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2021-12-31-accounts

ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Registered Charity No. 1133105 | Address: 44 Moss Lane, Sale, Cheshire, M33 6GD | Website: stmarysaom.org

CONTENTS

ANNUAL REPORTS (pages 4-11)
Vicar’s Report 4
PCC Report 7
Warden’s Report 8
Financial Report 10
Mission Giving 11
MINISTRIES AND MISSION (pages 12-16)
Children 12
Youth 13
Sale West Community Ministries 13
Kintsugi 14
Praying for the Nations 14
Discipleship Communities 15
The Bereavement Journey 15
Heartbeat Café 16
Mission Partners 16
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (pages 17-26)
Statement of Responsibilities 17
Examiner’s Report 18
Financial Activities 19
Balance Sheet 20
Cash Flow 21
Notes on Financial Statements 22

3

VICAR’S REPORT

WRITTEN BY REVD. STEVE RANKIN

The Vicar’s reflection on a year of response, recovery and rebuilding at St Mary’s and SWCC

PERSONAL REFLECTIONS

Outi and I were fortunate enough this year to have all the family arrive to stay with us for a few days over Christmas. The build-up is interesting as Outi always wants to be READY! I mean really ready. Not only is the house good to go, but the fridge is packed, and the cupboards are full to overflowing. Our kids and grandkids love it (and so do I…)

Welcome to this smorgasbord of a review of our church life in 2021 and looking forward to the challenges and opportunities of 2022…

STAFFING

With 2 of the 3 people on the Senior Leadership Team moving on over the summer it was always going to be challenging. Both Jane’s - Beaumont and Mottram - had been in post for a number of years and replacing them well was vitally important for the health of the church. The internal promotion of Emma Atkinson has meant a fairly seamless transition in the Office team. Danielle Markland and Carol Martin now job share Emma’s old role as Receptionist and Admin Assistant.

I come into my own after the visit… the fridge is still pretty full; the cupboards still seem to be bulging and it is my job to cook up some weird and wonderful food combos to use up all the leftovers. Making the most of what you’ve got, imaginative solutions and some unexpectedly good outcomes. Fortunately, that is where I thrive.

Photo from Nathan’s licensing Service -

The following chart was shared by CPAS in a recent webinar. It is the result of some UK church research carried out by the Evangelical Alliance in October 2021. It scopes

Appointing Nathan was more of a logistical challenge, from interviewing over Zoom, to the family moving over from Belgium in the midst of covid scares. Nathan’s licensing service was a real highlight; Bishop Mark spoke with passion and vision about the urgent need for church planting across the Church of England. It has been great to finally start working with Nathan and I’m enjoying seeing him take everything in his stride! He has looked a great fit for St Mary’s and Sale West from Day 1 which is a real answer to prayer (and quite a big relief!)

Nathan, & Steve with Bishop Mark Tanner, Archdeacon Ian Bishop and acting Rural Dean Alison Cox

out some of the challenges facing all churches seeking to rebuild as we adapt to the pandemic in 2022.

Alex Stewart was also appointed as a Youth Worker, as part of his role with Trafford Youth For Christ, working part-time with St Mary’s and St Alban’s. This has worked really well, and Alex has been a terrific addition to the team.

Whilst we’ve been through a season of making the most of what you’ve got, it is good to be back at ‘fullcomplement’. For me personally I’d been leading the youth work for a year or so and then covering all the clergy duties for the 4 months from Jane’s retirement to Nathan’s arrival.

“What’s needed is a shift from viewing COVID-19 as a one-time threat that defines society to seeing it as a part of everyday life that we must learn to endure.” Making the most of what you’ve got. Imaginative solutions. Some unexpectedly good outcomes

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will be interesting to see in what way the identity of the service will continue to develop.

My sense is that having a full staff team is vital if we are to move out of a holding pattern and into a period of new life and opportunities as a church.

OUTREACH

The Faith Matters course continues to be a great platform for people to explore faith. It has had a strong impact through the last couple of years. There were around 16 people signed up for the post-Christmas course all at different stages in their journey of faith. The strength of the course is in building relationships that encourage people to carry on exploring beyond the course. I encourage all those who finish Faith Matters to join a New Life -group as a good next step for growth and encouragement.

SERVICES

Early in the summer of 2021 we moved back to in-person services at all of our congregations, whilst continuing to livestream the 9.30am service. This hybrid approach to in-person/online church is here to stay.

The goal goes beyond seeing converts to establishing disciples by helping people assess where they are up to faith wise and then to signpost them to achievable next steps. This is in keeping with the Discipleship Pathway that was developed pre-pandemic. I still think it will be a significant tool for our church in enabling every person to encounter God, at every stage of the faith journey. And the lockdown period has seen many people explore faith, come to Christ, and take steps forward in their discipleship.

The 9.30 service has lost a significant number of its fringe – it is unlikely that those people will return, and the rebuilding of a new fringe has started. We continue to livestream the 9.30 service each week which enables those who cannot attend in person to join us remotely.

Numbers at our 11.15 service have returned to prepandemic levels and seems the least impacted in terms of volunteers; all of our worship leaders and musicians have returned and the after service coffee team is back at full complement.

CHILDREN, YOUTH & VOLUNTEERING

Sale West Community Church switched to meeting in the afternoon so I could cover all the Sunday Services. We changed the style as well to make it more participative and this has worked particularly well for the new Christians that have joined during lockdown through the work of Carol Dodgson (Sale West Children and Families Worker) with her amazing Keep Calm & Craft initiative. We will look to bringing the service back to the morning slot but will persevere with the style of the service as it is light on the need for set up and volunteers to keep it all running.

