ST JOHN'S HOXTON PCC _Charity Registration number : 1133109_ 

REPORT AND AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024 



2024 ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 

ST JOHN’S HOXTON // CHARITY NUMBER 1133109 

## Table of Contents 

|**Table of Contents**|**2**|
|---|---|
|**Introduction & Administrative Information**|**3**|
|Structure, Governance & Management|3|
|Related Trust & Companies|3|
|Administrative Details|4|
|**Council Members 2024**|**5**|
|Officers / Roles|5|
|**Council Members’ Report**|**6**|
|Vision Statement|6|
|Mission Statement|6|
|Values|6|
|Diocese of London Report|7|
|Electoral Roll Report|7|
|Hackney Deanery Synod Report|8|
|Church Family Voice|9|
|Vicar’s Introduction|11|
|Worship God|13|
|Friday Youth Night|13|
|Music & Worship|14|
|Make Disciples|14|
|Baptism & Confirmation|15|
|Focus|15|
|Hoxton Youth Minster|16|
|Share Jesus|17|
|Sunday Football|18|
|Transform Hoxton|19|
|Community Organising|19|
|Leadership & Administration|19|
|Safeguarding Report|21|
|PCC Treasurer Report|23|
|Building & Premises|24|
|#LoveHoxton|24|
|Concluding Remarks|25|
|**Financial Review**|**26**|
|Reserves Policy|26|
|Pensions Policy|26|
|Statement of PCC Members Responsibilities|27|
|**Independent Examiners Report**|**29**|
|**Financial Statements**|**30**|



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2024 ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 

ST JOHN’S HOXTON // CHARITY NUMBER 1133109 

## **Introduction & Administrative Information** 

This Annual Report is made by the Parochial Church Council (PCC) of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St John the Baptist with Christ Church Hoxton (St John’s Hoxton). It sets out the governance structure of the church, lists council members and administrative officers, and reports on the activities of the reporting year. It also presents statutory financial statements and notes. We have pleasure in presenting this information to the wider public. 

## **Structure, Governance & Management** 

The Parochial Church Council (PCC) is a corporate body established by the Church of England. The PCC operates under the Parochial Church Council Powers Measure. Since 9[th] December 2009 the PCC has been registered with the Charity Commission as “The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St John the Baptist with Christ Church Hoxton (Diocese of London)” and has the charity registration number 1133109. The method of appointment of PCC members is set out in the Church Representation Rules. All regular attendees at St. John’s are encouraged to register on the electoral roll and are able to vote and to stand for election to the PCC. 

In accordance with the PCC (Powers) Measure 1956, St John’s PCC has the responsibility of co-operating with the incumbent, Revd Graham Hunter, in promoting in the ecclesiastical parish the whole mission of the Church - evangelistic, pastoral, social and ecumenical. It undertakes religious activities for the benefit of the general public by making grants to organisations, by providing service, and by providing buildings, facilities and open space. It also has maintenance responsibilities for the church premises of St John’s which are registered as a Grade II* listed building. 

## **Related Trust & Companies** 

The **St John's Hoxton Management Company Ltd** was established in October 2009 as a wholly owned trading subsidiary of the PCC of St John’s Hoxton. It was formed to manage the car parking operations of the church. It is registered with Companies' House (07039922). The company directors are appointed by, and report to, the PCC. The company directors throughout 2023 were: Revd Graham Hunter, Mr Larre Olajide and Mr Aaron Rodewald. The PCC has no other related trusts or companies. 

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2024 ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 

ST JOHN’S HOXTON // CHARITY NUMBER 1133109 

## **Administrative Details** 

## **Principal Office** 

St John’s Church, Pitfield St, London, N1 6NP 

## **Bankers** 

NatWest Plc, Islington Angel Branch, 2/3 Upper St, London, N1 0QF 

## **Insurer** 

Ecclesiastical Insurance Ltd, Benefact House, 2000 Pioneer Avenue, Gloucester Business Park, Brockworth, Gloucester, GL3 4AW 

## **Quinquennial Inspecting Architect** 

Alex Sherratt, Matthew Lloyd Architects, 1B, The Hangar, 38 Kingsland Rd, London E2 8DD 

## **Independent Examiner** 

C J Goodhead FCA, Knight Goodhead Ltd, 7 Bournemouth Rd, Chandler’s Ford, Eastleigh, SO53 3DA 

## **Ecclesiastical Information** 

St John’s is in the _Hackney Deanery_ in the _Stepney Episcopal Area_ of the _Diocese of London_ . Diocesan Code: 05-26 

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2024 ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 

ST JOHN’S HOXTON // CHARITY NUMBER 1133109 

## **Council Members 2024** 

## **Ex Officio Members** 

## **Incumbent** 

Revd Graham Hunter 

## **Curates** 

Revd Louise Cathrow (To 30th June) Revd Andrew Large (To 30th June) Revd Bosede Owa (From 30th June) 

## **Churchwardens** 

Ann-Marie Nye Larre Olajide (To 30th June) Stephen Millar (From 1st July) 

## **Deanery Synod Representatives** 

Stephen Millar Daniel Pratt 

## **Elected Members** 

_(To 28th April)                                               (From 28th April)_ Maria Demetriou Fiona Hollow Alice Howell Sarah Joshi Anita Masih Anita Masih Richard Neasham Richard Neasham Fiona Hollow 

Fiona Hollow Sarah Joshi Anita Masih Richard Neasham Jarre Olajide 

## **Officers / Roles** 

## **Electoral Roll** 

_(To 28th April)                                               (From 28th April)_ 

Maria Demetriou 

VACANT 

**Children’s Champion** 

_(To 28th April)                                               (From 13th May)_ 

Sarah Joshi 

Alice Howell Sarah Joshi **Secretary** _(To 13th May)                                               (From 13th May)_ Stephen Millar Fiona Hollow **Treasurer** Daniel Pratt **Lay Vice-Chair** Anita Masih 

The PCC met 8 times during 2024. 

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2024 ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 

ST JOHN’S HOXTON // CHARITY NUMBER 1133109 

## **Council Members’ Report** 

## **Vision Statement** 

## _‘to be a beacon of hope for Hoxton’._ 

## **Mission Statement** 

Worship God | Make Disciples | Share Jesus | Transform Hoxton 

## **Values** 

## _Rooted_ 

- We are confidently Christian: focused on prayer and worship, we are attentive to the voice of God in Scripture and work within the inherited structures of the Church of England. 

- We are committed to loving and serving Hoxton and being ambassadors of the kingdom of God. 

- We are rooted in our relationships to the wider church: within our parish and diocese but also with Christians from other traditions. We will honour their gifts, and humbly seek to work and learn together. 

## _Relational_ 

- We are committed to sharing life together with all its ups and downs – rejoicing together and weeping together. 

- We want fun, food and friendship to be hallmarks of our church: welcome and hospitality a fundamental part of our approach to our corporate life. 

- We’re cautious about making any negative judgements about people – and want to embrace the great diversity and variety of people in our neighbourhood. 

- We  are determined to pay particular attention to the biblical justice issues of equality, diversity and inclusion. We seek to remain a multi-generational, multi-ethnic, multi-cultural church family in which strangers become friends. 

## _Responsive_ 

- We’re responsive to the changing shape of our church and neighbourhood, and we continually adapt our mission and ministry to reflect the context. We’re happy to experiment creatively, and we recognise that fruitfulness does not always mean short-term visible outcomes. 

- We want to ensure our compassionate ministry addresses real local needs. 

- We want our church ministries to express the variety of our members’ gifts and vocations – not fit people into a predetermined model. 

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2024 ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 

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## _Risk-Taking_ 

- We trust in a God who is able to do ‘immeasurably more’ than we can ask or imagine – this has been our experience over the past years. 

- We will be attentive to the voice of the Spirit, and willing to step out in faith 

- We will not shy away from making changes if we believe that God is calling us into something new. 

In September 2021, the PCC approved a new five-year Mission Action Plan to outline the specific objectives towards which we will apply our financial and human resources. More details of the year’s activities and results are outlined below in the general report. 

## **Diocese of London Report** 

The Diocese of London is the largest and most diverse in the Church of England. We have over 500 churches and 750 licensed clergy. We are able to have a church in almost every community, supporting the vision for _every Londoner to encounter the love of God in Christ._ In 2024, 50 new deacons were ordained and early draft statistics indicate that Average Weekly Attendance in London grew by 7.5% to over 60,000. 

During 2024, we have continued working towards our priorities of becoming a younger, safer and more racially just Church. For example: 

- 19 London Youth Apprentices engaged 715 young people weekly and funding was granted to enable the launch of five youth ministers in Hackney and Islington. 

- In a challenging year for safeguarding, referrals to the Diocesan Safeguarding Team increased substantially, indicating more trust and confidence in the safeguarding service. 789 people were given safeguarding leadership training, and 3,808 DBS checks were carried out. 

- Churches across the Diocese engaged with Race Equality Week, Racial Justice Sunday, and Black History Month last year, reflecting on racial justice and committing to action. 

The breadth of parishes and Bishop’s Mission Orders in London nurtured confident disciples, compassionate communities and creative growth in an amazing variety of ways. They also contributed over £23m in Common Fund, an increase of almost £1m. Alongside £13.2m income raised by the London Diocesan Fund (LDF) and £3.6m from LDF reserves, this paid to provide ministry and support parishes across the Diocese. 

## **Electoral Roll Report** 

A new electoral roll was created during January-April 2025. The previous electoral roll from 2024 had 157 members. In 2025 an entirely new Electoral Roll was created from scratch as is required in the Church of England every six years. The newly created Electoral Roll includes 153 members. 

_Maria Demetriou, Electoral Roll Officer_ 

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2024 ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 

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## **Hackney Deanery Synod Report** 

The Deanery Synod’s main functions are: 

- to promote in Hackney Deanery the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical 

- to consider matters concerning the Church of England and to make provision for such matters in relation to the Deanery 

- to bring together the views of the parishes of the Deanery on common problems, and to discuss and formulate common policies on those problems 

- to foster a sense of community and interdependence among those parishes 

- to be the point of contact between those parishes and the Diocesan Synod 

During 2024 the Hackney Deanery Synod met on three occasions. Details of these, and the main matters discussed or decided, are given below: 

1. **Meeting on Monday 29 April** at St John of Jerusalem, South Hackney: The main items were as follows: (1) Martin Hornbuckle, Stepney Area Finance Adviser, gave a presentation about Church Finance and answered questions. (2) Synod, recalling with great sadness the mistreatment of Child Q in a school in Hackney, and in light of the commitment of the Diocese of London to racial justice and the wellbeing of all children and young people: (a) adopted a _Charter for Valuing Children & Young People in Hackney Deanery Churches_ (‘the Charter’) and a summary for use with young people (‘the Children’s Summary’), affirming our allegiance to Jesus Christ in his care and welcome for all children by reassuring parents, caregivers, children and young people that no one under 18 will be strip-searched on church premises or in the course of any church-run activity; (b) commended the Charter and the Children’s Summary to PCCs of all parishes in the Deanery for adoption and implementation by them; and (c) resolved that a Motion be put to London Diocesan Synod which, if adopted, would commend the Charter and the Children’s Summary to the Deanery Synods of other Deaneries in the Diocese and to the PCCs of parishes in those Deaneries for adoption and implementation by them. Synod also received reports, including an update on the funding bid for the Hackney & Islington Mission Programme, the outcome of which was expected in June. The Motion at (c) commending the Charter was considered by London Diocesan Synod on 27 February 2025, but sadly was not adopted in view of various issues that were raised, though it is understood that it may be possible to bring it back after addressing those issues, and Deanery Synod will consider the matter further during 2025. 

