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2022-12-31-accounts

THE PARISH OF THE ITCHEN VALLEY

Incorporating the Parish Churches of St Mary’s Avington, St Mary’s Easton, St John’s Itchen Abbas and St Swithun’s Martyr Worthy

ANNUAL REPORT 2022

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Table of contents

  1. Administrative information - 4

  2. Structure, governance and management - 4

  3. Aims and purposes - 4

  4. Objects and activities - 4

  5. Achievements and performance - 4

  6. Electoral Roll - 4

  7. Rector’s report - 5

  8. Report on the fabric, goods and ornaments of the churches - 13

  9. Churchwardens’ report - 14

  10. Deanery Synod report - 16

  11. Further reports - 16

Section 2 – Financial Reports - 20

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1. Administrative information

The Parish of the Itchen Valley is part of the Diocese of Winchester within the Church of England. The correspondence address is: Itchen Valley Parish Office, St John’s Church, Itchen Abbas, Winchester SO21 1BJ (01962)779845. The office is open from 9 am to 1pm on weekdays. The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Itchen Valley is a Registered Charity No: 1133110.

The Churches of the Parish are St Mary's at Avington, St Mary's at Easton, St John the Baptist's at Itchen Abbas and St Swithun's at Martyr Worthy.

Ministry team:

Rector - The Revd Peter Walker

Licensed Lay Minister - Mr Gerry Stacey Ministry team – John Barber, Nicky Barber, Tim Clapp, Simon Ffennell, James Greig (stood down during the year) Sarah Noble (joined during the year), Lavinia Owen, James & Julia Wright (stood down during the year).

Churchwardens:

St Mary’s Avington Vacant St Mary’s Easton Chris Ellis St John’s Itchen Abbas Tim Clapp Sarah Hunt St Swithun’s Martyr Worthy Robin Greenwood Sara Mason

Deanery Synod Representatives (elected in 2020 for 3 years) - Gerry Stacey, Theo Mezger, Sonia Cragg ( stood down during the year).

Elected members of the PCC :Helen Wayne (Avington), Sara Janssen (Easton) Sally Parker (Itchen Abbas) Nicky Barber (Martyr Worthy) Hon Secretary : Currently Vacant, Olivia Cox ( stood down during the year) Hon Treasurer: David Anderson (part of the year) James Wright ( stood down during the year)

2. Structure, governance and management

The Parochial Church Council (PCC) for the Parish of the Itchen Valley is the governing body for the Parish. The method of appointment of PCC members is set out in the Church Representation Rules and the Parish Scheme. The PCC met six times during 2022. The PCC was supported by a Standing Committee and a Finance Committee.

The Constitution of the Parish of the Itchen Valley and the supporting Policy Guidance document can both be found on the parish website.

There are four District Church Councils (DCCs), one for each District centred on the churches of the Parish. All the DCCs met regularly during 2022. All regular Church attendees are encouraged to register on the Electoral Roll and stand for election to the PCC and DCCs.

ecumenical - in the Ecclesiastical Parish and the area of the Itchen Valley. It is the duty of the Rector and the PCC to consult together on matters of general concern and importance to the parish.

4. Objects and activities

The PCC is committed to enabling as many people as possible to worship at our churches and to become part of our parish community. The PCC and Ministry Team all acknowledge the need to consider public benefit in planning activities and guidance on the advancement of religion.

5. Achievements and performance

The report from the churchwardens’ report set out some of the highlights of the parish’s achievements and performance in 2022.

6. Electoral roll

3. Aims and purposes

The PCC has the responsibility of co-operating with the Rector, to promote the whole mission of the Church - pastoral, evangelistic, social and

There are 148 names on the 2023 Electoral Roll for the Parish, of whom 22 live outside the parish. This is a decrease of 11 on 2022.

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Rector’s Report

7. Rector’s Report

Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life” (John 14:6)

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To know Christ better and to make him better known

different ways, played their part in commending the truth and beauty of Christ to those around us, helping him to be better known.

You will have seen in our September and January programme cards that I have used this as a strapline in some of our recent publicity. In my opinion it encapsulates nicely what any Christian community should be about: a group of people, focused on Christ himself, who are seeking in the words of St Richard of Chichester, “to follow him more nearly and love him more dearly day by day”.

Given our different temperaments and personal backgrounds and stories, we will each have many, many different ways of expressing this, but we can come together because Christ himself is at the centre of our life. One of my chief tasks therefore as Rector is to keep my own focus clearly on Christ, seeking to be submissive and obedient to him, and to be commending him to everyone in the Valley—both within the worshipping community and beyond—as truly as I can. For as I concluded in the welcome to our programme card: “We are a community of people who, despite our faults, have found something true and beautiful in the person of Christ”, and we hope others will do so too.

Within our nation 2022 was a particularly memorable year. It was marked by the official end of the Covid restrictions in the very week of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and then by the events associated with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II—both her Platinum Jubilee in June and her funeral in September. And, within the Itchen Valley, 2022 was the year of the quite historic Easton Flower Festival.

In the following report we will look at what our parish was doing in the midst of all of this. And, as we do so, noting different activities in our church life, I hope we may begin to sense that all of these activities, in their

Sunday worship

Ministry Team

I am so grateful for the Ministry team (listed above on page 4) who, despite their many other work and family commitments, give so much of their time, prayer and energy into helping me in the leading of services. Only a fraction of what we are about to mention about our Sunday worship would be possible without their powerful contribution.

During 2022 there was a significant transition within the Team. We had to say farewell to James and Julia Wright who, after so many years of service within our parish, knew they were called to focus their energies closer to home and their children’s schools. So,

Valley Worship in September was the time to express our immense gratitude to them for all they have done and, more especially for their beautiful witness to Jesus and his love. Their sad departure, however, was made easier to bear by the fact that we were soon able to welcome Sarah Noble to join the Ministry Team. And, in just a few months, we have all begun to appreciate how much positive-minded energy and biblical faith Sarah can bring into our church life.

