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## Wheathampstead Parochial Church Council
## Annual Report & Accounts
for the year ended 31[st] December 2023
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## Rector’s Introducton
If 2022 was a year of recuperation following the pandemic, 2023 was a year of resurrection as we rebuilt our ministries! Praise God – by the end of the year we had bounced back in many ways and Christmas attendance was close to pre-Pandemic levels. This is testimony to the goodness and faithfulness of God, and to the dedication, energy and enthusiasm of everyone who contributes to the life of our churches. Thank you!
Sadly, it was also a year in which we conducted more funerals for church family members than we would have wished. Our sisters and brothers have gone home to glory and their eternal rest, but they leave a big hole in our hearts and our communal life. We were grateful to receive two generous legacies which have been put towards our Development Fund. Legacies are likely to be increasingly important in funding capital projects, so please do plan in advance how you would like to support the church into the future. (Pick up a legacy leaflet or, visit our website for more information).
The generosity of our congregations, and the careful stewardship of our resources mean that our day to day running costs were covered by our regular income. Thank you once again to everyone who contributes by planned giving – this stable income stream is essential to our continued financial health. You can read more about our finances on pages 12 to 18. We are also grateful for the continued fundraising work of The Friends of St Helen’s Church without whom we would find the upkeep of St Helen’s Church building much more challenging.
Our finances are important because they enable our ministry and help us to fulfil the Vision God has given us: To Live God’s Love in our Communities. You can read a summary of the vision on page 3, where you will see that we’ve made encouraging progress in many aspects – perhaps most notably towards being A Church for All Generations (and all backgrounds). In 2023 we had some very successful inter-generational events including a Pancake Party, brunches for Pentecost and Harvest, a boules tournament, and our end of summer BBQ. We also resumed our Youth Group and recruited new members from the Year 7 Donut Club. You can read about this, as well as our Children’s work on page 10.
At the other end of the age spectrum, St Helen’s Fellowship continues to flourish with a regular programme of activities (see page 10) and Coffee in the Chancel provides a Hub for many other social and networking activities.
2023 saw new initiatives for the Environment Group including schools work and the very visible Low Mow areas in the churchyard. Behind the scenes the Buildings Working Group made steady, but frustrating, progress in consulting on our plans for better facilities. Meanwhile the Fabric Committee continue to plug away at the countless small jobs to keep both buildings in good repair (see page 8). They were joined in May by an army of volunteers at The Big Help Out – a hugely successful event clearing the churchyard which we hope will become a regular fixture in our calendar.
Sunday worship is a focal point of church life, and it’s made possible by many essential teams of volunteers,from welcomers and intercessors, to the ‘Tech Team.’ During 2023 Harry L’Estrange joined us as our new organist, and although it seems a long time ago now, we are grateful to the scratch choir who led our Christmas Carol Service. This has evolved into the St Helen’s Singers who we hope will regularly supplement our worship for festivals and special occasions. Please continue to pray for our worship, that it would be Spirit filled and provide the nourishment to help us all grow in our faith.
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We can only do what we do because of the time given by so many people. If you are not already part of one (or more!) of the many groups and teams, please pray about how best your gifts and skills could contribute.
We enter 2024 in a reasonably robust financial position, with an excellent team excited by all the possibilities ahead of us. Yet, at the same time we know these are challenging and uncertain times for many. Our faith or confidence is not rooted in our own abilities. We know that, “Unless the Lord builds the house, the labourers toil in vain.” (Psalm 127:1) We give thanks for all God’s goodness in 2023 and put our trust in him whatever the future may hold. So, let us all pray that God would guide us, inspire us and give us courage and obedience as we follow where he leads us. Amen.
With love and prayers,
God bless you -
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## The Parish Vision: Bringing our strategic planning to life
The Parish’s Vision and Mission Action Plan is a framework for how we wish to see the parish developing over the next five years. Our Mission statement and Vision are reviewed each five years and were reset in their current form at the beginning of 2022.
Our Mission is that we are Living God’s Love in Our Community.
Our Vision for St Helen’s and St Peter’s is that we will:
1. Make St Helen’s and St Peter’s a vibrant hub at the heart of the community with buildings fit for God’s mission in 21st century Wheathampstead
2. Be a church for all generatons
3. Provide opportunites for people to encounter God’s love
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LIVING GOD’S LOVE IN OUR COMMUNITY
Across all of these is a wish also to lighten the parish’s environmental footprint.
The PCC is responsible for driving the Vision forward and its meetings typically begin with a working session on the Vision, usually reviewing progress towards the goals for each of the Vision’s three priorities and planning the next steps.
The second year of the new Vision has seen further progress in all three priority areas. Some items are covered more fully elsewhere in this Report.
The PCC has chosen its preferred option for the extension and re-ordering of the St Helen’s building and an architect was appointed in the autumn of 2023 to develop that. Work continued to identify an Energy Champion for the Parish and to seek to improve its storage capacity. Two low-mow areas were established in the churchyard.
An Alpha Course ran successfully in the first half of 2023, followed by a course to prepare children to receive Communion. A range of events aimed at people across the age range took place, including on Shrove Tuesday and Heritage Open Day in September, along with several parish walks and a boules tournament.
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Working together with Wheathampstead United Church, the Parish staffed and stocked a Community Larder for village residents in the WUC Hall during the summer holidays. For the second year “Christmas Lunch on Jesus” hampers with the ingredients for a complete Christmas dinner were offered to local families, distributing 29 hampers in 2023. In July, 30 children from St Helen’s School visited the churchyard for an environmental activity.
The PCC expects to build upon this progress during 2024.
## The Parochial Church Council (PCC)
The combination of mission, vision and strategic priorities provides a framework within which the PCC evaluates our progress and promotes new initiatives for growth.
## Role
In accordance with the PCC (Powers) Measure 1956 as amended, the Wheathampstead Parochial Church Council (“PCC”) shares with the Rector and other Ministers the work of promotion in the Parish of “the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical”. It is responsible for the churches of St Helen’s and St Peter’s, Gustard Wood. The PCC is a corporate body established by the Church of England and is registered as Wheathampstead PCC with the Charity Commission (charity number 1132924) and can be contacted at the Parish Office, St Helen’s Church, High Street, Wheathampstead, AL4 8AA. In planning the activities for the year, the PCC has considered the Commission’s guidance on public benefit and, in particular, the specific guidance on charities for the advancement of religion.
## PCC Actvites in 2023
Our Annual Report and Accounts look back at a calendar year: this Annual Report and Accounts 2023 looks back at the calendar year 2023.
During its year of office, the PCC has met on ten occasions – all these meetings have been in person rather than by Zoom. The PCC had been heavily involved in the Away Day in November 2021 which centred on our new Parish Vision. The PCC carries out its responsibility to take the Parish Vision forward as described in the “Vision” section of this report (above). Our meetings continue to include devotions, discussions and decision-taking. Individuals are invited to join PCC meetings where their contribution is particularly valuable. A summary of PCC meetings continues to be shared with our mailing list. Annual reports are received from many areas of church life and our policies are regularly reviewed. In addition, the Ministerial Team, sub-committees and other groups continue to meet and report to the PCC during the year reflecting the many aspects of Church life.
