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← The Parochial Church Council Of The Ecclesiastical Parish Of St Lawrence, Bovingdon

2024-12-31-accounts

St Lawrence Church Bovingdon

Annual Meetings to be held on Tuesday 8[th] April 2025 at 7:30pm St Lawrence Hall

Agendas and background papers

You are warmly invited to attend and take a full part in this important event in our Church life.

If you would like to stand for election as a Church warden or member of the PCC, please pick up a nomination form from the back of church. If you would like to know more about what any of these roles entails, speak to Charles, Chris West or a member of the PCC.

After the meeting there will be a short update on the ‘Patience’ project and a glass of wine to mark the final APCM in St Lawrence Hall.

St. Lawrence Church, Bovingdon

ANNUAL MEETINGS

Tuesday 8[th] April 2025

7:30pm St Lawrence Hall

  1. Prayer

  2. Apologies for absence

ANNUAL MEETING OF PARISHIONERS

Agenda

  1. Minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 23[rd] April 2024.

  2. Matters arising from the minutes of the meeting of Tuesday 23[rd] April 2024.

  3. Election of Churchwardens

ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING

Agenda

  1. Minutes of meeting held on Tuesday 23[rd] April 2024.

  2. Matters arising from the minutes of the meeting of Tuesday 23[rd] April 2024.

  3. Annual reports:

  4. Electoral Roll (verbal report to the meeting)

  5. Accounts for the year ended December 31[st ] 2024 (p12)

  6. Mission and Outreach — Charitable Giving (p22)

  7. Fabric, Goods and Ornaments (p23)

  8. Safeguarding (p24)

  9. Children, Families & Youth Work (p25)

  10. Little Fish (p29)

  11. Welcome Café report (p31)

  12. Teatime (p32)

  13. Patience Project Update (p34)

  14. PCC Secretary’s Report (p35)

  15. Rickmansworth Deanery Synod (p38)

  16. Churchyard (p40)

  17. Appointment of Independent Accounts Examiner

  18. Election of Electoral Roll Officer

  19. Election of Parochial Church Council

  20. Closing remarks

  21. Churchwarden's remarks

  22. Chairman's remarks

St Lawrence Church, Bovingdon

Minutes of the

Annual Meeting of Parishioners

Tuesday 23rd April 2024, 7:30pm

St Lawrence Church Hall

Revd Charles Burch (CEB) opened the meeting with prayer asking God to open our hearts to his will and to one another throughout the annual meetings.

Apologies: Alison & Gary Cartlidge, Joanna & Ricard Owens, Tim Taylor, Dena Tyler, Gary Cullum, Pauline Wright, and Kully Dhadda

1. Minutes of the AMP held on Tuesday 25[th] April 2023.

There being no amendments these were approved unanimously by the meeting.

2. Matters arising from the minutes of the AMP held on Tuesday 25[th] April 2023.

There were no matters arising from these minutes.

3. Election of Churchwardens.

There was one nomination for Chris West to stand as Churchwarden.

Proposed: Edwina Tyler Seconded: Lawrence Cleaver

Agreed: Unanimously

CEB expressed his gratitude for all that CW continues to do in support of St Lawrence as Churchwarden. He encouraged anyone thinking of filling the vacancy for a second Churchwarden to speak to him or CW.

The Annual Meeting of Parishioners closed at 7.34pm

St Lawrence Church, Bovingdon

Minutes of the

Annual Parochial Church Meeting

Tuesday 23[rd] April 2024 following the Annual Meeting of Parishioners at St Lawrence Church Hall

Minutes of the Meeting held on Tuesday 25[th] April 2023 .

These were presented by Revd Burch ( CEB ) and unanimously accepted as a true record of the meeting.

Annual Reports.

1 Electoral Roll. (statutory)

Carol West reported that there have been 8 additions to and 7 deletions from the electoral roll, which now stands at 99.

CEB thanked CW for her work as Electoral Roll Officer which she has continued to carry out for many years. The PCC will continue to consist of 2 Deanery Synod representatives and 9 other elected members in addition to those in an ex- officio capacity, currently only the Vicar and Church Warden.

2. Accounts for the year ending 31st December 2023. (statutory)

CEB invited Rob Sheppard (RS ) to give his report.

RS began by stating that the accounts had been approved by David Barr, our Independent Examiner. He continued by thanking Gary Cartlidge whom he had succeeded and was his mentor while RS got to grips with the accounting system. RS also thanked Richard Owens who handles our cash donations week by week and Mike Leon who administers the Gift Aid scheme. Most importantly thanks are due to the continued generosity of everyone who donates to our funds without which St Lawrence could not function at all.

Overview .

Income. In 2023 income was 58k higher than in 2022. This was notably driven by: £33k received from the Friends of St Lawrence to cover the cost of the SE Parapet repair work.

£11k in Donations relating to the Patience project.

£10K extra from higher giving via the Parish Giving Scheme and Gift Aid (Income Tax Recovered) thanks to more qualifying donations and Patience Project donations.

Expenditure. This was 55.5k higher than in 2022, principally driven by: 40k extra spent on Church and Hall Maintenance which includes the spend on the SE Parapet repairs but also some preparatory tasks for the Patience project.

9k extra spent on salaries due to the employment of a Youth and Children’s worker in March and a Fundraising support worker who started in July.

2024 . This year costs will increase due to the Patience Project and there is likely to be one more bill for repairs to the S.E. parapet.

CEB thanked RS for his very competent presentation of the accounts at the end of his first year in office. Questions were invited:

Diocesan Common Fund. CEB was asked whether our contribution to the DCF, which amounted to £53K in 2023, was too much of a burden for a church of our size. He replied that it is well within our means to meet this expenditure. CEB explained that the money is used across the diocese to pay clergy stipends and housing costs and to fund the training of future clergy. The DCF is distributed so that smaller parishes can meet these costs.

The meeting was asked to approve the accounts:

Proposed: Alison Woodhams

Seconded: Carol West Agreed Unanimously

3. Mission & Outreach Report (non-statutory)

Our charity donations amounted to £6,271. The principal recipients were HACRO which helps offenders to rehabilitate when they leave the Mount Prison, and ABCD a charity that cares for disabled children in Palestine. ABCD is registered in this country and monitored by the Charities Commission. CEB said he would publish the thankyou letter he has received from the organisation. Action: CEB

4. Fabric Report (statutory)

S.E Parapet. CEB said that the Church is extremely grateful for the financial support that the Friends have provided over the past year particularly to meet the cost of repairs to the SE parapet which amounted to £22K. Preliminary work had revealed extensive damage resulting in the whole parapet being rebuilt. Pinhole leaks in the adjacent guttering were discovered causing the timber underneath to rot. Sections of guttering and timber will have to be replaced and the whole length of guttering will be waterproofed. Further work will be needed at some time in the future, but the Diocese is satisfied with this interim solution.

On behalf of the Friends John Walker asked if any attempt is being made to seek additional funding elsewhere. This would enable the Friends reserves to be held back for redecorating the interior of the church as originally intended. CEB said that it is difficult to approach other agencies to fund work on a project that is already underway. However, he is aware that the Friends have been very generous with their financial support and cannot be expected to fund this repair indefinitely.

Window Restoration. The Friends have kindly funded repairs in the children’s corner and in the north clerestory at a cost of £3,200.

Church Yard Car Park. The Friends have also funded the resurfacing of the car park entrance.

Quinquennial Inspection This took place last July, but the report has been delayed while our architect recovers following cancer treatment. We have been informed that some repairs to the north aisle roof may be needed.

Memorial Garden The 46 spaces for interring ashes are nearly all occupied and CEB has asked our architect to draw up a plan for an outer semicircle of stones to extend it. John Walker questioned if other sites had been considered and suggested that the Friends should be invited to comment on this.

CEB thanked Pauline Wright (PW ) for her time and effort in dealing with the fabric issues of the Church and asked the meeting to approve the report.

Proposed: Sean Bolton Unanimously.

