Christ Churth Higher Bebington- Annual Report 2024 Diocese of Chester Christ Church Higher Bebington Parochial Church Council Annual Report 2024 Christ Church Higher Bebington Parochial Church Council Christ Church Community Centre Kings Road Higher Bebington Wirral CH63 8LX Christ Church Higher Bebington - Annual Report 2024 J,.7 01, li All£. Christ Church Higher Bebington- Annual Report 2024 ii(lji!114.: Christ Church Higher Bebington - Annual Report 2024 Christ Church Higher Bebinglon - Annual Report 2024 Christ Church Higher Bebington- Annual Report 2024 Christ Church Higher Bebington 1 Aims and Pur oses Christ Church Higher Bebington's Parochial Church Council (PCC) has the responsibility of co-operating with the incumbent in promoting in the ecclesiastical parish, the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. The PCC is specifically responsible for the maintenance of the Church and the Community Centre. 2 Ob"ectives and Activities The PCC is committed to enabling as many people as possible to know the love of God through worship at our church and engagement with our members in and around the parish. The PCC maintains an overview of worship and makes suggestions on how our services can involve the many groups that live within our parish. Our services and worship put faith into practice through prayer and scripture, music and sacrament. When planning our activities for the year. the incumbent and the PCC have considered the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit and, in particular, the specific guidance on charities for the advancement of religion. In particular, we try to enable all people to live out their faith as part of our parish community through: Worship and prayer" learning about the Gospel" and developing their knowledge and trust in Jesus Provision of pastoral care for people living in the parish Missionary and outreach work To facilitate this work, it is important that we properly maintain the fabric of Christ Church, which is a Grade11 listed building dating back to 1859, and the Community Centre which opened in April 2011. The PCC'S policy is to deliver Christmas and Easter cards to every home in the Parish giving details of the church services and outreach activities planned for these festivals. 3 Achievements and Performance 3.1 Re ort from the Chair of the PCC lan Millin ton Change is an inevitable part of life. Although many of us struggle with change and are hallenged by uncertainty, without change we cannot grow. Naturally the first observation of the year just gone is the departure of Reverend Mike Loach and his family. Mike and Sarah's farewell service was a time of great joy and I know that the family were very grateful for such a warm and loving send off. Thank you to all those who contributed to pull together such a fitting farewell. Notwithstanding the departure of Mike. Sarah, Sam and Harry (and Jumble!) we continue with our work to share God's abundant love with those in our Parish and in our wider community. For all those involved in that work it can be difficult to adjust to new lines of authority and new voices 'leading the charge,, and so my prayer for us all is that we continue to work together respecting the views of the other and seeking to discern God's will for our church and reflecting God's love in all we do. For fear of missing out anyone's valuable contribution during the past year I will not attempt to 'name-check' all those involved in activities in our church. We work together as a family of Christ Church Higher Bebington - Annual Report 2024 faith and we all share in our successes (and very occasional failures) knowing that we are stronger together in communion. Interregnum The Oxford dictionary definition of interregnum is 'an interval or pause be￿een two periods of office or other things" Indeed, we are between two periods of office. We give thanks for the ministry of Mike and Sarah and the boys and we look forward to the arrival of a new incumbent, not knowing who he or she may be, and unsure as to when they might arrive. But we need to remain faithful and hopeful. God always provides and God has a plan for us and our church. And so, whilst we are between two periods of office we are not "between two things.. God's love and care for us is constant and that love and care will continue throughout the interregnum and beyond. The work of the church For the most part it remains 'business as usual'l We continue to offer regular Sunday morning services at 8.30am and 10.00am, Sunday evening services, a midweek communion service and will continue to mark our Festivals at Easter and Harvest and Christmas with special services and special activities. Over recent years our Electoral Roll has shown net growth, that is an increase in overall numbers despite the sad loss of some of our faithful members or some moving away. Against a backdrop of national church decline and regular headlines of dwindling church attendance it is a great encouragement that Christ Church is still attracting new people to join our church. At the time of writing, this year's Electoral Roll numbers are not yet finalised as we continue to collect in new Roll forms. Our Ministry Team meet regularly to reflect on past services and plan for future services. We are always willing to take on feedback (good and bad!) and will continue to strive to bring a message of hope to those who attend, whether that be physically or virtually through our online platform. We give thanks for all those quietly involved behind the scenes to assist with our services - the Vestry Team, flower team, cleaning team and our technical team who make sure that our sound and vision all works and that our services and funerals are live-streamed. What a blessing! Jackie Jones continues her studies and is now coming to the end of her second year of Pastoral training. Fiona Murphy completed OWL training with the Diocese - 'Occasional Worship Leader, which l am sure will be of great benefit to us (and her!). Over the course of the year, we recorded 21 baptisms, 7 weddings and 27 funerals (16 in church and 11 at the crematorium). There were no confirmations in the year. It is fair to say that the numbers of children attending church regularly remains low. We are not alone in this and many churches are continuing to feel the after-effects of the pandemic and a shift in societal norms that see an ever-increasing demand on family time from secular and sporting pursuits. That said, numbers attending special events such as Experience Christmas and Experience Easter have been really encouraging and we continue to enjoy really strong engagement with our local schools, including leading assemblies for them. This is great work and is testament to the dedication of those co-ordinating such events, who are so wonderfully generous with their talents. Christ Church Higher Bebington- Annual Report 2024 Likewise, we continue to offer "church. in other formats - Lego Church, Praise and Play, Toddler Group, Baby Group, the list goes on. Our Pastoral Team continues to work tirelessly to give spiritual and practical support to all those we know about in our hospitals, hospices, care homes, as well as those who are housebound - indeed anyone who asks for help. Alongside all her other important ministry, Rev Eunice continues to run the Bereavement Journey course. The demand for these courses highlights just how valuable a ministry bereavement support is, and it is really encouraging to see those that have attended the courses come back to our church, whether for services or events, always with a message of how much the course has helped them. Our Befrienders Group remains active also, as do various other groups which are run to offer support to those feeling grief, loss or isolation - Oasis Mental Health and Wellbeing upport, Carers Group, Men in Sheds, Knit & Natter, Sewing Group. Walking Group, Indoor bowls, Lunch Club, 'Don't Eat Sunday Lunch Alone'...again the list is extensive and as members of this thriving church we should be proud of all the outreach activities we offer and give thanks to God for equipping us with the skills to deliver them. and the energy to carry on! Around 30 joined us at our Alpha course in 2024 - admittedly mainly faithful members of our congregation, though there were some attending on the fringe. And of those who we did already know, they felt it valuable to share and discuss stories of their faith and to grow together in fellowship. In addition, we also organise a wide range of events to bring the parish and the wider community together- the Summer Fair, Christmas Fair, Christmas coffee morning, Easter coffee morning, Bonfire & Fireworks event, and many other charity fundraising events to support third party agencies. And we must not forget the work of our Rose Queen and family and retinue who bring such joy and happiness to our church with the events they organise throughout the church calendar, whilst simultaneously fundraising for their chosen charities. And special mentions also of course for Mothers, Union. Men's Group and for the ever- popular Ladies, Nights, and occasional drinking groups supporting the hostelries of Bebington! A particular highlight of the past year- and which continues- is the New Testament in a Year group. Taking one or two books of the Bible in turn, I know that many have felt a new sense of wonder in learning together. We should not forget the work of our Housegroup leaders which offer regular encouragement, and we should also give thanks for those involved in our music - our choir, our band, and in particular all of our organists in the past year who have stepped in and helped lead us in our services. Our Eco group, now the 'Green Team,, continue to work hard to improve the biodiversity of our church footprint- and new helpers are always welcome! Our church building remains open to the public every day and continues to offer a place of sanctuary for many folk. A word of thanks to all those involved in opening up and locking up, particularly now that Mike and Sarah are no longer around. Christ Church Higher Bebington - Annual Report 2024 We also need to acknowledge the work of those updating our church notice boards- internally and externally- and those whose creative gifts and talents make our church look such a welcoming space- both for special services like Remembrance and our Experience events, but also throughout the year. And finally...special thanks to all those involved in the administration of the church and its buildings who offer so much of their time in dedicated service to Christ Church - our PCC (and PCC Secretary), our Treasurer, our Buildings and Finance Committee, and our wonderful Church Wardens. And not forgetting, all those who work in our Parish Office and offer such valuable support to the Ministry Team and the wider church and community and who are always on hand to act as the 'first face, of the church with a warm greeting and a smile. Be thankfull On the occasion of Reverend Mike's last service with us in February 2025, he reminded us that we have much to be thankful for- and indeed we are truly blessed in Christ Church with such willing, enthusiastic, energetic and creative people who share so much of their time and their talents with the church and the wider community. Without you the church would not be the dynamic and caring community that we witness week on week and it is a great encouragement and inspiration that so many are willing to give of themselves in worship and praise to God. We say it every week at church but it is still worth remembering those principal commandments - to love your neighbour as yourself and to love your God. If we truly keep these commandments as the cornerstone of our lives then we will not go far wrong, and will be doing what we can to honour the word of God. On behalf of the PCC can I thank you all for what you have done and all that I know you will continue to do in the year ahead. God bless you all! 3.2 Churchwardens. Re ort b June Bickford and lan Murra An average of 85 people take part in our Sunday Seniice. Grateful thanks go to lan Carr who manages our live stream for those members of the congregation who are unable to attend. Wendy Tucker our organist returned for a short time before the birth of her twins Sophie & Felix. Grateful