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2025-12-31-accounts

ANNUAL REPORT 2025

Parish of St John and St Luke Bilton

Parish of St John and St Luke Bilton Making Disciples who make Jesus known

Annual Parochial Church Meeting – 26[th] April 2026

REPORT FOR THE YEAR 2025

The joint parish of St John and St Luke, Bilton is part of the Diocese of Leeds within the Church of England. The correspondence address is: The Parish Office, St John’s Church, Bilton Lane, Harrogate, HG1 3DT. The PCC is responsible for the maintenance of the buildings and grounds at the Church of St John the Evangelist, Bilton Lane, St Luke’s Church, Franklin Square, and residential properties at 59 Coppice Way and 13 Albany Road.

THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL

The membership of the Parochial Church Council for the period 1[st] January- 31[st] December 2025 was as follows:

Ex Officio Members Officio Members
Clergy: Matthew Hunter Team Rector and PCC Chair (from June 2025)
Laura Martin Team Vicar (and PCC Chair until June 2025)
Licensed Lay Minister: Jan Johnson
Deanery Synod Reps: Val Carr (first term)
Clive Davis (first term)
Caroline Wise (second term)
Churchwardens : Alethea Fry (St Luke’s – 1st elected May 2022)
Colin Ashurst (St Luke’s – elected May 2024)
Jane Reichert (St John’s – 1st elected April 2018)
Nigel Thompson (St John’s – 1st elected April 2008)
Elected Members
Laura Beesley (2025-2028)
Lynda Blyde (2024-2027)
David Brown (PCC Treasurer) (2024-2027)
Michael Crone (2023- 2026)
Noel Duke (2023-2026)
Claire Golightly (until APCM 2025)
Michael Guy (until APCM 2025)
Felicity Hildred (until APCM 2025)
Judith Hooper (from APCM 2025-2026)
Emma James (until APCM 2025)
William Martin (from APCM 2025 – 2027)
Daffyd Pritchard (2024-2027)
Caroline Randall (from APCM - 2028)
Anne Saxon (from APCM - 2028)

Co-opted members: In attendance:

Bankers are:

Independent Examiner:

Solicitors:

Henry Pemberton and Laura Beesley (until APCM 2025)

Helen Mayers (PCC Secretary)

The Co-operative Bank plc - P.O. Box 101, 1 Balloon Street, Manchester, M60 4EP Mr Darren Tiffney ACMA CGMA – 35 Church Avenue, Harrogate, HG1 4HG The Diocesan Registrar

The aim of the Parochial Church Council (PCC) is to co-operate with the incumbent in promoting in the parish ‘the whole mission of the church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical’. This includes oversight of the church finances and maintenance of our church buildings, grounds and other properties. Membership of the PCC consists of clergy, licensed lay minister, churchwardens, Deanery Synod representatives and up to 10 lay members, elected for three-year terms at the APCM. To ensure smooth functioning of the committee, lay members’ terms of office start and finish in different years, so that we have a mixture of new and experienced lay representatives.

After a challenging 2024 with no incumbent in the parish, PCC were pleased to report that the recruitment process (which took place over the summer of 2024 - February 2025) had secured a new Team Rector in the form of Rev’d Matthew Hunter. This allowed our Team Vicar and PCC Chair, Laura Martin, to concentrate on routine business in anticipation of Matthew’s arrival in June.

During the course of 2025 the PCC met on a total of 6 occasions. The customary vision morning did not, however, take place, as it was felt best left until Matthew was in post. Some business arising between meetings was conducted via email (as allowed for in the Church Representation Rules). Topics for discussion/approval and actions taken included:

The PCC discharges its duties with the help and recommendations of committees and teams which report back to the full PCC. The only committee regularly reporting back in 2025 was the Finance & Buildings Committee. But the oversight of safeguarding and youthwork are also both important areas of PCC responsibility, and the Parish Safeguarding Officer and members of the children’s and youth work teams also provide regular updates at PCC meetings, as do the Deanery Synod reps and the Green Team. Reports on all these areas of responsibility appear below.

