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← The Parochial Church Council Of The Ecclesiastical Parish Of Farnborough In The Diocese Of Rochester, Kent

2023-12-31-accounts

PARISH OF FARNBOROUGH

ST. GILES THE ABBOT and ST. NICHOLAS

Vestry Meeting

  1. Election of the Churchwardens and Deputy Wardens: Churchwardens Andrew Bailey (St. Giles) Claire Couldridge (St. Nicholas) Deputy Wardens Peter Russell ) St. Giles - 8.00 a.m. Sue Rennie ) St. Giles - 10.00 a.m. Janet Palmer and ) Sally Attwood ) St. Giles - 11.15 a.m. Philip Lovelock ) St. Giles - 6.30 p.m. Sheila Munns ) St. Giles - Thursdays 10.00 a.m. Nick Jolliffe ) St. Nicholas

Proposal that we allow all of our Readers to be members of Farnborough P.C.C. (It is customary across the Diocese that licensed Readers are allowed by virtue of their office to be full members of their P.C.C. This needs to be agreed at the AGM or Vestry Meeting).

ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING - SUNDAY 14th MAY 2023 4.30 p.m.

OPENING PRAYERS

May this meeting be in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

The Lord be with you. And also with you. Let us bless the Lord Thanks be to God.

READING: 1 Thessalonians 1: 1-7

We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labour of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers and sisters beloved by God, that he has chosen you, because our message of the gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of people we proved to be among you for your sake. And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for in spite of persecution you received the word with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.

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PRAYERS
Leader: Loving God, we thank you for the fellowship of the Church - for the
privilege of belonging to your people and sharing in the ministry of the
Body of Christ. United us in love,
All: and send us out in faith.
Leader: We thank you for the fellowship of our Church here - for the friendship,
encouragement, support and inspiration we gain from it, and for the ties
that bind us together in Christ. Unite us in love,
All: and send us out in faith.
Leader: We thank you for one another - for the various gifts you have given us as
a family and for the quirks and characteristics which make us what we
are. Unite us in love,
All: and send us out in faith.
Leader: We thank you for the history of our churches - all those who have run the
race before us and to whom we owe our being here now. Unite us in
love,
All: and send us out in faith.
Leader: We thank you for those whose work among us we recognise today - all
who have offered spiritual guidance, nurture and inspiration, and all who
have offered a practical ministry, sometimes unseen, unnoticed. Unite us
in love,
All: and send us out in faith.
Leader: We thank you for the possibilities you set before us - new avenues of
service inviting our response, and new opportunities for witness waiting
to be grasped. Unite us in love,
All: and send us out in faith.
Leader: We thank you for those who will take up office as a result of this meeting
- using their talents, their time and their energy both here among us and,
above all, in the cause of Christ. Unite us in love,
All: and send us out in faith.
Leader: Loving God, we thank you for the fellowship of the Church - for the
privilege of belonging to your people - and we ask you to help us honour
that calling through all we are and do. Unite us in love,
All: and send us out in faith.
Leader: Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.

LORD'S PRAYER

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

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A G E N D A

1.

Apologies for absence

  1. Minutes of the Annual Parochial Church Meeting held at St. Nicholas on Sunday 29th May 2022, (pages )

  2. Matters arising

  3. Reports

  4. (a) Electoral Roll, (page )

  5. (b) Annual Report on the proceedings of the Parochial Church Council,

  6. (pages )

  7. (c) Churchwardens’ Reports including St. Giles Churchyard Report,

    • (pages )

  8. (d) The Parochial Church Council Consolidated Accounts for the year 2022 including Financial Statements for St. Giles the Abbot and St. Nicholas (pages )

  9. Safeguarding (page )

6. St. Giles Centre

  1. Elections

  2. (a) Members for the P.C.C.

St. Giles TWO vacancies

St. Nicholas ONE vacancy

ADDITIONAL REPORTS

Rector, (pages 15-19)

Associate Rector, (pages 19-20)

Mothers' Union, (pages 26-28)

House Groups, (page 28)

St. Giles Website, (page 29) Friends of St. Giles, (page 29) Parish Magazine, (page 30)

The Accounts are on the Notice Boards of both Churches.

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  1. MINUTES MINUTES OF THE VESTRY MEETING AND ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING HELD ON SUNDAY 29th MAY 2022

PARISH OF FARNBOROUGH ST. GILES THE ABBOT AND ST. NICHOLAS

Vestry Meeting

Election of the Churchwardens and Deputy Churchwardens

Churchwardens:

Andrew Bailey (St. Giles)

Approved. Proposed: Sheila Munn Seconded: Sue Rennie Agreed: All. Approved. Proposed: Chris Hallett Seconded: Paul Barnes Agreed: All.

Claire Couldridge (St. Nicholas)

Claire agreed to stand for another year and a vote of thanks was raised for her continued hard work.

Personal thanks for his support given to the St. Giles retiring Churchwarden, Philip Lovelock.

Deputy Wardens: Peter Russell (St. Giles - 8.00 a.m.) Sue Rennie (St. Giles - 10.00 a.m.) Janet Palmer and Sally Attwood (St. Giles - 11.15 a.m.) Philip Lovelock (St. Giles - 6.30 p.m.) Sheila Munns (St. Giles - Thursdays, 10.00 a.m.) Nick Jolliffe (St. Nicholas) Approved. Proposed: Mary Compton Seconded: Lindsay Barnes Agreed: All.

Vote of thanks for all Wardens.

ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING SUNDAY 29th MAY 2022 at 4.00 p.m.

PRESENT: The Revd. Matthew Hughes, The Revd. Stephen Broadie, Mary Compton, Sue Price, Sue Rennie, Sheila Munns, Claire Couldridge, Alan Baker, Linda Montgomery, Carol Fryer, Lindsay Barnes, Chris Hallett, Iren Dancer, Sally Attwood, Paul Barnes, Anne Vincent, Julia Hoadley, Judy Haines, Heather Argent, Carol Stokes, Gill Knapp, Soo Chu Clift, Theo Clift, Pamela Butcher, Sylvia Addison, Richard Healey, Andrew Bailey.

1. Opening prayers led by the Rector and Associate Rector.

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  1. Apologies for absence : These were received from Roger Allard, Diane Stiff, Jayne Calvert, Richard Butterworth, Nick Jolliffe and Sue Simpson.

  2. MINUTES

  3. Minutes of the Annual Parochial Church Meeting held at St. Nicholas on Sunday 23rd May 2021.

    • Approved and agreed.

  4. MATTERS ARISING

  5. St. Nicholas Electoral Roll numbers.

  6. REPORTS

  7. (a) Electoral Roll Report:

  8. No comments.

  9. (b) Annual Report on the Proceedings of the Parochial Church Council: No comments.

  10. (c) Churchwardens' Reports including St. Giles Churchyard Report: No comments.

  11. (d) Deputy Churchwarden's Report on the Goods and Ornaments of the churches in the Parish: No comments.

  12. (e) The Parochial Church Council Consolidated Accounts for the year 2021 including financial statements for St. Giles and St. Nicholas: and the Report of the Independent Examiner:

The Consolidated Accounts together with the Accounts for St. Giles and St. Nicholas were formally accepted.

Vote of thanks to the Treasury Teams at both St. Giles and St. Nicholas.

Approved and agreed.

  1. SAFEGUARDING

We appoint Irene Dancer as Parish Safeguarding Officer and ~~Linda Montgomery~~ as Lead Recruiter; Jenny Wilkins as St. Giles Disclosure & Barring Service Officer; Val Richardson as St. Nicholas Disclosure & Barring Service Officer.

We acknowledge that all PCC members will need to have a DBS check and complete all necessary Diocesan Safeguarding training. This training extends to Churchwardens and any others in positions of responsibility involving children and vulnerable adults.

The AGM and PCC formally adopt the House of Bishops' Safeguarding policy statement available to view at

https://d3hgrlq6yacptf.cloudfront.net/603eb0893e402/content/pages/ documents/1603726336.pdf

  1. ST. GILES CENTRE

Drawings - refurbish/modern extension. Rector updated meeting on plans to refurbish and extend the St. Giles Centre.

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7. ELECTIONS (a) Members of the P.C.C:

St. Giles FOUR vacancies - only two filled.

Nominations: Gill Knapp and Stewart Hutson

Agreed: All.

St. Nicholas ONE vacancy:

Nomination: Rosemary Fordyce Agreed: All.

Linda Montgomery agreed to stand for another year and the other vacancy was not filled.

8. APPOINTMENTS

All agreed to stand for another term. Vote of thanks for all the people who carry out this role for both St. Giles and St. Nicholas. Approved and agreed: All.

Christopher Jones from Baxters is to continue as the Parish Independent Financial Examiner. Vote of thanks for work done and continued support. Proposed: Chris Hallett Seconded: Mary Compton Agreed: All.

9. GOODBYES AND THANK YOUS to outgoing PCC members.

10. ANY OTHER BUSINESS AND DATE OF NEXT A.G.M. APRIL 2023

Stephen and Claire were thanked for hosting today's meeting at St. Nicholas.

  1. CLOSING PRAYERS

The meeting closed with prayers.

  1. MATTERS ARISING

4. REPORTS

ELECTORAL ROLL Report (a)

The figure for the Electoral Roll stands at 396 (St. Giles - 339, St. Nicholas - 56). Our Electoral Roll membership continues to offer a solid base for the ongoing life of the Parish.

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] DECEMBER 2022 - Report (b)

ST. GILES THE ABBOT, FARNBOROUGH With ST. NICHOLAS, ORPINGTON

OBJECTIVES

The Parochial Church Council (“PCC”) has the responsibility of co-operating with the incumbent, the Revd Matthew Hughes, in promoting in the ecclesiastical parish the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. It also has maintenance responsibilities for the Church Centre complexes of St. Giles at Church Road, Farnborough and St. Nicholas at Leamington Avenue, Orpington.

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MEMBERSHIP

Members of the PCC are either ex-officio or elected by the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (“APCM”) in accordance with Church Representation Rules. Members of the PCC who served from 29 May 2022 until the date that this report was approved by the PCC were: -

Ex-Officio:

Rector The Revd. Matthew Hughes Chairman Associate Rector The Revd. Stephen Broadie Reader Mrs. Chris Hallett Wardens Mr. Andrew Bailey until APCM 2026 St Giles Miss Clare Couldridge until ACPM 2024 St Nicholas Deputy Wardens Mr. Peter Russell Not on PCC St Giles Mr. Philip Lovelock Not on PCC St Giles Mrs. Janet Palmer Not on PCC St Giles Mrs. Susan Rennie Not on PCC St Giles Mrs. Sheila Munns Not on PCC St Giles Miss Sally Attwood Not on PCC St Giles Mr. Nicholas Jollife until APCM 2024 St Nicholas Elected: Hon. Secretary Hon. Treasurer Mr. Roger Allard St. Nicholas Gift Aid Secretary Mrs. Carol Fryer Members Mr. Stewart Hutson until ACPM 2025 St Giles Mrs. Gill Knapp until ACPM 2025 St Giles Mrs. Lynn Kelly until ACPM 2024 St Giles Mr. John Kelly until ACPM 2024 St Giles Mrs. Helen Roberts until ACPM 2023 St Giles Mrs. Irene Dancer until APCM 2024 St Giles Mr. Richard Healey until ACPM 2024 St Giles Mrs. Carol Stokes until ACPM 2024 St Giles Mr. Richard Butterworth until ACPM 2023 St Nicholas Mrs. Rosemary Fordyce until ACPM 2025 St Nicholas Mrs. Sue Simpson until APCM 2024 St Nicholas

The United PCC met 3 during the year with an attendance of 70 per cent. In addition, the members representing St. Giles met 6 times (with an average attendance of 70 per cent) and those representing St. Nicholas met 6 times (average attendance 87.5 per cent).

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COMMITTEES

The PCC operates through a number of committees, which meet between meetings of the PCC:

CHURCH ATTENDANCES

There were 390 names on the Church Electoral Roll for the parish as at 31st December 2022.