2. **Meeting on Tuesday 16 July** at St James, Lower Clapton Road: It was reported that the bid for ‘Diocesan Investment Programme’ funding for the Hackney & Islington Mission Programme had been successful, £9.4 million having been awarded to support 4 strands of mission over a 6 year period: Planting & Partnerships, Youth, Estates Work and Catholic Renewal.  The Area Dean described each of these 4 areas of work. The Revd Daniel Gerrans, Vicar of St Michael of All Angels London Fields and Stepney Area Creation Care Lead, and Richard Nicholson, a member of St Mary’s Islington and of the Stepney Area Creation Care Group, gave a presentation about Creation Care in Stepney Area, including the current state of the Climate Crisis; the Parish Creation Care Plan produced by the Group and circulated to parishes to help them on their journey towards net-zero; and the Eco Church programme, for which about half of the parishes in the Deanery had already registered.  Daniel and Richard encouraged those which had not yet registered for Eco Church to do so and offered assistance where needed. 

3. **Meeting on Thursday 21 November** at St Mary of Eton, Hackney Wick: The Revd Daniel Gerrans and lay member Savi Hensman (St Michael and All Angels London Fields) led a discussion about Clergy and Lay Wellbeing in which parishes who have not yet done so were encouraged to engage with _The Covenant for Clergy Care and Wellbeing_ , adopted by General Synod by Act of Synod in 

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2020 and involving a mutual commitment by clergy and laity _‘to work together to coordinate and improve our approach to clergy care and wellbeing so that the whole Church may flourish in the service of the mission of God’_ . 

_Stephen Millar & Daniel Pratt, Deanery Synod Representatives_ 

## **Church Family Voice** 

During March 2025 we invited members of our church to respond to two simples questions looking back on 2024. We used flip-charts and post-it notes during a Sunday service, and also circulated a simple google form to get responses. The voices of the people at SJH are recorded below: 

1. What was your SJH church family highlight of 2024? 

- Bosede’s ordination and party 

- Baptisms 

- Focus 2024 was amazing! 

- New people joined church 

- Youth takeover service 

- Confirmations 

- Making new friends 

- Meeting new people 

- To see more and more included and the church family growing 

   - Carols by Candlelight 

   - Spiritual growth 

   - Seeing the wonderful outcome of Bosede’s ordination and Daniel being licensed as lay minister 

   - Sunday football 

   - Baptisms and the lives of the people who have been baptised 

   - Youth services and preaching 

   - Lots of new people 

   - Christmas services 

2. Where did you see God at work in the life of our church in 2024? 

- Baptisms were lovely 

- Connect group thriving 

- New people joined worship team 

- More people coming to church every week 

- Sunday football 

- Youth engagement and empowerment 

- Warm welcome 

- The congregation grew 

- Welcome and cafe team grew 

- The fact I’m always welcome - the love and support - I’m very grateful 

- Alpha 

- God is working at St John’s Hoxton in so many ways. Inspired by Graham’s leadership and passion. Thank you Graham and the leadership team. 

- Our amazing youth 

- Diddy disciples 

- Youth growing in faith and confidence 

- I’m finding my new family here 

- Hoxton Eagles 

- Church and school connection 

- Youth leadership in church 

Here are a selection of quotes from the google form responses: 

_"My highlight of being part of the SJH church family in 2024 was experiencing complete peace as I grew in my faith. This year gave me the opportunity to deepen my faith and feel God’s presence more in my life."_ 

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2024 ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 

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_"I am truly grateful for the love, support, and spiritual growth I have experienced in our church this year. I pray that we continue to grow in faith together and be a light in our community. May God bless our church family in the year ahead!"_ 

_“Continue doing the good work in the leadership of our amazing church.”_ 

_"In 2024, I saw God at work in our church through the love and unity among our members. Whether it was in worship, acts of kindness, or moments of spiritual growth, I felt His presence guiding us. Seeing people come together to support and uplift each other was a powerful reminder of God's work in our community."_ 

_“I can see God at work in various ways and departments at SJH, particularly among our Iranian families, the youth and the Alpha Course which has helped numerous people to articulate and embrace their faith and belief in Christ._ 

_Particularly, in the worship team, with the sudden exit of the brief worship leader, Sara Hunter has been a great pillar in seeing to the smooth running of the worship team, of course with a great team effort, such as the involvement of the youth stepping up to lead worship as well as BV. Also with involvement of new people joining the worship team, and Ann-Marie leading worship and Joanne who never failed to deliver with various others on the worship team._ 

_In 2024 the willingness to serve and the participation of our Iranian brothers and sisters were exceptional particularly within the café and welcome team and also on Alpha course when Raha helped to interpret and contribute to support fellow Iranians.”_ 

For those who like to get a picture of the year, we created a slideshow of photos from the year for our harvest shared lunch in October, and you can get a flavour of church life by scanning the QR code below. 

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2024 ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 

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## **Vicar’s Introduction** 

_24 Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. 25 When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man.[26] Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”[27] The man asked him, “What is your name?” “Jacob,” he answered.[28] Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”_ 

## _Genesis 32:24-28_ 

In August 2021 I began to experience pain in my groin. It was a peculiar throbbing pain which was not the kind of pain I associated with a pulled muscle or strained ligament. However, the pain restricted my mobility and disturbed my sleep. Over the course of the next couple of years a series of visits and referrals to the GP, physiotherapists, orthopaedic consultants and x-ray specialist revealed that I had severe osteo-arthritis in my left hip - and that only surgery would make any difference. Praise God for the amazing care of the NHS - I was offered a hip resurfacing operation in March 2024 which has proved to be transformative. I’m very grateful to the leadership team in the church who enabled me to have a two-week rest period to recover from the surgery and learn to walk again! 

I mention this though because it occurs to me that perhaps my hip problems have been a result of ‘wrestling with God’ and seeking his blessing on this place. One of my predecessors as Vicar of St John’s Hoxton also underwent hip replacement surgery - and I’m quite curious to know whether others have as well. Jacob is described in Genesis 32 as struggling with God in his determination to receive a blessing. He gets the blessing, but also a wound, and also a new name and identity. 

Suffering is transformative - it shapes our experience and our expectations for life. It also helps us develop empathy and understanding for others. The bible is full of stories of the redemption of suffering - God working out his plans and purposes in spite of our suffering. ‘What you intended for evil, the Lord intended for good’ says Joseph to his brothers in Genesis 50. ‘We rejoice in our sufferings’, says St Paul in Romans 5, ‘for suffering produces perseverance, perseverance produces character, character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us for God’s love is poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit whom he has given to us.’ 

Henri Nouwen talks in his book ‘The Wounded Healer’ about the importance of Christian leaders ‘walking with a limp’. In other words, our wounded hip socket - our limp - is a sign that we have wrestled with God, that we have experienced suffering, that we are being redeemed and transformed. 

I think that as well as my literal hip problems, we have also collectively experienced the wounds that come with wrestling with God for his blessing. 2024 was a year of leaning into conflict and challenge - not avoiding or hiding from pain and difficulty - but seeking God’s blessing through it. 

In fact, battle and blessing is a good way to characterise 2024 for the life of our church. The ministry team began the year fairly weary after a challenging period of contraction and change in 2022-23. The difficult financial situation at the end of 2023 meant that we were always a little anxious about resources. Changes in the staff team were unsettling, and working relationships 

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2024 ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 

ST JOHN’S HOXTON // CHARITY NUMBER 1133109 

were not always easy. There were challenges with team dynamics, communication and feedback - and across the course of the year this was emotionally draining for everyone. At the start of the year we disbanded the Senior Leadership Team, and invited the Standing Committee to take on more executive leadership - though this was not without challenges, as we were all inexperienced in how to do this well. Major changes to the team ensued as Louise and Andrew moved on from their roles as Curates in July, and Daniel from his role as Operations Manager in November. 

However, there was also great blessing throughout the year. Bosede was ordained in June and began as our Curate. We were part of a successful bid to the national church to help resource youth ministry - and a 6-year project to develop a Hoxton Youth Minster launched in September. A new monthly youth worship service was developed. Joyful baptism and confirmation services were held. An extraordinary number of teenagers became deeply engaged in the life of the church. The Sunday football project grew in number and fruitfulness. Around 80 members of the church attended Focus in the summer and much, much more. 

As you read on, you’ll get a bit more of a sense of all this. I’m encouraged that despite the battles, the wrestling, the wounded hip, the limp - we have also seen God’s extraordinary blessing among us. In the 2023 Annual Report I wrote that we were experiencing a season of ‘wintering’. Well, let me turn to another analogy. Looking back over the almost 15 years I have served here, I see it a bit like a 5-season DVD boxset or TV show. Like a TV show, each season as ‘continuing cast’ and ‘season cast’. There are narrative arcs and plotlines. There is drama, crisis, celebration, cliffhangers. I reflect on it like this: 2010-2013 Season 1; 2014 to end-2017 Season 2; mid-2018 to end-2021 Season 3; 2022 to mid-2024 Season 4. And in September 2024 it felt as though Season 5 was just beginning. 

It’s important here to pause and declare one result of all this: in November I was signed off work for a period of three weeks suffering from work-related stress. As I rested and recovered, I reflected on the fact that too often I felt the pressure to simply ‘plough on’ regardless of the challenges and difficulties we were facing. My capacity to just keep going may have been masking underlying issues in our leadership structure that needed to be faced. A period of leave has prompted further reflection on how we share responsibility for mission and ministry as a PCC and ministry leadership team. I’m grateful to those who stepped in to help cover some duties while I was recovering. It’s a reminder that we are all human - and we must have realistic expectations of ourselves and one another. 

That said, if we had experienced a season of ‘winter’, we are now experiencing a season of growth - complete sometimes with ‘growing pains’. If we walk with a limp, if we have a hip wound, it is because we have collectively wrestled with God for his blessing. Rather than running or hiding from conflict or challenge, we have leaned in, and in the battle we have experienced God’s great blessings for our church and community. I think our church has grown and matured over 2024, and I can’t wait to see how Season 5 unfolds. 