## Membership
Members of the PCC are ex officio, co-opted or elected by the Annual Parochial Church Meeting. There are up to twelve elected lay members. The list of members who served in 2023 is below. The PCC wishes to record their gratitude to all who have tirelessly assisted in maintaining the momentum of the progress of our Vision for Wheathampstead, Gustard Wood and beyond and in particular to thank those individuals and groups who have contributed so readily to our worship and pastoral care as we have emerged into a world changed by Covid-19.
Our grateful thanks go to all who have contributed to the governance and decision-making of the church through their service on the PCC. Keith Andrews, Simon Best and Bob Carter will retire by rotation and be eligible for re-election to the PCC. Liz Carter and Margaret Pearce are retiring from the PCC. Vacancies will exist for lay members to be elected either as Churchwardens at the Meeting of Parishioners or to the PCC at the APCM.
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## List of PCC Members
The following members served on the PCC following the APCM in April 2023.
|Name|Capacity|Servingfrom|Servingto|
|---|---|---|---|
|Revd Richard Banham|Rector & PCC Chair|April 2010|While in ofce *|
|Mr David Hartley|Elected Churchwarden|Elected May2023|APCM 2024 *|
|Mrs HilaryHollick|Elected Churchwarden|Elected May2023|APCM 2024 *|
|Mr Keith Andrews|Elected Lay Member
DeputyWarden from Oct 21|Elected May 2022|APCM 2024 *|
|Mr Simon Best|Elected Lay Member
LayVice Chair|Elected April 2021|APCM 2024 *|
|Mrs Madeleine Bigmore|Elected Lay Member
Hon. Treasurer|Elected April 2023|APCM 2026 *|
|Mrs Helen Caldwell|Elected LayMember|Elected April 2023|APCM 2026 *|
|Mr Bob Carter|Elected LayMember|Elected May2022|APCM 2024 *|
|Mrs Liz Carter|Elected LayMember|Elected May2022|APCM 2025 *|
|Mrs Barbara Doye|Elected LayMember|Elected May2022|APCM 2025 *|
|Mr Brian Golesworthy|DeanerySynod Member|Elected April 2023|APCM 2026 *|
|Mr David Pangbourne|Elected LayMember|Elected April 2023|APCM 2026 *|
|Mrs Margaret Pearce|Elected LayMember|Elected May2022|APCM 2024 *|
|Mrs Linda Thomas|DeanerySynod Member|Elected April 2023|APCM 2026 *|
|Mr Martn Thomas|Elected LayMember|Elected May2022|APCM 2025 *|
|Mr Ales Vrbas|Elected LayMember|Elected April 2023|APCM 2026 *|
|Mr Stephen Wilson|Deanery Synod Member
Hon. Secretary|Elected April 2023|APCM 2026 *|
Member serving on 31[st] December 2023 (end of Report and Accounts year).
At a Special Meeting of Parishioners on 28[th] May 2023 David Hartley and Hilary Hollick were elected to serve as Churchwardens.
Following the election of 7 lay members at the APCM 2022, lots were drawn in line with Church Representation Rules so that 3 of these members would serve for only 2-year terms while the remaining 4 serve the usual 3-year terms. Thus the number of elected PCC members retiring each year becomes more balanced.
## Team of Ministers
As with so many areas of church life, we are fortunate to have such a capable and committed team of Ministers who lead our worship and do so much good work away from the spotlight of Sunday Services.
|Minister|Role||Minister|Role|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|Rev Richard Banham|Rector||Claire Banham|Reader|
|Rt Rev John Gladwin|Retred Bishop||Carol Hopper|Reader|
|Rev Brian Gwinn|Retred Minister||Pippa Legg|Reader|
|Rev Tom Purchas|Retred Minister||John Grace|Retred Reader|
|Rev Geof Barter|Retred Minister||Roger Payne|Retred Reader (untl
August 2023)|
|Linda Thomas|Children & Families Minister
Reader||Barbara Doye|Reader in Training|
## Working Groups, Commitees and Sub-commitees
The PCC appointed the following officers: Stephen Wilson as Honorary Secretary, Madeleine Bigmore as Honorary Treasurer , Britt Dahle and Sabrina Shafer as Parish Safeguarding Ofcers, Jez Hirst as Parish
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Safeguarding Adviser, Helen Caldwell as Lead Recruiter, DBS Administrator and PCC Safeguarding Ofcer , Judith Lambert as Electoral Roll Ofcer and Michael Hollick as Health & Safety Ofcer . David Pangbourne is serving as Interim Data Protecton Ofcer .
The PCC elects a “Standing Commitee” with power, subject to the directions of the PCC, to transact business between PCC meetings. Its members are Richard Banham, David Hartley, Hilary Hollick, Keith Andrews, Simon Best, Madeleine Bigmore and Stephen Wilson.
The overall co-ordination of our Vision is led by Simon Best as Chairman.
The PCC is advised by a “Fabric Commitee” which is chaired by Stephen Scowcroft.
Bishop John, the Rector and Ruth Jeavons have served as our appointees to Wheathampstead Churches Together in whose activities we regularly participate together with St. Thomas More RC Church and Wheathampstead United Church. These include the Good Friday Walk of Witness, special services like the Advent Carol Service, occasions for joint prayer and our ecumenical Lent courses.
## Financial Review
The Financial Statements of the PCC are attached, see pages 12 to 18 .
The Statement of Financial Activities shows our income and expenditure for the year on our General (Unrestricted) Fund; on the Designated Funds we have set aside for major Fabric costs, Reserves and the Development Fund; and the Restricted Funds which we have been given for particular purposes, and our Endowment Fund. The Balance Sheet shows the state of our finances at the year end and both these statements are supported by a number of notes.
In 2023 our planned giving maintained the same level as the previous year. There was some reduction in income due to the cost of living, but we were pleased that many were able to increase their donation in line with inflation and that there were 5 new regular donors to the Parish Giving Scheme. This continuous support is much appreciated and represents over half of our unrestricted income.
The Energy Fund which was launched in December 2022 to cover the increased costs of gas and electricity has received over £11,000. This has paid for nearly all the gas used for heating the church up to the end of 2023. We are very grateful for the generosity of all donors for these extra contributions.
The Unrestricted Funds initially show a surplus for the year of £14,269. This figure takes into account our income for general purposes, from which is deducted our normal annual outgoings on the church and its activities, together with our contribution to the Diocese, and the Parish’s own giving. It is the PCC’s aim to ensure this normal expenditure is, at least, covered by our annual income, and this has been achieved this year.
In addition to these normal running costs there were expenses from our designated funds on fabric and church development. Our total funds at the end of the year stand at £302,135. This is an increase of £18,758 from the previous year.
## Reserves Policy
The PCC follows the general recommendations for Church of England parishes and sets aside funds to provide cover against a sudden loss of income and unforeseen capital expenditure. These reserves are shown in note 9 to the annual accounts as Designated Funds and currently stand at £52,590 for loss of income and £78,897 for capital expenditure.
At 31[st] December 2023 the amount in the General Fund which was not restricted or designated amounted to £72,841.
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## Charity Partnerships
We are delighted that we were able to maintain our committed financial support throughout this last year – the 6th year when our focus has been on Vulnerable Children.
## Overview of Charity Partnerships
## Local
Azalea Luton reaches out to those suffering the injustice of sex trafficking, supporting them to build new lives because of the love of God, through Outreach, Drop-In and Befriending and also works as a key partner in Faiths Against Child Sexual Exploitation (FACES) – which is a local coalition of faith leaders working to prevent Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE).
