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← The Parochial Church Council Of The Ecclesiastical Parish Of St. Thomas, Blackpool.

2024-12-31-accounts

ReflectionsD ) ig oy a @ 2023-2024

“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son…”

Hebrews 1.1-2

Reflections 2024-5– a review of activities and financial statements

This is a report of various activities as submitted that have occurred throughout the year 2024-5.

It is not meant to be comprehensive.

Data Protection

We are responsible for keeping all data held securely and do so in line with Church of England guidelines.

A copy of the Data Protection Privacy Notice can be found in the church and in the parish centre.

Vicar’s Letter

“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son…”

Hebrews 1.1-2

These two verses in Hebrews begin an introduction in the first chapter which describes the Deity of Jesus. Jesus is no ordinary man. In fact the whole letter to the Hebrews is focused on who Jesus is and what He has done and continues to do for us. In short the focus of Hebrews and the New Testament is Jesus. He is the message, he is the Gospel, He is our ministry, He is our vision and our reason for being church.

I could quite rightly mention many people in this introduction to Reflections and in many ways it would be appropriate to do so. However, you know who you are. My part is to say thank you to each of you who is a member of St Thomas’ Blackpool, because in short, without you, there is no church. Without you, ministry wouldn’t happen. So I want to thank every single one of you for who you are and for what you bring to the ministry in the Gospel. Your personality is unique and the gifts of the Holy Spirit you have been given are vital for the health of the church. And as each one of us focuses on Jesus we will also bear the fruits of the Spirit.

When we set our sights on Jesus and the more we do so, we begin to reflect Him to those around us. The end result should be that we show Jesus through our lives. We all work incredibly hard in our service for God and I am truly grateful for this. However, the mark of success, if we can call it that, is the measure in which people see Jesus in us or not. If people can’t see Jesus, we need to ask why. If they do see Jesus they have their sight and vision set upon the One who is the Saviour and restorer of lives.

So, to return to Hebrews: Jesus is the message, Jesus is the Gospel, Jesus is our ministry, Jesus is our vision and Jesus is our reason for being church. One of the songs we sing at St Thomas’ begins like this: “I just want to speak the name of Jesus”. Amen to that! Let’s also show him through our lives!

Very much looking forward to sharing this year with you in looking towards Jesus and showing Him to our community together with you in partnership in the Gospel.

Be Blessed

Revd Dave.

Curate’s reflections

Curate’s reflections

After the joy of being priested last summer, I feel like I’m well into the flow of curacy. I’ve really enjoyed building relationships with people both in the church and in the community, and I’m thankful for the privilege I have of witnessing what God is doing in our parish.

Our Toddler Group has now been running for over a year and a half, and it’s been a joy to welcome in lots of toddlers and their parents and carers during that time. Each week we explore a story from the Bible together through crafts and messy play, and we have a growing team who help with the planning and preparations. I continue to pray that this will be a safe space for parents/carers and their young children.

Tuesday Church has also been running for about a year and a half, and we have grown a fairly stable congregation of about 30-35 people. A particular highlight was the scratch nativity that we had before Christmas, where we dressed up and told again the nativity story with songs and prayers. This term, we have been exploring the encounters that Jesus has with different people and reflecting on what it means for us to encounter Jesus. I am always amazed at the brilliant questions that the children and their parents/guardians ask me, and I hope their curiosity to know more about God will continue!

From the connections we have built through Toddlers and Tuesday Church, we have had three families bring their children to be baptised. There was also another family who brought their daughter to be baptised, and these are always joyous occasions.

I’m now in my final year here at St. Thomas’, but my curacy won’t be finished until around February 2026 so I’m not leaving any time soon. I’ve learnt so much already during my time with you, and I’m looking forward to what the next few months have in store for us!

PCC Report Glenys Cole

The Parochial Church Council (PCC) is responsible for the maintenance of church buildings and, with the incumbent, for deciding how the church’s money is to be spent. The PCC will have on it one or more members of the Deanery Synod, who have an important role in linking the parish into the wider structures of the Church of England. Additionally, the Electoral Roll and the Safeguarding Officer and the Treasurer serve as co-opted members providing special functions on behalf of the PCC. The Wardens and Licensed Lay Ministers are ex officio members of the PCC. The church members elect a number of people to be on the PCC. The number of elected members depends on the number of church members on the electoral roll. Currently, St Thomas’ has nine elected members.

As is usual in Church of England PCCs, elected members serve for 3 years and then stand down for at least one year The PCC meets about five times each year including the first meeting directly after the AGM (usually in April), although there are now no rules governing the number of meetings. The items on the agenda always include: Finance Report from the Treasurer, Electoral Roll Report,

Warden’s reports on the Building and Fabric and the progress of the Quinquennial recommendations. reports from the Safeguarding Officer, the Family Engagement Worker and the Deanery Synod representatives, mission action planning, and outreach and community reports correspondence received and significant future dates.

The approved and signed PCC minutes are displayed on the notice board in the church lounge.

The Standing Committee meets in between the PCC meeting dates and whenever else it is required to meet. The Standing Committee can respond more quickly to an urgent item as and when necessary and always with delegated authority from the PCC according to the terms of reference.

Current Standing Committee members are; Dave O’Brien, LJ Tiffney, Pauline Matthews, Andrea Smith, Nicola Anderson, Glyn Sinar.

During this year the PCC has still been seriously concerned about the parish centre building: about the expense of maintaining the building and about the safety of its use, and are working with the Diocese to try to address these problems. During this year it has become apparent that the Diocese are unable to carry on their initiative to work with building partners to develop the whole site, and so the Vicar with a small working group and with the approval of the PCC is looking into other ways to repair, develop and improve the church Building and the Parish Centre. In my last report I welcomed Alison Wilkinson as the PCC Treasurer and you will see from her report that she has been a very welcome addition to the PCC, working really hard to keep us financially legal and making sure our finances are on track.