As a Parish, we are available at times of birth, marriage and death. In 2021, the Parish and its ministry were involved in the following occasional offices: -

18 Baptisms 7 Weddings 38 Funeral services held in church followed by burial in the churchyard or Cremation

15 Funeral services held at a crematorium 54 Burials of ashes.

FINANCIAL RESULTS

Aggregated parish income for the year was £342,275 (2021-£347,638) and aggregated resources used were £281,614 (2021-£277,308). Net incoming resources amounted to £60,661(2021-£70,330). St Giles recorded net incoming resources of £52,330 (2021-£64,896) and St. Nicholas recorded net incoming resources of £8,331 (2021- £5,434).

RESERVES POLICY

It is the PCC policy to maintain a balance on unrestricted funds (less fixed assets) which equates approximately to six months unrestricted expenditure. This was achieved as at 31st December 2022 .

THE CHURCHWARDENS’ REPORTS Report (c)

ST. GILES CHURCHWARDEN'S REPORT INCLUDING CHURCHYARD REPORT This is my first report for my second ‘tour’ as Churchwarden for St. Giles, something that I see as both a privilege and a great responsibility.

This has once more been another busy year at St. Giles with much of it dominated by the effects of the Parish recovering from the coronavirus pandemic. We are not yet back to what we could call ‘normal’ activities yet, but we are moving in the right direction. Now this is not the end of the effects of Covid. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.

As Churchwarden I enjoy a good working relationship with Matthew. I believe that is part of my role to have a good relationship with the incumbent of St. Giles in order to advise and support him in the exercise of his ministry. The Churchwarden is there to bring to the Rector’s attention any issues raised by the congregation, and to represent the interests of the Parish to him and the PCC. I enjoy working with Matthew and appreciate the mutually supporting roles that we share together.

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For the first time in what has seemed ages we have had a full set of services across the whole year. At Easter we held the usual services on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday - both inside and outside the Church (where my brother once again was able to toast industrial quantities of hot-cross buns for the congregations in the Churchyard). We held the full set of services for Harvest and Remembrance Sunday, with lots of flowers (courtesy of the Flower Ladies) and singing (courtesy of the Choir).

Christmas saw much larger congregations flowing through the Church at the four Nativity services on Christmas Eve than in 2021, plus we had the two Advent Carol services beforehand, and the Epiphany Carol services in January. We also had a well-attended Confirmation Service, conducted by the new Bishop of Rochester, the Rt. Revd. Dr. Jonathan Gibbs.

2022 saw several major ‘highs’ and ‘lows’ in celebrating Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee, followed later in the year by her funeral. For both occasions I thought the Parish outdid itself in the music, the flowers, and the way that we conducted the services for both events.

We were aided in all this good work by the arrival of the Ven. Dr. Paul Wright, who joined the Parish this year, and who will certainly be a great asset to St. Giles in the years to come! We also this year held a Memorial Service to Graham Shaw, Rector here 1988-1995, who passed away in April 2021.

We have enjoyed the return of several Parish events. In June we held the Parish Fete for the first time since 2019. It was very well attended, and everybody enjoyed themselves (thanks in no small part to the small army of volunteers who helped organise it). It was the first time in ages where the wider Parish ‘family’ was able to get together and participate in an event outside the Church. The following month we had the first excursion to the seaside for three years with a coach trip to Broadstairs in July. The coach was full and once more I would like to thank Carol Fryer and her team in organising this.

In October we held our usual Churchyard Saturday Morning where the gentlemen, and lady, of the Parish turn up with a whole array of gardening tools to scarify the grass, rake up the moss and seed the lawn. This year it was very well attended.

In terms of goods and ornaments we have purchased new items for both inside and outside the Church. We have a pair of new brass candle sticks on the altar, and a new carpet in the gallery. We also saw an upgrade to the Church’s security system.

During 2022 we continued to undertake a rolling program of ‘deep cleaning’ within the Church. One of the main targets was the Choir Vestry with the space above the storage cupboards being cleared of items to improve the ventilation, which has been a recurring issue in previous years.

In the Churchyard we have gained some benches provided by the family of Thelma Dawes, put into place by Eddie Bellamy. These were laid down on paving stones by Churchyard volunteers. In February 2022 two trees were also taken down in the Churchyard. This was a planned operation, deemed necessary because of disease. The proximity of many grave monuments, including war graves, made this a delicate operation, conducted over three days.

I can report that all the Church's goods and ornaments are in a good state of repair.

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I am always grateful for my fellow Churchwardens/Verger and their total commitment and support over the last year. We would not be able to do what we do without their efforts. I thank them for their time and for the kind support they have shown me. As Churchwardens you have to do lots of things behind the scenes which the congregation do not always see. However, I do have to say that being a Churchwarden is a most satisfying undertaking, and I have enjoyed being one in 2023 immensely.

Lastly, as the Churchwarden, to mis-quote the captain of HMS Torrin, I like to have both an efficient Church, and a happy Church. You cannot have one without the other, and at St. Giles I believe that we have managed to do just that.

Andrew Bailey St. Giles Churchwarden

ST. GILES CHURCHYARD REPORT AS PART OF THE CHURCHWARDEN’S REPORT Report (c)

We have continued our regular Committee meetings over the last year to receive reports from Committee members regarding usage and maintenance of the Church and Churchyard, and discuss and action matters arising. We have welcomed three new and enthusiastic members to the work team in recent months, with an expression of interest from one other. We continue to welcome new members, and would be pleased to see new faces on a regular or occasional basis. I would like to thank our team of volunteers who turn out every Tuesday whatever the weather and work very hard.

There is always something that needs our attention, either in the Church, the Centre, or the Churchyard. The Council have still to repair the flint wall by the lych-gate, which continues to deteriorate. Two recent individual approaches from members of the Committee received the standard response from the Council that they are still seeking a suitable price for the works. In June it will be three years since it was first brought to their attention.

The work to reduce the height of some of the evergreen firs in the orchard which block out light to the other trees has been completed, and members of the Tuesday team have tidied up the lower branches, as well as pruning saplings along the border of the orchard. As a result this area has a much improved aspect.

Nick Reynolds, one of our team and a Committee member, continues to be in charge of the burial of ashes, and digs the holes when he can. This results in saving the Church a significant sum of money. There were 79 burials of all kinds in 2022, close to the long term average of 73. Eight new graves were dug, which was the lowest in recent years. The highest was 22 in 2020. Based on the long term average usage the graveyard has an estimated 20 years of capacity, excluding the area used for open air services.

A survey of headstones was carried out by Nick, and as a result works carried out to make them safe as far as possible. However, the caution to people visiting the Churchyard to beware of potentially unsafe headstones still applies.

Eddie Bellamy, another volunteer and Committee member, remains in charge of ordering the plaques for the Garden of Remembrance Memorial Wall. During the past year 31 new inscribed plaques have been ordered and 12 new blanks. Five blanks were removed and replaced with incised plaques. We have space for 519 more plaques on the existing walls, with a yearly average of 45 this is enough for approximately 11 years. Eddie has cleaned the plaques which are our responsibility.

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Two new benches were installed in the Garden of Remembrance which were kindly donated, and the existing two were reinstated in another part of the Churchyard, giving a total of about 25 seats. Unfortunately the varnish on the new benches has aged rather quickly, but this will be addressed in the coming weeks.

The posts supporting the fence along the top of the wall on the north/east boundary of the Churchyard have now been renewed, but unfortunately the contractor has encountered some supply problems in respect of the fencing itself, but this should hopefully be rectified shortly.

We are still awaiting a date for the placing of a hammer on the large bell to strike the hours. This is being regularly chased with Taylor’s Bell Foundry.

PRO Landscapes have had their contract renewed for this year, the cost now being £7,500 for 20 visits, March to November. This represents an increase of just over 7%, which was considered reasonable. The contractors mow the grass, remove the rubbish, wood chip the paths, and cut some of the hedges.

Martin Parsons Chairman Churchyard and Fabric Group

ST. NICHOLAS CHURCHWARDEN’S REPORT

It has been another year in which St. Nicholas has continued to fufill its mission statement of 'Transforming our Community through the presence of Christ'.

The Community Larder continues to be well used by those who need it and with the rising cost of energy bills and a grant from the Council we were able to include a warm space where people could keep warm and have hot drink while chatting to their friends, all while the larder was is in operation.

The Spring Fair which replaced our Autumn Fair was held just over a month ago, which brought together many people from our local community was very successful.

With Holy Week just finished we had all our usual activities, Prayer trail, Passover meal, Easter Activity Morning, all of which were appreciated by those who attended them . With our usual Easter Services, it has been a busy period.

We have also welcomed some new faces to our Congregation and look forward to including them in our family.

St. Nicholas continues to be a welcoming community in which everyone plays their part. My thanks to Nick and Stephen for their support.

Claire Couldridge St. Nicholas Churchwarden

THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL CONSOLIDATED ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR 2020, INCLUDING FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR ST. GILES THE ABBOT AND ST.NICHOLAS

ST. GILES THE ABBOT

In 2022, we finished with a surplus of £52,330. Our total income was £239,626 which exceeded our total expenditure of £187,296. Following on from the previous difficult two years, 2022 continued to be a troublesome year. Although general activity increased income fell across most revenue channels. This increased activity paired with inflation and increased energy costs, meant an increase of £5,299 in expenditure.

We again benefitted from those who have fond memories of St Giles. As this year we received four legacies totalling £22,500

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Legacies have helped us to build our finances so we are able to weather these turbulent financial years. However, the bedrock of our cashflow is seen in the way the congregation and Church community has rallied behind St. Giles over the past year.

Our Gift Aid income is holding up well, based on the stewardship campaign held in 2019. Although it is normal to rerun the stewardship campaign every three years, we did not hold one last year and the decision has yet to be made whether we hold one this year, recognising the other increasing household financial costs this year. Although, of course, St. Giles has been subject to those same inflationary pressures over the last four years.

Following the restructure of the Parish magazine this continues to operate satisfactorily. Our rental income from Wentworth Close continued unabated and provides St. Giles with a solid income stream.

The hangover from the lockdowns together with reducing appetite for the hiring of halls has meant we were unable to hire out the Centre last year. I expect it to remain very difficult this year.

The Parish Share or Diocesan Contribution for 2022 was £66,028.

As previously stated the St. Giles’s congregation continues to give generously, through planned giving, collections and specific fund raising, as well as time and skills, to the upkeep and work of the Church. Donations from funerals and wall plaques fees help fund maintenance of the Churchyard.

Previous generous legacies provide security, as well as the ability to fund major building repairs and projects, as fabric wears and needs renewing or replacing. These funds also provide security against unforeseen events similar to those we have recently experienced. Therefore, these funds are not utilised for the running costs of the Church and work of the Church. The Rector and PCC monitor running costs with the aim always to keep expenditure below income.

As ever, many thanks to all who help with the St. Giles financial work. The finance team work especially hard, so my gratitude and appreciation goes to, in alphabetical order, Mary Compton, Linda Crisp and Carol Fryer.

Thank you to Eddie Bellamy, administrator of the Memorial Wall fund, in again providing a reliable income stream. Thanks are also due to Adele Cooke for her continued work with the office administration.

In addition, I would again like to thank Carol Fryer for her work as Gift Aid Secretary and Pam Stacey our Planned Giving Envelope Scheme Secretary.

Finally, thanks to Lee Bellamy for looking after the insurance policies and to Mark Auger, for preparing the Parish and St Giles Annual Accounts. Also it is important to acknowledge the work of our examiner, Chris Jones of Baxter’s, Orpington.

Paul Beamiss Hon. Treasurer, St. Giles

ST. NICHOLAS

The St. Nicholas 2022 accounts show a surplus of income over expenditure of £8331.

