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2025-12-31-accounts

ANNUAL TRUSTEES REPORT AND FINANCIAL

STATEMENTS

For the year ended 31st December 2025

The Parochial Church Council of

the Ecclesiastical Parish of St Peter and St Mary Stowmarket

The Parochial Church Council of St Peter & St Mary, Stowmarket

Trustees Report and Financial Statements for the Year ended


Contents and Charity Details

Contents

Contents and Charity Details………………………………………………………………. Page 2 Trustees’ Report…………………………………………………………………………………. Page 3 Financial review………………………………………………………………………………….. Page 8 Independent Examiner’s report …………………………………………………………. Page 10 Statement of Financial Activities . ………………………………………………………. Page 11 Balance Sheet ……………………………………………………………………………………. Page 12 Notes to the financial Statements ……………………………………………………… Page 13 Accounts ……………………………………………………………………………………………. Page 14

Charity Details

Vacant Vicar: Trustees: The Parochial Church Council Charity Commission Registration 1132857 (England and Wales) number: Principal Office: St Peter & St Mary’s Church Station Road West Stowmarket Suffolk, IP14 1ES Accountant: James Knights FCA Knights Lowe Chartered Accountants Eldo House Kempson Way Suffolk Business Park Bury St Edmunds Suffolk IP32 7AR Principal Bankers: CAF Bank Limited 25 Kings Hill Avenue West Malling Kent ME19 4JQ

TSB Bank plc

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The Parochial Church Council of St Peter & St Mary, Stowmarket

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Henry Duncan House 120 George Street Edinburgh EH2 4LH

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The Parochial Church Council of St Peter & St Mary, Stowmarket

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Trustees’ Report for the year ended 31 December 2025

The Trustees, who are the members of the Parochial Church Council, submit their Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31st December 2025. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the relevant accounting policies and comply with Church Representation Rules, the Charities Act 2011 and Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their financial statements in accordance with FRS 102, as updated February 2016.

Objectives, Activities, Achievement and Performance

Main Activities

The Parochial Church Council (‘PCC’) aims to promote in the parish the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical.

Public Benefit

The PCC is aware of its duty to ensure that the charitable activities of the Church further its charitable objectives and that these activities are for the purpose of public benefit. A review of the activities is included in this Annual Report and gives details of the way in which this has been achieved. The activities undertaken above are given careful consideration by the Trustees against the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit.

Worship and prayer are central to the life of the Church and in 2025 we continued with the pattern of one service on Sunday mornings at 10:00am alternating between Communion and Morning Worship with Family Service once a month. The lunchtime communion service continues to be well attended on alternate Thursdays at noon. Over the year the Church has held 158 services. Of those:

88 were Communion services

70 were Morning Worship Services and Family Services (4 with baptisms) And, of the total,

7 were funerals, (Richard also lead services at the Crematorium)

11 were Evening Praise services including Re-Ignite a Churches Together ecumenical praise service.

10 were miscellaneous other services i.e. Remembrance, Churches Together Advent Service, Good Friday Walk and Meditations, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Battle of Britain Service, a Christingle Service and a Carol Service.

Peter Bonsall was elected as Churchwarden at the APCM and Marion Gray was re-elected

and they continue to oversee the activities and workload of the Parish PCC meets on the 4[th] Monday of every month except August and December. Discussions have covered all areas of church life, reading the financial reports, receiving proposals and making decisions to make sure

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we are consistent to our charitable aims and obligations. Thanks to those who have added to discussions and shared their insights to keep the church moving in our vacancy.

The Buildings and Finance Committee act as the Standing committee of the PCC and met 12 times through the year. Discussion have continued around the heating in St Peters Hall, the floor in the North Aisle and the arch as well as discussing the finances of the church. Along with the Treasurer ideas for Fundraising have been put to PCC and the Church membership as giving is decreasing as a proportion of our total income. We changed Power suppliers this year in order to secure a better deal and substantial supply and connection work has been carried out in both church halls. Thanks go those who have faithfully served on this committee.