## Natonal
The Children’s Society is committed to fighting child poverty and neglect and helping all children to have a better chance in life. From their early history in the vision and actions of a young Sunday School teacher at the end of the nineteenth century, their work has been grounded in the churches at local and national levels. Churches constitute their core partners and they work very closely with the Church of England.
## Internatonal
CCT Kimbilio is overseen by a group of experienced Trustees who share a passion for the Congo and work with street children. In simple terms, Kimbilio is a project supported by the Congo Children Trust. Kimbilio supports street children in Lubumbashi, Katanga in the Democratic Republic of Congo. They have been working alongside the Anglican Church of Congo since 2007.
The decision was taken to end our link with Orphans Know More after 5 years of regular support; a new partnership with an international charity will be sought.
|Giving 2023(paid quarterly)||
|---|---|
|Charity|Annual Total|
|Azalea|£3000|
|Children’s Society|£3000|
|CCT & Kimbilio|£3500|
## Additonal Support for Charites :
During 2023 we provided support and additional fund-raising activities for our Charity Partners and several other charities. The Wheathampstead Churches Together Christian Aid Week appeal raised £1,486-50. The Children’s Society received a total of £462-52 from the donation box collection. Our congregation donated £1,090-17 to the Trussell Trust in response to our Harvest Appeal with donations of food going to local food banks. The summer-holiday project “The Community Larder” attracted financial donations of £2,172 and the Christmas Lunch on Jesus project received donations in excess of £1,200. Significant donations have continued to be received into our Community Fund with which it is possible to assist local people in difficulties. The figures in this report remind us of the remarkable continuing generosity of our congregation in funding charitable work.
## Safeguarding
The PCC is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and vulnerable adults who attend church or church activities. We have in place – and regularly review – a policy for Safeguarding which is the Church of England Statement “Promoting a Safer Church”. Our Safeguarding Procedures are contained in the Church of England’s “Parish Safeguarding Handbook”. The PCC receives regular reports on Safeguarding which is on the agenda for every meeting. All relevant volunteers are DBS-checked and issued with appropriate guidance for their role; safer recruitment standards are followed. We are committed to
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having role descriptions and training for all our volunteers. All activities and events have risk assessments. 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).
## Risk & Statutory Policies
As required by law, the PCC has considered the major risks within its responsibility and the systems designed to minimise those risks; this has included annual Health and Safety Inspections with recommendations reported to the PCC. We have undertaken risk assessments for all areas of activity. We have an appropriate fire risk assessment. We hold a register to log any accidents. We take out adequate insurance cover against fire, theft, employers’ and public liability and other insurable risks. Clear procedures are in place for the authorisation of expenditure and secure receipt and recording of income.
The PCC has in place statutory policies in the following areas:
- Safeguarding of Children and Vulnerable Adults;
- Domestic Abuse;
- Data Protection;
- Equality and Inclusion;
- Health and Safety;
- GDPR/Privacy.
Where appropriate, these are in line with Diocesan guidance and all are reviewed regularly by the PCC for any changes in activities and developments in statutory requirements or recommended practice.
## Goods, Fabric and **Ornaments**
The annual inventory of Church goods, fabric and ornaments was completed during the year and all essential items found to be present and correctly accounted for (and the absence of a few minor items duly noted). The Fabric Committee has taken further the programme of redecoration and repairs at St. Helen’s and St. Peter’s which has included work on the buildings, churchyard and car parks.
The PCC records thanks to the Fabric Committee for many other alterations and improvements. At St. Helen’s these include new porch timer, new mixer unit in toilet, hot water dispenser in kitchen, altar rail repairs, new bookcase, collection box fitted with hasp and staple, flue and radiators repaired and cleaned, tower camera installed, organ cipher problem rectified, new fridge, flower arrangers’ cupboard fitted with struts, fibre broadband service installed following network upgrade, proof of concept implementation of a “virtual guide” using QR codes. Faculty consent was received for conservation work on the Garrard Memorial and Garden of Remembrance extension. The Quinquennial Inspection roof works were completed involving tower, coping stones and capstone with a substantial donation generously provided by The Friends; gutters cleaned and a slate refixed. Two low-mow areas were marked out and overhanging trees removed. At St. Peter’s smart electricity and gas meters were installed, new roller blind installed. In addition two well-attended “Big Help Out” occasions were organised and special work parties undertook various tasks at both churches both inside and outside.
## Environmental Actvites
At St. Helen’s and St. Peter’s we believe that human beings are called to be faithful stewards and to enjoy a relationship with and a responsibility for God’s creation. We seek to serve the earth, not enslave it.
Caring for our environment plays an increasingly important part in the life of the Parish, as we acknowledge the stress that human activities have caused for the world around us. The Parish earned the A Rocha Eco Church Bronze Award in 2022 and is working towards the Silver Award.
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The Parish’s Environmental Group encouraged the establishment of two low-mow areas in the St. Helen’s churchyard in 2023, complementing a similar area in St. Peter’s churchyard introduced in 2022. The Group has prepared notices to display in the churchyard during 2024 encouraging passers-by to reflect on aspects of the environment.
The Group organised a visit by 30 children from St. Helen’s School in July 2023 to enjoy a range of nature-based activities around the St. Helen’s churchyard. It has also established a continuing connection with the Parish Council’s Wilder Wheathampstead group.
During 2023 the parish collected 9 boxes of home printer ink cartridges for recycling, raising £230 for church funds. The Fabric Committee is considering how it can lighten the Parish’s environmental footprint, subject to the constraints of a heritage-listed building and a limited budget. It created some wildlife-friendly woodpiles using tree trimmings from around St. Helen’s.
The Parish marked the Season of Creation in the autumn of 2023 with a series of sermons on our relationship with the environment. We have been supporting the Church of England initiative (to strive for Carbon Zero by 2030) by reducing our energy footprint (controlling the thermostat carefully), removing inefficient electrical appliances such as the old fridge and being careful not to leave screens on standby.
## Buildings Working Group
We continue to make steady progress with seeking practical deliverable ways we can address our needs to render the St. Helen’s building a truly vibrant hub at the heart of our community with buildings fit for God’s mission in 21[st] century Wheathampstead. Following the issue of the Feasibility Study by our architect, Acanthus Clews Architects, in early 2023, we conducted a site visit with the DAC in March 2023. We received comments from the various invited parties as follows:-
- Church Buildings Council – April 2023
- DAC - May 2023
- Historic England – May 2023
- Victorian Society – August 2023
A presentation was made to the PCC in August, where Option 2 (with amendments) was approved as the basis for moving forward. A further meeting was required with the DAC, the Victorian Society and The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings to encourage their comments on our proposals and this was held in November 2023, resulting in the receipt of comments from parties as follows:-
- DAC – December 2023
- The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings – January 2024
- Victorian Society – January 2024
- DAC – January 2024
Throughout this process, we are looking to find a balance between the sometimes conflicting views between the statutory third parties; consideration of the overall guidance of the DAC; the practicalities of maintaining an operational church during the works; phasing the project works; the availability of funding; and the best approach to fund raising.