Biblical focus

One of the distinctive features of regular Christian worship is that even if the order of service is fairly constant, each particular Sunday is different because it is based on a different set of Bible readings. Throughout this year we have continued the practice in our traditional services of printing the set lectionary Collect, Psalm, Epistle and Gospel in our service sheets, so that we can enjoy an uninterrupted few moments listening to and meditating on God’s Word prior to hearing the sermon. Each Advent, the Church

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of England lectionary starts a new year, with a focus on a different Gospel, so most of our Gospel readings will now be coming from the Gospel of Matthew. Our more informal services follow a slightly different pattern. In Valley Worship we have been looking at the “I AM” sayings in John’s Gospel, in All Age Worship at different Bible characters, and in our Hub Communion services at the theme of the Good Shepherd. In all these ways we are seeking to create space for God’s word in the midst of our busy lives.

Pattern of services: new monthly rhythm

In the first nine months after my licensing, I so enjoyed experiencing the full range of services that were on offer in the Itchen Valley. During last summer, in conversation with the PCC and the Ministry Team, a new monthly service pattern was proposed which came into being in stages during the autumn and finally ‘settled down’ in February.

Some of the new features within this include:

The launch of Café Church : This new initiative has attracted really good numbers since its start in the autumn, with young families and also people of all ages enjoying the café-style atmosphere and listening to a short ‘food for thought’. A huge thanks to all the team who each month have prayed and planned and then delivered such wonderful times of fun and fellowship.

Our Hub morning services (combining ‘said’ Holy Communion, followed by teaching and then All Age Worship at Itchen Abbas): we have had three of these thus far and will monitor responses. St John’s is the most versatile church to incubate and grow such smaller services, but there remain challenges reaching out to families, many of whom have other children’s activities now in the diary on a Sunday morning.

Our Parish Communion at Easton: It was good to reintroduce this monthly service at Easton. Numbers have been constant into the current year (seemingly

at 29 each month!) until the Baptism service in March (when it jumped to 66). We have formed a group who will meet regularly to pay attention to the practical needs of this service throughout 2023.

Songs of Praise at Avington : working in close collaboration with Sonia Cragg and Helen Wayne, it has been good to focus our attention on these special ‘Songs of Praise’ services on major Christian Festivals, including Harvest and Easter, and for this historic building to be resounding with lots of good singing. (Meanwhile, it should be noted that, with thanks to Georgie Krone and others, hot coffee is now served after the 08.30 Holy Communion (1662) service—do join us!).

Variety of Evenings services at Itchen Abbas. The versatile space in St John’s (helped so much by Vernon Tottle’s willingness to rearrange the chairs into multiple configurations, and by the team of Sarah’ Hunt’s helpers who provide refreshments so often) has enabled four very different late afternoon services since November and into the current year: a service for those recently bereaved (in November), an interactive Christingle service (led by James Greig in December), an ecumenical Service of Prayer for Christian Unity Week (led by Lesley Anne in January) and a Service of Prayer for Ukraine (led by Gerry Stacey LLM in February). This last event was

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particular meaningful, as we were joined by some of the Ukrainian refugees who have been in our midst. We continue to be so grateful to all those who gave money a year ago and subsequently to support them living in the Valley during this most difficult time for them all.

Building on good foundations Meanwhile the services at St Swithun’s are essentially the same as before. We are so grateful to Simon Ffennell for all he does as Verger to undergird these lovely services with his care and attention; as well as to the committed number of choir members who are keeping the choral tradition well and truly alive in the Evensong services. Numbers at Evensong now are regularly in the upper 30’s. Meanwhile the church was ‘packed to the gills’ for both the ecumenical Choral Evensong for ‘Christ the King’ in November (when the Roman Catholic Bishop Peter Doyle was our guest preacher) and for the Service of Six Lessons and Carols in December. After both these services, there were wonderful times of hospitality and fellowship, and we owe a great debt of gratitude to those who made these occasions so warm and welcoming.

Finally, we have had some lively and powerful Valley Worship services in St Mary’s Easton. Some musicians from St Mary’s Southampton led a special evening of worship in May, and our own band (led by Tim Clapp, and augmented on different occasions by David Parker, Sarah Noble, Cat Kennedy, Christopher Haskell and others) has taken us forward into new experiences of sung worship. A big thank you to Theo Mezger and Chris Ellis, in particular, who do so much behind the scenes to enable these services to run smoothly. And in recent weeks the electronic screen has been elevated (to the same height as the one in Winchester Cathedral

apparently!), so we look forward to using that much more in these services.

Pattern of services: monitoring and review

In any common venture, when one is trying to go forward together as one ‘family’, it is unlikely that any one individual will achieve a full 100% of what they personally would like to have seen happen (if they were organising things on their own and totally in accordance with their own preferences). But I’m a great believer that there is a ‘sweet spot’ around the 85% mark. If an organization can come up with a corporate plan in which everybody feels they have got 85% of what they would have wanted, then that should be good enough!

In fact, I see this as reflecting a biblical rhythm. With the biblical command to rest on the seventh day, it is as though we are being told that the last seventh belongs, not to us, but to the Lord. And so, if we are seeking to be the Lord’s people together, we should expect that the last seventh (or 15%) may not be what we want, but what the Lord wants. In that sense we each need to surrender our individual preferences to him for the sake of the ‘common good’.

So, with regard to our new pattern of services it is important that we note this spiritual reality and also that we now give the pattern a sufficient time to become ‘embedded’ and perhaps to reveal to us some of its merits that we have not previously noted. It’s also important that we allow the parish as a whole to gain a sense of rhythm as we go through each month, ‘following the flow’.