Seconded. Flick Crockett Accepted:

5. Safeguarding Report. (statutory)

Wiebke Carr (WC) took over the role of safeguarding officer from Sean Bolton in November 2023 . Wiebke & Carol West (Lead Recruiter) have subsequently updated our safeguarding policy in line with the latest guidance from the House of Bishops and submitted their Safeguarding Report jointly. They have clarified which post holders have to be

DBS checked and what level of safeguarding training is required for each role that involves working with children and/or vulnerable adults. There is now a confidential email address to report safeguarding concerns. WC emphasised that compliance with our policies is essential and underpins all that we do.

CEB thanked WC and CaW for the work that they are doing and asked those present to approve the report.

Proposed: Mike Leon Seconded: Matt Williams Carried Unanimously

6. Children & Families Work (non-statutory)

The report had been submitted by Angela Hodkinson (AH) who was appointed to work for the St Lawrence community for 15 hrs a week starting in April 2023. AH thanked Alison Cartlidge for her help when handing over the role and everyone who had helped subsequently, especially Charles, Philippa, Flick, Alison, Carol and others .

AH currently runs monthly Assemblies at Bovingdon Academy for children aged 5-7, Monthly Explorers at Church on a Sunday afternoon and a newly formed Youth Group which is proving very popular. She plans to team up with the youth group at St. Pauls Chipperfield this summer for a couple of events.

She also heads up Messy Church one Sunday afternoon each month. Activities are based around a Christian theme and include eating together and discussion.

AH has also organised an Easter Bonnet ‘Crazy Hat Making Day’, a Bible Heroes Prayer Adventure Day, a Christmas Wreath Making Event and a Nativity performance.

CEB thanked AH for her report and commended her for taking over a formula that was working well and putting her own stamp on it very successfully.

7. Little Fish Update (non-statutory)

Flick Crockett ( FC) presented the report she had prepared with Philippa Burch (PB). The Little Fish team work alongside AH at the 9.30 Family Praise Services encouraging children to deepen their faith and learn about Jesus through fun games, activities music and prayer. Every effort is made to keep in touch with families who have attended in the recent past and they are invited back to special services. The Back to School BBQ was popular again this year and Mother’s Day posies were made by fathers and children while their mothers enjoyed a cream tea at Flick’s house. A children’s youth band has been formed and has just started to collaborate with the church choir at Family Communion services.

CEB thanked Flick, Philippa and all the members of the Little Fish Team for their hard work and commitment to our work with young children.

CEB asked for feedback on our work with young people. Matt Williams , whose children’s ages span the whole range we cater for, said he is delighted that St Lawrence is now a 7 day a week church for his family with something on offer for at least one of them each week. This was echoed by Rob Sheppard and Ben Masters in respect of their families.

8. Update on St Lawrence Church Welcome Café

Dena Tyler (DT) reported that the Café is in its second year and after a slow start is now a well-established means of reaching out to the community. During the winter this has been held in the church hall with a plan to move back to the church in May when the weather is warmer. Passers-by including dog walkers are welcomed in and there is no charge for refreshments. Any donations are used to purchase supermarket vouchers which are given to local families in need..

DT would welcome new volunteers to join the rota which is organised by Judith Wilford . CEB said that the Welcome Café is a good example of an initiative that has grown from a small start and become an asset meeting welfare need.

9. PCC Secretary’s Report on the Work of the PCC 2023 - 2024 (statutory)

This report consisted of a summary of topics covered at each of the 6 meetings held over the previous 12 months. During this time the PCC had approved expenditure to maintain the Church building and agreed important steps to progress the Patience Project.

The PCC also held an away day at which the Mission Action Plan was updated. There are now three priority areas: Community (outward facing), Nurturing Faith (inward facing) and The Patience Project.

CEB thanked all members of the PCC for their help and support throughout the year with particular thanks to June Gossling as PCC Secretary. CEB asked that the report be approved.

Proposed: Gill Fisher Seconded: Judith Wilford

Agreed Unanimously

10. Deanery Synod Report. (Statutory)

Alison Woodhams & Flick Crockett presented the report. There had been three meetings over the year with topics including Vocations for all, the importance of the Sabbath and the on-going work of the Trinity Project which supports primary and secondary school pupils with mental health wellbeing. AW commended the project which is now a registered charity. The speaker at the next meeting will be Paula Gooder who writes very accessible theology.

CEB asked the meeting to accept the report.

Proposed: Carol West

Seconded: Steve Watkins

Agreed Unanimously

11. Churchyard Update. (non-statutory)

CEB presented the report prepared by Gary Cullum. (GC ). There are over 20 volunteers and a core team of about 12 regulars who continue to meet monthly from March to October. Headstones are checked for stability and the whole area is kept neat and tidy. Sue Miller looks after the wildflower areas and Paul Campbell mows the extensive lawn. GC is keeping an eye on the condition of the flint wall which may need some work over the next 12 months.

CEB thanked Gary Cullum and all the team, many of whom are not members of the church, for their dedication to keeping the Churchyard in such good order.

12. Appointment of the Independent Accounts Examiner.

David Barr is happy to continue in the role of Independent Examiner and the meeting was asked to approve this appointment.

Proposed: Alison Woodhams Seconded: Rob Shephard

Agreed Unanimously

13. Appointment of the Electoral Roll Officer .

Carol West (CaW) said that she was willing to continue, and the meeting was asked to approve her appointment

Proposed: Flick Crockett

Seconded: Philippa Burch

Agreed Unanimously

CEB again thanked CaW for her work as Electoral Roll officer, and for the work she does updating CCLI and ensuring we are compliant with the various licence conditions, which include video usage.

14. Election of the Parochial Church Council.

CW informed the meeting that Alison Cartlidge and Gill Fisher are due for renewal this year and Chris O’Hara is standing down after two full terms. Dena Tyler and Sean Bolton are also standing down which leaves three vacancies.

The following have agreed to stand for one, two or three years as indicated to ensure that only a third of the PCC are due for re-election each year.

Alison Cartlidge (3yrs) Proposed: Chris West Seconded: Dena Tyler Unanimous
Gill Fisher (3 yrs) Proposed: Carol West Seconded: Chris West Unanimous
Jean Houston (3 yrs) Proposed: Carol West Seconded: Stephen Watkins Unanimous
Ben Masters (2 yrs) Proposed: Carol West Seconded: Chris West Unanimous
Ian Wilford (1 yr) Proposed: Chris West Seconded: Carol West Unanimous

Flick Crockett & Alison Woodhams continue as Deanery Synod Representatives .

CEB reiterated his thanks to all members of the PCC for their time and dedication to the role.

15. Matters Arising from the Minutes of the Meeting Held on 25[th] April 2023: There were none .

16. Closing Remarks

a) Church Warden’s remarks:

Chris West (CW) said that in some ways, this has been a challenging year mentioning Hilary’s illness, and then her move to Devon, Alison Cartlidge stepping down from her work with Children & Families, Gill Barrett’s retirement, the loss of Trevor Slade & Pauline Brown, and the illness of our architect, which has delayed the publication of our quinquennial report. In addition, we are still trying to resolve the issue with the roof along the south side of the church. While all this has been happening, we have tried to maintain the good work we do at the Church and within the Community and keep focussed on delivering the Patience project.

Despite all these challenges, CW said he believed that we have come together as a Church community to the benefit of both our members, and the wider community. For example, there have been several very successful events, including the Summer Fare, Christmas Market, and the return of our Annual Quiz.

In Church we have a very dedicated team of helpers who ensure a warm welcome, and that our services run smoothly. CW extended special thanks to John Walker, Alison Woodhams, Sue Deacon, and Flick Crockett for all that they do in putting together the sidesteams each week. He also made a special mention of Dena Tyler & Penny Havercroft , who do such an amazing job in ensuring everything is set up for our different services of Holy Communion, and particularly for holding together the 8am service.

Angela Hodkinson had a hard act to follow when taking over the Children and Families Work from Alison Cartlidge, but she has done a fantastic job with our young people who are the future of the Church. She too is ably assisted by a team of wonderful volunteers.

CW said that the next 12-24 months is undoubtedly going to be a very challenging time for us. Arguably, we can make the biggest change to this Church since the current building was erected in 1846. We have all the planning permissions we need, but there is still a huge amount of work to be done to bring Project Patience to a successful completion. Not least of which is raising a lot of money. He urged everyone to consider joining the Ambassador programme to support this.