Helen Mayers – PCC Secretary

FINANCE AND BUILDINGS COMMITTEE

The Finance & Buildings Committee has nine members and met on 6 occasions in 2025, and dealt with the following matters:

Decisions of the committee are subject to PCC approval.

David Brown – PCC Treasurer

SAFEGUARDING REPORT

Note: The PCC has complied with the duty under section 5 of the Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure 2016 (duty to have due regard to House of Bishops’ guidance on safeguarding children and vulnerable adults).

St John’s and St Luke’s has adopted the national policy document “Promoting a Safer Church”, which ensures the safeguarding of children, young people and adults. Copies of this policy document are available at both churches. A Parish Safeguarding Handbook was produced during 2018, which provides advice and information to strengthen the day to day working of parishes with regard to safeguarding. Copies of the handbook are again available in both churches. As a church St John’s and St Luke’s formally adopt the House of Bishops’ “Promoting a Safer Church: Safeguarding Policy Statement” which is annually agreed with the PCC and signed. Copies of this statement are displayed at both churches.

We use the national “Practice Guidance for Safer Recruiting” in all our recruiting. A record is kept of all workers who require a DBS for their role, and we inform people when a renewal is due. We are waiting on a full revision of national policies and all new guidance to be released.

We make full use of the Parish Dashboard to monitor all safeguarding-related activities within the parish, and action plans have been submitted at each PCC meeting to be discussed and approved. The safeguarding hub has been fully set up to monitor and track all DBSs and training which prompts when retraining is due.

We have had no serious incidents reported within the parish since the last APCM, although we have taken advice on a number of issues through the diocesan safeguarding advisors and the police, all of which have now been resolved requiring no further action at this time, though have been kept on file.

Gill Clarke - Parish Safeguarding Officer

YOUTHWORK REPORT

There was a season of change and flux within Children's and Youth Work this year as Emma James left her role as Youth Worker in May 2025 and we entered into a vacancy period. In November 2025, Rev’d Dr Judith Clark was appointed as Children's and Young People's Chaplain. This change in role title signified a shift for the post-holder to oversee all children's and young people's work. It was also a deliberate decision to signify the role’s pastoral side.

On behalf of the children and young people a big thank you to all the volunteers who kept everything running so smoothly and continued to keep the children and young people engaged, especially throughout the vacancy. Thanks also to all those from both Churches who continue to contribute to this important ministry by giving, not just financially, but who give of their time, energy and effort, and to all who fundraise and promote events. Children and Young People's work is taken seriously by all, and that can only be to the benefit of those in our care.

Here is a highlight of the children's and young people's work at both St John's and St Luke's in 2025:

'Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.' Proverbs 22:6 Judith Clark – Children’s & Young People’s Chaplain

SUNDAY MORNING CHILDREN’S WORK AT ST JOHN’S

During 2025, our children’s sessions were well attended with, on average, 30 children per session across all three groups.

Bright Sparks (primary children) and Little Sparks (pre-school) worked together covering the same themes: Jesus is our Leader, The Boy In the Temple, Jesus is Baptised, Storm on the Lake, Jesus feeds the 5,000, Lent, Martha and Mary, the Great Parade, Mother’s Day, Fruits of the Spirit, Pentecost, Father’s Day, The Lord’s Prayer, God’s Promise to send a Rainbow, God’s Wonderful World, Harvest, Remembrance Sunday, Bible Time Line, Noah, Advent and The Christmas Story.

Creche sessions – (6 leaders in total, 2 per session)

Babies and children under 3 have the chance to play with toys, socialise with other children and become comfortable within the church building. Often parents stay with the children.

Bright Sparks (8 leaders in total, 3-4 per session) and Little Sparks (5 leaders in total, 2 per session)

Our sessions always start with dressing the worship table. The children are always eager to volunteer for this activity. I feel it is important that the children learn why they are attending our sessions. This activity includes putting the right-coloured cloth on the table for the season of the church and then placing symbols on the cloth, which include the cross, candle and the Bible, with explanations why these symbols are important. We then have a story and a craft – this year the children created two displays for the main body of the church. We often finish with a song, game or the Lord’s Prayer. Little Sparks often join us for the beginning of our session then go to their group to do a craft and play with Lego.

