2021-12-31-accounts - The Parochial Church Council Of The Ecclesiastical Parish Of St Andrew Eccles Manchester

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St Andrew’s Church Eccles Annual Report of the Parochial Church Council for the Year Ended 31 December 2021

Contents.................................................................................................1 Administrative Information.....................................................................2 Structure, Governance and Management...............................................2 Safeguarding Report...............................................................................2 Team Vicar’s Report................................................................................3 Churchwardens’ Report..........................................................................3 Valarie Slater: an appreciation...............................................................4 St Andrew’s School Report.....................................................................4 Electoral Roll..........................................................................................5 Community Report.................................................................................5 SALT (Sunday School) Report.................................................................6 Home Group Report................................................................................6 Churches Together in Eccles Report.......................................................6 Deanery Synod Report...........................................................................7 Finance Review.......................................................................................8 Independent Examiner’s Report.............................................................9 Statement of Financial Activities Accounts................Accounts pages 1-4 Parish Safeguarding policy.......................................................Appendix

The Parochial Church Council of the ecclesiastical parish of St Andrew Eccles Manchester.

Registered charity number 1132836

St Andrew’s Church Eccles Annual Report of the Parochial Church Council for the Year Ended 31 December 2021

Aims and Purposes

St Andrew’s Eccles PCC has the responsibility of co-operating with the Team Clergy 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 building.

Administrative Information

St Andrew’s Church is situated on Chadwick Rd, Eccles M30 0NZ. It is part of the Eccles Team Ministry in the Deanery of Eccles and in the Diocese of Manchester within the Church of England.

The correspondence address is The Vicarage, 11 Abbey Grove, Eccles M30 9QN. Website: www.standrewseccles.org

Structure, Governance and Management

The Parochial Church Council of the ecclesiastical parish of St Andrew, Eccles, Manchester is a registered charity (charity number 1132836). The method of appointment of PCC members and wardens is set out in the Church Representation Rules. Members of the PCC are either ex officio (being ordained clergy, members of the Deanery or Diocesan Synod or Church Wardens) or are elected at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting as PCC members. (Wardens and Deanery Synod representatives are also elected by the Annual Parochial Church Meeting). All Church attendees are encouraged to register on the Electoral Roll and stand for election to the PCC.

PCC members who have served during 2021 and are ex officio

Rev Andrew Harper Team vicar and chair Rev Jennifer Lewis Ordained Local Minister and Curate Kevin Walton Church Warden (Lay chair) Valerie Slater Church Warden Richard Lewis/ PCC Treasurer Stephen Gibbison Safeguarding coordinator Deanery Synod member Diocesan Synod member

Elected members

Elaine Walton Reader Karen Gibbison ALM (Children’s work) Jane Lowe PCC Secretary and ALM (Community)

The PCC met 9 times during 2021. The average attendance was 85%. The 5 meetings between January and June were held online, the remaining 4 meetings in church. There were no Standing Committee meetings in 2021.

Safeguarding Report.

Statement of Intent: The parish will follow the Church of England guidance on safeguarding children and adults at risk, per the Parish Safeguarding Handbook, Updated August 2019.

This has replaced the Diocesan handbook which is no longer available on its webpage

The C of E Parish safeguarding handbook can be accessed via a link within the diocese website, Navigate to it via Support for Parishes >> safeguarding >> Policies and Guidance Diocese of Manchester | Policies and Guidance (anglican.org)

If anyone would like a hard copy of the handbook please ask the safeguarding co-ordinator.

The PCC reviewed and agreed to apply the Church of England model safeguarding policy in March 2021. It was signed at the 2021 APCM on 25th April 2021.

A signed copy of the policy is on the notice board in church and it is also published in this annual report.

Where roles require it, we are continuing to get our volunteers DBS checked and to complete the required training courses. This year due to Covid-19 all training has been delivered through on-line courses. In September 2021 the Diocese announced that it will no longer manage the DBS checks and safeguarding training for ALM’s, this responsibility will now fall onto the parish and its safeguarding officer.

DBS checks have been renewed where required as individuals have started to resume their regular participation in activities that were suspended due to Covid 19. It is worth noting that where individuals do not regularly undertake some activities, they are often not eligible for a DBS check, this is why there may have been gaps in DBS coverage over this period.

Stephen Gibbison, Safeguarding coordinator.