Other committees discussed the Ministry and Worship of the church, the Mission and Outreach of the church and brought proposals to PCC meetings.

Charlotte Whyte has continued as the Parish Safeguarding Officer and has worked hard to update the Diocese Dashboard and make sure that all volunteers are up to date with the appropriate level of training and we are in line with the latest legislation and good practice. Safeguarding is a standing item on every agenda for PCC and Buildings and Finance and are used to share small training packets and reminders of good practice. Many thanks go to Charlotte for the huge volume of work she has carried out and for making sure that safeguarding is the very culture of St Peter and St Mary’s not just an agenda item.

We continue to have a good relationship with the “Osier Cafe in Church” (Open Tuesday to Saturday 9:00am - 3:15pm) The ‘pay forward’ scheme (where customers can put money behind the counter to pay for drinks and meals for those who can't afford it) continues to be well supported. There is also a ‘Kindness Shelf’ from which people can help themselves to toiletries and other daily essentials. During the winter months, there is also a rack of winter coats for those who need them.

The café continues to be an important open space in the middle of Stowmarket. The children’s area is well used, as parents appreciate a free space to come, without pressure to buy a drink, and to stay and play as long as they want. This is an incarnational expression of being the Church in the town center and welcoming people in and helping to meet their needs. It is a living, practical expression of our mission statement, “Letting people know about the love of Jesus Christ”

The Electoral Roll was renewed this year and lists 73 members. Although this removed historic entries, and feels quite stark, we have seen new people coming into church as they have felt led.

The Clergy, Readers, and Preachers continue to meet once a month for pastoral discussion and service planning. In July Matt Levett moved on to lead a church in Northamptonshire. Thanks go to Richard who has stepped up to stand in the gap of vacancy, and to Tony for creating rotas including lectionary readings and themes.

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Four Home groups meet for study, prayer and pastoral support and covered seasonal

material linked to Lent and Advent as well as material linked to Spring Harvest. The groups did decrease to two during the year. Thanks go to those who open their homes for this important work of hospitality and pastoral leadership.

St Mary's Hall is the venue for our successful St Peter and St Mary's Preschool which

continues to meet week days in term time. With funding now available for 2-year-olds the

staff made the decision to open for longer to accommodate increasing numbers. The staff are considering the possibility of employing extra staff to ease staffing pressures.

Our children's work continued with Sarah Ingham, and a team of volunteers, leading Little Fishes fortnightly in St Peter's Hall. 25 families have enjoyed stories including Bible stories and singing and making music together.

Boys Brigade and Girls Association Company continue to meet on Tuesday evenings. Both of these ministries attract families from outside of the congregation and offer the possibility of linking in with our work and services. Thank you to those who give their time to plan and lead sessions in this important mission work.

The Church relies on all the good work done by the volunteers in the Church Office and we

thank Jane Stretch, Pat Wells, and Charlotte Whyte for all the hard work they do keeping the office open 4 days a week.

We have good relationship with other Christian denominations through Churches Together, getting together for the Week of Prayer for Christian unity, the Good Friday Walk of Witness

and supporting the Foodbank and Pop-up Shop. We opened up for the Town Food and Drinks Festival again and saw people appreciating the building and space we offer.

The Christmas Tree Festival was opened by Zoie from BBC Look East who had covered the event in 2024 and really enjoyed her time in Stowmarket. Many thanks go to Charlotte Whyte who yet again coordinated the festival with the help of her team, the Town Festival ran in partnership with the Town Council, Red Gables and Maxwell Brown Property Agent. We always aim to improve ways in which we are inclusive as an Open Church and offer an

open invitation to all in the service of Jesus Christ and that all who come are safe and supported in our activities and worship.

We continue to reach out to those who can’t get to the Church using the new technologies that are now available online. We use Facebook and our website to publicize our activities and our YouTube channel allows us to

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Livestream our Sunday Morning Services, which are also available afterwards. YouTube records how many people access the live streams and recordings, which averages around 40 views each week.

