was provided to Medical Aid for Palestinians, Centrepoint, Seafarer’s, Mary’s Pantry Food Bank and St Augustin’s college. In 2024, Beulah Adeoye joined the charitable giving working group. ## Diana Copper ## Stewardship and Giving The BACS giving scheme has remained stable this year. We began with 28 members, with two leaving and one new member joining. The latter brought with thema significant annual donation—both this year and pledged for the future—which has substantially boosted our overall giving. We are especially grateful to the three individuals who increased their contributions during the year. Only one donor reduced their giving due to a change in personal circumstances. Our online CAF Donate platform continues to provide a valuable source of income, supporting both regular stewardship giving and one-off donations. We currently have six regular givers using this channel, a slight drop of one from the previous year. We are also fortunate to have received two significant annual donations through the Charities Aid Foundation cheque scheme, including one from a former parishioner in the USA. 17 Stewardship donations via Gift Aid envelopes have increased, with eight regular givers now contributing larger amounts. Additional Gift Aid has been recovered from one-off envelope donations given by parishioners and visitors, particularly at concerts and funerals. Total income from stewardship and Gift Aid has increased this year for the first time in some time, reversing the decline following the loss of several long-standing donors. My sincere thanks go to Julie, our Bursar, for her continued cooperation and friendly assistance in administering the stewardship programme. Although we have not run a formal stewardship campaign this year, we encourage everyone to prayerfully reflect on their giving. This remains vital for the future of our own church as well as the wider Christian community. As a reminder, the PCC continues to tithe 10% of our stewardship income to support nominated charities, including our ongoing support for Myanmar. If you are interested in joining the BACS scheme or have any questions about regular giving to St Stephen’s, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Bequests are always deeply appreciated—please consider remembering the church in your will. ## Steve Waldron Stewardship Officer ## Fabric Report The refurbishment works on our spire officially completed this year and have now been reviewed, minor remedial works completed and signed off. During the summer we had a comprehensive Fire Risk Assessment and have been working hard to ensure that the recommendations are taken on board and implemented as appropriate. Following this review, you may have notice that we have new fire extinguishers and other fire safety equipment and you can expect to be asked to participate in fire drills more frequently. Looking ahead, in the short term, we are concentrating on maintenance works and “quick wins” in support of our ambition to make the church more eco friendly. In the longer term, the PCC is considering how best to move forward with our more ambitious - but much needed- plans to replace our ancient boiler and install underfloor hearing. In addition, while the floor is up, our plans include the installation of a servery at the back of the church and new toilet block. These plans will require a significant amount of fundraising before we can proceed. If any members of our congregation have relevant experience or are otherwise willing to volunteer their time to help with this project, we would be most grateful for your help. Eco Church Report A ROCHA The Eco Church Committee are delighted to report that in December St Stephen’s brig achieved a Bronze Award in A Rocha UK’s Eco Church Programme, which can be WINNER seen displayed virtually on our website and physically within the church . et displaye y phy y urch, ECO FECHURCH Much hard work has underpinned this achievement, for which our community here at ee St Stephen’s is very grateful. | would like to thank Jessie and the members of the Eco Church Committee (Diana, Tamara, and Liz) for their support in gathering the evidence needed for our Bronze Award. The Committee has also set up a new email address for all things Eco Church - please do contact us if you have any ideas or wish to support our green agenda using ststephens.ecochurch@gmail.com. Since Net Zero is also a focus within our Diocese, the Committee has been attending the regular meetings of the Westminster Churches Net Zero Forum. This is a supportive group in which local 18 churches can share intelligence on best practice and funding opportunities. It is led by Alison Moulden, who has shown fantastic levels of support for our church’s Eco Church aspirations. One important strand of the Eco Church work has been greening our outside spaces. You