Overall, I would say the children enjoy their time with us learning that Jesus is always with us. We explain that we can all have a relationship with Jesus by praying and that prayer can be silent or noisy. They love to sing “Prayer is like a telephone”.

Matthew 19:14 – Jesus said “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these .

Anne Saxon – Sunday School Leader

DEANERY SYNOD

Deanery Synod generally meets 4 times a year, but in 2025 it only met three times; the July meeting was cancelled due to the indisposition of the speaker .

The 21[st] January meeting at St John’s Church Hall in Knaresborough hosted Dr Stewart Davies, licensed lay minister at St Peter’s Church, Harrogate, chair of Bradford Sustainable Development Partnership, chair of OPRL Ltd (which runs the UK labelling scheme for packaging recycling), and non-executive board member at the Environment Agency, who spoke on the topic of ‘ Eco Church: Challenges of Transforming Systems’ . This was the final meeting in a series which concentrated on the environment.

He reminded us that there are five areas of Eco Church - worship and teaching, buildings and energy, land and nature, community and global engagement, lifestyle - and he concentrated on the last two. On Community and Global Engagement, churches are encouraged to take action both locally, and/or nationally and globally. He suggested that to achieve this goal churches need to have conversations which build an understanding of the issues, locally, nationally and globally, by raising awareness i.e. getting people on board through sustainability movements and initiatives; engaging with the local community; community clear ups; local conservation work, taking action and communicating.

With regards to Lifestyle, the goal is to ensure that ‘Our church has a strategy or plan to promote ethical and environmentally aware consumption patterns by individuals and households’. To achieve this goal, churches and individuals need to play a role in educating and influencing church members and the wider community about the actions they can take and the influence they have. Stewart pointed out that our purchasing habits, dress, diet and travel decisions are not the only means God gives us to act for his creation. How we use our time and ‘voice’ to campaign are as important as the choices we make about the shape and content of our daily lives.

The 26[th] March meeting hosted Rev’d Canon Sean Robertshaw, Diocesan Director of Vocations at All Saints, Kirkby Overblow, who explained the role of the Vocations department, which works within the national framework to provide opportunities [retreats, pilgrimages, etc] to consider vocations, and supports candidates throughout their period of training. The introduction was followed by a small group discussion: ‘What does vocation mean to you?’ Sean summarised it by making the following points:

He pointed out that there are lots of ministry pathways within the Diocese of Leeds, most of which do not involve ordination. However, specifically on the topic of ordination, numbers have tailed off, particularly since the pandemic. Residential training has decreased in popularity, whereas the numbers of ordinands opting for full-time nonresidential training and part-time training have remained rather more constant. We were then asked to discuss The question ‘Considering the challenges faced by local congregations, what can we do vocationally to ensure the Church of England continues to have a missional presence in every community?’ which provided some interesting reflections.

The final meeting on 6th November 2025 at St Oswald’s, Collingham hosted Gayle Bryon, ELM Coordinator, Harrogate Deanery and Dr Stewart Davies, Licensed Lay Minister at St Peter’s Church, Harrogate. Harrogate Deanery was offered the opportunity to bid for money to invest in something which supported and encouraged the life of the churches in the deanery, particularly rural churches. It was decided that the thing people most wanted to see was the flourishing of ministries in our churches, i.e. the encouragement of lay ministries in the life and worship of local churches.

Although there is a special focus on the rural parishes, it is hoped that deanery-wide events, networking and training will be offered for people who are already undertaking different ministries, and there will be an emphasis on parishes encouraging people to consider what gifts they have and might be able to develop. We were encouraged to reflect on things that were working well and to suggest other forms of lay ministries, in addition to a list that the speakers had provided, and some useful suggestions were made. Parishes were also encouraged to report in good practice for sharing. All in all, this seems like a very positive and necessary step given the current environment.