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At the same time, we will obviously keep it under review (with a discussion already planned at the PCC meeting in July 2023) and we continue to need to make the occasional ‘tweak’ to meet the missional needs of particular churches or to make best use of ‘high days’ in the Christian calendar (including Harvest, Remembrance Sunday, Christmas, Mothering Sunday and Easter). In this regard we need to juggle the practical reality that Easton, on the one hand, remains our largest church (and can often therefore be the best place to have services where we are confident of larger numbers) but, on the other hand, is also the one which poses some considerable practical challenges (with its lack of disabled access, and kitchen and toilet facilities, and especially in not having a separate room for children’s activities). This latter issue makes it difficult to work out the best ways of hosting services that will connect with the many families in Easton. One of the ‘tweaks’ on the current pattern has therefore been, whilst normally hosting All Age Worship in the easier environment of Itchen Abbas, to host two All-Age services in Easton for the Harvest Festival and Mothering Sunday. I would value your prayers as we continue to reflect on this conundrum and as we seek to take forward any plans for the St Mary’s extension.

Finally a word about our range of Christmas services. With the ending of Covid restrictions in February, this was the first year in which we could reconnect with pre-Covid expectations. It was so good, for example, to see the numbers attending the Crib Service in Easton to be climbing back towards pre-Covid levels. With hindsight, however, our range of services may not have been quite right (for example in its timings

or some of its content), but the Standing Committee, PCC and Ministry Team conducted a review, which has since been discussed by myself, Beccy Clark and Sarah Noble. This has left us with some good ideas and plans for Christmas 2023 which will now be shared with those other groups, leading hopefully to an agreed plan being implemented from August onwards.

Thanks to all

Laying on this wide range of Sunday services places heavy demands on many of us. It’s certainly more than a half-stipendiary Rector could do on his or her own! So I am so grateful for all those who in any way—whether through reading lessons or leading intercessions, through acting as vergers or sidesperson, or through being on one of the many important rotas (for flower-arranging, coffee or cleaning the church etc)—help to make all this possible. We are all doing this together, each part of the Body of Christ helping to reveal something of his truth, beauty and love. Truly the combined effect is greater than the sum of all its parts, and I am so grateful to you all.

Growing in Discipleship

This may not be the best title, but it’s designed to remind us of what some of our mid-week meetings are about. During this last year there was an Alpha course (led by Tim Clapp in the autumn) and I led a few sessions of The Jesus Way. During Lent I will have done some teaching on Wednesday mornings on the Psalms and also on the Lord’s Prayer (within the context of Matthew’s Gospel); and, on fortnightly Wednesday evenings, some more Zoom seminars showing my In the Steps of Jesus videos to prepare us for the events of Holy Week. And we continue to be so grateful for James and Julia Wright for hosting and leading the monthly Wednesday Night Worship in St John’s Itchen Abbas.

All these are important parts of our church life. Yet we also need to be realistic that, with the pressures of modern life, it can be difficult for many people to find time during the working week or of an evening to attend such gatherings. So I would value your thoughts for discovering the most appropriate things to lay on in future.

I would like to keep Wednesday evening (on those weeks when WNW is not meeting) as the default time for laying on any such extra courses in discipleship or outreach, whilst keeping Tuesday evening as the default time for our other Committees and Team Meetings. However, we need to ensure that we come up with a pattern that is sustainable and really reaching the needs of those we are seeking to serve. It may be that that we think instead, not of central church gatherings, but of a variety of events in people’s homes. I have enjoyed being invited on several occasions to people’s homes to speak to a group of invited neighbours, and perhaps we could do such outreach events more frequently this coming autumn.

Finally, we continue to be so grateful for all that is being done for our children and young people. After a

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sad good-bye to Julia Wright in July, Little Rainbows has continued to flourish under the leadership of Rooey Aker and Louise James. Meanwhile the work of leading UTX has been picked up by Mike & Kelly Gibson, supported by Georgie Walker. After an enjoyable Pool Party in July, giving an opportunity for those in years 7-9 to reconnect after the Covid-years, a small group has continued to meet on the second Sunday of the month, and we hope this will lead to greater things. There have been recent discussions about whether they and others might go together to the ‘Big Church Day Out’ (over the late May bank holiday weekend) or attend some summer camps together, such as New Wine. In whatever way, it would be great to see this work amongst our young people being gradually rebuilt over the coming year.

Pastoral Care

One of the great strengths within the parish is the extent of the practical care and concern that is expressed to each other. It takes place every day in many unseen ways, but we see it in a more visible way in the concern of the Valley Visitors and in our monthly CAMEO meetings. A big thanks to Lavinia Owen and Charlotte Appleby for their leadership of both of these and, of course, to the many who come alongside them to share in this task. To walk into the atmosphere of CAMEO lunches these days (with over 50 people enjoying their lunch) is such a heartwarming experience, and we hope that all those who are there go back to their homes with a real sense of the warmth of Christ’s welcome.

I am delighted that Gerry Stacey, who as our Licensed Lay Minister is authorised by the Church to take extended communion to people in their homes, has agreed to take the bread and wine from the Lord’s Table on a regular basis (from CAMEO or our Parish Communions at Martyr Worthy or Easton). For me, as Rector it has been a humbling privilege to take communion to those who are housebound, whether in their own homes or in nearby care homes, and I am so pleased now to be sharing this with Gerry—in the hope that a greater number of people will know they are truly part of Christ’s church family here in the Valley.

This last month, over six Monday evenings, Elaine Labram has been leading the ‘Bereavement Journey’ course (assisted by Sally Clarke). I was invited to lead the last evening’s discussion, and it was obvious to me how much the four people in the room had appreciated the course, being allowed to speak out their grief and loss and to know the support of each other. We owe Elaine and Sally an incredible ‘thank you’ for the way they have quietly committed to this group and offered such love and gentle care in Christ’s name.

Within our own church community this year has seen the death of two members of our Electoral Roll: Sue Glasspool (whom I had never met, she having recently moved away to Scotland) and John Platt. It was a privilege for me to be with John, Liz and the family during those dark days in January, and we look forward to June 1 when Liz and her family are inviting the church community and other friends to come to a service in St Swithun’s, and then at their home, to celebrate all that we so loved and respected in John.

From the list of the ‘occasional offices’ (on page 4), you can see the complete list of Baptisms, Weddings and Funerals that have taken place in the parish this last year. I am very grateful for the visiting clergy and to Gerry Stacey for their help in covering some of these services when I have been away. And let’s continue to pray for the families of all those for whom these services were very important life-events, that they will know the love of Christ at work in their lives.