At the end of last year, we were contacted by the Church of England’s National Youth Evangelism Officer wanting to invite us to be part of a national initiative to develop resource churches that already model fruitful ministry among under 16’s. He explained that based on the

average (prepandemic) Sunday attendance figures that all churches have to submit, St Mary’s and Sale West Community Church were the largest church for under 16’s in

The 7pm service is slowly re-emerging. Jane Beaumont had overseen the congregation for many years, and it

Some of our incredible Junior Church Volunteers!

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Chester Diocese and the 29th largest in the whole of the Church of England (that’s out of 16,500 churches). That is a remarkable statistic and testimony to the great work of Julie Lloynd and Shauna Hancock overseeing an army of volunteers.

Alex Stewart has hit the ground running as our Youth Worker. He oversees a dedicated team of volunteers and they have seen the numbers double in Fuel since last September. They are roughly back to the pre-pandemic levels. The new Cross Roads group allows some of the older youth the chance to go deeper in their faith journey as well as develop as a community.

Making the most of what you’ve got. Imaginative solutions. Some unexpectedly good outcomes.

I’m aware that the national picture for decreases in volunteer numbers have been mirrored in our church too. We have tweaked the way we do Junior Church at St Mary’s and Sale West; Julie and Shauna have done a remarkable job in re-launching Junior Church in a whole new format that required fewer volunteers to allow it to run effectively.

Volunteers remains a challenge not just across children and youth work but on Sundays with things like refreshments or musicians. I’m grateful in particular to the core group of worship leaders that have gone the extra mile to ensure that we have been able to have live music across all of the St Mary’s services since last summer.

THE FUTURE

Our giving is all about our ministry; it is every service we have, each sermon preached, baptism families welcomed, Junior Church or Fuel session run, and the Gospel preached through Faith Matters and our Small Groups. Ministry is every bereaved family supported, each visit and home communion to the sick and housebound, school assemblies and classes held. Our giving makes ministry possible.

The Evangelical Alliance research found an average decrease in congregational giving to be 60%. We are thankful that this has not been our experience, but there are some obvious financial challenges facing us in the year ahead; the combination of a drop in attendance coupled with the cost-of-living increases that also impact us as a church mean that we need to see some financial breakthroughs this year.

If you consider St Mary’s your church home and are not yet giving financially will you consider joining our Stewardship scheme? And if you are already giving but have not reviewed it during the pandemic, could you prayerfully assess whether there is scope to adjust your giving?

Making the most of what you’ve got. Imaginative solutions. Some unexpectedly good outcomes.

The ministry of our church changes lives both in our church and in the wider community. There is much for which we as a church can be grateful and we continue to look forward to an exciting and challenging time under God.

God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, Above you to bless you Below you to support you Before you to guide you Behind you to protect you Beside you to comfort you And in you to sustain you.

With every blessing, Steve

“Our giving is all about our ministry;”

6

PCC REPORT

St Mary’s Parochial Church Council (PCC) has the responsibility of working with the incumbent, the Revd. Stephen Rankin, in furthering the mission of the church in the whole parish: pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. The PCC also has maintenance responsibilities for the Church and Church Centre.

PCC members and deanery synod representatives are elected each year at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM). Roles on the PCC are then elected at the first PCC meeting following the APCM.

Role Name Office held
Incumbent Revd Steve Rankin Chair, S, F
Associate Vicar Revd Nathan Gregory
Head of Operations (co-opted) Emma Atkinson PCC secretary, HR
Readers Brian Macfaden Treasurer, S, F, HR
Outi Rankin
Pastoral Workers Gill Hart
Mags Holt
Ann McBurney
Wardens Anne Keast S, F, HR
John Vaughan S, F
Deanery Synod Avtar Diggwa
Jeff McBurney F
Ian Thwaites
Rosemary Sigee F
Elected members David Atkinson M
Jeremy Barnes
Janet Darlow
Graham Fosh HR
Joan Heys Assistant Treasurer, F, HR
Lorna Hitchin Vice Chair, S, F
Simon Hollingworth
Helen Jarvis F
Elaine Jones S, M
Matthew Kay
Barbara Shimmings

(S – Standing Committee, F – finance committee, HR – HR committee, M – Missions committee)

PCC MEETINGS

Due to the pandemic, 8 PCC meetings took place during 2021, 0 were in-person, 2 via email and 6 over zoom. The APCM took place in May and was held online. The items discussed at the PCC meetings included:

STAFFING

The PCC employs a Head of Operations, Receptionist & Parish Administrator, Data Administrator, Parish Finance Officer, Children’s Pastor, Café Manager, Church Centre Caretaker, Saturday Cleaner, and seven staff to run the PreSchool Group ‘Butterflies’.

ELECTORAL ROLL

The number on the electoral roll at the 2021 APCM in May was 425

7

WARDEN’S REPORT

WARDENS: ANNE KEAST & JOHN VAUGHAN

The major feature of 2021 was the continuation of the covid emergency. The positives of vaccinations were balanced with the negatives of emerging variants and, as in the previous year, planning was extremely difficult. Over the year though, as concerns began to ease, we were gradually able to increase the number of available seats in church. Throughout this period there was a tension that had to be managed between those who remained cautious about being in the proximity of others and those eager to see the lifting of restrictions. Balancing those competing needs was a feature of the year and we are very grateful to church members who accepted that we had to err on the side of caution and maintain mask wearing and some element of social distancing.

the way that church was decorated by the Keep Calm and Craft team. The five foot sparkling star and stars strung across the church communicated the theme of Star of Wonder perfectly. The coloured lights that shone throughout the night over Christmas certainly heralded the Saviour’s birth. Absolutely wonderful.