Val Carr, Clive Davis and Caroline Wise – Deanery Synod Reps

GREEN TEAM

Following on from the energy audit report that we received at the end of 2024, a separate energy audit working group was formed in January 2025. This report therefore covers this group and the Green Team.

The Green Team met in January, February, May, July, September and October. We also have an active WhatsApp group of team members and are part of the Harrogate Deanery environmental team lead by Deborah Booth.

The Energy Audit Working Group met in January, March, April, May, August, October and December. Formed specifically to look at the free Church of England energy audit done for St John’s that we received at the end of 2024, this group is working on reducing our carbon footprint and making St John’s less cold and draughty.

Madeline Wolfe – Parish Environmental Officer

SOCIAL COMMITTEE

A small Social Group meets to organise events for Church Members. During 2025/26 they arranged a survey for Church Members to advise what type of Social Activities they would like. On the back of this the following have taken place: a ladies meal out and a drinks evening; a men’s group meeting regularly for walks, meals, games nights and drinks; a very successful harvest supper; warm space soup and games events; providing refreshments for the York Opera event, the Advent Service and the Carol Service; and involvement in the extended summer coffee morning.

Future plans include a Church picnic, more ladies’ and men’s events and another Harvest Supper. The Group is always on the lookout for new members and new ideas. Please contact Juliet Duke 07939268052 or Juliet.duke2@gmail.com if you’d like more information.

Juliet Duke – Social Committee

TEAM RECTOR REPORT

During the first half of the year the parish continued to be overseen by Team Vicar, Rev’d Laura Martin, who, working alongside the churchwardens, navigated the vacancy with characteristically commendable commitment and diligent care. A new Team Rector, the Rev’d Matthew Hunter, was licensed by Bishop Anna Eltringham, the Bishop of Ripon, on Tuesday 10[th] June at a joint service at St John’s. Bishop Anna joined us again for a joyful and affirming confirmation service at St Luke’s in September. We welcomed Deanery Chapter to St Luke’s in November, again with Bishop Anna.

Following youth worker Emma James’s completion of ordination training and leaving in early June to prepare for her curacy, we were joined in November by our new Children & Young People’s Chaplain, Rev’d Dr Judith Clark, who was licensed as Associate Priest the following month, again by Bishop Anna in a licensing service at St John’s. Also in December it was announced that Rev’d Laura would be leaving in the new year to take up a new post as a hospital chaplain in Leeds Hospital Trust.

We’ve continued to be supported by the outstanding efforts of an extended team of ministers, including our retired clergy and Reader Jan. We meet quarterly to catch up and draw on the expertise and experience of all involved. This teamwork extends to an encouraging breadth of laity involvement, some highlights from the vacancy onwards including:

The staff team attended the New Wine Church Leaders Conference at the end of February. The speakers were excellent and there were opportunities for worship and team building.

Rev’d Matthew conducted an informal consultation over the summer and shared some initial thoughts with PCC in the Autumn as part of an ongoing period of reflection and a prayerful pause.

Gratitude to all those involved in Creationtide, and especially the Green Team who led our worship at the Parade Service in October; Matthew also had the privilege of being the guest speaker at the St Aidan’s Harvest.

Towards the end of the year we gave thanks for, and bade a very fond farewell to: Rhythm of Life; Comfort Café; the Community Lunches – it was a particular privilege for Matthew and Laura to join the very final gathering, an emotional occasion after an astonishing 22 years. Gratitude also to all those involved in the multitude of Advent/Christmas events and services!

In terms of the Team Rector’s wider role in the parish, Matthew joined Richard Taylor Educational Trust as a trustee and became a governor at Richard Taylor School. Matthew was also part of a ‘Positive Intelligence’ cohort, following recommendation of the course by Bishop Anna (likewise, signed up for diocesan programme in 2026: Confident Leadership for Missional Churches, run by CPAS on behalf of the diocesan Barnabas scheme).