may have noticed how verdant and tidy they are looking, complete with bird feeders to encourage biodiversity. Sally and the Gardening Group, as well as Sue and volunteers from the Tamil Group, have worked tirelessly to achieve this. Despite this great Eco Church achievement, it is important that St Stephen’s does not rest on its laurels. There is still a great deal to be done to achieve a Silver Award, which is our next objective in our parish commitment to caring for God’s creation. A big part of achieving the Silver Award will be responding to the recommendations of a full energy audit of the church, which was conducted in November by Inspired Efficiency. Two areas for improvement stand out. The first is an aspiration to switch to LED lighting throughout the church. The second is an aspiration to replace our Edwardian oil burner with a more modern, eco-friendly, and efficient heating solution. Both projects will require time, money, and dedication in the next year and beyond. Rev David Jones Assistant Curate ## Structure, Governance and Management The Parochial Church Council is a corporate body established by the Church of England. The PCC operates under the Parochial Church Council Powers Measure. The PCC is a charity which is registered with the Charity Commission under registration number 1132179. The method of appointment of 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. ## Electoral Roll and Church Attendance The electoral roll was 158 at 315* December 2023. Attendance at church and on Zoom ona usual Sunday is about 64 adults and 5 children under 16. There hv been 5 baptisms, 1 wedding and 7 funerals in church during 2023. The clergy also officiated at 10 funerals held at the crematoria. ## PCC Meetings The full PCC met 6 times during the year. Finance, Communications, Charitable Giving and Standing Committees met between meetings and their deliberations were discussed and received by the full PCC. The PCC has complied with the duty under section 5 of the Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure 2016, having due regard to House of Bishops’ guidance on safeguarding children and vulnerable adults. ## Trusts Connected with the Parish The Napier Hall Trust: It is responsible for the maintenance, upkeep, and management of the Napier Hall. Pepys Twining Trust: The income arising may be used to maintain the Napier Hall or any other church hall in the parish. The trustees of these two charities are the Vicar and churchwardens. 19 St. Andrew’s Church Hall Trust: the net income is divided equally between St Peter’s Eaton Square and St Stephen’s Rochester Row. The trustees elected by the PCC are the Vicar, Ms Janet Davey, Mr Edward Barker and Mrs Elizabeth Szewczyk. Jane Franses represents St Peter’s Eaton Square as trustee. Rebecca Aldridge Charity: This fund is available for pastoral purposes at the sole discretion of the Vicar, the sole trustee. Bessborough Gardens Trust: The Managing Trustee is the PCC and its investments have been included in the attached PCC accounts. The income arising may be used for the purpose of furthering the religious and other charitable work of the Church of England in the parish of St Stephen with St John, Westminster. The St Stephen’s Westminster Bells Fund: The charity was established to provide funding to rehang the bells of St Stephen’s Church and to carry out all necessary ancillary work to make this possible. Two of the six trustees are also members of the PCC. ## Administrative Information St. Stephen’s church is located in Rochester Row, London SW1P 1LE. It is part of the Diocese of London, within the Church of England. The correspondence address is The Parish Office, St Stephen's House, Hide Place, London, SW1P 4NJ. PCC members who have served during the period from 15t January 2024 (unless otherwise noted) until the date of this report are as follows: Graham Buckle (Vicar) Helena Bickley-Percival (Curate) until 315t March 2024 Jeremy Cavanagh (Curate) until 17*" December 2024 David Jones (Curate) since 29" June 2024 Edward Barker (Churchwarden) until 12t" May 2024 Suzanne Standring (Churchwarden) Matthew Morony (Churchwarden) since 12"? May 2024 Michael Duggan (Deanery Synod, Treasurer since 12" May 2024) Beula Adeoye since 12"" May 2024 Pamela Ashley Michael Bolton Andrew Campbell (Deanery Synod) Diana Copper Nicholas Davies until 12"" May 2024 Nadine de Keyser until 12°? May 2024 Tamara Katzenbach until 12"? May 2024 Ann Mills- Duggan Anthony Omeh Philip Perkins since 12'" May 2024 Caroline Ryder until 12"° May 2024 Elizabeth Szewczyk Nicholas Thompson since 12" May 2024 Steve Waldron (Deanery Synod) 20 **==> picture [400 x 105] intentionally omitted <==** **----- Start of picture text -----**