thanks to Rose MacPherson, Dan Bishop, Nick Owen, Tim Asbridge & Tom Yeomans who have stood in during Wendy's maternity leave. Our choir is led by Pam Hollinshead and Tim Asbridge who bring something special to our services as well as our 'band' who preform once a month. We are so blessed in having a team who lead and support our worship. Grateful thanks to Revd. Mike for the last 10 years of faithful service, I'm sure that you will all agree that he will be missed, and we wish him every happiness in his new role as chaplain in the RAF. Many thanks to Revd. Eunice, Colette & lan Millington, Pam Hollinshead, Helen Byrne, Lynn lon and Jackie Jones. The team is very much appreciated. Many thanks to Sarah. Sam & Harry Loach for all that they have done, not only in supporting Mike but for everything they have done for Christ Church. We wish them well. Our thanks go to Victoria Gleave and Jane Dalziel, who along with the 'office volunteers, ensure that the Parish office runs smoothly. Your help is very much appreciated. Christ Church Higher Bebington - Annual Report 2024 As well as our Sunday services throughout the year we have managed to have our special traditional services, Easter, Remembrance, Blue Christmas, Carol Service, Christingle and Midnight Mass. Our thanks go to all who help at these much-loved services. Grateful thanks go to Libby Potter along with her team of volunteers have made 'The Christmas, and Easter Experience, enjoyable for 400 local school children at each of these two special events. We very much appreciate the work of 'Classy Cleaners, and the 'Flower' team who work behind the s￿neS throughout the year to make our church welcoming. As Church Wardens, we thank our deputy wardens. and sidespeople who supported us throughout the year, we also thank our loyal congregation together with all those 'unseen' heroes who regularly help behind the scenes, to ensure the smooth running of Christ Church. Grateful thanks to you all. 3.3 Deane nod Re ort b Helen B rne The Wirral North Deanery meets quarterly in venues across the Deanery. A new Synod secretary has been appointed: Dawn Inman-wyness. Meetings continue to be chaired by the Rural Dean, David Vestergaard. Our Synod members are Helen Byrne, Ny Gibson, Mark Gleave, Fiona Murphy and Diane Shaw who serve on the PCC in that capacity. CCHB hosted the October 2024 meeting in our Community Centre and we were supported by our Brownies who helped to set up the Hall and welcome our guests. That meeting focussed on Safeguarding which has been a priority for all of us this year and will continue to be so. All members are very happy to answer any queries that the congregation may have and if anyone would like to attend a future meeting please speak to us so that we can arrange that with the Secretary. 3.4 Buildin sRe ort Cunnin ham The vicarage cellar damp issue remains of concern. despite works on the local drainage arrangements and sealing of the access door. The diocese is currently looking to isolate the ￿lIar and the top floor from the other habitable parts of the vicarage, though how effective that will be remains to be seen. Church roof & Guttering - this remains a major concern with a further loss of tiles, during high winds, and associated damage to the guttering. Remedial works are due to take place shortly but it is looking likely that a major replacemenurefurbishment will be required in the short to medium term. Churchyard - the emotive issue of gravelashes plot inappropriate and eX￿sSive adornment, plus encroachment continues to dominate. Steps are being taken to try and resolve this. Church tower- the netting has proved effective but the stonework damage required repairing. This is the subject of an ongoing insurance claim. 10 Christ Church Higher Bebington- Annual Report 2024 Kings Hall lighting has been replaced by LED fittings and the dimming function restored. Community Centre emergency lights have been replaced as required, with just the external ones remaining. External CCTV has been installed on the Community Centre and is now fully operational. The external noticeboards were replaced, courtesy of George Nelson. A Quinquennial inspection survey is to be completed this year, following postponement from 2024. Our thanks are extended to lan Carr for his tireless proactive and reactive work on many issues around the centre. 3.5 Pastoral Care includin Care Home Visits b Revd Eunice Blackmore We have a small team who, behind the scenes, visit often with home communions, or go into care homes or the hospitals to talk, pray and support any that we are aware of in the congregation who are going through a difficult time. As a team we aim to meet regularly to ensure that nobody is forgotten - but if we have overlooked someone - please forgive us and don't hesitate to tell usl I'm really grateful for the willingness and support of this team. Each month, a few of us visit Bebington Care Home which has been totally upgraded. We receive a very warm welcome and have good relationships with the staff. We provide a short service - a few hymns, verse and prayers with the help of YouTube on their large TV screen in one of the main lounges. Typically, 12 - 20 residents attend and we have good chats with the residents afterwards. We also have occasional visits to Birch Tree Manor- outside the Parish - but through various contacts (and local agreement) have invited us in. 3.6 Communication Our weekly Parish newsletter is available both on-line and as hard copy. The website is being upgraded to provide a vital link for many members of our community who cannot reach church regularly. Our Facebook page has grown considerably over the past couple of years and, in connecting with other community groups, can now attract thousands of views for a single post. The YouTube channel continues to provide another way for people to join in with our services. 3.7 Pastoral and Social Initiatives run b Christ Church 3.7.1 Men in Sheds Cunnin ham The shed(s) continue to provide a valuable resource for, mostly mature gents. to come and socialise, as well as doing a bit of practical work, if they so wish. We maintained our °bread & butter" output of bird tables, planters etc, allowing us to offer membership for free. to anyone who wants to join us. We have been involved with a few other bespoke items such as doll's house refurbishment (subsequently donated to Claire House Children's Hospice) and a community library, on behalf of Higher Bebington Junior School. Christ Church Higher Bebington - Annual Report 2024 The shed continues to support both the church and community ￿ntre with various DIY tasks, reducing the reliance on paid contractors. We have also shipped out a lot of tools etc, due to our connection with Tools With A Mission (TWAM), and will gratefully receive any such donations. Our attendance can be a bit sporadic, with anything from 4 -14 coming on any one day. However, should you wish to come along, you can be assured of a friendly welcome and cup of tealcoffee, if you're there at 11.00am! 3.7.2 Sin in Café nn lon Singing Café has continued twice a month throughout the year. The singers and musicians from Heswall lead the sessions, bringing great enjoyment to all. The numbers attending have been gradually increasing. There is now an average attendance of around 25-30 at each session. All those who attend Singing Café greatly appreciate the group for providing the wonderful entertainment. Thanks go to Jean Silcock, Chris Youngman and the rest of their musical group for so generously giving up their time to support Singing Café. Thank you also to the kitchen team who provide the refreshments. 3.7.3 Caffi C mrae b Pam Hollinshead Caffi Cymraeg continues to flourish albeit without the direction of our wonderful Sarah Loach. New fa￿S appear amongst the regulars, new conversations are started and shared. People are encouraged to use as much or as little of the beautiful Welsh language as they are comfortable with, resulting in great sgwrs - conversation! New members are always welcome. Thanks to Judith Van Ingen for continuing to bake gorgeous Welsh cakes and bara-brith. Thanks to Lynn lon for her company in this exciting venture. 3.7.4 The Sewin Grou b Rhona Snelson In our meetings on the 1st and 4th Tuesday of the month, we work together to foster our love of Needlework in its many forms. We mainly sew items for fund-raising events at church and have also worked on items needed by charities. With encouragement and support we share ideas and help with personal projects. We have happily been able to offer help with minor repairs and alterations brought to us by people seeking advi￿ and help, these for a donation to church funds. We work in a friendly atmosphere and really enjoy our time together. 3.7.5 Connect Café b Rhona Snelson Connect Coffee, under the umbrella of"Places of Welcome" runs every Wednesday throughout the year, providing a meeting place in the Community Centre from 10.00am - 12 noon. A warm welcome is always readily given to all who visit. It is manned by a faithful, friendly group of helpers, who offer tea, coffee, and toast. Here members of the community and church have the opportunity to meet with others in friendly conversations orjust to give "listening earf when required. During the colder months, Connect Coffee provided a 'warm space" when the cost of domestic heating rose dramatically. 12 Christ Church Higher Bebington - Annual Report 2024 In a relaxed atmosphere, visitors have the opportunity to seek advice from Community Connectors. who regularly call in. Also during the year on several occasions, it has been joy to welcome a small group of pupils from the Co-op Academy in Higher Bebington, who have run a Cake Stall to raise money for charity and also for planned outings. There is always a friendly "buzz" about the place, lots of different things happening and open to all. 3.7.6 Knit & Natter Grou b Joan Ri on The ladies have had a busy year knitting various items including poppies for Remembrance Sunday and Easter chicks. Knitted goods have also been donated to the Teams 4U shoe box appeal, Claire House Children's Hospice and to support a cancer charity. The following donations have also been made- Make a Wish Children's Gharity £25 Rose Queen £50 Mary's Meals £50 Sundowns (Seacombe) £50 Christian Aid £50 The ladies also manned a stall at the Summer Fair and Christmas Coffee Morning with all proceeds going to Christ Church and Rose Queen charities. A Christmas lunch was enjoyed by ladies at The Acorn. Future project in hand is to support Mothers, Union in donating knitted children's clothing to Styal Women's prison. 3.7.7 Oasis Grou nn lon Oasis is the Mental Health and Wellbeing Support group at Christ Church. The group meet once a month having presentations and discussion about topics they have chosen. These have been led by Jill Wright and Steve Flatt. The Oasis group have continued to meet regularly throughout the year. In July, Jill Wright, who has been running Oasis for many years, retired. Oasis would like to give a big thank you to Jill for all the work and support she has given them for many years. Lynn lon then took over co-running the group with Steve Flatt. Oasis would also like to say thank you Steve for all his continuing support of the group. 3.7.8 Don't Eat Sunda Lunch Alone b Revd Eunice Blackmore Don't Eat Sunday Lunch Alone - the first Sunday in the month - continues to be enjoyed by anything from 8 to 15 people who otherwise would be short of company on Sunday. It's a great time of getting to know one another better while having a really good meal without the hassle of cooking for ourselves! We are well looked after by Broadway Steak and Wine who are really flexible about numbers fluctuating and always provide an excellent meal and welcome. If you'd be eating alone - why not consider joining us? 3.7.9 Church Walkin Grou b Lizzie Roach Our walking group has continued to meet on the first Friday of the month, for leisurely strolls (between 3-5 miles) along the coast and countryside of Wirral. We have a turnout of anything between 5 and 15 people depending on weather conditions and availability", last 13 Christ chU￿h Higher Bebington - Annual Report 2024 year we welcomed a couple of new members from outside the parish which has been very pleasing. Refreshment stops have become a very important feature of our walks, and we have discovered some excellent cafes on our travelsl 3.7.10 Befrienders Bereavement Su b Vera Jackson The Befrienders, lunch time meeting continues to be much appreciated on the first Thursday of every month. Generally, about 20 people attend and it has been good to welcome 'new faces, who have begun attending following the Bereavement Journey course. We shall continue providing this service as long as the demand is there. 