Team Vicar’s Report

I recently said to a friend “hang in there” and we have as a church done just that during another year of COVID. I have seen remarkable resilience demonstrated as we have started up activities again as rules allowed us. What of the future? Well the scriptures tells us, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.’ Galatians 6:9. This verse reminds us that it is God we partner with, He is in control of the ‘proper time”. While we are waiting Ecclesiastes 9:10 encourages us to do the next thing that is at hand and to do it with all our might. I’m encouraged to see we have been doing that and fruit will come. One of the elements of our new Mission communities is to engage in some experiential (learning by doing) material. Often called Whole Life Discipleship, this teaches us to live out a missionary lifestyle everyday of the week. It will help us to speak to people about Jesus and grow into praying with people in the power of the Holy Spirit. Just becoming braver one step at a time in demonstrating the goodness of God to people. The key here is one step at a time and growing together, by sharing stories for example. Romans tells us that God’s kindness leads people to repentance, and I’m encouraged by the many examples I’ve seen of loving kindness in our fellowship.

Rev Andy Harper

Church Wardens’ Report

This year has seen St Andrew’s spend large sums of money in order to provide a warm and welcoming environment, as well as continuing the never ending repairs to the building and its contents.

By far the largest expenditure provided a new heating system. Looking back through our records we first started to consider this project in 2015. Extensive

research was undertaken to determine what fuel we should use, thinking mainly about cost and the environment. We dismissed biomass, ground source heating, air source heating and solar panels and eventually came to the decision that gas fired boilers and water filled radiators were the best way forward for St Andrew’s. We commissioned a heating consultant to design and develop a specification for the new system. In October 2020 we obtained a faculty to proceed with the project and this point we were in a position to apply for funding. The cost of the project was £67,135 pus VAT. Fortunately, the VAT is recoverable under the Listed Place of Worship provisions.

An application was made to Viridor Credits Environmental Company (a grant giving arm of Viridor Waste Management) and we received a grant of £65,385, for which we are enormously grateful. We contracted HeatinGlobal, the company who looked after our old heaters, to install the new system. Work began in October 2021 and the new heating system was up and running in time for Christmas.

In October, urgent repairs were needed to one of the west windows as a piece of protective glass had fallen off and presented a potential health and safety issue to the general public. Closer inspection of both windows and the circular window showed that several pieces of protective glass were in need of replacement and therefore the decision was taken to replace all the protective glass to these windows at a cost of £8,850 plus VAT and again the VAT was recoverable under the Listed Places of Worship provisions.

We are very grateful to Booths of Eccles, who gave us the additional red carpet and carpet fittings for the steps into the chancel. I would also like to thank Mr Ron Jones for his skills in laying the carpet and making repairs to the carpet in the café area. We have also enhanced our sound system and now have the capability of using two lapel microphones and a wireless microphone for the person leading the services.

Relaxing of the Covid restrictions by September enabled us to restart our activities in Church and by Christmas we had all our groups meeting once again. We were also able to host the Transition Service for all the primary feeder schools to Salford Academy.

Valerie Slater and I wish to record our thanks to all those who have contributed to the work of St Andrew’s in leading services, planning and running SALT, helping to run our community outreach groups and all the activities that make St Andrew's the warm and welcoming place that it is.

Valerie Slater & Kevin Walton

Valerie Slater: an appreciation

Valerie has decided that she will not stand for election this year as she is not feeling strong enough to undertake the role of warden. Records show she has been a warden at St Andrew’s since May 2009, but I think there could have been a period before this when she held the office of warden. Valerie has dedicated herself to the work of St Andrew’s for over 13 years, she has given unstintingly of herself and I hope that the meeting can join me in extending our thanks to Valerie. She is in our prayers and we hope that she will recover sufficiently to join us again for Sunday worship.

Kevin Walton

St Andrew’s C E Primary School Report

The challenges of Covid continued to dominate 2021. The disruption was not as severe as the full closures during 2020, but there was still significant disruption as individual pupils, full classes and staff have had to isolate many times throughout the year. Remote learning has been embedded into the school

planning so it can be applied immediately in response to a covid case or wider outbreak. Our headteacher Mrs Bladen-Kay has seemed to have spent most of the year reviewing and applying the latest covid advice which at times seemed to be changing on an almost daily basis.

Whenever possible the school has provided face to face teaching so the children have as normal an experience as possible, but we have tried to keep visitors to a minimum. As a result, Governors met virtually and have not been into the school over the course of 2021.

Early in 2021 the PCC appointed Pastor Derek Smith of Kings Church Bolton as our Foundation Governor to fill the vacancy caused by Sarah Morrissy’s resignation. There were no nominations from within St Andrew’s congregation, Derek is known to our vicar and the Headteacher, he is also an experienced school governor.