We are currently in discussions with the DAC regarding their last guidance, to seek improved certainty around delivering “Option 2 (with amendments)”, before proceeding with the next stage of design, Scheme Design. It is intended that this design stage will deliver a Faculty for the scheme and a planning consent for the necessary works at the North and West Doors. In March the PCC approved the budget for the Scheme Design and agreed the means of funding it from existing reserves.
During Scheme Design there will be further consultation with the congregation and wider village community as details of the design are prepared and presented.
A fund raising team and team leader are being arranged in parallel with the above.
Keith Andrews
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## Children and Families
We now have a good number of children regularly attending the 10:00 am service where a small team of volunteers read a Bible story during the sermon. The monthly all-age service continues to develop with children being involved in laying the Communion table, reading and sometimes prayers. The fortnightly Kids Worship service has a regular attendance of about 10 families who enjoy craft, a story and informal songs and worship.
Termly Messy Church services are now running in both primary schools again and over 100 people enjoyed our Messy Christingle and the most recent Messy Church in February. The team supporting this continues to grow and a number of our youth group are now involved.
Over the past year a team of three volunteers have continued to support the Children and Families Minister, and occasionally the Rector, in leading a weekly “Open the Book” worship at St. Helen’s School. The children enjoy a Bible story, a short reflection and prayer and singing a worship song, often with actions. Between them the Rector and Children and Families Minister lead about four assemblies a term at Beech Hyde School. The Children and Families Minister also reads a Bible story weekly to the Reception class at St. Helen’s and leads an after-school club there.
The weekly toddler group, The Ark, provides play and friendship for around 25 children and their carers.
Linda Thomas
## Youth Group
Since pausing the youth group “Impact” in December 2019, the main focus of St. Helen’s youth work has been the annual Donuts Club, which serves Year 7’s when they go up to secondary school. This year we welcomed an average of 30 excited 11 year olds, over 6 sessions, reconnecting friends who now go to different schools; supplying space, hot chocolate and, naturally, mountains of donuts!
But there was a desire to do more … So, following Richard’s participation in Launchpad (a Diocesan initiative for Parishes wanting to start/restart youth work) in April 2023, we invited a small group of 11-13 year olds to meet at The Rectory. To our delight, not only did some familiar faces come along, but we also welcomed less well-known (but equally valued) young people from Donut Club and historical family links.
This small start has blossomed and we recently welcomed a healthy (and energetic) contingent from Year 6 to help them settle in the group before they make the significant step up into Year 7 this autumn. This has required a venue change, so we now meet in St. Helen’s Church on the 1[st] and 3[rd] Sundays of the month, with the usual mix of high-octane games, quality snacks and the opportunity to talk about life through the lens of Christian faith. The aim is to give the young people a space to belong, where they feel safe to talk about the “deep stuff” but with a real emphasis on us grown-ups hearing their ideas and concerns, rather than the more traditional model of us “teaching” at every opportunity.
We also regularly connect with other youth groups at bigger events such as Fuel and it’s been truly wonderful to take our young people along to the new Illuminate events in the region, such as the Cathedral Take-Over in January, where 280 young people joined together for an evening of fun and worship.
Claire Banham
## St. Helen’s Fellowship
St. Helen’s Fellowship continues to meet each Thursday, in school term time, in the Mead Hall from 2:45 – 4:15 pm. Subs are £2 per session as from January 2024.
We now have 24 members on our register having sadly lost 4 valued and long-standing members in the past year. Also, as some others have become more frail they have either gone into residential care, become housebound or are only able to come occasionally. We make sure that we keep in touch with them.
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Our termly programmes are varied but always include Holy Communion on the first Thursday of the month with valued leadership and support from our ministers.
Sessions have included excellent speakers on topics such as “Pets for Therapy” and “Greyhound Compassion” (on both occasions we had lovely dogs come along); “Made in St. Albans”, “Sons of St. Albans” and “Daughters of St. Albans” given by a St. Albans Tour Guide; “John of Wheathampstead” given by a Cathedral Guide; “A Walk around Pembrokeshire” and “What is a Reader?” by Pippa Legg.
We have had hilarious, musical, seated exercises, good singing sessions, a Beetle Drive, socials and board games, a Coronation Celebration, “Save a space for puds!”, a Summer party and an Advent celebration in church. We also had a session on getting to know each other better, sharing life experiences and interests, seeing who had what in common.
We share our ups and downs, sadnesses and joys. They are lovely sessions and we are both grateful to everyone who supports us in any way – making tea, offering transport (with special thanks to Gill Gwinn who organises the latter).
Jill Bareham and Louise Edwards
## Deanery Synod Report
The Rector and three elected representatives serve on the Deanery Synod. The Deanery Ascension Day service was held at St. Nicholas Harpenden and the October Deanery Choral Evensong at St. Leonard’s Flamstead. There was also a Deanery Retreat Morning arranged in March at St. Mary’s Kinsbourne Green. In addition the Deanery Synod arranged three meetings with guest speakers to focus on a particular topic. The aim is for meetings to take place in different parishes of the Deanery and offer the chance to learn more about other churches and congregations.
The February meeting involved a presentation by the Diocesan Vocations Team – and we heard a challenge to consider all the various roles to which we may be called which make the mission of the church possible. These include but are not restricted to ordained and licensed ministry; many individuals may discover a vocation which brings them fulfilment as they serve others.
In July the Synod was addressed by Kate Ford who holds the newly created post of Diocesan Giving Adviser. She was keen to help us address the challenge of financial support for our churches – especially in the aftermath of Covid-19. In September Synod heard from Tom Abraham, the Diocesan Net Zero Carbon Officer. In his role he advises parishes on their decarbonisation journey. The maintenance, repair and heating of our buildings are important immediate practical concerns for us and should also be viewed in the bigger context of environmental responsibility.
The above report was approved by the Wheathampstead Parochial Church Council on the 13[th] March 2024.