3.7.11 Bereavement Journe Eunice Blackmore & Time to Remember & Blue Christmas I continued to be amazed and humbled by the Bereavement Journey course. We ran 3 courses in 2024 (all afternoons) attended by 35 people. We saw significant changes in each person's journey through bereavement and many friendships were formed with several continuing to meet up and support one another. It was also encouraging to see many again and others at Time to Remember and Blue Christmas which prove to be highly valued services. l am very grateful of the support given by Mal Hattersley in sharing the leadership of the discussion groups and for Sharon Philpotts and Barbara Percival who provide such a great welcome and refreshments (delicious cakes). Remembrance Book This book which is kept in church is made available for families that wish to have their relatives name added to it. 3.7.12 Carers, Grou b Rhona Snelson and Graham Loach 4Cs Carers Group - 'Carers, Coffee, Cake (and sandwiches!) and Chat, The 4Cs provides opportunities for carers. those who have previously been carers and all who would like to join with us to meet and enjoy friendship and fellowship together. 2024 was a very good year with a full programme, during which we enjoyed visits from wide range of speakers and services. It is always good to hear from speakers who are part of the amazing Christ Church community, and this year was no exception. In January, Alan Jackson took us on a photographic tour of the Dolomites. In March, Vicki Roberts and a colleague told us about the work and support provided by Wirral Community Connectors. In April. John Little gave us a very entertaining account of his life as a Police Officer. Pete Roach had us doing Tai Chi exercises in September and, in October, Libby Potter gave us a truly moving account of her voluntary work with the 'Signing for Babies, charity. Our outside speakers were all wonderful. In February. Police Constable Julie Metcalfe gave us a very entertaining and informative talk on how to avoid being scammed. In May, David Hearn took us on a nostalgic memory trip through the 1950s. In November, Helen Wade told us of the work done by Ferries Families and it was lovely to see the church response via toys given at the annual toy service. Our day trip to Llandudno took place in June and has now become an annual event as has our Summer Lunch (with strawberries and cream!) in July. 14 Christ Church Higher Bebington- Annual Report 2024 The final event of 2024 was our Christmas meeting where we remembered the Christmas hits from years gone by. We are very grateful to our wonderful caterers who provide sandwiches, cakes, tea and coffee at all our meetings. Thank you, Lorna, Rhona Snelson and Jill Loach. New members are always welcome, and we look forward to a seeing friends old and new at our lunchtime meetings. These are on the 3rd Tuesday of each month, except for August, at 12.15pm in the Community Centre. 3.7.13 Indoor Bowls The introduction of a bowl of soup along with a game of bowls on the 1 St and 3rd Fridays of the month during the Winter (October- April) has proved popular and thanks go to Sarah Loach for providing this. 3.7.14 Frida Lunch Club Ann Bell kindly continued to run the Friday Lunch Club, following its introduction by Vicki Roberts (when she was in post. as our Community Engagement Officer). Ann has provided hot meal once a month on the 4th Friday, which has been gladly received by those attending. A willing team of washer-uppers assisted her in the kitchen. 3.7.15 Christmas Da Lunch We welcomed approximately 90 guests to enjoy Christmas lunch together this year. All who attended were well looked after and along with a delicious meal, were able to enjoy carols and company before heading home with a gift, kindly provided by Home Instead. So many people give generously of their time and resources in the preparations for the day and on Christmas Day itself. to ensure that all who attend have an enjoyable time. Although there are too many to mention personally by name, a special 'thank you, to local businesses Vhieldons. Butchers and supermarkets (Co-op, Sainsburys and Tesco. Dacre Hill) for providing food items for the meal. A very special thank you must be given to Sarah Loach, who introduced the Christmas Day Lunch in 2015 and has worked tirelessly each year to ensure that the event is a success, even arranging for meals to be delivered for the two years impacted by Covidl The logistics that sit behind the event are tremendous but she always approached it cheerfully. All who help out as part of the team have been happy to do so by offering their support both on the day and in the preparations beforehand. 3.7.16 The Green Team b Pam Hollinshead The team felt that a more encompassing eco name change to The Green Team would better describe our aims and objectives. We grew from the fantastic work put in by everyone for our Eco church awards; we have never been simply a gardening group. The Anglican church has defined the Fifth Mark of Mission thus - "To strive to safeguard the integrity of Creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth, an integral part of proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom." This covers five key areas of church life.. Worship Buildings and energy 15 Christ Church Higher Bebington - Annual Report 2024 Land and nature Community and global engagement Lifestyle As The Green Team we seek to return to highlighting these five areas; we've always had great support and guidance from our Church buildings committee along with Men in Sheds for which we are very grateful. During this period of Interregnum please consider if you are able to offer a small amount of time on one of the above 5 areas. Find Pam and talk to her if you can!11 3.7.17 Boulders b Joanne Turner and Linda Wilkinson Our Boulders invites young people between the ages of 11- 18 years. Our current age group that attends is between 10 and 14 years of age. We have admitted one new member this year who is a sibling and has been attending Church and Sunday club from the age of 4. We meet twice a month. On the third Friday of every month, we meet in the evening for a couple of hours at our Community Centre. Boulders is open to all youths in the area. Currently all children that attend are part of the church family, all of them originally started attending from Sunday club at a young age moving though. Since Covid we haven't had as many young children attend Sunday Club, which has affected the numbers moving through to the Youth Group Boulders. I know we are actively trying to attract new children into our Sunday Club. Our Boulders have also invited friends to join them and at times our group has expanded with friend group who have attended, especially when we meet on Friday evenings. Our Boulders have grown up together in the church family and our group have a great supportive friendship with each other. We are a diverse group and do plan our events to be inclusive. We consider access when planning events and mobility in our games as one of our youths is currently in a wheelchair. We consider written and reading activities to support one another as one of our members needs extra support. All the members support each other too and work together thoughtfully, kindly and instinctively. We had an activity recently which involved maths, weighing mixture, combing it and baking. They all worked extremely well together supporting each other. Our Boulders make things throughout the year for the congregation to enjoy. For Mothers, Day we made over 100 gifts for the ladies of our church to give out on the day. We support with the preparation for Christingle. Our Youth Group support many Rose Queen events that happen several times in the year. 3.7.18 Sunda Club b Janet Wallace It's been a busy year for the Children's Team. After reviewing what we had been doing to reach children and families. we decided to focus on providing activities for children at Church events and all age worship as well as changing the format of Crafty Church. Lego Church has continued with a loyal group of supporters. We had hoped to grow the attendance but even though numbers are still low, those who come enjoy the activities on offer. After running the Crafty Church for 12 months and trialing different times and formats we have moved from mid-week meetings to Saturday afternoons. The change of timing has 16 Christ Church Higher Bebington- Annual Report 2024 been popular with young families, as has the introduction of pizza and cake. With up to 60 people attending and very positive feedback, the format is being continued in 2025. On All Hallows Eve, we put on a drop-in event outside church on the theme of the 'Happy Pumpkin Patch,, to promote a positive attitude to "Halloween" We made lanterns, roasted marshmallows and had over 40 children engaging in the activities. This again is something we are hoping to do again in 2025. Providing crafts and activities for Church events and All Age Worship has also been very successful. The team have provided children's activities at the Easter, Christian Aid and Christmas coffee mornings. We developed a range of activities for Sunday mornings to engage with children. On the first Sunday of the month, the older children have been meeting in the Troughton Room for their own activities. On the second Sunday, as part of All Age Worship, there have been children's activities to complement the service theme. When there is a baptism as part of the Sunday morning service, activities have taken place in the children's area for families attending the baptism. In 2025, we are planning to develop the children's area so that there will be children's activities available for every service. The Nativity is always very popular with families wanting their children to take part and this year was no different. Many of the baptism families choose to be involved and the actual service attracts a full church. 3.7.19 Praise & Pla b Jackie Jones Over the past year we have had positive feedback from the parents of the children who attend. We have regular children, who attend month to month. During each session, we have songs, video, story, prayer, activity, craft, and we always finish with cake for the children and the adults. Some of the themes we have covered in 2024 are.. Baby Moses - Wise and Foolish Builders - New Life - The Lost Sheep Love God, love one another- Jesus Calms the Storm Nativity - Palm Sunday - Easter We have a good team that work well together. we have excellent bakers, who keep us supplied with cake, which is very much appreciated. We pray that God will keep us inspired, and that we will be able to keep the children focused, to continue to enjoy the sessions, and remember that they are Loved by God. The Travelling Crib Once again throughout Advent, the Travelling Crib moved throughout the Parish. spending one night in each of twenty-three homes. We had positive feedback. The children enjoyed the Christmas story, and meeting the families who had or were going to host the crib next. 3.7.20 Ex erience Easter & Ex erience Christmas b Libb Potter We welcomed Town Lane Infants School, Higher Bebington Junior School, Brackenwood Infants, and Bedford Drive Primary School to both events. At Christmas 2024 for the first time a small group of year 7 students from Co-op Academy attended the event too. A total of over 350 children and 200 accompanying adults. Each Experience was run over 4 days with a team of 20+ volunteers telling the story using pictures. drama. song and storytelling in 17 Christ Church Higher Bebington - Annual Report 2024 sessions of 1.5hrs per school. Experience Christmas was spread over 2 weeks for the first time allowing 1 week for schools and a 2nd week for the uniformed groups and church led children's groups with Rainbows, Brownies, Toddlers