The Parish Church of St. James West End Annual Report of the Parochial Church Council for the year ended 31st December, 2025 To be presented at the annual Meeting of Parishioners and the Annual Parochial Church meeting St James, Church, West End 2025 Report and Accounts for the Parochial Church Council Aims and Purposes Sl. James, Parochial Church Council IPCCI has the responsibility of rA)-operaling with the Vicar, Reverend Vicky Maunder, in promoting the work of the ecdesiastical parish (which covers the village of Wesl End, Townhill Farm, Harefield and part of the Bitteme area of Southamptonl and the whole mission of the Church, pastoral. evangelistsc. S￿al and ecumenical. It is also responsible for the rnainlenance of the adjoining Church Hall.11 supp)rts the work of Sl. James, Church of England Primary School. Objectives and activities Our church meets for worship, prayer and fellowship. We offer baptisms. weddings and funerals, and pastoral and spiritual support lo anyone living in the parish who requests it. We seek lo build positive relationships with local organisations, groups and schcKJls, and lo maintsin our buildings for the benefil of all in our parish. The PCC is committed lo enabling as many peoFAe as p)ssible lo worship al our church and lo become part of our parish ￿MMunity al Sl James.. We a￿ an indusive Church, welcoming everyone. When planning our aclivilies, we consider the Charity Commisson's guidance on public benefit and the supplementary guidance on charib'es for the advancement of religion. Achievements and perforniance Worshlp and prayer All are welcomè lo attend our regular services.. Sung Eucharist services are held on Sunday mornings al 9..30 and Church Aive services a111.'00. with joint services combining both congregations on various dales during the year. We Continue lo welcome chIld￿n singing in the choirand taking part in the 9.30am service on the first Sunday of each month and now hold a children's, choir rehearsal as well as our usual practsce. This has been well supported with 18 children attending, some new to the church. We also hold a popular Eucharist on Wednesday momings al 10.30am with organist and small choir. Sung Evensong is held on two Sunday evenings a month and Taizé services once a Thonth. We livestream our Sunday 9'.30am Eucharist and EVen$￿g servi(£s on a regular basis. Al the end of the year 2025 there were 137 parishioners recorded on the Church Electoral Roll. W& welcorned 853 people lo special services held in Advent and 750 people lo services on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. On average 102 adults and 20 ¢hildren attended services on a Sunday. We held two Gonfirmat'on serwces in the year. Bishop Geoff presided al our Easter Vigil when three members of the congregation were confimied and Bishop Rhiannon presided al our Confirrnalion service in November, when one candidate, a mèmber of our church choir, was confimed. As well as aur regular services, we offer baptism, wedding and funeral serwces, enabling our community to celebrate and thank God at the milestones of life's joumey. SÈ James, Church, WestEnd-Annual Rewrt 2025 Page 2 Deanery Synod Three members of the PCC currenuy sil on the Deanery Syn(Kl, providing an imrx)rtanl link belween the parish and the wider structures of the church. pcc This year the PCC has continued lo focus on achieving a green lighl on the Safeguarding dashboard and further irnproving our volunteer recnjitmenl process with the development of a Safer recruitment database. A revision of our GDPR lists was undertaken in the latter half of the year. Church and Church Hall The buildings remain in reasonable condition fcK their age. however in May a fall of plaster from the high-level chancel wall above the Vicarfs stsll resulted in cosdy repairs lo exlemal roof areas and the wall ilseif. This was partly c￿Vered by our insuT8nce bul also by some very generous donations along with a fund-raising campaign. Recommendations from the 2023 Quinquennial Sutvey continued with window repairs cornpleled and high4evel light bulbs were replaced. A gas leak caused by incompalibility of ancient rmpes with a new gas meler caused the church lo be wilhoul healing over the Christmas period as the ServI￿S of an engineer were not available until the new year. The churchyard was formally dosed lo burials on 2￿ April 2025 and a churchyard management plan was agreed with the Parish Council who are now officially responsible for ils upkeep. We Continued to keep the churchyard as neat and ts'dy as w)ssitle and held working groups during the year. The church is kept open durirvJ daylight hours from Tuesday lo Friday; this is much appreciated by the ommunity who come to visit and pray. The church is also hired by Salem Mar Thoma Church as well as being used as a venue for concerts and rehearsals by visits.ng mUs￿lanS and ensembles, widening our rea¢h into the local community. Our church hall with mtxlern kitchen is available for hire by community groups and for private fvnctions. As well as frequent use by church groups. our regular users include local charity groups, Mar Thoma church and gardening clubs. Chlldren's Work We run a children's group during the 9.30am SeNi¢e and an all age b￿ak out activity during the 11 am service. Our popular Stay and Play group moved lo Friday momings and has continued to give the opportunity for parents and carer5 of young children and babies lo meet up and frjr the children to play. We ran monthly children'5 activity ￿ming5 and welcomed dass visrts lo the church from local schools. Two of our children's leaders did the Bishop's Commission for Ministry training for Young People and Children's leaders in the autumn lemi to further equip them for this valuable work. Church School We have very strong links with our local church school, Saint James Church of England Primary School, with the Vicar and Iwo meML￿r$ of the thurch as Foundation Govemors. Our Associate Priest Revd Linda Galvin is based al the school for days a week. Some of the school children have joined the church choir as part of our new Junior Choir Project. SÈ James, Church, WestEnd-Annual Rewrt 2025 Page 3 Pastoral Care A team of trained pastoral visitors SUPFM)rt the Virar wth pastoral visi(s including some taking Home Communion to the housebound and lo several of the CarelResidential Homes within our parish. Hospital visits are also made lo parishioners. The dergy are available to anyone requesting support. Discipleship Two discussion groups ran during Lent, both meeting for five sessions and reading 'Wild, Bright Hope,, The Big Church Read for 2025. Bible Discussion groups were held in the summer and the autumn looking at the Acts of the Aposues. Quiet Space sessions were held ￿gUlartY over the year offering people an opportunity to meet in a small group for prayer and reflects'on. Mission and evangelism though our HOPE IHome and Overseas Partnership and Education) committee held ils final meeting this year, the arrangement and coordination of hjndraising events for charity was taken over by the PCC. This year we SUPPK)rted Christian as usual. Harfee's Angels as our Lent charity, and the proceeds from our regular coffee momings go lo a different chanty each month. The annual Christmas Card appeal this year benefited St James, Shelter, Samaritans, Mountbatten H05pice and the Salvation Army. Our three Chrislingle services al Christmas supported the Children's Soaety. Our monthly Parish Magazine is available in a free-of-charge online version via the church website and is emailed lo a regular mailing list, as well as being available in printed version for a small fee for those who are unable lo access the necessary technology. Outreach this year again included Nnning a'wami Spa¢es" group in Ihe hall during the months of January lo March, lan initiative offering wamilh and company lo all and t¥)m out of the Cost￿l-lIvIng crisis and increases in energy bills). In the surnmer a fflusic evenl coordinated by Churches Together HEWEB was held al Sl James, and raised over £1,000 for charity. The Community Café continues lo run once a month on a Thursday., and we took part in community events run by the Parish Coun¢il and hosted events in the church buildings., athough sadly due lo bad weather a couple of activities were Cancelled. We ran a very successfvl wreath making workshop and sold craft items al the Winchester Chnstmas Market. Our vicar was appointed chaplain lo the Mayor of Easueigh in May. A speaal Civic seNice was held in June to welcome the new Mayor and Civic guests attended our Chnstmas Carol Service. Eco Church We are members of the A-Rocha UK movement's Eco Church programme which equips churches in England lo care lor creation and "go green" and have achieved a Silver Award. The church allolmenl onlinues to produce seasonal flower5 and foliage for use in decorating the Church and gives joy and companionship lo all who work on r(. Ecumenical Relationships We are members of the Hedge End, Wesl End and Bouey Churches Tojelher group IHEWEBI and have two members of the church attending meets'ngs on a regular basis. This year as well as joining in with the Service for Christian Unity and Worfd Day of Prayer we hosted a music event in the church and have again supported the Hdiday Bible Club for children. Tralnlng We had an ordinand on placement with us for the year for three days a week as part of his training for