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A report on proceedings for the 2024 Annual Parochial Church Meeting of St Stephen with St John, Westminster The Deanery Synod held only one business meeting in 2024, on 24 May, the other occasion of its coming together having been the Garden Party held on Wednesday 19th June. On 24 May, the meeting was held at St Mary’s Bourne St; in his opening remarks, Fr Andrew Walker welcomed synod members to St Mary’s, and gave a brief account of the recent capital work (the ‘Pineapple Project’), offering to talk to clergy who might be planning similar projects in the near future. In the absence of Fr John Pearson-Hicks, the chair of the education committee, the Area Dean, Fr Philip Chester, gave the education committee report which outlined the particular challenges facing all our deanery schools as a result of the demographic shifts taking place in central London. The growing partnerships between schools were working well. Robert Zampetti (St Paul, Covent Garden), then introduced a motion, the text of which follows. In his remarks he characterised the motion as a technocratic way of restoring a better balance between central funding pots and the funds flowing to dioceses for the support of clergy stipends. Over the long term, it was expected that this would enable larger numbers of full-time stipendiary clergy to be employed, increasing the potential for growth at parish level. He then proposed the motion, which was seconded by Alison Cattermole (St Paul, Covent Garden). Motion: ## That this Synod: (i) call upon the Church Commissioners and Archbishops Council to undertake everything necessary to effect a redistribution of financial resources directly to Diocesan Stipend Funds to reflect the value of contributions made by Diocesan Boards of Finance to the Church of England Funded Pension Scheme since it was established by the settlement of 1997 (£2.6 billion) (ii) call upon Diocesan Boards of Finance to manage the funds redistributed as a result of the above to support parish ministry in the ways discerned locally to be most effective in enabling growth and sustaining the Church of England's commitment to be a Christian presence in every community. In favour: 35 Against: 1 Abstentions: 2 The Area Dean then welcomed and introduced the new Archdeacon of Charing Cross, the Ven Katharine Hedderly. She introduced herself and her role, saying how delighted she was to be taking up the post, and how much she was looking forward to working with churches across the episcopal area; she then talked about how she expected the work of the archdeacons to be taken forward. 21 The Garden Party was held in the Master’s Garden at the Temple on 19 June 2024; proceedings began at 6pm with Choral Evensong at the Temple Church, and the Garden Party itself took place between 7 and gpm. On this occasion the garden party was shared with the City Deanery, as has happened in some previous years. In the summer Fr Philip Chester stood down as Area Dean, a post he held since 2005, and parishes were invited to contribute toa gift in appreciation of his service. 22 ## INDEPENDENT EXAMINERS REPORT TO THE MEMBERS ## ON THE UNAUDITED ACCOUNTS OF ## THE PCC OF ST STEPHEN WITH ST JOHN WESTMINSTER To the members of the PCC of St Stephen with St John Westminster, | report on the accounts of the charity forthe yearended 31 December 2024, which are set out on page 24-35. ## Respective Responsibilities of Trustees and Examiner The charity is responsible forthe preparation ofthe financial statements and that an independentexamination is needed. ## Itis my responsibility to: * examine the financial statements to ensure that they have been prepared in accordance with general accounting principles ¢ state whether particular matters have come to my attention. ## Basis of Independent Examiner's Report An examination includes a review of accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the financial statements presented with those records. It also includes considerations of any unusual items or disclosures in the financial statements, and the seeking of explanations from you as officers conceming any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and, consequently no Opinion is given as to whether the fnancial statements present a "true and fair view' and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statements below. ## Independent Examiner's Statement In connection with my examination, no matterhas come to my attention 1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that, in any material respect, the requirements: * to keep accounting records and * to prepare financial statements which agree with the accounting records and to comply with the accounting requirements of the charity. ## have not been met; or 2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in orderto enablea proper understanding of the financial statements to be reached. ## H Cheesmaw 11th August 2025 Heather