_Revd Graham Hunter, Vicar_ 

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2024 ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 

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## **Worship God** 

Sunday services continued weekly at 10.30am throughout 2024. The 4pm service was suspended at Easter due to small numbers and the challenge of resourcing the service with staff shortages. Attendance at the morning service remained healthy throughout the year with around 100 adults and children attending Sunday services each week. 

The exception to the low attendance at the 4pm service was the continuation of our Fresh Expression ‘Fun@4’. This service was held on the third Sunday of every month until June and is specifically planned with neurodiverse children and young people in mind. Fun@4 was developed out of a desire to provide a fun place where children and young families could experience and develop their faith in a welcoming and holistic way through music, storytelling, crafts, prayer, sensory activities, consistent structure, experiencing different foods with attention to the environment through lighting and sound. The service has seen up to fifty people attend regularly and was reaching people in our neighbourhood who would never have accessed our morning service. With the departure of our Curate Louise Cathrow, who had pioneered this service, we resolved to hold another Fun@4 in November, but to review the capacity to continue in 2025. 

## Friday Youth Night 

One of the most joyful expressions of worship in our church during 2024 was the development of a monthly youth worship service. Friday Youth Night is exclusively offered for young people of secondary school age. As well as young people from St John’s Hoxton attending, we’ve been delighted to also welcome young people from Grace Church Hackney, and we hope in the future to see young people from other parishes also joining in. A striking feature of the Friday Youth Night service is that it is entirely youth-led. Our Head of Kids & Youth works with young people to support them, but the games, service leading and worship are all led by the youth themselves. Some of the youth team support the space, and our Vicar has attended to lead a simple Holy COmmunion during the service. One visiting youth worker who came with some young people described it this way in an email: 

“ _The girls did so well on their talks, and were inspirational, to ME as well as the youth! Well done on initiating 'audience participation' in the questions; really good at engaging us and quite a skill to do!_ 

_The music was a real hit, so wonderful to see the youth taking this on humbly and being themselves,  not in a 'performancy' kind of way._ 

_The Lord's supper was such a pleasure to see and experience, and was really gentle and accessible to everyone - whether they ate and drank or not. There was so much positive feedback about that on the way home._ 

_Basically, our group were totally buzzing and had lots to talk about-what a joy it was to see God at work in so many ways!”_ 

Preaching series continued to be guided by the lectionary and also to explore bible texts or themes in more detail. Sermon series looked at various bible books and topics: Isaiah Servant Songs; the Kingdom of God; Questions Jesus Asked; Prepositional Faith. Throughout the year we used the iSingPop resource ‘The Pop Box’ to support our monthly all-age worship services. As well as 

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2024 ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 

ST JOHN’S HOXTON // CHARITY NUMBER 1133109 

sermons from the Clergy and Ordinand, we also made space for our Licensed Lay Ministers Daniel Pratt and Sara Hunter to preach. Various members of the wider congregation were involved in preaching in our annual Summer Psalms series during August. 

In addition to our regular Sunday services, special services were held for a variety of purposes and to mark various occasions. Midweek services were held for Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Ascension Day. We also offered a Bereavement service and Wave of Light service in the autumn. 

Our round of services at Christmas was more encouraging after a challenging few years. Beer & Carols was attended by over 250 people, and included an opportunity for our Vicar to give a short evangelistic talk on ‘the promise of peace’. Our Carols by Candlelight service was well attended with  around 180 adults and children. Other Christmas services had better attendance, especially by comparison with the surprisingly low attendance experienced in 2023. 

## Music & Worship 

For most of 2024 I served as the Music & Worship Ministry Overseer - meaning that I coordinated and supported the team of musicians and AV operators who resource worship ministry in our services. It was wonderful to see the ongoing development of worship musicians from our youth ministry - especially seeing Caleb Hunter (my son!) grow as a worship leader. In fact, the youth contribution to our worship ministry is so strong that they were able to run a ‘youth takeover’ service in December where the whole of the worship team was comprised of teenagers. One other highlight for the youth worship team was leading worship for Holy Communion in the Chapel venue at Focus. Older members of the church were also included, and it was great to see Joanna Casson and Ann-Marie Nye also growing as worship leaders. In addition, we’ve had several new musicians and singers join the team. Towards the end of the year we were delighted to welcome a new Worship Minister, Chris Sparrow, to our staff team. His tenure was sadly short-lived for various personal reasons, and currently the post is vacant and being covered by our Vicar. The year concluded with another set of joyful Christmas services, including a scratch choir of 10 church members for our Carols by Candlelight service. 

_Sara Hunter, LLM & Music & Worship Ministry Overseer_ 

## **Make Disciples** 

We recognise that the responsibility for growing in discipleship rests with every individual follower of Jesus, but that the church can provide programmes and activities to assist every person in that task. For adults, we principally see discipleship as occurring through involvement in ministry teams, connect groups and special events. Several Connect Groups were run during 2024, with around 40-50 adults involved at some stage in the year. Some people grow in active service through serving on ministry teams - and around 50 adults were regularly involved in serving in ministry teams through the year. Others volunteered to serve on an occasional basis. 

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2024 ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 

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## Baptism & Confirmation 

Special service for baptism and confirmation provided great highlights of the year. In July we held a baptism service with baptisms by full immersion outside in the gardens in the baptism pool. Nine adults were baptised, including several Iranian Christians. The service was streamed online, and we heard that the service had even reached friends and family members in Iran via a VPN. Then in November a further five people were baptised. The combination of adults, teenagers and children was encouraging. It was also wonderful to note that several of those baptised had come to our church through Sunday football or our Warm Welcome project, and had then begun to attend church and Alpha and had come to faith. In May we were joined by the Bishop of Stepney, Rt Revd Dr Joanne Grenfell, for a COnfirmation service. Six candidates were confirmed, including five young people aged 17-18 who had grown up in our church’s kids and youth ministry. Their testimonies were powerful and it was encouraging to see young people on the cusp of adulthood talking openly about their faith in Jesus. 

Discipleship support for young people was mainly offered through the Sunday morning SJH Kids & Youth programme. It has been encouraging to see growth in our youth ministry in particular. Around 15-20 young people are usually attending the SJH Youth group on a Sunday morning. Doreen Tang, our new Head of Kids & Youth has re-invigorated our kids ministry teams, and various special events for kids and youth have seen us reach more families. 

Beyond Sundays, our young people continued to attend YouthEast and were heavily involved in the worship ministry there. Family Movie Nights were offered to engage children and families from the neighbourhood. Doreen Tang continued to work closely with the primary school as School Chaplain, and has built positive relationships. 

## Focus 

We took just over 80 adults, youth and children away to Focus for 5 days in July. We gathered with around 8,000 other Christians from across the HTB Network at Newark Showground in Nottinghamshire. Focus provides worship and teaching sessions in the morning and evening, in the ‘Big Top’, for the adults with separate venues and programmes for the children and youth. There is also a separate smaller and quieter venue for young people with additional needs and a programme of very varied seminars which run in the afternoons. 

St John’s hires a large communal marquee which forms the heart of our camp and in which we can cook (we have a communal meal every evening), eat, make drinks, and sit and chat and get to know each other. We provided tents, sleeping bags and air-beds for those who had no equipment, and we arranged affordable transport. The whole holiday is run through a bursary fund to enable anyone to attend who would like to. Focus is a wonderful opportunity to experience worship, be exposed to great teaching and get to develop friendships within St John’s, as well as make friends from other churches across the Network. 

A particular highlight this year was the involvement of our youth worship team in a Holy Communion service in the Chapel venue. We were very thankful for the hard work of the organising team: Ann-Marie & David Nye, Renatha Hoga, and Stephen & Pauline Millar. 

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## Hoxton Youth Minster 

## 1. Introduction 

The Hackney & Islington Programme (HIP) is a catalyst programme that will galvanise growth across the Hackney and Islington deaneries through strategic, sustainable and collaborative parish partnerships – resulting in a mixed ecology of churches that are increasingly young, culturally diverse, impacting estates and seeing renewal of catholic mission.  To reach these targets they have developed the following four workstreams: 

1. Planting and Partnerships 

2. Youth: Five Youth Minsters will be established (serving 21 parishes between them), creating four New Worshipping Communities 

3. Estates 

4. Catholic Renewal 

Throughout the programme, we will: 

- Foster and encourage greater collaboration through grouping parishes together across four distinct missional workstreams. 

- Provide mentoring, coaching and missional expertise on each workstream to support parishes in building greater missional confidence. 

St John’s Hoxton was invited to develop one of the Youth Minsters in the Youth stream as part of the HIP project.  The youth ministry at St John’s Hoxton is dedicated to nurturing the spiritual growth of our young people, fostering a sense of community, and equipping them with biblical principles for daily life. The overall vision is to create safe spaces for young people to explore questions of identity, belonging and purpose. We organise this work through outreach activities (GATHER), worship, discipleship and leadership activities (GROW), and by collaborating with other parishes across the deaneries (GO). This report highlights the ministry's activities, achievements, and future goals for the past year. 

## 2. Key Activities and Programmes 

· **Weekly Sunday Youth Gatherings** : Regular meetings featuring bible study, discussion and fellowship.  Through these engaging Bible studies, interactive discussions, we create a space where youth can ask questions, share experiences, and strengthen their relationship with Christ. 

· **Weekly Sunday Youth Hangouts** : This is a casual and welcoming space where youths can come to enjoy discussions, and great company. Whether you want to dive deeper into your faith, meet new friends, or just unwind after a long week. 

· **Monthly Friday Youth Night** : this event is open to all youth looking to connect, grow, and enjoy a night of engaging activities. The night features games, worship, talk, group discussions, and creating a welcoming space to build friendships and strengthen their walk with God. 

· **Leadership Development** : We also run a Ministry Work Experience Programme which is a fantastic opportunity for youths in Academic Year 12 and 13 to gain hands-on experience in church leadership, community outreach, and faith-based service. We employ two candidates for 12 weeks under the London Living Wage under the HIP budget and they 

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will undergo routine job application, job interviews and whoever are successful will engage in various aspects of ministry, including worship planning, youth leadership, community service, welcome team, café team and Sunday kids church activities. Through this programme and its practical training, it equips the participants with valuable skills and a deeper understanding of ministry work. 

## 3. Attendance and Participation 

- Average attendance at weekly youth meetings: 15 

- Growth in membership: 13% yearly increase 

- Volunteer involvement: 8 adults youth leaders 

## 4. Impact and Testimonies 

- Stories of spiritual growth and transformation among youth members. 

- Increased youth involvement in church-wide activities and service. 

- Testimonies from youth about how the youth ministry has impacted their faith. 

## 5. Challenges and Areas for Improvement 

- Engagement strategies to retain and attract more youth members. 

- Need for additional volunteers and resources. 

- Addressing challenges faced by youth in today's culture. 