ordination to the priesth(K*l. We welcomed another ordinand for a full-time Ihree-week placement in the summer. SÈ James, Church, WestEnd-Annual Rewrt 2025 Page 4 Volunteers We would like lo thank all the volunteers ￿0 work so hard lo rnake our church the ITvely and vibrant ornmunity il is. In particular, we want to mention our churchwardens David Forster, Janel Barrett and our assistsnl churchwarden Noel Becket. who have W0￿ed so tirelessly on our behalf. We also thank our excellent treasurer Jane Hollingsworth, along with all the other members of the PCC for their valuable contribution to our ministy and for keeping the church njnning. Structuro, governance and managemenl The Parochial Church Council is a corporate body estsblished by the Church of England. The PCC operates under the Parochial Church Council Powers Measure. Members of the PCC are either ex-offi¢K) or ele¢ted by the Annual PaKKhial Church Meeting IAPCMI in accordance with the Church Representsb'on Rules. The PCC members are responsitle for making decisions on all matters of general concem and importance lo the parish, including deciding on how the fvnd5 of the PCC are to be spent. New members receive initial training into the workings of the PCC. The full PCC mel six b'mes during the year with an average level of attendan¢e of 78%. The PCC operates with the Standing Commfftee which meets oc&8sionally befv4een fvll meetsngs of the PCC.. Standing Committee.. This is the only Committee required by law. 11 has powerlo transact the business of the PCC be￿eeN its meetings, subject lo any directions given by the Council., debates complicated or detailed issues prior lo submitting proposals to the PCC and ￿vIewS the financial situation. Rlsk Management Pollcy The PCC actively reviews the major risks which Ihe church faces on a wular basis and believe that maintaining reserves, combined with the annual review of the controls over key financial systems carried out on an annual basis will provide sufficient resources in the event of adverse conditions. The PCC has also examined th& operation and business risk which thèy face and confirm that they have 8slablish&d systems lo M￿gate the signffjcant risks. Safeguarding The PCC has complied wth the duty under section 5 of the Safeguarding aThJ Clergy Discipline Measure 2016 and has given due regard to the House of Bishops, guidance on the safeguarding of children and vulnèrable adults. We Continue lo work towards a 'green light. on all se¢lions of the Oiocese of Winchester Parish Safeguarding Dashboard, an online tool that helps Parish Safeguarding Officers and PCCS lo keep track of saleguarding wthin their parish with links lo Churth of England safeguarding policies, guidance and local lemplales. St James, Church, WestEnd-Annual Rewrt 2025 Page 5 Administrative Infomiation The Church of St James, West End. is located on the A27 al the junction of Wesl End Road Mth Church Hill. The postal code area in which the church is located is S030 3AT, OS grid reference OS 466 141.11 is part of the Diocese of Winchester within the Church of England. The correspK)ndence address is Sl James, Church, Church Hill. West End. Souihampton. S030 3AT. The Parochial Church Counal of the E￿lesla￿'Cal Parish of Sl James, Wesl End in the Diocese of Winchester is registered with the Charity Commission- No 1132863. with the working name of'west End PCC of St James.. The dale of registrabon was 21st November 2009. The following seDied as members of th PCC from the APCM h8ld11th May 2025: Ex officio members.. Vicar Revd V Maunder Chainnan (Frorn June 20191 (From July 2015- May 20181 (From July 2018- June 20191 Safeguarding off￿er (From November 20161 LLM Emeritus (From August 20201 (First elected 20241 To2030 (First elected 20241 To2030 Associate Priest Revd L Galvin VI￿ Chair Chaimian LLM LLM Mrs C lQdd r A Jenkins Wardens.. Mr D Forsler Mrs J Barrett Vre Chair Deputy Vice Chair Elected members.. Representslives on Dr P LilUe￿jhns the Deanery Synod131 Mrs C Kidd Mr S LaThJridge (Until APCM 20261 Safeguarding off￿er (Until APCM 20261 Deputy Slguarding (Until APCM 20261 Offi¢%r Mr N Becket Assistanl Warden Health & Safety Officer Eco Grcwp (Until APCM 202711 (Until APCM 202711 (Unlil APCM 20271, (Until APCM 202711 (Untsl APCM 20271, Mr S Wiseman Mrs D Bames Dr J Thome Mrs M Tilcock r D Stevens MrBFry Electoral Roll Officer (Until APCM 202811 (Until APCM 202811 Mrs L Diment-Davies Cwled Mrs R Owton Miss L Spratt Miss M Blake Mrs J Hollingsworth (Until APCM 20261 (Until APCM 202612 (Until APCM 20261, (Until APCM 202611 {Unbl APCM 20261, Treasurer and Grft d Secretary El￿ted members rnay seNe a mwmum of SVA years, then 2.year break (tr￿k effect in 21N)31 PCC Se¢xètary Mrs S Overell SÈ James, Church, WestEnd-Annual Rewrt 2025 Page 6 Financial Review In the few years that I have looked after the finan￿S of the Church, it has been so difficult lo predict a budget for each year, as not only are we reliant on voluntary donations, but also. we are never sure exactly which challenges we are likely to face. However, when problems arise rt is incredible how our supporters slep up lo be counted. 2025 was no exception. The yèar startèd with predictions of dedining donations in response to the economic environment, pr(wded through damage occurring lo the roof as a result of age and environmental fadors, which required urgent repair, and continued through drfficull negotiation of new energy agreements lo obtain a more ecothfn'endly but cosl*ffective energy supply. Throughout the year fundraising efforts were hampered due to indemenl weather and inflab'on hil our costs. Total receipts on unreslricled funds in 2025 were £124.339 of which £62,009 were unrestricted voluntary donations and a further £13,861 originated from Gift Aid. Al the end of the year, we also received a surprise unrestricted legacy of £20,000 from former Music Director, Marbn Hall, for which we are most grateful. We saw a lurther drop of 90k in planngj giving on the previous year, however, we received a fantsslic reswnse to our emergency fundraising for repairs to the fabric of th& Church. in parb'cular lo th& r¢Xsf. The response from the congregats'on alone raised in excess of £24,000 and we were also able lo recover nearfy £5,000 in gift aid on this amount. Grants were also received tolalling £3.000 and as a result the work was compkled before the wel winter weather sel in, so we thank everyone concerned for your generosity. Our Common Mission Fund for 2025 in¢￿se0 from £47.213 in 202410 £51,030 and l am pleased lo advise that we mel these payments in full during the year. Our Common Mission Fund requirem&nt for 2026 ha5 been increased by a furtheT 4.50A to £53,326. We also recruited a new adminislralor during the year, who is contracted lo work more hours than before During November, we funded the two administralors simultsneously to ac￿MModate an effective handover. The Hall and Church conts'nued lo provide much needed rental income from commercial and charitable organisalions, whilsl supporting our own outreach and community activities. In 2025 Church and Hall lettings accounted for £11,95212024.. £13.158} of our unrestricted ino)me19.3%I. Fundraising has be¢ome an incwsingly imwrtant part of our Church income and our grateful thanks are extended lo all those who conlribuled lo Ihe lundraising efforts during 2025 although our efforts were thwarted by the weather. Total nel funds raised for the Church from these events was a significant injection of £4,887. £3,053 was also raised to provide a defibrillator lo be pk)silioned outside the Church buildings and fund ongoing maintenance. The Church and Hall showed an overall excess of income over expendilure of £26,2[￿ for the year ended 31st December 2025, which was predominanuy due lo gener¢)us donors, including the £20,000 legacy and control of ongoing costs. There was also a delay in providing invoicing for new gas and electricity supplies, due to the setting up of new systems and correction lo invoices, so a provision has been made in the Statement of Assets and Liabilib'es for £1,979 for 2025 energy consumed, paid in direct debits that were not taken until eady in 2026. SÈ James, Church, WestEnd-Annual Re￿rt 2025 Page 7 Our financial sothvare has seen additional development throughout 2025. The most notsble change is thè transfer of gift aid re(x)rds and daims lo the system. which has created 8 much fastèr process for reclaims. The system also provides reminders when gfi aid declarations have expired and suggests opportunities lo recover additional grfi aid from other donations. Certificates of Gift Aid can also now be prcmjuced by Expense Plus. I would like lo thank everyonè who has supporte(l the on￿ing Intr￿JuCtion of technol¢JJy into the finances of the Church, which has achieved our goals to.. Provide remote access lo those Ihal need it, lo essential financial infomialion on an up to dale and real b'me basis, whilst maintaining confidentiality for our donors. Improve access to a￿1 speed of finanual repo￿.rIj. Allow remote access for all those needing lo reclaim expenses or upload invoices for payment. Create an easily maintained invoiang and credit control system Remove the de￿ndence on paper reoyds. creating a more eco&friendly environment, reducing the need for paper archiving and allowing the ministy team and bLKlgel managers access to a financial supwrt resour¢e online. Aulornale the gift aid