Many thanks to those who faithfully serve as PCC members both as elected and ex officio members. The PCC Membership from April 2023 is as follows:

Dave O’Brien Incumbent
David Wilkinson Licensed
LJ Tiffney Licensed
Susan Atkin Elected
Chris Brambles Elected
Diane O’Hagan Elected
Glyn Sinar Elected
Glenys Cole Elected
Pauline Matthews Elected DeanerySynod Representative
Joan Metcalfe Elected
AnthonyClegg Elected
AndyVernon Elected
Alison Wilkinson Treasurer – ex officio PCC Officer
Nicola Anderson Warden – ex officio PCC Officer
vacancy Church warden- ex officio PCC Officer
Anne Sinar Safeguarding– ex officio PCC Officer
Denise Moorby Ex officio – DeanerySynod Representative
Andrea Smith Ex officio - Vision Champion
Yvonne Blazey LLM
VickyBentley LLM

If anyone would like more information about the PCC or is interested in becoming elected as a member, i would be happy to talk with you.

Thank you to PCC members for always being cooperative as I try always to keep us on track according to the Diocese and the Charity Commissioners.

Electoral Roll – Glyn Sinar

The Electoral Roll is a list of those over 16 years currently worshipping at St Thomas’ Church and taking an active part in its meetings and activities. Every Church of England parish has a list, reflecting its membership, and governing the make-up of the parochial church council (PCC) and deanery synod.

The numbers on the Roll are reviewed annually, during the weeks leading up to the annual parish council meeting (APCM), but every six years it is completely renewed. 2025 is such a year, and in February the old Roll ceased to operate. Notice was given of the renewal process, allowing anyone who worships at St Thomas’ church to update their membership.

The Electoral Roll is also one indicator of our Church growth – when the old roll last operated there were 101 members (of whom 21 were resident in our Parish, with the remainder living in other parts of Blackpool and the Fylde). The numbers on the current roll now total 96 (a small drop). There has been an increase in the number of members resident in the Parish (23). Of the total membership, 26 are new members on the Roll.

If you have never been on our electoral roll or have not yet filled in a renewal form, and wish to consider becoming a member of St Thomas’s, you can obtain a form from Dave our Vicar or LJ, or speak to the Electoral Roll Officer (Glyn Sinar).

If you are already on the electoral roll you are entitled to a vote at the APCM meeting on 28[th] April. The list came into force on 13[th] April 2025 and is displayed (names only) on the notice boards in Church.

– Warden Report Nicola Anderson

As the APCM comes round on the end of my time as warden, I look back to consider all the opportunities I have had to serve the church, and at the many tasks that have needed to be completed.

This year we have had some real highs and some lows, but through it we have been blessed, by God’s Protection, of no major damage to the buildings in the storms that the country has faced. We have had more hall hire opportunities, and we have completed many maintenance checks to comply with the insurance company’s requirements on the church. We will have that in the near future for the Parish Centre also. We have made adaptive changes to the church sanctuary, at minimal cost, by upcycling items and selling on other items to cover the costs, making it a less cluttered space. We have kept church spending low by creative sourcing of resources too. From second

hand railings, mugs and lamps to breathing new life into upcycled cupboards and chairs, sourcing candles creatively and contacting neighbours with skills to fix things where possible.

One of the biggest tasks this year was trying to improve the security of the whole church grounds. The old padlocks on gates around church over time seized up or fell apart. The CCTV quality didn’t help us in preventing problems when the grounds were not secured. We have finally upgraded the padlocks to reinforced steel ones around the whole site which are less likely to rust. A large piece of work was done to get quotes to replace the CCTV system so that it covered the problem areas more, and so the quality was better able to capture people’s faces. A grant was applied for but sadly declined, as we had not had time to report enough of the incidences we faced. This was a shame, as it’s been daunting locking up in the winter months and people appearing from the stairwells and from behind the BBQ, under the influence of substances.

One of the other projects this year has been trying to remove practical hindrances to worship for all who wish to attend our church. This includes items such as cushions, lamps, taller chairs and changes to steps or doorways. God is blessing us with new people attending consistently, and just as He welcomes everyone, we have tried to do the same. Seeking ways not only to make attendance possible but also to enable engagement in serving. We still have a long way to go in this but God is raising

people up in his way for this.

Thank you for giving me this opportunity to serve God through being warden over these last two years. It has been a joy not only have part in helping things happen, but also in how many of you I have got to know better and all the many community people I have met while going about the practical tasks. A special thanks to Alan for helping and teaching me practical skills I didn’t know before and to John Smith for his help with all the insurance administration. Thank you to those who

have taken up roles that assisted me in the work. Thank you also to those who have donated towards items like the church flowers and hot water boiler. Thank you again to those people who have stepped in on the occasions when I was not able to be present. Finally, to Dave and LJ for managing through, even when things have been difficult at times.

I wish those coming into the role after me every blessing and pray for the flourishing of the church

Gardening Team – Pauline Matthews

Thursday mornings 10.00am – 12.30pm

Thank you to the faithful ones who have been part of the team in 2024 – every Thursday, weather permitting, from March to November –Sue Atkin, Vicky Bentley, Alan Hodgson, Jean Moody and Doreen Tallents.

We have cut the grass all around the church and parish centre buildings as well as the church car park. Bulbs were planted, bushes and trees were pruned, borders weeded and the allotment developed with all sorts of vegetables and salad crops, unfortunately not all successful because of the weather….too much rain and not enough sun, and the slugs have stayed faithful!

We also revived the wildflower corner on Caunce Street/Devonshire Road.

We are already planning 2025, so any donations of compost would be gratefully received. Looking forward to a plentiful harvest to share with church members and the community.

If you would like to join us, new members are always welcome and remember you get a brew, biscuits and fellowship for your labours

Community and Family and Engagement Worker - Nicola Anderson

This role of Community and Family Engagement Worker has given me many great opportunities to serve God. I hope to share some of these whilst holding the people’s identities in confidence.