Canon Richard Banham Chairman
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|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|||||||||
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|**2023 Accounts**||||||||||||||||
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|**STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES - For**|||||||**theyear ended 31 December 2023**|||||||||
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**2022**
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|||||||||||||||||
||||**Incoming resources from donors**|||||||||||||
||||Planned Givingvia Parish GivingScheme||||106,912||-||-||**106,912**||**105,071**
**14,671**
**27,800**
**6,420**
**649**
**2,057**
**4,616**
**3,186**
**16,871**|
||||Other Plannedgiving||||12,905||-||-||**12,905**|||
||||Tax recoverable onplannedgiving||||27,894||-||-||**27,894**|||
||||Collections: St Helen's||||7,283||-||-||**7,283**|||
||||Collections: St Peter's||||1,021||-||-||**1,021**|||
||||Tax recoverable on Small Donations Scheme||||2,098||-||-||**2,098**|||
||||Collections for Specific Purposes||||-||-||1,366||**1,366**|||
||||Collections for the CommunityFund||||-||-||4,754||**4,754**|||
||||Legacies,donations etc||**2**||15,210||20,119||1,958||**37,287**|||
||||||||**173,323**||**20,119**||**8,078**||**201,520**||**181,341**|
|||||||||||||||||
||||**Income from investment**|||||||||||||
||||Interest and Dividends||||2,841||7,495||775||**11,111**||**3,212**|
|||||||||||||||||
||||**Income from charitable trading/fees**|||||||||||||
||||Coffee in the Chancel||||4,713||-||-||**4,713**||**4,021**
**14,911**|
||||Fees for weddings and funerals||||21,000||-||-||**21,000**|||
||||||||**25,713**||||||**25,713**||**18,932**|
|||||||||||||||||
||||**Other incoming resources**|||||||||||||
||||Coffee after services||||536||-||-||**536**||**554**
**1,587**
**1,053**
**2,758**
**663**
**120**
**133**|
||||Rental income||||1,412||-||-||**1,412**|||
||||VAT recovered on buildingworks||||1,970||-||-||**1,970**|||
||||Grants||||500||-||-||**500**|||
||||Flowers||||-||-||1,220||**1,220**|||
||||Bells||||-||-||240||**240**|||
||||Other income||||230||-||-||**230**|||
||||||||**4,648**||||**1,460**||**6,108**||**6,868**|
|||||||||||||||||
||||**TOTAL INCOME**||||206,525||27,614||10,313||244,452||**210,353**|
|||||||||||||||||
|||**EXPENDITURE**||||||||||||||
|||||||||||||||||
||||Giving||**3**||12,090||-||4,010||**16,100**||**27,387**|
||||||||||-||-|||||
||||Church Management & Administration||**4**||34,098||-||-||**34,098**||**35,079**|
||||||||||-||-|||||
||||For the work of the Church||**5**||146,068||26,240||3,188||**175,496**||**162,611**|
|||||||||||||||||
||||**TOTAL EXPENDITURE**||||**192,256**||**26,240**||**7,198**||**225,694**||**225,077**|
|||||||||||||||||
|||**NET INCOME/EXPENDITURE**|||||**14,269**||**1,374**||**3,115**||**18,758**||**(14,724)**|
|||||||||||||||||
||||Transfers between funds||||**(10,000)**||**10,000**||-||-||**-**|
|||||||||||||||||
|||**NET MOVEMENT IN FUNDS**|||||**4,269**||**11,374**||**3,115**||**18,758**||**(14,724)**|
|||||||||||||||||
|||TOTAL FUNDS BROUGHT FORWARD|||9||**68,572**||**194,023**||**20,782**||**283,377**||**298,101**|
|||||||||||||||||
|||||||||||||||||
|||**TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD**|||**9**||**72,841**||**205,397**||**23,897**||**302,135**||**283,377**|
12
|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||||||||
|**2023 Accounts**||||||||||
|||||||||||
|**BALANCE SHEET - As at 31 December 2023**||||||||||
|||||||||||
|||||||||||
|||**Note**|||**2023**||**2022**
**£**|||
||||||**£**|||||
||**FIXED ASSETS**|||||||||
|||||||||||
||Tangible fixed assets||**6**||2,779||16,653
1,611|||
||Investments||**6**||1,762|||||
||||||**4,541**||**18,264**|||
|||||||||||
||**CURRENT ASSETS**|||||||||
|||||||||||
||Amounts receivable and prepayments||**7**||3,404||5,792
266,369|||
||Cashat bankand onshort termdeposit||||298,684|||||
||||||**302,088**||**272,161**|||
|||||||||||
||**AMOUNTS PAYABLE WITHINONE YEAR**||**8**||**4,494**||**7,048**|||
|||||||||||
|||||||||||
||**NETCURRENT ASSETS**||||**297,594**||**265,113**|||
|||||||||||
||**NET ASSETS**||||**302,135**||**283,377**|||
|||||||||||
|||||||||||
||**FUNDS**|||||||||
|||||||||||
||Endowment||**9**||1,762||1,611
19,171|||
||Restricted||**9**||22,135|||||
||||||**23,897**||**20,782**
194,023
68,572|||
||Designated||**9**||205,397|||||
||Unrestricted||**9**||72,841|||||
||||||**302,135**||**283,377**|||
|||||||||||
|||||||||||
||These fnancial statements were approved by the Parochial Church Council on 13th March 2024|||||||||
|||||||||||
||Signed on behalf of the PCC|||||||||
|||||||||||
|||||||||||
|||||||||||
|||||||||||
|||||||||||
|||||||||||
|||||||||||
||Canon Richard Banham||Madeleine Bigmore|||||||
||Chairman||Treasurer|||||||
13
|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||||||||
|**2023 Accounts**|||||||||||
||||||||||||
|**NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS - Year ended 31 December 2023**|||||||||||
||||||||||||
|**1**|**ACCOUNTING POLICIES**||||||||||
||||||||||||
||ThePCCis a public benefitentitywithin themeaning of FRS102. Thefinancialstatementshave beenprepared under||||||||||
||the CharitiesAct2011andinaccordancewiththe Church AccountingRegulations2006 governing theindividualaccounts||||||||||
||of PCCs, and with the Regulations' "true and fair view"provisions, together with FRS102 (2016) as the applicable||||||||||
||accounting standards and the2016versionofthe Statement of RecommendedPractice,Accounting andReporting by||||||||||
||Charities (SORP(FRS102)).||||||||||
||||||||||||
||Thehistoricalcost convention is adopted exceptfor investments,whichare shownatmarketvalue at the balance sheet date.||||||||||
||||||||||||
||The statements are prepared onthe accruals basis.||||||||||
||||||||||||
||**Funds**||||||||||
||Unrestrictedfunds are those availableforthe generalpurposes ofthePCC. The purpose of restrictedfundsisnotedin||||||||||
||the statements. Interest, other income and tax recoverable related to amounts allocated to particular funds is credited to||||||||||
||thosefunds.||||||||||
||The statements include transactions for which the PCC is responsible but not those of informal groups of members or of||||||||||
||separately constituted bodiesfrom which thePCCmay benefit.||||||||||
||||||||||||
||**Income and use of resources**||||||||||
||Collections, donations and similar income arerecognised on receipt.||||||||||
||Income tax recoverable ondonationsisrecognisedwhentheincomeisrecognised.||||||||||
||Income from fund raising events, coffee in the chancel etc, is shown in full and the related expenses are included||||||||||
||within resources used.||||||||||
||Grants and legacies are recognised in the period when they become due.||||||||||
||Expenditureis accountedfor when incurred.||||||||||