Cheesman 104 Stockbridge Road Chichester West Sussex PO19 8QP 23 THE PCC OF ST STEPHEN WITH ST JOHN WESTMINSTER STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024 |||Unrestricted|Restricted|Endowment|TOTAL|FUNDS| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |||Funds|Funds|Funds|2024|2023| ||Note|£|£|f|£|£| |INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS||||||| |Voluntary income|2a|138,815|435|-|139,250|143,052| |Activities forgenerating funds|2b|96,671|-|-|96,671|89,609| |Income from investments|26|37,492|920|-|38,412|37,627| |Incomefrom church activities|2d|2,176|126|-|2,302|2,476| |Other income|2e|60,422|-|-|60,422|96,511| |TOTALINCOME||335,576|1,481|-|337,057|369,275| |EXPENDITURE||||||| |Church activities|3a|233,076|390|-|233,466|372,418| |Cost ofraising funds|3b|44,303|-|-|44,303|41,325| |Other expenses|3c|27,438|-|-|27,438|29,077| |TOTAL EXPENDITURE||304,817|390|-|305,207|442,820| |NET INCOME/EXPENDITURE||||||| |BEFOREOTHERRECOGNISED GAINS||30,759|1,091|-|31,850|-73,545| |AND LOSSES||||||| |Gains/losses on investment assets||||||| |Unrealised|4b|9,046|-|25,018|34,064|89,881| |Realised||||||| |NETMOVEMENT IN FUNDS||39,805|1,091|25,018|65,914|16,336| |Transfer between funds|5|743|-743|-|.|”| |NETMOVEMENT IN FUNDS||40,548|348|25,018|65,914|16,336| |AFTERTRANSFERS||||||| |BALANCES BROUGHT FORWARD||1,107,438|16,541|818,066|1,942,045|1,925,709| |AT 1JANUARY 2024 (2023)||||||| |BALANCES CARRIED FORWARD||1,147,986|16,889|843,084|2,007,959|1,942,045| |AT31DECEMBER2024(2023)||||||| The notes on pages 26 to 35 form part of these accounts 24 THE PCC OF ST STEPHEN WITH ST JOHN WESTMINSTER ## BALANCE SHEET AT 31 DECEMBER 2024 ||Note|2024|2023| |---|---|---|---| |||£|£| |FIXED ASSETS|||| |Tangible Fixed Assets|4a|501,896|504,764| |Investment assets|4b|1,189,048|1,154,984| |||1,690,944|1,659,748| |CURRENT ASSETS|||| |Debtors|7|87,328|202,370| |Shortterm deposits||117,985|87,054| |Cash at bank and in hand||155,064|38,570| |||360,377|327,994| |LIABILITIES: FALLING DUE WITHIN|||| |ONEYEAR|8|43,362|45,697| |NETCURRENTASSETS||317,015|282,297| |NETASSETS||2,007,959|1,942,045| |FUNDS|||| |Unrestricted|6|1,147,986|1,107,438| |Restricted|6|16,889|16,541| |Endowment|6|843,084|818,066| |||2,007,959|1,942,045| The notes on pages 25 to 34 form part of these accounts Approved by the Parochial Church Council on 7 May 2025 and signed on its behalf by: **==> picture [313 x 72] intentionally omitted <==** **----- Start of picture text -----**
Rev Graham Buckle, Vicar and Chairman of PCC Aer :
Michael Duggan, Treasurer
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25 THE PCC OF ST STEPHEN WITH ST JOHN WESTMINSTER ## NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024 ## 1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES The PCC is a public benefit entity within the meaning of FRS 102. The financial statements have been prepared under the Charities Act 2011 and in accordance with the Church Accounting Regulations 2006 governing the individual accounts of PCC's together with FRS 102 (2016) as the applicable accounting standards and the 2016 version of the Statement of Recommended Practice, Accounting and Reporting by Charities (SORP(FRS 102)). The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention except for the valuation of investment assets, which are shown at market value. ## Funds Endowment funds are restricted funds that must be retained as trust capital either permanently or subject to a discretionary power to spend capital as income, and where the use of any income or benefit derived from the capital may be restricted or unrestricted. Full details of their restrictions are shown in the notes to the accounts. Restricted funds are income funds that must be spent on restricted purposes and details of the funds held and the restrictions provided are shown in the notes to the accounts. Unrestricted funds represent the remaining income funds of the PCC that are available for spending on the general purposes of the PCC, including amounts designated by the PCC for fixed assets for its own use and for spending ona future project and which are therefore not included in its "free reserves" as disclosed in the trustees’ annual report. The accounts 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. ## Income ## Voluntary income and capital sources Collections are recognised when received by or on behalf of the PCC. Planned giving receivable under gift aid is recognised when received. Tax refunds are recognised when the income to which they relate is received. Grants and legacies to the PCC are accounted for as soon as the PCC is notified of its legal entitlement, the amount due is quantifiable, and its ultimate receipt by the PCC is reasonably certain. Funds raised by the fetes, garden party and similar events are accounted for gross. ## Other ordinary income