The activities of this ministry are varied and often rarely seen, as it’s building relationships to help people connect and come to a place where they have the opportunity to meet Jesus. Here are a few of the varied ways and special moments.

space with games, colouring books and calm for anyone seeking it. We have had almost 20 new people coming in, who would not otherwise have come in for church services, enjoying hot soup, bread, brews and biscuits with them. We have handed out around 30 warm gift packs including a thermos, blanket, hand warmer, little chocolate bar as well as the Gospel message. It’s been wonderful for growing the self-belief in many who were apprehensive. One lady has boldly joined the team and spoken of how much it has increased her tolerance and boldness to engage with people she does not know. It has been such a success that we have deemed it worth continuing beyond the planned date of finish, adding 4 more weeks and finishing end of March. It’s a joy to work in partnership with the worker from a secular agency. She herself has said how surprised she was at how comfortable she has felt in the church, adding that it is her favourite group out of all the ones she does in the week. We feel that this group has not been about the quantity of people we give soup to, but more about quality of the care and connections we have built with the people who have come. This has given us a greater opportunity to connect with those around the church and something I will be encouraging the church to be willing to host in years to come over the colder months. Its also shown how much people love playing games like dominoes, learning to play chess or challenging themselves to a tricky jigsaw. We plan to keep this in mind and see if that’s something we start or add into another aspect of church community life.

These are some of the ways this role as Community and Family Engagement Worker has given me chance to make a difference to our community, in the name of St Thomas Church. I know the title of the role leads some to think I am a children’s worker but this is less about the children and more about being God’s hands of compassion to those on the edge, those for whom church is not yet the safe supportive family and fellowship that I hope others see it as. When there are things limiting someone from coming to find Jesus, that’s where I feel called to, sometimes in creative ways, to reach out a supportive hand and remove the barriers. I believe that preparing activities for the children to do when they attend Sunday services helps parents to feel comfortable bringing them in. It also gives chances to present the sermon in visual ways so that they can take on board the meanings of the Bible passages shared, hopefully helping them in the future to attend into adulthood. A church that welcomes and values all generations is one with a long future of sharing the Gospel. Jesus is waiting with arms open to welcome everyone and I pray that as I do this role we would be a church that does the same.

I am grateful to the Trusts that have given St Thomas’ Church the grants which make this role possible and for the support of the Church as I am trusted to make these connections in the Church’s name.

Holy Dusters - Pauline Matthews

We have a lovely Church cleaning team who turn up every Tuesday morning and have been very faithful for many years. It’s been good to welcome a new volunteer to join us this year. Our morning finishes with a cuppa, reading a Psalm and prayers.

– Deanery Synod Pauline Matthews, Denise Moorby

The main functions of Deanery Synods are to discuss and reflect on matters of the Church of England as they affect the deanery and the parish we are in. They also act as a forum for airing of parish views on any problems. There have been three meetings this year

July 11[th] 2024 St Stephen on the Cliffs

We were welcomed by Fr Andew Teather who led Evening Prayer. Rev Peter Lillicrap opened the meeting, giving an update since the last meeting.

SSMI (Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment) will provide funding for 30 youth workers and 15 community outreach workers across the diocese. Further information to be given at the November meeting by Carolyn Barton (Director of Vision Delivery). Vision 2026 will be refreshed for 2033 concept and discussed at the February meeting.

November 2024 Holy Trinity South Shore

Welcome and opening devotion by Rev Tracy Charnock. Rev Peter Lillicrap introduced Carolyn Barton, who gave an overview of the history of the grant application (SSMI) which consists of £1.1 million over 9 years from the Central Church of England in response to a bid from the diocese. This money is to fund 30 full time workers in children and youth work and 18 part time workers (2 days a week) to work in mission and outreach. Recruitment and selection will be in stages: 5 full time and 3 part time posts in the first phase. All the posts are for 7 years, and the parishes involved will need to pay 10% of the costs to start off, increasing over the years.

Blackburn Diocese are requesting all clergy who have served for 7 years to take a 3-month sabbatical. This is for the health and wellbeing of the clergy.

25[th] February 2025 All Saints Anchorsholme

This was a joint meeting with Poulton Deanery. Bishop Philip introduced the Vision Refresh by stating that we are to

listen to God’s discernment for Vision 2033. The Vision statement will include:

  1. Unity of purpose

  2. Plan for Growth

  3. Using resources well

  4. Recruitment

He explained that we are currently in a year of prayer and consultation to discern where God is leading the church next. We should pray for vibrant, Christ-centred churches where the whole family is served. We need to pray for giving and receiving between churches, the deanery and diocese. We should be missional and outward focused and be confident people of faith. We must make sure our buildings are fit for purpose and be confident for growth: “God of Mission, who alone brings growth to your church, send your Holy Spirit to give vision to our planning, wisdom to our actions, joy to our worship and power to our witness. Help our church to grow in numbers, in spiritual commitment to you and in service to the local community. Through Jesus Christ. Amen”

Pastoral Care Team (Authorised Lay Ministers)

Members of the Pastoral Care Team (ALMs) look out for anyone missing services due to illness or other circumstances and we are the first line of support to all church members and we have arrangements in place to notice and respond to those who are missing in Church.

We contact everyone we know who would have been coming to church, to ensure their needs are met and to pray for them.

We are available to pray for anyone needing prayer after each service in Church. We visit those who are housebound and consider it a privilege to take communion to them if they wish. We have undergone safeguarding training as recommended by the Diocese.

We have attended sessions and courses provided by Ashar and presented by Alison O’Brien and her team and feel better equipped to minister to those struggling with emotional and spiritual health. Our training from the Diocese is ongoing.

Pauline Matthews is in training to become an Anna Chaplain. Anna Chaplaincy is a ministry aimed at equipping churches to pastorally and spiritually support their older church members and communities Whilst we have arrangements in place to notice and respond if anyone is missing services, going into hospital or residential homes, it is still helpful if members of the congregation let us know of anyone in the Church who needs pastoral care or support.

We would also appreciate your prayers for us as a team and whilst the people below are entitled ALMs, we are joined by Anne Sinar, Lisa Haskett, Alison O Brien, Irene Leak, Alan Hodgson, and Andréa Smith to help us provide all that is needed to pastorally care for our congregation.