Our thanks go to Martin Gray and Denis Compton for managing the Sunday Morning tech so we can hear everything and follow on the screens, and for making it available online. And you can be assured that the latest Safeguarding, Data Protection and Copyright legislation is kept up to date.

Prayer is brought to all Church activities in a real desire to put into practice the will of God

and develop as a Church that is a true expression of His Kingdom here on Earth. As we do

so, we are seen to be fulfilling our ‘mission statement’ of LETTING PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT

THE LOVE OF JESUS CHRIST.

Marion Gray and Peter Bonsall Church Wardens

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Structure, Governance and Management

The Parochial Church Council of St Peter and St Mary, Stowmarket is a body established by the Church of England. The PCC operates under the Parochial Church Powers measure 1956, as amended, and Church Representation Rules.

The PCC is also registered as a charity with the Charity Commission in England and Wales, charity no. 1132857, and the PCC members form the Board of Trustees of the Charity.

Trustees

The Trustees who served during the year were:

Marion Gray (Church Warden and joint Chair, appointed May 2025) Peter Bonsall (Church Warden and joint Chair, appointed May 2025) Charlotte Whyte (Deanery Synod Representative, appointed May 2024) Peter Hacker (assistant Church Warden, appointed May 2024) Francis Heather Baker (appointed April 2025) Sylvia Gooderham (appointed May 2023) Jocelyn Porter (appointed May 2025) Tony Ingham (appointed May 2024) Dennis Compton (appointed May 2024) Michelle Compton-Large (appointed May 2024) Carol Gilliland (appointed May 2024) Jenny Hauk (Treasurer appointed June 2023) Rev’d Richard Stretch (Self Supporting Minister)

Deanery Synod Representatives, Matt Levett and Peter Shoesmith resigned during in 2025.

Administration of the Charity

The Charity is administered by the Board of Trustees, which is the Parochial Church Council. The Trustees meet every month (except in August and December) to review the performance and governance of the Charity. The PCC has various committees reporting to it, grouped into three areas: Building and Finance; Mission and Outreach; Ministry and Worship. The PCC establishes other committees as required to deal with specific issues and events.

Recruitment, appointment and training of Trustees

The appointment of PCC members is governed by and set out in the Church Representation Rules. Members are appointed at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting and additional members can be co-opted by the appointed members.

The Board recognises the need of Trustees to reflect a wide and diverse range of skills and interests. The Trustees will periodically review the composition of the Board, identifying the need for additional expertise where necessary. The majority of Trustees are identified through word of mouth and knowledge of the Charity. Trustees will review any potential candidate to ensure that they complement the Charity and the Board. Newly nominated trustees are usually briefed by the Chairman and receive background information on the Charity as necessary.

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Trustees are normally appointed for a 3-year term, and do not become available for re-election for another 3 years. Because of the difficulties in recruiting people, the 2022 Annual Parish Meeting agreed to waive this requirement.

Risk Assessment

Systems have been established which mitigate the major risks to which the Church is exposed. Major events, such as the Christmas Tree Festival, are subject to additional risk assessment.

Safeguarding

Comprehensive safeguarding measures are in place, overseen by a Safeguarding Officer. 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).

Trustees’ Responsibilities

The Charity Trustees are responsible for preparing a Trustees’ annual report and financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

The law applicable to Charities in England and Wales requires the Trustees to prepare Financial Statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources of the Charity for that period. In preparing the financial statements, the Trustees are required to:

The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Charity and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the applicable Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations, and the requirements of the Church of England.

They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Charity and taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

The Trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the Charity and financial information included on the Charity’s website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of the financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

Approved by the Trustees on 27[th] April 2026 and signed on their behalf by:

--------------------------------- -------------------------------Marion Gray Peter Bonsall Church Warden Church Warden

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Financial Review

Total incoming resources in the year amounted to £283,518 (2024: £252,654), with total expenditure incurred at £270,788 (2024: 253,053). Overall, the net movement in funds, when taking account of investments loses, was a net inflow of £11,147 (2024: net inflow of £493). The net assets of the PCC at the balance sheet date were £471,378 compared with £460,231 in the previous year.