Rental income from the letting of church premises is recognised when the rental is due. ## Income from investments Dividends and interest are accounted for when receivable. ## Gains and losses on investments Realised gains or losses are recognised when investments are sold. Unrealised gains or losses are recognised on revaluation of investments at the end of each accounting year. 26 THE PCC OF ST STEPHEN WITH ST JOHN WESTMINSTER ## NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024 (Continued) ## Expenditure ## Grants Grants and donations are accounted for when paid over, or when awarded, if that award creates a binding obligation on the PCC, Activities directly relating to the work of the Church The diocesan common fund is accounted for when payable. Liabilities are recognised as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation and settlement is probable and quantifiable. ## Fixed assets Consecrated land and buildings and movable church furnishings Consecrated and beneficed property is excluded from the accounts by s10(2) (a) and (c) of the Charities Act 2011. No value is placed on movable church furnishings held by the vicar and churchwardens on special trust for the PCC and which require a faculty for disposal since the PCC considers this to be inalienable property. All expenditure incurred during the year on consecrated or beneficed buildings and movable church furnishings, whether maintenance or improvement, is written off as expenditure in the SOFA and separately disclosed. No cost information is available for St Stephen's House so it is included at a deemed cost being its valuation in the year 2000. As the current value reflects previous valuations (see note 5) the PCC is permitted to retain the book amounts subject to an impairment review where there is an indication that impairment may have occurred. As the useful economic life is considered to be at least 200 years, with depreciation provided at 0.5% on a straight line basis, an annual impairment review will be retained in any case. Other fixtures, fittings and office equipment Equipment used within the church premises is depreciated on a straight line basis over 4 years. With effect from 1 January 2012, individual items of equipment with a purchase price of £1,000 or less are written off when the asset is acquired. Prior to 2012, items of equipment with a purchase price of £250 or less were written off when the asset was acquired. ## Investments Investments are valued at their market value at 31 December. ## Current Assets Amounts owing to the PCC at 31 December in respect of fees, rents, or other income are shown as debtors less provision for amounts that may prove uncollectable. Short-term deposits include cash held on deposit either with the CBF Church of England Funds or at the bank. 27 THE PCC OF ST STEPHEN WITH ST JOHN WESTMINSTER ## NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024 (Continued) ## 2. INCOME **==> picture [493 x 559] intentionally omitted <==** **----- Start of picture text -----**
|||||||||||| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |Unrestricted|Restricted|Endowment|TOTAL|FUNDS| |Funds|Funds|Funds|2024|2023| |£|£|£|£|£| |a)|Voluntary|income| |Planned|giving| |Stewardship|27,220|-|-|27,220|22,890| |Income|tax|recoverable|8,703|-|-|8,703|8,423| |Open|plate|collections|at|services|7,253|45|-|7,298|10,462| |Sundry donations|4,821|390|-|5,211|8,210| |Donations for|use|of the|church|20,818|-|-|20,818|23,067| |Donation|from|Napier|Hall|Trust|70,000|-|-|70,000|70,000| |Legacies|-|-|-|2|-| |138,815|435|-|139,250|143,052| |b)|Activities|for generating funds| |St Stephen's|House|lettings|(note|9)|73,326|-|-|73,326|66,264| |Mobile|phone|rental|income|23,345|-|-|23,345|23,345| |96,671|-|-|96,671|89,609| |c)|Income|from|investments| |Interest|receivable|5,369|177|-|5,546|5,341| |Dividends|receivable|32,123|743|-|32,866|32,286| |37,492|920|-|38,412|37,627| |d)|Income|from|church|activities| |Fees|914|-|-|914|1,041| |Fundraising|activities|886|-|-|886|1414,| |Income from|concerts|376|126|-|502|324| |2,176|126|-|2,302|2,476| |e)|Other|income| |St Andrews Church|Hall|Trust|27,924|-|-|27,924|26,567| |Other|income|(note|10)|5,060|-|-|5,060|40,867| |Charges to|Napier|Hall|Trust|(note|12)|27,438|-|-|27,438|29,077| |60,422|-|-|60,422|96,511| |TOTAL INCOME|335,576|1,481|-|337,057|369,275| **----- End of picture text -----**