Resourcing and Reviewing

The kind of ministry that we’ve been mentioning is only practically feasible if there are good

administrative and governance structures in place to sustain it. To use an analogy, we may want to increase the amount of traffic crossing over the bridge, but we need to ensure the structures of the bridge are strong enough to cope with that increased traffic. So as we aim to build up the Christian church in the Valley and see more people come through our doors, we need to pay close attention to the way we resource all that we do and also appropriately review it. We need to aim for best practice in our management and governance.

Here we need to thank Beccy Clark so much for the incredible work that she does as she holds our central administration together so well, oiling the wheels of communication in this diverse parish, and doing so with a unique combination of pastoral care and business acumen.

We also need to thank all those who serve as Churchwardens, including Sara Mason (who is also Deputy Chairman of the PCC), and those who serve on our PCC and its Standing and Finance Committees, on the four DCCs, and as our Deanery Synod Representatives. It is not always the most attractive form of Christian service but it is often absolutely vital. During this year vacancies have arisen for the roles of Churchwardens, PCC

Treasurer, Safeguarding Officer, PCC Secretary and, and we are so grateful for those who have (or will have) stepped up to fill these important gaps in our

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church life. Please pray that the Lord continues to provide people to serve in all these important roles and that we can therefore continue to offer to all a strong welcome into Christ’s church here in the Valley.

And, last but not least, I would like to finish this report for 2022 by thanking one particular person in a special way. For in July, after our Parish Communion service in Itchen Abbas, we had the opportunity to dedicate a plaque that had been placed on the south wall which is inscribed with the following words:

In appreciation of the work done by Nick Owen who masterminded the re-ordering of this church and construction of the extension in 2009. The whole community benefits from this inspired transformation.

The reordering of St John’s has indeed given us a versatile and welcoming space in which we can host a wider variety of events, both large and small, which create warmth and energy within the heart of our parish life. Without this, the whole parish would be so much the poorer, and so we owe Nick a great debt of gratitude: “thank you!”

Celebrating Holy Week and Easter

Finally, let’s note that, soon after the APCM, we will once again be travelling in heart and mind to Jerusalem as we celebrate Holy Week and Easter together. I have written a narrative account of Jesus’ journey from Palm Sunday though to Easter Day in my book Immersed in the Passion , and have done an audio-recording of it (in 12 short instalments) called The Week that Changed the World . Please do be in touch with me if you would like to access either of these resources to aid your devotional reflection and prayer in this special season.

My prayer is that all of us would gain fresh insight during Holy Week into God’s love shown on the Cross of Jesus and experience a new joy and hope in our following of Christ as we celebrate the news of his resurrection on Easter Day, With love and prayers Revd Peter

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Church Reports

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptised into one body, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:12-13)

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8. Report on the fabric, goods and ornaments of the churches

St Mary’s Avington

The Vinegar Bible and prayer books are now stored in the new cabinet. A quinquennial report was carried out in November and we await the report. Work is needed on the electrics and heating but we will await the results of the quinquennial before proceeding with any plans. Thanks to all those who help with the upkeep of St. Mary’s Church, especially Gail Kennedy and the team of flower arrangers, Jacqui Squire for organising the working parties to keep the churchyard and graveyard looking beautiful and to those in the village who lock and unlock the church. Thanks also to Dave Lucas for braving the tower, hoisting the flag and clearing the gutters.

St Mary’s, Easton

In 2022 water ingress problems, evident at the junction of the Nave roof and the Chancel parapet, were at last properly inspected allowing plans to be developed for rectification. The problem, manifest as lifting of the interior plasterwork above the Chancel arch, was missed in the 2019 Quinquennial

inspection by our previous architects but is now very evident. We have parted company with them and commenced working with the Radley House Partnership whose chief conservation architect sits on the Diocesan Architecture Committee. On an initial visit problems were identified and subsequently made good before the onset of winter - the wooden shingles on the steeple roof lost in high winds, blockage of the gutter hopper with nesting material, and jackdaws nesting in the eaves through a hole created in the external wall. A list of items using lime mortar which requires warmer temperatures has been identified including renewal of the lime cement and leadwork preventing ingress of water to the Nave wall above the arch and replacement of damaged internal plaster work to the Nave and within the Chancel ceiling. Also, on the agenda are freshening up of the internal lime wash throughout the church interior and replacement of the rotten bottom oak timbers of the Lychgate. Continuing problems with obtaining architect time and contractors availability make it difficult but not impossible that all the works will be completed this summer and every effort is being made to achieve this.

St Mary’s Development Project : an important step forward was made with a consultation meeting with all interested parties held in September. It comprised a presentation of needs and an early stage outline plan of proposed works to add a modest kitchen, indoor disabled toilet facility, a flexible space particularly for running Sunday school away from services being conducted in the Church, and disabled parking, drop off and level wheelchair access. Feedback from the meeting has been sought to be incorporated into the planning pre-application which will be shared with local planners, Historic England and the Victorian Society amongst others for feedback and to gauge viability. Theo Mezger is leading the Project with direct oversight from the PCC.

St John’s, Itchen Abbas

St John’s has been very well used during the year, not only for regular services but also for a wide range of other events, utilising its versatility. It is the regular venue for Wednesday Night Worship, for Little Rainbows and for CAMEO, and has been used for Café Church, UTX and Lent talks as well as other

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one off events. Vernon Tottle continues to be the much appreciated maestro at reconfiguring the layout for different occasions. A tablet was installed to acknowledge the part Nick Owen contributed to the re-ordering of the church in 2009, which was long overdue. However, although the church has been kept warm on some weekdays during the cold weather nobody actually made use of this welcome arrangement.