The ongoing livestreaming of the 9.30 service provides a worship option for those who feel unable to attend in person and we are grateful to all those who have made that happen. We also wish to express our grateful

thanks to those many people who serve to make our services work. The Deputy Wardens and sides people who welcome and lock up; the worship leaders and musicians; intercessors; the flower arrangers; refreshment providers; cleaners; decorators and all the technical teams have all worked tirelessly. Gaps still remain in our rotas and as more people come back, we trust that these will be filled.

The process towards ‘normalisation’ allowed for the holding of all our services by the year end. The 9.30, 11.15 and 7.00 services have reverted to their pre -pandemic form at St Mary’s. At Sale West, a ‘gathering’ has been used as the form of

A full church for our Christingle Services!

Jane Beaumont’s retirement during the year was a happy/sad occasion. Happiness that she could look forward to spending more time with Ian and for what she had given us, tinged with sadness for the loss of a friend and valued priest. That inevitably cast a huge burden on Steve over Autumn and his continued good humour and energy levels were a thing of marvel. Nathan’s licensing service was well attended, and we look forward to working with him in the coming years as he begins his ministry with us.

worship. Numbers of attendees remains lower than prepandemic but are stable. We continue to pray that those who have not yet returned to worship at one of our congregations will feel able to do so. Where we did experience a return to worship was in our Christingle Services. Three services were held with many of the traditional elements being present. Glowsticks were substituted for candles but that allowed for the sight of lights moving through the district as people walked home in the evening dark. What a glorious sight. As was

One of the things that has been apparent over the pandemic is the resilience of the church in the face of uncertainty. The hard work done over the preceding years in establishing discipleship communities meant that small groups could continue to meet, albeit remotely. Those who put in the effort to establish these things over the years have seen their efforts come to a fruition in ways they could never have imagined.

On the premises side there are a series of repairs needed to parts of the building. We are grateful for the

A 5ft Star of Wonder and our blanket of stars for Christmas

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efforts that Norman Elston and Alec Brownsmith put into keeping the place in good repair. Some quite major jobs have been carried over into the current year, notably some roofing work, and we hope to have most of those dealt with in the first half of 2022. One working party was held inside the church to spruce it up for Christmas and to supplement the weekly clean and we are grateful for those who assisted in that. If one inside working party happened, then that is nothing compared to the weekly gathering of gardeners who keep the outside in such good condition. Many thanks to them for their wonderful efforts.

A quinquennial review is outstanding having been delayed by covid. This will be undertaken during 2022. The Terrier will be completed by the time of the APCM. Finally, the year saw a change in the Warden team with Matthew Holland stepping down from the role. Our thanks to him for all his hard work. John Vaughan was duly elected to take Matthew’s place and we wish him well in this role.

The last Warden’s report concluded by looking forward to an end to the pandemic and the return of normality. At the year end we continue to look forward to both these. It also prayed that the Lord would continue to bless and provide for us for many years to come and we go into a new year in full confidence that will happen.

Anne Keast John Vaughan

9

TREASURER: BRIAN MACFADEN

FINANCIAL REPORT

We give thanks to God for His ongoing provision for our work in Sale, through the generosity of His people. While 2021 was again a challenging year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the regular giving of our church members enabled us to continue many of our activities and prepare for the return of a more normal environment.

At the start of 2021 the PCC adopted a budget which forecast a significant deficit for the year. However Revd Jane Beaumont’s retirement reduced our Parish Share payments by almost £20,000 while we were without an Associate Vicar. This and other factors contributed to a surplus for the year. Revd Nathan Gregory joined us as our new Associate Vicar at the start of 2022, so that saving will not be repeated.

In 2021 our income exceeded our expenditure by £28,234. At 31st December 2021 we held cash at the bank, including short term deposits, of £164,795.

We approach the challenges and opportunities of 2022 with confidence in God’s continuing provision and your support.

RESERVES

All charities are expected to hold an appropriate level of reserves, which we use for:

In January 2021 the PCC adopted a policy to maintain approximately 3 months of regular expenditure in our reserves. At the end of 2021 our reserves were 4.8 months of regular expenditure (3.6 months at end of 2020). This higher level of reserves allows us to continue to move forward during a time of financial uncertainty and to catch up on maintenance that has been delayed during the pandemic.

The trustees are confident that, with continuing regular income from church members, there are sufficient reserves to support ongoing commitments for the next twelve months.

COMPARISON TO 2020

Most of the giving we receive comes through regular standing orders and stewardship envelopes, and we saw a small reduction from last year (£267,633 in 2021 vs £272,741 in 2020). This is a concern as the UK is now experiencing significant inflation, and we will encourage an increase in giving in 2022.

INVESTMENT POLICY

Cash not required for day to day operations is held on deposit with the CBF Church of England Investment Fund.

No funds are held as custodian trustee.

Income from Collections, Donations, Legacies, the Cafe, and Church Centre lettings (total of £36,187 in 2021 vs £28,321 in 2020) remained significantly lower than before the pandemic, but we started to see some recovery at the end of 2021.

We continued to receive grants from the Job Retention Scheme (furlough) to assist with the impact of COVID-19 restrictions.

Maintenance during the year was again less than expected due to COVID-19 restrictions, and we plan to catch up on maintenance in 2022.

Butterflies Pre-School Group had a surplus of £8,018 in 2021 (surplus of £8,842 in 2020). The surplus or deficit varies year by year depending on the number of children attending.

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MISSION GIVING

As a church we donate 10% of the giving we receive to missions, both here in the UK and overseas. We see this as our stewardship, or good management, of the money we receive from God, just as we encourage church members to steward their income.

This year we donated £27,716, which is 10% of the previous year’s giving. In previous years the income from the Christmas Market has also been donated to missions, but we were unable to run it in 2021 due to COVID-19 restrictions.

The Missions Committee oversees how we distribute these funds, together with the PCC. Most of the mission budget is given as regular support to organisations and individuals where there is a link with our church. We also retain some funds to allocate flexibly during the year.