||||||||||||
||**Assets**||||||||||
||Insofaras consecrated and benefice property ofanykindis excludedfromthe statutory definitionof "charity"by||||||||||
||Section 10(2) (a) and (c) of the Charities Act 2011, such assets are not capitalised in the financial statements.||||||||||
||||||||||||
||Depreciation is provided onequipment used by thePCC overthe useful life ofthe asset. Items ofequipment costing||||||||||
||less than £1,000 are written off when the expenditure is incurred.||||||||||
||||||||||||
||Short termdepositsinclude cash heldina Churchof England Central Board of Finance account|||||||and at the bank.|||
||||||||||||
|**2**|**LEGACIES, DONATIONS, NAVE BOXES, ETC.**||||||||||
|||||||**Restricted &**|||||
|||**Unrestricted**||**Designated**||**Endowment**||**TOTAL**|**FUNDS**
**2022**
**£**||
|||**Funds**||**Funds**||**Funds**||**2023**|||
|||**£**||**£**||**£**||**£**|||
||||||||||||
||Nave boxes etc.|5,680||-||-||**5,680**|4,385
-
-
480
80
459
1,202
125
-
5,280
-
560
437
-
3,863||
||Legacies|-||14,000||-||**14,000**|||
||Friends of St Helen's|7,169||-||-||**7,169**|||
||Flower Fund|-||-||400||**400**|||
||Tea Time Church Fund|-||-||-||-|||
||FellowshipFund|-||-||464||**464**|||
||Music Fund|-||-||-||-|||
||Fabric Fund|-||650||-||**650**|||
||Development Fund|-||2,800||-||**2,800**|||
||EnergyFund|-||1,690||-||**1,690**|||
||Concert|860||-||-||**860**|||
||Outdoor Events|-||-||-||-|||
||The Ark|434||-||-||**434**|||
||Miscellaneous income|-||-||151||**151**|||
||Income tax recoverable on donations|1,067||979||943||**2,989**|||
||||||||||||
|||**15,210**||**20,119**||**1,958**||**37,287**|**16,871**||
||||||||||||
||**Related Party Disclosures**||||||||||
||Donations,including planned giving,from Trustees and their related parties amounted to£24,985 during the year 2023||||||||||
||(2022: £21,774)||||||||||
14
|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||||||||||||||
|**2023 Accounts**||||||||||||||||
|||||||||||||||||
|**NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS - Year ended 31 December 2023**||||||||||||||||
|||||||||||||||||
|||||||||||||||||
|**3 **|**GIVING**|||||||||||||||
|||||||**From Parish income**||||**Special collections,**
**Community Fund**||||||
|||||||||||||||||
|||||||**2023**||**2022**
**£**||**2023**||**2022**
**£**||||
|||||||**£**||||**£**||||||
|||||||||||||||||
|||**Charity Partners**||||||||||||||
|||Congo Children Trust||||3,500||3,500
4,500
3,000
3,000||-||**313**
-
161
-||||
|||Orphans Know More||||-||||-||||||
|||The Children's Society||||3,000||||109||||||
|||Azalea||||3,000||||-||||||
|||||||9,500||14,000||109||474||||
|||||||||||||||||
|||||||||||||||||
|||**Other charities**||||||||||||||
|||St Helen's School||||2,550||2,550||-||-||||
|||Harvest Appeal||||-||-||-||2,158||||
|||The Trusell Trust(Harvest 2023)||||-||-||1,090||-||||
|||Beds & Herts Historic Churches Trust||||40||40
-
-
-
125
-
-||-||-
446
2,241
21
-
5,182
150||||
|||Christian Aid||||-||||100||||||
|||Ukraine Support||||-||||-||||||
|||Wheathampstead Churches Together||||-||||-||||||
|||A Rocha UK||||-||||-||||||
|||Payments from CommunityFund||||-||||2,439||||||
|||Payments from Funeral Collections||||-||||272||||||
|||||||2,590||2,715||**3,901**||10,198||||
|||||||||||||||||
|||**TOTAL**||||**12,090**||**16,715**||**4,010**||**10,672**||||
|||||||||||||||||
|||||||||||||||||
|||Note: Givingto St Helen's School is bystandingorder which is continuinginto 2024||||||||||||||
|||||||||||||||||
|||||||||||||||||
|**4 **|**CHURCH MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION**|||||||||||||||
|||||||||||**Restricted &**||||||
|||||||**Unrestricted**||**Designated**||**Endowment**||**TOTAL**|**FUNDS**
**2022**
**_£_**|||
|||||||**Funds**||**Funds**||**Funds**||**2023**||||
|||||||**_£_**||**_£_**||**_£_**||**_£_**||||
|||||||||||||||||
|||Stationery, post,telephone, print||||3,093||-||-||**3,093**|**2,951**
**28,729**
**718**
**516**
**216**
**998**
**548**
**403**|||
|||Staff salaries||||27,759||-||-||**27,759**||||
|||Pension contribution||||790||-||-||**790**||||
|||Payroll administration costs||||494||-||-||**494**||||
|||Miscellaneous||||-||-||-||-||||
|||Office Equipment depreciation||||998||-||-||**998**||||
|||Bank charges and card fees||||424||-||-||**424**||||
|||Database Fees||||540||-||-||**540**||||
|||||||**34,098**||-||-||**34,098**|**35,079**|||
|||||||||||||||||
|||**Note**||||||||||||||
|||Duringtheyear the PCC employed an average monthlynumber of 3 staff(2022: 3 staff): aparish administrator,an organist,||||||||||||||
|||and a Children's and Families' Minister,all on apart time basis.||||||||||||||
|||The totalcosts ofsalaries and pensions are as shownabove andnonational insurance costswereincurred.||||||||||||||
|||No employeesreceivedmore than £60,000.||||||||||||||
|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||||||||||||||
|**2023 Accounts**||||||||||||||||
|||||||||||||||||
|**NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS - Year ended 31 December 2023**||||||||||||||||
|||||||||||||||||
|||||||||||||||||
|**3 **|**GIVING**|||||||||||||||
|||||||**From Parish income**||||**Special collections,**
**Community Fund**||||||
|||||||||||||||||
|||||||**2023**||**2022**
**£**||**2023**||**2022**
**£**||||
|||||||**£**||||**£**||||||
|||||||||||||||||
|||**Charity Partners**||||||||||||||
|||Congo Children Trust||||3,500||3,500
4,500
3,000
3,000||-||**313**
-
161
-||||
|||Orphans Know More||||-||||-||||||
|||The Children's Society||||3,000||||109||||||
|||Azalea||||3,000||||-||||||
|||||||9,500||14,000||109||474||||
|||||||||||||||||
|||||||||||||||||
|||**Other charities**||||||||||||||
|||St Helen's School||||2,550||2,550||-||-||||
|||Harvest Appeal||||-||-||-||2,158||||
|||The Trusell Trust(Harvest 2023)||||-||-||1,090||-||||
|||Beds & Herts Historic Churches Trust||||40||40
-
-
-
125
-
-||-||-
446
2,241
21
-
5,182
150||||
|||Christian Aid||||-||||100||||||
|||Ukraine Support||||-||||-||||||
|||Wheathampstead Churches Together||||-||||-||||||
|||A Rocha UK||||-||||-||||||
|||Payments from CommunityFund||||-||||2,439||||||
|||Payments from Funeral Collections||||-||||272||||||
|||||||2,590||2,715||**3,901**||10,198||||
|||||||||||||||||
|||**TOTAL**||||**12,090**||**16,715**||**4,010**||**10,672**||||
|||||||||||||||||
|||||||||||||||||
|||Note: Givingto St Helen's School is bystandingorder which is continuinginto 2024||||||||||||||
|||||||||||||||||
|||||||||||||||||
|**4 **|**CHURCH MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION**|||||||||||||||
|||||||||||**Restricted &**||||||
|||||||**Unrestricted**||**Designated**||**Endowment**||**TOTAL**|**FUNDS**
**2022**
**_£_**|||
|||||||**Funds**||**Funds**||**Funds**||**2023**||||
|||||||**_£_**||**_£_**||**_£_**||**_£_**||||
|||||||||||||||||
|||Stationery, post,telephone, print||||3,093||-||-||**3,093**|**2,951**