A list of Authorised and Licensed Lay Ministers is set out below. If you need Pastoral Care or Support let us know – we are here for you.

Authorised Lay Ministers (ALM) Licensed Lay Ministers (LLM)

Nicola Anderson Vicky Bentley Sue Atkin Yvonne Blazey

Glenys Cole Pauline Matthews Denise Moorby Diane O’Hagan Kath Smith Anthony Clegg

Vision Champion – Andrea Smith

Hello my dear friends of St Thomas’

Introducing myself, I am Andréa Smith and have been worshipping at St Thomas's for a little over thirty years.

In the summer of 2023, after completing the “MPower” and small group training courses with the Diocese, I had the privilege of being made ALM and offered the Vision Champion (VC) position for the church. What exactly is the VC role?

Back in 2016 when the Diocese laid out their 10 year mission plan they requested that one or more persons within each church take the mantle to help them achieve their various objectives and though I have added the job description defined by the Dioceses for clarity, I feel a more personalised outline of my role is due. Nic Hall took this position originally, however it was with great sadness due to his passing, that I was offered the role as an individual. Though I would have liked to have worked alongside Nic, I took on VC with a continued passion that he himself showed the role.

So, as I started my journey an initial meeting between myself, Reverend Dave and the Diocese agreed that the role was to take an adaptable form in any way that we feel was contributing to the church. From the beginning my desired overall vision has been to bring unity and community back into our congregation and to support, develop and mature our family at St T’s and the outside parish. I identified from the start various ways I thought this could be achieved long term (eg inter-service gatherings, study groups, ladies’ days, friendships groups) but before I moved forward with these aims I wanted to settle into being a VC and ALM, learning how the church operates as well as developing my own skills of prayer and communication. An assigned contact from the Diocese has supported me in the role, and regular communication with other local VCs in South Shore and Preston have helped me along the way.

Now as time has passed I have felt more comfortable and the role has naturally turned myself into a person of support and “go to” source for other areas of the church in need. eg, I assisted in sourcing soft-play mats for the new mothers and Toddler Group and after launching an appeal at my place of work for toys and gifts, we were able to distribute these to families at Christmas. A light was found for Joan on keyboard The role of VC has allowed me to work positively alongside other members of the congregation. Myself and our warden Nicola complement each of our roles. We attend a quarterly “Blackpool Together” network group at the Winter Gardens to gather helpful information for our parish and gain fruitful contacts (one of such led to our free Wi-Fi installation).

Vicky Taylor kindly organised our first ladies’ evening, more on that later. Furthermore, LJ is supported with her fortnightly ladies’ study group, so if any ladies are looking to join a house group please don’t hesitate to reach out to either of us.

I look forward to chatting and getting to know more of you as time goes on. But more importantly I am excited to see individuals flourish, so that together we can witness to others the amazing glory of God. Peace, blessings and love to you all,

Safeguarding Report - Anne Sinar

Safeguarding in the Church of England has certainly been in the news this year. Here at St Thomas’, as in many local parishes, we are very aware of the need to safeguard our young people and vulnerable adults. Anyone wanting to volunteer in any of our groups needs to be DBS checked and complete Basic, Foundation and Domestic Abuse training. Those in a more leadership role also need to complete the Leadership Training, which involves a more in-depth look at safeguarding, and even includes some written work to be submitted to the diocese. I am pleased to report that all 22 of our volunteers currently registered have been DBS checked and have completed the relevant training.

The Church of England has introduced The Parish Dashboard, which is an online resource enabling Parish Safeguarding Officers to monitor and update their compliance with Safeguarding regulations. Although daunting at first it is very helpful to PSOs as it automatically reminds them when someone’s DBS is due (every three years) and also when training is due. It is regularly updated by the PSO and Vicar to include all church groups and volunteers, and also those other groups using the church buildings. We are currently 94% compliant with the safeguarding standards. The missing 6% will be addressed when the new PCC takes office.

We held a Safeguarding Sunday on 24[th] November, when the PSO gave the congregation information about safeguarding and stressed that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Members of the church are good at reporting if they think there is a safeguarding issue. The PSO then discusses this with the Vicar and if they feel it is necessary they will refer the issue to the diocesan safeguarding team. The diocese has been very supportive in helping us deal with issues that have arisen. The diocese also sends out a regular Safeguarding newsletter and holds regular meetings for PSOs on current issues and updates to the Dashboard.

The Safeguarding policy can be found on the notice board at the back of church and on the church website. There is a copy of a more in-depth policy and information booklet at the back of church and also a copy of the Safeguarding Handbook, although this is currently being rewritten by the National Safeguarding Team.

Many thanks to all those volunteers and leaders who take safeguarding so seriously and help us to protect our young people and vulnerable adults.

Hospitality

We provide hospitality for all services and events happening in the Church and Parish Centre. The team is many and varied and over the years St Thomas' has been proud of its reputation to provide this practical service in many ways. Hundreds of cups of tea and coffee have been faithfully served every Sunday and Wednesday. Many thanks to everyone who has provided hospitality throughout the year.

Men’s Ministry Relaunch - Revd Dave

This is a brief update of the relaunch of men’s ministry at St Thomas’ Blackpool. In October 2024 a Biblical group of 1 2men went for a curry evening. It was a very enjoyable occasion at which we decided to organise more events. In February 8 men went to a Christian Vision for Men in Leyland. An inspirational evening where we heard the testimony of former police detective Paul Gask. The mixture of social and spiritual input seems to be the way to go and is a non-threatening way to introduce men to the Christian community and ultimately to faith in Jesus. There is clearly a desire and need to organise more events in due course. So watch this space!

Thank you for your prayers and support

Worship Team – Glyn

Our aim is to magnify God and lead people into His presence through music and worship. We meet on Thursday nights in Church and the Parish Centre from 7:00 till 8:30pm.