The Church’s finances once again showed improvement this year from last, largely due to the overdue Gift aid payment of £14,273 from 2023 being received. When this is taken into account the accounts show a slight outflow of £3,126. Giving showed an increase in 2025 following an appeal to the congregation but remains below the 2024 level at £44915, (£56267 in 2024) There is an increasing deficit in the revenue budget of income over expenditure, which continues to be covered by payments from the church charity, and in 2025, the extra gift aid payment mentioned above. These may well decrease significantly in 2026 due to problems with non-Payment of rents. The PCC have been made aware of the situation and the need for additional fundraising, if the church is to be able to continue to operates as it is currently. It is proposed that a regular program of events which would take place annually, in the same way as the Christmas Tree Festival, will be planned by the PCC early in 2026.

Investment policy and performance

There is no intention to retain funds over the longer term and cash not immediately required is placed on deposit with the Church of England. The Finbow Endowment Fund is an investment held and administered by the Diocese. Long Term Investment funds have been created to hold legacies, proceeds from the sale of Café 52 and monies for longer term projects. These funds have been invested by the Diocese on the church’s behalf in a mix of property and equitybased funds managed by CCLA. Property based funds showed a modest increase this year, after declining over the previous 2 years. The Equity based funds, which have performed well over the last 2 years, lost value in 2025 as did the Finbow endowment. This is largely due to the volatility of the markets in 2025.

Project funding

Fund raising for the refurbishment of the organ continued during 2025 and the balance of these funds at the end of 2025 was £16,708. It is hope to carry out the work in stages beginning in May 2026. The cost of the project has had to be revised, due to the Chancellor withdrawing the Listed places of Worship scheme in her November budget. This increases the amount needed for all ongoing work as the VAT will no longer be able to be re-claimed.

It is anticipated that the work on the Fabric of the Church currently required will need to be paid for by withdrawing money from the invested reserves, primarily from the proceeds of the sale of Café 52.

Reserves Policy

In Accordance with the agreed reserves policy, the General Fund is intended to carry two months balance to provide for contingencies in the coming year and to provide sufficient cash flow to cover the regular transactions. At the year end the balance on the General Fund was £-9973 in deficit. This is going to generate problems with both cash flow and continued expenditure in 2026. The Trustees will continue to closely monitor this balance in 2026 in conjunction with incoming resources and expenditure to enable this to be rectified in by year end 2026.

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The 3Rs (Fabric Fund) balance will vary according to the expenditure on projects currently in progress and planned for the near future. The policy provides for a balance of £30,000 to be held in the 3Rs fund. The PCC considers that this is prudent considering the age of the building and the constant need for maintenance. This requires ongoing review by the Trustees year on year to ensure that the reserve held is sufficient for upcoming projects. Currently the Balance of the 3Rs fund stands at £38,907, £12,500 of which are restricted funds. These funds have been re-assigned by the donor to contribute to the replacement of the roof of St Mary’s Hall. So, the total amount remaining for projects is £26,407.

The balance carried forward on the Pre-school account is being retained for the future use of the Pre-school. Sufficient reserves are maintained in order to allow for fluctuations in the numbers of children attending the pre-school and variations in Government funding. A reserve fund, currently £39,304 and increased annually, is held in the Church accounts, to cover the eventuality of redundancies among the pre-school staff.

Funds arising from certain legacies currently remain unspent. The PCC is taking the prudent view that this money should remain invested until there is greater certainty about future income and expenditure.


Jenny Hauk Treasurer

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Independent Examiner’s Report Year Ended 31[st]

The Parochial Church Council of St Peter & St Mary, Stowmarket


Independent Examiner’s Report

Independent examiner's report to the trustees of The Parochial Church Council of St Peter & St Mary, Stowmarket

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of The Parochial Church Council of St Peter & St Mary, Stowmarket (the Trust for the year ended 31 December 2025.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity trustees of the Trust you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Act').