process, ub'lising the sothvare to produce gfft aid returns lo be checked and producing annual gift aid rep)rts for donors. Creating the ability for more than one person lo work on the Church finances at any one lime. We have also developed the use of Ihe c￿rt card machine during the year, adding different Campaigns and fundraising into the machine to allow use for multiple purposes. This has meant that all credit card payments are now paid directly lo the Restrided Bank A¢￿vnI, in order that no ￿$In¢led funds are passed through the Church general finances. A monthly transfer of the Church unrestricted receipts is then paid from the Restricted lo the General attount, leaving any restricted re￿Ip1S in their relevant accounts. We have also su¢¢essfully lrialled the use of the machine via a mobile phone app al the Winchester Cathedral stall this year. l am now approathing the end of my lem) as Treasurer and am handing back the reins lo David Forster, although I will conts'nue to SUPF¥)rt him vthere required. Reserves Policy Sl James, Church, Wesl End aims to keep uncommitted nel finanaal assets within > and 6.monlhs average routine wsts and Promises lo take corrective action within 3 months if uncommitted nel financial assets fall outside ol these limits. At the end of December. this equated lo be￿een £25,075 and £50,150. The cash balance 01 £94.069 held on unrestricted (including designaledl funds al the year-end, together with the amounts payable lo and from the PCC comfortably exceeded this target. Receipts and payments are reviewed on a bi-monthly basis by the PCC via Finance reports distributed by the Treasurer. SÈ James, Church, WestEnd-Annual Re￿rt 2025 Page 8 Truthm. R•sp(￿91blI1t1 The Chan"IBs Act X)11 IDJstee5 to wepKare fuwrKaal slthwls finanual year whth Fwnls a (n￿ aThJ lair view ol ts state of affwr5 01 ts Chth ￿ Ofb￿ suryAus of Gh¥ly for lh* per1￿J. In wepafirKJ ￿￿cial slalThnls the Irusiees a￿ wuirwj lo.. Select Sititab￿ a￿Unt￿)g aNI aF¥ty Ihwn ii) Make I￿￿ftts and eslirnates Ihal we re￿n3￿4e aThJ ill Prepare fina￿al statemenis on Ihe ba8is InaF￿￿te to FKesuffl8 that t￿ trusl *ill ¢ontmue in e￿ster￿. The Iruste6S *? fcff keeprKJ ￿ore1 r&)Jrds, disd￿ With rgag)nab a￿uracY at any the FrAk)n of the Chanty. are aso reSFOr￿1ble for safgJuarding the assets cl Ihe Ch&ty l*'rrtJ r*a9￿￿ steF6 for dete(*on ol tra￿ and othef wwuLqritw. Approyed ty Ihe Tr￿ ￿.. Iq Zoz S￿ned on t￿1 ￿haLl ty Tr￿. Name.. Kwlvi ck PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OFSTJAMES. CHURCH WEST END SOuTHAM￿oN STATEMENT OF RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025 Unrestricted Funds Restrirted Funds TOTAL 2025 TOTAL 2024 Note INCOMING RESOURCES Voluntary income 98870 38563 137433 71854 Artivities for 8eneratinB funds 2b 4756 9643 11698 Investment income 2c 650 86 736 790 Church Artlvltles 2d 19932 741 20673 22696 TOTAL INCOMING RESOURCES 124339 44146 168485 107038 RESOURCES EXPENDED Capltal Expendlture 4854 30419 35273 Church Artlvltles 3b 90264 5872 96136 93032 Costs of 8eneratln8 funds 1377 1377 3016 Governance costs 3c 870 870 720 TOTAL RESOURCES EXPENDED 97365 36291 133656 100168 NET INCOMING/OUTGOING RESOURCES BEFORE TRANSFERS 26974 7855 34829 6870 Transfer between funds -768 26206 8623 34829 6870 Brought forward as at 1st January 2025 67864 7650 75514 68644 Carried forward as at 31st December 2025 94070 16273 110343 75514 SlJ8mes' Church, Wesl End-ARnUalRe￿rt 2025 Page 10 TEP40 AMPT TOTAL 2025 TOTAL 2021 Funds Funds 8an* Currentfvtttyjnts Bank iiquithtykCr￿ llM95 83576 5(X17 11266 15502 15994 59520 9W70 16273 110343 75514 MMRCCh¥St*s T•¥ Cl￿￿ Church Hall lettiryftt5 itrle ¢¥entsfttsdwJ 911 993 1178 236 22ZO 959 236 318 2407 3179 96159 16591 112750 78693 Ind￿￿￿ent EX•r￿￿r Fee P•ymEnt5dueto MIS￿On$/(h•rrtlQ1 011￿1￿••4￿nls payn￿1$dI* Weédthldepo￿ts Crediirffs- lit511t￿$ (hurth Hall Stt¥nty (*po 870 720 163 1281 ioii 413 413 79 1979 IC4) 2949 2786 5735 3275 NETCURRENT A55ETS 93210 I3￿15 107015 7Y18 Irw*ntory assers l.e. fvrnlshln85, equlpmefit irtludiry a phjtwknaryl yrd mxhlnery, fr* E￿￿¥￿$t￿41 use, •¢e h*sttd in WK•r •1￿ Churctrrt￿eTr5 asCUStoth•ThtWSttts lg- Iyl(6rLk 102 Ileva VILk Stjomes'churth. West End-AnnuolReport 2025 Poge 11 PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF 5TJAMES' CHURCH WEST END NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS For the ear ended 31 December 2025 l. Accountln Pollcles The Financial statements of the PCC have been prepared in accordance with the Church Accounting Regulations 2006 together with applicable accounting standards. In preparing the financial statements the PCC follows best practice as laid down in the Statement of Recommended Practice "Accounting and Reporting by Charities" ISORP 20151. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost basis of accounting in accordance with the Charities Act 2011 and in accordance with applicable accounting standards. except for the valuation of investment assets. which are shown at market value. The financial statements include all transactions. assets and liabilities for which the PCC is responsible in law. They do not include the accounts of church groups that owe their main aff iliation to another body. nor those that are informal gatherings of church members. Basls of Accountln The accounts have been prepared under the "Receipts and Payments" basis as prescribed by the Charity Commissioners and they meet the appropriate legal requirements. Fund5 Unrestricted funds represent the funds of the PCC that are not subject to any restrictions regarding their use and are available for application to the general purposes of the PCC. These include fund5 designated for a particular purpose by the PCC. Restricted funds represent donations or grants received for a specific object or invited by the PCC for a specific object. The fund5 may only be expended on the specificobject for which they were 8iven. Any balance remaining unspent at the end of each year must be carried forward as a balance on that fund. The PCC doe5 not normally invest separately for each fund. Incomln resources Planned givin& collections and donations are retognized when received. Tax refunds are recognized when the incoming resource to which they relaie is received. Grants and le8aties are accounted for when the PCC is le8ally entitled to the amounts due. Dividends are accounted for when re¢eivable, interest is accrued. All other income is re¢o8ni2ed when it is receivable. All incomin8 resources are accounted for 8ross. Resources ex ended Grants and donations are è¢counted for when paid over, or when awarded, if that award creates a binding or constructive obligation on the PCC. The Diocesan CMF Icommon Mission Fund) (formerly known as parish sharel is accounted for when due. Amounts received specifically for mission are dealt with as restritted funds. All other expenditure is generally recognized when it incurred and is accounted for gross. Statement of A￿et$ and Liabilitles The followin assets are rec ni2ed btjt not necessaril valued in the Ststement of Assets and Liabilities:_ Consecrated and beneficed property is excluded from the accounts by s.10121 of the Charities Act 2011. Moveable church furnishin8s held by the Vicar and Churchwardens on special trust for the PCC and which require a faculty for disposal are inalienable property and listed in the church's inventory, which can be inspected lat any reasonable timel. All expenditure incurred during the year on consecrated or benefice buildings and moveable church furnishings. whether maintenance or improvement, is written off as expenditure in the SOFA and separately disclosed. Other fixtures. fittings and office equipment where the PCC is free to dispose of such assets without faculty and where the original cost exceeded £1.(￿. StJames'Church, WestEnd-AnnualRewrt 2025 Page 12 PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF 5TJAMES' CHURCH WEST END NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS For the ear ended 31 December 2025 The followin assets are reco of Assets and Liabilities'.