We are a small team and our practice times during the last year have at times been limited (particularly during the bleak winter months) by illness, safeguarding concerns, work and other commitments, and bad weather! However, our desire is to place worship of our Lord front and central to our church life, and in January we were pleased to welcome into the team not one but two drummers (Jacob and Reece). It has been a pleasure to see Jazbur’s progress on the guitar

In addition to providing worship through music at the Sunday services, team members have sung and played at various external events including the day of prayer led by the Lancashire Prayer Group, community carol singing events and several weddings and funeral services. We also took part in the worship and training event hosted by the Blackpool Church (St John’s) in October, focussing our vision.

We continue to seek to give God our excellence and have recently moved from the south-east corner, with its severe spatial limitations, to the chancel area. The move has not been without its challenges (practically and musically), but the principal aim has been to use architectural features of our church to enhance and focus the sound as intended.

Thanks is extended to Alan Hodgson for his dedicated work maintaining the cabling and connectivity and equipment throughout the year. I would also like to thank Alan, Joan, Alison and Diane for their support in leading and choosing songs, leading worship at various times in different services. Particular thanks also go to Anne, Chris, Nicola, Philip, Jazbur, Dave and LJ and all who have diligently worked with the technology to project the liturgy and lyrics successfully and control our sound system.

Anyone with musical gifting and a worshipping heart interested in our worship team please contact us. Glyn Sinar (Worship Team Leader).

Friendship – Andréa Smith

Alison O'Brian, Vicky Taylor and myself are excited to announce that we are introducing a new ladies get together group. It is simply called " Friendship" with our slogan being " Ladies strong in the Lord " because we are (Mal 3v17) God's precious jewels!

We will be meeting every FIRST THURSDAY of the month In the PARISH CENTRE 2 pm until 4 pm. The format will likely take a guest speaker or event, combined with coffee, cake and chat. A suggested £1 donation per meeting would be appreciated (if able or wish to do so) to help contribute towards refreshments. An open plate collection may be offered to certain charitable speakers.

We are also in the process of organising a couple of evening events outside of St T's later in the year. Details announced nearer the time.

We do look forward to you joining us for fun, fellowship and food.

Blessings

Life Association – Steve and Lisa Haskett

Mumbai

The boys are all thriving and their education is progressing well; they are diligently pursuing their studies and preparing for their annual exams at the end of March. A teacher comes on alternate evenings to give extra support for the boys in their education. A new minibus has been provided for the boys’ home which will enable them to travel to the park in the evenings and weekends where the boys enjoy a game of cricket. The park is quite a distance from their home, so it will be a blessing for them to transport them to various places.

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Our project partner in Mumbai also ministers to a marginalised community in the slums. Torrential downpours during the monsoon season damaged the roofs of their homes and we were able to send funds to supply new good quality tarpaulins to provide shelter and safety. We have been able to fund this through our disaster relief fund.

Andhra Pradesh

The school has moved temporarily to another venue nearby because the original school building has become unsafe due to the adverse weather affecting the structure of the building. The school will continue to run at the temporary venue until a permanent building can be found. There are currently 190 children attending the school during the day and around 90 children attend the afterschool tuition. The children in 10[th] grade classes (aged 14-16 years) have all passed their 10[th] board exams. The children have recently celebrated Republic Day, a national holiday commemorating the adoption of the Constitution of the Republic of India .

The students at the tailoring school have just completed their training and have now graduated. This is the second cohort of women to have trained at the centre and for the time being this will be the last cohort; however the tailoring school in Tamil Nadu will continue as normal.

Tamil Nadu

The New Hope Tailoring School ministry is progressing well. So far, five cohorts of students have successfully completed their studies. The fifth cohort of women completed their training in October. The six months they spent at the school were truly life-changing, as they gained practical skills, received training, and experienced God’s love. Upon completing their training, each woman was gifted a free sewing machine as a token of love and support. Coming from poor backgrounds, these women can now stand on their own feet, earning an income to support their families and provide education for their children. The New Hope Tailoring School has been a great blessing, transforming the lives of many underprivileged women. The sixth cohort of students began training in November. Ten women from poor backgrounds have joined and are now regularly attending their classes, which include practical sessions. Each day, the classes begin with prayer, songs, and Bible reading.

The tuition centre has been a source of learning and blessings for children and families in the community. Daily classes are held in the evenings for two hours by two dedicated teachers. Each child is given individual attention to ensure they learn effectively. Nutritious food and snacks are provided to keep the children healthy and energised. The children successfully completed their half-year exams in December. Each class begins with a prayer and Bible reading, instilling good values in the children.

Madurai

Arulagam Hospice

The children are keeping well and enjoying their studies. The ambulance is very helpful in transporting the residents to medical appointments for regular check-ups. A small kitchen garden has been developed in the grounds where vegetables have been harvested. Poultry farming and sheep rearing have also been started.

Afterschool Tuition

The two tuition centres are running well with 50 children between the ages of 5-16 attending each centre. The children are provided with nutritious food and snacks. Christian values are taught in the classes and weekend activities are available where the children learn life skills and self-care.

Bihar

Last year we began a partnership with a Christian mission hospital in Bihar that also serve the local community through its health and development programmes focusing on the poor and marginalised. Two new afterschool tuition centres were started in local villages which we support. The centres have made a significant impact by helping children from poor and marginalised families improve their educational skills and build a strong foundation for their future. Bihar is the most impoverished state in India, with over 52% of people living in extreme poverty. We are pleased to share that later in the year we will be supporting three more tuition centres.

The temperatures in Bihar plummet during the winter months with night times becoming bitterly cold. Many vulnerable children don’t have adequate clothing during these months, and some children have been known to die because of this. We were able to send funds to provide warm clothing. Blankets, hats and jumpers were distributed to 1900 vulnerable children to help them withstand the cold and no doubt save lives.

We would like to thank you very much for your generosity in supporting Life Association and helping to make all this happen. Lisa Haskett, Operations Manager

St Thomas’ Blackpool in Partnership with Ashar Bringing Hope -Alison O’Brien

Reflections from Alison O’Brien (Ashar Bringing Hope)

This past year it has been a privilege to continue to develop an Emotional WellBeing Resource Centre within St Thomas, we are delighted that we now have a new pod that we are using for counselling appointments, we were blessed by a grant from Blackpool Council and a generous gift from an individual that enabled us to buy and build a pod with lighting and heating. We would love this space to be commissioned and prayed over.