There have been no major repairs this year. The boiler and toilet need some attention, which Patrick Appleby kindly has in hand. There is also an issue with the sound system. The church field remained usable for parking in the summer in spite of the excessive heat stressing the grass, and in the autumn/winter it has withstood frequent heavy use, apart from being closed when very slippery. Reseeding is planned for the spring when sections will be closed at intervals. The churchyard is kept tidy and well cared for; the wild flower section was abandoned as the families whose graves were affected felt this area looked neglected. Amongst the new portable items in the church, there is a noticeboard on wheels, a drop down screen, a central kneeler at the altar rail and two new vases. The card reader for donations took much time and ingenuity to guarantee it worked, but it is now successfully installed on a table near the entrance.

St Swithun’s, Martyr Worthy

2022 was another quiet year as no major repairs were needed, apart from storm damage to some tiles on the vestry roof and the main roof above it. Our quinquennial inspection, carried out in April 2022, also revealed no other major issues. We felled a dangerous ash tree in May 2022 in the north east corner of the churchyard which lent over the churchyard wall into Church Lane.

We have continued investigating the possibility of engraving the west window of the church, which is currently nearly all plain glass, subject to raising the necessary funding. We have just received a revised proposed design from Tracey Sheppard. Since the year end, Fiona Hudd at Radley House Partnership has agreed to become MW’s inspecting church architect following Seymour & Bainbridge ceasing business.

9. Churchwardens’ report

We would like to start as always by warmly welcoming all those who are new to the Parish including young families and those from outside the Parish who have chosen to worship with us and become part of our community.

2022 was the Revd. Peter Walker’s first full year with us following his appointment as our Rector on 11 September 2021 and saw him start developing and implementing his plans for our parish. We feel truly blessed to have Peter and Georgie amongst us. However, we must remember that the post of Rector, which has been a half-time post since Alex’s arrival in April 2018, remains a half-time post, with Peter devoting the other half his time to his academic interests. 2022 also saw us getting back to some sense of normality after the COVID pandemic of the last couple of years, whilst recognising that COVID is likely to be with us for many years to come and that we just have to learn to live with it.

We would like to pay tribute to the members of our Ministry Team led by Peter, supported by:

We are truly appreciative and would like to thank our Ministry Team for all that they have done and feel truly blessed to have them. We should also

remember that the Ministry Team plays a very important role now that the post of Rector is only a half-time post and given that we have not had a curate since 2018. We also much appreciated the part played by visiting clergy drawn from the Clerical Register when Peter is away. An enormous thank you to you all.

That said, it must not be forgotten that the success of our parish depends equally on an army of volunteers who perform various key roles and duties, without whose time, hard work, help and enthusiasm we would have no churches open and not be able to hold services. They include those who:

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It has always been and remains one big team effort and we are truly appreciative of all that you have done. We thank you all individually and collectively. Our objective remains to hold a minimum of two church services each Sunday with services spread across our four churches in a regular pattern of worship which our congregation appreciates. As set out in our parish profile, in recognition of the fact that the Church of England is a broad church, that we are a rural parish and that different members of our congregation like different forms of worship, liturgy and versions of the prayer book and Bible, we aim to offer worship across a broad spectrum. This involves a balance of traditional and more modern familyorientated services so as to both maintain a wide appeal and attract younger people which is so important if we are to be a vibrant and growing rural parish. We also hold a monthly mid-week informal, modern service called Wednesday Night Worship. We appreciate that the more modern forms of services do not appeal to some of our older congregation members. However it attracts younger

families who are playing an active role in church life. We keep the format and content of these more modern form of services under regular review. In addition, we carry out some mid-morning or evening mid-week teaching.

We are blessed with beautiful and well-maintained churches and are pleased that we are able to keep them open daily and to use them for regular and festive worship and other events. It is gratifying to see from the visitors’ books how many people visit and appreciate our churches. This is in large part due to the four District Church Councils, who have delegated responsibility for the upkeep and general maintenance of the churches and churchyards, together with the large number of people who provide additional support.

We continued to assist our Rector and the ministry team with implementing our Parish Mission Action Plan as part of the Diocese’s Strategic Priorities for Mission. This has led to various initiatives in recent years including a renewed focus on attracting more families and younger parishioners to our churches. We would like to thank:

We are truly appreciative and grateful. Thank you. The work of the Parish is reflected in the wide range of activities which take place, including the annual Way of the Cross Service at Easter, our Patronal Services and parties and Carols in the Barn at Christmas. In addition we had carol singing in Itchen Abbas village in 2022 led by the choir under the direction of Maj Gen Tim Tyler.

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With a focus on mission and outreach, and mindful of the importance of public benefit in the work of a charity, many of the activities of the parish continued to be directed towards the wider community and beyond:

As in 2020 and 2021, 2022 was a less active year for fundraising. Events for the General Fund were limited to the second and third of the three lectures in 2021/22 Martyr Worthy Lecture Series (£3,165), Martyr Worthy Coffee Morning (£162) and Pancake Party (£69). Historically fundraising events for the General Fund have made a major contribution to our financial position and a major push will need to be made if fundraising income is to revert to its formal levels. In addition, the Easton Flower Festival raised £10,881 for the Easton Development Project Restricted Fund and Philip Windsor-Aubrey ‘s Woodwork Sales raised £123 for Martyr Worthy’s Restricted Fabric Fund. Fundraising events also provide a social dimension to our life as a parish and demonstrate that the congregation is active in the local community. Some are put on jointly with other organisations and may raise money for several charities as well as church funds. We are once again grateful for the energy and enthusiasm of fundraising teams, but are always looking out for new ideas and helpers.

Going forward, as the Treasurer makes clear in his report, we need to increase planned giving by 30% given the deficit forecast for 2023 and the fall in fundraising income.

In summary the Churchwardens thank all those who contribute in many different ways to the work and smooth running of the parish.

This year Robin Greenwood, who has been a Churchwarden for the last eight years and has been a member of MW DCC for 18 years, is standing down as a Churchwarden and as a member of the PCC. In addition, as mentioned above, James Wright and Olivia Cox resigned as Hon Treasurer and Hon Secretary and we would like to thank them both for what they have done. There are a number of vacancies which we need to fill - two Churchwardens in Avington, a second permanent Churchwarden in Martyr Worthy and a PCC Secretary – if we are to be a sustainable and growing parish.