This is where our support was donated in 2021. Our mission partners are shown in bold.

OVERSEAS MISSIONS UK MISSIONS
Church Mission Society £1,000 Boaz Trust £1,600
Tim & Miho Walker £1,800 Youth for Christ £4,000
- Overseas Missionary Fellowship Hope for Justice £1,600
Simon and Sue Yeomans £4,600 Church Urban Fund £100
- Operation Mobilisation Redeeming Our Communities £240
Open Doors £1,600 Bible Society £1,400
Philippines Outreach Centre £2,500 Church Pastoral Aid Society £1,200
Acts - Education in Africa - Burundi School £1,600 Universities & Colleges Christian Fellowship £300
David & Mary Robinson £700 Trafford South Foodbank £400
- Thai ministry Chester Clergy Families Trust £300
Dan and Rachel King £500 St Luke’s Hospital £50
- Wycliffe Bible Translators Fusion £300
Armonia £500 NDE £100
Langham Trust £400 Evangelical Alliance £150
A Rocha – Christian conservation £200 Sale West Community Urban Trust * £276
FEBA (Arab world gospel radio)
Tearfund (Relief & development work)		 £100
£200		 * We gave grants and donations to Sale West

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MINISTRIES & MISSION

CHILDREN

“See I am doing a new thing!” (Isaiah 43:19)

Due to continued lockdowns and tight restrictions on school visits in the first half on 2021, Children’s Ministry continued to be online until the end of the summer term. Despite physical restrictions, God was so good and still enabled a way into Schools with online workshops and Junior Church videos being played in classrooms.

In September, it was wonderful to actually go back into schools. Since then, we have been able to deliver weekly worship assemblies in St. Mary’s School, chat with pupils and Staff at playtimes and return to Forest Park Prep for their harvest assembly. We have loved welcoming children and staff back in St Mary’s Church for St Mary’s and Forest Park Prep’s School Christmas services and have done Church visits for St Mary’s and Firs Road pupils with many more dates booked in with these schools, in the months ahead. There’s a lot going on!

September also saw “Caterpillars Parent and Toddler Group” re-open its doors after two years of shut down. In many ways after such a long time away we had to start from scratch, as many of the children who had once attended had since started school. It was soon apparent how desperately needed this group is, from the number of people who have turned up on a Tuesday afternoon from all over South Manchester. It has been an absolute joy to see this community grow and to meet and chat with parents/carers, childminders, grandparents and of course the lovely “lock down” babies.

Likewise, God told us not to reopen Junior Church until September 2021 and to give our pre-covid list of volunteers permission to step down. We lost 40% of our volunteers but we knew that God was doing a new thing and it was very clear through prophetic prayer, pictures and words that God gave to our church family that our pre-Covid set up just wouldn’t work.

We now host a stay and play session for 0-4’s led each week by an amazing volunteer. The Church service is live -streamed into this room, there is a bible message, craft, free play and it is a great place for parents/carers to have fellowship together. The rest of Junior Church has become a congregation, meeting in the hall each Sunday. This session is led from the front. We do collective worship, games, there is a talk and then age appropriate group activities led by our awesome volunteers.

A lot has happened and we are not finished yet! We know that Children’s Ministry is still evolving post pandemic and we are in an exciting new season of growth. The vision for Junior Church is to create a space where children are free to learn about God, ask questions and help create firm foundations of faith. But more than this, these children are AMAZING! We are so excited that they are the future of the Church and we are praying for deep connections with God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Please keep praying for our Children’s Ministry and if God puts it on your heart come and join our team.

The best is yet to come!

Junior Church leaders competing in a game!

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MINISTRIES & MISSION

YOUTH

During the last year Fuel has reformatted into a youth club where young people have social time, tuck shop, games and a discussion running parallel to the church’s content. It’s been really encouraging to see the number of young people attending nearly double.

We have also launched Cross Roads, which was a vision given to me shortly after I started. Cross Roads gives the older youth a chance to develop their own personal faith through Bible study in small groups. We have looked at ‘Disciples making disciples’ and the ‘7 I Ams of Jesus’ with the aim of showing how the Bible is still relevant today. Unfortunately, Covid did stop the big Christmas meal we built up to but we are planning to do it in 2022.

The biggest positive to close 2021 is when we step back we can see a clear pathway for developing the church youth: Fuel is the starting point meeting young people

who either don’t have a faith or are still in the early stages of their faith; then Cross Roads which challenges young people in their personal faith and equips them to go out into the world knowing their opinions on who God is to them; developing from that is 1-1 mentoring which is giving young people a trusted example of the Christian faith who will walk alongside that young person and support them in the highs and lows of life, working through how to best use the gifts God has given that young person to serve and bless others.

We are one of the top 50 churches in the C of E for children’s and youth ministry. However, I think all the volunteers and Julie need crediting for making this happen and all praise should be turned to God for blessing us.

SALE WEST COMMUNITY MINISTRIES

made friends. One lady said that she didn’t have any friends at all before she came to the craft group, and another said she hadn’t left her house for 2 years.

“Before Christmas I was very depressed, my doctor put me in touch with [the social prescribers] who introduced me to the Keep Calm and Craft group. It has truly helped me. I didn’t have to go on antidepressants. Gave me a new lease of life. I have learned so many new skills and met a lot of lovely people who made me very welcome. The group has given me confidence and belief in myself. I have been able to help others. [They] are so caring and help us all.”

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MINISTRIES & MISSION

KINTSUGI

Last January, as Covid hit hard and our world seemed to become more distressing and uncertain by the day, we as a church became aware that people who would previously not have struggled, now, at times, were doing so. In response to this need, Jane Beaumont researched a course that could possibly help those who were struggling- and found it in Kintsugi Hope Wellbeing.