- ni2ed and a moneta value iven as art of the descri tion in the Statement Amounts owing from HMRC IHer Majestvs Revenue & Customs) where a formal claim has been made. Any other amounts owing to the PCC including Church Hall lettings and insurance claims. Legacies where formal notification ofentitlement and amount has been received at 31 December by the PCC. Closing bank balances as shown in the receipts and payment accounts. The followin nized in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities:_ Any loans or overdrafts advanced to the PCC. Creditors for goods and Services where the supply has been received but not invoiced by 31 December. Payments due to Mission partners/Charities where fundraising events have taken place as part of the current yearly projects but not yet paid out to the missionslcharities. Fee5 for Pastoral services conducted IMarriaBes and Funerals) but not yet paid out. Advance Marriage fees collected for payment out in the next finantial year. StJames'Church, WestEnd-AnnualRewrt 2025 Page 13 PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF 5T JAMES. CHURCH WEST END NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS For the ear ended 31 December 2025 2. Anal sls of Incomin Resources Unrestricted Restricted TOTAL Funds Funds 2025 TOTAL 2024 Note Voluntary Income Planned Giving Collection5 at Service5 Gift Aid recovered Grants Donations Legacv 44094 10643 13861 44094 10643 13861 48491 5471 11748 986 5158 7272 38S63 4583S 200C 98870 38563 137433 71854 bl Actlvltles for 8eneratln8 lunds Christmas market Christmès tree festiv31 Christmas fundraising events Barbecue event Defibrillator fundraising 200 Club lottery Other HOPE committee fundraising 1380 1380 1210 4663 1535 1535 1970 3053 3053 864 1590 1221 864 1108 900 838 1949 482 1221 4887 4756 9643 11698 Investment Income Bank interest 650 736 790 650 736 790 dl Church actlvltles Parish magazine sales Parish magaiine advertising Parochial fees ILife Events) Refreshment contributions Warm Spaces donations Votive5 Stay ènd Play Childrens, Activities Church and Hall lettin85 Trading (plants. books.recycling etcl Life Events receipt5 80 264 6605 80 264 6605 318 690 3702 935 200 284 776 711 711 635 134 11952 262 635 134 11952 262 30 13158 727 1906 30 19932 741 20673 22696 StJames'Chufrth, Wesl End-AnnUa1Re￿rf 2025 Page 14 PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF 5T JAMES. CHURCH WEST END NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS For the ear ended 31 December 2025 3. Anal Is of Resour¢es Ex nded Unrestricted Restricted TOTAL TOTAL Note Funds Funds 2025 2024 Capltal Expendlture Church Roof repairs Church pointing & mortar repairs Church window repairs Bell Tower repairs150%1 30419 30419 3810 3810 1044 3400 4854 30419 35273 3400 bl Church Artivltoes Diocesan parish contribution Clergy and staffing costs Church runnin8 expenses Hall running cost5 Mission giving and donations Life Events payments 51030 13668 51030 13668 47213 12259 3blll 18904 5094 2843 21747 5094 24638 4550 1568 3029 4597 4372 90264 5872 96136 93032 Governance Costs.. Independent Examination 870 870 720 Church Runnln8 Expenses: Insurance 3558 3558 3499 Gas and electritity Church repairs and maintenance Organ servicin8 and repair5 Costs of services Printin& 5t3tionery & communication5 Childrens work support costs Parish magazine produrtion Allotrnent costs 6636 6636 8888 3086 3086 4297 797 2193 2149 1720 3913 2149 3358 2121 165 770 600 lis S76 115 332 18904 2843 21747 24638 Ml$slon 8lvln8 and donatlons Outreach and books 244 244 417 Pastoral team 5UPPOrt costs Warm Spaces Stay and Play Music projett 160 160 120 1047 624 608 237 237 420 Eastleieh Basics Bank- advent Churches Together HEWEB Christian Aid Deanery Synod Inclusive Church The Children's Society HOPE mission fund (note 61 102 so 239 289 so 498 30 30 30 50 166 166 20 1925 1925 1931 1568 3029 4597 4372 StJames'Church, WestEnd-AnnualRewrt 2025 Page 15 PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF 5TJAMES' CHURCH WEST END NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS For the ear ended 31 December 2025 4. DSocesan CMF Common Mission Fund The 2025 CMF request of £51.029.77 was paid in full. There was an increase of £ 3.816.84 compared to 2024. For 2025 the CMF was again calculated at Diocesan level under a system which takes into account the Church Membership of a parish and the Affluence category of the parish (for St.lames' category C- evenly to unfavourably placed). 5.Pa ments to PCC Members The following payments have been made to PCC members or related parties during the year:_ Revd. L.Galvin £438 to reimburse mileage expenses 1£438 in 20241 All expenses claimed were supported by appropriate documentation and authorized by 2 other PCC members. No other personal payments or expenses were paid to any other PCC member. persons closely connected to them or related parties. No material transaction took place between the PCC and a PCC member or any person connected to them. The Vicarfs salary is paid directly by the Diocese. All other clergy are voluntary members of the team. 6. Mlsslon Glvin and Donatlons The HOPE mission fund made the following charitable donations during the year: 2025 2024 Misslon to Seafarers Countess Mountbatten House Society of St james, Samaritans- Southampton Hampshire and IOW Air Ambulance Harlee's Angels Royal British Legion Christians Against Poverty Watèr Aid St James C of E Primary School No Limit5 AIM Int- Growing Nations Shelter Box 95 213 411 213 95 96 411 370 135 375 217 50 50 375 244 95 411 £1925 £1931 In addition to the above monies raised, during 2025 St.James' paid dirertly into the bank account of The Children's Society £ 712.51 collerted at our 2025 Christingle services and the Children's Society home boxes. IA further £113.00 was collected by our credit card machine and has been processed through our restricted funds) StJames'Church, WestEnd-AnnualRewrt 2025 Page 16 **PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF ST JAMES' CHURCH1 WEST END NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS For the year ended 31 December 2025** ## **7. Fund Movements** The movements in designated and restricted funds during the year were as follows: |||||||Bal| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| ||Bal Bfwd|Receipts|Payments|Transfer||c/fwd| ||**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**||**£**| |**Unrestricted Funds**||||||| |**Designated**||||||| |Music project|2395||237|||2158| |Legacy fund||||||| |(unspecified)|5355||480|||4875| |Legacy- DB|4670|||||4670| |Legacy- MH||20000||||20000| |Buildings reserve|10000|||||10000| |Warm Spaces|328|540|847|||21| |Proctor family donation||500|161|||339| |Decarbonisation grant||3000|970|||2030| |Church Hall|14406|7890|5233||128|17191| ||37154|31930|7928||128|61284| |**General funds**|30710|92409|89437|(896)||32786| |**Total Unrestricted Funds**|**67864**|**124339**|**97365**|**(768)**||**94070**| ||Bal Bfwd|Receipts|Payment|Transfer||Bal c/fwd| ||**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**||**£**| |**Restricted Funds**||||||| |Flower Fund|1914|2137|1720||66|2397| |HOPE mission fund|1162|1095|1925||(32)|300| |Christian Aid|0|498|498|||0| |Bell Tower Fund|271|2|0|||273| |Building Repair Fund|0|34979|30419|||4560| |Defibrillator fund|0|3073|1|||3072| |HEWEB - charity concert|0|239|239|||0| |Warm Spaces||714|200|||514| |Music Fund|301|2|0|||303| |Choir Fund|400|3|0|||403| |Organ fund||||||| |repairs/tuning|1043|664|843|||864| |Stay and Play|194|440|165|||469| |Allotment Fund|92|157|115|||134| |The Childrens Society|165|113|166|||112| |General funds via Sum Up machine|0|0|0||734|734| |Life Events (weddings/funerals)|2108|30|0|||2138| ||**7650**|**44146**|**36291**||**768**|**16273**| - _St James' Church, West End Annual Report 2025_ _Page 17_ ## **INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES ON THE UNAUDITED ACCOUNTS OF THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF ST JAMES' CHURCH WEST END, SOUTHAMPTON** I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of The Parochial Church Council Of St James' Church West End, Southampton for the year ended 31 December 2025. ## **RESPONSIBILITIES AND BASIS OF REPORT** As the trustees of the Charity you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011. I report in respect of my examination of the Trustee's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 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 Charity 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. ## **C J Goodhead FCA** Dated: 07/04/2026 Knight Goodhead Limited Chartered Accountants 7 Bournemouth Road Chandler's Ford Eastleigh Hampshire SO53 3DA - _St James' Church, West End Annual Report 2025_ _Page 18_ ## **Vicar’s report and reports from Churchwardens and other organisations associated with St James** Please note that any accounts mentioned hereafter do not form part of the audited accounts ## **VICAR’S REPORT** There is no ‘i’ in team! What a privilege and a gift it is that Jesus calls us to follow him and to be part of his church. He invites us to come together to be a community, his ‘body’ in this place, and with the empowering of the Holy Spirit we can build a special place that witnesses to him and God’s kingdom. Like all building projects it takes time and effort as we have to give of ourselves. We have to learn to recognise each other as beloved children of God, who are, of course, far from perfect and who need God’s healing and transformation. We have to work at building an environment where we support each other, where we listen to each other and forgive each other. And unlike most communities who define themselves by who is in and who is out, we are called to build a community that is open and embraces all. It’s easy to talk about but hard to create, because it takes work. It asks us to be vulnerable to each other which takes courage. But Jesus promises us that when we gather in his name in this way, with honesty and integrity, even if it’s hard, amazing things can happen because Jesus is with us, right here in our midst. As I reflect on 2025, I feel blessed that, as a church, we are trying our best to live this wonderful, challenging calling. I feel inspired to see the love and care people show to each other and the welcome offered to newcomers and visitors. We are far from perfect, but we are doing our best, and God is here at work. I see God at work in our fantastic volunteers who give so much. We are blessed to have so many people offering their time and energy to support our church life. If you are new to the church don’t be shy about getting involved. We’d love you to be. Everyone is important and equally valuable whether you have been here for years or just a few weeks. Sometimes people are not able to give their