10. Deanery Synod report

thinking about this to put their name forward. The Synod is very forward looking and as you can see from the report spends much of its time working together in friendship to explore opportunities for mission. We start every meeting with a short act of worship.

During the last 12 months Synod has met three times in June, October and February.

Deanery Pilgrimage – We organised a pilgrimage walk along the Pilgrim’s way between St Johns, Alresford and the Cathedral on Saturday 28[th] May. We provided a warm welcome, rest and refreshments to walkers at St Swithun’s Martyr Worthy.

Dean Catherine Ogle – Dean Catherine spoke to us about the core values of the Cathedral, these being kindness, openness and excellence, rooted in the gospel and lived through the Rule of St. Benedict. The priorities for the Cathedral have been updated for 2022: Renew - a green and sustainable cathedral where all are welcome; Inspire - a creative cathedral which uses the arts, heritage, and technology to deepen worship; Unite - one cathedral that celebrates diversity and promotes justice. The Dean

emphasised that the Cathedral is for everyone, not just a select few, and concluded by encouraging all to put forward thoughts and comments regarding the appointment of the next Bishop..

Focal Ministry – this pilot has now completed its first year in Bighton and Old Alresford. The report admits that not all clergy feel able to empower lay ministry in this way but recognises that the relationships developed in the pilot are encouraging and will be continued. Those involved thought this has been a very positive experience.

Rwanda – during the year we had a report by Alex Green and most recently a presentation by Mark Collinson, Director of Ministry in February showing the work being done in Rwanda and discussing how we may get involved. The current position is that parishes may get directly involved parish to parish and we will be considering our position in this parish. Farm Church – the September service was cancelled due to the death of the Monarch and the future is being considered.

11. Reports

CAMEO

We are delighted to report that CAMEO continues to flourish. The format of one service from Revd Peter, one from our LLM Gerry Stacey and one from a visiting priest in each quarter provides an excellent balance between variety and familiarity.

We resumed meeting for lunch in February 2022 after the COVID interruption and have enjoyed a variety of delicious foods – beef and chicken three times each, fish and turkey each twice, ham and pork once each and lamb once at the time of writing. When I say something came three times, I mean of course in three completely different recipes. Vegetarians are also catered for.

We are entitled to three representatives but currently only have two. I would heartily recommend to anyone

16

We have had over 50 people more than once – the numbers of both guests and helpers continues to grow in a most gratifying manner. We have had to buy a new table and will soon have to get some more plates – we are borrowing extras at the moment. Many of our guests have, for various reasons, moved out of the Valley and find the opportunity to meet up with old friends especially welcome. I am not sure that this ‘expatriate’ element would have been anticipated at the planning stage, but it is clearly valued. Conversely, some guests are still living in the Valley but are no longer active enough to come to CAMEO so we have kept one of our Covid innovations going in a small way and deliver ‘a little something’ to them after CAMEO – maybe a helping of the CAMEO dish of the day, or some biscuits for example. We are delighted that, moving forwards on a quarterly basis, Gerry as our Licensed Lay Minister will be able to take communion ‘by extension’ to some of those who are housebound.

We owe huge thanks to Vernon the Verger, who has the task of fitting more places into the church than might have been thought possible and somehow always manages to do it. The cooks, table layers, washers uppers, tea towel washers, organisers of supplies of tea, coffee and milk and the provider of pretty flower arrangements for the tables (and for taking away and enjoying afterwards) and many helpers are wonderful, as are those who fetch and deliver guests who no longer drive – it is a great team effort. If you know anyone who would enjoy joining us do please ask them to get in touch. Charlotte Appleby

take Home Communion to those unable to come to services.

We have not had a formal meeting in the last year, but now have a meeting booked for 14 March. I would like to say an enormous “thank you” to our enthusiastic team of visitors, who do so much to provide relief for those stuck at home, often with limited support. We would always welcome more volunteers for this rewarding work, particularly from a slightly younger age group! Lavinia Owen

Café Church

Following discussions amongst the Ministry Team about it as a new initiative, the first Café Church was held in early October. After successful gatherings in November, on New Year’s Day in January, and in February and March it is now firmly established as a fixture of the Parish calendar on the first Sunday of each month at 4pm. The Itchen Abbas Village Hall has proved to be a welcoming, flexible space for it and it has consistently attracted 40-60 attendees of all ages, many of whom are new to the Parish community.

Valley Visitors

The Valley Visitors remain a team of fourteen dedicated visitors. It has been a difficult and emotional year for some of them, but they have continued to reach out to others in the community. During our first full year out of lockdown, there are still those who are reluctant to leave their homes, or be visited, but care home visits are now possible, and several have been carried out.

The number of households visited continues to rise, thanks to active enquiries by our visitors, and helped by our close links with CAMEO and a lot of visiting by Reverend Peter and Georgie. We are delighted that Gerry has now been allowed, in addition to Peter, to

A simple Café Church ‘formula’ has been developed, involving plentiful brownies, scones and cakes (supplied by a committed group of skilled bakers in the Valley), tea and coffee, five or six round tables to encourage conversation amongst new and old friends, a prayer area, kids’ activities (both indoor and outdoor – the Village Hall garden is a great asset) and a short talk on a Biblical theme. As one

participant (who has not attended any of the normal Parish services) put it after a recent Café Church, the only negative was that ‘it was too short’ - he said he was loving meeting new people but also ‘having a bit of religion too.’ John Barber

17

Wednesday Night Worship

Wednesday Night Worship has continued to take place once a month, in St John’s, Itchen Abbas. The evenings continue to follow the now familiar pattern: a time of fellowship over tea and brownies as people arrive; a time of informal worship; hearing a testimony rooted in Scripture; and then time to pray for one another. Our prayer is that these evenings provide a space for people to meet with God, as well as to meet with each other and encourage one another in their faith. We continue to pray too that these evenings are filled with the Holy Spirit and also led by the Holy Spirit. The evenings are very much open to all who like to worship and pray in an informal setting. Julia Wright

Little Rainbows

We were very sad to say goodbye to Julia Wright in July last year when her youngest started school and her Little Rainbows journey came to an end.