Based on the concept of showing that it’s ok not to be ok at times, Kintsugi Hope was developed to improve our self-understanding and equip us to help both ourselves and others. Kintsugi Hope takes its name from the ancient Japanese art of fixing broken pottery with gold.... Kintsugi reminds us that something can break and yet still be beautiful, and that, once repaired, it is stronger at the broken places. This is an incredible metaphor for healing and recovery from adversity.

32 people, both Christians and non-Christians, started this twelve week course in January 2021, on Zoom. Each evening there was teaching from Jane Beaumont on the weekly topic, which included subjects such as

anxiety, forgiveness, perfectionism, resilience etc. This was then followed by discussion in small breakout groups , each with a facilitator. The course had one of the highest attendance rates of any course previously offered and participants reported that it had been important to them, and both engaging and healing.

A second Kintsugi Hope Wellbeing course is currently underway on Zoom, again with 32 participants of all ages in seven groups , being led this time by Anne Britt. It is hoped to run the course each year as there seems to be such a demand for it in this uncertain world we live in today.

PRAYING FOR THE NATIONS

Our Associate Vicar, Jane Beaumont, started this initiative in August 2020. The aim was to pray by name for every country in the world. For a year people met regularly online to pray and by last Summer we had covered around a third of the countries in the world. In September 2021 we decided to change the approach to include the whole church. We also wanted to give an end date to the initiative. Since then, each month, we have listed a group of countries, with prayer points for each, with the request that individuals and home groups pray for some of the countries listed. Countries have been grouped regionally each month (except where the compiler’s grasp of geography failed) and we have

prayed a blessing on places in every continent. By July 2022 we will have prayed for all 195 countries in the world, some more than once, thereby realising the vision to pray for the whole planet. As we look forward to completing this task we pray that others will continue to join in as we near the end of it

A map of the nations we have already prayed for

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MINISTRIES & MISSION

DISCIPLESHIP COMMUNITIES

Steve and I met with Leaders and Pastors in November via zoom, there was a good turn out which was really encouraging. The atmosphere was one of determination to press on and of hope for the future of our Discipleship Community. One point which came out strongly from this meeting was how much the groups value having the sermon notes/questions to use as a group.

Prior to writing this report I asked various groups for some feedback….

This has been a year of many small groups continuing to meet via zoom, a couple of groups have found this very difficult to maintain and have sought other ways to keep in touch. One group has moved into the Friday New Life group which continues to meet in person.

A couple of groups have been intermittent with zoom yet still remain strong as a group, connecting when they are able.

Some groups have been able to meet regularly via zoom and also meet for walks and picnics in the good weather and walks with a hot drink in the winter - that is commitment!

One group in particular has met on zoom 92 times so far and also regularly meet for picnics in the garden or conservatory. This same group has had some health issues but have grown closer and been a great support to each other.

On the same theme another group has been through some really tough times and continue to pray and grow together in God’s grace and love. Although drawing together through the tough times they have also welcomed in a new member to the group.

Another group started taking it in turns to put a daily devotional on WhatsApp during the first lockdown. This has continued even though they now meet in person, again bringing the group closer as they journey together.

A comment from one huddle - “running for two years in April, started in lockdown and have continued throughout! We have built relationships, shared, prayed together and supported one another, it’s been a great blessing.”

Looking forward we have a new Small Group which actually started meeting in January after being set up late in 2021. A new men’s Huddle has also recently formed which is brilliant news.

There is a strong sense of community and drawing closer to God coming out from all areas of Discipleship. If you would like to connect with a group, or are considering being part of a four person huddle or would like to know more about any of our Discipleship groups please do contact me, or complete the short form on the website (stmarysaom.org/communities)

Ann McBurney Discipleship Communities Coordinator ann.mcburney@hotmail.com

THE BEREAVEMENT JOURNEY

The six week Bereavement Journey course has been offered to all who have been bereaved within the church family and wider community whether with a faith or no faith. Run in the evening and during the day the (so far) online course looks at the common aspects of grief. Short films followed by group discussions cover loss and separation, the pain of grief - how it feels and how we might respond, adjusting to change, and moving forward. The course helps individuals to identify that they are not alone in their feelings and responses, and offers suggestions on how to navigate those painful and challenging emotions and behaviours. Groups are

deliberately kept small to enable a safe, secure and confidential environment where individuals can choose to share their experience, or simply be present with others who may have been, or are, feeling the same way. Further details are available from Karen MacMillan via the website or by emailing bereavement@stmarys.org

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MINISTRIES & MISSION

HEARTBEAT CAFE

The Heartbeat Cafe re-opened in September 2021 with slightly new hours of 10am until 2pm. We welcomed new and previous customers, as they chatted and ate from our menu including homemade soup and cakes.

Our staff recognise the importance of a smile, a chat or whatever is needed, and we have had some in depth conversations. The later closing time encourages Caterpillar parents and Keep Calm and Craft ladies to visit the cafe.

We have been blessed with a couple of new volunteers; I really appreciate the commitment and dedication from all the volunteers and we even enjoyed a New Year social together!

Afternoon tea was introduced in November on the 2nd Thursday of each month and this has been popular with bookings each month so far.

During February half term we had Carol ‘Short story lady’ entertaining the children. Hopefully next time it will encourage more children and families to visit the cafe.

The takings are increasing steadily each month which is encouraging, although the idea is to cover costs not make a large profit and this is reflected in the menu pricing. The facility of paying by card is now an option however the machine can be a little

unpredictable!

MISSION PARTNERS

Missions after Lockdown!

Jesus said ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.’ Mark 15:16

We at St Mary’s prayerfully and financially support 9 Mission Partners meeting needs around the world. Firstly – who are they?