**28,729**
**718**
**516**
**216**
**998**
**548**
**403**|||
|||Staff salaries||||27,759||-||-||**27,759**||||
|||Pension contribution||||790||-||-||**790**||||
|||Payroll administration costs||||494||-||-||**494**||||
|||Miscellaneous||||-||-||-||-||||
|||Office Equipment depreciation||||998||-||-||**998**||||
|||Bank charges and card fees||||424||-||-||**424**||||
|||Database Fees||||540||-||-||**540**||||
|||||||**34,098**||-||-||**34,098**|**35,079**|||
|||||||||||||||||
|||**Note**||||||||||||||
|||Duringtheyear the PCC employed an average monthlynumber of 3 staff(2022: 3 staff): aparish administrator,an organist,||||||||||||||
|||and a Children's and Families' Minister,all on apart time basis.||||||||||||||
|||The totalcosts ofsalaries and pensions are as shownabove andnonational insurance costswereincurred.||||||||||||||
|||No employeesreceivedmore than £60,000.||||||||||||||
15
|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||||||||||||
|**2023 Accounts**|||||||||||||||
||||||||||||||||
|**NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS - Year ended 31 December 2023**|||||||||||||||
||||||||||||||||
||||||||||||||||
|**5**|**RESOURCES USED FOR THE WORK OF THE CHURCH**||||||||||||||
|||||||||||**Restricted &**|||||
|||||||**Unrestricted**||**Designated**||**Endowment**||**TOTAL**||**FUNDS**
**2022**|
|||||||**Funds**||**Funds**||**Funds**||**2023**|||
|||||||**£**||**£**||**£**||**£**||**£**|
||||||||||||||||
|||Parish share to Diocese||||100,359||-||-||**100,359**||99,625
3,405
500
1,180
507
188
3,989
873
5,928
6,157
1,497
3,658
642
264
103
27
2,070
2,119
4,630
1,265
1,221
15
703
144
85
756
1,993
104
12,876|
|||Feespaid to Diocese||||4,664||-||-||**4,664**|||
|||WeddingDisbursements||||1,500||-||-||**1,500**|||
|||Funeral Disbursements||||2,600||-||-||**2,600**|||
|||Plaques and other memorials||||443||-||-||**443**|||
|||Ministryexpenses||||1,127||-||-||**1,127**|||
|||Electricity& Water(St Helens)||||4,403||-||-||**4,403**|||
|||Electricity& Water(St Peters)||||609||-||-||**609**|||
|||Gas(St Helen's)||||1,175||8,264||-||**9,439**|||
|||Maintenance(St Helens)||||13,729||-||-||**13,729**|||
|||Maintenance(St Peters)||||163||-||-||**163**|||
|||Insurance(St Helens)||||3,865||-||-||**3,865**|||
|||Insurance(St Peters)||||669||-||-||**669**|||
|||Growingin LovingService||||167||-||150||**317**|||
|||Growingin Numbers||||93||-||-||**93**|||
|||Growingin Faith||||563||-||-||**563**|||
|||Children,Youth & Schools||||2,802||-||498||**3,300**|||
|||Services||||2,118||-||-||**2,118**|||
|||Choir and music||||830||-||-||**830**|||
|||Casual organists for regular Church services||||1,175||-||-||**1,175**|||
|||Hospitality||||1,633||-||-||**1,633**|||
|||Training||||264||-||-||**264**|||
|||Coffee in the Chancel expenses||||575||-||-||**575**|||
|||Charitable Tradingexpenses||||-||-||-||-|||
|||Stewardshipcosts||||85||-||-||**85**|||
|||Hall Hire||||369||-||369||**738**|||
|||Flowers||||88||-||1,960||**2,048**|||
|||Bells||||-||-||211||**211**|||
|||Audio Visual System depreciation||||-||12,876||-||**12,876**|||
||||||||||||||||
|||**Major fabric and Projects Expenditure**|||||||||||||
|||Roof Alarm||||-||-||-||-||1,047
5,040|
|||Church Development||||-||5,100||-||**5,100**|||
||||||||||||||||
|||||||**146,068**||**26,240**||**3,188**||**175,496**||162,611|
||||||||||||||||
|||**Notes**|||||||||||||
||||||||||||||||
|||During the year, two members of the ministerial team who are also members of the PCC were paid £12,152 in remuneration|||||||||||||
|||and for workingexpenses(2022: £10,732)|||||||||||||
|||No other payments or expenses were paid to any other PCC member, persons closely connected to them|||||||||||||
|||
or related partes.|||||||||||||
16
|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||||||
|**2023 Accounts**|||||||||
||||||||||
|**NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS - Year ended 31 December 2023**|||||||||
||||||||||
|**6**|**FIXED ASSETS**||||||||
||||||||||
||**Tangible assets**||||||||
|||||||**Office**
**printer**|**AV**
**equipment**|**Total**|
|||||||**£**|**£**|**£**|
|||**Cost**|At1st January2023|||4,991|64,380|**69,371**|
||||Additions at cost|||-|-|**-**|
||||At 31st December 2023|||4,991|64,380|**69,371**|
||||||||||
|||**Depreciation**|At 1st January 2023|||2,745|49,973|**52,718**|
||||Chargeforthe year|||998|12,876|**13,874**|
||||At 31stDecember 2023|||3,743|62,849|**66,592**|
||||||||||
|||**Net book value**
At 1st January 2023||||2,246|14,407|16,653|
||||||||||
||||**At 31st December 2023**|||**1,248**|**1,531**|**2,779**|
||||||||||
||||||||||
||||||||||
||||||||||
||**Investments at market value**||||**2023**||**2022**||
||||||**_£_**||**£**||
|||Central Board of Finance Investment Fund|||**1,762**||**1,611**||
||||||||||
||||||||||
||||||||||
|**7**|**AMOUNTS RECEIVABLE**||||||||
||||||||||
||||||**2023**||**2022**
**_£_**||
||||||**_£_**||||
||||||||||
|||Income tax recoverable|||2,822||3,318
632
1,842||
|||VAT recoverable onbuildingworks|||163||||
|||Otheramountsreceivable|||419||||
||||||||||
|||**TOTAL**|||**3,404**||**5,792**||
||||||||||
||||||||||
|**8**|**AMOUNTS PAYABLE**||||||||
||||||||||
||||||**2023**||**2022**
**£**||
||||||**£**||||
|||Accrued expenses|||**4,494**||**7,048**||
17
|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|**WHEATHAMPSTEAD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||||||||||||
|**2023 Accounts**|||||||||||||||
||||||||||||||||
|**NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS - Year ended 31 December 2023**|||||||||||||||
||||||||||||||||
|**9**|**FUNDS**||||||||||||||
||||||||||||||||
|||||||**1 Jan**
**2023**
**£**||**Incoming**||**Resources**||**Transfers**||**31 Dec**|
|||||||||**Resources**||**Used**||**of Funds**||**2023**|
|||||||||**£**||**£**||**£**||**£**|
||||||||||||||||
||**Endowment Funds**|||||1,611||151||||-||1,762|
||||||||||||||||
||**Restricted Funds**||||||||||||||
|||CommunityFund||||1,756
323
489
1,443
9,226
1,869
3,761
304
-||5,608||(2,439)||-||4,925|
|||Flower fund||||||1,636||(1,959)||-||-|
|||Tea Time Church||||||9||(498)||-||-|
|||Bell Fund||||||295||(211)||-||1,527|
|||Music Fund||||||352||-||-||9,578|
|||Choral Scholar Fund||||||72||-||-||1,941|
|||CharityPartnershipFund||||||144||-||-||3,905|
|||St Helen's FellowshipFund||||||474||(519)||-||259|
|||Specific collections||||||1,571||(1,571)||-||-|
|||||||**19,171**||**10,161**||**(7,197)**||-||**22,135**|
||||||||||||||||
||||||||||||||||
||**Total Restricted Funds**|||||**20,782**||**10,312**||**(7,197)**||-||**23,897**|
||||||||||||||||
||**Designated Funds**||||||||||||||
|||Fabric Fund||||14,058
50,653
75,990
6,787
40,491
6,044||1,005||(12,876)||-||2,187|
|||Income Reserve||||||1,937||-||-||52,590|
|||Capital Reserve||||||2,907||-||-||78,897|
|||Development Fund||||||17,805||(5,100)||-||19,492|
|||Roof Fund||||||1,740||-||10,000||52,231|