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The original 2022 St. Nicholas budget had figures of income £100,000, expenditure £104250. The expenditure budget included Repair Fund contributions of £3650. Although these contributions are not expenditure, but a transfer between funds, I do show them as expenditure as a means to try and ensure that the contributions are actually made and the balances increase at least by that amount. The original budget included a Pledged Offer of £48600 to the Diocese compared with the Indicative Offer of £53258, so at least we were trying to make some contribution to the Wider Diocesan Mission in the Offer.

Early in 2022 however our financial position significantly changed when I became aware that the largest St. Nicholas giver ceased giving at the end of 2021. The 2022 budget was subsequently revised to figures of income £89700, expenditure £100800 including Repair Fund contributions of £5750 – up from the original £3650 to include the insurance refund of £2115 relating to the new boiler at Church House for which we had withdrawn funds from the Church House Repair Fund at the Diocese. Given these circumstances at the March meeting the PCC decided there was little option but to reduce the Pledged Offer and this was reduced to £43965 with the result that our Pledged Offer now covered just the Ministry costs and 50% of the Benefice costs but nothing for the Wider Diocesan Mission.

There was more bad news in the summer when the Lucy Griffiths Dance and Theatre Academy gave notice that they would be leaving St. Nicholas after some 27 years of hiring the halls at the end of the summer term. A full year’s income in 2022 was estimated at £14000.

In round terms these two income reductions amount to some 25% of the annual income budget. To date we have had limited success in finding new long term hirers to replace Lucy Griffiths with just two hirers, a Pilates class, estimated to bring in just under £2000 in 2023 for a two hours per week hire and the return of the Indian Class in March for two hours in the Leamington Room on term time Saturday early evenings, which will bring in £1000 in 2023. A one off temporary hire by a child minder while flood damage at her property was repaired has brought in almost £3000.

In July we held an Appeal Sunday at which Liz Mullins, Generous Giving Adviser at the Diocese, spoke. This brought in one off donations including Gift Aid of £4250, increases in regular giving of £1604pa including Gift Aid and new regular giving including Gift Aid of £750pa. A number of donors have joined the Parish Giving Scheme which might lead to them increasing their giving each year by the annual rate of inflation. Although very welcome of course, one off donations do nothing to address the financial shortfall going forward beyond the year in which they are given. What eventually led to a surplus at the year end was a one off donation of £6000 at the beginning of October and actual expenditure just below the budget figure despite considerable expenditure on Church House Repairs and Maintenance and an overspend on the office photocopier due to colour copying the Spring Fair leaflet. This has been produced by professional printers at lower cost in 2023. Net current assets have increased by £8331 at 31 December 2022, an increase of £5107 in the Repair Funds and £3224 in General Reserves.

At the time of writing this report St. Nicholas faces a very uncertain future. The 2023 expenditure budget totals £104500, including Repair Fund contributions of £3750, and the income budget totals £86700, a deficit of £17800. There is nothing in the expenditure budget for the Wider Diocesan Mission (£10053 is the figure in the Calculated Indicative Offer).

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On the basis that there is no significant under or overspending in expenditure the deficit has subsequently reduced and currently is estimated at £12000. The Spring Fair made more money than in the budget and there is likely to be some small increases in other areas of fundraising. There is additional hall hire income of £4500 and some increase in the estimated interest received due to the recent increases in bank base rates. However the stark reality is that an annual deficit of this magnitude is not sustainable and would exhaust reserves in some seven to eight years. The need for another appeal was briefly discussed at the January PCC meeting and a June date agreed at the March meeting and increases in hall hire rates of 4% to 5% for existing hirers from 1 September and with immediate effect for new hirers were agreed (reflected in the £4500 above). It remains to be seen what can be raised from the Appeal but a third in three years is asking a lot of the St Nicholas congregation. It will be no easy task, even impossible, for the PCC to find the ways and means of balancing the books by the end of the year and the recently received Quinquennial Report on the inspection carried out at St Nicholas in October 2022 is not good news, pointing to the need for substantial expenditure in forthcoming years. The PCC will be needing to consider the report in due course.

The St. Nicholas financial position does of course have Parish wide implications. Stephen and the St. Nicholas finance team did meet with Mattthew and his finance team in November and we are currently trying to arrange a next meeting and meet on a regular quarterly basis.

Roger Allard Hon Treasurer, St Nicholas

5. SAFEGUARDING

We appoint Irene Dancer as Parish Safeguarding Officer and Lead Recruiter; Jenny Wilkins as St. Giles Disclosure & Barring Service Officer; Val Richardson as St. Nicholas Disclosure & Barring Service Officer.

We acknowledge that all PCC members will need to have a DBS check and complete all necessary Diocesan Safeguarding training. This training extends to Churchwardens and any others in positions of responsibility involving children and vulnerable adults.

The AGM and PCC formally adopt the House of Bishops' Safeguarding policy statement available to view at

https://d3hgrlq6yacptf.cloudfront.net/603eb0893e402/content/pages/ documents/1603726336.pdf

  1. ST. GILES CENTRE Redevelopment update.

7. ELECTIONS

TWO MEMBERS FOR THE ST. GILES P.C.C. ONE MEMBER FOR THE ST. NICHOLAS P.C.C. THREE DEANERY SYNOD REPRESENTATIVES

8. APPOINTMENTS

SIDESPERSONS -

St. Giles:

Mrs. R. Arney, Miss S. Attwood, Mr. P. Barnes, Mrs. L. Barnes, Mrs. V. Clark, Mrs. M. Compton, Mrs. C. Coyle, Mr. M. Dancer, Mrs. I. Dancer, Mrs. J. Palmer, Reeves Family, Russell Family, Scarlett Family, Mrs. M. Sullivan, Mr. J. White.

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St. Nicholas:

Mrs. C. Allen, Mrs. V. Blinks, Miss I. Broadie, Mrs. P. Butcher, Miss C. Couldridge, Mrs. S. Dixey, Mrs. M. Felstead, Mrs. R. Fordyce, Mrs. C. Gibbons, Mrs. M. Gillies, Mrs. A. Howlett, Mrs. D. Stiff, Mrs. L. Matthews, Mrs. J. Mason, Mrs. S. Simpson.

INDEPENDENT FINANCIAL EXAMINER

Acting under delegated powers (A.G.M. 2001) The P.C.C. appointed Mr. Christopher Jones, F.C.C.A., Baxter and Co. as independent examiner for the 2021 accounts.

The PCC recommends Mr. Jones's appointment for the year 2022 accounts and the A.G.M. is requested to approve this proposal.

  1. GOODBYES AND THANK YOU'S.

10. ANY OTHER BUSINESS To be notified at the beginning of the meeting. Date and time of next A.G.M. 2024

ADDITIONAL REPORTS

RECTOR'S REPORT

INTRODUCTION

This year has proved to be another full and busy time at St. Giles and it does feel as if we are finally building up after all the difficulties of the Covid period. Although we continue to lose members through various scenarios, we are also attracting new ones as well. In this vein it was particularly encouraging to welcome 13 adults and juniors to full membership of the Church via our Confirmation service held at the end of January. It was also good to welcome our new Diocesan Bishop, Jonathan Gibbs, to St. Giles for the first time. St. Giles remains a close and loving family where many people live out their discipleship of Christ with generosity and integrity. Below I have reflected with gratitude on all that constitutes our shared life, (not in order of importance!).

MUSIC

Our choir and music continues to go from strength to strength and I am delighted that we have been able to ‘recruit’ the services of three choral scholars who have done much to boost our choral singing. I continue to place a high priority on this part of our Church's life as I have been around long enough to know that good music is one of the church's greatest assets in encouraging all of us in uplifting worship, whilst attracting new people to the life of faith. Thank you so much to Ralph and Clive for the huge amount of work they put into this area of our Church's life, I know that it is really appreciated by many, our musicians and congregations alike.

CHILDREN AND YOUTH WORK

Trying to attract children and young people to the life of our Church is very difficult in the current climate. Sport and other recreational activities present families with varied and difficult choices on Sunday mornings. Although we may not be as numerically strong as we were, currently we have a wonderful group of children and young people, who not only attend our Church regularly, but offer their time and labour in some key areas of our Church's life. I am very grateful to Irene and her team for all they do in this important part of our Church's life.

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PASTORAL WORK

We now have over 40 people who receive Holy Communion at home, many of them were once regular attendees at St. Giles. It is so important that we offer them care and support during these vulnerable times in their lives. I am very grateful to all our pastoral workers for their hard work in visiting and caring for them. Our pastoral care is critical as actions always speak louder than words. Caring for each other is never just the preserve of a few, we can all reach out to each other, to help build a deeply caring church. People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care!

FLOWER ARRANGING

Well done and thank you to all our wonderful flower arranging teams who continue to offer a very high standard of floral arts on a weekly basis. Their arrangements do much to lift our spirits and contribute to the overall ascetic of our Church and its worship. We look forward to seeing some special arrangements to mark the King's Coronation in May.

CHURCHYARD and FABRIC

I am going to leave the bulk of this report to our Churchwarden. Suffice to say our Church and its grounds continue to be maintained to a very high standard reflecting the respect and appreciation that we all have for St. Giles, its heritage and the important part it plays in the lives of many people. Thank you to all those who help in this area.

BELL RINGING

It continues to give me and many people great pleasure to hear our Church bells ring out and I am very grateful to Lesley, Nick and all our regular ringers who give so much of their time to this area of our Church's life. Once again the bells make an important contribution to the overall attractiveness of our Church, reminding people that we are open and active in our community. We look forward to welcoming Bishop Simon to the Parish on Sunday 18th June at 10.30 a.m. for the Dedication of the two new bells which were installed over lock down.

INTERCESSORS, SIDESPEOPLE and READERS

Thank you to all those who give of their time to help with our services in leading prayers, welcoming people and reading the Scriptures. I and members of our Church very much appreciate the part you play in the worshipping life of St. Giles. In particular I would like to thank Sylvia Addison, who at the great age of ** finally stepped down after many years of being on the readers rota. We will all miss the lovely way she read the Scriptures.

SOCIAL LIFE

Thank you to all those who contribute to the social life of our Church. Bringing people together is a key way in which friendships are made and enjoyed both in the Church and outside as well. These events do not just happen but require careful planning and preparation. Thank you to Carol and her team for the many events which enhance our Church's life, including the huge task of organising and running our Parish Fete, which this year is on Saturday 17th June.

PARISH MAGAZINE

I would very much like to thank Eddie and Helen for all that they have done in support of our Parish Magazine, both when they were its Editors and also in holding the fort when Rosie and Daphne had to suddenly step down. The future of the magazine at one stage was on a very precarious footing, but I am glad to say that we now have a new Editor, Gail Low, who is doing an excellent job in editing our award

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winning Parish Magazine. In times of increasing technology a printed magazine is by no means a given. If we wish for it to continue it is vital that we subscribe to it, or make buying it at Church our regular custom. Once again the magazine contributes to the overall attractiveness of our Church. Thank you also to all those who write articles for it, take photos for it and help distribute it.

Whilst on I am the subject of our publicity, I do want to acknowledge the invaluable work that Nick does in editing and updating our Parish website which is a real credit to our Church and a useful source of information to its many visitors. Also to Lynn Kelly for keeping social media up-to-date with what's happening at St. Giles.

FINANCE TEAM

Most people attending our Church would be surprised to know of the huge amount of work and responsibility involved in running and administrating modern day Parish finances. From counting out the collection and taking it to the Post Office, to the bigger issues of preparing budgets, financial statements and end of year accounts, the work and expertise involved is considerable and demanding. To this end I want to express sincere gratitude on behalf of all of us to the six people in our Finance Team, and this year I especially want to single out our Treasurer, Paul Beamiss who will come to the end of his tenure at this year's AGM. Paul has proved to be a brilliant Treasurer and under his stewardship we have continued to build healthy finances for the work of our Church. In the large and small Paul has had a keen eye for detail and in so doing he has been a shrewd custodian of our resources. I have greatly valued Paul's advice and guidance on all things financial and I am delighted that he has agreed to continue as a member of the Finance Team helping and offering advice where necessary. As one remarkable Treasurer has retired so it is that another very skilled person has agreed to take over. Carol Fryer has offered to take on the role of Honorary Treasurer and I hope that this will be fully endorsed at our coming AGM.