The school is almost full, it has 215 pupils is very diverse, 56% speak English as an additional language

The school has continued to focus on our priorities over the year, including...

Progress and Attainment – rapid progress required in Reading Writing Maths etc.
Covid Recovery – identify and focus on knowledge Gaps.
Vulnerable Groups – disproportionately impacted by Covid, need extra support.
Culture Capital – recover lost experiences, swimming, trips, visits etc.
Management / leadership – support staff & drive-up standards, improve curriculum.

As the impact of Covid and the statutory restrictions have eased over the Autumn term, the school is starting to feel more normal. Ofsted have resumed inspections that have been suspended for the last 18 months. Early in 2020, prior to the impact of Covid, we were advised to expect a section 5 (three day) inspection over the course of 2021. We now expect that inspection to happen in the summer term of 2022. Children’s outcomes will be difficult to measure and compare because learning was so disrupted and national tests were suspended. We are hopeful that the efforts of the school and the progress the children are making will ensure we retain our good rating.

It is also worth noting that the school environment is looking particularly smart. An un-loved covered area has become a usable early years’ classroom through a series of improvements. The Local Authority surveyed our roof and a significant programme of maintenance and repairs to the West end of the roof were completed. The East end of the roof will be repaired during summer 2022; the LA is managing and funding these works.

Stephen Gibbison - Foundation Governor & Vice Chair of Governors

Electoral Roll Report

On 31[st] December there were 36 names on the Electoral Roll. During the year we welcomed two new members Olubisi Olabisi and Kelechi Maouakolam.

Jane Lowe (Electoral Roll Secretary)

Community Report

During the year St Andrew’s continued to host a distribution centre for the Salford Foodbank on Monday afternoons between 1 and 3pm. Foodbank volunteers (some from Eccles Team churches and others from the wider community) gave out bags of food to people who come with vouchers issued by

professionals or voluntary organisations. (The Foodbank is part of the Trussell Trust network of foodbanks). Since the summer, drinks and biscuits have been served to clients using the foodbank in the café area of the church. With the ending of the 2021 lockdown other community activities were able to restart in church. August saw the resumption of the Friday Café and of the Art and Craft workshop (financed by a grant from the National Lottery Community Fund) on Tuesday afternoons. Many regular users returned and expressed their delight at been able to attend these activities again after what for many of them has been a very lonely time. Sporting Memories restarted their dementia friendly sessions for older sports fans at the Friday café in September. September also saw the restarting of the Toddler Group on Tuesday mornings. Most of the children who used to be brought to this before the pandemic are now at school or nursery so to a large extent we are restarting with a new group of children. To minimise the risk of Covid infection we are no longer providing refreshments for children. We have, however, started reading them a Bible themed story and giving them the opportunity to do some craft work based on the story. In doing this we are following a scheme used by some churches in Bolton and devised by Steph Openshaw (Manchester Diocese Children Changing Places Project, Early Years Worker) for whose help and guidance I am very grateful. I would also like to express my gratitude to all those who give up their time to help run these activities.

Jane Lowe

SALT (Sunday School) Report

This year we did not start to meet till April due to Covid regulations. Our numbers continue to remain steady and the children attend regularly. The age range is between one and twelve which can be a challenge to ensure that individual needs are met, but we all look after each other.

Each week we have games, Bible story, prayer, crafts and colouring all based on the same theme. We have looked at Harvest, the story of Ruth, David and the birth of Jesus. We also shared our nativity story which was wonderfully produced by Kate, Izzy and George.

Our aim is that the children feel that they are welcome as part of the church family and to learn about God, Jesus and the Bible in a fun way.

Please continue to pray for us and ask the children what they are doing.

Karen Gibbison and Kate Provan

Home Group Report 2021

Because of the ongoing nature of the Covid-19 pandemic, all this year’s home group sessions took place via Zoom. Although not ideal, we are grateful for the technology that makes it possible for us to continue to study the Bible and pray together.

The first five weeks of the year, leading up to Lent, and then the seven weeks after Easter were spent looking at some of the Psalms, under the study series entitled, “Psalms: Heart Cries to God”. Reading the Psalms reminds us that we are able to share all our emotions with God – our joy, our despair and everything in between.

We are grateful to Jenny Lewis for organising, hosting and leading a Zoom Lent course, which a good number of people from various congregations attended, since the usual Churches Together in Eccles Lent groups were unable to go ahead.