I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under Section 145 of the Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under Section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent examiner's statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

  1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by Section 130 of the Act; or

  2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or

  3. the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

James Knights FCA

Knights Lowe Chartered Accountants Eldo House Kempson Way Suffolk Business Park Bury St Edmunds

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Independent Examiner’s Report Year Ended 31[st]

The Parochial Church Council of St Peter & St Mary, Stowmarket


Suffolk IP32 7AR

Date: .........................................

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Statement of Financial Activities for The Parochial Church Council ofNotes to the Financial St Peter & St Mary, Stowmarketthe yearended 31 December 2017Statements for the year ended


Statement of Financial Activities for the year ended 31 December 2025

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Statement of Financial Activities for The Parochial Church Council ofNotes to the Financial St Peter & St Mary, Stowmarketthe yearended 31 December 2017Statements for the year ended

________________ Statement of Financial Activities for the year ended 31 December 2025

Balance Sheet as at 31st December 2025

Balance Sheet as at 31 December 2023
Balance Sheet as at 31 December 2023
Notes
Fixed Assets
Tangible Assets
Investments
Total Fixed
Assets
8
Current Assets
Stock
Debtors
9
Short term
deposits
Cash at bank and
in hand
Total Current
Assets
Liabilities
~~2025~~
£
220,137
38,260
258,397
0
19,056
158,822
46,103
223,981

Creditors: amounts falling due

Authorised by the Parochial Church Council on 27th April 2026 and signed on its Due within one behalf by : 10 11,000

Marion Gray – Churchwarden

Peter Bonsall - Churchwarden

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Statement of Financial Activities for The Parochial Church Council ofNotes to the Financial St Peter & St Mary, Stowmarketthe yearended 31 December 2017Statements for the year ended


Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2025

1. Accounting Policies a) Basis of preparation

cost of transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant note(s) to the accounts.

Reports)

Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) Issued on 16[th] July 2014 and update February 2016 rather than the Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended P effective from 1 April 2005 which has since been withdrawn.

The Charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102.

as a going

concern.

b) Fund Accounting

are restricted.

Designated funds are those that have been earmarked for a purpose but could still be used for gene PCC decided to do so. There are currently no designated funds

Restricted funds may only be used for the purpose for which they are given.

c) Accounting Policy for Income Recognition

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Statement of Financial Activities for The Parochial Church Council ofNotes to the Financial St Peter & St Mary, Stowmarketthe yearended 31 December 2017Statements for the year ended


Income is recognised in accordance with the accruals basis of accounting, whereby income is recorded when it is received or receivable. This ensures that the income is reflected in the period in which the charity has a right to receive it, and not necessarily when it is actually received. For unrestricted income, recognition occurs when the charity has control over the receipt of the income, and for restricted income, when it is received or receivable, and all conditions attached to the income have been met.

Donations

Donations are recognised as income when received or receivable, provided the charity has met the conditions of the donation and the amount is certain. In cases where donations are conditional on certain future events or actions, income will be recognised only when those conditions have been fulfilled.

Where a donation is restricted, it is recognised as restricted income and will be reported separately in the statement of financial activities (SOFA) to reflect its purpose.

Rental Income

Rental income is recognised on a receivable basis. This means that rental income is recognised in the period in which the charity has a right to receive it, in accordance with the terms of the lease or rental agreement.

Grants

Grants are recognised as income when the charity has met all the conditions attached to the grant, and the right to receive the income has been established. If the grant is intended for a specific purpose and/or period, it will be classified as restricted income. Where grants are received in advance of the recognition criteria being met, the grant is treated as deferred income and recognised in the period in which the conditions are satisfied.

If the conditions of the grant have been met and the grant is received, income is recognised in full in the period in which the charity becomes entitled to the grant.

Deferred Income

Where income is received in advance of the charity fulfilling any associated obligations (e.g., a grant or donation received for a future event), it is recorded as deferred income on the balance sheet until it is earned.

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