Brew & a Chat continues to be led by Denise and the team which continues to offer a safe and warm space with people available to listen and chat. We have had several visits from other church leaders looking at how we run and are wanting to set up a similar space in their churches. Well done to such an amazing team.

The Bereavement Group: The team: Denise, Lisa, Joan and Ali

This has taken time to grow and develop, we have an amazing team that supports those who are now using the service and the group is working. We have put an ad in a local magazine which has brought people in and are hoping to send a flyer with a letter to local GP surgeries and Funeral Directors and hoping to offer this service as a social prescribing referral.

We have put on several courses and retreat days from St Thomas Church: We have had 2 church visits teaching emotional health and wellbeing at The Coach House Church, Stockport and held a teaching day on Neurodiversity at St Thomas’ and look forward to more teaching in the future.

Prayer Line Phone

The prayer line continues to be manned by an amazing team which is on a rota system, please continue to pray for the those who ring in for prayer and the team who answer the phone. There have been a few prank callers but please pray that those who need prayer will ring in.

Testimony: The prayer line was a huge support at the point of crisis and the person who prayed for me was brilliant and I felt blessed that there was someone available for me.

We have connected in with Blackpool FoodBank Network, which is an excellent networking forum promoting community resources. We have the privilege of hosting one of their meetings which raises the profile of St Thomas’ in the wider community.

Through Ashar we continue to support Comfort Café providing an Emotional WellBeing Practitioner to work out of the Parish Centre, signposting alongside one-to-one appointment.

Thank you for all your partnership and support.

With Blessings

Alison

Ashar Bringing Hope

Finance Report - Finance Report – 2024

The 2024 accounts have been prepared and independently examined and are appended to this document.

This year we have been greatly blessed with grants. We have received the following grants: £40,000 over 3 years from the Parish Vision Fund to cover a salary for Nicola Anderson, who is our Family and Community Engagement Worker. We have also received another £5000 from the Duchy of Lancaster to support the salary for 19 hours per week.

We also received a grant of £1000 to support work of Drift Church which runs weekly and this has enabled them to buy and set up equipment. In April, we received another £10,000 from the Henry Smith Fund which supports the food for both the Toddler Group and Tuesday Church as well as various specific needs of the people within the parish and local community who need specific support.

In 2024 our expenditure was much less but our grants increased. We also raised over £3000 on Gift Day and I would like to thank everyone so much for their generosity. However, although expenditure is down, our general income from giving alone has reduced from £61,329 in 2023 to £60590 so the general trajectory is that giving is decreasing but grants have increased. This shows that we are becoming much more dependent on grants.

At the end of the year, we have over £35,000 in our CCLA deposit account and over £50k in our current accounts. However, over £34k of this relates to grant monies and we are forecasting a reduction in cash held during 2025. This is due to general expenses, utility bill increases and a reduction in giving. Thankfully, we were able to pay our Parish Share in full

Gift Aid

A number of people have now changed over to the Parish Giving Scheme which has been enormously helpful and reduced some of the workload. It also means that Gift Aid can be received every month. However, it is not suitable for everyone to give through Parish Giving and so quite a few people still give through the envelope scheme. I would like to thank Vicky for her hard work and faithfulness in doing the Gift Aid for both St Thomas and St Thomas’ Pastoral Trust and for managing the cash accounts so carefully.

Many people give money faithfully every week to St Thomas’ and I would like to thank them for their faithfulness and generosity. I would personally like to thank Chris Brambles for his ongoing support and would also like to thank Pauline Matthews and Vicky Bentley for counting the collection each week so faithfully over many years. Very kindly, Antony Clegg and Andrea Smith have now taken over counting the money and I am very grateful to them both. Thanks also go to Rebecca Murdoch who has reviewed and certified the accounts for us. Alison Wilkinson

St Thomas’ PCC Treasurer February 2024

Independent Examiners Report on the Accounts Report to the trusteelmembers of On Accounts for the year ended Set out on pages Parochial Church Councll of St Thomas. Parish Churth 31 December Charity no. {If any) 1132312 2024 Respertlve re5pon5ibilitles of tru5tee5 and examlner The ChariVs Trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year (Under settion 43{21 of the Charities Act 1993 (The Act) and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to: Examine the accounts {under settlon 43 of the Act) To follow the procedures laid down in the General Direttions given by the Charity Commission (under section 43171{bl of the att), and To state whether particular matters have come to my attention My examination was carried out in accordance with General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners. An examination include5 a review of the accounting records kept by the Charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from the Trustees conceming such matters. The procedures undertaken do NOT provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit. and consequently I do NOT expres5 opinion on the accounts. In the course of my examSnation. no matter has come to my attentlon l. Which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in. any material respect, the Trustees have not met the requirements to ensure that: Proper accounting records are kept lin accordance with section 41 of the act): and Accounts are prepa￿d which agree with the accounting record5 and comply with the accounting requlrements of the Act: or 2. To which, in my opinion. attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached Please delete the words in brockets if they do not opply Basls of Independent examlnerfs statefflent Independent examlnerf$ statement Slgned: Date: R J Murdoch Rebecca Jane Murdoch go/ol/Z5 Name: Relevant profe55ional qualifications or body Irf any): Address: Chartered Tax Adviser 3 Mount Road Fleetwood FY7 6EZ

Parochial Church Council of St Thomas' Blackpool Registered Charity Number 1132312