time and energy for various reasons and that’s fine too. We are all equally important whatever we do or don’t do. 2025 was another busy year. The HOPE committee, which organised our fundraising for charities at home and abroad, was dissolved and the PCC took over organising this. We supported local charity Harlee’s Angels for our Lent Appeal and raised money for Christian Aid Week and for other charities through our community coffee mornings. Our Stay and Play group moved to Fridays and continues to flourish. Penny Beeby, who started the group, stepped away as lead but continues to help. Thanks for her many years of service. We ran Warm Welcome Thursdays from January to March which was greatly enjoyed by those who attended. ‘Hope’ was the theme of our Lent course and Brenda Holden led Bible Study Discussion Groups over the year on the Acts of the Apostles that were greatly valued. She also continues to run termly ‘Quiet Spaces’, which are small groups to connect faith with everyday life. We had two confirmations over the year. Ben and Callum Grant and Charlene Evison were confirmed at Easter by Bishop Geoff, following their baptisms the week before and Cath Thompson was baptised and confirmed by Bishop Rhiannon, the new Bishop of Southampton, who visited the church for the first time. In May we set up a prayer station to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE Day and in June we hosted a civic service for the new Mayor of Eastleigh, Cllr Janice Asman. This was a BCP Evensong with wonderful music from our church choir. Also in June we hosted the HEWEB Churches Together Gospel Concert which was a great success. In July West End Parish Council took over maintenance of our church grounds. Thanks so much to Alan Knights, Patrick Whitbourn and all those who have cared for it so well. WEPC grounds team are now mowing the grass and cutting the hedges. _St James’ West End – Annual Report 2025 Page 19_ In June Rev Linda Galvin was appointed Assistant Area Dean for Eastleigh Deanery. Our LLM Carol Kidd continues as Lay Chair for the deanery. Alan Jenkins celebrated 30 years as a Reader/LLM and I served as Mayor’s Chaplain for the year. Ordinand Charlie Gibbs was on placement with us for the year and ordinand Bev Price joined us in June for a summer placement. A fall of plaster in June led to some very expensive masonry repair work in the autumn but thanks be to God for his goodness we raised over £24,000 in just a few months to carry out the work. Ann Clover stepped down as a foundation governor at our church school and Zoe Green took over the position, working with Sarah Langridge and myself as the other foundation governors. Two Music Jams were held over the year and in the autumn we began a Junior Choir, offering a separate rehearsal each week during term time for children aged 8+. Huge thanks to our music director, Chris Fay, and choir members Jennie Thorne and Sarah Langridge, for leading and supporting this wonderful project. In October we held another Newcomer’s Welcome Tea and in November we appointed a new administrator, Kier Williams. Huge thanks to Kate Badcock for all her sterling work as our administrator since 2018. Kate continues as our magazine coordinator. So many people give of themselves to enable our busy church life, including our children’s work, schools work, pastoral work, outreach work, fundraising events and all those who take part in our worship. Thank you so much to you all. This year Jane Hollingsworth steps down as Treasurer after 3 years. It’s a huge role and our sincere thanks to her for her dedicated and excellent work. She will continue to help with the finances as Assistant Treasurer. Huge thanks to Katie Mathieson for her work as Assistant Treasurer as she steps down. We are blessed to have such a capable and dedicated Ministry Team. Thank you to Rev Linda, Carol and Alan for the wonderful gifts you bring to our church life. Thank you to our leadership team, church wardens Jan Barrett and David Forster and Assistant Churchwarden, Noel Becket for all your fabulous work. David steps down after 3 years’ service to take up the role of treasurer again. Our diocesan prayer: Gracious God, who alone brings growth to your Church, send your Holy Spirit to bring fruitfulness from our serving, wisdom from our learning, joy in our growing, grace to our loving and unity in our purpose, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. _Rev’d Vicky Maunder_ ## **CHURCHWARDEN’S REPORT ON THE FABRIC AND FURNISHINGS OF THE CHURCH** Our thanks go to everyone who, by giving their time and by sharing their skills ensure that St James’ Church remains a special church to both worship and socialise in and where a welcoming face is always present. It has been another busy but productive year. We are blessed with a high level of support from the local community. Whilst impossible to mention everyone by name, some examples of that support include the cleaners who give their time freely to ensure that our church is kept in a lovely condition, the team who provide and arrange the flowers throughout the year, all those who help with services throughout the year reading lessons, providing music, singing, refreshments, our sides persons and welcoming team, the friendly faces at the door, the team that helps maintain the grounds, the finance team, our safeguarding and Pastoral teams. Thank you, without you we wouldn’t be the thriving church that we are. We must thank Noel who has proved invaluable, looking after the maintenance and building works, carrying out the smaller repair and maintenance jobs that do not warrant calling in expensive trades and dealing with all the larger problems, contacting the diocese and the necessary professionals. Below is the record of works carried out in 2025: St James’ Church West End Log Book 2025 _St James’ West End – Annual Report 2025 Page 20_ - Feb 25 - AV system serviced (Api) - June 25 - Plaster fall from the west side of the chancel arch. Loose plaster removed and wall left to dry out after the external pointing had been repaired. Aug 25 Sep 25 - Pointing around the external walls of the chancel arch renewed (J Bruno Stonemason) - Central heating in Church and Hall serviced (by Anchor). - Hidden gullies cleared (Noel) Oct 25 - Oct 25 - Hall drains checked and cleared (Noel) Nov 25 - - New Heating controller installed for the church heating (C Dunphy Ltd) - - Lower gutters and downpipes cleared and checked (Noel) - Dec 25 - Church and Hall – Fire Extinguishers serviced (Classic Fire) - Gas meter replaced During 2025: Organ tuned by South Coast Organs, Organ humidifier and blower serviced twice. The liturgical year provides a gentle framework for our worship and church activities. It has been a busy year. We have welcomed schools into church to explore the building and our faith and to end of term services, local choral groups and societies have held recitals, while Mar Thoma church continues to use St James’ for their worship. All these are representative of but a few. We are always looking for more members of the congregation to steward our events so do approach one of the team if you would like to help. Finally, we would like to echo our words of last year: It has been a great privilege to serve with such devoted and committed people, to have such willing and gifted volunteers, to be able to share worship and the opportunity to go deeper into God together. To Vicky, Linda, the clergy team and you our congregation, we thank you for guiding us, supporting us, praying for us and for giving us your trust, love and support. _David Forster / Janet Barrett / Noel Becket_ ## **CHURCHES TOGETHER** ## **HEWEB (Hedge End, West End and Botley) report 2025** ## **Churches Together Reps: Rachel Owton & Rev Linda Galvin** The various churches regularly meet with both ordained and lay persons attending, to discuss ways in which we can share our common faith in the community. Current members are St James’, St Luke’s, St John’s, Anchor Church, OLA Catholic Church, St Brigid’s, KCC, Salvation Army, Hedge End Methodist Church and Botley Church which also represents Durley and Curdridge Churches. We welcomed the new leaders of The Salvation Army Church in Hedge End, Captain Jane Bishton and Captain Jon Bishton. Lyn Gosling moved away but we welcomed Elizabeth Townsend as a new rep for Botley/Curdridge/Durley. The HEWEB Holiday Bible clubs were, as always, a great success. With the summer club being called “Overboard” themed around the story of Jonah and the Whale and the Christmas one called “Christmas Under Construction”. A huge thanks to Rev Linda, Nicky Davies and Lizzie and their team of volunteers from within the HEWEB group. _St James’ West End – Annual Report 2025 Page 21_ The Gospel Concert in June was a success. Thank you to St James’ Church for the venue, Rev Phil Aindow for hosting and for all the choirs and volunteers who gave their time to make the concert work so well. Special thanks to Nicky Davies (Anchor Church) and to Rev Linda Galvin (St James’ Church) who did the majority of the planning! We raised £1091 to be split equally between The Countess Mountbatten Hospice and The Food Pantry at KCC. The majority of the group communication is still via email, co-ordinated by our secretary Veronica Hoskins, with a WhatsApp group also being used for more immediate discussions. The Churches Together HEWEB group now has a very active Facebook