Overseas

Home based

These are massive needs which we’ve prayed for over many years.

How do we support our Partners now ?

Other areas supported include the Kings’ Bible Translation work and Robinsons’ ministry to UK Thai people. Many members are involved in ministries such as Barnabus, Street Pastors and Betel. All are prayed for in the services as time allows.

We see a growing concern for mission at St Mary’s. Social media has brought the world closer and the needs more real. Pray that we can keep looking outward to the pressing needs of our hurting, suffering world which desperately needs the hope which only Christ can give.

16

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS OF THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF ST MARY MAGDALENE, ASHTON-ON-MERSEY WITH SALE WEST COMMUNITY CHURCH, CHURCH OF ENGLAND DIOCESE OF CHESTER Registered Charity No. 1133105

Year ended 31 December 2021

STATEMENT OF TRUSTEES RESPONSIBILITIES IN RESPECT OF THE TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT AND THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Under charity law, the trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees Annual Report and the financial statements for each financial year which properly present the state of affairs of the charity and of the excess of income over expenditure for that period.

In preparing these financial statements, generally accepted accounting practice entails that the trustees:

The trustees are required to act in accordance with the trust deed of the charity, within the framework of trust law. They are responsible for keeping proper accounting records, sufficient to disclose at any time, with reasonable accuracy, the financial position of the charity at that time, and to enable the trustees to ensure that, where any statements of accounts are prepared by them under section 132(1) of the Charities Act 2011, those statements of accounts comply with the requirements of regulations under that provision. They have general responsibility for taking such steps as are reasonably open to them to safeguard the assets of the charity and to prevent and detect fraud and other irregularities.

On behalf of the PCC

Revd Stephen Rankin

17

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE

PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF ST MARY MAGDALENE, ASHTON-ON-MERSEY WITH SALE WEST COMMUNITY CHURCH

YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2021

I report to the PCC on my examination of the accounts of the above charity for the year ended 31 December 2021 set out on pages 19 to 26.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND BASIS OF REPORT

As the PCC you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”).

I report in respect of my examination of the Charity’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 Act.

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S STATEMENT

The charity’s gross income exceeded £250,000 and I am qualified to undertake the examination by being a qualified member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants for England and Wales.

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention which give me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect:

· the accounting records were not kept in accordance with Section 130 of the Charities Act; or

· the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or

· the accounts did not comply with applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in 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.

Mrs Susan Suchoparek FCA

18

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES For the year ended 31 December 2021

Note
INCOMING RESOURCES
2
Voluntary income (direct giving)
Other voluntary income
Gross income from events and activities
Other ordinary income
Income from trading
Income from investment
Other income
4
TOTAL INCOMING RESOURCES
RESOURCES USED
3
Grants
Support costs
Directly relating to the work of the church
Fund raising and publicity
Church management/administration
TOTAL RESOURCES USED

Net incoming resources before gains/(losses)
Net gain/(losses) on investments:
- Transfer of investment (see note 9)
- Release of endowment (see note 9)
NET MOVEMENT IN FUNDS

Balances brought forward at 1 January
Transfer between funds
Balances carried forward at 31 December		 Unrestricted
Funds
2021
£
Restricted
Funds
2021
£
TOTAL
2021
£
TOTAL
2020
£
272,480
-
272,480
277,164
4,158
-
4,158
3,548
133,232
-
133,232
113,863
10,571
-
10,571
15,333
28,226
-
28,226
20,266
27
-
27
186
7,806
-
7,806
18,496
£456,500
-
£456,500
£448,856
39,112
-
39,112
38,775
26,588
-
26,588
29,846
295,692
6,573
302,265
297,284
107
-
107
87
60,194
-
60,194
62,015
£421,693
£6,573
£428,266
£428,007
34,807
-6,573
28,234
20,849
-
-
131,420
-131,420
131,420
-131,420
-
-
£34,807
-£6,573
£28,234
£20,849
571,852
6,573
578,425
557,576
-
-
-
-
£606,659
£0
£606,659
£578,425

19

BALANCE SHEET AT 31 DECEMBER 2021

BALANCE SHEET AT 31 DECEMBER 2021
Note
FIXED ASSETS
Tangible fixed assets
5
Investment assets
9
CURRENT ASSETS
Debtors
7
Short term deposits
Cash at bank and in hand
LIABILITIES
Amounts falling due within one year
8
NET CURRENT ASSETS
6
NET ASSETS
FUNDS
Unrestricted
10
Restricted
11
Endowment
9		 2021
£
2020
£
437,128
437,128
-
131,420
£437,128
£568,548
5,904
6,725
73,849
43,822
90,946
92,309
£170,699
£142,856
-1,168
-1,559
£169,531
£141,297
£606,659
£709,845
606,659
571,852
-
6,573
-
131,420
£606,659
£709,845

Approved by the Parochial Church Council on 28th March 2022 and signed on its behalf by:

The Revd Stephen Rankin (Chairman) Ms Lorna Hitchin (Vice Chair)

The notes on pages 22-26 form part of these accounts

20

CASH FLOW STATEMENT for the year ended 31 December 2021

CASH FLOW STATEMENT
for the year ended 31 December 2021
ANALYSIS OF CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS

Cash flows from operating activities
Surplus/(Deficit) for the year
Adjustments for:
Interest receivable and similar income
Interest payable and similar charges
Increase/decrease in other debtors
Decrease/increase in other creditors
Net cash from operating activities
Cash flows from investing activities
Net cash from investing activities
Cash flows from financing activities
(Interest paid)
Net cash from financing activities
Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents as at 1 January
Cash and cash equivalents at 31 December
Cash at bank and in hand
Short term deposits
Total cash and cash equivalents		 2021
£
2020
£
28,234
20,849
-27
-186
-
-
821
1,292
-391
-1,784
£28,637
£20,171
27
186
£27
£186
-
-
-
-
28,664
20,357
136,131
115,774
£164,795
£136,131
2021
£
2020
£
90,946
92,309
73,849
43,822
£164,795
£136,131

21

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT For the year ended 31 December 2021

NOTE 1 - ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Church Accounting Regulations together with Charities Statement of Recommended Practice Financial Reporting Standards 102 (SORP FRS102).