CLEANERS

Keeping St. Giles clean is a mammoth task, not only does it receive considerable footfall at particular times in the year and over many weeks, there are innumerable nooks and crannies that seem to be a magnet for dust and mess. I have a particular thing about clutter in churches as I think you can tell a lot about a church by first impressions! In this sense I am so grateful to our two cleaners John and Lynn for their secret behind the scenes work in keeping the house of God quiet and peaceful and clean! Also to our team of brass cleaners, (did you know we even had one!), who meet regularly in cold and heat to keep our brass and silver gleaming.

ADMINISTRATION

There are a number of people who work very hard to administrate the Parish and I am grateful to all of them. Again this is very much a behind the scenes job, but we would soon realise its absence if there were no pewsheets on Sunday.

CHURCHWARDENS

I cannot thank my seven Churchwardens enough for all their constant support of our congregation and myself personally. In particular our legal Warden Andrew Bailey who is the consummate professional, discreet, diplomatic, kind and thoroughly reliable. Thank you to all of them and again in particular our Parish Verger Peter Russell who, come rain or shine, is at St. Giles every Sunday at 7.00 a.m. and also for the many funerals which take place, always calm and kind, just what grieving families need. Not to mention the many other services he verges at as well including weddings. Thank you also to our PCC members for their wise advice and counsel.

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MINISTRY TEAM

A final thank you to our ministry team at St. Giles which consists of me and our Reader Chris, plus Stephen and now Paul. It is good to be able to share the challenges of parish ministry with trusted colleagues and to know that they keep us all in their prayers as I do them.

THE FRIENDS OF ST GILES

Again this year I have cause to be grateful to the Friends who have generously agreed to help with the tuning and upkeep of our Parish organ. In these straightened times their openness to the needs of St. Giles Church is a source of much encouragement. They are Friends indeed!

IN MEMORIAM

Every year we lose some lovely and faithful members of our Church. In particular it was sad to say goodbye to Richard Wood who passed away 5th November 2022. Richard did so much for St. Giles and we have much to thank him for. May he rest in peace along with all those we love and miss.

ST. GILES CENTRE

I am pleased to say that things are progressing well with our plans for the Centre and just in case they have slipped your mind, the PCC approved plan is to refurbish the main hall and to build a modest extension, (including a toilet!), coming out from the present site of the Parish Office. The plans have now been submitted to Bromley Council and we are now in the process of seeking planning permission. The next stage will be to put together a detailed specification before we go to tender. When we do finally know what the cost is, we will then commit a year to fundraising as much as we can for this important project.

STEWARDSHIP CAMPAIGN

It is natural that over the years a church's income stream should decline somewhat. This is certainly true for us, people move away and pass away and cost of living scenarios can mean that donations are reduced. To arrest this it is probably sensible for us to have a Stewardship campaign in September. A Stewardship Campaign is when we review our giving in the light of our circumstances that collectively we can all give what we can for the ongoing work and upkeep of our Church that means so much to us.

IN CONCLUSION

I realise that the above is a lengthy tour de force of the many components that make up the life of St. Giles. I have written all this to help us see the colossal effort that so many people put into St. Giles so it can be there for us and many others when it is needed. From the big to small, the seen to the unseen, the easy to the difficult, everything that is done and offered helps. The point to all we do individually and collectively is not just to keep the ‘show on the road’, but to extend the reach and mission of our Church so that God's love and light may shine out to those around us. I have taken a risk in mentioning so many groups and individuals and if I have missed anyone out then my sincere apologies to you, thank you to you as well!

When Jesus was on earth he was the light, bringing hope to all those who he encountered. Now we are the body of Christ and we are his hands and mind in this Parish called Farnborough. Thank you very much to everyone! I will leave you with a prayer from St Teresa:

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Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. You are the eyes by which He sees, You are the feet with which He walks. You are the hands with which He blesses all the world. You are the hands.

Matthew Hughes Rector of Farnborough Benefice

ASSOCIATE RECTOR'S REPORT

It is now over a year since we moved to a pattern of 10.30 a.m. Morning Worship with 9.15 a.m. Communion on the 2[nd] and 4[th] Sunday of the month. We now plan to stick to this pattern for the foreseeable future. We enjoyed a good Christmas period, with a return to more ‘normal’ service, having unrestricted numbers at our Christingle Service for the first time in two years, and our usual Midnight Communion and Family Christmas service. At the beginning of Advent two of our young people were Confirmed at the Deanery Confirmation Service at St. Paul’s, Crofton, and we are delighted that some more members of our Kids Club completed the diocesan ‘Preparation for Communion Course’ in December. Messy Church now runs once again every month, with fairly good numbers, and contact with new and familiar families.

We are continuing to run our Community Larder, and alongside this since the beginning of January we have been running a ‘Warm Space’ serving tea and coffee in the main hall thanks to a grant from the Diocese. Although the colder weather has largely passed, we plan to continue creating this community space alongside the larder for the foreseeable future. In recent weeks nearly 30 people have been accessing these services each week, with links continually being developed with the wider community. Most recently Brothers Bakery in the Crescent have become a partner, giving us their leftover bread at the end of each Monday. Nevertheless these are challenging times for all food banks and for the Transform Bromley Borough Food Hub as supermarkets experience shortages themselves and have decreasing supplies of surplus food.

We held a very successful Spring Fair on the 11[th] March which raised over £1800. We are also planning to hold a Coronation Community Lunch on 9th May and a Coronation Messy Church on 12[th] May this year. On a Sunday morning we are enjoying steady numbers, whether across two services on the 2[nd] and 4[th] Sunday or just one service on the other Sundays. Although we have lost some members of the congregation following the pandemic, we have gained new members and are very privileged to enjoy thriving children’s and young people’s groups.

As I think about those who have served our Church over the past year, I would like to express my thanks to the PCC, and in particular to Claire Couldridge, Church Warden, and to Nick Jolliffe, Deputy Warden. I am also very grateful to Roger Allard, our Treasurer, and Richard Butterworth our Deputy Treasurer. I must also thank the different Lay Ministers at St. Nicholas: Diane Stiff, our Children and Families worker and Pastoral Assistant, Rosemary Fordyce, our Pastoral Assistant with PTO, and Ian Gillies, Reader with PTO, with a wider ministry across the Deanery. Thanks must also go to Jayne Calvert, for all her work with the music, MU and the Community Larder. Thank you also to Catherine Roffey for all she does as Church Administrator and Lettings Manager. Thank you also to all who help with the teas and coffees and the flowers on a Sunday morning, to all the many volunteers who make ministry at St. Nicholas possible.

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Having experienced a very challenging three years, the congregation at St. Nicholas continue to demonstrate great innovation and good spirit as we fulfil our mission of ‘Transforming Our Community through the Presence of Christ’. As I come to the end of my seventh year in this role, I continue to count it a great privilege to be serving this Parish.

Stephen Broadie Associate Rector

ST. GILES MUSIC

It is only when looking back over the last year that it becomes clear what a significant one it has been for music at St. Giles.

There have been many highlights. Of course there have been the big services - the Joint Jubilee Evensong in June with our friends from St. George's, Bickley; packed Advent and Christmas services; Confirmation and Easter. For me, however, the greatest pleasure has been our regular weekly services, with the choir going from strength to strength, growing in numbers and singing challenging and beautiful music to an ever higher standard. The addition of our three Choral Scholars - Alex, Alfie and Tom - has been a massive support to our back row, particularly during the absence through illness of the much loved Andrew Hunt.

Particular thanks also to Clive, our dedicated Organist, and Julia and Alison whose responsibilities for wardrobe involved looking after people just as much as looking after clothes.

Despite our occasional disagreements over hymn choice I also want to publicly thank Matthew, we are extremely fortunate to have a Rector who understands so well the marriage between music and liturgy and offers such support, practical and pastoral to the Choir.

Finally an exhortation! Those who join the congregation for our choral services regularly comment on how moving they find them and, once we get them through the door for the first time, are hugely appreciative regular attenders. It is not unusual however for the Choir to significantly outnumber the congregation. Please help to spread the word, encourage your music loving neighbours to come and experience the joy of Choral Evensong, bring a friend with you to services and share copies of the termly music lists far and wide.

Ralph Barlow Music Director

ST. GILES FAMILY & CHILDREN'S WORKER

I am pleased to report that all of our groups for children and young people are now up and running, continuing to meet regularly with consistent numbers. Children and young people attend when they can, which is commendable in these days of multiple choice of children’s activities. In spite of following up, some families have not returned since the pandemic, but we have been delighted to welcome new ones. Our vision remains, “to foster a Family Community within the church”. We remain committed to working alongside parents, seeking to enable children to follow and know the love of Christ.

Lollipop Club

Lollipop Club meets monthly in the Church. Parents and carers with babies and toddlers are able to enjoy a relaxed time with one another, participating in story and crafts. Look out for their posters at the front of Church.

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Junior Sunday School

This group meets on the 2[nd] , 3[rd] and 4[th] Sundays at 9.50 a.m. Story, craft and song is enjoyed by all and we work towards creating an attractive termly display in Church. Since the last report our topics have been ‘Abraham’s Family’ and the promises God made to him; ‘Belonging’ with a focus on the Lord’s Prayer; and ‘Jesus the Teacher’ looking at what Jesus teaches us about forgiveness, love, generosity, trust and humility.

Senior Sunday School

These children meet on the 2[nd] and 3[rd] Sundays at 9.50 a.m. We study the lectionary bible readings for that week and present the learning through craft, encouraging personal interpretation and reflection.

Youth Group

We have had various reincarnations of this group, seeking to find the most appropriate time and venue to meet. We are conscious of the busy school lives these young people lead, with homework and exams as a priority. More recently we have met for discussion, followed by a meal at the Rectory on a Sunday evening.

Easter Workshop and Good Friday

Our Easter services are well attended. Some of the older children meet in Holy Week to paint pictures of the Stations of the Cross for the Good Friday service in the churchyard. No Easter Family service would be complete without an Easter egg hunt and the children participate with enthusiasm!

Celebration and Prizegiving Service

This is held in July every year and in 2022 the theme was about the importance of having children in our Church and how we, as a congregation, are incomplete without them. A display of children’s work undertaken throughout the year is exhibited. All children and young people who attend Church are rewarded with either a book or small token of our appreciation.

Christmas

Numbers at the candle lit services on Christmas Eve were encouraging. The Sunday School led service had a focus on the Christingle and how this relates to Christ’s nativity. On Christmas Day, children brought their presents to Church to show the congregation.

Walks

During Covid, when we were unable to meet in groups indoors, we arranged family walks as a way of continuing to connect with one another. Although not so frequent, we have continued this and meet occasionally for a walk around High Elms.

Holiday Club

Thanks go to Diane Stiff and St. Nicholas Church for arranging and hosting the annual Holiday Club which some of our children attend. I am pleased to be involved with this, leading one of the groups. It is a wonderful week which we all enjoy.

None of the above can take place without parents bringing their children to Church. Thank you to all parents and carers who continue to do so and for your invaluable support. Thank you too to the various team members who help us in this important work. You know who you are. Thank you!

Irene Dancer St. Giles Family & Children's Worker

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ST. GILES SAFEGUARDING REPORT

The Church of England Safeguarding Policy states that, “Safeguarding is at the heart of our Christian faith…. Safeguarding means the action the church takes to promote a safer culture in all our churches….. The church will take appropriate steps to maintain a safer environment for all.”

Our commitment to creating a safe, caring environment for all remains paramount at St. Giles and St. Nicholas churches and is fundamental to bringing about the Kingdom of God.

As Parish Safeguarding Officer (PSO) I meet regularly with both PCCs to update and inform them of our progress towards this aim and present action plans for next steps.

I can confirm that our churches have adopted the House of Bishops’ Safeguarding Policy and Practice Guidance. We have our own Parish Safeguarding Policy, which supports and illustrates this guidance and which is updated regularly. Copies are located in both churches, in St. Giles Centre and on the Parish website.