After a break for the summer holidays we started again in September with a new team of Rainbow leaders. We have welcomed some new faces and around 10-15 carers regularly attending with their little ones. It continues to be a welcoming, warm caring environment and a lovely way to start the week.

We still broadly follow the same format of play, coffee, snack time, dancing, a Bible story or puppet show and some singing. We continue to be hugely grateful to the rota of Older Rainbows organised by Verity Colman and have been joined by some new wonderful ladies who will be organising a craft activity. We always love their company and are very appreciative for their tea, coffee and delicious cakes. Louise James

The Ark

Over the last year the Ark has been attended by a small group of children who have a deep faith in God. We have met in various ways – in a Sunday

School style during the service, at All Age Services, Café Church and in each other’s homes.

We have kept our topics in line with Bible readings in our Church Services such as becoming a disciple and the body of the church. We have had a lot of fun with activities like watercolour worship, stomp rockets, walks along the river and foot painting. As parents, it is an absolute delight to see our children growing in their faith together through the vehicle of the Ark and through the opportunity to participate in All Age Services. We have also seen how blessed the adult congregation has been by the presence of children in the services and reporting back on the fun they’ve had together. We have been delighted to welcome guests from our local community and visitors (such as Grandchildren staying with their Grandparents) to the Ark though the year. We are very much encouraged by much wider attendance at Café Church and events such as the Pancake Party. But our hope and prayer is for more children to join the Ark, even if their parents aren’t believers. We are short of people to dedicate to advertising but believe there is an opportunity to “!Go Big! “as we head into 2023/24. Verity Greig

UTX (Under the Cross)

Following COVID-19 UTX had an extended break. It was relaunched in July 2022 with a Pool Party. As part of our ministry to our young people, we hold a UTX social evening once a month, usually the second Sunday at St. John’s, Itchen Abbas. Evening activities have included a Star Gazing Live in the Valley evening, board games, crafts, a Task Master themed night with challenges and activities. Since the relaunch, in order to better meet the needs of our young people and families we have taken into account feedback and have adjusted the age group - now catering for school years 6-10, and altered start/finish times.

Kelly Gibson, UTX Leader

18

Health and Safety

I am pleased to report that there have been no reported incidents within the parish since the last report. As the pandemic lost its grip on the country we were able to return to our in-person services without restrictions. This was very welcome. We remained mindful of those in our community who still needed to protect themselves from close contact with others, so we maintained the ‘dip not sip’ protocol for communion and ensured there was room within services for a safe area away from the rest of the congregation.

A health and safety report with recommendations was issued for St Mary’s Avington to support the opening up of the access to the barrel organ. Throughout the year we risk assessed several different events including the carol services, roaming carol singing and the garden festival in Easton. The churchwardens, supported by the Rector and health and safety reps, in particular David Swinstead, did a fantastic job in maintaining safe events for all those attending.

Safeguarding

Sarah Hunt stood down as the Parish Safeguarding Representative during the year and we are very grateful for all of the hard work she has put into this role. Revd Peter temporarily took over this role while Jessica Helgesen completed her training and became our new safeguarding officer.

There were no incidents or confidential matters which have caused concern. This PCC has adopted the safeguarding policies and procedures of the Church of England for a further year. Revd Peter

Sara Mason

19

Financial Report

Pay to all what is due to them—taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honour to whom honour is due. Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law (Romans 13:7-8)

20

Itchen Valley PCC

End of Year Financial Statements

Year ending 31[st] December 2022

21

FINANCIAL REVIEW

This report shows the financial performance of the Itchen Valley Parish for 2022.

Total unrestricted income for the year at £120k was 20% higher than 2021 (£101k) and unrestricted expenses at £109k were significantly lower than £128k in 2021. This is primarily because the Common Mission Fund payment was £23k lower than in 2021. The total surplus for the year (including both unrestricted and restricted funds) was £14k. The equivalent figure for 2021 was a deficit of £39k. Total funds at 31[st] December 2022 were £231k (2021 - £216k). The unrestricted surplus which is the measure of regular income less running costs was £11k compared to the 2021 unrestricted deficit of £28k.

The Parish’s contribution to the Common Mission Fund (CMF) was £45k in 2022 and will revert to its more normal level of £75k in 2023. As a result unless we significantly increase our planned giving the Parish is expected to record a deficit for the current year. Planned giving (unrestricted) and associated Gift Aid Recovered totaled £ 90k (2021 - £83k). Efforts have been made to increase planned giving and these have had some impact, but our planned giving is not yet at a level that will allow the Parish to operate with a surplus. We need to increase planned giving by 30% and will be working during the current year to seek to achieve that.

As ever many thanks are due to all those who contributed to the running and financing of the Parish. James Wright stepped down as Treasurer in September 2022 and was succeeded by David Anderson. Janet Denyer continues to carry out the roles of Bookkeeper and Gift Aid Secretary expertly.

Reserves policy

As required by Charities legislation the PCC reviews regularly the financial risks associated with the operations of the Church. The main financial risk to income would be a change in the giving profile of parishioners and the main financial risk to costs would be a requirement for significant expenditure on the buildings. The PCC’s policy is to maintain liquid funds (not designated for other purposes) to cover 9 months expenditure of unrestricted funds.

Approved by the Itchen Valley PCC on 21st March 2023 and signed on their behalf by

Reverend Peter Walker

22

Independent Examiner’s Report on the Accounts for year ended 31[st] December 2022

Respective responsibilities of the PCC and the Examiner

The PCC members acting as the charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity’s trustees consider than an audit is not required for the year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the Charities Act) and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to:

Basis of the Independent Examiner’s Statement

My examination was carried out in accordance with the general directions given by the Charity Commission and the guidance published in ‘PCC Accountability’ (The Charities Act 2011 and the PCC, 5[th] Edition). An examination includes a review of the accounting records held by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with these records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required for an audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair’ view and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.