Page 1

Statement of financial activities for the year ending 31 December 2024

notes Unrestricted
Funds		 Unrestricted
Funds		 Restricted
Funds		 Restricted
Funds		 Endowment
Funds		 Total
2024		 Total
2023
£ £ £ £ £
INCOMING RESOURCES
Voluntary Income 2a 60590 32743 - 93333 97607
Activities for generating funds 2b 945 - 945 1342
Income from investments 2c 2736 - 2736 1405
Church activities 2d 8644 - 8644 6352
Other incoming resources 2e 374 - 374 384
TOTAL INCOMING RESOURCES 73289 32743 - 106032 107090
RESOURCES EXPENDED
Cost of generation voluntary income 3b 0 - 0
Fund raising trading costs 3c 0 - 0
Church Activities 3a 76161 28049 - 104210 119897
Governance costs 3d 0 0 -
TOTAL RESOURCES EXPENDED 76161 28049 - 104210 119897
Incoming/outgoing Resources -2872 4694 - 1822 -12807
Unrealisable gains(Losses) on investment
assets
on disposal 5a 0 0 0 0
on revaluation 0 0 0 0
NET MOVEMENT IN FUNDS
Balances B/FWD 1 January 2024 64037 19707 83744 96551
Balances C/FWD 31 December 2024 8 61165 **24401 ** 85566 83744

Parochial Church Council of St Thomas' Blackpool

Page 2

Statement of Assets as at 31 December 2024

FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY 2024 2024 2023 2023
notes £ £
FIXED ASSETS 5
Tangible nil nil
Investment nil nil
TOTAL 0 0
CURRENT ASSETS
Gift Aid to be claimed(estimate) 6 4000 6000
Investment 0
Cash at Bank and in hand 9 85566 83744
TOTAL 89566 89744
LIABILITY
**Payments due in oneyear(estimate) ** 7 nil nil
TOTAL ASSETS 89566 89744

Page 3

NOTES

1a Debtors relates to Gift Aid recoverable from April 2024 giving and is an estimate

2 INCOMING RESOURCES

2 INCOMING RESOURCES INCOMING RESOURCES INCOMING RESOURCES INCOMING RESOURCES INCOMING RESOURCES INCOMING RESOURCES INCOMING RESOURCES INCOMING RESOURCES INCOMING RESOURCES INCOMING RESOURCES INCOMING RESOURCES INCOMING RESOURCES INCOMING RESOURCES INCOMING RESOURCES INCOMING RESOURCES INCOMING RESOURCES INCOMING RESOURCES INCOMING RESOURCES
TOTAL TOTAL
2a Voluntary Income Unrestricted
Funds		 Restricted
Funds		 Endowment
Funds		 2024 2023
£ £
**Planned Giving **
Gift Aid donations 33107 33107 35940
Tax Recoverable 12575 12575 10339
Other 0 0 2875
Collections 8914 8914 8968
Gift Days 3330 3330 2707
Grants(general) 0 32323 32393 36278
Donations,appeals 2664 350 3014 0
Legacies 0 0 0 500
TOTAL 60590 32743 93333 97607
2b Activities forgenerating Funds **945 ** 945 1342
2c Income from Investments
Dividends and Interest **2736 ** 2736 1405
2d Income from Church activities
Church Hall letting 5824 5824 4172
Fees and other 2820 2820 2180
TOTAL **8644 ** 8644 6352
2e Other Incoming resources **374 ** 374 384
Total Incoming Resources 73289 **32743 ** 106032 **107090 **

Page 4

3a Church Activities
Mission Overseas 721 350 1071 2440
Mission Home 1923 1923 6116
Parish Share Paid 36805 36805 44902
ClergyExpenses 7516 7516 1744
Other Ministrycosts 4638 4638 3658
Parish Centre costs 3377 3377 4135
Church Activitycosts 13676 13675 16200
Repairs and Maintenance 7349 7349 16896
Bank Charges 156 156 149
Grants(general) 0 27699 2 23657
Sub Total 76161 28049 104210 119897
3b Generation of Voluntary income Cost
of appeals etc
3c Fund raising costs 0 0 0 0
3d Governance costs 0 0 0 0
Total Resources Expended 76161 28049 104210 119897
TOTAL TOTAL
2024 2023
3
RESOURCES EXPENDED		 Unrestricted
Funds		 Restricted
Funds		 Endowment
Funds		 £ £

4. No payments were made to any member of the PCC, persons closely connected to them or related parties 4 except for payments to the Pastoral Trust. 5. FIXED ASSETS

5. 5. 5. 5. 5. 5. 5. 5. 5. 5. 5.
2024 2023
£ £
(a) Tangible 0 0
(b) Investments 0 0
At estimated market value
Total 0 0
6 Debtors
Gift Aid to be claimed 1a 4000 6000
Total 4000 6000
7. Liabilities
Due within one year nil nil
Due after one year nil nil
Total nil nil

Page 5

8
FUNDS

General Fund+
Youth Fund
Mission Fund
General Reserve Fund
Total

9
BANK RECONCILLIATION

Current account
Money Master account
Sub Total
CBFCE Deposit account
Sub Total

Cash held

Total		 2024


£


50566


0


0


35000


85566





5366


44860


50226


35210


86436





130





85566

 2023
£
48244
500
0
35000
83744



3833
44635
48468
35210
83678

66

83744

+ includes £24,401 of restricted balances

Page 1

Parochial Church Council of St Thomas' Blackpool Registered Charity Number 1132312

Statement of financial activities for the year ending 31 December 2024

notes Unrestricted
Funds		 Unrestricted
Funds		 Restricted
Funds		 Restricted
Funds		 Endowment
Funds		 Total
2024		 Total
2023
£ £ £ £ £
INCOMING RESOURCES
VoluntaryIncome 2a 60590 32743 - 93333 97607
Activities forgeneratingfunds 2b 945 - 945 1342
Income from investments 2c 2736 - 2736 1405
Church activities 2d 8644 - 8644 6352
Other incomingresources 2e 374 - 374 384
TOTAL INCOMING RESOURCES 73289 32743 - 106032 107090
Cost ofgeneration voluntaryincome 3b 0 - 0
Fund raisingtradingcosts 3c 0 - 0
Church Activities 3a 76161 28049 - 104210 119897
Governance costs 3d 0 0 -
TOTAL RESOURCES EXPENDED 76161 28049 - 104210 119897
Incoming/outgoingResources -2872 4694 - 1822 -12807
Unrealisable gains(Losses) on investment
assets
on disposal 5a 0 0 0 0
on revaluation 0 0 0 0
NET MOVEMENT IN FUNDS
Balances B/FWD 1 January2024 64037 19707 83744 96551
Balances C/FWD 31 December 2024 8 61165 24401 85566 83744