28 THE PCC OF ST STEPHEN WITH ST JOHN WESTMINSTER ## NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024 (Continued) ## 3. EXPENDITURE |3. EXPENDITURE|||||| |---|---|---|---|---|---| ||Unrestricted|Restricted|Endowment|TOTALFUNDS|FUNDS| ||Funds|Funds|Funds|2024|2023| ||£|£|£|£|£| |a) Church activities|||||| |Charitable giving (see page 24)|15,320|390|-|15,710|15,662| |Diocesan Common Fund|70,000|-|-|70,000|41,250| |Curate/Assistant Priest|15,429|-|-|15,429|20,075| |Salaries allocated to church activities (note 11)|21,264|-|-|21,264|15,928| |Clergy and staffexpenses|12,937|-|-|12,937|4,172| |Children and youth work|67|-|-|67|60| |Travel expenses|91|-|-|91|15| |Church running expenses|21,459|-|-|21,459|23,581| |Support costs for running expenses (note 12)|17,645|-|-|17,645|16,670| |Church maintenance|6,189|-|-|6,189|9,033| |Support costs forchurch maintenance (note 12)|5,548|-|-|5,548|5,294| |Upkeep ofservices|1,739|-|-|1,739|2,235| |Director of Music and organists|11,030|-|-|11,030|10,608| |Sundry expenses|1,182|-|-|1,182|908| |Hospitality expenses|2,319|-|-|2,319|1,572| |Concert expenses|267|-|-|267|625| |Major repairs (note 13)|30,590|-|-|30,590|204,730| ||233,076|390|-|233,466|372,418| |b) Cost of raising funds|||||| |Voluntary income (note 12)|2,513|-|-|2,513|2,430| |Lettings (note 12)|40,832|-|-|40,832|37,938| |Investments (note 12)|958|-|-|958|957| ||44,303|-|-|44,303|41,325| |c) Other expenses|||||| |Costs allocated to Napier Hall Trust (note 12)|27,438|-|-|27,438|29,077| ||27,438|-|-|27,438|29,077| |TOTALRESOURCESEXPENDED|304,817|390|-|305,207|442,820| 29 ## THE PCC OF ST STEPHEN WITH ST JOHN WESTMINSTER ## NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024 (Continued) ## 4. FIXED ASSETS FOR USE BY THE PCC **==> picture [435 x 210] intentionally omitted <==** **----- Start of picture text -----**
||||||||| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |Freehold|Land| |a)|Tangible|fixed|assets|and|Buildings|Equipment|Total| |£|£|£| |COST/VALUATION| |At|1|January|2024|573,596|36,303|609,899| |Additions|-|-|-| |At|31|December|2024|573,596|36,303|609,899| |DEPRECIATION| |At|1 January 2024|68,832|36,303|105,135| |Charge|for|the|year|2,868|-|2,868| |At|31|December|2024|71,700|36,303|108,003| |NET|BOOK|VALUE| |At|31|December|2024|501,896|-|501,896| |At|31|December|2023|504,764|-|504,764| **----- End of picture text -----**
The freehold land and buildings comprise the Parish Office and St Stephen's House. The gross book value is based on the value estimated by the PCC as at November 1997 for insurance purposes and is considered to be a fair estimate of the current value in use of the property. Consecrated and beneficed property of any kind is excluded from the accounts by s.10(2)(a) and (c) of the Charities Act 2011. The church building is insured for £26,600,000 and St Stephen's House for £2,326,565. **==> picture [492 x 212] intentionally omitted <==** **----- Start of picture text -----**
|||||||||| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |The|cost|of the|equipment|comprises:|Computer|equipment|539| |Sound|system|6,500| |Household|equipment|859| |Fire|detection|system|4,108| |Electric|keyboard|469| |Heating|improvements|2,547| |Display|panels|1,427| |Kitchen|improvements|17,376| |Emergency|lighting|2,478| |36,303| |4b)|Investments|Endowment|Unrestricted|Total| |Funds|Funds| |Market|value|at|1|January|2024|759,782|395,202|1,154,984| |Revaluation|gain|/|(loss)|25,018|9,046|34,064| |Market value|at|31|December|2024|784,800|404,248|1,189,048| **----- End of picture text -----**
Investment holdings at 31 December 2024 Endowment: St Johns Trust - 5,616 shares in the CBF Church of England Investment Fund. Bessborough Gardens Trust - 1,184 shares in the CBF Church of England Investment Fund. St John's Gardens - 18,393.32 shares of CBF Church of England Investment Fund. - 63,451.777 shares of Charifaith Common Investment Fund. - 50,383.39 units of Epworth UK Equity Fund for Charities. * - 7,088.29 units of Epworth Global Equity Fund for Charities. * * Previously 53,765.29 units of Epworth Affirmative Equity Fund. Unrestricted: 17,482.70 shares of the CBF Church of England Investment Fund. 30 THE PCC OF ST STEPHEN WITH ST JOHN WESTMINSTER ## NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024 (Continued) ## 5. FUNDS The movements on the designated and restricted funds during the year were: ||Balances||||Balances| |---|---|---|---|---|---| ||brought|Incoming|Outgoing|Transfers/|carried| ||forward|Resources|Resources|Revaluation|forward| |Designated:|||||| |Vicarage redecoration|10,000|-|-|1,000|11,000| |Music|567|263|67|z|763| ||10,567|263|67|1,000|11,763| |The designated funds form part ofthe unrestricted funds and have been||set aside by|the PCC for the|purposes|| |described.