## 6. Future Goals and Vision 

- Expand outreach efforts to reach more young people in the community. 

- Strengthen leadership development programs. 

- Introduce new Bible study series and discipleship programs. 

- Enhance collaboration with parents and other ministries. 

## 7. Conclusion 

The youth ministry at St. John’s Hoxton has experienced growth and transformation over the past year. As we move forward, we remain committed to guiding and empowering our youth in their faith journey. We thank our volunteers, parents, and church leadership for their continued support. 

_Doreen Tang, Head of Kids & Youth_ 

## **Share Jesus** 

We continued to run the Alpha Course throughout the year - although staff capacity meant we didn’t provide a course in the first half of the year. However, we provided three course between June and December, with a total of 43 people signing up across the courses. 

We continued to work in close partnership with St John the Baptist Primary School - our associated church primary school. Doreen Tang started in her new role as Kids & Youth Minister, and as part of her work began to develop the role of School Chaplain to the primary school. As well as the usual round of weekly collective worship assemblies and monthly church services, Doreen 

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pioneered ‘Playground Prayers’ and has been supporting lunchtime and after-school clubs as well as class visits for the school. 

We were able to repeat our CPAS Schools Venture in June, with around 30 pupils from year 5 going away for a residential activity weekend in Essex. Members of the church kids ministry helped to lead the camp, and were able  to present the Christian faith to the children in an exciting and engaging way. 

We were delighted that in the autumn of 2024 we were able to relaunch our midweek youth football project with a new team of volunteers. Hoxton Eagles represents a partnership between the Sunday evening football project (see below) and the Hoxton Youth Minister team. Working alongside our Head of Kids & Youth, volunteer coaches from Sunday evenings are now providing a weekly coaching session for young people in school years 6 to 8. By the end of the first term we were delighted to see around 14 young people each week for the session - and almost a third were girls. We hope this project will grow in 2025 and will involve older teenagers as well. The intention is to provide a relational pathway by which young people can be invited to take part in other church and youth events where they might hear more about Jesus. 

## Sunday Football 

Every Sunday evening (with the exception of the night of the Euros final) an of average c30 players met to play football at the Haggerston School Football pitches. Most of the players attend regularly and so there are many friendships that have been established over the months and years. The players are a mix of local guys and those new to the UK. With only rare exceptions the sessions are competitive and joyous. Each week we have a ‘Bible Verse of the Week’ and a fuller meditation on the verse later in the week maintaining an ongoing focus on combining faith and football. A number of the guys have come to church or church activities and there are a number of examples of spiritual awakening and growth. We have also been able to help a regular flow of the guys into work and then provide them with ongoing support. Every fortnight we meet to pray for God’s protection on the football sessions and to bring the needs of the guys before God. 

_Stephen Millar, Churchwarden_ 

Towards the end of the year our evangelistic efforts were focused on our Christmas events and services. Beer & Carols at the George & Vulture pub was held outside once again, and over 250 people attended. As well as signing traditional carols and festive songs, there was an opportunity for our Vicar to address those assembled on the ‘promise of peace’ fulfilled in Jesus. In a slightly bizarre moment, a football-style chant of ‘We love you Jesus, we do!’ broke out spontaneously with a tone of warmth and appreciation. 

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## **Transform Hoxton** 

‘Seek the peace [prosperity / welfare] of the city where the Lord has placed you: in its peace is your peace.’ (Jeremiah 29:7) 

St John’s continues to prioritise the biblical call to pursue justice, social transformation and the common good - to love our neighbour as ourselves. Our Warm Welcome project continued throughout the first half of 2024. Our Commissioned Pastoral Assistant, Lorraine Flack, took principal responsibility for this space which offered an open and hospitable space for anyone in the neighbourhood. After a break for the summer, the project restarted in October. As well as the friendly and warm space offered, we have continued to distribute energy donations and supermarket gifts cards in this space. Some who attended have joined in with daytime Alpha courses, and some have joined in with a simple prayer space towards the end of the time. 

## Community Organising 

We continue to partner as a member of Hackney Citizens to undertake community organising work. Our efforts during 2024 were hampered a little by changes in Hackney Citizens team changes as well as our own capacity limitations. Nonetheless we were involved in some listening and action around a London-wide campaign for free bus travel for asylum seekers. Several of our congregation members who are / were asylum seekers contributed to the testimonies - including attending and speaking at a meeting with London Assembly member for Hackney, Sem Moema. I was able to work with children in our primary school to write a song for the campaign based on the old children’s rhyme ‘The Wheels on the Bus’. It was great to see school children growing in their awareness of the issues and being willing to use their voice to support. We hope this will help them grow to be active citizens who love their neighbours. 

_Sara Hunter, Licensed Lay Minister_ 

## **Leadership & Administration** 

As noted above in the Vicar’s Report, 2024 was a challenging year characterised by various battles and struggles even in the midst of seeing lots of fruitful mission work. There were significant changes in staffing and leadership structures. At the start of the year the PCC Standing Committee agreed to disband the Senior Leadership Team which was meeting weekly with an executive function. This was due to strained relationships in the SLT resulting in stress and frustration in the work. This was a good decision, and proved something of a relief to the members of the SLT. However, the PCC Standing Committee has not had an executive function for many years, and so new working patterns and learning about volunteer officer responsibilities were learned through the year and continue to be developed. 

With the impending ordination of Bosede Owa to serve as Curate at St John’s Hoxton we faced the possibility of having three Curates in training - two of them being self-supporting ministers. It was clear that this would place a strain on our Vicar in terms of capacity to act as Training Incumbent. 

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An opportunity was discerned and explored early in the year for one of our Curates to transfer to a neighbouring parish to complete his training. This felt like a prompting of the Holy Spirit, as there was good alignment of his gifts, interests and the needs of our neighbouring parish. It was both sad and joyful to say goodbye and send him to our neighbours in June. Another Curate was approached by a large church in central London to invite her to explore moving to a new role in their team. Though this came before the conclusion of the training post, it was felt to be a fruitful move as it provided security for her future ministry. These changes in the clergy team also made a space for Bosede Owa to grow into her new role as Curate. However, the loss of a full-time stipendiary clergy colleague reduced our capacity for some mission and ministry activities and placed an additional burden on the Vicar. Bosede Owa serves in a self-supporting capacity, and so has limitations on what she can offer with regard to midweek ministry and leadership responsibility. 

Another significant change in the core team was the departure of our Operations Manager in November. After almost three years on the team, he recognised that his main objectives were achieved, and that he needed a role with greater flexibility in the working pattern. We’re grateful for the amazing work he has undertaken over the past three years - and especially during 2024 the work he did on managing the car parking business and achieving increased revenues both from the car park and from premises hires. 

Doreen Tang completed her six-month probationary period as Kids & Youth Minister, and was then promoted to Head of Kids & Youth with responsibility for the development and delivery of the Hoxton Youth Minster. To support her in this role we made provision for a Youth Ministry Assistant to join the team, and Cyrus Joshi was appointed to start in October in this role. We also recruited a full-time Youth & Worship Minister in October. Sadly this role proved not to be the right fit for the person appointed, and he finished in mid-November. After providing services as Music & Worship Ministry Overseer until October, Sara Hunter concluded her work in that role. 

Consequently we ended the year with significant vacancies on the staff team. While this has enabled us to make helpful payroll savings we should note that there is a cost to be paid: Doreen Tang has not had adequate staffing support for her role; our Vicar, Graham Hunter, has covered the Music & Worship Minister role and also undertook the senior responsibilities of the Operations Manager role, including payroll and HR. Renatha Hoga’s role as Church Administrator evolved in November to include finance administration - and she has received some training for this role. This has been much appreciated and we value her experience and expertise. At the end of the year, Mohsen Amjadi was given a temporary role as Premises Assistant to help support the team with building maintenance and management after Daniel Okuniewski had left his role. 

Our PCC met 8 times during the year. We met with increased frequency so as to give special attention to financial monitoring. One meeting was not minuted, as it was simply a gathering in the event of the Vicar’s absence with stress to update the PCC. 

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ST JOHN’S HOXTON // CHARITY NUMBER 1133109 

## Safeguarding Report 

## 1. Introduction 

St John’s Hoxton is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all individuals, particularly children and vulnerable adults, who engage with our church community. This report outlines our safeguarding activities over the past year, highlighting our commitment to best practices in safeguarding and child protection. The PCC reviews our Safeguarding Policy annually at the first meeting of the new PCC in May. It adopts the House of Bishops recommended policy statement and pays due regard to ‘ _Promoting a Safer Church’_ (2017) and ‘ _Protecting All God’s Children’_ 4[th] edition (2010) and the Diocesan Safeguarding Policy ‘ _Promoting a Safer Diocese’_ (2018). The policy is published on our website. The PCC receives a safeguarding report every two months at each of its meetings. 

The purpose of this annual report is to provide transparency on our safeguarding measures, report on progress, and outline future plans to ensure a safe environment for everyone. 

## 2. Key Safeguarding Activities This Year 

- Conducted safeguarding training sessions for staff and volunteers in groups. 

- Updated and reviewed safeguarding policies to align with national and diocesan guidelines in May 2024. 

- Increased safeguarding awareness through posters, newsletters, and sermons. 

- Appointed new Church Safeguarding Officer, Doreen Tang and reinforced their roles within the church community. 

## 3. Safeguarding Cases and Concerns 

## _(No confidential details are disclosed to protect privacy.)_ 

- Total number of safeguarding concerns reported: 20 

- Actions taken included: 

   - Seek advice from the Diocese Safeguarding Team; 

   - Managed situation internally with Vicar and parties concerned; 

   - Pastorally supporting these individuals. 

- Observed trends: involve individuals who have mental and emotional challenges and asylum seekers community. 

## 4. Safer Recruitment and DBS Checks 

- Number of background checks (DBS) completed in 2024: 19 

- Still in the process of ensuring all volunteers working with children and vulnerable 

   - adults underwent safeguarding trainings renewal. 

- Compliance with safer recruitment policies reviewed and improved where necessary. 

- All PCC members now hold valid DBS certifications. 

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## 5. Training and Development 

- Number of safeguarding training sessions in 2024 (individually completed): 12 

- Percentage of staff and volunteers trained: 75% 

- Future training goals: to increase the number of percentages to renew their trainings and for the Welcome Team members to go through Basic Safeguarding trainings. 

## 6. Partnerships and External Agencies 

- Maintained strong relations with the DST (Diocese Safeguarding Team) with regular PSO drop-in sessions and regular PCC safeguarding reports 

- Maintaining the Parish Dashboard regularly to a satisfactory level (currently in 2025, progress report is at 98%) 

## 7. Future Plans and Recommendations 

- Continue to improve safeguarding training and awareness programs. 

- Strengthen safeguarding policy implementation and periodic reviews. 