and Baby Group all visiting the stations. Schools created displays of artwork decorated the church for the season and we encouraged families to come and see their child's artwork at the Easter Egg Hunt and Christmas coffee morning which followed the Experiences. At Christmas schools, and many of our children's groups, decorated paper Christmas trees which were displayed all over church and the community centre. The hope is that this will extend to other adult groups in 2025 and we fill every available wall with joyful Christmas trees. We welcomed students from Co-op Academy Bebington Special Educational Needs Base to work alongside us as volunteers as they have done since Easter 23. We offered them the opportunity to help on the stations in a variety of ways, create displays of artwork, welcome and direct children and take on acting roles. They did this with great enthusiasm and have brought a real sense of joy and fun to our Experience. They shared their singing and British Sign Language signing skills with us leading to the "Experience Song" now being a regular feature of every Experience. The Coop Academy students and their staff are now a vital part of the Experience Team and make a huge contribution to each Experience. The staff tell us that the opportunity to work in their local community provides many benefits for these students. The students look forward to it and have a great deal of fun. The benefits of having these students as part of our team extend well beyond the actual Experience itself. The number of members of our congregation who wish to help at the Experiences has increased with volunteers saying they enjoy the company of the school children and Co-op students and the fellowship created through working together. We continue to welcome about 3 new volunteers every time at each Experience. We also see some volunteers taking on different or more challenging roles with each Experience. 3.7.21 Thornlei h Friendshi weekend 10-13 Ma 2024 In May, 43 of us, predominantly people associated with CCHB, appreciated a great weekend at Thornleigh Christian Hote, Grange over Sandsl. The weather exceeded expectations, and we had a great day out at Holker Hall which happened to be their annual Spring Fair with lots of additional activities going on. Each evening, we enjoyed a variety of in-house entertainment and ended the day with a thought about God's character- he loves, creates and speaks. Many friendships were deepened and we all were refreshed by the time spent together. 3.7.22 Toddler Grou b Diane Shaw The Toddler Group is held every Monday morning from 9.'30am until 11.00am in the Kings Hall during term time. It is a very busy and happy place to be with lots of toys and songs keeping the little ones occupied. On average, there are usually between 20- 30 toddlers arriving with parents, grandparents and sometimes siblings. Refreshments are served from 10:30 and then time for nursery rhymes and songs, always finishing with the hokey-cokey which is a firm favourite. Sarah Loach has been the coordinator for the Toddler Group for the last 10 years and we have been truly blessed by her commitment and excellent organisational skills. We miss her and wish her the very best of luck! 18 Christ Church Higher Bebington- Annual Report 2024 We are also happy to welcome Cathy Doneo, who has agreed to take on the leadership role as from March 2025. We are also very grateful to Margaret Theobald and Barbara Percival who help in various ways to keep our popular Toddler Group open and available to any family with pre-school children who live in our local community. If anyone would like to join in and help with the Toddler Group, please feel free to talk to Cathy or Diane who would be more than happy to welcome new volunteers once all the safeguarding requirements have been met. 3.7.23 Bab Grou b Victoria Gleave Baby Group continues to offer a safe and welcoming environment to mums and their babies (and dads and grandparents whenever they are able to join in too!). Numbers fluctuate depending on how long a mum has for maternity leave but there have been a steady 8 - 10 on the register for most of the year. As a group we try to recognise seasonal events throughout the year, with a small gift being shared for Mothers, Day, Easter and Christmas. Many thanks to Steph Carr who crafted beautiful Christmas baubles depicting the Nativity scene. In addition, the children receive a small wooden heart with their name on for their birthday, courtesy of Men in Sheds. Each year, in October, Baby Loss Awareness Week is acknowledged, and tea lights are shared with the group so that a 'Wave of Light, can be created in our homes. Thanks to Rhona Snelson who sews lapel pins in pink and blue ribbon which are worn throughout the week. Many thanks to Beckie Jones who has supported the group for many years but has now had to step away and also to the Connect Café Team, who are always willing to wash up after us! I feel privileged to be able to facilitate this group and enjoy getting to know both the mums and their babies whilst they are part of the group and for many years beyondl 3.8 Choir b Pam Hollinshead The choir continues at a steady number not only singing at weekly services but at funerals when requested. New members are always welcomel Tim Asbridge, occasional organist at CCHB, has developed the choir's singing techniques and encouraged confidence in singing notes which many of us didn't think possible! We look forward to the future. 3.9 Or anRe ort It was good to welcome Wendy Tucker back to the organ stool in February following her maternity leave after giving birth to Arthur in 2023. We enjoyed her playing and having her family as part of the congregation each Sunday. We were delighted to hear the news that the Tucker family was expanding further and in October, Sophie and Felix arrived safely. We are grateful to Tom Yeomans, Rose Macpherson and Tim Asbridge who have played the organ each week in Wendy's absence and look forward to her return in Spring of 2025. 19 Christ Church Higher Bebington - Annual Report 2024 3.10 Music Grou IBand b Pam Hollinshead The band continues to enjoy playing for the congregation when required especially for the monthly All Age Worship servI￿s. We were delighted to have Andrew Potter join us on his drums for Rev Mike and Sarah's final service. We continue to learn new worship songs and look forward to playing them in the future. 3.11 Mothers, Union b Helen Youn Our branch continues to be proud to belong to this Worldwide organisation which has 4 million members across 84 Countries. In 2024 our branch continued to retain healthy member numbers and meet on a monthly basis in the Community Centre. The morning meetings continue to suit most members and attendance has been steady. We were delighted to enrol a new member Helen Byrne to our branch in 2024 and there is interest from other people to join too which is great news! Our branch was sad to hear that Jeane Bamforth had died early in the year. Jeane was a long-standing member of our branch before she moved from the district. Some of our members were able to attend her funeral in April which Rev Eunice officiated at. Our programme of monthly fellowship meetings centred round a mix of devotional, informative and social events. A big 'thank you, to our speakers in 2024, who gave their valuable time, skills and life experience to support our meetings. Feb Terry Cunningham.. Men in Sheds Mar Mandy Fair: My Life's Journey April Vickie Roberts: Community Care May Greer Lacey.. Hedgehog Rescue June Rev Eunice Blackmore.. Creations vol￿ - Come to a Garden Oct Emma.. Women and Children's Aid Dec Helen Byrne: A Christmas Meditation. Other notable events for 2024 were as follows:_ March Mothering Sunday the Mothers, Union 'Make a Mother's Day, fundraising campaign. This received generous support from our congregation and went towards making a real difference to women and their families both locally and worldwide. MU brings hope and practical support to millions of people every year through parenting, literacy and community development programmes. May Our branch participated in the Diocesan MU Wave of Prayer in May. The MU Wave for prayer is a special way of connecting MU members with each other around the world through the ministry of prayer. Our branch is proud that it participates in this 'wave' each year. October Shoebox Gifts - Our branch members,(with the help of donations from our congregation) collected items to enable us to send shoebox gifts to children in Eastern Europe via the charity Teams4u. These would be used as Christmas gifts for children aged from babies to Teens. 20 Christ Church Higher Bebington - Annual Report 2024 Kidsbank- 'Bags for Babies, Our branch members collected items for baby bags to be given to a local Charity supported by our MU within the Diocese. November Our Annual AGM was held. December Women's Refuge - Our branch continues to strive to support the Refuge each year. Very generous funds were raised by our congregation and branch to provide our local Wi￿al Women's Refuge with special gift tote toiletry bags for its women residents at Christmas. A Chorus of Angels As a branch we made 30 lovely book angels to use to create a display in Church with our MU Banner proudly on display next to them. These were made by our members folding paperback books over the course of a few weeks. One of our members Helen Byrne had the vision and creative skill to lead the project. We were delighted with the final display in all its glory contributing to our Christmas decorations, and for raising the profile of our MU branch. Ongoing Baptism Preparation support though out the year. Two of our branch members supported families during the year as they prepared for their children's baptism. Our branch members pray for these families prior to their baptism dates. Helen Young has continued to take on the role as Acting Leader for the Branch. She will be well supported by our Branch Committee which will look to the continued running and healthy future of our Branch whilst upholding the Mothers, Union values and missions. 3.12 Zoom courses b Revd Eunice Blackmore Our Zoom activities have continued throughout 2024. Start the Week- morning prayer Mondays at 9 am - has even grown in numbers and is a great way to start the week! "nearly. Alternate Thursdays Lectio Divina - when we read, mediate and share Scripture together continues to be a great link with Audrey Smith in residential care. We often look at the next Sunday's gospel reading. 3.13 Illuminations Re ort b Charles Van In en The cool blue and ice-white lights on the Community Centre Roof are now a permanent fixture along with the penguins and the polar bear. We put up and take down the coloured lights on along the front of the car park to avoid them being damaged by high winds when the leaves are out putting stress on the cables. However, choosing the day with care - dry and not windy - with ladders, cable-ties and some elementary gymnastics, the job is done. The general plan is to have the illuminations operational from just before the Rose Queen Christmas Coffee Morning until the clocks go forward. We receive much positive feedback from local people saying that the lights (1300 of theml) cheer them up on dark winter days. 3.14 Christ Church Communi Centre Sarah Loach - now at RAF Waddin ton b Charles Van In ende utisin for Now in its 13th year of operation, our Community Centre remains very busy used by a wide variety of groups on a regular basis including Bebington Bridge Club, Vibe Dance Group, TAI CHI, Weight Watchers and many more. Christ Church volunteers run a Toddler Group, Baby Group. Indoor Bowls. Singing Café. Happy Reading Group, Knit & Natter, Sewing Group, Oasis Mental Health Support Group, Befrienders, Group, Carers, Group, Bereavement Journey, Mothers, Union, Boulders, 21 Christ Church Higher Bebington- Annual Report 2024 Sunday Club, Lego Church and Praise & Play. Uniform groups include a Rainbow Group and two Brownie groups. During the year the Centre hosted a wide variety of events including a Christian Aid Coffee Morning, Rose Queen sociallfundraisers, Summer Fair etc. We also host children's parties, baptism celebrations and funeral receptions. We are very pleased that our Centre is used by so many people of different ages with varying interests and hosts a range of popular intergenerational events. 