|||||| |Restricted:|||||| |Barcapel Foundation|2,000|-|-|-|2,000| |Bells|6,440|-|-|-|6,440| |Burma Travel Exchange Fund|||||| |Burma Travel Exchange Fund|1,879|177|-|-|2,056| |Bessborough Gardens Income|-|743|-|-743|-| |Charities Fund|5|-|-|-|5| |Chasuble|1,875|-|-|-|1,875| |Children's Worker|88|-|-|-|88| |Display panels|178|-|-|-|178| |Flag pole|51|-|-|-|51| |Floor and Heating|-|-|-|-|-| |Music|976|171||-|1,147| |Night Shelter|1,128|-|-|-|1,128| |Toddler Group|1,921|-|-|-|1,921| ||16,541|1,091|-|-743|16,889| The Barcapel Foundation Fund is for work with people with dementia. The Bells Fund is for the rehanging of the bells of the church and to carry out all the necessary work to make this possible. A separate charity, St Stephen’s Westminster Bells Fund (Registration Number 1152274) has raised funds for this work and donations have been received from it to fund the cost of the work. The Burma Travel Exchange Fund is available to support the cost of travel to maintain links between the Anglican Church in Burma and the congregation of the church. Bessborough Gardens Trust Accumulated Income Fund is available to further the religious and other charitable work of the church in the parish. The Charities Fund is used for monies given specifically for other charities. The Chasuble Fund has been given in memory of Elizabeth Brazier for the purchase of a blue chasuble. The Children's Worker Fund is be used to fund work with children. The Display Panels Fund represents monies donated for the purchase of display panels for use in the church. The cost has been capitalised and added to fixed assets. The Flag Pole Fund represents monies donated to restore the flag pole outside the church. The Floor and Heating Fund is to raise money for the proposed replacement of the church floor and heating system. The Music Fund is to be used for the development of music at St Stephens. The Night Shelter Fund is for money donated to support the Night Shelter in Napier Hall. The Toddler Group Fund is for money received from participants at the Toddler group and is used to fund expenditure of and equipment for the group. 31 ## THE PCC OF ST STEPHEN WITH ST JOHN WESTMINSTER ## NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024 (Continued) |The Endowment Fund comprises:|2024|2023| |---|---|---| |Permanent Endowment|157,234|153,717| |Expendable Endowment|685,848|664,348| ||843,082|818,065| ## The endowment fund comprises: ## Permanent Endowment St John Trust: The capital is a permanent endowment, which was originally provided for the erection ofa church hall in Monck Street, London SW1. The remainder of the capital cannot be spent for any other purpose without the consent of the Charity Commissioners. The income arising from this investment may be used for the charitable purposes of the PCC. Bessborough Gardens Trust: The capital is a permanent endowment, originally comprising land and buildings in Bessborough Gardens, London SW1. The income arising may be used for the purpose of furthering the religious and other charitable work of the Church of England in the parish of St Stephen with St John, Westminster. ## Expendable Endowment St John's Gardens Fund: This investment was received from the Trustee of the St John's Gardens Fund and has been designated as Expendable Endowment. The donor expects the capital to be kept as a reserve to provide income which may be used as the PCC sees fit. The PCC could, in the future, and after careful consideration, use the capital for some other special purpose. ## 6. ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS BY FUND ||Unrestricted|Restricted|Endowment|TOTAL| |---|---|---|---|---| ||Funds|Funds|Fund|2024| |Tangible fixed assets|501,896|-|-|501,896| |Investment fixed assets|404,248|-|784,800|1,189,048| |Current assets|273,771|28,322|58,284|360,377| |Current liabilities|-31,929|-11,433|-|-43,362| ||1,147,986|16,889|843,084|2,007,959| |7. DEBTORS|||2024|2023| |Prepayments and accrued income|||7,561|35,376| |Tax recoverable|||24,767|16,387| |Napier Hall Trust|||26,726|123,690| |StAndrew's Church Hall Trust|||28,274|26,917| ||||87,328|202,370| |8. LIABILITIES: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR|||2024|2023| |Accruals and deferred income|||40,602|42,937| |Tax and national insurance|||s|.| |Other creditors|||2,760|2,760| ||||43,362|45,697| |9. ST STEPHEN'S HOUSE LETTINGS||||| |INCOME|||2024|2023| |Rents:
FlatA|||35,700|34,650| |Flat B|||24,472|22,880| |Flat C (curate's accommodation)|||7,756|-| |Offices|||4,968|4,968| |Parish SittingRoom|||240|3,080| |Gas, electricity and water costs reimbursed|||190|686| ||||73,326|66,264| 32 1 ## THE PCC OF ST STEPHEN WITH ST JOHN WESTMINSTER ## NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024 (Continued) |(Continued)||| |---|---|---| |10. OTHER INCOME|2024|2023| ||£|£| |Other income comprises the following:||| |Administrative charge to StAndrews Church Hall Trust|350|350| |Grant under Listed Places ofWorship scheme|4,710|40,517| ||5,060|40,867| |11. STAFF COSTS|2024|2023| ||£|£| |Wages and salaries|65,670|58,878| |Social security costs|-|-| |Pension costs|1,165|1,031| |Total gross cost|66,835|59,909| |Allocated:||| |Church activities (Unrestricted Fund)|21,264|15,928| |Organist's fees|10,215|9,848| |StStephen'sHouse,NapierHallandSupport-seenote12|35,356|34,133| During the year the PCC employed on a part time basis two vergers, a