## 8. Conclusion 

Over the past year, St John’s Hoxton has made significant progress in safeguarding practices. While challenges remain, our commitment to ensuring a safe and supportive environment remains steadfast. Moving forward, we will continue to prioritize training, awareness, and compliance with best safeguarding practices. 

For any safeguarding concerns or inquiries, please contact our Safeguarding Officer, Doreen Tang or Deputy Safeguarding Officer, Pauline Millar. 

_Doreen Tang, Church Safeguarding Officer_ 

The church finances were a significant focus of PCC attention throughout the year, and the Treasurer’s report below highlights some of the main issues. The Stewardship Action Team ran a campaign during the year to encourage greater participation and generosity in congregational giving. It’s hard to tell the impact of this campaign as levels of congregational giving and the individuals involved change throughout the year. Congregation giving did not reach the levels to which we aspired in our 2024 budget. However, general expenditure savings and increased premises rental income meant that we ended the year in a much healthier financial position than we had experienced in 2023. 

One significant change in our finances was the award of a 6-year funding partnership with the Diocese of London to develop and deliver the Hoxton Youth Minster. This will provide a substantial contribution to the cost of our Head of Kids & Youth, as well as providing for additional staffing and a contribution towards our operational staffing capacity. 

The redesigned chart of accounts implemented in 2023 was used again for the production of the 2024 budget, and this year monitoring of income and expenditure against the budget was much 

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more accurate than in previous years. We expect ongoing improvement in the accuracy of our budgeting for 2025. 

## PCC Treasurer Report 

The financial year ending 31 December 2024 marked a significant improvement for St John’s Hoxton, with a reported surplus of £14,740 compared to the previous year’s loss of £62,075. This positive shift reflects better financial stewardship and improved income streams. Total income £361,954 Expenditure £347,214. 

## Income Overview 

- **Planned Congregational Giving (including Gift Aid):** £92,156 (2023: £97,085) 

   - The number of givers increased to 918 (from 898 in 2023). 

   - However, total giving was 20% below the budget of £120,000. 

- **Premises Hire (Regular & Ad Hoc):** £92,393 (Budget: £102,504) 

- **Management Company Dividends:** £46,858 (Budget: £60,000) 

   - The reduction in dividends resulted from resolving an unexpected VAT liability which was settled through loans and grants 

   - Total income £96,655 Expenditure £42,345. Profit £54,310 

- **Regular Grant Income:** £24,124 (Budget: £53,496) 55% below budget. 

- **Restricted Fund Donations:** £26,258 including gift aid (Budget: £8,364) 150% above budget 

- **Worship Services Collection:** £5,293 (Budget: £1,560) 239% above budget 

## Expense Overview 

- **Clergy Costs:** £21,706.82 (2023: £35,712). Savings of 39% (curate moving on not replaced) 

- **Maintenance, Repairs & Management:** £22,800 (Budget: £20,712) 

- **Special Project Expenses:** £19,619.92 (Budget: £9,900) 99% above budget (life blood of the church) 

- **Common Fund Contribution:** Restored to £70,000 

Growing Reserves & Future Projections for 2025 

Encouragingly, the car parking business is expected to generate an additional surplus of £6,000 by the end of Q1 in 2025, which can be allocated as an additional donation to the church. 

For the first quarter of 2025, we anticipate: 

- **Monthly Rent/Traded Services Income:** £2,000 

- **Monthly Donations:** £5,000 

- **Q1 Additional Donation from Car Parking Business:** £6,000 

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ST JOHN’S HOXTON // CHARITY NUMBER 1133109 

This means total donations for Q1 are expected to reach £21,000, exceeding our budgeted income by nearly £8,000. This strong start to the year provides a solid financial foundation and allows us to continue growing our reserves and funding church initiatives effectively. 

Despite challenges in certain income streams, the overall financial performance for 2024 shows a marked improvement. Strategic financial management, increased income diversification, and prudent expense control have contributed to a positive outcome. Looking forward, the continued growth in reserves and surplus donations will further strengthen St John’s Hoxton’s financial stability. While general funds are still low at £3,903, they have been restored to a positive position. 

_Daniel Pratt, PCC Treasurer_ 

## **Building & Premises** 

During the course of 2024 our Operations Manager, Daniel Okuniewski, undertook a range of building maintenance programmes. He spent time dealing with various external contractors to set in place agreements for roof repairs, gardening, electrical works, drainage, and internet distribution. One of the main projects he managed during the year was repairs to a collapsing wall at the north of our site at the boundary of the primary school. It was deemed unsafe, and fencing was set up for several months to keep people clear of the area. We were grateful to Hackney Council for providing the funds to repair the wall. 

The gardens were kept in good condition throughout the year, with Lloyd Jackson working as our gardener to manage the pruning, the beds and the grass area. People have commented on how well the gardens are currently maintained. Day to day management of the premises and gardens was undertaken by the Building & Premises team: Chris Cummings, Ian Shepard and Peter Chareka. We’re grateful for their hard work and diligence. They were supported and overseen throughout the year by Daniel Okuniewski. 

## #LoveHoxton 

Little progress was made on our redevelopment project. We spent a significant chunk of free reserves on the funding of a full condition survey in 2021. We’re fully aware that the project for conservation repairs and reordering will cost somewhere in the region of £2million - and so a major project with National Lottery Heritage Funding is the only viable solution. 

The PCC reviewed our options at a meeting in June, considering an options appraisal of three possible approaches: 

1. minimal - undertaking only conservation works; 

2. moderate - undertaking conservation and creating new mission, ministry and community spaces; and 

3. maximal - undertaking conservation, new spaces creation and the project to contribute affordable housing for the neighbourhood. 

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ST JOHN’S HOXTON // CHARITY NUMBER 1133109 

The PCC resolved to pursue the ‘moderate’ option. The next step is to engage a fundraiser and project manager to raise funds for a project feasibility review process. 

We are aware that the building faces significant challenges in terms of maintaining fabric and also in providing appropriate spaces for generating income and fulfilling our mission and ministry programme. We will continue to raise our concerns with the Bishop of Stepney and the wider Diocesan team, as we think it’s important for them to recognise the significant challenges of both pursuing church growth in terms of mission and ministry, and also managing a major conservation and redevelopment project. 

## **Concluding Remarks** 

An amazing array of people have contributed to the worship, mission and ministry of the church over the past year – too many to list by name. However, we’d like to pay tribute in particular to our staff team who continue to work tirelessly through the week to support the life of our church. 

Mohsen Amjadi - B&P Assistant Louise Cathrow - Curate Peter Chareka - B&P Assistant Chris Cummings - B&P Assistant Lorraine Flack - Commissioned Pastoral Assistant Renatha Hoga - Office & Ministry Administrator Sara Hunter - Licensed Lay Minister Cyrus Joshi - Youth Ministry Assistant Andrew Large - Curate Daniel Okuniewski - Operations Manager Bosede Owa - Ordinand & Curate Daniel Pratt - Licensed Lay Minister Chris Sparrow - Youth & Worship Minister 

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ST JOHN’S HOXTON // CHARITY NUMBER 1133109 

## **Financial Review** 

## **Risk Policy** 

The PCC has examined the principal areas of the church's operations and considered what major risks may arise in each of these areas. In the opinion of the PCC the church has established resources and review systems which, under normal conditions, should allow the risks identified by them to be mitigated to an acceptable level in its day to day operations. 

## **Reserves Policy** 

The policy of the PCC is that the unrestricted funds not committed or invested in tangible fixed assets and fixed asset investments ('the free reserves') held by the church should reach three months normal running costs. At the year ended 31[st] December 2024, the free reserves had not reached this level and the PCC is striving to meet this as soon as possible. Our 2025 budget is set as a balanced budget, but without any allocation to reserves. We continue to hope that increased income and cost control may enable us to allocate some funds to reserves. 

## **Pensions Policy** 

St John’s Hoxton participates in the Pension Builder Scheme section of Church Workers Pension Fund (CWPF) for lay staff. CWPF is administered by the Church of England Pensions Board, which holds the CWPF assets separately from those of the Employer and other participating employers. 

CWPF has two sections: 

1.     the Defined Benefits Scheme 

2.     the Pension Builder Scheme, which has two subsections; 

   - a.     a deferred annuity section known as Pension Builder Classic, and, 

   - b.     a cash balance section known as Pension Builder 2014. 

## **Pension Builder Scheme** 

Both sections of the Pension Builder Scheme are classed as defined benefit schemes. 

_**Pension Builder Classic**_ provides a pension, accumulated from contributions paid and converted into a deferred annuity during employment based on terms set and reviewed by the Church of England Pensions Board from time to time. Discretionary increases may also be added, depending on investment returns and other factors. 

_**Pension Builder 2014**_ is a cash balance scheme that provides a lump sum which members use to provide benefits at retirement. Pension contributions are recorded in an account for each member. Discretionary bonuses may be added before retirement, depending on investment returns and other factors. The account, plus any bonuses declared is payable, unreduced, from age 65. 

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ST JOHN’S HOXTON // CHARITY NUMBER 1133109 

There is no sub-division of assets between employers in each section of the Pension Builder Scheme. 

The scheme is considered to be a multi-employer scheme as described in Section 28 of FRS 102. This is because it is not possible to attribute the Pension Builder Scheme’s assets and liabilities to specific employers and means that contributions are accounted for as if the Scheme were a defined contribution scheme.  The pension costs charged to the SoFA in the year are the contributions payable (2024: £1,994, 2023: £1,565). 

A valuation of the Pension Builder Scheme is carried out once every three years. The most recent valuation was carried out as at 31 December 2022. 

For the Pension Builder Classic section, the valuation revealed a surplus of £34.8m on the ongoing assumptions used. At the most recent annual review effective 1 January 2025, the Board chose to grant a discretionary bonus of 6.7% to both pensions not yet in payment and pensions in payment in respect of service prior to April 1997; and a bonus on pensions in payment in respect of post April 2006 service so that the pension increase was 2.7% (where usually it would be calculated based on inflation up to 2.5%). This followed improvements in the funding position over 2024. There is no requirement for deficit payments at the current time. 

The next valuation is due as at 31 December 2025. 

For the Pension Builder 2014 section, the valuation revealed a surplus of £8.5m on the ongoing assumptions used. There is no requirement for deficit payments at the current time. 

The legal structure of the scheme is such that if another employer fails, St John’s Hoxton could become responsible for paying a share of the failed employer’s pension liabilities. 

This valuation has not yet been communicated to the PCC. 

## **Statement of PCC Members Responsibilities** 

The PCC Members are required to ensure financial statements are prepared for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the PCC and of the surplus or deficit of the PCC for that period. In preparing those financial statements, the PCC Members are required to: ● select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently; 

- make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; and 

- prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the PCC will continue in operation 

The PCC Members are responsible for ensuring proper accounting records are kept which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the PCC and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice (FRS102) 2019 and the Church Accounting Regulations 2006. In addition, 

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ST JOHN’S HOXTON // CHARITY NUMBER 1133109 

they are responsible for safeguarding the assets of the PCC and hence for taking reasonable steps to prevent and detect fraud and other irregularities. 