Current work being undertaken focuses on ensuring that all those who work with children and/or vulnerable adults have updated their training. It is required that training is updated every three years. Colleagues provide me with evidence of their compliance.

Since the last AGM I have taken on the role of Lead Recruiter and, with Jenny Wilkins at St. Giles and the newly appointed Chris Deeks at St. Nicholas, am looking at all post holders to ensure that their DBS is up-to-date. Again, this needs to be renewed every three years. In line with ‘Safer Recruitment’ the St. Giles PCC have adopted Diocesan guidance to obtain a Confidential Self Declaration Form prior to DBS renewal if one had not been completed upon original appointment. Going forward, the St. Nicholas PCC will adopt the same policy. Again, in line with Safer Recruitment, we are seeking to ensure that all relevant post holders have a basic job description.

Following the Church of England’s ‘Code of safer working practice’ the PCCs have agreed and approved the children’s/vulnerable adults groups we support. I have been working with the St. Giles groups to ensure that appropriate risk assessments are carried out and that the necessary consent forms, registers and other requirements are in place. Diane Stiff has done the same at St. Nicholas.

A positive safeguarding culture is integral to the smooth and safe running of all institutions. The church, however, has a special responsibility as we are disciples of the Gospel of Christ. While policies and guidance are important, it is the actions we take to implement those policies and the positive relationships we build with one another that ensure such a culture is present in our churches..

Irene Dancer Parish Safeguarding Officer

ST. GILES FLOWER ARRANGERS REPORT

2021 - 2022

Flower arranging is now back to normal. Mothering Sunday posies, Easter, Harvest and Christmas displays were achieved and also a successful Platinum Jubilee in June 2022 to honour our beloved late Queen Elizabeth ll.

Organisation

There are approximately four Meetings during the year with Matthew. We discuss previous events and advise on future commitments.

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We are still in the situation where only three teams are currently in operation. It has been decided that each team in turn will now arrange approximately three extra Friday’s during the months April-December. The extra weeks are marked in the yearly Flower Schedule, kindly produced by Doreen Wilson.

We continue to have dedicated resource for all flower bookings, Book of Remembrance etc. and wedding liaison.

Recruitment

We have new people who have joined and hopefully more will give arranging a try this year. The idea is to reinstate a new team 2 with help from existing teams.

Donations

We continue to receive regular donations from the congregation re the main flower festivals and requests for Book of Remembrance, window arrangements and occasional pedestal.

Costs

The cost of fresh flowers obviously varies from week to week. For main Festivals and Weddings we use wholesale suppliers. The intended move of our main wholesaler has not yet taken place so we are still within reasonable distance to collect flowers. We use the supermarket flowers most weeks and/or local Florist for more specialised requests, e.g. Weddings. We are very lucky that our members bring fresh foliage from their gardens each week and at Festivals.

Pricing for 2024

The budget for weekly flowers and festivals to be reviewed, along with pricing for requests and wedding flowers. New budget usually advised first Flower Meeting in January.

Contact Details

Our details remain available via the Church website and Church magazine. Photos of the main Festivals are included in both publications.

Next Events

Following Easter Festival in April 2023 the next planned event will be floral displays to mark the King’s Coronation in May 2023, when the Church will be open.

St. Giles Flower Arrangers

ST. GILES BELLRINGERS

2022 was a better year than the two previous years but that wasn’t difficult! Through the year Covid restrictions and incidences of Covid gradually decreased but Covid is still with us impacting from time to time on individuals.

As mentioned in previous Reports the installation of the two new bells was completed on Maundy Thursday, 1[st] April, 2021 but due to Covid restrictions we have only in the last year been able to ring the bells fairly freely, hold regular practices and have the ability to teach new recruits.

The bells have been rung most Sunday mornings prior to the Family Service as long as there has been a competent person to take charge. Additionally, the bells are rung for practices approximately every other Monday evening, on some Tuesdays from 11.00 a.m., for weddings and funerals upon request and occasionally for peals by arrangement, such as on Christmas Day.

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Twenty four quarter peals were rung in 2022 (just two in 2021), and six peals. On Friday 9th September the heavy Gillett and Johnston bell was tolled upon the death of Queen Elizabeth II and there was general half muffled ringing on Saturday 10[th] September in which 11 local ringers participated.

The former, redundant, clock bell which was mentioned in last year’s Report has been sold following PCC approval and granting of a Faculty. Pleasingly this bell is to be rehoused, subject to fund raising and Faculty, at Thurloxton in Somerset as a full circle ringing bell. It will be the treble of an augmented ring of six bells.

Taylor’s of Loughborough, who completed the 2021 Farnborough augmentation, have returned to carry out some snagging works. However, another visit is required to:

In order to maintain a healthy band of ringers and replace those no longer ringing it is necessary to recruit and teach new ringers. This is being done at times convenient to the new recruits mainly either before the main Monday evening practice or, recently, on Sunday afternoons after the winter Evensong Service.

Finally, thanks go to the members of the band that turn up regularly to ring.

St. Giles Bellringers

ST. GILES SOCIAL COMMITTEE

Social activities are of major importance at St. Giles, bringing us together as a community, and encouraging integration with the larger community that is Farnborough. Throughout the year we try to put on refreshments after services: tea and coffee after the Sunday 10.00 a.m. service with occasionally cakes, and sometimes soup, and wine and juice after Evensong. These events prove popular, and many people linger for a drink and a chat; keys for the Centre toilet are always to hand.

The annual Fete in June is always well attended. It also proves to be the biggest fund raiser of the year. It takes a lot of work, but its well worth it, and last year raised £5,317. The pressure was eased by the generous sponsorship of the costs of setting up this event. We had lots of entertainment, including a Punch & Judy with John Styles MBE. The emphasis last year was on a relaxing Garden Party atmosphere and many people lingered over food and drink to listen to the music, the singing from the enthusiastic Rock Choir and the violin playing of Matthew English. We even ran out of Pimms and had to send the Rector for more bottles. Of course, dare I tempt providence for this year’s fete on 17[th] June, but the weather was definitely with us. Fingers crossed for this year.

Coach trips have also been well supported and we had our annual trip to Broadstairs in July. A full coach and lovely weather; some people even went swimming. This year’s trips to Brighton, Winchester Christmas market and of course Broadstairs are planned.

Harvest Supper has now become an annual Barn Dance. We serve a two course meal and the Ian Petrie band provides the music. Ian is a popular caller and can get most people up on their feet; there is plenty to watch for those who feel their dancing days are over.

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The year finishes with the refreshments in the Village Hall after the Nine Lessons & Carols service. Mince pies, sausage rolls and mulled wine for everyone to wish each other a Happy Christmas.

These events bring us together as a community, and we encourage those outside of the congregation to participate. Willing volunteers are the one key to successful social activities and we always seem to get the support we need, but of course we always need more. So, a very big thank you to all those who give their time and energy to making these events work.

The other key to great social events is participants. We need your support; come along to events when you can, bring your family and friends; if you can’t get there please sponsor or donate.

Carol Fryer

ST. NICHOLAS FAMILY & CHILDREN'S WORKER

ST. NICHOLAS TODDLER GROUP

The St. Nicholas Toddler Group meets on Wednesday mornings during term time. Each week about 40 toddlers plus their mums, dads and carers come along. A variety of toys are available and there is a craft or messy play activity for the adults to do with their children each week. The morning finishes with a story and song time. Once a month a Toddler Service takes place with a Bible story, prayer and associated craft.

KIDS CLUB AT ST. NICHOLAS

KIDS CLUB takes place on Sunday mornings during the Church service. It is for children from about 3 years old upwards and we divide into groups for age appropriate activities that include a Bible story songs, prayer and craft. The older group, Ignite, (school year 6+) is led by Isabel Broadie.

In the Autumn term we ran a Children and Communion Course and at the end of it two of our Kids Club children were baptised and five took their first Communion. This term we have been looking at the life of Elijah and have found out how God cares for us and that he is always with us. The children and teenagers were involved again in the Christingle service, the title of the play this time being 'The Christmas promise'.

JUST BABIES

Just Babies takes place in the Mother and Baby room at St. Nicholas on a Tuesday afternoon and is for mothers and their babies, up to crawling age. It provides an opportunity for mums to develop friendships and to chat over a cup of tea in an informal and friendly atmosphere. Please spread the news about Just Babies to any mothers you know with young babies.

MESSY CHURCH

Messy Church happens monthly on a Friday afternoon after school. We have about 40 people at each session. Children and their parents come together to play games and do craft activities which are linked to a Bible story. The themes over this past year have included: The Queen's Jubilee, Creation, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent and St. Patrick's Day.

LIGHT AND BRIGHT and EASTER ACTIVITY MORNING

These events are open to all in the community and are very popular. They provide opportunities to build up relationships with people and to share the good news of Jesus through games and crafts.

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HOLIDAY CLUB

The children's Holiday Club took place last August. It was called 'Diary of a Disciple' and we looked at some events in Luke's Gospel through drama, games and craft. We thought about how Jesus is the real Christmas gift; the calling of the disciples; the healing of the paralysed man and the parable of the Good Samaritan. Our memory verse for the week was 'Love your neighbour as you love yourself', Luke 10.27 . We also had a visit from the Community Police. The week finished with a Holiday Club service on the Sunday.

I would like to thank all who help with the children and family activities at St. Nicholas.

Diane Stiff Family and Children's worker St. Nicholas

MOTHERS' UNION

The Farnborough branch of the Mothers’ Union is still thriving in the Parish!

We decided to keep our monthly Monday evening meetings by Zoom, as with the dark, winter evenings, it has meant that no one has had to venture out into the cold to meet together in person. Also, another positive thing is that it has enabled members from other MU branches, both near & far, to join in these Evening Prayers by Zoom. Sharing faith & fellowship through prayer is very important to us all and underpins all the work we do in Christ’s name together.

We have almost 30 MU members in the group, with another 2 due to be enrolled soon. Members who are not able to join us by Zoom are always given a paper copy of each service before the Monday meeting, so they can feel involved and follow the prayers at home.

We follow the Church's year, and most of the prayers are taken from the Mothers' Union website, an excellent resource to share together. This present month of April we have shared Lent Reflections, 'Christ is risen'.

In December we again held our Zoom service supporting the 16 days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence entitled "No More 1 in 3", and lit candles to show solidarity with our friends who have sadly been affected, both in the UK and overseas. Many suffer in silence and are undetected in their wider community. Mothers' Union joins each year with other organisations from approximately 187 countries who participate in this campaign to raise awareness of and call for an end to gender-based violence in all forms and in all societies. Last December, several MU members from Rochester Diocese gathered in solidarity outside Rochester Cathedral with other organisations during the 16 days of Activism period.

Mothers' Union was founded in 1876 by Mary Sumner, a clergyman's wife, from a small home-group meeting she started to support young mothers who were living in her husband George's parish in Old Alresford near Winchester. In those days it was very unusual for a woman to start up any group, and even more unusual that Mary Sumner reached out to all the women in the parish, irrespective of their class. 146 years later, our beliefs and goals are still very relevant today. We have over 4 million Christian members in 84 countries in the world, and Mothers' Union continues to flourish.

On August 9th we celebrate Mary Sumner Day, and members of Rochester Diocese have always joined in a pilgrimage starting from their home church, stopping off at various churches along the way to the Cathedral to share in Choral Evensong together. Unfortunately, last August it again wasn't possible to travel as a group, but about 150 members from around the Diocese did go down to Rochester Cathedral to celebrate Evensong.

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Like many other charities, Mothers' Union has suffered again this past year through lack of fund raising, however our group has just participated in this year's Make a Mother's Day campaign. This year our theme was entitled, "Give the gift of perseverance”, and we have raised almost £300 for this project, to help members both in the UK and overseas. The project is to help enable more women to improve their families’ wellbeing.