Liturgically, we began to standardise formats somewhat (though respecting the existing variety of services) and produce orders of service and accompanying Powerpoints with the aim of having a whole year’s worth of liturgical material that all ministers can generally have as a resource available in preparing the various services (also avoids printing every week as the booklets can be reused, both in Ordinary Time and seasonally).

Laura chaired PCC in the vacancy, including a thorough overhaul and introduction of PCC policies and risk assessments, a key contribution to our shared life. Matthew led PCC from June, and (at Matthew’s invitation) Laura kindly continued to chair Finance & Buildings Committee.

It is difficult to overstate the essential importance of support from our brilliant churchwardens, superb PCC Secretary, terrific Treasurer, and indeed all members involved so generously at a governance level, as well as our crucial volunteers across the whole breadth of groups, initiatives, events and fundraising, and of course Gill who makes the most incredible contribution in the Office holding everything together so well; the difference this all makes, not just the viability of our churches and congregations, but to the morale, welfare and wellbeing of the clergy too is real and tangible – a thousand thanks! It’s truly a team effort and a really healthy dynamic that we can continue to build upon together.

Rev’d Matthew Hunter - Team Rector

THIRST

Thirst coffee morning takes place at the Dene Park Community Centre every Wednesday morning. There is a core team of 6 leaders, with others helping from time to time. Over the last year the average number coming week by week has slowly increased so that we now regularly have over 30. The age spread is weighted towards the upper end (as is that of the leaders!) and it is still largely female-dominated, but we do have a small number of male regulars.

Over the last few years, we feel that people have begun to trust us more and will tell us about problems or concerns that they have, giving an opportunity to talk or pray with them. Prayer continues to underpin our work, with a short time of prayer for the team (and anyone else who is around) before we start. One of the local PCSOs was a regular visitor, and people valued the chance to talk with her about local matters of concern. She is currently on maternity leave so we don’t see her. However, one extremely wet morning we found ourselves invaded by about 8 police officers and the High Sheriff of North Yorkshire who were having a high-profile presence in the area! We were pleased to see them and they were pleased to find somewhere warm and dry.

Previously we have held Thirst Table once a month, where many people stay a while longer and we share soup or sandwiches and fruit as well as having a short Christian reflection. We felt that people were not engaging well with the reflection and have decided to drop this element but have a grace before we start to eat.

We are always on the lookout for people to help. A particular need is for people simply to be, to listen and chat. If you would like to know more, please have a word with John or Val Carr.

Val and John Carr – Thirst Team Leaders

MONDAY FIRST

Last summer, after a year of Monday First, we took stock of where we were. Numbers attending from the community had not increased, but neither had they decreased, and the team were keen to continue.

During the course of the last few months we have continued to use season-appropriate themes such as harvest and remembering. More recently we have started a series, “Tales Jesus Told”, looking at some of the parables.

In order to increase awareness we decided to have a Carol Service in December, thinking that it is the sort of thing that would attract people. We had 35 people altogether but sadly none of the new people have come to subsequent sessions. We believe that there is scope to develop something on this side of the parish and continue to think and pray around these matters. We would value your prayers, too. As we said in the Thirst report, developing trust is key to engagement with people and that is part of what we aim to do.

We are grateful to have the support of the wider church community, including being recipients of funds raised at one of the coffee mornings. If you would like to know more please have a word with John or Val Carr or come along one month and see what we do.

Val and John Carr – Monday First Team

WELLBEING CAFÉ

Open since October 2017, we continue to welcome 25-30 people to the café on a weekly basis. Volunteers have stayed constant and loyal, most having been with us since we opened 8 years ago. We continue to be supported by the elders/sisters from the Church of Latter-day Saints, and by Living Well, which is a free service that aims to improve the health, wellbeing and independence of adults and is run by North Yorkshire Council. They regularly bring new people and are big advocates of what we do at the Wellbeing Café.

Activities in 2025 included:

Victoria Amella – Wellbeing Café Team

COMMUNITY LUNCH

We were looking forward to the start of the New Year and had 40 people booked for the January lunch. We had ordered all the food – and then the snow began to fall and we had to cancel the lunch due to the adverse conditions! We were not alone in doing this; most of the other church activities were cancelled. Fortunately, our wonderful suppliers were very understanding.