page, with all posts being authorised by the page manager Rev Linda Galvin and her deputy administrator Rachel Owton. This has eliminated spam posts and kept the page more up to date and relevant. A special mention has to go to St James’ Church Dame Betty Wood (if she isn’t already a Dame she should be!) for all of her work within the HEWEB group. Her years of organising the yearly World Day of Prayer events especially is very much appreciated as is all of the other work she does within the HEWEB group. The Churches Together group continues to be a huge support for all the churches involved. With a freedom to inspire ideas on how to further spread the message we all share, the Good News of Jesus Christ. The opportunity to be able to pray as a group for each church’s ministry and the health and wellbeing God’s creation is also much welcomed. _Rachel Owton_ ## **EASTLEIGH DEANERY SYNOD REPORT** Elected Members: Carol Kidd, Scott Langridge and Peter Littlejohns. Reverend Linda Galvin is the Deanery Synod Secretary Three Deanery Synod meetings were held over the last year in June, October and March. Over this period, Synod has welcomed several visiting speakers, including Bishop Rhiannon who gave a brief overview of her faith journey and spoke about the Walking the Wessex Way initiative. Georgi Thompson-Leask came and gave a presentation on ‘Faith and Generosity’ and Dr Simon Kelstoe gave an interesting talk on ‘The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Health Care’. These talks were also open to non-members of Deanery Synod, and several people took advantage to come and hear them. Financially, the Deanery did well in paying its contributions to the Common Mission Fund (CMF), achieving 99.8% (the shortfall was due to a late payment that was not able to be included in the end of year figures. Each parish also paid their contributions to Deanery Synod funds. David Dimmick, who has been Treasurer for many years is stepping down at the end of this Synod, and there will be a need to make a new appointment. This will also apply to all of the office holders as 2026 marks the end of the current Triennium. This will mean that three new Lay Deanery Synod representatives will need to be elected from St James’ this year, although existing reps may stand again. Their names must then be provided to the Diocese as soon as possible after the Annual Meeting. Feedback and discussion took place on many topics over the year, including Prayers of Living in Love and Faith, SMMIB (Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment Bids), Data breaches and Parochial Visitations Each meeting also included sharing the joys and challenges of parish ministry in each parish, which helped us to understand what was happening throughout the Deanery and to offer each other support where appropriate. Reverend Linda Galvin – Deanery Synod Secretary _St James’ West End – Annual Report 2025 Page 22_ _Carol Kidd, Peter Littlejohns and Scott Langridge_ Deanery Synod representatives for St James’ West End. ## **PASTORAL TEAM REPORT 2025** During the last year there were three meetings where we shared experiences, good news as well as concerns. Various training continued including safeguarding as well as topics relevant to pastoral care. Each meeting included a short Bible study and prayer. Douglas Hoffmann was welcomed and we said a thank you to Enid Plowman who, after many years of providing pastoral care, has retired from the team due to ill health. The Pastoral team assisted at the annual All Souls and Special Lives services and delivered Christmas and Easter cards to those unable to attend services due to personal circumstances, illness or frailty. Greeting cards were sent to church family members at times of significant celebration (eg new baby; exam congratulations; weddings and big ‘0’ birthdays); as well as appropriate ‘thinking of you’, ‘get well’, and condolences cards to those encountering difficulties, facing illness or recently bereaved. Members continued to support ‘Stay & Play’ and support Revd Vicky by making contact with families requesting Baptism. Other team members provided spiritual support to a wide range of church members, meeting people at church or in their own homes; home visits (if requested) included Home Communion. A monthly Holy Communion was held at Lincoln Court plus at Fielders Court a group of residents requested Holy Communion at Easter and at Christmas. Contact continued with the residents and staff of Dawson Lodge, Oaklands, Speedwell Court and Sunnycroft care homes and a link was made with Moorhill (the newest care home in our parish). Team members went into the care homes on a regular basis to lead monthly services; these were a combination of Home Communion, Songs of Praise style worship; informal worship with creative activity and 1-1 visits. Thank you to the team for all their support: Brenda Holden, Jan Barrett, Debbie O’Brien, Margaret Ball, Peter Littlejohns, Betty Wood, Maura Knights, Nicola Hale and Douglas Hoffmann. **Anna Chaplaincy** : In conjunction with my role as the pastoral team coordinator, I offer spiritual support to isolated older persons of all faiths and none. The chaplaincy is part of an interdenominational national network providing community-based ministry for older people overseen by the BRF [The Bible Reading Fellowship]. The main purposes of an Anna Chaplain: • To offer spiritual and pastoral support to older people who are living in care homes and sheltered housing complexes, their relatives, and staff who look after them; • To promote the spiritual welfare and pastoral care of older people in the wider community, particularly those facing challenges living independently. During 2025 I linked closely with local Anna Chaplains and the Southampton ‘Caraway’ charity: Follow these links for further information https://www.annachaplaincy.org.uk/ https://www.caraway.uk.com/chaplaincy/ _Carol Kidd_ Licensed Lay Minister; Pastoral Team Coordinator; Anna Chaplain _St James’ West End – Annual Report 2025 Page 23_ ## **CHILDREN’S AND YOUTH WORK** At St James’ we continue to provide a range of opportunities for our children to engage with the church. We use a variety of materials to plan worship, prayer, games and craft activities for a mixture of ages. On Sundays we provide two sessions for children. During the 9.30 service we have Pathfinders and we join the congregation in church for the first hymn before leaving to go to the hall for our own time of worship and learning. Our session starts with a story which usually corresponds with the Gospel reading in church, then we use activities and crafts to help us understand it, with a time of prayer before returning to the church service to share in the communion and the final hymn. Later in the year we were very pleased to welcome our newly formed young choristers into the hall to join us in our own time of learning and craft/activities. We have also been pleased to welcome our two young leaders to support us in the hall. At the more informal Church Alive service we offer an all-age break out session involving an activity or craft to explore the meaning of the story of the day. Both of our Sunday services continue to welcome a good number of children. Several of our children sing in the choir and have been part of the serving team, it is wonderful for them to experience an intergenerational church where they can share in their exploration of faith and grow in confidence. We have provided children’s activity mornings on a regular basis throughout the year, some of which proved more popular than others, in particular our Good Friday and Christmas activity mornings which we started running back in 2003 continue to be popular with about thirty children attending. These mornings follow the relevant stories and we explore the theme through activities, craft and games. The Good Friday session always involves an egg hunt. Several classes have attended the church from Harefield School for our Experience Church and Experience Christmas days, which have been very joyous for all involved; a huge thank you to all that give their time and talents to make these days so successful. We also welcome a group from Townhill Junior School on a termly basis to explore different stories and themes. Lyn, Barbara and I support City Mission when they go into Harefield, we spend the day with a chosen year group to explore the Christian faith through stories and learning. Stay and Play has flourished over the last year, offering a friendly space for parents and carers to come and share time together with their pre-school aged children, the sessions include a story, a craft activity, toys and refreshments. We have continued to provide the tree trail between the months of March to December; it has proven to be a good outreach tool. Each month the trail has a different theme including Bible heroes, bibles stories, poems, the creation story and more. _Janet Barrett_ ## **COMMUNITY COFFEE MORNINGS** Community Coffee Mornings are held on the first Thursday of every month from 10am - 11.30am. We offer a warm welcome to those who come along for a chat, a hot drink and a variety of cakes and savoury snacks. Each month we support a different charity. Amongst others we have supported Macmillan Cancer, Water Aid, the British Legion and Age UK. The amounts we raise are reported in the Parish Magazine. Why not come along and make new friends? _Janet