Our Mission Action Plan (MAP) has been reviewed with a focus on maintaining and growing what we currently do within the village community – We are now a local point of contact for those in need of support from Dens and we know that there is a wider need out there. The Welcome Café has been a great addition to the life of the Church, and this is another area in which we would like to increase the number of people we can support.

We need to maintain and develop our profile. To help achieve this, we have established an Events Team, focusing specifically on ‘Church & Community’ events, rather than those aimed at fund-raising for Patience. NB: We need somebody to co-ordinate this events group.

Following Gill Barrett’s retirement PB has stepped into the role of director of music and is doing a brilliant job. The changeover has created an opportunity to review how we structure music as part of our worship. To this end, PB (and CaW ) are working towards creating a music group specifically for Family Communion – bringing in a wider range of instruments and engaging with our young musicians to augment this.

We still have a small number of Home Groups meeting, but we need to ensure these are maintained, and if possible, develop new ones.

In summary CW said that being the Churchwarden is an honour and a privilege. It’s also quite a tough job, with many legal responsibilities, but it would be impossible without the help and support of so many people. The various reports presented at the APCM give an insight into the invaluable work carried out by so many people in the life of St Lawrence Church.

CW emphasised that we are also hugely indebted to the Friends of St Lawrence, without whom so many of the repairs and upkeep of the Church would not be possible.

CEB said he was excited to have appointed Angela Hodgkinson as our new Children and Families Worker who has settled well into the role.

CEB pointed out that he is now the only licenced member of clergy at St Lawrence and said that we will have visiting preachers from time to time. Chris O’Hara is in his first year of training for the ministry. Confirmation classes will be starting in June, and we will be hosting the annual commissioning service for Churchwardens in June.

Turning to the Patience Project , CEB said that we have reached a critical point and now simply need to raise the money ready to send out the tender documents. We are assembling a team of Ambassadors to drive the process forward and this needs to be a whole church effort. He said that the best strategy to encourage people to donate is by one-to-one contact.

17. Any Other Business : Judith Wilford expressed her appreciation for the uplifting music at recent services particularly the introduction of new instruments. This was endorsed by others at the meeting.

CEB was asked if there is any likelihood of having a second member of clergy to work alongside him in a supporting role. CEB said that curates are deployed and not advertised for. The most likely circumstance would be if someone already trained and self-supporting came forward.

Close : The meeting closed in prayer at 9.00pm with The Grace

Everyone was then invited to raise a glass to Sean Bolton to celebrate his birthday and wish him well with his move to Bishops Stortford.

Finance Report (see other document)

2025 APCM Fabric, Goods & Ornaments Report

Southeast Parapet

The restoration work was successfully completed in August 2024 at a total cost of £38,765.47 + VAT, generously funded by the Friends of St Lawrence. However, the Friends have indicated that they are unable to finance further large-scale projects.

The southeast corner is now beginning to dry out, and once decorators have been engaged, the area should see a significant improvement in appearance.

Quinquennial Inspection

The quinquennial inspection was conducted in July 2023. However, due to the architect’s illness, the report has not yet been published. The architect has reassured us that there are no major concerns.

Memorial Garden

A faculty application has been submitted to expand the memorial garden for the internment of ashes.

Draught Proofing Doors

The fabric team has opted to trial a rubber seal around the doors as a cost-effective solution before considering the installation of curtains, as the use of curtains may present practical challenges.

Goods & Ornaments

The inventory of all goods and ornaments was inspected during the Archdeacon’s inspection, August 2024. All accounted for and correct. (Chris West, Churchwarden)

Pauline Wright March 2025

Safeguarding Report

There have been no safeguarding concerns reported in the past year.

The Lead Recruiter, Carol West, continues to ensure that DBS checks are processed and renewed in a timely manner. She has also encouraged and tracked Church Officers to comply with all safeguarding training requirements. Most, but not all, post holders are up-to-date with this.

The Parish Safeguarding Officer, Wiebke Carr, has completed the Leadership course and continues to work in partnership with St Alban’s diocese to ensure that a culture of safeguarding is established in all areas of the St Lawrence community.

We comply with all safeguarding requirements and the PCC members are aware of all events for children, young people and vulnerable adults. Equally, all safeguarding policies are regularly updated and approved by the PCC.

Wiebke Carr, 05.03.2025

Report from The Children and Families Worker

March 2024 -March 2025

It has been a really good year of consolidating community relationships, in the schools and also in our parish. I continue to be involved in running the children’s (and adult’s) groups after church, including yearly events. Our Youth Group is still going very well a year in. I have also got to know Youth Leaders in the community and we regularly get together to share ideas and help each other in various ways. This has led to some combined events which have been a huge asset to our children’s experience of faith and community.

Assemblies at Bovingdon Academy

I have been sharing the leading of School assemblies for Key Stage 1 & 2 at Bovingdon Academy, usually twice a month. It feels that everyone has got to know me at the school and I feel very welcome there. The children have responded very well to the assemblies and they seem to be remembering the stories too – which is great! We continue to have a lot of fun acting out Bible stories. I have had two members of staff come up to me afterwards and thank me for what we are doing in the school which is very encouraging too.

- Explorers at Church (5 11s)

We continue to meet once a month during term time (usually 4[th] Sunday). We have various helpers. I have led the group in all sessions and Carol West and Maureen West have been faithful supporters of our group. There is usually a good group that comes and we have had some very lively singing sessions.

Messy Church (all Ages)

Messy Church, our all-age Sunday afternoon gathering, has continued each month. It is a wonderful community-orientated session which always is warm and friendly and I always enjoy it.

I usually lead the session with the amazing support, advice and ideas from Philippa Burch, Alison Cartlidge, Felicity Crockett and now Jean Houston. We always explore a Christian theme through craft, quizzes, songs, puppet shows, eating together and discussion. We have a great time with many returning each month to participate. Volunteers help prepare the food and also help run the session.

Craft in Church

Craft activities have continued in church during Family Communion services. These have been original and creative and have been led by various people in the Little Fish Team including Wiebke, Felicity, Alison, Catherine and myself. And many helpers have been involved and greatly appreciated for their help.

Youth Group Yr 6-9

Our new Youth Group is now a year old. Celeste Gee has been consistently helping to lead this group. Felicity also helped lead last year. We were so grateful for her contribution. We are getting other helpers recruited and DBS checked so they can also help more regularly. We have

a solid group coming every week, a nice mix of boys and girls. It ranges from 11-18 attending each week. We are doing different topics each week. We play games and chat about issues they are dealing with a light spiritual focus each week.

Confirmation Group

Out of this Youth Group has come a good group of confirmation attendees. I am happy to see that the commitment of these young people to take their faith to the next level is evident. I would very much like to see more support for this group and the older youth. I have been in discussion with Charles on how this could happen, given that my hours are limited.

Evening Youth Church @ St Andrews

Once a month we have been invited by St Andrews to join their dinner and chat service, called Table Talk. We are attempting to launch this as a way of providing more spiritual input for the older youth.

This is for age 11-18 and either Charles or I will be there to help with our group. It will take place once a month.

Events:

- Easter Garden making, Egg Blowing & Painting March 2024 Holidays

An afternoon of crafts and planting our Easter Gardens in the church for primary age. We had a range of ages join.

Silent Disco - May 2024: We ran a combined Youth event with St Paul’s Chipperfield and St Andrew’s Chorleywood. It was a combination of a Silent Disco and Board Games. A big, combined group of about 60 kids. We had a guest speaker from SU who shared a short message and hamburgers. It was a huge success, some of the youth said it was the “best day of their lives!”

Tie-dye Shirt Making – July 2024

Explorers had a fun day making tie-dye shirts and it was open to new friends. I would like to do more events like this to help our Explorers grow.

St Lawrence Summer Fair

I did a craft table for young children and chatted to lots of parents. Two of the youth also sold their own handiwork and so we encouraged their skills of entrepreneurship.

Light Party - Oct 2024

I organised the craft and helpers for the craft and the 200x take away bags for the Light Party this year and helped set the outside lights up. This is a mammoth undertaking each year and I definitely think I will be asking for more help in 2025.