As the year progressed, we averaged 36 attendees every month. The cost of the meal at this time was still £6.00 but, as we headed into summer, we realised that we were struggling to provide the lunch at that price. We consulted our customers and asked if they wanted to pay £8.00 for a three course lunch or hold the price at £6.00 but reduce to two courses. The three course meal won the day, and so the price was increased to £8.00 from September. We resumed after the usual summer break, but with only 30 customers. We were forced to cancel the October lunch due to volunteer medical issues, resulting in a lack of cooks. None of the volunteers is getting any younger (some are older than our customers!) and these difficulties led to a discussion about whether we were able to continue. Sadly, the decision was made that, after 22 years, the Christmas lunch would be our last. Our funding situation was healthy, so we decided that the Christmas lunch would be free of charge, as a “thank you” to our customers.

So it was that on the 10[th] December 41 people sat down to the final Community lunch. Everyone was welcomed with prosecco or sherry, and the menu was prawn cocktail, turkey, sausage, roast potatoes, carrots and turnips, sprouts and parsnips, and gravy, followed by Christmas pudding with rum sauce, mince pies and after dinner mints. Everyone who attended received a small box of chocolates. Phew! It was a very happy (but sad) occasion, and we hope we succeeded in going out on a high.

As well as our usual lunchers, Matthew and Laura also attended. We also invited some of our old friends and helpers, including David and Linda Williams, Moira Morton, Kath and Mike Robinson, and Rita Nuttall, who helped and cooked for many years. Unfortunately, Rita was unable to attend.

All that was left to do was sort out all the equipment we had accumulated over the years. Some was donated to the Community Centre and Resurrected Bites. Tablecloths, tea towels, dishcloths and crockery were donated to the church, as were the remaining funds in our accounts.

We would like to thank all the volunteers who have helped over the last 22 years, the church, the Community Centre and our fantastic suppliers, but especially all the wonderful people who have attended and supported our lunches. We have made many friends and look forward to seeing you out and about. With love and prayers.

Sheena Hodgeon – Community Lunch Team

COFFEE MORNING

In 2025 we held 11 coffee mornings, due to extreme weather causing the unavoidable cancellation of our January event. Nevertheless, we had raised a magnificent total of £7,577.66 by the end of the year, having welcomed over 700 visitors. Individual monthly amounts are as shown below:

As always, a huge thank you to our wonderful team of volunteers whose constant dedication ensures the continuation of our extremely popular monthly events. During the course of the year we said a sad goodbye to Rita Nuttall and Pat Fenton, who after many years’ service retired. Thank you, dear friends, for all that you did. However, in 2025 we also welcomed Carol, John, Lucy and Emily to our team; thank you all for joining us, it’s great to have you on board!

We also want to thank everyone who contributed donations of prizes, books, homemade cards, jigsaws, plants and scrumptious home baked goods. We are always amazed at the huge amount of donations we receive, and your generosity is greatly appreciated.

Anne Grindrod – Coffee Morning Team

LITTLE FISHES

Little Fishes has had another good year and continues to provide a relaxed and welcoming space for babies, toddlers and their carers. It takes place every Thursday morning in term time at St Luke's Church Centre and most of the session is free play, where the children choose what to play. Over the past twelve months, we've improved our craft table so that we now offer different weekly activities, such as play doh, colouring etc. One of our team has taken the lead in developing this area, also coming up with the theme for our entry in St John's Christmas Tree Festival.

As well as play and craft, the session also includes refreshments: hot drinks are available for carers throughout the morning while, for the children, the table is set out with a selection of snacks so they can sit down and eat together. We finish all together sat on the carpet for a few songs, accompanied by the children on a selection of musical instruments.

We try to get know people's names, both children and carers, which helps encourage the ethos we are aiming to create. Our group of regulars are equally welcoming and happy to talk to newcomers, especially those coming by themselves. The number of families varies from week to week but has risen over the year, following some online advertising in the first quarter, and we now average about 20 children per session.