Barrett_ _St James’ West End – Annual Report 2025 Page 24_ ## **SAINT JAMES’ SCHOOL CHAPLAINCY** The school year 2025 began with a settled school, with almost 100% full admission and no change in teaching staff, which means that continuity and wellbeing were important factors for the whole school. However, with the fall in birth rates since Covid now taking effect, there are likely to be some changes and checking in with how the staff are feeling has been a regular part of my chaplaincy contact time. The school has continued to maintain a high standard of adherence to our Christian school values, and I have been able to plan a wider range of themes for our Collective Worships, which remain wholly inclusive, and which pick up on everyday life for the children and look at it from a Christian perspective. There has also been a lot of enthusiasm from the children to take on the roles of Child Led Collective Worship in their classes, and I have tried to involve them more, especially the older pupils in whole school Collective Worship. I am also encouraging use of a resource called Picture News, which takes an everyday topic in the public forum and presents it in a child-friendly way. We did use this resource previously, but I have now adapted it as a form of Collective Worship, which the teachers can use in their classrooms. Another teacher and I having been running an in-school lunchtime club, which has proved popular, called Quiet Space. It doesn’t always live up to its name of being totally quiet, but we have provided lots of creative activities, often going outside to use nature as a resource. Also, many of the children are those would prefer a short time out from the noisy hustle and bustle of a busy lunchtime playground. The use of the outdoor areas continues to prove popular with our Outdoor Worship weeks, with the children enjoying making and flying kites (Holy Spirit), paper windmills, and muddy handprints (the teachers enjoy it as well!) Another initiative this year has been to start a space for School Prayers, for parents, grandparents, etc, who are often coming to school to collect their children. After praying about this myself, I was pleased to find that several adults wanted to be a part of this and we now have 6-8 parents regularly meeting to pray for the school, its pupils and staff and the community. I have also continued an open-door policy, and there have been numerous occasions which have seen me being able to listen and help various people in my Chaplaincy role. Also, my weekly walk-abouts often prove useful to discover when people just want a kind word or listening ear. I have also mentored several prospective school chaplains, through day visits or summer placements which hopefully means that church and school links are strengthened in other parishes and deaneries. All in all, I continue to believe that the Chaplaincy role proves to be a beneficial one and am grateful for the Church’s support in being able to continue in this role. I can still see possibilities where this can be extended, including a more pro-active use of the Spiritual Garden and helping deliver the latest Church of England initiative of the Difference Course. On a personal level, I have now requested that I work one day a week paid and another as a volunteer. This gives me a bit more flexibility to take on additional tasks as Assistant Area Dean and for family and personal commitments. _Revd Linda Galvin_ ## **SAFEGUARDING REPORT** During 2025 safeguarding has remained high priority. The Parish Dashboard, detailing all services, events and activities, was regularly updated. The PCC gave agreement for the use of the Parish Hub; a Safer Recruitment tool recording the DBS and safeguarding training status of those holding leadership positions and all in named roles at St James’ Church. The Parish Safer Recruitment process was reviewed with a focus on encouraging comprehensive leadership and oversight for each team of volunteers. _St James’ West End – Annual Report 2025 Page 25_ All necessary DBS applications were processed and mandatory safeguarding training requirements reviewed as per the diocesan safeguarding training matrix. The Safeguarding Policy Statement and Policies, reapproved by the PCC in the autumn, are available via the website and also on both church and hall noticeboards. In August, a Data Breach affected those who had completed electronic DBS checks during the period November 2024 to May 2025. This affected 10 persons. The breach was with the Access Personal Checking Services (APCS), the electronic checking service used by the Diocese of Winchester, and concerned a provider to the APCS, therefore not a breach at parish of diocesan level. The Parish of St James' Church West End was just one of many parishes / benefices registered to APCS via the Winchester Diocese. Various (but not all) dioceses within the Church of England used the APCS system. It had been used at St James', West End for several years. Advised procedures provided by the Winchester Diocesan Board of Finance (DBF) were followed; all persons affected were informed of the breach within 72hrs. I informed our parish Data Protection Officer and made a report to the British data protection authority Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). The Charity Commission were made aware. The National Church offered 12 months of free credit and web monitoring services, provided by Experian, to affected individuals within the C of E including those in the Parish of St James. A report was made to the Charity Commission and the situation was raised with the PCC. In November the choices set out in the DBF September circular were discussed by the PCC: - The PCC decided to continue to use paper forms for the time being - The PCC did not wish to return to using the APCS system at that time - The PCC took the decision NOT to explore an entirely separate supplier from the diocese - The PCC continue to await further recommendations from the DBF Since the Data Breach all parish DBS Applications have been submitted on official Disclosure & Barring Service Forms, via Siona Jeffery (Diocesan Safeguarding Administrator). I wish to thank Revd. Vicky Maunder, Assistant Parish Safeguarding Officer Scott Langridge, and Parish Data Protection Officer Derek Stevens for their support throughout the year. _Carol Kidd_ PCC Parish Safeguarding Officer ## **MUSIC REPORTS** ## **Choir and Organ** This past year has been another good one, with the choir building in numbers and confidence, and expanding its contribution to the early Sunday service. Members also lead the singing at the Wednesday morning service, and the fortnightly evensong services. In the summer term the choir sang a fully choral evensong in the presence of the Mayor of Eastleigh, and were accompanied on the organ by Mr Martin Penrose. This was a great success and we enjoyed the chance to sing some fabulous music. The big festivals always see the choir turn out in good numbers, and Holy Week, Easter and Christmas saw us singing a lot of good music to enhance the worship at those times. The big change for us this year has been the formation of a Junior Choir. This began in November with eighteen children attending, looked after by Jennie and Sarah at the Thursday rehearsal where music and refreshments proved a popular coupling. They quickly found their feet and attended the morning service on Advent Sunday, as well as contributing a splendid item of their own at the Carol Service. Numbers have settled to around a dozen, and these young choristers will continue to learn the basics of singing and _St James’ West End – Annual Report 2025 Page 26_ music, as well as joining in with the rest of the choir at all age services. We’ve even managed to acquire some robes for them. Sadly, we’ve said goodbye to Ashley MacFarlane-Watt after some 49 years association with St James’, first as assistant organist, then as organist, and most recently as organist for the Wednesday morning services. Before Ashley came to West End, he was involved with churches in Bitterne and Millbrook, so he has made an enormous contribution to church music in the Southampton area. St James’ has been lucky to have him and we send him and his wife Joan our heartfelt thanks and best wishes. Singing in a choir is fun, rewarding and good for you! We are always happy to welcome new singers into our ranks, so please talk to Chris if you’d like to join us. For the Junior Choir, children should be eight or older. Neither choir is formally auditioned. _Chris Fay_ ## **Church Alive Music** As I reflect on another year with the Church Alive Music Group, I feel grateful for the opportunity to continue serving together through music. It has been a steady year of worship and fellowship, and I remain thankful to be part of such a dedicated and supportive group of musicians. Throughout the year, we have continued to support the Church Alive services each week, offering music that helps create a meaningful and reflective atmosphere for worship. We have tried to choose a mixture of traditional hymns as well as more modern worship songs, hoping that people of different ages and backgrounds can all feel engaged during the services. Working together week by week has strengthened our sense of unity as a team. Through listening to one another and supporting each other musically, we aim to offer our best in serving God and the congregation. I am