3.15 Pro"ects with Co-o Academ Bebin ton b Libb Potter Since Autumn 2023, Co-op Academy students have been running charity cake sales at Connect Coffee providing the students with opportunity to work in their local community and develop their independence skills. They have started at one cake sale per term and since September 2024 are running two per term. The students and staff are very comfortable working alongside the Connect Coffee volunteers and there is always a happy atmosphere when they are with us. Charities supported so far have included Wirral Hospice St Johns, Wirral Mind and Wirral Food Bank. Possible future projects include our Knit and Natter Group teaching students to knit. School visits to the ardens As we had done in 2023, we welcomed the nursery children of Town Lane Infant School for two sessions of exploring the woodland, looking for tadpoles and bug hunting. In 2024 Bluebells Nursery also attended. We hope to offer more similar visits to our local schools in 2025. 4 Rose Queen b Eva Wilkinson and Am Eva Wilkinson (Rose Queen 2023-24) I ran a pop-up fashion show in March which was lots of fun with 92 women attending. This raised £550. In April, we had the Beetle Drive which is always a favourite and very competitive so we all enjoyed that. At an extremely busy Summer Fair I handed my crown over to Amy Midgley whom I'm sure will be a great Rose Queen. I've had a great experience being Rose Queen and enjoyed raising £3900 for Hayfield Specialist School and the Community Centre - thank you. Amy Midgley (Rose Queen 2024-25) I was crowned Rose Queen in June at our Summer Fair. I chose Incubabies as my charity as I was a premature baby born at 33 weeks and so this charity is close to my heart. I started the year with Bingo in September kindly assisted by my retinue and John and Andrew Potter. My next event was the Christmas Fair which was a great success and we even had a visit from Santa. l am looking forward to events planned in 2025 to include a Family Quiz and a Spring Afternoon tea. 5 Electoral Roll b Sharon Phil otts A new Electoral Roll is currently being compiled. At the time of writing this report. there are currently 171 members but this number is expected to increase when further responses are returned. 22 Christ Church Higher Bebington - Annual Report 2024 Since the last APCM, 8 members have passed away. With regards to the geographic make up of Christ ChurGh, there are 64 members living outside the parish, this figure is 370A of the overall total. To ensure the accuracy of the Electoral Roll, can I remind all members of the need to notify the Electoral Roll OffI￿r of any changes to their name or contact details (address, home telephone number, mobile number & email address). This can be done in a number of ways: by completing another application form or detailing the changes in an email which can be sent via the Parish Office (parishoffice@christchurchhigherbebington.org.uk 6 Safe uardin ort b Diane Shaw The Parish Safeguarding Officer (PSO), along with Rev. Mike Loach and Victoria Gleave held a number of meetings throughout the previous year to update the Safeguarding file and to complete DBS documentation. The PSO has also attended a number of Deanery safeguarding meetings in order to share good practice and offer advice and support to all PSOS. The Chester Diocese has initiated a new form of ensuring all Safeguarding procedures are being carried out and this is called the Dashboard. During this last year the current PSO has completed a number of the tasks required on this Dashboard and as a result our Parish has reached level 213. There were six reported Safeguarding incidents during this last year. All have been thoroughly investigated, recorded appropriately and if necessary, monitored carefully and confidentially. A large number of personnel including all PCC members and any Church activity leaders have been advised to attend Basic Safeguarding Training and Foundation Training which at the moment can only be achieved online. It is essential that anyone completing any training, inform the Parish Safeguarding Officer or the Parish Office who continues to keep a record of all Safeguarding Training. As from November 2024 Diane Shaw has resigned from the post of Parish Safeguarding Officer and the PCC are in the process of appointing a new PSO alongside a small team of assistants due to the extra work load involved with the new documentation and the Dashboard. 8 Financial Review b Charles Van In en PCC Treasurer 8.1 Introduction The overall financial situation is presented in the Financial Statements which appear as Appendix I to this report. The PCC is a charity registered with the Charity Commission which has created the Charities SORP (Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice). This gives charities clear guidelines on what information to keep and what reports to produce to meet their legal obligations. The Church of England has adopted the SORP as its standard basis for annual reporting by parishes so that a single set of infomiation and reports meets the requirements of both the Charity Commission (accessible by the general public) and the wider Church. The accounts presented here have been prepared on an Accruals basis. 23 Christ Church Higher Bebington- Annual Report 2024 The negative effect of the coronavirus pandemic largely dissipated during 2022 such that the financial situation now presents an encouraging picture apart from the substantial negative impact of very high costs for electricity and gas. As shown on the Statement of Financial Activities (commonly known as the SOFA), the total incoming resources were £264,566 (of which legacies contributed £50,000 - see 5.7 below) against total expenditure of £262,426 including depreciation of £29,150 principally relating to the Community Centre and its contents. The total funds carried forward increased slightly from £1,071,435 to £1,075,413 the bulk of which reflects the capitalisation of the Community Centre. 8.2 Da -to-da Christ Church A strong Q4 2023 resulted in our Operating Income for the year usefully exceeding our Operating Expenditure despite the substantial increase in the cost of gas and electricity compared to 2022; see Note 20. erations Communit Centre The Centre's operating income was slightly down at £34,489 compared to 2022's record £37, 175. This reflects problems with bookings on a Thursday morning but we are organising a weekly Line Dancing event to fill the vacant slot. We also re￿iVed £7,954 in grants to directly support operating costs, events and activities. see Note 8a. With the building now being 12 years old, we were again faced with costs of repairs, refurbishments and improvements totalling £9,055," see Note 8b. This covered an upgrade to the access control system. various repairs to the lighting and a new water boiler in the kitchen. However. the most striking figure in the whole of the 2023 accounts is the cost of electricity for the Community Centre at £19,900. This is triple what it was a few years ago. Electricity is used to drive the air source heat pumps which heat the building. Although we have increased the level of User Contributions, this will not cover the high cost of electricity. We do not expect to see this fall until later in 2024. Through Kate Lewis and Vicki Midgley, we secured a substantial Community Engagement Grant in 2022 which supported specific events and activities run in the Centre through to 31 March 2023. 8.3 Fabric Fund for Church Re airs & Im rovements. See Note 6 in the Annual Accounts Whilst we expected to spend some money on repairs and realignment of the church gutters plus some masonry repairs and repointing during 2023, in the event, for various operational reasons, no such work took place. This work is now scheduled for early 2024. So the Fabric Fund expenditure in 2023 was zero (2022 = £6,194). 8.4 Men in Sheds For accounting convenience, Men in Sheds is incorporated under the Community Centre heading. However, the group endeavours (and is succeeding) to be self-sufficient covering its costs through donations and grants. Overall. the Group contributed £655 to Community Centre income as shown in Note 8a. 8.5 Investments. See Note 15 in the Annual Accounts The value of the PCC'S investment in The CBF Church of England Investment Fund Income Shares for the Fabric Fund increased by 9 % to £19,091. The investment to support work in the churchyard and church grounds increased similarly to £2,261. However, the dividend income from the two holdings totalled £583. 24 Christ Church Higher Bebington - Annual Report 2024 8.6 Le acies Mary Garland, who died on 11 July 2023. left Christ Church Higher Bebington the sum of £50,000 "for the general purposes of the church" We expect to receive the money during Q2 2024. On the Balance Sheet, it is shown as a debtor. In recent years, legacies have enabled us to complete many worthwhile but expensive projects. 8.7 Reserves Polic Given that our Grade11 listed church building is over 160 years old, it is PCC policy to maintain a balance in the Fabric Reserve accounts of at least £10,000 in cash to cover emergency situations coupled with the circa £20,000 holding in The CBF Church of England Investment Fund Income Shares which are easily realisable if required. 8.8 Forward Guidance It is anticipated that, given the positive outcome of our Autumn 2023 Thanksgiving Campaign and increases to User Contributions for the Community Centre, the overall operating income in 2024 will match or exceed that of 2023. However, we are faced with exceptional energy costs for the church heating (gas) and electricity in the Community Centre. However, whilst energy costs are expected to abate during 2024 it is clear that the PCC will need to draw on its reserves to maintain its facilities to a high standard and to continue to deliver the wide range of services, activities and events as described elsewhere in this report. Whilst the PCC is well able to meet its financial obligations in 2024, it will need to carefully monitor income and expenditure during the year and be ready to take any necessary steps to avoid excessive reliance on existing reserves and legacies. The Church of England is developing its ideas to deliver Net Zero by 2030 and we are beginning to consider how best we can contribute to this goal in Higher Bebington. 5.9 Acknowled ements and thanks My thanks are due to Barbara Thomas for monitoring the standing orders (and watching over the interest-free loan portfolio), Michael Blackburn for recording the envelope giving, the many sidespeople who assist with counting the cash on Sunday mornings, all those who count the cash arising from our many social initiatives during the week in the Centre. Jim Wallace for standing in during my holidays, Bev Price for running the 1 Ooclub, the Churchwardens for maintaining a general oversight and to Janet Wallace for once again being our Independent Examiner to ensure that we meet all the requirements of the Charity Commission and the Church of England. And finally, to Terry Cunningham who handles the challenging task of purchasing and managing the supplies of electricity and gas through the Church of England Parish Buying Scheme; also for keeping the Treasurer informed so that the direct debits from Total Energies appearing on the bank statements don't come as too much of a shock. 