## For and on behalf of the PCC 

31st March 2025 

– Revd Graham Hunter Vicar & Chair of Trustees 

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## Independent Examiners Report 

## **To The Trustees On The Unaudited Accounts Of The Parish Of St John's Hoxton** 

I report to the trustees, being the members of the Parochial Church Council ("PCC"), on my examination of the accounts of St John's Hoxton for the year ended 31st December 2024. 

## **Responsibilities and Basis of Report** 

As the trustees of the Charity you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011. 

I report in respect of my examination of the trustee's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act. 

## **Independent Examiner's Statement** 

Since the company’s gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a body listed in section 145 of the 2011 Act. I confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, which is one of the listed bodies. 

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

- (1) accounting records were not kept in respect of the Charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or 

- (2) the accounts do not accord with those records; or 

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

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

4 April 2025 

C J Goodhead FCA Knight Goodhead Limited 7 Bournemouth Road Chandler’s Ford Eastleigh SO53 3DA 

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**ST JOHN'S HOXTON** 

## **CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024** 

|Notes<br>INCOME<br>Donations and legacies<br>Charitable activities<br>Trading activities<br>Grants<br>Investments<br>Other income<br>Management company<br>**Total income**<br>3<br>EXPENDITURE<br>Charitable activities<br>4<br>Management company<br>**Total expenditure**<br>**NET (EXPENDITURE)/INCOME BEFORE TRANSFERS**<br>Transfers between funds<br>**NET MOVEMENT IN FUNDS**<br>FUND BALANCES AT 1 JANUARY 2024<br>**FUND BALANCES AT 31 DECEMBER 2024**<br>14|**Unrestricted**<br>**Restricted**<br>**Total**<br>**Total**<br>**funds**<br>**funds**<br>**2024**<br>**2023**<br>£<br>£<br>£<br>£<br>104,056<br>26,258<br>130,314<br>140,159<br>92,393<br>-<br>92,393<br>101,155<br>3,003<br>2,050<br>5,053<br>1,845<br>9,983<br>19,141<br>29,124<br>45,778<br>197<br>130<br>327<br>337<br>4,736<br>3,352<br>8,088<br>18,232<br>96,655<br>-<br>96,655<br>95,708<br>311,023<br>50,931<br>361,954<br>403,214<br>277,014<br>51,855<br>328,869<br>386,129<br>18,345<br>-<br>18,345<br>79,160<br>295,359<br>51,855<br>347,214<br>465,289<br>15,664<br>(924)<br>14,740<br>(62,075)<br>(472)<br>472<br>-<br>-<br>15,192<br>(452)<br>14,740<br>(62,075)<br>(6,249)<br>15,496<br>9,247<br>71,322<br>8,943<br>15,044<br>23,987<br>9,247|
|---|---|



29 



**ST JOHN'S HOXTON** 

**Charity number: 1133109** 

## **CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2024** 

|**Notes**<br>FIXED ASSETS<br>Investments<br>9<br>Tangible assets<br>8<br>CURRENT ASSETS<br>Debtors<br>10<br>Cash at bank and in hand<br>CREDITORS: amounts falling<br>due within one year:<br>11<br>NET CURRENT ASSETS<br>TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES<br>CREDITORS DUE IN MORE THAN ONE YEAR<br>12<br>NET ASSETS<br>FUNDS<br>13-14<br>Unrestricted:<br>Designated<br>Other unrestricted<br>Restricted<br>TOTAL FUNDS|**2024**<br>**2023**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>-<br>-<br>7,360<br>9,212<br>7,360<br>9,212<br>21,761<br>15,022<br>36,765<br>32,336<br>58,526<br>47,358<br>(30,721)<br>(22,925)<br>27,805<br>24,433<br>35,165<br>33,645<br>(11,178)<br>(24,398)<br>23,987<br>9,247<br>5,040<br>4,540<br>3,903<br>(10,789)<br>8,943<br>(6,249)<br>15,044<br>15,496<br>23,987<br>9,247<br>**Group**|**2024**<br>**2023**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>10<br>10<br>7,360<br>9,212<br>7,370<br>9,222<br>15,428<br>16,236<br>36,478<br>32,092<br>51,906<br>48,328<br>(24,111)<br>(16,453)<br>27,795<br>31,875<br>35,165<br>41,097<br>(11,178)<br>(24,398)<br>23,987<br>16,699<br>5,040<br>4,540<br>3,903<br>(3,337)<br>8,943<br>1,203<br>15,044<br>15,496<br>23,987<br>16,699<br>**Charity**|
|---|---|---|



Signed on behalf of the PCC by: 

**Revd Graham Hunter – Vicar / Chair of Trustees** 

31st March 2025 **Date** 

**Daniel Pratt - Treasurer** 

31st March 2025 **Date** 

30 



**ST JOHN'S HOXTON** 

## **CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOW STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024** 

|**2024**<br>**Notes**<br>£<br>NET CASH FLOW PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES<br>1<br>4,102<br>CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES<br>Interest received<br>327<br>Purchase of fixed assets<br>-<br>NET CASH FLOW<br>4,429<br>**2024**<br>£<br>Cash at the end of the year<br>2<br>36,765<br>Cash at start of the year<br>32,336<br>(Decrease)/increase in cash in the year<br>4,429<br>**NOTES TO THE CASHFLOW STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024**<br>1 RECONCILIATION OF NET MOVEMENT IN FUNDS TO NET CASH FLOW FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES<br>**2024**<br>£<br>Net movement in funds for the year<br>14,740<br>Dividends and interest received<br>(327)<br>Depreciation<br>1,852<br>(Increase)/Decrease in debtors<br>(6,739)<br>Increase/(decrease) in creditors<br>(5,424)<br>Net cash flow from operating activities<br>4,102<br>2 ANALYSIS OF CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS<br>**2024**<br>£<br>Cash at bank and in hand<br>36,765<br>36,765|2023<br>£<br>(19,210)<br>337<br>(1,879)<br>(20,752)<br>**2023**<br>£<br>32,336<br>53,088<br>(20,752)<br>**2023**<br>£<br>(62,075)<br>(337)<br>2,251<br>4,251<br>36,700<br>(19,210)<br>**2023**<br>£<br>32,336<br>32,336|
|---|---|



31 



**ST JOHN'S HOXTON** 

## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024** 

1 ACCOUNTING POLICIES 

## (a) Basis of accounting 

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Church Accounting Regulations 2006 and Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with FRS 102 (effective January 2019) and the Charities Act 2011. 

The PCC meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. 

The accounts are prepared on the historical cost basis. 

The accounts are prepared on the going concern basis. 

## (b) Fund accounting 

General funds represent the funds of the PCC that are not subject to any restrictions as to their use and are available for application on the general purposes of the PCC. Funds designated for a particular purpose by the PCC are also unrestricted. 

Restricted funds are those funds donated for specific purposes. 

Designated funds are funds earmarked by the trustees for a specific project/purpose. 

- (c) Income 

Donations and other income are recognised when received and an estimate of income tax recoverable is recognised when the related donations are recognised. 

Grants and legacies to the PCC are accounted for as soon as the PCC is notified of its legal entitlement, the amount due is quantifiable and its ultimate receipt by the PCC is  probable. 

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

Rental income from the letting of church premises is recognised when the rental is due. 

Dividends are accounted for when due and payable. Interest entitlements are accounted for as they accrue. Tax recoverable on such income is recognised in the same accounting year. 

Grants and donations are accounted for when paid over, or when awarded. 

## (d) Expenditure 

The diocesan Common Fund is accounted for when paid. Any Common Fund unpaid at 31 December is provided for in these accounts as an operational (though not a legal) liability and is shown as a creditor in the Balance Sheet. 

Expenditure incurred in the operation of the church is classed as charitable activities. 

32 



**ST JOHN'S HOXTON** 

## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024 (continued)** 

## 1 ACCOUNTING POLICIES (continued) 

## (e) Fixed assets 

In the absence of an actual cost, the insurance valuation has been used as the deemed cost for operational assets, with no depreciation charge being made during the year due to the long life of the asset and regular maintenance. 

## _Consecrated property and moveable church furnishings_ 

Consecrated and beneficed property of any kind is excluded from the accounts by s.10 of the Charities Act 2011. 

Moveable church furnishings held by the Vicar and Churchwardens on special trust for the PCC, and which require a faculty for disposal, are accounted as inalienable property unless consecrated. They are listed in the church's Inventory which can be inspected (at any reasonable time). For inalienable property acquired prior to 2003 there is insufficient cost information available and therefore such assets are not valued in the accounts.  No such Items have been acquired since 1 January 2003. 

All expenditure incurred in the year on consecrated or beneficed buildings or on the repair of movable church furnishings acquired before 1 January 2003 is written off. 

## _Other fixtures, fittings and office equipment_ 

Additions to buildings comprise refurbishment of the institute and are depreciated over their expected useful life of five years. 

Only items of greater than £1,500 are capitalised. Church worship equipment comprises a number of electrical and other items connected with sound, vision and worship. They will be depreciated over five years from date of first use. Computer and office equipment and furnishings are depreciated over four years from date of first use. Catering equipment is written off over five years from date of first use. Church chairs are depreciated over ten years.  The boiler is depreciated over an estimated useful life of thirteen years. 

## (f) Current assets 

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

## (g) Financial instruments 

The charity has elected to apply the provisions of Section 11 'Basic Financial Instruments' and Section 12 'Other Financial instruments issues' of FRS 102 to all of its financial instruments. 

Basic financial assets, which include debtors and cash and bank balances, are initially measured at transaction price including transaction costs and are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest method unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the transaction is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial assets classified as receivable within one year are not amortised. 

Basic financial liabilities, are initially recognised at transaction price unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the debt instrument is measured at the present value of the future payments discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial liabilities classified as payable within one year are not amortised. 

## 2 ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION 

The charity is unincorporated and was registered on 3 December 2009 with the Charity Commission in England and Wales. The registered number is 1133109. 

The registered office of the charity is St John's Church, Pitfield Street, London, N1 6NP. 