St Lawrence Christmas Market

I created a craft table for little ones and handed out advertising of our various groups.

Nativity Dec - 2024

I organised the nativity this year again. It felt much easier as I knew what to do this year. There were some very eager participants and we are so grateful for them. The older youth got involved in doing the lead parts and we were also very pleased that some quieter , younger children were very brave and took some speaking roles too. I think it was really well received.

Youthscape Youth Leaders Event – Nov 2024

Both Celeste Gee and I were excited to join youth leaders from all over the country at a gathering in Birmingham. It was so inspiring to be part of the bigger picture and so very encouraging to hear amazing stories of churches like ours doing amazing things in their communities! I came back with a vision to get more Youth leading and involved. I am passionate to help them feel like they belong and are a valuable contributing member of their church. It’s so important they feel ownership of their church.

I would love to take a bigger group of leaders this year including some of the older youth.

Other Events (we didn’t organise but attended)

Inflatable Event – run by St Andrews

Our Youth attended this amazing event run by St Andrews. It was such fun! Inflatable slides and pizza.

Bonfire Night event - Nov 2024 – run by Youth Across Hemel

About large amount of youth attended this event in Whelpley Hill. They played lots of games with glow sticks and had a sing song around a fire with marshmallows. It was a great evening.

Heroes Unleashed event - March 2025 – run by Youth Across Hemel

5 youth attended this one.

Some areas to think about:

Recruiting volunteers is always an important aspect and one I am taking seriously.

We are recruiting and conducting DBS checks for some new volunteers. I also hope to get older youth involved in leading the younger ones.

Aspirations & Plans:

There is so much more we could do…

I hope to create more opportunities to get Older Youth involved - I would love to raise some leaders from this older youth group and do a leadership training course.

I would love to create a space for more spiritual growth in our Youth Age group. Perhaps a small group where we read the Bible in a fun way – using the Youthscape materials.

I would like to see some form of evening service for the Youth – even if it’s at another location.

A Doughnut Club for Bovingdon School goers – a space we create just before Yr5&6 leave in September where they meet us and get some information on the Youth Group for the following year.

More informal spaces where children from the school can meet us – place for games and after school fun.

I would love some more help , maybe a paid worker to get on board and help develop our 0-5yr old group and also help me to launch some of these dreams with the older ones.

I would love to see the St Lawrence families go away for a night camping at a nearby farm.

I would like to take the youth to Satellites this year or next. A camp for teenagers in the summer holiday.

I would like to take potential leaders with me to the Youthscape Leadership conference this year.

So grateful to God for a great year! Many thanks to all the lovely Little Fish team and Charles& Philippa for all your help. What an amazing bunch of people.

I hope that the kids work will grow from strength to strength as we trust in God for his provision and leading.

Angela Hodkinson (March 2025)

Little Fish Report March 24 – March 25

It is a pleasure working with Angela Hodkinson (our children’s worker) as we continue to encourage children of all ages to deepen their faith and learn about Jesus through a variety of activities and groups.

As we mentioned last year, the Little Fish Team reaches out to as many families as possible who have appeared in church over the last few years. We do this by regularly sending out personal invitations to special services and events. This seems to result in several families attending and being pleased to have been invited. The services they have been invited to have included Stir up Sunday, all Christmas services and Candlemass. We focus on baptism families and those families who have not been to church for a while.

On Maundy Thursday, a group of children worked together making an Easter Garden and had an egg blowing competition. We plan to do another Easter craft activity again this year. Our Easter service was well attended with 32 Family Praise children as well as a number of new faces. A craft activity was provided during the service and the usual Easter egg hunt after the service was a great success which was suitable for all ages.

During the summer we had our Little Fish Social for parents. We had a lovely evening with a good number of parents attending and it was a wonderful opportunity to spend time together.

Our annual ‘Back to school Barbeque’ in September again proved to be very popular with a large number of families attending. As well as lots of games and eating sausages we celebrated those children moving up to Secondary School and leaving Little Fish behind to join the St Lawrence youth Group. We presented them with their Pathways sheet, a book and a special card made by Angela.

The Light Party was again a great success with over 250 children attending. It was a real Little Fish team effort from setting up all the lights in and outside the church and providing craft activities, face painting, games, and delicious food for all those attending on the evening. Each child went home with a lantern and a lit Tea-Light they had made and a goody bag that had a beautiful booklet with a simple Christian story designed by Celeste. We also could not have done it without the Youth group spending a morning helping to fill all the bags - they were treated to Pizza’s afterwards as a thank you!!

The Christmas children’s Nativity and Crib services were wonderful joyous occasions with a lot of families involved and also a number of new families welcomed.

We look forward to celebrating Mothering Sunday this year and plan to have another afternoon Cream Tea with the ladies of our church family. The Men will be helping the children make posies while the ladies will be enjoying a well-deserved cream tea.

The ‘St Lawrence Families’ WhatsApp is continuing really well in helping us to communicate with the wider church family. Feedback from the families has been very positive and it has

certainly helped us to encourage families to join us for services and events during the year. Sometimes we can pick up if there is illness or challenges in a family which enables us to help out in some way if required.

We have a large number of families attending Family Praise over the year but not all at the same time. Therefore, at some services we may have 14 or more children and other times 4 or less. We communicate on our families WhatsApp group on a regular basis to encourage families to join us for all events with good response.

Apart from Family Praise and Family Communion there are several opportunities for the younger children to attend St Lawrence i.e., Messy Church, Explorers, and year 6 children are now attending the younger age Youth group run by Angela. We are working with the challenge of knowing who is going to attend.

We continue to be aware of other commitments families have over the weekend with children and very much appreciate it and are delighted to see them when they are able to attend. As we mentioned last year when it rains and matches are cancelled the children might be sad, but we are thrilled to see them!

This year we are delighted to welcome new leaders at Family Praise. Thanks must go to Carol West, Catherine Dass, Flick Crockett, and Lauren Suddick. This has been a huge help, and it is good that new people have the opportunity and have come forward.

Our all-age band/choir has been popular at the Family Communion service with a Junior Choir Practice taking place the Friday before the Family Communion service. This is work in progress and new juniors are always welcome.

Flick and Philippa would very much like to thank the Little Fish team (Wiebke Carr, Carol West, Amanda Hibbert, Angela Hodgkinson, Alison Cartlidge, Amanda Lawes, Karen Wright, Sue Williams) for all the hard work they have done this year. Thanks also to Maureen West and Catherine Nash who are regular helpers at all the children’s activities at St Lawrence. We would love to have new members on the little fish team and appreciate it if anyone can come and help!

Flick and Philippa

St Lawrence Church Welcome Café

In 2023, St Lawrence Church Welcome Café was established to provide a community outreach for people from Bovingdon and the surrounding areas to meet for coffee and cake, and good conversation. Since then, the café has gone from strength to strength and become a very popular community café, offering a friendly welcome for visitors on Thursday mornings.

In 2024, our café welcomed over 600 regular and occasional visitors. The café donations raised over £1,000 and all the proceeds were used to buy supermarket vouchers and food supplies for some of our neighbours who have found themselves in financial hardship. We also raised a separate Lent collection of £48 for DENs foodbank.

Traditionally, during the summer months volunteers host the café in the beautiful surroundings of St Lawrence Church, often welcoming people visiting or walking through the churchyard. In the winter months, the café moves to St Lawrence Church Hall which provides a warmer space. Last December approximately 50 visitors attended our Christmas 2024 themed Welcome Café on the Thursday before Christmas. Overall, the change of venue across the seasons does not affect our numbers.

St Lawrence Church Welcome Café venue may change but not our hospitality. It is thanks to our wonderful team of volunteers and visitors that the café is thriving in the village. The café is serving a dual purpose of providing a friendly community space and the coffee donations are being used to support our neighbours in financial hardship.

We are planning to return to St Lawrence Church for the summer months and would welcome new volunteers to join us in the café or bake a cake to share with our visitors.

DENS foodbank

On the second Sunday of every month, the congregation is invited to donate non-perishable food items for families in financial hardship. These food parcels are distributed to families in the village and surrounding areas. The remainder of the church donations are delivered to DENs foodbank for distribution in Dacorum.