Page 2

Parochial Church Council of St Thomas' Blackpool Statement of Assets as at 31 December 2024

FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY 2024 2024 2023 2023
notes £ £
FIXED ASSETS 5
Tangible nil nil
Investment nil nil
TOTAL 0 0
CURRENT ASSETS
Gift Aid to be claimed(estimate) 6 4000 6000
Investment 0
Cash at Bank and in hand 9 85566 83744
TOTAL 89566 89744
LIABILITY
Payments due in oneyear(estimate) 7 nil nil
TOTAL ASSETS 89566 89744

Page 3

NOTES

2 INCOMING RESOURCES

2 INCOMING RESOURCES INCOMING RESOURCES INCOMING RESOURCES INCOMING RESOURCES INCOMING RESOURCES INCOMING RESOURCES INCOMING RESOURCES INCOMING RESOURCES INCOMING RESOURCES INCOMING RESOURCES INCOMING RESOURCES INCOMING RESOURCES INCOMING RESOURCES INCOMING RESOURCES INCOMING RESOURCES INCOMING RESOURCES INCOMING RESOURCES INCOMING RESOURCES
TOTAL TOTAL
2a Voluntary Income Unrestricted
Funds		 Restricted
Funds		 Endowment
Funds		 2024 2023
£ £
Planned Giving
Gift Aid donations 33107 33107 35940
Tax Recoverable 12575 12575 10339
Other 0 0 2875
Collections 8914 8914 8968
Gift Days 3330 3330 2707
Grants(general) 0 32323 32393 36278
Donations,appeals 2664 350 3014 0
Legacies 0 0 0 500
TOTAL 60590 32743 93333 97607
2b Activities forgenerating Funds 945 945 1342
2c Income from Investments
Dividends and Interest 2736 2736 1405
2d Income from Church activities
Church Hall letting 5824 5824 4172
Fees and other 2820 2820 2180
TOTAL 8644 8644 6352
2e Other Incoming resources 374 374 384
Total Incoming Resources 73289 32743 106032 107090

Page 4

TOTAL TOTAL
2024 2023
3
RESOURCES EXPENDED		 Unrestricted
Funds		 Restricted
Funds		 Endowment
Funds		 £ £
3a
Church Activities
Mission Overseas 721 350 1071 2440
Mission Home 1923 1923 6116
Parish Share Paid 36805 36805 44902
ClergyExpenses 7516 7516 1744
Other Ministrycosts 4638 4638 3658
Parish Centre costs 3377 3377 4135
Church Activitycosts 13676 13675 16200
Repairs and Maintenance 7349 7349 16896
Bank Charges 156 156 149
Grants(general) 0 27699 2 23657
Sub Total 76161 28049 104210 119897
3b Generation of Voluntary income Cost of
appeals etc
3c Fund raising costs 0 0 0 0
3d Governance costs 0 0 0 0
Total Resources Expended 76161 28049 104210 119897

No payments were made to any member of the PCC, persons closely connected to them or related parties 4 except for payments to the Pastoral Trust.

5 FIXED ASSETS

5 FIXED ASSETS FIXED ASSETS FIXED ASSETS FIXED ASSETS FIXED ASSETS FIXED ASSETS FIXED ASSETS FIXED ASSETS FIXED ASSETS
2024 2023
£ £
(a) Tangible 0 0
(b) Investments 0 0
At estimated market value
Total 0 0
6 Debtors
Gift Aid to be claimed 1a 4000 6000
Total 4000 6000
7 Liabilities
Due within oneyear nil nil
Due after oneyear nil nil
Total nil nil
8
FUNDS
General Fund+
Youth Fund
Mission Fund
General Reserve Fund
Total
9
BANK RECONCILLIATION
Current account
Money Master account
Sub Total
CBFCE Deposit account
Sub Total
Cash held
Total		 2024
£
50566
0
0
35000
85566
5366
44860
50226
35210
86436
130
85566

+ includes £24,401 of restricted balances

Independent Examiners Report on the Accounts Reporttothe trusteelmembers of On A¢counts for the year ended Set out on pales Parochial Church Councll of St Thomas. Parish Church 31 December Charity no. lif anv) 1132312 2024 Respectlv• re5ponslbllltles of iiustees •nd ex•mlner The chari￿$ Trusteès conslder that an audit Is not required for this year (Under section 4312} of the Charlties Act 1993 (The Act) and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to.. Examine the accounts (under sectlon 43 of the Act) To follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commlssion (under section 4317llbl of the act), and To state whether particular matters have come to m attention My examination was carried out in actordance with General Directions Si￿n by the Charity Commissioner5. An examination includes a revlew of the accounting records kept by the Charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seekin8 explanations from the Trustees concernin8 Such matter5. The procedures undertaken do NOT provide all the evidence that would be required in èn audit. and consequently I do NOT express opinion on the accounts. In the course of my examlnatlon. no matter has come to my attentlon l. Which 8ives me reasonable cause io believe that in, any materlal respect, the Trustees have not met the requirements to ensure that- Proper accountlng records are kept lin accordance with section 41 of the artl,. and Account5 are prepared which agree with the accountln8 records and Comp￿ with the accountln8 requlrements of the Art: or 2. To which, in my opinion, attentlon should be drawn in order to enable a proper understsnding ot the accounts to be reached Ple05e delete the words in brocket5 if they do not oppty Basls of Independent ¢￿mIne￿$ 5tstement Independent eximSDerfs statement $18ned: Date: R l Murdorh Rebecca Jane Murdoch eo/oZ/25 Name: Relevant professlonal quallficatlons or body {If anvl: Addrevj: Chartered Tax Adw5er 3 Mount Road Fleetwood FY7 6EZ