33 



**ST JOHN'S HOXTON** 

## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024 (continued)** 

|3 INCOME<br>**DONATIONS AND LEGACIES**<br>**Planned giving:**<br>Gift Aided<br>Non gift aid<br>Tax recovery<br>**Other giving:**<br>One off giving<br>Collections<br>Special appeals and collections<br>Tax recovery<br>**Total donations and legacies**<br>**ASSET BASED INCOME**<br>**TRADING ACTIVITIES**<br>**GRANTS**<br>Grants<br>**INVESTMENTS**<br>Interest<br>**OTHER INCOME**<br>PCC fees<br>VAT recoverable<br>Miscellaneous income (including insurance claims)<br>**St John's Hoxton Management Company**<br>**TOTAL INCOME**<br>Premises rental<br>Traded services<br>Church car parking|**Unrestricted**<br>**Restricted**<br>**Total**<br>**Total**<br>**funds**<br>**funds**<br>**2024**<br>**2023**<br>£<br>£<br>£<br>£<br>73,095<br>-<br>73,095<br>75,724<br>2,139<br>-<br>2,139<br>2,184<br>16,922<br>-<br>16,922<br>19,177<br>92,156<br>-<br>92,156<br>97,085<br>5,293<br>-<br>5,293<br>5,346<br>-<br>21,112<br>21,112<br>24,394<br>120<br>1,449<br>1,569<br>6,595<br>6,487<br>3,697<br>10,184<br>6,739<br>11,900<br>26,258<br>38,158<br>43,074<br>104,056<br>26,258<br>130,314<br>140,159<br>29,680<br>-<br>29,680<br>21,035<br>62,713<br>-<br>62,713<br>80,120<br>92,393<br>-<br>92,393<br>101,155<br>3,003<br>2,050<br>5,053<br>1,845<br>3,003<br>2,050<br>5,053<br>1,845<br>9,983<br>19,141<br>29,124<br>45,778<br>197<br>130<br>327<br>337<br>532<br>-<br>532<br>533<br>1,578<br>-<br>1,578<br>4,492<br>2,626<br>3,352<br>5,978<br>13,207<br>4,736<br>3,352<br>8,088<br>18,232<br>96,655<br>-<br>96,655<br>95,708<br>311,023<br>50,931<br>361,954<br>403,214|
|---|---|



34 



**ST JOHN'S HOXTON** 

## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024 (continued)** 

|4 EXPENDITURE<br>**CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES**<br>**Grants and donations**<br>Holiday bursary fund payments<br>PCC grants and donations - mission<br>Benevolent fund<br>**Common Fund Overhead**<br>**Building and premises costs**<br>Church gardens<br>Church maintenance and supplies<br>Church major redevelopment and repairs<br>Insurance<br>Cleaning supplies and consumables<br>Depreciation<br>Facilities furniture and equipment<br>Utilities<br>**Mission and ministry**<br>Children's work resources<br>Clergy expenses and training<br>Curate accommodation<br>Community organising<br>Evangelism and discipleship<br>Hospitality and café supplies<br>Missions projects<br>Payroll and recruitment costs<br>Publicity<br>Services resources<br>Special Events<br>Worship and AV<br>Youth Work<br>**Office and administration**<br>Communication<br>Fundraising<br>IT equipment and licenses<br>Accountancy<br>Office equipment and stationery<br>Staff training|**Unrestricted**<br>**Restricted**<br>**Total**<br>**Total**<br>**funds**<br>**funds**<br>**2024**<br>**2023**<br>£<br>£<br>£<br>£<br>-<br>19,340<br>19,340<br>16,247<br>1,540<br>249<br>1,789<br>2,160<br>-<br>5,863<br>5,863<br>9,661<br>1,540<br>25,452<br>26,992<br>28,068<br>70,000<br>-<br>70,000<br>68,270<br>1,967<br>-<br>1,967<br>4,158<br>19,267<br>-<br>19,267<br>33,128<br>1,920<br>-<br>1,920<br>14,304<br>8,334<br>-<br>8,334<br>7,184<br>1,999<br>112<br>2,111<br>1,015<br>1,852<br>-<br>1,852<br>2,251<br>493<br>-<br>493<br>10,341<br>19,455<br>-<br>19,455<br>17,772<br>55,287<br>112<br>55,399<br>90,153<br>2,733<br>1,755<br>4,488<br>1,256<br>3,209<br>-<br>3,209<br>1,799<br>9,007<br>-<br>9,007<br>14,447<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>1,463<br>604<br>-<br>604<br>655<br>3,694<br>-<br>3,694<br>6,352<br>4,327<br>3,750<br>8,077<br>13,735<br>1,302<br>210<br>1,512<br>1,521<br>200<br>-<br>200<br>221<br>764<br>-<br>764<br>1,783<br>280<br>-<br>280<br>292<br>4,022<br>-<br>4,022<br>2,567<br>429<br>-<br>429<br>2,310<br>30,571<br>5,715<br>36,286<br>48,401<br>2,437<br>-<br>2,437<br>2,300<br>2,309<br>283<br>2,592<br>1,772<br>449<br>-<br>449<br>2,161<br>2,280<br>-<br>2,280<br>2,898<br>881<br>-<br>881<br>1,386<br>696<br>681<br>1,377<br>2,440<br>9,052<br>964<br>10,016<br>12,957|
|---|---|



35 



**ST JOHN'S HOXTON** 

## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024 (continued)** 

|EXPENDITURE (continued)<br>**Wages and salaries**<br>Ministry team<br>Operational team<br>Employers NI<br>Employers pension<br>**St John's Hoxton Management Company**<br>**TOTAL EXPENDITURE**|**Unrestricted**<br>**Restricted**<br>**Total**<br>**Total**<br>**funds**<br>**funds**<br>**2024**<br>**2023**<br>£<br>£<br>£<br>£<br>31,169<br>19,612<br>50,781<br>52,209<br>74,162<br>-<br>74,162<br>82,034<br>3,239<br>-<br>3,239<br>2,472<br>1,994<br>-<br>1,994<br>1,565<br>110,564<br>19,612<br>130,176<br>138,280<br>18,345<br>-<br>18,345<br>79,160<br>295,359<br>51,855<br>347,214<br>465,289|
|---|---|



4 EXPENDITURE (continued) 

Included within accountancy above are amounts due to the independent examiners in relation to the independent examination of £1,920 (2023: £1,920) and £360 for other work (2023: £978). 

## 5 GRANTS 

Grants and donations totalled £7,902 (2023: £18,407) and were all paid by the charity. The following donations were made to institutions and totalled more than £1,000: 

London Citizens £1,242 

## 6 STAFF COSTS 

No employees received emoluments over £60,000 in the year. 

The average number of employees during the year was 6 (2023: 7) 

Staff costs relate to all direct and indirect staff costs. 

|Employment costs<br>Wages and salaries<br>Social security costs<br>Pension costs|**2024**<br>**£**<br>124,943<br>3,239<br>1,994<br>130,176|**2023**<br>**£**<br>134,243<br>2,472<br>1,565<br>138,280|
|---|---|---|



See note 15 for disclosure of payments made to related parties. 

36 



**ST JOHN'S HOXTON** 

## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024 (continued)** 

7 NET INCOME FROM TRADING ACTIVITIES OF SUBSIDIARY 

The charity owns 100% of the issued share capital of St John's Hoxton Management Company Limited, a company incorporated in England and Wales (company number: 07039922). 

The results of the company before consolidation fare summarised as follows: 

**==> picture [467 x 478] intentionally omitted <==**

**----- Start of picture text -----**<br>
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|2024|2023|
|£|£|
|Turnover|96,655|95,708|
|Expenses|(42,345)|(103,160)|
|Taxation|-|-|
|Net profit|54,310|(7,452)|
|-|
|Dividend paid to St John's Hoxton|(46,858)|
|7,452|(7,452)|
|8|TANGIBLE ASSETS|
|Property|PA/AV|Shipping|
|Group / Charity|improvements|equipment|container|Total|
|£|£|£|£|
|COST|
|At beginning of year|8,102|6,101|2,040|16,243|
|Additions|-|-|-|-|
|-|-|-|-|
|Disposals|
|At end of year|8,102|6,101|2,040|16,243|
|DEPRECIATION|
|At beginning of year|1,246|4,085|1,700|7,031|
|Charge for year|623|889|340|1,852|
|-|-|-|-|
|Disposals|
|At end of year|1,869|4,974|2,040|8,883|
|NET BOOK VALUE|
|-|
|At end of year|6,233|1,127|7,360|
|At beginning of year|6,856|2,016|340|9,212|
|9|FIXED ASSET INVESTMENTS|
|Charity|Investment|
|in subsidiary|
|undertakings|Total|
|£|£|
|Cost or market value of investments b/fwd and c/fwd|10|10|

**----- End of picture text -----**<br>


The charity owns 100% of the issued share capital of St John's Hoxton Management Company Limited, a company incorporated in England and Wales (company number: 07039922). 

37 



**ST JOHN'S HOXTON** 

## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024 (continued)** 

|10 DEBTORS<br>Gift aid tax recoverable<br>Prepayments and accrued income<br>Other debtors<br>Amounts due from subsidiary undertaking<br>11 CREDITORS: amounts falling due within one year<br>Trade creditors<br>Loans payable<br>PAYE/NI<br>VAT<br>Accruals and deferred income<br>12 CREDITORS: amounts falling due in more than one year<br>Loans payable|**2024**<br>**2023**<br>£<br>£<br>3,554<br>3,555<br>1,120<br>1,222<br>17,087<br>10,245<br>-<br>-<br>21,761<br>15,022<br>**2024**<br>**2023**<br>**£**<br>£<br>6,051<br>8,559<br>14,904<br>6,652<br>1,843<br>882<br>4,923<br>4,112<br>3,000<br>2,720<br>30,721<br>22,925<br>**2024**<br>**2023**<br>**£**<br>£<br>11,178<br>24,398<br>11,178<br>24,398<br>**Group**<br>**Group**<br>**Group**|**2024**<br>**2023**<br>£<br>£<br>3,554<br>3,555<br>1,120<br>1,222<br>5,396<br>3,843<br>5,358<br>7,616<br>15,428<br>16,236<br>**2024**<br>**2023**<br>**£**<br>£<br>5,264<br>6,999<br>14,904<br>6,652<br>1,843<br>882<br>-<br>-<br>2,100<br>1,920<br>24,111<br>16,453<br>**2024**<br>**2023**<br>**£**<br>£<br>11,178<br>24,398<br>11,178<br>24,398<br>**Charity**<br>**Charity**<br>**Charity**|
|---|---|---|



Bank loans relate to interest free loans from the Diocese.  These are fully repayable within 5 years. 

## 13 FUNDS 

The restricted funds are established for the following purposes: 

**#Love Hoxton project** 

**Holiday Bursary fund** 

**Benevolent fund** 

**Children's and Youth Ministry** 

## **Hoxton Youth Minister** 

**General Restricted Fund** 

## **Church Chairs** 

To fund major conservation and redevelopment plans. 

Contributions to the cost of taking members of our church to our annual church holiday, Focus, and also other retreats and residentials throughout the year. 

Holds monies to give to people in need. Funds are usually distributed in the form of supermarket gift cards or energy donations. 

This fund is established to hold any funds raised through special events, grant applications or other donations specifically to support the kids and youth ministry at St John's Hoxton. It may be spent on any resources, staffing or activities which are for the benefit of under 18's in our church or neighbourhood. 