8.10 Chan es to Processes Accountin software During 2023 we continued to use MyFundAccounting, a charity specific software package from the well-established Wolverhampton-based company, Data Developments. This software runs 'on the Cloud" and so is available on any suitable internet enabled computer. The data is professionally backed up and aspects of the system can be made accessible to a range of people. The software is recognised by Chester Diocese who have a deal with Data Developments with the result that we enjoy a special low monthly usage charge. Bankin 25 Christ Church Higher Bebington- Annual Report 2024 We still bank with HSBC. However, our local branch in Town Lane, Higher Bebington, closed a few years ago and in July 2023 the Bromborough branch also closed. The nearest HSBC branches are in Birkenhead and Chester,. there are no other HSBC branches on Wirral. We now deposit cash and cheques through local Post Offices. This is not as convenient as using an HSBC branch as the Post Office will only accept coin in full bags and, on occasion, have been reluctant to accept large volumes of coins. Also, using Post Offices in the run-up to Christmas is not ideal. The reducing acceptability of cheques and the associated bank charges mean that we will be looking further at moving to online banking during 2024. Proposals will be brought forward to the PCC for discussion and approval. Longer term cash deposits are held through CCLA Investment Management's Church of England Deposit Fund. However, CCLA'S processes (interminable forms) - designed they say to prevent money laundering - militate against swift movements of balances away from HSBC but we will make greater efforts in 2024 to take advantage of higher rates of interest now available. The "cashless societ As well as being able to accept on-line donations via SUM-UP, we can now accept in person donations by card or smartphone using a SUM-UP card reader. Many people now no longer carry cash and so this is an important development to secure income for events at the Centre, PCC fees etc. Also, during December, we installed a PAYAZ machine at the church entrance to take electronic payments. This is principally of advantage at special services such as baptisms, weddings and funerals when people from outside the usual congregation attend. Overall. income through on-line routes totalled £5,400 during 2023. 9 Structure overnance and mana ement The method of appointment of PCC members is set out in the Church Representation Rules. All those who attend our services I members of the congregation are encouraged to join the Electoral Roll and to consider standing for the PCC. PCC members are responsible for making decisions on all matters of general concern and importance to the parish including how the funds of the PCC are to be spent. 10 Risk Mana ement The PCC continues to identify and manage the risks which arise from the day-to-day activities of Christ Church Higher Bebington. The PCC categorises the risks that face Christ Church Higher Bebington under the following headings: Financial - Risks relating to the fiscal activities of the PCC and the management of the financial affairs of Christ Church Higher Bebington. These risks include those applicable to the best use of the PCC'S financial resources, the availability of funds and risk of fraud. All cheques (and all new direct debit mandates) require two signatures. Authorised by the PCC, there are four signatories: Vicar, Churchwardens and Treasurer. Any move towards online banking will need to be carefully considered to ensure that proper controls are in place. HMRC has rigorous administrative processes surrounding Gift Aid tax reclaims. To ensure that we only claim the Gift Aid to which we are entitled, our Pledge Forms include the Gift Aid declaration. We claim Gift Aid on a monthly basis using HMRC'S online reclaim system. We provide HMRC with monthly information about salaries paid to our part-time staff through their on-line Real Time Information system - known as RTI. 26 Christ Church Higher Bebington- Annual Report 2024 Strategic and Operational - Risks relating to the way in which the PCC undertakes the activities of Christ Church Higher Bebington. The PCC has developed policies for: Safeguarding, Health & Safety, Environmental, Equal Opportunities and Lone Workers. These are kept under regular review so that they can be amended in the light of changing needs, emerging best practice guidelines and statutory regulations. Governance & Regulation - Risks relating to external factors which affect the activities of Christ Church Higher Bebington and the regulatory environment in which we operate. Reputational - Risks relating to the image and perception of Christ Church Higher Bebington in the wider community. The PCC maintains careful oversight of the groups. activities and events that operate under its aegis and authorises appropriate leaders. The PCC is particularly conscious of the inherent reputational risks of websites and social media generally and takes steps to ensure that proper control is exercised. 27 OknBoseolCh•iknr chrti1chu￿b TrUyhBrBDblngionPCC r￿￿￿1151*1￿￿eni12ll24 Appendix I Christ Church Higher Bebington PCC Financial Statements for the year ending 31 December 2024 Contents Page General Infomiatlon statement of PCC'S responsibilities Independent Examiner's Report statement of Financial Activitles {SOFA) Balance Sheet iv Notss to the Accounts Note 1 Accounting Policies Note 2 Incoming Resources Note 3 Resources Expended Note 4 Clergy Costs Note 5 Church Running Expenses Note 6 Church Repairs and Improvements Note 7 Upkeep of Churchyard Note 8 Community Centre Income & Expenditure Note 9 Church Management & Adminstration Note 10 Grants Paid Note11 Grants Received Note 12 Special Efforts Note 13 Tangible Assets and Depreciation Note 14 Debtors Note 15 Investments Note 16 Cash at Bank Notes 17 and 18 Creditors Note 19 Movements in Restricted Funds ix ix ix xi xi xiv xv The following n¢1• Is included for clarity bul does not forrn part of th¢ Annual Accounts Note 20 Continuing Operations Report 19l0d120251P.29 hppKAlx I njv pBge Diocese of Chesler Chrfsl Church HigheT Bebinglon PCC Financlal Statements 2024 Christ Church Higher Bebington General Information Status Christ Church Higher Bebington Parochial Church Council is a registered charity- The Charity Commission referen￿ is.. 1132356. The parish is within the Diocese of Cheste￿S Wirral North Deanery,. the parish reference is 080S. Incumbent The Reverend Michael G Loach (resigned on 24 February 2025 toioin the RAF as a Ghap181n) Associate Minister The Reverend Euni¢e Bla¢kmore Membership of the Parochial Church Councll Details of the membership of the Parochial Church Council during 2024 are set out In ADpendix11 of the Annual Report. Address for correspondence: Parish Offi Christ Church Community Contre Kings Road Higher Bebinglon Wirral CH63 8LX Honorary Treasurer Charles Van Ingen 1 Blakeley Brow Raby Mere Wirral Cheshi CH63 OPS Independent Examiner Janel Wallace 11 Mount Avenue Higher Bebinglon Wirral Cheshire CH63 5NU Bankers HSBC pl¢ 31 The Pyramids Birkenhead Wirral CH412ZL Accounts 01466909 PCC General Account 01466917 Community Centre Operating Account 61043358 Planned Giving Ac¢ounl 61043374 100 Club Account 71059998 Community Centre Capital Account 51070916 Fabric Reserve Account Investment Managers CCLA Investment Management Ltd The CBF Church of England Funds One Angel Lane London EC4R 3AB Deposit Fund Account$ CB3023015-001 Fabric Reserve CB3023017-001 Community Centre IAII eheques require tsvo signatures. The aulhorised signatories as approved by the PCC are- the Vicar. the two Churchwardens and the y￿aSurer] Insurers Ecclesiastical Insurance Offiee plc Church Customer Services Beaufort House Brunswick Road Gloucester GL1 1JZ Insurance Pollcy 041XPG10256401 P8rishPlus Icovefing the Church and the Community Cenlrel. 191041202517.'29 Appendix I Page i Diocese of Chester Chrlsl Chuich Higher Bebinglon PCC Financial Siatemenls 2024 statement of the PCC'S Responsibilities for the preparation of the Financial Statements The Church Accountinf Regulations 2006 and the Charities Act 2011 require the members ofthe PCC lo repare financial sla emenl for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the stale of airs of Christ Church Higher Bebinglon PCC and of the incoming resourGes and the application of resources in the year ended. In preparing these financial statements, the members of the PCC are required to: Select suitable a¢countin olicies and then apply thern consistently Make ad'ustments and es imates that are reasonable and prudent Prepare Ihe financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the PCC will continue in operalion The members of the PCC are res er accounting records which disclose with reasonable accurac atan time onsible for keeping proEe PCC and which enable them lo ensure Phe financial osition of t that Ihe financial sta emen s comply with the 8hurch Accounting Regulations 2006 and the Charities Ac12011. the assets ofthe PCC and hence for taking PCC members are also responsible for safeguardinifraud and other irregularities. reasonable steps for the prevention and detection o These accounts were prepared by the Hon Treasurer to the Parochial Church Council: Charles Van Ingen 25 February 2025 These accounts We￿ aEproved by the Paiochial Church Council at ils meeting held on Wednesday 12 March 2025 and signed on its eham by: lan Millington 1 arGh 2025 ice-ch r of the Parochial Church Council) 1910412025 Appendix I Page li Diocese of Chester ChTlSt Church Higher Beblnglon PCC Financial Slalements 2024 Independent Examiner's Report to the Parochial Church Council of Christ Church Higher Bebington I report on the accounts of the Christ Church Higher Bebinglon Parochial Chur¢h Council IPCCI foi the year ended 31 December 2022 on pages iv lo xv which comprise the Statement of Financial Aclivilies, the Balance Sheet and related notes. These financial slalemenls have been prepared under the accounting policies sel out hereirk. Respective Responsibilities of the Parochlal Church Council and the Independent Examiner The members of the Parochial Church Council (who are Ihe trustees of the Charilyl are responsible for the prepaTalion of the accounts. The Parochial Church Council considers that an audit is not required for this year under section 14412} of the Charities Act 2011 (Ihe 2011 Act) and that an Independent examination 1$ needed. 1115 my responsibility to: examine the accounts under section 145 of Ihe 2011 Act - follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners under section 14515) Ib) of the 2011 Act.. and slate whether particular mallers have come lo my allenlion Basis of Independent EXaMine￿S Report My examination was carried out in accordance wilh the general Directions glven by Ihe Charty Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting rectsrds kept by the Parochial Church Council and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records.11 also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning such mallers. The procedures undertaken do not provide all thè evidence Ihal would be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as lo whether the accounts present a 'lrue and fair view.: the report is limited lo those mallers set out in the slalemenl below. Independent Examiner's Statement In connection with my examination. no matter has come lo my allenlion.. (11 which gives me Teasonable causè lo believe that in any material respect thè requirements: lo keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Acl.. and to prepaTe èccounls which accord with the accounting records and compty wf(h the accounting requirements of Ihe 2011 Act have not been met: or 12} to which, in my opinion. atlenlion should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Janel Wallace 11 Mount Avenue Higher Bebington Wirral Cheshire CH63 5NU 31 March 2025 19ffj41202517=29 Appendix I Page iii lllchoitsr Chriitchurth HIphErBe￿nulOThpCc FNnuk1 S￿￿ments 2024 Statement of Financial Activities For the year ended 31 De¢ember 2024 Unrqjththbd R•6tykl8d Funds Fund Yot 2024 Noio FuThd$ ZQ3 Add￿0￿￿ iThformaUon A In¢omlng Rosourr•* A1 IncLYningre￿￿rc1• fiorn lunth AIBVoIun￿ry￿￿thknQ AlbAdm￿lI1Qr9On1Alnll fun¢¥ A1clnvqsimtntiTKom• 140910 9843 25000 fT4089 2b 15761 5173 4952 J274 2d 10023 31784 41807 421 A30th•rln¢ornln9ralOUrtes AdluitrnDnll 28106 2Jfj#2 Total Incomlng rfr$ouTGe5 175486 64144 25000 264630 B R•sourGeJ expend*d B1 Costs 0lg•n•ra￿ngfUnds B1J Cosb ofg•nwating yolunlarylncomd B1bFunthlskng tr4JDg'. C￿laf oDodssold •nd 81£loVesim•nlrn￿I0¢M8n1¢osI* jb 912 912 3c B2 124814 D4 Otherr•sourus ¢ip•n¢•d 13498 134 Y2J21 ltrrfrn1•fvJh￿￿K¢ndo Total resource¥ exp6nd8d 148J22 124814 273136 202#6 Net Incomlngloutgolng resources before transfers 27164 -60670 25000 4506 2t40 C Tran￿*r$ Gmsi tranilbrj bl￿Wnfund5 N•tln¢oMlnqlouloolng r•suurt•• b•lOr•*il￿rr•¢oln1l1d k41ns •ndJo1¥•1 19 4933a 2#J30 D Olh•rrerounl$•d g41n¥floss0 DI on rDW￿Ul￿Ortofr￿Èdass¢ts lor D2G•In￿o$1oS0h1nvts1tsn8n1aS6Ol$ 142 D3Muprfal￿n￿O$I•sondorlnld 142 Ngt movem8nt In lund¥ .2174 24654 4364 E Reconclll*ii•n of Fund ToLg1 funds b￿ght￿O￿¥4rrf 18 916735 Totsl funds carried for•iard 19 156504 885891 24654 1067049 158678 10754tJ 19mlllU2517.'29 Appwaxl Dlocese ol Chester Christ Church Higher Bebinglon PCC Financial Statements 2024 Balance Sheet As at 31 December 2024 Unrestricted Resiricled Funds Funds Èndowment Funds Total 2023 Noles 2024 A Flxed assets A2 Tangible assets A4 Inveslments 13 15 819341 21840 841181 819341 848491 46494 21351 B65835 869842 24654 24654 Totsl flxad assets 8 Current assets 82 Debtors B4 Cash 81 bank 14 16 2401 157845 160246 2455 67010 69465 4856 224855 229711 57029 186071 243100 Totsl current assets C Llabllltles Creditors., Amounts lallSng due within one year Net current assets 17 3742 156504 1405 68060 5147 224564 9179 233927 c￿￿lI0rs'. Amounts falling due 2 to 10 years 18 23350 23350 28350 Total Net Assets 156504 885891 24654 1067049 1075413 Represen¢edby.' PCC Funds Endowment Unrestricted Rèstrictèd 19 19 19 24654 24654 156504 158678 885891 916735 156504 885891 Total Iicc Funds 156504 885891 24654 1067049 1075413 roval of the Balance Sheet Approved by the Parochial Church Council on Wednesday 12 March 2025 and signed ¢n its behalf by lan Millin9ton (Vi¢e-Chair of the Parochial Church Councill-. 