Our Worldwide President, Sheran Harper, wrote, " This, Mothering Sunday, our love, prayers and strength as a community mean so much to women and their families around the world and here at home. Your gift of perseverance can give desperately needed support to women, families and communities everywhere we work, while at the same time helping you celebrate someone you admire and who inspires you”.

The highlight of this past year was being invited by St. Giles Church to be the Charity in Focus for July/August, to support one of our projects, AFIA – which stands for “Away From It All”. It is a holiday/day trip scheme funded by Mothers’ Union members to help people who would not otherwise have a holiday or day trip. A short break can give families the space and time to create positive memories, build relationships and strengthen family bonds. We had a very successful campaign, holding various cake stalls during some of the Summer services at St. Giles, we chose and attended the film night in July, and then hosted a very well attended Afternoon Tea at St. Nicholas Church at the end of August. Altogether, over £1000 was raised. This money helped send 3 families on a much-needed holiday last year. To date, we have one holiday booked for a family this year. We thank Matthew and St. Giles Church members very much for the generosity shown to Mothers’ Union for the AFIA project.

Locally, several members of Farnborough Mothers' Union and other friends are still knitting colourful squares, which are then sewn up into blankets. This past year several baby cot-blankets have been given to SCBU at the PRUH, and it has also received many cardigans, hats, bootees, cannula mitts and mugs for the preterm and sickly babies needing care there.

Other blankets have been taken to “Knit for Peace” project in Hampstead.

Some members have continued to knit 'Anna Crosses' for the Anna Chaplains to give to residents in Care Homes when they have been along to administer Communion (Covid restrictions last year did, unfortunately, affect their ability to go into some of the care homes).

Rochester Diocese Mothers’ Union has always had a relationship with the Prison in Rochester, and last year we donated several rucksacks for the inmates’ personal use when they had completed their sentence, to preserve their dignity and have something to put their few possessions into.

Some MU members have just helped deliver Easter eggs and cards to parishioners of St. Giles and St. Nicholas who are no longer able to attend services in person. It was wonderful to see the joy and gratitude on their faces when we handed over the presents!

We continue to hold our Zoom meetings on the 1st Monday of the month at 7.30 p.m. and we meet in person on the 3rd Thursday afternoon at 1.30 p.m. at St. Nicholas Church.

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The 1[st] Thursday morning we have now returned to St. Giles to attend the 10.00 a.m. Communion, and usually cakes will be provided by us to accompany the tea/coffee after the service!

If you are interested in hearing more about the Mothers' Union, and would like to get involved, contact Jayne Calvert on 07780664340 or email: jayne_calvert@hotmail.com

Jayne Calvert

HOUSE GROUPS

This has been another difficult year for our House Groups, but those led by Alison Reynolds, Andy Chapman, Jenny Hutson and Sue Simpson have continued meeting, but mainly online. Although they miss face to face social contact and having a shared cup of tea/coffee, it does have some advantages, e.g. members can join from their own home without the need to travel - particularly helpful for less mobile individuals (a broken hip in one case); it also gives greater flexibility for those with dependents to look after.

The different groups have followed and discussed study guides and talks on Jonah, Christian character, Caring for Creation (very topical and highly recommended), a Passion for Christ and Lives of Great Christians. Some groups followed Matthew's 2022 Lent Course entitled, 'What makes for human flourishing?' which explored 'Coping with change', 'Anxiety & Worry', 'Forgiveness' and 'Nature and Human Creativity'. Ailsa Chapman's House Group reassembled for this (although they have been, and will continue, to keep in contact with each other). There was also another Lent Group, led by Matthew, and held at the back of the Church following the 4.00 p.m. Sunday evening service.

People have found it valuable to get together, either for real, or virtually. Sue's group has also set up a What's app group for encouraging each other and for support in between meetings which is proving successful.

I hope that the various groups manage to thrive during 2023. It you would like to join a group please contact me.

Heather Argent House Group co-ordinator 01689 857785 / hargent@talktalk.net

After very many years as House Group Coordinator, I am now stepping down from this role and hope that someone else will take this on. I think that house groups play a vital part in parish life; meeting regularly in a small group helps you get to know each other better and they provide mutual support and encouragement as you learn and grow in your Christian faith together. Alison, Andy, Jenny and Sue continue to be amazing and faithful group leaders and I’d love to see more people volunteer to lead a group. This doesn’t mean they have to know all the answers - just be prepared to act as a facilitator so that group members all feel they belong and that their contributions are valued. I have plenty of books which give helpful and practical advice on setting up and running a group. In addition, I have quite a library of study courses on different books of the Bible, Bible characters, the Lord’s Prayer, Christian living etc which provide all the material and questions needed for group sessions. At one time and across the parish we had ninety people participating in a Lent course - yes,90! I’d love to see that same level of support once again. Could YOU be part of this? Heather Argent 01689 857785

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ST. GILES WEBSITE

Farnborough Parish website :

www.farnborough-kent-parish.org.uk

The website has continued to provide information to parishioners and others about our Church, its history and events, both past and upcoming.

As life returned to a more normal footing after the pandemic, so Church life has restarted. The website has covered events including the Summer Garden Party, Harvest Festival and the special evensong to mark the Platinum Jubilee of her Majesty the Queen. Sadly, we also had to mark her death in September. We look forward to the special events associated with the Coronation of King Charles III on 6th May.

In June the website recorded the memorial service for The Revd. Graham Shaw, and in January this year the Welcome for the former Archdeacon of Bromley & Bexley Paul Wright as our new Assistant Priest.

The website was moved to a different hosting contract in April 2022. This makes detailed analysis of year by year website usage a little difficult, but the trend is up compared with the previous year. The busiest months were June and December.

Farnborough Village History website

www.farnborough-kent-village.org.uk

The history website has been updated with articles about Limes, the former laundry in the village, also Goddendene, the March family residence and workshops at Locksbottom.

The site now contains about 110 pages, which makes it larger than the St. Giles website. The number of visitors is growing steadily year on year, and is now also larger than for the St. Giles site, although they spend less time on the site at each visit.

Some pages from the website have been used in modified form in the Parish magazine.

Nick Reynolds nickrstgiles@gmail.com

FRIENDS OF ST. GILES

The Friends continue to support the Church in any way they can. During the last year we have particularly supported organ needs, i.e. another special pipe that was needed and also the tuning of the instrument that is a regular commitment.

We had a fund raising jigsaw puzzle sale in September that did not do quite as well as it should due to a huge thunderstorm that rained down on customers and helpers! Thanks to everyone, it raised £108.50.

The Committee meets regularly, both in person and via Zoom in order to keep in contact with our financial advisor. We thank all the Committee but we particularly thank our Treasurer, Roger Allard, and our Secretary, Sue Ellis. Our AGM was held in the Church again this year.

We lost one of our founding members, Yvonne Burr, this year. She is particularly remembered for her wonderful work in dealing with the tickets for our twice yearly concerts which, thanks to Yvonne, were always a sell out.

The 250 Club continues to thrive. If you would like to be a member, it costs £12 per year and details are available from Sue Ellis, 07715 860504.

Julia Hoadley Chairman

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PARISH MAGAZINE

The end of 2021 saw the end of an era with the retirement of Eddie and Helen Roberts as long time editors of the Farnborough Parish Magazine. Great thanks must be given to this hardworking pair who managed to bring the magazine to a prize winning level. They will be sorely missed.

The search was on for a new editor. Rosie and Daphne took over in January 2022, starting with the February issue. They did a great job but unfortunately ill health prevented them from continuing and their last issue was November 2022.

The hunt was on again, and Eddie and Helen stepped into the breach to temporarily fill the space. As this is written in 2023, we can acknowledge the introduction of Gail Low as our new editor from the April issue, with a great deal of support and help from the twice outgoing editors.

The Farnborough Parish magazine is a 28 page glossy magazine produced once a month. It contains information, articles, pictures and adverts relevant to Farnborough and the surrounds, and costs £2.50 per issue and can always be found in the Church. Subscribers who pay for the year (helps our editor to know how many copies to print) get their magazine delivery included in the price. Thanks must be given to our delivery team.

Financially the magazine is having a tough time. Covid prevented the magazine from being printed. This hole was plugged by on-line copies, and Matthew’s monthly bulletins. With the ease on restrictions, the magazine went back into production but, of course, we had to get back our regular subscribers, contributors and encourage our one-off sales. Advertisers, too, had to be encouraged back to a much reduced circulation.

Overall the magazine made a small profit in 2022. Fortunately, the profits from previous years have provided reassurance in the short term, but we do need to get back to pre-Covid levels again. Unfortunately the cost of living crisis is continuing to make life difficult for all. Renewals for 2023 have been good, but we do need to increase circulation substantially.

Farnborough Parish Magazine is a valuable tool for community out-sourcing, a means of keeping in touch, and should not be lost as a non-profitable item.

9. CLOSING PRAYER

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

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THE PARISH OF Tr"AILNBOROUGII IN THE DIOCF.SE OF ROCHESTF,II KENT ST. C.11.F.S THF. ABBOT ST. NICHOLAS INANCIAL STATF.MF.NTS FOR THF, YEtlR ENDF.D 31ST DECF.MBER 2023 Incumbent: Rev'd Vlatthew Ilughes Associate Rector: Rev'd Stephell Broadie Principal Bankers: Barclays Bank plc Santander LiK plc Indepcndent Examiller Baxter & Co, Chartered C.ertificd Accountants

"I-IIE PARISEI oTr- fAIIIYIIOROUGH IN TIIE DIOCF.SF. OF ROCIIF.STEIL KENT ST. GILES I'HE ABBOT ST. YICIIOI,AS coN'rENTS (A) I.NDLPEISDENT LK4MINER'S REPORT ON THE FIYANC.IAL .STATEMF.NTS FOR THF. YEAR EPI'DED 31, DLCEMBER 2023 (B) FINANCJ.41. ST ATEMENTS Page Consolidated SOFA for the year ended 31, Dccember 2021 Consolidated Balance Sheet at 31, December 2023 Notes to the Consolidated Accounts St. Giles the Abbot Ststement of Finaneial Activities Balance Sbeet otes to Aeeounts Incomin% Resources Detail Resources Used Detail 8-11 12 St. Nichola5 Statement of b inaDcial ActiTrities Balance Sheet Note5 to Accounts Jncoming Resources Detail Resources Lsed Detail 14 15 16 17 18

Honorary Independent F.xaminer's Rcport to the Parochial Church Council of St. Ciiles the Jlbhot, Trarnborough This rcport on Ihe financial siatements ol- the Pdrochial Church Council (the"PC.C") for the year ended 31, D¢¢¢inbcr ?0?3, which arc set out on page8 I to l 8, is in respect ol- an examination carricd out in accordan¢c ￿'1th IhL c.hurch AcLounling' R¢gulatiOlls 2006 {"thc Rcgulaiions ') and section 145 ul. lh¥ Charitics Act 2011 ("the Act"). Rcspective responsibilities of the PCC and the Examiner As mcmbers of tlic PCC jou arc rcsponsihle for thl preparation of Ihe financial siatcmcnts. you considLr Ihal Ihe audit rLquirement ol- Ihc Elegulations dnd section 144(2} ol. the Act do not apply. It is n]y responsibility lo issue this rcport nn thosc financial Statcmcnis in accordanLe with the tcrms af the Rcgulations. Basis of this Report My cxamination wa5 Larried ()ut in aLLL)rdance witli the General Dircctions giTren by Ihe c.harity Commission undLr section 145(5)(b) of thc Act and io bc found in the Church Guidance. 2006 edition. That Lxaminalion includes d review of ihe a¢¢ounting records kLpI by the PCC and d cnmpdl'isun ofthe financial staterncnts with thosc reburds. It also includes Lollsidering any unusual iierns or di5GIo%uFLS in the finanLial s1atcmcnl￿ tLnd 5¥eking explanations from you, a5 Trustees, Loneerning any SULh mattel's. Thc procedurcs undLrtaken dn noL provi<l¢ all the e￿.id¢n¢e that would be required in an audit, and consequeiiily I do not cxpress an audit opinion on thc i'iLW given by the financial statements. IDdependent Examiner's Statement In Lomiection wilh my ¥Aaminatioii, no inattcrs haN'e come to my attention: whiLh give mc rLdsonable cause lo b¥lieve that in any matcrial rcspccl the requircLncnlS'. to keep accounting records in accordan¢¢ with s¥ction 13U ol the Act; to prcpar¥ findncial siaiements whicl) accord with the accounting records and comply with thc requiremcnts ofihe ALI and th¥ Rcgulalinns havc nut been met; or lo which. in my opinion: attcntion should be drawn in order to enablc a pioper understanding o)I' Ihe tinanLidl slaiements lo bc rcaLhed. Signed.. 28, April 2024