very grateful for the commitment and generosity of all the musicians who volunteer their time and gifts. The equipment and sound system improvements introduced last year have continued to serve us well, helping the music to be heard more clearly during the services. As we look ahead, we hope to continue serving faithfully and to use music to encourage and uplift the church community. _Anita So_ ## **PALS (Parishioners at Lunch on Sundays)** The group formed about seven or so years ago for people who were ‘going home to an empty house/lunch alone’ after the Sunday morning service. We now have about 20 people signed into the group and on average about 8-12 get together for a pub lunch (usually a carvery) at 12:30pm on the fourth Sunday of each month. Some are ‘regulars’, others join in as and when they can or wish. We started at the Master Builder, West End, then after a year or so, moved to the Southampton Arms. Then we had a spell at the Glasshouse Restaurant in In Excess in Fair Oak and then moved to the Dolphin Inn in Botley. However, we are now back to the Master Builder in West End, (under new management since our first patronage) and they allow us to purchase a ‘small/child’s’ meal at lower cost as it fits some appetites better. We meet in church car park at around 12:20pm to arrive at the venue about 12:40pm to eat before 1pm. Some people travel direct to the venue. We usually are able to offer lifts from the church car park, and favour venues able to seat us together and pay individually! We are usually seated together – though when we’ve numbered 18 or so we’ve spread over two tables. We have occasionally gone for a walk after the lunch - but this is very dependent on the weather, and we have considered other plans for summer - though these haven’t materialised yet. _St James’ West End – Annual Report 2025 Page 27_ A few of us have arranged to go to the theatre once or twice, as it is good to have company - and on one occasion, we even got a discount! There is no ‘membership requirement or cost’ - one gentleman from a neighbouring church joined for a short while, then left to set up a similar group in his own church. Anyone wishing to join just needs to contact Rita and give your contact (ideally email) details, and you will receive an email (preferably), or text or letter about 10-14 days prior to the lunch reminding you to confirm attendance so a table can be booked about 10 days prior to the lunch. So if anyone else would like to join us you know what to do now. _Rita Payne_ ## **ECO GROUP REPORT** We have had several meetings throughout the year, and we are trying to make progress towards the ‘A Rocha’ Gold Award. Noel and Diana visited St Saviour’s, Brockenhurst, which seems rather like St James’ but has already achieved Gold status, and met the formidable Milla, who was full of ideas, and very helpful. She pointed out, however, that now that ‘A Rocha’ has tightened the rules, it is harder to get to Gold! We are undaunted, and will press on, doing what we can. We are working on a Land Management Plan, and we’re using some of St Saviour’s 104 hints and tips in the church Magazine. Rev Linda led a Survey of the wildlife on the Old Burial Ground in June for the national initiative ‘Count On Nature’, and this is now a regular event. The gas and electricity that we use in the church and hall are now on greener tariffs, and we are monitoring this. We have made contact with the Hants and IoW Wildlife Trust and they will send an intern in the summer of 2026 to report on the wildlife we have in the church grounds. We have had Gardening Days, created a wildlife area from the cross to the corner, with flowers around the cross, and improved the bug hotel. This is a job that needs doing regularly. There is now a sign indicating that this is a no-mow area, managed for wildlife. Since some trees have been removed from the grounds, we are involved in discussions about possibly replacing them with suitable shrubs. We have made contact with Eastleigh Climate Champions, and are discussing using some of their ideas. As well as aiming for a Gold Award, there is a lot to be done to lessen our impact on God’s earth, and we would welcome anyone else who might like to join us! _Diana Barnes_ ## **FLOWER ARRANGERS’ REPORT** After a very busy 2024 Christmas with the Christmas Tree Festival, the flower team started the year rather slowly, taking the trees and Christmas decorations out and adding five pedestals in a splash of yellow spring daffodils. There was a wedding preparation morning in February to meet the couples due to be married, which included discussing flowers. Eight weddings for 2025, slightly less than 2024. Two of the weddings were at the start of Lent so we arranged wedding flowers and pew ends then removed them later that day. Easter was the 3rd Sunday in April, and we had a large team of helpers and arrangers in so we could decorate the church inside and out. As flowers are still so very expensive, we purchased a selection of good silk flowers and added some fresh flowers with foliage and also were able to use some flowers grown on our allotment; this also helped us through the rest of the year with costs. In May it was VE Day 80th Anniversary so we decorated the church with poppies and foliage and 200 white doves for Peace. The weddings started again - two in May, two in June, one in July and one in October - a Harvest wedding. We were also very lucky that the wedding couple who married on 27th June made and donated a new pedestal stand for the church. We did arrangements in church adding a touch of gold for a Civic service on 15th June with the Mayor of Eastleigh and other visiting dignitaries. _St James’ West End – Annual Report 2025 Page 28_ We combined the Harvest flowers and arrangements with a scarecrow festival, and although the weather was against us and the original planned event had to be cancelled, we managed to display eleven scarecrows outside in the churchyard. November saw Remembrance Day with poppies and a first visit on 16th November from the Bishop of Southampton for a confirmation, so we changed flowers to bright beautiful blooms. Then December was upon us and a first for the flower team - we organised two Christmas Wreath Workshops for the community and they were very well received. The workshops also made some muchneeded funds for the church. Then it was Christmas with the church decorated ready for the busy period of services and visits from school children. Another successful year for the team, and our thanks to all those who have helped in any way. _Lyn Spratt_ ## **ALLOTMENT 2025** We took control of the allotment back in 2023. It has been a lot of work but fun as well. 2025 has made it worthwhile as flowers planted in the raised beds came into their own this year and we were able to use so many in church. These included gladioli, alliums, verbena, sunflowers, dahlias, larkspur, alstroemeria, chrysanthemums, yarrow, statice and antirrhinum We have had wood donated and pallets, so were able to replace a fence; the Men’s Shed group made us a new gate and Alan Knights kindly hung it for us. We put a new edging down of curb stones. We planted Rosemary, Alchemilla, Pittosporum and Eucalyptus around the allotment which should be ready for use in 2026. We also had a large crop of apples, which we gathered and sold back at church, and some were used to make crumbles for the Harvest lunch. We are looking forward to even more success for 2026 and to continuing to be even more sustainable. _Lyn Spratt_ ## **WARM WELCOME** In 2025 Warm Welcome ran for 10 weeks, from 4th January until 7th March. The Thursday morning sessions were enjoyed by many people and with the help from a grant from Eastleigh Southern Parishes in 2024 we were able to buy new table cloths, games including dominoes, Scrabble, cribbage, playing cards and puzzles and fund the refreshments each week. West End Parish Council funded taxis for older people who otherwise would not be able to attend. The 2025 sessions finished with a party, serving sandwiches, cakes and picky bits. Unfortunately, due to a lack of volunteers we are unable to run Warm Spaces sessions in 2026, but continue to keep in touch by means of our monthly community coffee mornings, and will look at the situation again for 2027. _Lyn Spratt_ _St James’ West End – Annual Report 2025 Page 29_ |**CHURCH STATISTICS FOR**|**2025 and**|**previous years:**|**previous years:**||||||| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |**Church Statistics**|**2025**|**2024**|**2023**|**2022***|**2021***|**2020**|**2019**|**2018**|**2017**| |||||||*****|||| |(Previous year figures are|||||||||| |recorded in brackets)|||||||||| |Baptisms|21|(34)|(29)|(31)|(3)|(5)|(39)|(38)|(34)| |Confirmations|4|(10)|(3)|(4)|(0)|(0)|(0)|(0)|(7)| |Weddings|8|(4)|(8)|(12)|(6)|(4)|(14)|(15)|(13)| |Funerals & Burials|29|(25)|(25)|(23)|(7)|(9)|(20)|(12)|(15)| |Easter Communicants|165|(157)|(148)|(151)|(69)**|*|(161)|(162)|(159)| |Christmas Communicants|103|(102)|(121)|(100)|(84)**|*|(140)|(159)|(187)| * Unfortunately, because of the Covid-19 pandemic where due to lockdowns and restrictions public worship was either suspended and offered on-line or offered with limited congregation numbers, reliable statistics were not available for this year. ** Congregation numbers were restricted at these services because of Covid-19. _St James’ West End – Annual Report 2025 Page 30_