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention and in accordance with applicable accounting standards.

Funds

Unrestricted funds represent the funds of the PCC that are not subject to any restrictions regarding their use and are available for application on the general purposes of the PCC. These include funds designated for a particular purpose by the PCC.

Income from investment - Dividends and interest are accounted for when due. Tax recoverable on such income is accrued for on the same basis.

Investment gains and losses - Realised gains or losses are recognised when investments are sold. Unrealised gains or losses are accounted for on revaluation of investments at 31 December.

Application of Resources

Grants - Grants and donations are accounted for when paid.

Fixed assets

Consecrated land and buildings and movable church furnishings

The purpose of any restricted funds is noted in the accounts.

The accounts include transactions, assets and liabilities for which the PCC can be held responsible. They do not include the accounts of church groups that owe an affiliation to another body nor those that are informal gatherings of church members.

Incoming Resources

Voluntary income and capital sources

Collections are recognised when made.

Amounts receivable under covenant are recognised only when honoured by the covenanter.

Income tax recoverable on covenanted or gift aid donations is recognised when claimable.

Consecrated and beneficed property is excluded from the accounts by s.96(2)(c) of the Charities Act 1993.

No value is placed on movable church furnishings held by the churchwardens on special trust for the PCC and which require a faculty for disposal since the PCC considers this to be an inalienable property. All expenditure incurred during the year on consecrated or beneficed buildings and movable church furnishings, whether maintenance or improvement, is written off.

Other land and buildings - Other land and buildings held on behalf of the PCC for its own purposes is valued at cost. No depreciation is charged against such properties but any expenditure on maintenance or minor improvement is written off as incurred. Improvement expenditure in excess of £40,000 is capitalised.

Other fixtures, fitting and office equipment -

Grants and legacies to the PCC are accounted for as soon as the PCC is notified of its entitlement and the likely amount due.

Individual items with a purchase price of £5,000 or less are written off in the period in which the asset is acquired. Equipment with a purchase price of more than £5,000 is depreciated on a straight line basis over 4 years.

Funds raised by events are accounted for gross.

Sales of books and magazines from the church bookstall are accounted for gross.

Investments - Investments are valued at market value at 31 December.

Current assets

Other ordinary income

Rental income from the letting of church premises is accounted for when earned.

Parochial fees due to the PCC for weddings, funerals etc are accounted for on an event by event basis.

Amounts owing to the PCC at 31 December in respect of fees, rents or other income are shown as debtors less any provision for amounts that may prove uncollectable.

Short-term deposits include cash held on deposit either with the Central Board of Finance or at the bank.

22

NOTE 2 - INCOMING RESOURCES

2(a) Voluntary income (direct giving)
Planned giving
Income tax recovered on Gift Aid
Giving received gross of Income Tax
Collections (open plate) other than
2(b) Other voluntary income
Fund raising income
Donations, appeals
Legacies
Grants received
2(c) Gross income from events and activities
Lunch Fellowship
Church Bookstalls
Pre-School Group
Social Fund
Café
Caterpillars
Off Limits
2(d) Other ordinary income
Service fees
Administration service charges
VAT recovered
Rent received
Other income
2(e) Income from trading
Church Centre lettings
2(f) Income from investment
Interest received
2(g) Other income
Job Retention Scheme
TOTAL INCOMING RESOURCES		 Unrestricted
Funds 2021 £
Restricted
Funds 2021 £
TOTAL
2021 £
TOTAL
2020 £
204,879
-
204,879
211,127
45,604
-
45,604
49,709
17,150
-
17,150
11,905
4,847
-
4,847
4,423
272,480
-
272,480
277,164
1
-
1
166
658
-
658
1,382
-
-
-
-
3,499
-
3,499
2,000
4,158
-
4,158
3,548
-
-
-
750
-
-
-
105
129,782
-
129,782
109,305
595
-
595
914
2,456
-
2,456
2,250
355
-
355
429
44
-
44
110
133,232
-
133,232
113,863
2,353
-
2,353
2,000
400
-
400
400
888
-
888
-
6,430
-
6,430
6,360
500
-
500
6,573
10,571
-
10,571
15,333
28,226
-
28,226
20,266
28,226
-
28,226
20,266
27
-
27
186
27
-
27
186
7,806
-
7,806
18,496