PARISH OF FAELNBOKOUC.11, K&'.N'I' s'r. Gll,F.S THF. ABBOT ST. ￿lCHOLAs CONSOLID.FaTED STATEIqENT OF FINAINCI.4L ACTIVI'fiLS FOR Tllb- Yl.'AR F,NDTr.I) 31st DECEflBF.R 2023 Ir"co￿lI￿G RESOLIRCLS Ilnre5trictLd Designated Restricted b und5 llnds Funds Total 2023 'I'otal 2U22 Tllcomin¥ resour¢e5 from 2¥nvr#ted fund5 Volun¢arv iDcome Actii'ities for generatin¥ funds Ini'e5ttnent in¢ome 13.3,n33 63,743 11,800 452 46,088 179,573 63,74J 28,092 201,12X 59,417 20,911 16,292 Incvming resource5 from charitable activities 37.867 23,41n 01,277 58,069 Other ffineoming re50ur£rs 1,457 2.75Q TOT AI, IL¥C.OMINC RESOL RCES 247,900 16,744 69,498 334,142 342,275 RF.S()URC.F.S USED Cost of genLr#ting volunt*ry income 13,Y81 247 14,228 io,ooi Charilablc a¢tiYities 226,465 9,407 45,236 281,108 271,613 Governance cv5t TOTAI. RESOLRCES L%EI) 240,446 9,407 45,483 295?36 ?81,614 et incomin￿{OUtgV1n£I resource5 pre transfers 7,454 7,337 24,015 38.806 61b,661 TrAn5fers between funds 721 (506 Net (decrease)lincre&se ID funds 6,733 6,831 2S,242 38,806 60.661 Total funds brollght fonv&rd 1,7Y3.530 744,97a 249,060 2,787.568 2,726,907 Total funds carried forward 1,81Tr0,263 751,809 274J02 2.826J74 2 787 568 Page 1

PARISH OF FARLNBOROLGII, KEP4'r ST. GILES THF, ABBOT AND S'I". NICHOLAS COINSOLIDATED BALAYCE SHEET AS AT 31st DLCE.MBER 2023 2023 2022 FIXED ASSE'I'S Tangible assets 2,155,494 2,155,494 2,155,494 2 155,494 CURRF.N'r ASSETS Dcbtors And prepayments No notice accounts Notice AccouDI Cash at bank and in hand CCLA Funds 2,524 348,949 85,1164 209,480 32,009 2,625 265,463 83,152 267,597 26,1134 678,021 644,871 LIABILITILS Creditors: amounls falling due within one year (7,139) (12,797) ET CURRENT ASSETS 670,882 632,074 TOTAL NET ASSE'I'S LESS LIABII.ITIES 2 826,376 2 787 568 RF.PREsE￿yF.D BY: u￿,1{ESTRICTLD FLNDS DESIGNA'TED Tr-UNDS RESTRICTED Tr"UNDS 1,80U,265 751,IIU9 274,302 1,793,530 744,978 249,06U 2 826J76 2,787.568 Thc notes on pages 3 to 5 lorm part of these accounts. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Fin4ineial Reporting Standard for Smaller Entities. Approved by the Parochial Church Council on 28, April 2024 Rector Churchwarden Financial Accountant Ilon Treasurer Page 2

THE PAR]SH OF F'ARNBOROUGEI ST. CilLÈS THE ABBOT NQTES TO THE CONSOLIDATLD ACCOLNTS FOR TFIE YEAR F.NDED 31" DECF.MBF,R 2023 Fonn of Accounls and Accounting Policies Thc fLnancial statement% hav¥ been prepared in ac¢()rdanLe wilh the Church ALcLiunlingJ Regyulations 20U6. with applicable accounting %tandards and thc Charities Statcment of Recommcnded Practicc ("SORP") FRS 102. The Parish du¥s not mak¢ payments for thc prLparation of thc annual accounl and PCC. trustLCS arc not rcJnunLrai¢d. A noJninal paymenl ok-£600 was rnadc 10 the ind¢pendcni finanLidl exdmincr. Dioccsan Contribution 'I'hc DioL¢san Contribution is an annual contribution froni each parish toward8 Dioecsan cxpcndiNrL based upon whdi ihe parish Lan alfoid and includLS a contribuliun Iowdrds Llergy Lvsls (including slipends) which arc Iinanccd by ihe Dioces¢ dircciSy. Policy on RLscrves Thc c.hurch Accounting (Amcndment) RegulatiL)ns 2001 rcquir¥ PCCS to sct out Iheir w)licy on Keserves. Desigjnalcd and restrictcd reservcs arc establishcd for particular, speLified purposes. Gencral rcsLrves are hcld io provide for ungoing cash dcmands and to providL for unf()re.sLcn em¢rbFenLies. Parish Property Assets Consccratcd prnpcrties arL Lxcluded from the accounts undcr Sect. 96 (2) (d) of the Ch￿ltIeS ALI, 1993. This includes thc c.hurch and churchyard. ovable Church fkllnishings are held on speLial trust by the Wardens on behalf of thu PCC and are exLlud¢d Irom the dLLounts. Such itcms arc reLord¥d in the parish inventory which may bc inspcutLd by appointn]cnl. Thc Rcctory huilding is the responsibility of the DioLcs¥ and thereforc excludcd. Page 3

I'HE PAKISH OF FARNBOROLIGH ST. GJLES THE ABBOT NOTES "I'O THE CONSOI.IDATF.D ACC.OUNTS ST FOR THE YEAR F.NDED 31 DELLMBER 2023 Parish Property Asscts (cont) iv The Si. Qiil¢s Cenlr¥ is not consccrated propcrty. It falls within (he PCC'S trustcesELiP and is requirid hy the Charities AL[ ti) be included in Ihc accounts. li is reLord¢d at Lts Icvalued amouThi at 31 st Dcccmbcr 2012. Deprccialion of the C.cntrL building has not b¥cn proN'idcd in Ihese aLLount5 as any Lharge is not Considercd to bc material on IhL basis that thLS asset has a Trcry. long use￿[ LLiTrnomiL life ur d rc5idual Vdluc based on its current value whiLIi is nul materially difterent from its carrying valuL. Any centre contcnls are not considered to be of rnaierial value. The Church Hdll (St Nicholas} is incliidcd at its last insurcd ￿.￿lUatIOn. Thc Church House is includcd ai a valuation based upon dn esllmate of the LUSL to rebuild it in the event of itg (olal loss. Dcprcciation has not becn prnvidcd for eiiher property based upon sin]ilar consideraliuns io those ouilin¥d in iv) abov¥. vi) An intcrest in a freehold property (" 12 Wentworth Close"} ib held on tNsl by the Dioces¢ of Ri)ches(¥T for the bencfiLial ownership of Si Ciiles and is inLluded in thLse accounts at its initial probatL I'alualion as a F'reehold Properry. This valudtion is infornidlly reviewed annually lo assess ￿,he[her it rcmdins rea.sonablc. Depreciation is not providLd based upon sirnilar consideratioiis to thosc i)utlined in iv) abo￿.¢. Intcr Church Transfcrs Intcr-church tinancial tranqfcrs are dcalt with by offscl durin<? the year wiilll"n the twa accounts in order to avoid duplication ol- income and cxpenditure at Lonsolidalion. 'ri¢nds of St Gil¢s The Friends OL. St Giles is a registcrcd charity and accounis separately lo ihe Charity c.ommissioners. Page 4

THE PAtUSEI OF FAILNBOROUGH ST, CJILES TEIF. ABBOT OTES'I'O TEIE CONSOLIDA'I"ED ACC.OLNT8 FOR THE YEAR ENDF.D 31 DECEMBF.R 21123 Flower Fund The FI0￿.Cr Fund Treasurer opcrdlvs a separalc bank account and draivs down Ihc fluw'¥i l¢es froin Si. Giles from timc to lime as requircd. The Fund dLcounts are intcgratcd within these financial qtcltemcn(s. Ri8k Policy The Cliurch Accounting Rcgulaiion8 2006 rcquir¥ ihe PC.C' t() set out its policy on Risk Nlanagemcnt. The PCC. hds dlrcady undertakcii Child Protcction, Ilcalth and Saft(y and F ire Risk A55essments. So far as concerns finanuial risk, conlrols regulate Ihc banking <lrrdn¥¥menls including online bdnkingj and the issuc or cheques (two signulures). Ca5hllow is managycd monthly and budgciary controls arc in place. For the hroadcr liabilitie.s the PC.C has comprLhLnsive insuranLe wilh ihe PCLiali8t insuran¢¢ compdlly J LLulesi&stiLal Insuranc¢ Group. Property assets were subjecl to a full survey and Vdlualion by ihe LcLlesiaslical InsuranLe C.ompdny duiing 2012. Siakehalder Pcnsiuns T'lie PCC. has regist¢red Th'ith thc l.Lgal and (icnLral Assurance SoLicly as ils stdkeholder Pension piovider. 'L'o datc no eligiblc membei. of staff has cxprcssed an inl¢i'esi in joining the Scheme. GarLien ol. Rernembrance (Wall Fund and Plaques) The PCC is re%ponsible lor adrninistralion ol. thc wall inemorials schcmc u,hich conunenLcd in 2006. bunds rcceivcd from thc qal¢ of cach niemorial pr()vide for the cost of an in8talled, Lngrdved pluque, d Lontribulion towards the cost of buildinbF new walls dnd a contribulioii towards thc gcncral upkeep of lh¥ churchyard. Indcp¥ndenl Lxamination of thc Accounts Baxter & Co, ("hartercd C¥rtitied AcLounlants, provided ali indcpendent xamination of the financial 8tatemcnts. Fage 5

THE PARISH OF Tr"AILNBOROUGII IN THE DIOCF.SE OF ROCHESTF,II KENT ST. C.11.F.S THF. ABBOT ST. NICHOLAS INANCIAL STATF.MF.NTS FOR THF, YEtlR ENDF.D 31ST DECF.MBER 2023 Incumbent: Rev'd Vlatthew Ilughes Associate Rector: Rev'd Stephell Broadie Principal Bankers: Barclays Bank plc Santander LiK plc Indepcndent Examiller Baxter & Co, Chartered C.ertificd Accountants

"I-IIE PARISEI oTr- fAIIIYIIOROUGH IN TIIE DIOCF.SF. OF ROCIIF.STEIL KENT ST. GILES I'HE ABBOT ST. YICIIOI,AS coN'rENTS (A) I.NDLPEISDENT LK4MINER'S REPORT ON THE FIYANC.IAL .STATEMF.NTS FOR THF. YEAR EPI'DED 31, DLCEMBER 2023 (B) FINANCJ.41. ST ATEMENTS Page Consolidated SOFA for the year ended 31, Dccember 2021 Consolidated Balance Sheet at 31, December 2023 Notes to the Consolidated Accounts St. Giles the Abbot Ststement of Finaneial Activities Balance Sbeet otes to Aeeounts Incomin% Resources Detail Resources Used Detail 8-11 12 St. Nichola5 Statement of b inaDcial ActiTrities Balance Sheet Note5 to Accounts Jncoming Resources Detail Resources Lsed Detail 14 15 16 17 18