191041202517.'29 Appendix I Page v DIDcese of c￿s￿r Chri51 Church Hlgher BBbinyicn PCC FlnancS81 SlalemBnls 2024 Notes to the Financlal Statements For the year ended 31 December 2023 1 Accounting Policies 1.1 Basls of Flnancial Stat•m•nts Tha fr￿Cial $lai£rnents have been pr8P8red under ChLr¢hAttMling Reoulalions 20W in AcrJJrdanEo wkh 8pplIc￿e aEcounling and th8 cutT6nt siai8moni of Recommended Pr8etico, and Raporting by Charits95 arvj appli¢able accountino S￿ndard FRS102. Thgfinanthal stalem￿19 havfr bBen prBpwed undar ihe hl$lorKBIc051 conyenuon exceplfor y1ve￿M￿nt 8sget5. whiGh are shown al marke1V￿u￿ ThoflnanuBI GIBiem£n15 indud8 8Th Ir8ro*llon5. as58is ¥KI I￿8bIllu0s forwhrh lh8 PCC r85pm5￿0 ui law. Tlwdo nol v*lud8 trts[in￿21 statements of churd) oroup$ Ih81 Lwe Ihewmavi arri1￿11¢n loanother W orihosethal are infO￿al Qaihw￿Va5 of churd) M￿)bar$. 1.2 Fund Accounting EndowmontFund$ Christ Church HWer Bgbinwon PCC do89 not benefrf from any endovmenll￿dS and SOlh8r8 L8 no rol£r￿￿8 lo s￿h fund5 inlhe88 a¢￿￿019. R05trlcted Funds R¥Str￿￿d funds eompri$e rever￿￿ ¢roranisf¢Ya PCC 8cUvlty ￿l￿nded by Iha donor. Unre$trl¢i8d Funds u￿85￿CtOd fund$ are IneAne funds thHI artr spfrnl on the PCC'S 96n6r81 wrp09es D¢$lgnated Funds Christ Church Hthor B¢bin9ton PCC has no futhys de51woi¥J and thu$ Such intormati￿￿11 be found n ih•ts8 8ttowts. 1.3 Incoming Resources PlannBd Collect￿n¥ 8nd similardonlltvJn$ ar8 r8c¢gnl$ed %*hen rwAN8d. Tax rafw￿$ are reEognisèd wI￿n ihB InGOrniVJ re$w￿l0¥￿1ch ay rektg is received. U5ercontrthutions lolhg runnNg of th6 Communily C4nlre are recognised a5 Ih9y bgrome duB. Gran15 and ￿g8￿￿* are 8cc¢urf¢d forwh8n the PCC 15 e￿Irt￿d to tho use oftha resourGes, Ih8ir ullimaia racaipt ￿ cLwidered reoson2bW cgrfain and ihe Bmounls due are readily quantff18bl8. Dlvklend$ oro aCCLwlwJ fLY**en ¢Yo¢lar¢d receNabla.' 05 and whBn aGcNBd by ihg pAyer. Al inromirvJ r¢soLWC£S ounted forgr055. 1.4 Rosources Expended Granls and donaiions 8r8 ¥ccounied for paid over￿wh￿ awordBd rfthai award creaie5 3 bindiny u conslnJclKw oblioaith ￿ the PCC. The dk)G85an p3rish share eKp*i8d io b• paid over is acc￿n￿d ltrwhen due. All oVwrexp8nditure is generally tswIsed￿then il 1$ intLY￿48ndls accI￿nied1￿ uro$s. 1.5 Flxed Assots ¢onsecr*ed 8rKJ bethfice property is nol in th• a¢wun15 in acC￿d￿¢$Wtth 9.1CVllal Icl olthè charl1￿ Act 2011. vable ¢hurd)fumishinos hald bylhg vKar and ¢Mr¢hw8r¢ens on spBC￿l INSI forlhB P¢C and Ythich rqguire 8 FavJMy fordi¥posal are inalienEblg properfy and ¥8 Iisied in the ¢hurGh's inven14ry %vhth ¢8n be inspected 818ny reasonab￿ lune. For8r)ything Bcquirod 2C(Q aro is in$utri¢ieni¢os1 inforrnalion avaiLgWe arrfx Ihgrofore 5urh assèt¥ 8rty noi valued in the financial ¥lai¢rneniB. Tangible fixed a$$81$ foru$0 by tharity are ¢8pAalIS￿ Klhby C4nbe used formorolhan one wsi ai bA51 £1.CQO. Th8ywg Va￿A8¢ al rA751ore15e, forgfft54n4ind. 818 reasonab￿ eslunal8 of opon markelvalue i)n r8¢0ipI. Depr￿lali0n Is calculaled iowri18 off the ￿p￿2￿￿ed c051 of fvA8d assets les5 IhBW ￿rrenIty ant￿l￿al8d residualfarvafue over ￿e1r e51imthd usaful IN•5 &8followg'. La Buildvw5 50 yeors Bulldros IwoDdenl 8 ￿*r$ Otfire, kitchw oquipmerto1¢ 4 yeArd Garden equiwieni 2yeArs 1.6 Investments and short-tgrm d•poslts Inve¥im8nls ¢WOtsd ￿ a rfj¢ognisod slock ex¢hang•. wwhose vakne d8rNos fr(Xn I￿rn, Are Y￿U0d Èt marketvaluB Bllhe >**-8nd. Shorttsm ¢gposii4 oro as caihwih lh• CCLA oral Ihe bank. 19104tt02517.'29 oprtix I Page Df45EofChthr CMsi¢hutth WerBeblrylon PCC FlnththlSlat4mgniG ZD24 Notes to the Accounts 2 Incoming Resources ccl¢ NDiè Unrest￿ld Re*rfd4d Endowmnnl To141 ar hddllknal InlDmlB1￿ 41 voiuntsrylntom• I￿¢￿n￿l0 2NOD 1101 0lD2 DIRdlobank..SIEndlny ￿￿￿r$s￿O￿YE Envolllpe5 M15L%llanBoug lumps 8102ft f024 7F95 IDDI03 22953 7195 120103 27953 T￿nI FI￿n&y￿1¥1n9 WrK•GhlA* GhlAldT4xR¢Cllim-Generai 1440$ 20322 T(q41 rlAnnqdgtr4lnB 123110 ?sooo t4011e #￿e20 01 LOOS4 ¢4Sh ¢Oll•thl¢ns 439 Tol•1vDlunt4ryg￿1nll 2500D 166555 0550 DonaUoThs- Gen￿￿ VIA su￿uP Oon&UDns- FllbrtcFund G￿￿dTaxRtC111rn-F1brtGFund 931 Or*llni dDMlkn9 155 os 5277 •J 5J59 14744 7448 Don￿lOn5-ClfftlI GIHAld Tax Re¢J￿M-¢QmrnunttY C• C47mmunltyCoDtrn•xcludlnygrnnl* 1n2 aosi 212 0701 Lty•¢ythr47mè 16 2500 T•tal Volut)tary Incom• 140940 9843 25000 175712 17*1699 bl Ar*lvhlesfOr4•nli4tlnglunrt• 61 5unwn¢rFolr. Club 0563 Funl IBising-g¢ner 0901 RO5&Qu¢en¢¥¢Trts 055D s￿e441th1￿1¥b1¢ ryllort5 Total from •¢tlvttl$8f¢rg¢nerallng funds 4J39 728 JODS 3001 12 5301 15761 1S480 7098 8663 Eifnvqstmènl Ineomt IOQ1 0fvthnd5 593 4269 595 581 99 101) EndthmaniFund Ir￿rn TolAI Invo*tmBnl In¢offle 211 4962 5173 dlFn¢omsno mfjourcoBlromthirtl•bl• idly￿•stOl￿r1hlrth• PCC* obJ1Gt￿g¥ ¢hurth SoNthJndknlnls￿￿vB ll&lvK1•5 (Pccfeps) Useofthvin lor*Tddtr&¥ *ndfuneNI$ ChurGh Au51cllcen CurnrnunllycÈfth- ￿erCo￿￿￿￿tIOn5 Toial Incom•from ¢harftabl• a¢tlvltlo9 740D t0297 t3SO 224 224 21781 41807 317BI IOD23 J1764 34eJ5 •IOlhlrlh¢¢mlno r•Jour¢•4 OJ02 tsrnMS.' Trnsts fforC*U￿ehlII) oooJ SA￿.. Raby sthMITw5t 0804 GTonts." LP¢>W-¢hurch 14brtc (VATJ 1150 ConlribLllVrts￿thty¢￿ olVwry9As&•lidrlrKy 13 In¢om¢ s￿0 440 3¢52 5UQ 3052 2044 2014 3J$9 129$9 Thorn￿¥hwI$kMdrf0 Total Olh•rlm¢omlng r•$ourees 17214 8892 26106 2Jeg1 Total In¢vming R•$ourcè$ 175486 64144 25000 2$4630 264566 Toi•1 QlflAld rqcthlm Totsl )r4ntsitom LPOVIKh•m•to offs•¢VAT 22953 s￿0 28147 2OS2 214*1 HFARC 1093 3¢$2 LPOW¥ u￿paP1a¢¢S oiwtKthIP 172R1910112025 Awindlx I tXwe88 ofChe518r Chrt$lChLYth H￿h￿r86t￿nlltQn FCC Finandaisiatomants 2￿4 Notes to the Accounts 3 Resources Expended A¢COUM 2024 2024 2￿24 Ncl2 unrest￿clad Re$bicted Totsl 2Q2J Add￿onal Inlornation •) Costl of g•noratlngvolunlAry Income 1720 8f 81 Pledga EnvelOP6$ bl FundMl8ino to$ts.' cwtof goodl 501d* prfz•* •t¢ 1no 912 912 1125 cl InvBs¢mEnt manaD•Menl¢¢•ts dl Cha¥ftable a¢Uvltles IJArtfvhlo*4NM¢tyrnl•ringrgth•w•rkofth•Chu8 Total QtherRtsow¢•¥ Exp*nd•d f2f2T Total Resou￿¢$ Expended 148322 124814 273136 262426 Ourlng 2024,the wlfeof a rnernb•rof the PCCIMarkGleavelw&s Employedas a part-tlmePirlshSÈ¢retaryon J Job-share bas1s.The CODtradof Ernployrnent has been In plar¢fDriomE year5ind allowsforthe PC¢orthi employee ro8lveoTr¢ rnonth's nOtlce.The total iiliry paldtoVlctorfJ LGleaVE durlni2024was.' e11014. Employ•• b•n&fits.. hll. Also durlng 2024, thF wlfeufthE e￿Irman0fthE PCCIRevd Mlrhael G Loachlwas ymployed45 theCommunltyCEntre Supervlsoroni ￿rt-fI￿tbèsl5.The contracrolemplpymentilbw5 forthePCCorthe ernployeE to 8]￿one month5notlce.The total salarypald to>rah LLoachdurln8 2024waS.' £7516. Employee b•neDts'. nl1. Durlns 2024.thE Setretaryof the Parochlalthurchcuuhdl lalsoanelected rnernbètolthe PCCandthu5 1 trUStÈel was employ￿ isthe part-tlme Communlty CentreAdmln15tratOr￿￿shA￿￿8Wbth the PJr15h5err•14ry.The£cntrncrof employrn•htallDWS forthe Pccorthry employeetoBlYevne rn4nth's notlce.The tot41¥iliry piidtrJ4Me E Dalllel durlng 2024was.' £4409. Employee beDeflti'. nll. ab ThE numbErofemployeesof the PC¢wlth tDialEmoluMentsl￿lud[ry¢Mpl0¥erpenSlonC0Sts1 Ibove£60.OOD peryeor.. Nll 11023 I9￿51?..29 Append￿1 tlooe5e of ChEsier Chrfst Church HlgherBebiDglon PCC Financlal Sialemenls 2024 Notes to the Accounts (4 - 7) Account Cadè 2024 2023 4 Cler9y Costs Clergy expen6es 2050 Secreladal and admln151rallve support. 2370 Msrfing clergy 11056 9671 VIc8rago oxpenses.. 2120 Councll Tax E￿¢1[icIty & gas 2150 Telephone and 8roadbarKI 3233 3991 1491 607 3078 6094 1285 548 Total Expendltura 23041 f)urfng the ye8r, to $UPPDrt the t￿rgy, Ihe PCC empfoyed one per50n in the role of Parfsh Secr8lary on a part-llme basls S Church Runnlng EX￿n5 2301 Insurance 2410 Healing Igasl 2401 Llghling lelecthdtyi 232￿0 MaInlenan￿ and Kffjnor Repairs 2340 Upkeep olservlce5 2420 Waler 5fj 7463 28t3 2198 2284 21$ 5774 2183 2571 2418 259 Total Expendltvre 6 Church Repalrs and Improvèmonts (Fabrlc Fund) 2701 sifuciural rep21rs 16920 Total Expèndltvre 16920 7 Upkeep of Churchyard and Grounds 23SO MainiÈnance charges 2￿7 Materials. 5ervKlng. oil •t¢ Totsl Operatlng Expèndlture 4740 61X) 4320 Impact of kncrease lo Minimum Wage 424 5540 4744 Depreciallon Isee Noi• 131 3334 191041202517..29 Appenthx I Page i* DI￿880 of Chqslqr ChrfJLChutth H1ghBrBobi￿Qn PCC F￿￿lA1 sioi•monls 2024 Notes to the Accounts 8 Communlty Contre Report (includos Men In Sheds) 2024 Arruwrt Code 84 Communlty Centro Incom• UserEDnthbubons 12JO Adutt GTQUPJ.. P￿r•i￿l￿n￿ GtOUP5 Men In Sh•¢s VduntoryGrwp¥ Iundqf 1811 Ineomè lrnrn SO¢1￿ Inniaknvqs bothJng$ 2Q96H 1595 5040 0935 TU•5¢y￿￿¥1￿l*. Connec4Coff•i. Todders. W•1sh ￿6, Lun¢h Club eic iaj 31784 J4689 Donillon••Dd GKtAldfwCenlr• op•￿110￿ Grnnl Incomeforop•￿￿gTr$ 0802 0802 Q102 O To ￿￿#￿￿0.chLWh chpl On• WrT4ieiC uGlv•TNIl 4951 To finarKè'Chureh ChDI•" tsr*ntln¢oMg lor Op•DtIo Totsl Communlty C8ntro Income 5000 T9 8b Opèrallng Expendlturo Uiual Opor4tlng Exp•ndlt¥i• A¢ii¥lly Load8r{Gemm4W¢k1on- Llno Dan¢nul 1280 2562 2561 2520 2550 2552 U¢erKe¥ 0011¥2010 M?nag8monl"' 2585 Mllket 2580 SgNlclnB of F4ant & gqL4pmonl 2503 ew4rdinB VWa51è IbmovBI 1393B 15972 2057 759 13673 910 Tf833 19920 fJ282 t458 2ts1 2214 1152 84 2349 782 2589 Uiual Op•r4tlng Expgndttur• 55e25 EMupIIoMI Opgrntlnq Exp•ndltur• 2S R•pwis, rofuthlshrn8nti ImpffJvomBn Ov•rfLII o￿latIn• Exp•ndllut• 79(N) g055 RepBh io aLrtomibFdm., LEOlvJhting kn ￿￿9# HAI 64518 Ptohet• 4nd ••r¥l¢H ￿¥•r•￿ by pl￿¢u￿rgr*Thts 2055 Cornmunity Ewagernent W(¥kèr 2540 CornTrJnty EngBgqfflqnt Proj¢¢ 2545 WO￿￿9 Conv•iiations (Churth ¢hat*l Exp•nd51ur• on 9ranl fundqd prDJI 5747 3040 3040 fX45 Tolal E¥•ndllur•.' op•r•¥vni *nd Ptol•¢t• 66765 7TftsJ DepT•daUon (••• Noi• 131 Totsl Communlty Cpntr¢ Outgolngs Z581$ 92581 1029Tg Pee èmplty•d one person In thi rd• oleDmmuArty CentTeAdmlniitrnlcron * port-Um• bo511 Thls pprton 41sodepJli5ed lorlh• Pariih S•uq14ry hol¢oyi 'Thv PCC èmployed one p•rson in tha rdv of communlty Cenlrg Supfjrvlsuron o part-Um• bui¥ 19m11202S17'29 Append￿1 Pagq x Clocosfj olChgslBr Chti*tChuTch Hlgher B•bIn￿On PCC FlnyniialS￿bm&DL￿2O24 Notes to the Accounts 9 Church Management & Admlnistration Codo 2024 2023 2310, 2380 Omce cosis 2381. 2531 Mlseellaneous S039 9321 302$ 7171 Toial 10 Grants Paid Aeoowt 2023 Tol unre$￿(ted Rethcled Total *) Hornè Mlsslon Cha[￿$ Thompson's M$*on Church ol England ChI￿r￿n,5 ICECSI The Mothers. Unhjn FDÉndJ ol ¢hBsièr¢athedrBI fSTO RoseQueoni Ch•rity. IRa. Eltiabath Dulhantyi 225 40D 372 400 372 25 797 25 772 blS•eul*rCha￿t￿# 5th BabIng￿Tr BrsA¥tyÈs Cyslk Flbrosls Tru51 RQ Charity FBny Famil￿$ FONM HousingAssO￿0fiOry INCUBABIES Mdcmi118n CAncèr&pport CwpAc8dgryry al Fwdbank io 1850 200 18SO f570 Ros# QueoTr'3 Charfly. {RO.. EIKryb8Lh Dulh&nty) 34 34 124 2275 2184 2184 ¢1 R•ll•l& Q•vèltspm•MtAA•ftel 2043 264$ 2479 Briush Red Cross 2643 2643 dl Ov•rA•45 Mlss10ty 8amabaS FunJ Totsl grants pald 6S 11 Grants Infonnation 2024 2024 2023 Unr95triGted Resthctwd Ru$knCt•d Grant Infam￿h0n oeoz 0802 Grant lorchwthchllts ITOM Bovi￿rt Tru Chiewirral C BvJGwè Trust Grants Mi$¢ C¢ntr¢ Incom 49 12 Speclal Efforts Income Restricied Reslrtcled Bamabas Fund Chrtsvan ChtistirvJle ICECS) Cy5bC F(DtrJ9isTru FgryFamili8 INCUBA8IES MaGrnIIHn CurKorSupport The Mother5, V￿on RISCA Choirconcert ibsh Rad ¢r05s- Ukraln# Appeal jo 2447 221 io 2642 178 )so 2UP 433 949 167 Foo¢bank Total Speclal Efforts 3801 5301 191041202517'.28 App8ndlxl PaB9>i hrfiiChuiÈhMJhWE￿￿￿nnpCc Flrwl SI￿￿￿￿rt￿2DZ4 Notes to the Accounts 13 Tangiblè assets: Caph¢al Spendlng and Depreclation eornmunlty¢•ntr• M¢n hurGhyird4nd Brounds Cth C¢Trtr• Ètyipn)4rt Sh t•in Ov•r411 fotsl Sh•d TDt TM a¥OMm￿coll At I J￿Ul￿ZQ24 1109W2 $210 72Jll 108$3 IU63 114fa16 31 ow1n￿lIr04 Iir 1420 1(*$3 1WJ. 212103 2219è 30I3Q2 21C4 S896 4LbX 298625 Charwtorthoyeir PJ 31 Doc0M￿￿24 SJ71 2807 3a16 1016 317111, 113Y. 32agF5 N•t bDokvalu• At 31 DO¢•m￿r 2024 105600 403 14 375 •12012 5325 865T 7004 7329 IgMJ 619311 64Ugl InPW112011. M¢n&iShEds4ndth*CiaftShrd4repwlolth?CommurltyCintrt'isocMlenyitmEntatt￿￿tt￿$. A￿￿￿￿11y.fNluPka1it(oU￿tl￿p￿p￿5￿Itr*￿he1dlDY￿l du￿d￿nderthtcUrnMyDltyC￿￿rèhEad￿thth*8*￿EeShYeL 14 Debtois &iilyih tJi¢knib*r2D241$AP¥Mb•lr¢￿. 