Once we completed the Psalms series, this was followed by considering the life of “Mary: the Mother of Jesus”. It is always interesting to see what we can learn from the lives of people who are mentioned in the Bible, and we have discussed various people in past home group studies. Jesus’ mother had a unique experience of God and she is honoured in the church (to a greater or lesser extent, depending on different traditions) because of it. She encountered challenges which were unique to her situation, but also many that we can relate to, as they are issues that all God’s people face.

After the summer break, we travelled back to the beginning of time, looking at the way humankind first lived on earth, as written in the first 11 chapters of Genesis, from creation to the flood. We then continued through to Genesis chapter 25, seeing how God prepared to create a nation of his own people through Abraham and his descendants.

We will continue to use Zoom for our meetings until such time as we all feel it is safe to meet in one room again. If anyone would like to join in or to receive copies of the sheets we use in our discussions, do let me know.

Elaine Walton

Churches Together in Eccles

Representatives: Mrs B. Holmes & Mrs E. Harper

Although some of our usual activities had to be curtailed, the Lenten group was held on Zoom and we all managed to meet for a united service at St. Andrew's in the early summer. Our planning meetings continued and we were pleased to welcome the Mayor and Mayoress to Carols round the Cross with the Eccles Borough Band, in December. We are looking forward to the New Year and getting on with our usual programme.

Barbara Holmes

Deanery Synod Report 2021

Deanery Synod has met four times during 2021. The subject of all four meetings has been the Diocesan vision for transforming the Diocese and the need to reorganise the deanery structure from 20 deaneries to 7 deaneries.

This means that St Andrew’s is no longer a part of the Eccles Deanery, but is now part of the Salford & Leigh Deanery. A new Area Dean has been appointed, Rev Colin Pearson, and he has started work in bringing the churches together into Mission Communities. Richard Lewis has been elected as Deanery Lay Chair. St Andrew’s is now part of Mission Community 3, which includes St Mary Cadishead, St John the Baptist Irlam, St Michael and All Angels with St Catherine Peel Green, St Mary Magdalene Winton, St Peter Swinton, St Paul Monton, Christ Church Patricroft and St Mary the Virgin Eccles.

What happens next? Mission Community Leaders and Focal leaders will be appointed. What these positions entail, I’m not quite sure, but when I find out I will update you.

Kevin Walton and Stephen Gibbison

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Appendix The Parish of St Andrew’s, Eccles. SAFEGUARDING POLICY PROMOTING A SAFER CHURCH

The following policy was agreed at the Parochial Church Council (PCC) meeting held on 22[nd] March 2021.

In accordance with the Church of England Safeguarding Policy our church is committed to:

Promoting a safer environment and culture.
Safely recruiting and supporting all those with any responsibility related to children, young people and vulnerable adults within the church.
Responding promptly to every safeguarding concern or allegation.
Caring pastorally for victims/survivors of abuse and other affected persons.
Caring pastorally for those who are the subject of concerns or allegations of abuse and other affected persons.
Responding to those that may pose a present risk to others.

The Parish will:

Create a safe and caring place for all.
Have a named Parish Safeguarding Officer (PSO) to work with the incumbent and the PCC to implement policy and procedures.
Safely recruit, train and support all those with any responsibility for children, young people and adults to have the confidence and skills to recognise and respond to abuse.
Ensure that there is appropriate insurance cover for all activities involving children and adults undertaken in the name of the parish.
Display in church premises and on the Parish website the details of who to contact if there are safeguarding concerns or support needs.
Listen to and take seriously all those who disclose abuse.
Take steps to protect children and adults when a safeguarding concern of any kind arises, following House of Bishops guidance, including notifying the Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser (DSA) and statutory agencies immediately.
Offer support to victims/survivors of abuse regardless of the type of abuse, when or where it occurred.
Care for and monitor any member of the church community who may pose a risk to children and adults whilst maintaining appropriate confidentiality and the safety of all parties.
Ensure that health and safety policy, procedures and risk assessments are in place and that these are reviewed annually.
Review the implementation of the Safeguarding Policy, Procedures and Practices at least annually.

Each person who works within this church community will agree to abide by this policy and the guidelines established by this church.

This church appoints Mr Stephen Gibbison as the Parish Safeguarding Officer Incumbent: Rev. Andy Harper Date: 25/4/22

Churchwardens: Mr Kevin Walton Date: 25/4/22 and Mrs Valerie Slater Date: 25/4/22