This fund is established in 2024 to manage grant income and other fundraising associated with the Hoxton Youth Minster project running from 2024-30. 

The General Restricted fund holds donations given for specific purposes but expected to be spent ‘in-year’. This includes donations for the Sunday evening football project or other special appeals where funds are then spent immediately. 

A campaign was launched in 2023 to raise funds to buy additional church chairs. The donations and gift aid claimed were not shown in the 2023 accounts, and have been recorded in 2024 to ensure restricted donations are properly applied. 

38 



**ST JOHN'S HOXTON** 

## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024 (continued)** 

## 13 FUNDS 

The designated funds are established for the following purposes: 

## **Vicarage maintenance** 

Maintained for the purpose of providing budget for the PCC to meet its responsibility for internal redecoration and refurbishment of the Vicarage as well as for garden maintenance. 

|13 MOVEMENT IN FUNDS<br>**Restricted funds**<br>#Love Hoxton Project<br>Holiday bursary fund<br>Benevolent fund<br>Children's and Youth Ministry<br>Hoxton Youth Minister<br>General Restricted fund<br>Church chairs<br>**Designated funds**<br>Vicarage maintenance<br>**Other unrestricted funds**<br>St John's Hoxton PCC<br>St John's Hoxton Management Company<br>**Total funds**|**Balance at**<br>**Transfers**<br>**Balance at**<br>**1 January**<br>**between 31 December**<br>**2024**<br>**Income Expenditure**<br>**funds**<br>**2024**<br>£<br>£<br>£<br>£<br>£<br>8,956<br>130<br>-<br>-<br>9,086<br>1,332<br>19,897<br>(19,830)<br>-<br>1,399<br>5,208<br>2,535<br>(5,946)<br>-<br>1,797<br>-<br>9,584<br>(8,184)<br>-<br>1,400<br>-<br>15,035<br>(14,145)<br>-<br>890<br>-<br>3,750<br>(3,750)<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>472<br>472<br>15,496<br>50,931<br>(51,855)<br>472<br>15,044<br>4,540<br>-<br>-<br>500<br>5,040<br>4,540<br>-<br>-<br>500<br>5,040<br>(3,337)<br>214,368<br>(277,014)<br>69,886<br>3,903<br>(7,452)<br>96,655<br>(18,345)<br>(70,858)<br>-<br>(10,789)<br>311,023<br>(295,359)<br>(972)<br>3,903<br>9,247<br>361,954<br>(347,214)<br>-<br>23,987|
|---|---|



39 



**ST JOHN'S HOXTON** 

## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024 (continued)** 

14 ANALYSIS OF GROUP NET ASSETS BETWEEN FUNDS 

## **Group** 

|Fund balances as at 31 December 2024 are represented by:<br>Tangible fixed assets<br>Current assets<br>Current liabilities<br>Non current liabilities|**Other**<br>**Restricted Designated unrestricted**<br>**Total**<br>**funds**<br>**funds**<br>**funds**<br>**2024**<br>£<br>£<br>£<br>£<br>-<br>-<br>7,360<br>7,360<br>15,044<br>5,040<br>38,442<br>58,526<br>-<br>-<br>(30,721)<br>(30,721)<br>-<br>-<br>(11,178)<br>(11,178)<br>15,044<br>5,040<br>3,903<br>23,987|
|---|---|



|Fund balances as at 31 December 2023 are represented by:<br>Tangible fixed assets<br>Current assets<br>Current liabilities<br>Non current liabilities|**Other**<br>**Restricted Designated unrestricted**<br>**Total**<br>**funds**<br>**funds**<br>**funds**<br>**2023**<br>£<br>£<br>£<br>£<br>-<br>-<br>9,212<br>9,212<br>15,496<br>4,540<br>27,322<br>47,358<br>-<br>-<br>(22,925)<br>(22,925)<br>-<br>-<br>(24,398)<br>(24,398)<br>15,496<br>4,540<br>(10,789)<br>9,247|
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## **Charity** 

|Fund balances as at 31 December 2024 are represented by:<br>Tangible fixed assets<br>Fixed asset investment<br>Current assets<br>Current liabilities<br>Non current liabilities<br>Fund balances as at 31 December 2023 are represented by:<br>Tangible fixed assets<br>Fixed asset investment<br>Current assets<br>Current liabilities<br>Non current liabilities|**Other**<br>**Restricted Designated unrestricted**<br>**Total**<br>**funds**<br>**funds**<br>**funds**<br>**2024**<br>£<br>£<br>£<br>£<br>-<br>-<br>7,360<br>7,360<br>-<br>-<br>10<br>10<br>15,044<br>5,040<br>31,822<br>51,906<br>-<br>-<br>(24,111)<br>(24,111)<br>-<br>-<br>(11,178)<br>(11,178)<br>15,044<br>5,040<br>3,903<br>23,987<br>**Other**<br>**Restricted Designated unrestricted**<br>**Total**<br>**funds**<br>**funds**<br>**funds**<br>**2023**<br>£<br>£<br>£<br>£<br>-<br>-<br>9,212<br>9,212<br>-<br>-<br>10<br>10<br>15,496<br>4,540<br>28,292<br>48,328<br>-<br>-<br>(16,453)<br>(16,453)<br>-<br>-<br>(24,398)<br>(24,398)<br>15,496<br>4,540<br>(3,337)<br>16,699|
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40 



**ST JOHN'S HOXTON** 

## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024 (continued)** 

15 RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS 

The following related party transactions occurred during the year. 

Sara Hunter, the wife of a PCC member was paid £6,325 for her work as Music & Worship ministry overseer on contract for services basis (2023: £8,600). 

Revd Graham Hunter holds a number of senior governance roles in related organisations: 

- Streetlevel (chair of trustees) 

- London Diocesan Fund (Trustee/Director) 

- Haberdashers’ Company Court of Assistants & Charities Committee (Member) 

- St John the Baptist Primary School - Local Advisory Board member (School Governor) 

One trustee was reimbursed a total of £1,185 for expenses incurred on behalf of the charity (2023: £1,933 to three trustees). 

## 16 PARENT CHARITY 

Below are summarised results of St John's Hoxton, excluding the subsidiary company: 

|INCOME<br>Donations and legacies<br>Charitable activities<br>Trading activities<br>Grants<br>Investments<br>Other income<br>**Total income**<br>EXPENDITURE<br>Charitable activities<br>**Total expenditure**<br>**NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)**|**Total**<br>**2024**<br>130,314<br>104,393<br>17,053<br>29,124<br>47,185<br>8,088<br>336,157<br>328,869<br>328,869<br>7,288|**Total**<br>**2023**<br>140,159<br>113,155<br>13,845<br>45,778<br>337<br>18,232<br>331,506<br>386,129<br>386,129<br>(54,623)|
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## 17 GOING CONCERN 

During 2021-2023 St John’s Hoxton experienced significant financial contraction and spent a large portion of free reserves on resolving building and staffing issues. The dividends from the car parking business had also taken a significant downturn reducing contributions to the church. During the first half of 2024 significant effort was made to increase car park revenues, and the result was that by the second half of 2024 the business was performing well and contributions to the church returned to our anticipated levels. Staff restructuring during 2024 has also created payroll savings. Participation in a significant mission project focused on youth work in partnership with the Diocese has also resulted in significant grant funding from September 2024 through to mid-2030. By the end of 2024 the PCC were satisfied that we had turned a corner and would begin to replenish free reserves in 2025. 

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**ST JOHN'S HOXTON** 

## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024 (continued)** 

18 COMPARATIVE CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023 

|INCOME<br>Donations and legacies<br>Charitable activities<br>Trading activities<br>Grants<br>Investments<br>Other income<br>**Total income**<br>EXPENDITURE<br>Charitable activities<br>**Total expenditure**<br>**NET EXPENDITURE BEFORE TRANSFERS**<br>Transfers between funds<br>**NET MOVEMENT IN FUNDS**<br>FUND BALANCES AT 1 JANUARY 2023<br>**FUND BALANCES AT 31 DECEMBER 2023**<br>Management company<br>St John's Hoxton Management Company Limited|**Unrestricted**<br>**Restricted**<br>**Total**<br>**funds**<br>**funds**<br>**2023**<br>£<br>£<br>£<br>114,967<br>25,192<br>140,159<br>101,155<br>-<br>101,155<br>545<br>1,300<br>1,845<br>45,528<br>250<br>45,778<br>231<br>106<br>337<br>18,232<br>-<br>18,232<br>95,708<br>-<br>95,708<br>376,366<br>26,848<br>403,214<br>358,201<br>27,928<br>386,129<br>79,160<br>-<br>79,160<br>437,361<br>27,928<br>465,289<br>(60,995)<br>(1,080)<br>(62,075)<br>2,787<br>(2,787)<br>-<br>(58,208)<br>(3,867)<br>(62,075)<br>51,959<br>19,363<br>71,322<br>(6,249)<br>15,496<br>9,247|
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42 



**ST JOHN'S HOXTON** 

## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024 (continued)** 

## 19 COMPARATIVE MOVEMENT IN FUNDS 

|**Restricted funds**<br>#Love Hoxton<br>CAP debt centre/LYN project<br>Holiday Bursary Fund<br>Digital inclusion campaign<br>Len and Eve Dye memorial<br>Benevolent fund<br>Children's Ministry<br>Youth Ministry<br>**Designated funds**<br>Free reserves<br>Vicarage maintenance<br>**Other unrestricted funds**<br>St John's Hoxton<br>St John's Hoxton Management Company<br>**Total funds**|**Balance at**<br>**Transfers**<br>**Balance at**<br>**1 January**<br>**between 31 December**<br>**2023**<br>**Income Expenditure**<br>**funds**<br>**2023**<br>£<br>£<br>£<br>£<br>£<br>8,732<br>226<br>(2)<br>-<br>8,956<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>2,834<br>18,139<br>(16,807)<br>(2,834)<br>1,332<br>1,000<br>-<br>(1,000)<br>-<br>-<br>172<br>(172)<br>-<br>-<br>4,690<br>6,833<br>(6,315)<br>-<br>5,208<br>-<br>1,550<br>(1,550)<br>-<br>1,935<br>100<br>(2,082)<br>47<br>-<br>19,363<br>26,848<br>(27,928)<br>(2,787)<br>15,496<br>40,000<br>-<br>-<br>(40,000)<br>-<br>2,346<br>-<br>-<br>2,194<br>4,540<br>42,346<br>-<br>-<br>(37,806)<br>4,540<br>9,613<br>280,658<br>(358,201)<br>64,593<br>(3,337)<br>-<br>95,708<br>(79,160)<br>(24,000)<br>(7,452)<br>9,613<br>376,366<br>(437,361)<br>40,593<br>(10,789)<br>71,322<br>403,214<br>(465,289)<br>-<br>9,247|
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