cleaner, a director of music, a parish administrator and a bursar. The PCC enrolled with National Employment Savings Trust (NEST) on 1 June 2012 to provide an opportunity for employees to participate in a pension scheme as required by the Pensions Act 2008. ## 12. ST STEPHEN'S HOUSE, NAPIER HALL AND SUPPORT EXPENSES |12. ST STEPHEN'SSTEPHEN'S HOUSE, NAPIER HALL ANDAND SUPPORT EXPENSES||| |---|---|---| ||2024|2023| |Light, heat, water and council tax|26,011|20,141| |Cleaning, repairs and maintenance|14,384|17,609| |Insurance|4,184|4,423| |Letting agents fees and legal costs|6,498|4,965| |Printing, postage and stationery|347|295| |Hire ofphotocopier - see note 14|1,259|1,278| |Telephone, fax and internet|1,764|1,414| |Other office expenses|84|38| |Depreciation offixtures and fittings|-|3,098| |Depreciation offreehold building|2,868|2,868| |Salaries attributed to parish office, property and support|35,356|34,133| |Independent examiner|1,400|1,400| |Fund raising costs - Digital giving charges and Gift Aid envelopes|534|444| |Bank charges|244|260| ||94,933|92,366| 33 THE PCC OF ST STEPHEN WITH ST JOHN WESTMINSTER ## NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024 (Continued) **==> picture [492 x 102] intentionally omitted <==** **----- Start of picture text -----**
|||||||| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |2024|2023| |Allocated:| |Church|running|expenses|17,645|16,670| |Church|maintenance|5,548|5,294| |St|Stephen's|House|lettings|40,832|37,938| |Cost|of raising|voluntary|income|2,513|2,430| |Cost|of managing|investments|958|957| |Charge|to|Napier|Hall|Trust|27,438|29,077| **----- End of picture text -----**
The costs of running the parish office, St Stephen’s House, and Napier Hall, and the accounting and governance costs shown above have been apportioned to the activities to which they relate. Where appropriate, expenditure is allocated to the relevant activity. Items of expenditure which contribute directly to more than one activity have been apportioned to the relevant activities. Staff costs are allocated in accordance with the time spent on each activity. Utilities and other services are apportioned on the basis of usage. Property and insurance costs have been apportioned according to the relevant floor area. **==> picture [491 x 110] intentionally omitted <==** **----- Start of picture text -----**
||||||||||||||| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |13.|MAJOR|REPAIRS|-|CHURCH|PROPERTIES|2024|2023| |Unrestricted|Restricted|Total|Total| |EXPENSES| |Proposed|heating|and|floor|renewal|-|professional|fees|3,463|-|3,463|-| |Work|arising from|Quinquennial|survey|27,127|-|27,127|204,730| |30,590|-|30,590|204,730| |Following the|Quinquennial|survey|our|architects|drew|up|plans|to|repair the|stonework|on|the tower.|Work| |began|in|the|summer|of 2022|and|was|complete|at the|end|of 2023.| **----- End of picture text -----**
Work on the longstanding plans to renew the heating system along with broader plans to include restoration and refurbishment of the floor and undercroft is on hold. These plans also include proposals to improve the toilet and kitchen facilities at the church. ## 14. OTHER COMMITMENTS The PCC entered in a new contract for the hire of the photocopier for 2 years from 1 April 2021 at a cost of £1,440 per annum. The contract also includes service and maintenance charged on the basis of usage of the machine. Having allowed this to continue to run for a further year it is expected that a new contract will be required during 2025. ## 15. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS The PCC has entered into no material transactions, contracts or other arrangements (including grants) with any related party apart from the following: The combined buildings of St Stephen's House and Napier Hall are managed by the PCC and an appropriate part of the costs charged to the Napier Hall Trust as explained in Note 12 above. The trustees of Napier Hall Trust are the vicar and churchwardens for the PCC and they determine the amount of the donation (if any) to be paid by the Napier Hall Trust to the PCC each year. Certain transactions, including donations of any money or in kind from PCC members or those closely connected to them, are unlikely to influence the separate independent interests of the PCC and therefore need not be disclosed. 34 ## THE PCC OF ST STEPHEN WITH ST JOHN WESTMINSTER ## CHARITABLE GIVING FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024 |||Unrestricted — Restricted|Unrestricted — Restricted| |---|---|---|---| |||Funds|Funds| |Allocation of Charitable Giving Budget||£|£| |Emergency & International Relief:|Currently unallocated|3,120|| |Charities benefitting Westminster:|Currently unallocated|5,900|| |Christian Causes:|Currently unallocated|6,300|| |Other Giving:|Support for Church in Burma||390| |||15,320|390| 35