Our current team of volunteers comes from both St John's and St Luke's, and most have been working together for a number of years, but we're always happy to welcome new volunteers, even if they are not available every week.

Tracey Walton – Little Fishes Team

HOUSE GROUPS

We picked up working with the House Groups as part of trying to spread the load as Simon left. This year we’ve had 2 leaders’ meetings as opportunities to share news and learning. We expect a degree of change year by year. This year we’ve seen two groups come to an end and one new one recently formed at St Luke’s. For the St Luke’s group we’ve adopted a very simple ’three thirds’ model that is simple to pick up and doesn’t need much preparation week by week. Participants value the groups, typically as part of wider engagement with aspects of church life. The groups provide opportunities to share the ups and downs of life, to explore the Bible and relate it to daily life, as well as to share in prayer for each other and the church. We hope they are welcoming and safe spaces that anyone can be part of. No special Biblical knowledge or super saintliness required!

It's good to see both ‘welcome and community’ and ‘learning and discipleship’ as part of the emerging priorities for the church and we’re keen to see how House Groups might make a contribution in both these areas. A particular priority for us is to discover and support a few more people ready to have a go at leading a group.

Sarah Shepherd and Colin Ashurst – St Luke’s

ELECTORAL ROLL

The number of people on the Electoral Roll for St John’s Church on 31[st] December 2025 was 209. At St Luke’s the number on the Roll was 44.

Deb Pritchard (St John’s) and Steve Fry (St Luke’s) – Electoral Roll Officers

FABRIC REPORT

ST JOHN’S

During the months of January 2025 to December 2025 the work highlighted below has taken place in the properties identified. This report is based on the activities of St John’s Wardens and other parties in maintaining the fabric and functionality of the following locations belonging to the parish:

St John’s Church, grounds and church hall -

During these 12 months we have approved the following maintenance work, or been involved in the resolution of issues, relating to the locations as identified above:

59 Coppice Way (CW) and 13 Albany Road (AR) –

Note: Following the departure of the previous Tenant of Albany Road, PCC are reviewing options for the future of the premises including its potential sale or re-letting. At the time of preparing this report, PCC are awaiting a response from the Diocesan Registrar.

In addition to the statutory requirements, and reactive repairs and maintenance, the following planned works are proposed to be undertaken during 2026:

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: The Quinquennial Survey of St Johns Church is programmed for 17th of August 2026. This is legally mandated and a comprehensive professional inspection of St John’s is required every five years. Its purpose is to assess the condition of the church fabric, identify repair needs, and help the PCC manage building maintenance to ensure the preservation of the Church. The survey will be undertaken by Potts Parry Ives and Young Surveyors who have previously undertaken surveys.

ST LUKE’S

There have been no major property issues or works at St Lukes.

Our highlight for 2025 was the recruitment of a new rector and we’re delighted that Matthew, Emily and Evie joined us. We were also very pleased to have Judith Clark join the team as Children and Young People’s Chaplain. It’s been good to get to know Matthew and we’ve met regularly. The strategic pause has felt right and we’re looking forward to being part of PCC discussions in 2026 to get a clearer, shared view of our focus and priorities as parish.

We also want to celebrate and give thanks for the great work going on in so many aspects of the life of the church and parish.

At the end of the year other key topics for us include working with Matthew and others to:

Nigel Thompson & Jane Reichert (St John’s) and Alethea Fry & Colin Ashurst (St Luke’s) – Churchwardens

FINANCIAL MATTERS

CHARITABLE STATUS : The Parochial Church Council (PCC) is registered as a charity with the Charity Commission, in compliance with statutory requirements (Registered No. 1132843). The PCC has no direct links with other trusts or charities, except that the Rector is ex officio a governor of the Richard Taylor Educational Foundation.