Dena Tyler (March 2025)

First Annual Report on St Lawrence Church Teatime

Teatime started on Tuesday 3rd July 2007, being initiated by the Vicar, Tim Marshall.

It was initially held in the church office behind the betting shop in the High Street before moving to the church hall. Here the team of volunteers set up tea ready to start at 3.00pm on the first Tuesday of every month. Except for closing during Covid only three sessions have been cancelled due to snow or flooding.

We aim to make Teatime a special event for anyone who would like to come and during the tea we have a time for exchanging church and local information, for reflection, and a grace. The volunteers who have taken on this section of the afternoon have made it their own and it is greatly appreciated by our visitors.

The men and women of the volunteer team make, donate, and serve the food we provide, also giving lifts where needed. Without their faithful commitment we could not provide this outreach which is a highlight in the month for our visitors.

We have been fortunate in donations of bone china tea sets so that we can have attractive table settings. A grant from the Parish Council has helped to upgrade our equipment and tablecloths and was very welcome.

We have had an average of 22 visitors to the 214 sessions we have held so far and served approximately 4642 teas. We estimate that we have provided the following:

There is no charge for tea but we suggest a donation of £3.00, many visitors are more generous. Teatime is self-funding and we have been able to donate surplus monies to charities, sending £3837.50 to:

The Teatime Team complies with the Risk Assessment Policy for St Lawrence Church, the requirements for safety, emergency evacuation including first aid. We comply with the Safeguarding Policy for St Lawrence Church with regular safeguarding training, record keeping and contracts for those needing risk assessment for special needs.

Teatime has become a regular time for our visitors to socialise and feel connected to the Church and the community. They come from Bovingdon and the surrounding area. The volunteers of the Teatime Team are providing them with not only an excellent afternoon tea but friendship and support as well.

Barbara Clarke for the Teatime Team

April 2025

– Patience Project APCM Update

Reporting to the PCC, the Steering Group comprises the Vicar, John Walker, Anna Murkowski, Neil Crockett, Alison Woodhams, Kully Dhadda, and Doug Houston.

The project to build a new church annexe and re-order the inside of the church costing £1.6m has made good progress over the past year. In summary

A fundraising consultant gave us some advice at the start of the year based on his experience working with other churches in a similar position. Based on that advice fundraising has started in earnest – the sale of the hall will raise c£430k. Grants from trusts and other grant awarding bodies has raised £280k and further applications have either been submitted or in progress. Nearly £250k has been raised from individuals including the £100k seed funding from the Muriel Swan legacy.

As of now – in total - we are just short of raising £1m towards the £1.6m we need – and the hardest fundraising work starts now. As we go out to the wider village community the congregation have been encouraged to make a financial commitment to the project as the main beneficiaries of the project. We are hoping for a good response.

Alison Woodhams March 2025

’ – PCC Secretary s Report on the work of the PCC: 2024 25

The PCC met six times over this period either in person or on Zoom during the winter months. This report outlines the decisions and appointments made at each meeting.

16.05.24 (In Person)

The following appointments were made:

Vice Chair Alison Woodhams Treasurer Rob Sheppard Secretary June Gossling was co-opted and elected as Secretary Churchyard Officer Gary Cullum (not an elected PCC Member) Safeguarding Officer Wiebke Carr Health & Safety Officer Vacant Fabric Officer Pauline Wright

Other continuing PCC members were: Alison Cartlidge, Gill Fisher, Dena Tyler, Matt Williams, Flick Crockett, plus Jean Houston, Ben Masters & Ian Wilford who were recently elected at the 2024 APCM.

PCC Chair Rev’d Charles Burch Church Warden Chris West (one vacancy) Standing Committee Ex Officio members CB, CW, AW, RS, JG. FC was appointed as the additional PCC member.

Deanery Synod Reps. Alison Woodhams & Flick Crockett

Appointment of Sidesteams: These were approved by the meeting.

Other main items of business were as follows:

The Patience Project – RS reported that a separate bank account had been opened for the PP. Craigmyle Consultants Fundraising Action Plan had been set in motion starting with Bidwriting to Grant Making Trusts, and our own Ambassador Scheme was in the process of being launched.

Electrical Issues – Church footway lights. These had failed and a contractor was appointed to carry out repairs.

23.07.24 (In Person)

Maintenance Funded by The Friends of St Lawrence Church – Over the past year the FoSL had funded two stage-payments for repairs to the Church roof, and sundry other expenses which together had depleted its cash reserves previously earmarked for internal redecoration of the Church. The PCC acknowledged how indebted it is to the FoSL’s financial support and agreed that more research into external grants and funding is needed when future maintenance issues arise.

Patience Project – Progress updates included a Mechanical and Engineering report which recommended Heat Pumps. CB presented the fund-raising marketing material which has detailed information about the project and explains how to donate.

Safeguarding Policy – This was updated as required annually and Wiebke Carr reminded members that they have a duty to keep their training up to date.

26.09.24 (In Person)

Patience Project – Alison Woodhams, chair of the PP steering group, said that Neil Crockett had joined as project manager. Other roles had been assigned e.g John Walker to oversee finance.

Draught Exclusion – It was decided to revisit a previous proposal to reduce draughts at the back of church using curtains.

Dens Satellite – It was reported that Dena Tyler is now able to pass donations directly to local families in need of food support.

Memorial Garden Extension – The PCC agreed to spend up to £4,500 for a contractor to create an outer semi-circle of ashes plots to expand capacity. A faculty will be needed.

The Archdeacon’s Visit – Details were shared about Charles Hudson’s October visit when he would be meeting the PCC, attending the school assembly, the Welcome Café and preaching in Church.

26.11.24 (on Zoom)

Charity Donations – The PCC voted to support ABCD (Action Around Bethlehem for Children with Disabilities) with £2,000 and Zarach (a charity working to reduce ‘bed poverty’ among school age children). The Zarach donation would be made up out of our Christmas service collections matched from our own funds.

The Patience Project – It was reported that we have a purchaser for the Church Hall but that it is taking time to sort out boundary issues re land owned by other parties. Our applications to grant making trusts were generally conditional on agreeing this sale.

16.01.25 (on Zoom)

The Patience Project – After a long period of marketing Neil Crockett had managed to agree the terms of sale of the Church Hall. The PCC resolved that the sale should proceed for the sum of £510,000 with £430,000 apportioned to St Lawrence Church.

The Diocese would keep the proceeds in trust until such time as they are needed and will pay any interest accruing to the PCC.

Doug Houston had joined the steering group to help identify priorities for the next 3 months.

Anna Murkowski had stepped down from her role as fundraiser after 18 months and CB said that we still need someone to cover PR, Marketing and Fundraising.

11.03.2025 (In Person)

The principal item on the agenda was to review the reports prepared by each Church officer. These were approved ready for presentation at the APCM.

June Gossling, PCC Secretary (March 2025)

Deanery Synod 2024 Report

St Lawrence Church is part of the Rickmansworth Deanery. The other member churches are St Paul’s Chipperfield, Holy Cross Sarratt, Christ Church Chorleywood, St Andrew’s Chorleywood, All Saint’s Croxley Green, St Oswald’s Croxley Green, St John’s Heronsgate, St Peter’s Mill End, St Mary’s Rickmansworth, and St Thomas’s West Hyde.

The rural Dean for the majority of the year was Revd Simon Cutmore, then Vicar of Mill End with Heronsgate and West Hyde. Towards the end of the year our own vicar, Charles, took over. There were 3 meetings in 2024 and the main topics covered are outline below.

In March each of the parishes were invited to give a short update on what was currently happening in their parishes – both the good and the not so good.

Charlotte Barton gave us an update on the Deanery mental health project - ‘The Trinity Project’. Croxley Danes and The Reach schools are working with the project. It is a team effort between the schools and the project. Trinity is also working with St Peter’s primary school. In association with The Haven, the project is running a 10-week course helping children navigate their anxiety journey. The project started an afterschool club in the summer term.

In July we had a talk by Reverend Canon Paula Gooder, Canon Chancellor at St Paul’s Cathedral. This was well attended as it was open to all parishioner across the Deanery.