£456,500
-
£456,500
£448,856

23

NOTE 3 - RESOURCES USED

3(a) Grants
Overseas missionary societies
Overseas relief and development agencies
Home missions and other church societies
Secular charities
3(b) Support costs
Parish training and mission
Junior Church/Youth
Children’s Pastor
Youth Pastor
Equip Interns
3(c) Directly relating to the work of the Church
Parish Share
Clergy expenses
Clergy housing costs
Church & Services costs
Church Utilities
Church Centre running costs
Church Bookstalls costs
Lunch Fellowship costs
Pre-School Group costs
Social Fund costs
Café costs
Off Limits costs
Caterpillars costs
Administration
Major repairs
3(d) Fund raising and publicity
Cost of stewardship/fundraising
3(e) Church management and administration
Secretarial/administration salaries
Employer pension costs
Professional Fees
TOTAL RESOURCES USED		 Unrestricted
Funds 2021 £
Restricted
Funds 2021 £
TOTAL
2021 £
TOTAL
2020 £
13,400
-
13,400
13,150
1,900
-
1,900
1,800
11,788
-
11,788
13,270
12,024
-
12,024
10,555
39,112
-
39,112
38,775
424
-
424
478
2,454
-
2,454
2,692
21,725
-
21,725
20,730
1,782
-
1,782
5,133
203
-
203
813
26,588
-
26,588
29,846
108,960
-
108,960
128,546
2,132
-
2,132
2,749
6,516
-
6,516
6,047
12,410
1,248
13,658
14,717
4,331
-
4,331
8,099
19,582
-
19,582
19,000
-
-
-
103
-
-
-
409
121,764
-
121,764
100,463
339
-
339
805
5,521
-
5,521
6,289
44
-
44
141
474
-
474
264
6,163
-
6,163
8,257
7,456
5,325
12,781
1,395
295,692
6,573
302,265
297,284
107
-
107
87
107
-
107
87
58,759
-
58,759
59,624
1,435
-
1,435
1,590
-
-
-
801
60,194
-
60,194
62,015
£421,693
£6,573
£428,266
£428,007

24

NOTE 4 - STAFF COSTS

TAFF COSTS
2021 2020
£ £
Wages, Salaries, National Insurance and Pensions 174,551 177,490

During the year the PCC employed a Children’s Pastor, Pre-School Group Manager and Assistants, Café Manager, Head of Operations, Parish Finance Officer, two Receptionist & Parish Administrators, and two Cleaners, none of whom earned £60,000 p.a. or more. Procedures set out in our Conflicts of Interest Policy have been followed in any matter involving a related party to a trustee.

COVID-19 restrictions limited a number of our activities and therefore we placed some staff on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (furlough) between January and September and claimed appropriate payments from HMRC. These are entered in the accounts as Other income.

C. These are entered in the accounts as Other income.
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme claims
IXED ASSETS FOR USE BY THE PCC
Freehold land and buildings – balance at 31 December		 2021
£
2020
£
7,806
18,496
2021
£
2020
£
437,128
437,128

NOTE 5 - FIXED ASSETS FOR USE BY THE PCC

The freehold land and buildings as at 31 December 2021 comprise the houses located at 23 Rydal Avenue, Sale, and 109 Ascot Avenue, Sale.

NOTE 6 - ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS BY FUND

NALYSIS OF NET ASSETS BY FUND
Fixed Assets
Current assets
Fund balance		 Unrestricted
Funds £
Restricted
Funds £
Endowment
Funds £
Total
£
437,128
-
-
437,128
169,530
-
-
169,530
£606,658
-
-
£606,658

NOTE 7– DEBTORS

EBTORS
2021 2020
£ £
Debtors 5,904 6,725

NOTE 8– LIABILITIES: AMOUNT FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR

2021 2020
£ £
Accruals 185 140
Accrued Income - -
Accrued Agency 983 1,419
1,168 1,559

25

NOTE 9 - FUND DETAILS

The Endowment Fund comprises the following permanent endowments:

St Mary’s Endowment Fund 2021
£
2020
£
-
131,420
-
£131,420

Until 1976 income from the St Mary’s Endowment Fund was paid to the incumbent of the parish. When the Endowments and Glebe Measure 1976 became law the income from this fund was paid to the Diocese of Chester, since they are responsible for all stipend payments. At that time most similar funds were transferred to the Diocese but this one was not due to a technicality. The fund is no longer of benefit to the parish and it was transferred to the Diocese of Chester in 2021.

NOTE 10 - UNRESTRICTED FUNDS

Balance brought forward at 1 January
Surplus in year
Transfer from restricted
Balance carried forward at 31 December		 2021
£
2020
£
571,852
557,576
34,807
14,276
-
-
£606,659
£571,852

NOTE 11 - RESTRICTED FUNDS

RESTRICTED FUNDS
Balance brought forward at 1 January
Income in year
Resources used in year
Transfer to unrestricted
Balance carried forward at 31 December		 2021
£
2020
£
6,573
-
-
6,573
6,573
-
-
-
£0
£6,573

The restricted fund in 2021 held the income from the closure of the Fielder Memorial Trust; the balance has been used and the fund has been closed.

NOTE 12 - LINKED CHARITY

The PCC is the trustee of an unregistered charity called the All Saints Church of England School, known as the Glebelands Trust. The charity owns a piece of land and property on Glebelands Road Sale which is rented out. Net income is applied at the discretion of the PCC. Total reserves as at 31 December 2021 were £146,996.

26

CONTACT US

If you would like to find out more about all we do at St Mary’s and Sale West Community Church, or would like to speak to a member of staff, please use the contact details below:

ONLINE:

Website: www.stmarysaom.org

Social Media: @stmarysaom

CHURCH OFFICE:

Telephone: 0161 291 9283

General enquiries: office@stmarysaom.org Finance enquiries: finance@stmarysaom.org

STAFF:

Vicar:

Steve Rankin, 0161 973 5118 | srankin@stmarysaom.org

Associate Vicar:

Nathan Gregory, 0161 425 6796 | nathan.gregory@stmarysaom.org

Head of Operations:

Emma Atkinson, 0161 291 9283 | operations@stmarysaom.org

Children’s Pastor :

Julie Loynd, 07579805797 | childrens.pastor@stmarysaom.org

Youth Worker :

Alex Stewart, 07883 383 063 | youth.pastor@stmarysaom.org

Sale West Children and Families Workers:

Carol Dodgson, 07579805623 | caroldodgsonsalewest@gmail.com Shauna Hancock, 07579782880 | shaunasalewest@gmail.com

Treasurer:

Brian Macfaden, 0161 962 0375 | treasurer@stmarysaom.org