Major cash/non-cash transactions: None Substantial voluntary help/free Mr Darren Tiffney generously gave his services facilities: (independent examination of the accounts) free of charge Substantial contingent liabilities: Parish Share payable to Leeds Diocesan Board of Finance (not a legal liability): £186,069 Subsidiary companies: None Changes in accounting procedures: None Details of donations of £1,000 or more: Legacies July 2025: £10,000 from Jean Burton estate August 2025: £70,000 from Maxwell Dodd estate Other donations March 2025: £1,038 to the Youth Worker fund Grants received: Jan-Oct 2025: £3,000 from Richard Taylor’s Educational Trust to the Youth Worker fund. Payments to Trustees (PCC members): Rev Matthew Hunter £380 for clergy expenses Rev Laura Martin £1,109 for clergy expenses Mrs Emma James £12,332 for Young People’s Worker wages, expenses and pension costs Rev Dr Judith Clark £4,468 for Children & Young Persons’ Chaplain wages, expenses and pension costs Reserves policy: To maintain unrestricted funds sufficient to meet 3 months’ normal running costs (excluding Parish Share)

The PCC relies substantially on voluntary donations. People are encouraged to make these where possible on a regular basis using standing orders and under Gift Aid. The Parish Giving Scheme (PGS) operates to facilitate regular giving by direct debit and to streamline the claiming of Gift Aid. Lettings of church properties, fund-raising activities and fees generate much of the remaining income.

Grants and donations to Charities (Mission Giving ) -

The policy on the payment of grants and donations to charities is detailed below. In 2025 a total of £8,341 was given to the following charities:

Artizan International Bilton & Woodfield Library Betty’s & Taylor’s (Cone Exchange) The Children’s Society Christian Aid Dignity Through Education Harrogate Homeless Project Horticap Tearfund Emergency Appeals (4)

Mission Partners: Anna and Chris Hembury (Hull); John & Vikki Wright (Uganda)

In 2025, In Memoriam donations amounted to £465.

Total income in 2025 came to £306,781 (2024: £317,451) and benefited from the legacies, grants and donations noted above.

Income excluding YPW amounted to £284,835 (2024: £289,710). Regular Giving, excluding donations for Mission Giving and YPW, was £136,288 (2024: £150,125).

Total expenditure in 2025 came to £267,596 (2024: £288,430). Expenditure excluding YPW amounted to £250,653 (2024: £260,205).

It was again necessary to cap Parish Share payments to the Diocese, resulting in total Share arrears of £186,069 at the end of 2025 (2023: £143,181). As previously noted, the Share arrears are a contingent liability, not a legal liability, as Share is deemed to be a voluntary donation.

With provision made for debtors and liabilities, and gains and losses on investments, the accounts as a whole show a surplus for 2025 of £39,184 (2024: surplus £29,022). Excluding matters relating to the Young People's Worker, the accounts show a surplus for 2025 of £34,182 (2024: surplus £30,078).

At 31 December 2025 the net value of unrestricted Current Assets and Current Liabilities, and Bank and Deposit funds, amounted to £110,263 . Young People's Worker restricted funds amounted to £27,300 .

POLICY FOR THE PAYMENT OF GRANTS AND DONATIONS TO OTHER CHARITIES

(reviewed by the PCC November 2025)

1. Level and Frequency

2. Exclusions

Income from Funerals must not be included when assessing the level of our Extra Parochial Giving. This is income which goes through the Church accounts but where the charity is designated by the deceased’s family, and should not be included as our Churches’ giving.

Income donated specifically for the Young People’s Worker Fund must not be included when assessing the level of our Extra Parochial Giving.

Legacies received under restricted conditions, e.g. for use solely in buildings restoration, are also to be excluded.

3. Inclusions

Income from any event organised by or on behalf of the Church to raise money for a specific charity.

4. Give to:

International faith based charities International secular charities

National faith based charities National secular charities

Local faith based charities Local secular charities

Disaster Appeals - £500 to be sent immediately and reported to the PCC retrospectively. Amount to be reviewed annually.

5. Methods

In circumstances, when money is given in response to an exceptional appeal, the Churchwardens and Treasurer will determine whether such monies raised should be treated as part of our Extra Parochial Giving.

David Brown – PCC Treasurer

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