|||EnergyFund||||||2,220||(8,264)||-||-|
|||||||**194,023**||**27,614**||**(26,240)**||**10,000**||**205,397**|
||||||||||||||||
||**Unrestricted Funds**||||||||||||||
|||General Fund||||68,572||206,525||(192,256)||(10,000)||72,841|
||||||||||||||||
||**TOTAL FUNDS**|||||**283,377**||**244,451**||**(225,693)**||**-**||**302,135**|
||||||||||||||||
||||||||||||||||
||**Notes**||||||||||||||
||**Endowment Funds**||||||||||||||
|||These are the Fenwick and Bracey bequests, the investment of which is mainly in the CBF Investment Fund shown in
the Balance Sheet. Income from the Fenwick bequest is for the church and churcyard upkeep. These funds, and their
annual movementin value, areincludedwiththerestrictedfunds.|||||||||||||
||||||||||||||||
||||||||||||||||
||**Community Fund**||||||||||||||
|||This fund is from collections at weddings and baptisms, and some donations, which are set aside to provide
assistance to those in need mainly in the parish of Wheathampstead.|||||||||||||
||||||||||||||||
||**Bell Fund**||||||||||||||
|||For the renovation, repairs and maintenance of the bells, including handbells, and related structures, fixtures and
fittings, plus the support and development of the bell ringers.|||||||||||||
||||||||||||||||
||**Music Fund**||||||||||||||
|||Moneyset aside byPCC and other donations for music and choirpurposes within the church.|||||||||||||
||**Charity Partnership Fund**||||||||||||||
|||Donations set aside bythe PCC for work on the Kimbilio Project and and futureprojects with our Charity|||||||||||||
||**Fabric Fund**||||||||||||||
|||This fund is for major work to the Fabric of St Helen's church.|||||||||||||
||**Income Reserve and Designated Capital Reserve**||||||||||||||
|||As the Diocese recommends, the PCC maintains designated funds as a reserve against sudden total loss of income
and unforseen capital expenditure. Reserves were set at an initial level of £60,000 each in 2005 with interest to be
accrued to the funds as a protection against inflation. In 2020 the PCC reviewed the Reserves Policy and decided to
reduce the Income Reserve by a transfer of £25,000 to the General Fund|||||||||||||
||||||||||||||||
||||||||||||||||
||||||||||||||||
||**Development Fund**||||||||||||||
|||Donations set aside by the PCC for improvements to the interior of St Helen's. Two unrestricted legacies were added
to the fund in 2023.|||||||||||||
||||||||||||||||
||**Roof Fund**||||||||||||||
|||Transfer of funds for future repairs on the roof of St Helen's|||||||||||||
||||||||||||||||
||||||||||||||||
||**The cash related to the restricted funds is held in the PCC bank accounts.**||||||||||||||
18
Inde
endent Examiner's Re
ort to the Trustee8 of
Wheatham
stead Parochial Church Council
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of Mthealhampslead Parochial Church
Council Ilhe Charity} for the year ended 31 Dember 2023 which comprise the Statement of Financial
Activities, the Balance Sheet and related notes.
This report is made solely lo the charity's Iruslees, as a body, in accordance with section 145 of the
Charities A¢1 2011. My work has been undertaken so that I might slate lo the charity's Iruslees those
matters l am required lo stale to them in this report arkd for no other purpose. To the fullest exlenl permitted
bylaw, I do not a¢pt oi assume responsibility to anyone other than the charity and the charity's Iruslees
as a body, for my woik, for this report, or for the opinions I have fom)ed.
Re8ponsibilitigs and basis of report
As the charity trustees of the Charity you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordan
with the requirements of the Charrties Act 2011 I'the Act'i.
I report in respect of my examination of the Charity'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 14515llbl of the Act.
An independent examination does not involve gathering all the eviden that would be fequired in an audit
and consequently does not cover all the matters that an auditor considers in giving their opinion on the
financial slatemenls. The planning and conduct of an audit goes beyond the limited assurance Ihal an
independent examination can provide. Consequefilly l express no opinion as lo whether Ihe fi'nancial
statements present a 'true and fail. view and my report is limited to thosè spècific matters Sel out in the
independent examiner's slalemenl.
Independent examiner's statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in
eonnection with Ihe examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect..
accounting records were not kept in Tespect of the Charity as required by Section 130 of the Act.. or
the accounts do not accord with those records.. or
the accour¢ls do not comply wilh the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of
accounts sel out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 olher than any requirement
that the accounts give a llue and fair view which is not a matte¥ 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
reached.
n this reBort in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts lo be
G P Smith
14 Stanhope Road
Sl. Albans
Herts AL15BL
131h March 2024
19
## Trustees of Wheathampstead Church School Trustees Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2023
The Rector and Churchwardens are trustees of a fund, the beneficiary of which is St Helen’s School, Wheathampstead, and manage a fund invested with the Church of England Central Board of Finance (CBF) through CCLA. The income from the investment is used to contribute towards the Governors’ liability for the external repairs to the School.
During this year, the total income was £246. According to the mid-market prices as per the statements provided by CCLA Investment Management Ltd at 31[st] December 2023, the total value of the two funds at that date was £9,339. Together with cash held in the bank of £2,581 the total assets of the Trust stand at £11,920.
Rev’d Richard Banham, Mr David Hartley and Mrs Hilary Hollick Trustees 25 March 2024
Fund Account for the year ended 31 December
|Dividends received:-
Fixed Interest Securites Fund
Income Investment Fund
Changes in market value of investments:-
Fixed Interest Securites Fund
Income Investment Fund
Net movement in fund during the year|2023
£
36
210
246
88
659
747
993|2022
£
46
208|
|---|---|---|
|||254|
|||(245)
(935)|
|||(1,180)|
|||(926)|
## Statement of Assets and Liabilites as at 31 December
|Investments at cost 1999
Investments at valuatons:-
Fixed Interest Securites Fund
Income Investment Fund
Cash at Bank
Fund assets at 31 December 2022|2023
£
5,862
1,672
7,667
9,339
2,581
11,920|2022
£
5,862|
|---|---|---|
|||1,584
7,008|
|||8,592
2,335|
|||10,927|
## Independent Examiner’s Report
I confirm that the above financial statements accord with the bank and investment records of the Trust.
Peter Slater BA(Hons) ACA 25 March 2024 , Harpenden
20