Paula gave a very uplifting talk about embracing ordinariness, using some bible readings and poetry as illustrations. We should pay attention to the ordinary time between the festivals, listening to others. We should be wary of being busy for the sake of it, and make time for ourselves, to reflect. We should find our own rhythm. For example, if we find it easier to pray while gardening, that is our rhythm, and we should embrace it.

In November we had a talk from Rev. Mark Rodel, Deputy Director of Mission & Ministry, St Albans Diocese. He talked about parishes embedded in smaller communities and villages and his research to support his doctoral thesis ‘The Vitality of Villages in Vacancy’.

What those parishes thought they would find difficult was made easier by their deep sense of contact with the local community. Although they did not know it, the idea of being good neighbours was very much to do with Faith. They thought the language of mission and outreach was not present in their parish, but it was already embedded in their village life. In most parishes the church was the centre of the community and had been for centuries. Mark made them believe in scale, small was good where for example the congregation had been only five for a hundred years. The Church was often the only public building and made life happen in the village. Parishes have a deep sense of people and place.

It's important to develop a ministry strategy. Who is God raising up? How do we release them to do God’s work?

Any questions, please speak to your Deanery Synod Representatives:

Churchyard officer’s report 2024

An average of a dozen volunteers met for the morning on the first Saturday of each month to participate in the churchyard maintenance sessions. The full team comprises more than 20 volunteers, but 12-15 regulars remains a manageable number.

The gardening year started in March 2024 and was finished by Christmas with the churchyard remaining an on-going work in progress – neat and tidy, but not manicured, with three areas left wild and a few brambles and longer grass round the fringes. The wild areas are managed and monitored by Sue Miller who notes any unusual, rare or new flowers. The wild areas were cut, monthly in succession, from August to October. Paul Campbell continued to mow the large areas of lawn.

Headstones were checked continually during the year under review to ensure they were not loose, nor unstable. Large numbers of unsightly plastic flowers crept back onto graves throughout the year.

The Churchyard officer’s small, donated petrol mower died at the end of the year and a replacement is required for 2025. Moving forwards, the church wall will need some maintenance and repair and a survey of trees will be commissioned during late spring.

Wooden posts adjacent to the central footpath were vandalised in early 2025 and these were about to be replaced as this report was prepared.

Gary Cullum Churchyard officer 12 March 2025

St Lawrence Church Bovingdon - Finance Report 2024

Incumbent :

Rev. Charles Burch 10 Church Street Bovingdon Herts HP3 0LU

Treasurer:

Mr. Rob Sheppard Martlets, Church Lane Bovingdon Herts HP3 0HS

Independent Examiner:

Mr. David Barr FCBI Finchley House Bovingdon Green Bovingdon Herts HP3 0LB

1

Independent Examiner’s report to the Parochial Church Council of St. Lawrence, Bovingdon

This report on the accounts of the PCC for the year ended 31[st] December 2024, which are set out on pages 3 to 9 is in respect of an examination carried out in accordance with the Church Accounting Regulations (‘the Regulations’) and s.145 of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’)

Respective responsibilities of the PCC and the examiner

As members of the PCC you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts; you consider that the audit requirement of the Regulations and s.144(2) of the Act does not apply. It is my responsibility to issue this report on those accounts in accordance with the terms of the Regulations.

Basis of this report

My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charities Commission under s.145(5)(b) of the Act and to be found in the Church guidance 2006 edition. That examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the PCC and a comparison of those accounts with those records, it also includes considering any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanation s from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the view given by the accounts.

Independent examiner’s statement

In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:

  1. Which gives reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements:

  2. a. To keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Act and:

  3. b. To prepare accounts which accord with accounting records and comply with the requirements of the Act and the Regulations have not been met; or

  4. To which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Signed………………………………………………………………………………

David Barr, Chartered Banker FCBI - Independent Examiner

Date………………………..

2

Introduction

Overall in 2024 SLCB has had a positive year financially with the impact of the Patience Project clearly showing on both income and expenditure but overall reserves increasing.

With fundraising for Patience scaling up income has grown from £164k in 2023 to £254k in 2024. expenditure has also increased, particularly related to the sale of the Hall and increased preparatory work on the Church building plans, from 165k to 208k.

Overall the Church recorded a surplus of 46.5k in 2024 which sets us in a good position for the year ahead

Expenditure was driven by Patience costs increasing from 19k in 2023 to £55k in 2024. There was also a significant spend on the SE Parapet £25k, similar to the 22k in 2023. The SE Parapet work is now complete but it was a very significant piece of work and we are fortunate that the Friends of St Lawrence were able to cover the cost of this work.

‘Core’ costs e.g not including Patience and SE Parapet work increased slightly from £123k in 2023 to £126k in 2024

3

Summary Balance Sheet

Class and nominal code Total Last year
Fixed Asset - Tangible Assets
1403: Computer Equipment £ 474.37 £ 922.68
Total £ 474.37 £ 922.68
Current Asset - Cash At Bank And In Hand
1500: CafCash Current A/c £ 7,368.71 £ 11,458.54
1501: Cambridge Building Society £ 93,755.23 £ 89,707.34
1503: CafCash Gold Account £ 12,885.91 £ 18,134.81
1504: Virgin Deposit Account - £ 66,881.78
1507: Patience Bank Account £ 119,162.79 -
Total £ 233,172.64 £ 186,182.47
Liability - Creditors: Amounts Falling Due In One Year
Z04: Accounts Payable - -
Total - -
Net total assets £ 233,647.01 £ 187,105.15
Represented by
General (Unrestricted) £ 24,393.48 £ 12,465.08
Designated - Building £ 14,364.54 £ 10,000.00
Designated - Outreach £ 2,961.79 £ 436.17
Restricted - Cyard £ 1,628.19 £ 3,453.62
Restricted - Goff £ 4,400.00 £ 4,450.00
Restricted - NewHall £ 119,162.79 -
Restricted - Pass Thru -£124.01 -
Restricted - Swan £ 49,180.07 £ 130,723.88
Restricted - Youth £ 17,680.16 £ 25,576.40
Total £ 233,647.01 £ 187,105.15

Notes on Balance Sheet

4

Fund Movement Summary

Incomin Gains/Los
Fund Opening g Outgoing Transfers ses Closing
Goff (Restricted) £4,450 - - -£50 - £4,400
General (Unrestricted) £12,465 £141,668
£129,789
£50		 - £24,393
Building (Designated) £10,000 £4,365 - - - £14,365
Outreach (Designated) £436 £2,838
£312		 - - £2,962
Pass Thru (Restricted) - £8,002
£8,126		 - - -£124
New Hall (Restricted) - £88,909
£55,337
£85,592		 - £119,163
Swan (Restricted) £130,724 £4,048 - -£85,592 - £49,180
Churchyard (Restricted) £3,454 £3,317
£5,142		 - - £1,628
Youth (Restricted) £25,576 £1,104
£9,000		 - - £17,680
Totals £187,105 £254,250
£207,708		 - - £233,647

Notes on Swan to New Hall Transfers

Notes on Other Fund Movements

5

Income and Expenditure

This year Last year
Incoming resources
Donations, Legacies and similar incoming resources
1101 - Bank Giving £16,038.00 £16,879.21
1102 - Envelope scheme £4,634.28 £1,823.97
1103 - Income tax recovered £28,719.31 £18,783.44
1105 - Church collections £2,949.04 £2,343.24
1106 - Sundry donations £3,496.95 £4,020.69
1108 - Card Reader Receipts £8,216.69 £6,158.99
1109 - Friends of St Lawrence £29,609.04 £33,175.33
1111 - Parish Giving Scheme £35,102.22 £34,783.07
1112 - Fees - PCC £14,047.36 £10,589.00
1113 - Fees - Diocese £5,120.00 £4,696.00
1171 - Restricted donations £71,415.00 £11,000.00
Donations, Legacies and similar incoming resources Totals £219,347.89 £144,252.94
Activities for generating funds
1115 - Lettings - St Lawrence Hall £7,934.35 £4,997.25
1116 - Events Income £8,329.28 £3,423.26
1117 - Lettings - Office - -
Activities for generating funds Totals £16,263.63 £8,420.51
Investment income
1121 - Churchyard Endowment £1,850.34 £1,335.78
1122 - Investment Income - -
1123 - Verger Plot Income £1,483.74 £1,930.33
1124 - Bank Interest £6,066.29 £3,972.73
Investment income Totals £9,400.37 £7,238.84
Other incoming resources
1173 - Miscellaneous Income £5,653.19 £1,130.98
1175 - Costs Incl in PCC Fees £3,584.64 £3,396.00
Other incoming resources Totals £9,237.83 £4,526.98
Incoming resources Grand totals £254,249.72 £164,439.27
Resources used
Costs of generating funds
1313 - Hall - Cleaning £1,120.25 £1,091.00
1314 - Hall - Insurance - -
1315 - Hall - PLH £3,572.66 £2,720.16