2ll24 2013 f612 D*e•mhr2021 11•c￿lI￿j1rt￿rVaD2S1 OTQi L•A•d• rof•i *f•iJ dl PCC*4WIIs 11 1134 cornmuntrC•￿r￿-￿#Trln Shid Totsl d•bto 2401 2455 4e56 579ZS 11QiQU2S17..2 Diocese of Chester Christ Church Hl9her Bebington PCC Financial Staiements 2024 Notes to the Accounts 15 Investments Movernents in the year: Mari(et value at 1 January 2024 Add.. A￿di￿On$ to Investments at cosl Less.- Disposals at carrying value Add.. gain5 on revaluation Market value at 31 De¢ember 2024 Restricted Endowment Total 25000 468 -346 46494 Detall$ of holdlngs Price per Share Valuè 31 Dec 2tr24 31 Dec 2024 Value al 31 Dec 2023 Galn on Revaluatlon Holding 31 DÈC 2024 CBF Church of England Investment Fund- income Shares Fabrlc Fund Ref609146 001S 844.$2 23.1227 19528 19091 437 G•nernl Fund Ref 609146 002S 100.00 23.1227 2312 2261 51 sub-total 21840 CBF Church ofEngland UK Equity Fund- Income Shares Endowmént Fund Accounti CB1007744-001 12342.02 1.9976 24654 46494 21352 142 16 Cash at Bank ￿%￿1¥¥rj.:.-¥4'.V¥,*... Account Number 31 Dec 2024 37 DeG 2023 Current Accouiits- HSBC PCC General Account Community Centre Operations Accounl Planned Giving Account 100 Club Awounl Cash in sale 01466909 01466917 61043358 61043374 28887 7522 774 3184 1100 41467 36598 22827 Str 2123 7100 62898 sub-tofal Capltal Aeeounts Fabri¢ Reserve Account- HSBC Fabric Reserve CBF 51070916 CB 3023015-001 29714 142876 172590 62032 49Y03 Iq1735 sub-total.. Fabrf¢ Fund Communlty Centre Capit81 A¢count- HSBC Community Centre CBF sU￿r01a1.. Community Centre 71059998 CB 3023017-001 2830 8166 10798 3882 7756 11038 Total 224855 186071 CBF= Church of England Central 808rd of Finanee Total cash Invgstments with CBF 151044 57459 191041202517..29 AppendrK I Page xiii Diocese of Chester Christ Churth Hlgher Bebington PCC Finanaal Statements 2024 Notes to the Accounts Note 17 - Creditors: Amounts falling due within one year Aecounl Code 024 20 2024 2023 Unreslricled ReslActed Total rolal Charitable activities Work of ihe PCC anist fees Salaiies HMRC Workin ense5 of incumbent Outreach & Youn Peo le Church- Routine Maintenance of SeNices Miscellaneous expenditure Church Mana ement & Adminislrats"on 2321 2002 2010 2101 2201 2330 2340 23S1 2360 2370 1391 42 1391 391 79 426 290 73 37r 871 651 84 34 130 349 79 64 Centre Consumables Centre Aciivi Leader Workin Conversations Church Chal$ Cornrnuni Centree- Food and Drink sub.total- Work of the PCC 97 120 180 97 120 180 2545 2565 48Q 282 3887 1497 805 2302 Grants Missiona Societies Relief & Develo ment Home Mission Secular Charities 1801 1830 ie50 1870 Jo 1200 encias 400 200 600 400 200 600 505 2141 SU￿t01a1- Grants sub-total.. Chantable eclivities 1497 1405 2902 6028 Other Creditors ' 2245 2245 3151 Chester Diocesan Board of Finanee sub-total.. Olhercredii 2245 2245 3151 9179 Forweddings and funerals, the PCC acts as agent for the fees due to the Diocesan Board of Finance, clergytravel to Landlcan Crematorlum. organlst. verger and semton. Hence thls Incorne and expenditure is not shown on the Statement of Flnanclal Attlvltles. However, the outstandlng amounts due to be pald need to be shown here to ensure that the Net CurrentAssets flgure shown on the Balance Sheet presents a true plrture. Note 18 - Creditors: Amounts falling due 2 to 10 years Loan$ from members of Chrlst Church HI her Bèbln ton Inttrro$t-free Community Centre Or an Project 20500 Total nin balance at 1 Janua New loan5 durin 2024 Loans re d durin 2024 Closing balance at 310ecember 2024 7850 5000 15500 50QD 23350 7850 191041202517'.29 Appendix 7 Page xiv Dthase of Chester Chrfsl C￿r£h Hlgher eebinulon PCC FIna￿[al Sla18m8nts 2024 Notes to the Accounts 19 Movements In rostrl¢tod funds durlng 2024 Bal bl￿d l Jan 2024 Revaluatlon oIAssets Bal dfwd Trnnsf•rn 31 De¢ 2D24 Income Exp•ndltur8 Fabric Fund 437 Churchyard and Church Ground5 5540 51 5489 Community Centre 844996 40669 95915 22262 812012 Endowment Fund 25211 -346 24654 Spedal charilabfe efforts 2801 5599 1798 Total Rostrlcted Funds 916735 89144 124114 142 2933B 910545 Unrestrlcted Funds 158678 175486 148322 -2933B Total PCC Funds 1075413 264630 273136 0 1067049 191041202517..29 Append￿ I Pa9e xv Diocese of Chester Christ Church Higher Bebington PCC Flnancial Stslernenls 2024 Note 20 This page doe5 not form part of the Annual Accounts bul demonstrates that day-to-day income during 2024 usefully exceeded the corresponding oulgoings. The figures exclude the Community Centre which is ¢overed in detsil in Note 8. so excluded is legacy income and capital expenditure. GENERALACCOUNT Actual Actual 2024 2023 Income Voluntary Glvlng Bank Direct (Standing Orilersl Envelope5 Miseellaneous lumpsums Totsl Planned Giving before GiftAid clairn Grft Tax Reclaim 91184 1184 7795 100163 22953 123116 81029 1824 1645 84498 20322 104820 Tolal Planned Giving Loose Cash e439 131555 9219 114039 Ttstsl Voluntary Giving Donations Donations wa SUM-UP on-line Total miscellaneou5 donations 8569 816 93B5 6263 934 7197 Totsl Voluntsry Income 140940 121231 dl Charitable Actlvltjes to further PCC'S objectlves PCC lees. church heating ète 10023 12732 Othèr Incomlng resources contributs.ons to cost olVic3rdge gas an¢Y eleclricity Totsl Other Incoming Resources 2044 2044 3369 3369 Total Operating Income 153007 137337 Expendlture al Costs of generatlng voluntary In¢orne 81 81 bl Fundralslng eosts 912 1125 dl charltable actlvltles Church Running Expenses Chur¢hydrd and ehurch grounds upkeep Clergy Costs Ministry." DI0￿$an Parish Share Oiganlsl Oulrea¢h,. Young People Office Cgsts & Mi5tellaneous ExpendiluTe 19247 5540 22141 75344 5572 3021 9321 20643 4744 23041 71757 5569 2085 7176 Totsl Operating Expenditure 141179 136201 Opgrating surplus 11828 1136 Commenta rd uldance The figures Illustrate that as a result of ourQ4 2023 Thanksgiving Campalgn, our re8ular Income In 2024 to coverour day to day operating expenditure Increased 5ignifi¢arrtly. Given the level of the PCC'S Cosh at 8onklNote 161 and level of Netcurrent17ssets IBalance Sheet), the PCC Is well able to meet Its financial obli8atlons and can thus be ￿aSonablyde5crIbed as a 'golng concern" 191041202517.'29 Appendlx 1 endix11 Administrative information Christ Church Higher Bebington is situated in Kings Road, Higher Bebington, Wirral CH63 8LX. It is part of the Diocese of Chester within the Church of England. The correspondence address is.. Parish Office, Christ Church Community Centre, Kings Road, Higher Bebington, Wirral CH63 8LX The PCC is a body corporate (PCC Powers Measure 1956, Church Representation Rules 2011) and is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England & Wales (ref.. 1132356). Connected Chari information The Vicar and Churchwardens are the trustees of the Thomas Robinson Charity., Charity Commission ref 233412. Membershi of the PCC.. Up to the Annual Parochial Church Meeting held on 19th May 2024.. Ex Officio members Revd Michael G Loach - Vicar and Chairman Revd Eunice Blackmore - Associate Minister June Bickford - Churchwarden lan Murray- Churchwarden Deane S nod- Parochial re Helen Byrne Nydia Gibson Mark Gleave Fiona Murphy Diane Shaw resentatives of the lait 2023- 2026 Sub-totsl.. 9 Elected re resentatives of the lai Terry Cunningham Jane Dalziel re-appointed as PCC Secretary on 10 May 2023 Sandra Evans Tracy Evans Kate Lewis Victoria Midgley lan Millington - co-opted and re-elected as Lay Vice-chairman on 10 May 2023 Paul Price- co-opted on 10 May 2023 Charles Van Ingen- co-opted and re-appointed as PCC Treasurer on 10 May 2023 Sub-total- 9 Grand total: 18 From the Annual Pamchial Church Meeting held on 19th May 2024.. Ex Officio members Revd Michael G Loach- Vicar and Chairman Revd Eunice Blackmore - Associate Minister June Bickft)rd - Churchwarden lan Murray- Churchwarden Deane S nod- Parochial re Helen Byrne Nydia Gibson Mark Gleave Fiona Murphy Diane Shaw resentatives of the lait 2023 - 2026 Sub-total.. 9 Elected re resentatives of the lai Terry Cunningham- co-opted on 22 May 2024 Jane Dalziel re-appointed as PCC Secretary on 22 May 2024 Sandra Evans Tracy Evans Lynn lon - co-opted on 22 May 2024 Victoria Midgley- co-opted on 22 May 2024 lan Millington - re-elected as Lay Vice-chairman on 22 May 2024 Paul Price Charles Van Ingen - re-appointed as PCC Treasurer on 22 May 2024 Sub-total- 9 Grand totsl: 18 De Churchwardens At the meeting of the PCC held on 22 May 2024, the following people were appointed Deputy Churchwardens: Rose Rogers Diane Shaw Rhona Snelson Sides eo le for 2024- 2025" a Terry Cunningham Rob Evans Tracy Evans David Gibson Ny Gibson Graham Loach Jill Loach Barbara Mayers Roy Mayers Fiona Murphy Beverley Price Diane Shaw Gary Shaw Rhona Snelson Mike Thorne Janet Wallace Jim Wallace Helen Young ointed at the PCC meetin held on 22 Ma 2024 Inde endent Examiner Janet Wallace (Re-appointed at the APCM held on 19th May 2024) On 22 May 2024, the new PCC following the 2024 APCM confirmed the following: 100Club Organiser Child Protection and Safeguarding Offi￿r Church Website co-ordinator Eco Church Development Electoral Roll Officer Flag Captain GDPR Co-ordinator Parish Legacy Officer Recorder- Community Centre Loans & Lump Sum Donations Recorder- Organ Project Loans & Lump Sum Donations Recorder- Envelopes Recorder- Standing Orders Relief Count Supervisor Safety & Security OfFicer Social Media Co-ordinator (ex￿pt CCHB website) Beverley Price Diane Shaw To be arranged Pam Hollinshead Sharon Philpotts Sarah L Loach lan D Millington lan D Millington Barbara Thomas Barbara Thomas Michael Blackburn Barbara Thomas Jim Wallace To be arranged Revd Michael Loach and Authorised representative of CCHB to deal with HMRC regarding PAYE (and RTI) and on-line Gift Aid reclaims Authorised representative of CCHB to deal with the Pensions Regulator Authorised representative of CCHB to deal with the Charity Commission for England & Wales Authorised representative of CCHB to deal with SUMUP and Give A Little (online giving) PCC Treasurer PCC Treasurer PCC Treasurer PCC Treasurer Authorised to negotiate energy contracts (through Parish Buying) Terry Cunningham The new PCC following the APCM also confirmed the composition of the following bodies all of which report to the PCC.. Buildin s & Finance Committee lan Murray (Chairman) Terry Cunningham (Secretary) lan Carr Revd Michael G Loach Alan Jackson Gary Shaw Charles Van Ingen Communi Centre Mana ement Team Charles Van Ingen (Chairman) Sheila Clarke MBE Jane Dalziel (Centre Administrator) Revd Michael Loach Sarah Loach (Centre Supervisor) lan Murray Diane Shaw Men in Sheds Team Stephen lon (Chairman) Terry Cunningham Alan Jackson The PCC authorised the following pastorallsocial initiatives: Initiative Bereavement Support Group Boulders Group Bumps & Babies Carers, Group Connect Coffee Indoor Bowls Knit & Natter Sewing Group Lunch Club Oasis Mental Health Support Group Singing Café Sunday Club Supper Club Afternoon Tea Thirsty Wednesday Toddler Group (Mondays) Leaderls Vera Jackson Libby Potter + volunteers Victoria Gleave sand Becky Jones Rhona Snelson and Graham Loach Rhona Snelson and Libby Potter Brenda White Heather Whitehead and Joan Rippon Sarah Loach Ann Bell Jill Wright and Steve Flatt Revd Eunice Blackmore Janet Wallace Terry Cunningham Sarah Loach Terry Cunningham Sarah Loach, Diane Shaw, Margaret Theobald and Ruth Greenall Lizzie Roach Sarah Loach Walking Group Welsh Cafe ￿￿1RaP0￿2024N1￿￿i¥2.thK