Honorary Independent F.xaminer's Rcport to the Parochial Church Council of St. Ciiles the Jlbhot, Trarnborough This rcport on Ihe financial siatements ol- the Pdrochial Church Council (the"PC.C") for the year ended 31, D¢¢¢inbcr ?0?3, which arc set out on page8 I to l 8, is in respect ol- an examination carricd out in accordan¢c ￿'1th IhL c.hurch AcLounling' R¢gulatiOlls 2006 {"thc Rcgulaiions ') and section 145 ul. lh¥ Charitics Act 2011 ("the Act"). Rcspective responsibilities of the PCC and the Examiner As mcmbers of tlic PCC jou arc rcsponsihle for thl preparation of Ihe financial siatcmcnts. you considLr Ihal Ihe audit rLquirement ol- Ihc Elegulations dnd section 144(2} ol. the Act do not apply. It is n]y responsibility lo issue this rcport nn thosc financial Statcmcnis in accordanLe with the tcrms af the Rcgulations. Basis of this Report My cxamination wa5 Larried ()ut in aLLL)rdance witli the General Dircctions giTren by Ihe c.harity Commission undLr section 145(5)(b) of thc Act and io bc found in the Church Guidance. 2006 edition. That Lxaminalion includes d review of ihe a¢¢ounting records kLpI by the PCC and d cnmpdl'isun ofthe financial staterncnts with thosc reburds. It also includes Lollsidering any unusual iierns or di5GIo%uFLS in the finanLial s1atcmcnl￿ tLnd 5¥eking explanations from you, a5 Trustees, Loneerning any SULh mattel's. Thc procedurcs undLrtaken dn noL provi<l¢ all the e￿.id¢n¢e that would be required in an audit, and consequeiiily I do not cxpress an audit opinion on thc i'iLW given by the financial statements. IDdependent Examiner's Statement In Lomiection wilh my ¥Aaminatioii, no inattcrs haN'e come to my attention: whiLh give mc rLdsonable cause lo b¥lieve that in any matcrial rcspccl the requircLncnlS'. to keep accounting records in accordan¢¢ with s¥ction 13U ol the Act; to prcpar¥ findncial siaiements whicl) accord with the accounting records and comply with thc requiremcnts ofihe ALI and th¥ Rcgulalinns havc nut been met; or lo which. in my opinion: attcntion should be drawn in order to enablc a pioper understanding o)I' Ihe tinanLidl slaiements lo bc rcaLhed. Signed.. 28, April 2024

PARISH OF FAELNBOKOUC.11, K&'.N'I' s'r. Gll,F.S THF. ABBOT ST. ￿lCHOLAs CONSOLID.FaTED STATEIqENT OF FINAINCI.4L ACTIVI'fiLS FOR Tllb- Yl.'AR F,NDTr.I) 31st DECEflBF.R 2023 Ir"co￿lI￿G RESOLIRCLS Ilnre5trictLd Designated Restricted b und5 llnds Funds Total 2023 'I'otal 2U22 Tllcomin¥ resour¢e5 from 2¥nvr#ted fund5 Volun¢arv iDcome Actii'ities for generatin¥ funds Ini'e5ttnent in¢ome 13.3,n33 63,743 11,800 452 46,088 179,573 63,74J 28,092 201,12X 59,417 20,911 16,292 Incvming resource5 from charitable activities 37.867 23,41n 01,277 58,069 Other ffineoming re50ur£rs 1,457 2.75Q TOT AI, IL¥C.OMINC RESOL RCES 247,900 16,744 69,498 334,142 342,275 RF.S()URC.F.S USED Cost of genLr#ting volunt*ry income 13,Y81 247 14,228 io,ooi Charilablc a¢tiYities 226,465 9,407 45,236 281,108 271,613 Governance cv5t TOTAI. RESOLRCES L%EI) 240,446 9,407 45,483 295?36 ?81,614 et incomin￿{OUtgV1n£I resource5 pre transfers 7,454 7,337 24,015 38.806 61b,661 TrAn5fers between funds 721 (506 Net (decrease)lincre&se ID funds 6,733 6,831 2S,242 38,806 60.661 Total funds brollght fonv&rd 1,7Y3.530 744,97a 249,060 2,787.568 2,726,907 Total funds carried forward 1,81Tr0,263 751,809 274J02 2.826J74 2 787 568 Page 1

PARISH OF FARLNBOROLGII, KEP4'r ST. GILES THF, ABBOT AND S'I". NICHOLAS COINSOLIDATED BALAYCE SHEET AS AT 31st DLCE.MBER 2023 2023 2022 FIXED ASSE'I'S Tangible assets 2,155,494 2,155,494 2,155,494 2 155,494 CURRF.N'r ASSETS Dcbtors And prepayments No notice accounts Notice AccouDI Cash at bank and in hand CCLA Funds 2,524 348,949 85,1164 209,480 32,009 2,625 265,463 83,152 267,597 26,1134 678,021 644,871 LIABILITILS Creditors: amounls falling due within one year (7,139) (12,797) ET CURRENT ASSETS 670,882 632,074 TOTAL NET ASSE'I'S LESS LIABII.ITIES 2 826,376 2 787 568 RF.PREsE￿yF.D BY: u￿,1{ESTRICTLD FLNDS DESIGNA'TED Tr-UNDS RESTRICTED Tr"UNDS 1,80U,265 751,IIU9 274,302 1,793,530 744,978 249,06U 2 826J76 2,787.568 Thc notes on pages 3 to 5 lorm part of these accounts. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Fin4ineial Reporting Standard for Smaller Entities. Approved by the Parochial Church Council on 28, April 2024 Rector Churchwarden Financial Accountant Ilon Treasurer Page 2

THE PAR]SH OF F'ARNBOROUGEI ST. CilLÈS THE ABBOT NQTES TO THE CONSOLIDATLD ACCOLNTS FOR TFIE YEAR F.NDED 31" DECF.MBF,R 2023 Fonn of Accounls and Accounting Policies Thc fLnancial statement% hav¥ been prepared in ac¢()rdanLe wilh the Church ALcLiunlingJ Regyulations 20U6. with applicable accounting %tandards and thc Charities Statcment of Recommcnded Practicc ("SORP") FRS 102. The Parish du¥s not mak¢ payments for thc prLparation of thc annual accounl and PCC. trustLCS arc not rcJnunLrai¢d. A noJninal paymenl ok-£600 was rnadc 10 the ind¢pendcni finanLidl exdmincr. Dioccsan Contribution 'I'hc DioL¢san Contribution is an annual contribution froni each parish toward8 Dioecsan cxpcndiNrL based upon whdi ihe parish Lan alfoid and includLS a contribuliun Iowdrds Llergy Lvsls (including slipends) which arc Iinanccd by ihe Dioces¢ dircciSy. Policy on RLscrves Thc c.hurch Accounting (Amcndment) RegulatiL)ns 2001 rcquir¥ PCCS to sct out Iheir w)licy on Keserves. Desigjnalcd and restrictcd reservcs arc establishcd for particular, speLified purposes. Gencral rcsLrves are hcld io provide for ungoing cash dcmands and to providL for unf()re.sLcn em¢rbFenLies. Parish Property Assets Consccratcd prnpcrties arL Lxcluded from the accounts undcr Sect. 96 (2) (d) of the Ch￿ltIeS ALI, 1993. This includes thc c.hurch and churchyard. ovable Church fkllnishings are held on speLial trust by the Wardens on behalf of thu PCC and are exLlud¢d Irom the dLLounts. Such itcms arc reLord¥d in the parish inventory which may bc inspcutLd by appointn]cnl. Thc Rcctory huilding is the responsibility of the DioLcs¥ and thereforc excludcd. Page 3

I'HE PAKISH OF FARNBOROLIGH ST. GJLES THE ABBOT NOTES "I'O THE CONSOI.IDATF.D ACC.OUNTS ST FOR THE YEAR F.NDED 31 DELLMBER 2023 Parish Property Asscts (cont) iv The Si. Qiil¢s Cenlr¥ is not consccrated propcrty. It falls within (he PCC'S trustcesELiP and is requirid hy the Charities AL[ ti) be included in Ihc accounts. li is reLord¢d at Lts Icvalued amouThi at 31 st Dcccmbcr 2012. Deprccialion of the C.cntrL building has not b¥cn proN'idcd in Ihese aLLount5 as any Lharge is not Considercd to bc material on IhL basis that thLS asset has a Trcry. long use￿[ LLiTrnomiL life ur d rc5idual Vdluc based on its current value whiLIi is nul materially difterent from its carrying valuL. Any centre contcnls are not considered to be of rnaierial value. The Church Hdll (St Nicholas} is incliidcd at its last insurcd ￿.￿lUatIOn. Thc Church House is includcd ai a valuation based upon dn esllmate of the LUSL to rebuild it in the event of itg (olal loss. Dcprcciation has not becn prnvidcd for eiiher property based upon sin]ilar consideraliuns io those ouilin¥d in iv) abov¥. vi) An intcrest in a freehold property (" 12 Wentworth Close"} ib held on tNsl by the Dioces¢ of Ri)ches(¥T for the bencfiLial ownership of Si Ciiles and is inLluded in thLse accounts at its initial probatL I'alualion as a F'reehold Properry. This valudtion is infornidlly reviewed annually lo assess ￿,he[her it rcmdins rea.sonablc. Depreciation is not providLd based upon sirnilar consideratioiis to thosc i)utlined in iv) abo￿.¢. Intcr Church Transfcrs Intcr-church tinancial tranqfcrs are dcalt with by offscl durin<? the year wiilll"n the twa accounts in order to avoid duplication ol- income and cxpenditure at Lonsolidalion. 'ri¢nds of St Gil¢s The Friends OL. St Giles is a registcrcd charity and accounis separately lo ihe Charity c.ommissioners. Page 4

THE PAtUSEI OF FAILNBOROUGH ST, CJILES TEIF. ABBOT OTES'I'O TEIE CONSOLIDA'I"ED ACC.OLNT8 FOR THE YEAR ENDF.D 31 DECEMBF.R 21123 Flower Fund The FI0￿.Cr Fund Treasurer opcrdlvs a separalc bank account and draivs down Ihc fluw'¥i l¢es froin Si. Giles from timc to lime as requircd. The Fund dLcounts are intcgratcd within these financial qtcltemcn(s. Ri8k Policy The Cliurch Accounting Rcgulaiion8 2006 rcquir¥ ihe PC.C' t() set out its policy on Risk Nlanagemcnt. The PCC. hds dlrcady undertakcii Child Protcction, Ilcalth and Saft(y and F ire Risk A55essments. So far as concerns finanuial risk, conlrols regulate Ihc banking <lrrdn¥¥menls including online bdnkingj and the issuc or cheques (two signulures). Ca5hllow is managycd monthly and budgciary controls arc in place. For the hroadcr liabilitie.s the PC.C has comprLhLnsive insuranLe wilh ihe PCLiali8t insuran¢¢ compdlly J LLulesi&stiLal Insuranc¢ Group. Property assets were subjecl to a full survey and Vdlualion by ihe LcLlesiaslical InsuranLe C.ompdny duiing 2012. Siakehalder Pcnsiuns T'lie PCC. has regist¢red Th'ith thc l.Lgal and (icnLral Assurance SoLicly as ils stdkeholder Pension piovider. 'L'o datc no eligiblc membei. of staff has cxprcssed an inl¢i'esi in joining the Scheme. GarLien ol. Rernembrance (Wall Fund and Plaques) The PCC is re%ponsible lor adrninistralion ol. thc wall inemorials schcmc u,hich conunenLcd in 2006. bunds rcceivcd from thc qal¢ of cach niemorial pr()vide for the cost of an in8talled, Lngrdved pluque, d Lontribulion towards the cost of buildinbF new walls dnd a contribulioii towards thc gcncral upkeep of lh¥ churchyard. Indcp¥ndenl Lxamination of thc Accounts Baxter & Co, ("hartercd C¥rtitied AcLounlants, provided ali indcpendent xamination of the financial 8tatemcnts. Fage 5