6

1316 - Hall Maintenance £6,331.94 £3,439.80
1322 - Hall - Rent & rates - -
Costs of generating funds Totals £11,024.85 £7,250.96
Grants payable in furtherance of charity's objects
1331 - Outreach & Mission Allocation - -
1332 - Church societies - -
1333 - Charities £7,222.74 £7,003.39
Grants payable in furtherance of charity's objects Totals £7,222.74 £7,003.39
Activities in furtherance of the charity's objects
1301 - Vicars Expenses £434.04 £409.79
1302 - Visiting Preachers £186.00 £152.00
1303 - Books £54.45 £636.03
1304 - Music £3,554.83 £1,046.72
1305 - Diocesan Common Fund £54,228.00 £53,029.00
1306 - Church Insurance £4,489.79 £4,425.14
1310 - Church PLH £8,628.27 £6,498.81
1311 - Routine maintenance £70,960.37 £45,593.44
1317 - Churchyard Insurance - -
1318 - Churchyard Maint. £7,425.64 £4,731.30
1319 - Sunday School Exes £679.27 £1,055.32
1320 - Other Service Costs £644.77 £145.19
1321 - Misc Expenses £6,211.96 £6,113.16
1323 - Costs recharged via PCC Fees £3,584.64 £3,396.00
1329 - Family Praise £116.48 -
1330 - Growing in Grace - -
1334 - VACANT - -
Activities in furtherance of the charity's objects Totals £161,198.51 £127,231.90
Support costs
1340 - Depreciation charge £448.31 £961.85
1351 - Bank charges £127.34 £60.00
Support costs Totals £575.65 £1,021.85
Expenditure on managing-administering the charity
1307 - Salaries - Admin £21,875.89 £18,841.53
1308 - Rent & Rates - Office - -
1309 - Postage & Printing £5,202.60 £2,409.60
1312 - Telephone £607.62 £1,119.47
Expenditure on managing-administering the charity Totals £27,686.11 £22,370.60
Resources used Grand totals £207,707.86 £164,878.70

7

Notes on Income and Expenditure

● Income in 2024 was £254,249 in total - up 55% year on year

8

Funds held by St Albans Diocesan Board of Finance for Graveyard and
Graves		 Funds held by St Albans Diocesan Board of Finance for Graveyard and
Graves		 Funds held by St Albans Diocesan Board of Finance for Graveyard and
Graves		 Funds held by St Albans Diocesan Board of Finance for Graveyard and
Graves
Investment Fund Shares Value £.pp
Cowley 306 7,075.55
Dance 73 1,687.96
Elwes 236 5,456.96
Loydall 154 3,560.90
Hill 54 1,248.63
Reeks 106 2,451.01
Menheneott 146 3,375.91
Stewart Evans 339 7,828.60
Travers 187 4,323.94
Groves 107 2,474.13
Reeve 250 5,780.68
Nash 55 1,271.75
Riches 68 1,572.34
Total Investment Fund 48,108.36
Deposit Fund
Druce 306
Stewart Evans 906.43
Reeve 1,000.00
Total Deposit Fund 2,166.75
Other Funds held by St Albans Diocesan Board
Investment Fund 3124 @2,064.59p 72,235.31
GRAND TOTAL at 31st December 2024 122,556.10
Value at 31st December 2023 119,827.34

9

Mission Giving Report 2024

Charity General Pass Thru Outreach Total
ABCD £2,021.69
£86.75		 £2,108.44
Bishops Harvest Appeal £93.08
£356.17		 £449.25
Bibles for Children £312.38
£312.38
Christian Aid £81.89
£313.49		 £395.38
Christian Aid(Hurricane Beryl) £32.11
£117.89		 £150.00
Dens £36.95
£148.98		 £185.93
Helpfor Heroes £75.18
£297.34		 £372.52
Royal British Legion £75.66
£297.34		 £373.00
Scripture Union £26.13 £26.13
T4U Shoeboxes £295.40 £295.40
Watford Hospital £36.25
£145.00		 £181.25
Zarach £1,277.42
£1,095.64		 £2,373.06
Total £4,051.76 £2,858.60 £312.38 £7,222.74

10

Docusign Envelope ID: 9FDE648F-4EE1-4AD1-9818-63528CF69D01

St Lawrence Church Bovingdon - Finance Report 2024

Incumbent :

Rev. Charles Burch 10 Church Street Bovingdon Herts HP3 0LU

Treasurer:

Mr. Rob Sheppard Martlets, Church Lane Bovingdon Herts HP3 0HS

Independent Examiner:

Mr. David Barr FCBI Finchley House Bovingdon Green Bovingdon Herts HP3 0LB

1

Docusign Envelope ID: 9FDE648F-4EE1-4AD1-9818-63528CF69D01

Independent Examiner’s report to the Parochial Church Council of St. Lawrence, Bovingdon

This report on the accounts of the PCC for the year ended 31[st] December 2024, which are set out on pages 3 to 9 is in respect of an examination carried out in accordance with the Church Accounting Regulations (‘the Regulations’) and s.145 of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’)

Respective responsibilities of the PCC and the examiner

As members of the PCC you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts; you consider that the audit requirement of the Regulations and s.144(2) of the Act does not apply. It is my responsibility to issue this report on those accounts in accordance with the terms of the Regulations.

Basis of this report

My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charities Commission under s.145(5)(b) of the Act and to be found in the Church guidance 2006 edition. That examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the PCC and a comparison of those accounts with those records, it also includes considering any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanation s from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the view given by the accounts.

Independent examiner’s statement

In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:

  1. Which gives reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements:

  2. a. To keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Act and:

  3. b. To prepare accounts which accord with accounting records and comply with the requirements of the Act and the Regulations have not been met; or

  4. To which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Signed……………………………………………………………………………… EFA629E0A2204B4...

David Barr, Chartered Banker FCBI - Independent Examiner

Date………………………..

20/02/2025

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Introduction

Overall in 2024 SLCB has had a positive year financially with the impact of the Patience Project clearly showing on both income and expenditure but overall reserves increasing.

With fundraising for Patience scaling up income has grown from £164k in 2023 to £254k in 2024. expenditure has also increased, particularly related to the sale of the Hall and increased preparatory work on the Church building plans, from 165k to 208k.

Overall the Church recorded a surplus of 46.5k in 2024 which sets us in a good position for the year ahead

Expenditure was driven by Patience costs increasing from 19k in 2023 to £55k in 2024. There was also a significant spend on the SE Parapet £25k, similar to the 22k in 2023. The SE Parapet work is now complete but it was a very significant piece of work and we are fortunate that the Friends of St Lawrence were able to cover the cost of this work.

‘Core’ costs e.g not including Patience and SE Parapet work increased slightly from £123k in 2023 to £126k in 2024

Core costs rose less than wider inflation due to fewer one off repairs vs 23

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Summary Balance Sheet

Class and nominal code Total Last year
Fixed Asset - Tangible Assets
1403: Computer Equipment £ 474.37 £ 922.68
Total £ 474.37 £ 922.68
Current Asset - Cash At Bank And In Hand
1500: CafCash Current A/c £ 7,368.71 £ 11,458.54
1501: Cambridge Building Society £ 93,755.23 £ 89,707.34
1503: CafCash Gold Account £ 12,885.91 £ 18,134.81
1504: Virgin Deposit Account - £ 66,881.78
1507: Patience Bank Account £ 119,162.79 -
Total £ 233,172.64 £ 186,182.47
Liability - Creditors: Amounts Falling Due In One Year
Z04: Accounts Payable - -
Total - -
Net total assets £ 233,647.01 £ 187,105.15
Represented by
General (Unrestricted) £ 24,393.48 £ 12,465.08
Designated - Building £ 14,364.54 £ 10,000.00
Designated - Outreach £ 2,961.79 £ 436.17
Restricted - Cyard £ 1,628.19 £ 3,453.62
Restricted - Goff £ 4,400.00 £ 4,450.00
Restricted - NewHall £ 119,162.79 -
Restricted - Pass Thru -£124.01 -
Restricted - Swan £ 49,180.07 £ 130,723.88
Restricted - Youth £ 17,680.16 £ 25,576.40
Total £ 233,647.01 £ 187,105.15

Notes on Balance Sheet

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Fund Movement Summary

Incomin Gains/Los
Fund Opening g Outgoing Transfers ses Closing
Goff (Restricted) £4,450 - - -£50 - £4,400
General (Unrestricted) £12,465 £141,668
£129,789
£50		 - £24,393
Building (Designated) £10,000 £4,365 - - - £14,365
Outreach (Designated) £436 £2,838
£312		 - - £2,962
Pass Thru (Restricted) - £8,002
£8,126		 - - -£124
New Hall (Restricted) - £88,909
£55,337
£85,592		 - £119,163
Swan (Restricted) £130,724 £4,048 - -£85,592 - £49,180
Churchyard (Restricted) £3,454 £3,317
£5,142		 - - £1,628
Youth (Restricted) £25,576 £1,104
£9,000		 - - £17,680
Totals £187,105 £254,250
£207,708		 - - £233,647

Notes on Swan to New Hall Transfers

Notes on Other Fund Movements

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Income and Expenditure

This year Last year
Incoming resources
Donations, Legacies and similar incoming resources
1101 - Bank Giving £16,038.00 £16,879.21
1102 - Envelope scheme £4,634.28 £1,823.97
1103 - Income tax recovered £28,719.31 £18,783.44
1105 - Church collections £2,949.04 £2,343.24
1106 - Sundry donations £3,496.95 £4,020.69
1108 - Card Reader Receipts £8,216.69 £6,158.99
1109 - Friends of St Lawrence £29,609.04 £33,175.33
1111 - Parish Giving Scheme £35,102.22 £34,783.07
1112 - Fees - PCC £14,047.36 £10,589.00
1113 - Fees - Diocese £5,120.00 £4,696.00
1171 - Restricted donations £71,415.00 £11,000.00
Donations, Legacies and similar incoming resources Totals £219,347.89 £144,252.94
Activities for generating funds
1115 - Lettings - St Lawrence Hall £7,934.35 £4,997.25
1116 - Events Income £8,329.28 £3,423.26
1117 - Lettings - Office - -
Activities for generating funds Totals £16,263.63 £8,420.51
Investment income
1121 - Churchyard Endowment £1,850.34 £1,335.78
1122 - Investment Income - -
1123 - Verger Plot Income £1,483.74 £1,930.33
1124 - Bank Interest £6,066.29 £3,972.73
Investment income Totals £9,400.37 £7,238.84
Other incoming resources
1173 - Miscellaneous Income £5,653.19 £1,130.98
1175 - Costs Incl in PCC Fees £3,584.64 £3,396.00
Other incoming resources Totals £9,237.83 £4,526.98
Incoming resources Grand totals £254,249.72 £164,439.27
Resources used
Costs of generating funds
1313 - Hall - Cleaning £1,120.25 £1,091.00
1314 - Hall - Insurance - -
1315 - Hall - PLH £3,572.66 £2,720.16
1316 - Hall Maintenance £6,331.94 £3,439.80
1322 - Hall - Rent & rates - -
Costs of generating funds Totals £11,024.85 £7,250.96

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Grants payable in furtherance of charity's objects

Grants payable in furtherance of charity's objects
1331 - Outreach & Mission Allocation - -
1332 - Church societies - -
1333 - Charities £7,222.74 £7,003.39
Grants payable in furtherance of charity's objects Totals £7,222.74 £7,003.39
Activities in furtherance of the charity's objects
1301 - Vicars Expenses £434.04 £409.79
1302 - Visiting Preachers £186.00 £152.00
1303 - Books £54.45 £636.03
1304 - Music £3,554.83 £1,046.72
1305 - Diocesan Common Fund £54,228.00 £53,029.00
1306 - Church Insurance £4,489.79 £4,425.14
1310 - Church PLH £8,628.27 £6,498.81
1311 - Routine maintenance £70,960.37 £45,593.44
1317 - Churchyard Insurance - -
1318 - Churchyard Maint. £7,425.64 £4,731.30
1319 - Sunday School Exes £679.27 £1,055.32
1320 - Other Service Costs £644.77 £145.19
1321 - Misc Expenses £6,211.96 £6,113.16
1323 - Costs recharged via PCC Fees £3,584.64 £3,396.00
1329 - Family Praise £116.48 -
1330 - Growing in Grace - -
1334 - VACANT - -
Activities in furtherance of the charity's objects Totals £161,198.51 £127,231.90
Support costs
1340 - Depreciation charge £448.31 £961.85
1351 - Bank charges £127.34 £60.00
Support costs Totals £575.65 £1,021.85
Expenditure on managing-administering the charity
1307 - Salaries - Admin £21,875.89 £18,841.53
1308 - Rent & Rates - Office - -
1309 - Postage & Printing £5,202.60 £2,409.60
1312 - Telephone £607.62 £1,119.47
Expenditure on managing-administering the charity Totals £27,686.11 £22,370.60
Resources used Grand totals £207,707.86 £164,878.70

Notes on Income and Expenditure

● Income in 2024 was £254,249 in total - up 55% year on year

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Funds held by St Albans Diocesan Board of Finance for Graveyard and

Graves

Funds held by St Albans Diocesan Board of Finance for Graveyard and
Graves		 Funds held by St Albans Diocesan Board of Finance for Graveyard and
Graves		 Funds held by St Albans Diocesan Board of Finance for Graveyard and
Graves		 Funds held by St Albans Diocesan Board of Finance for Graveyard and
Graves
Investment Fund Shares Value £.pp
Cowley 306 7,075.55
Dance 73 1,687.96
Elwes 236 5,456.96
Loydall 154 3,560.90
Hill 54 1,248.63
Reeks 106 2,451.01
Menheneott 146 3,375.91
Stewart Evans 339 7,828.60
Travers 187 4,323.94
Groves 107 2,474.13
Reeve 250 5,780.68
Nash 55 1,271.75
Riches 68 1,572.34
Total Investment Fund 48,108.36
Deposit Fund
Druce 306
Stewart Evans 906.43
Reeve 1,000.00
Total Deposit Fund 2,166.75
Other Funds held by St Albans Diocesan Board
Investment Fund 3124 @2,064.59p 72,235.31
GRAND TOTAL at 31st December 2024 122,556.10
Value at 31st December 2023 119,827.34
Investment Fund 3124 @2,064.59p 72,235.31
GRAND TOTAL at 31st December 2024 122,556.10
Value at 31st December 2023 119,827.34

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Mission Giving Report 2024

Charity General Pass Thru Outreach Total
ABCD £2,021.69
£86.75		 £2,108.44
Bishops Harvest Appeal £93.08
£356.17		 £449.25
Bibles for Children £312.38
£312.38
Christian Aid £81.89
£313.49		 £395.38
Christian Aid(Hurricane Beryl) £32.11
£117.89		 £150.00
Dens £36.95
£148.98		 £185.93
Helpfor Heroes £75.18
£297.34		 £372.52
Royal British Legion £75.66
£297.34		 £373.00
Scripture Union £26.13 £26.13
T4U Shoeboxes £295.40 £295.40
Watford Hospital £36.25
£145.00		 £181.25
Zarach £1,277.42
£1,095.64		 £2,373.06
Total £4,051.76 £2,858.60 £312.38 £7,222.74

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