Independent Examiner’s Statement

In connection with my examination no material matter has come to my attention which gives me cause to believe that in any material respect accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act or that the accounts do not accord with the accounting records. I have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Date : 23[rd] March 2023

Signed by

Stephen Hendy

23

ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Church Accounting Regulations 2006 together with applicable accounting standards and SORP 2005. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention except for the valuation of investment assets which are shown at market value. The financial statements include all transactions, assets and liabilities for which the PCC is responsible in law. They do not include the accounts of church groups that owe their main affiliation to another body nor those that are informal gatherings of church members.

Funds

Restricted funds represent donations or grants received for a specific object or invited by the PCC for a specific object. The funds may only be expended on the specific object for which they were given. Any balance remaining unspent at the end of the year must be carried forward as a balance on that fund.

Designated funds are unrestricted funds set aside for expenditure on a specific purpose agreed by the PCC. The designation has no legal status and can be changed.

Unrestricted funds are general funds which can be used for PCC ordinary purposes in accordance with its constitution.

Incoming resources

All income is generally recognized when received.

Resources expended

Expenditure is generally recognised when it is incurred and is accounted for gross. In certain cases where significant liabilities have been incurred but not paid for these are accounted for on an accruals basis.

Fixed assets

Consecrated and benefice property is not included in the accounts in accordance with S.92(a) of the Charities Act 1993. Movable church furnishings held by the rector and churchwardens on special trust for the PCC and which require faculty for disposal are inalienable property, listed in the church’s inventory, which can be inspected on request.

Investments

Investments are valued at market value at 31[st] December and are shown under current assets. Investments sold are revalued immediately prior to disposal. Investment income is allocated across funds in proportion to their average balance during the year.

24

Statement of Financial Activities

Unrestricted
funds
Designated
funds
Restricted
funds
This year
total funds
Last year
total funds
Note
Receipts
Planned giving
1
Collections and other giving
2
Other voluntary receipts
3
Gift Aid recovered
4
Other receipts
5
Activities for generating funds
6
Investment income
7
Receipts from church activities
8
Total receipts
Payments
Cost of generating funds
9
Common Mission Fund
10
Clergy and staffing costs
11
Church running expenses
12
Church repairs & maintenance
13
New building work
14
Total payments
Net incoming / outgoing resources before transfer
Transfers between funds
Net incoming / outgoing before other gains /
losses
Other recognised gains / losses
Gains / losses on investment assets
Net movement in funds
Total funds brought forward
Total funds carried forward
Represented by
Unrestricted
General fund
Designated
Itchen Abbas Designated Fabric
Restricted
Avington Fabric
Easton Fabric
Martyr Worthy Fabric
Were Fabric Fund
Total Funds		 73,046
—
—
73,046
68,464
9,025
—
517
9,542
3,592
4,167
—
891
5,058
25,933
16,594
—
252
16,846
15,150
4,596
—
—
4,596
4,127
3,778
—
12,613
16,391
3,352
126
33
113
273
1,412
8,870
—
—
8,870
7,359
120,203
33
14,386
134,622
129,389
597
—
1,608
2,205
80
45,000
—
—
45,000
68,537
26,590
—
—
26,590
20,713
36,480
—
5,502
41,982
39,115
—
—
4,447
4,447
6,638
—
—
—
—
32,952
108,667
—
11,558
120,224
168,034
11,536
33
2,828
14,398
(38,645)
---
---
---
---
---
11,536
33
2,828
14,398
(38,645)
—
—
—
—
4,916
11,536
33
2,828
14,398
(33,730)
97,851
27,367
91,273
216,491
250,221
109,387
27,400
94,101
230,889
216,491
109,387
—
—
109,387
97,851
—
27,400
—
27,400
27,367
—
—
9,508
9,508
10,814
—
—
44,313
44,313
39,540
—
—
17,277
17,277
17,945
—
—
23,002
23,002
22,974
109,387
27,400
94,101
230,889
216,491

25

Balance sheet

Total funds
Prior year
total funds
Current assets
Debtors
Cash at bank and in hand
Liabilities
Creditors: Amounts falling due in one year
Net current assets less current liabilities
Total assets less current liabilities
Total net assets less liabilities
Represented by
Unrestricted
General fund
Designated
Itchen Abbas Designated Fabric
Restricted
Avington Fabric
Easton Fabric
Martyr Worthy Fabric
Were Fabric Fund
Funds of the church		 2,980
7,756
242,373
215,150
245,353
222,905
14,465
6,415
14,465
6,415
230,889
216,491
230,889
216,491
230,889
216,491
109,387
97,851
27,400
27,367
9,508
10,814
44,313
39,540
17,277
17,945
23,002
22,974
230,889
216,491

Statement of assets and liabilities

General
Designated
Restricted
Total
thisyear
Total
lastyear
Current assets - Current assets
CAF current account
CAF Gold bank account
Nat West current account
Accounts receivable
Totals
Liabilities - Liabilities
Agency collections
Accounts payable
Prepayments
Totals
Grand total		 69,553
17,182
68,706
155,440
132,034
16,953
4,188
14,487
35,628
35,492
24,413
6,031
20,862
51,305
47,624
1,439
—
1,542
2,980
7,756
112,357
27,400
105,596
245,353
222,905
—
—
10,804
10,804
2,917
2,570
—
—
2,570
2,228
400
—
691
1,091
1,270
2,970
—
11,495
14,465
6,415
109,387
27,400
94,101
230,889
216,491

26

Analysis of income and expenditure

1 Planned giving

Planned giving - GAE donations
Planned giving - non GAE donations
Planned giving - GA inclusive donations
Total		 Unrestricted
Designated
Restricted
Total
this year
Total
last year
55,616
—
—
55,616
53,602
7,470
—
—
7,470
5,782
9,960
—
—
9,960
9,080
73,046
—
—
73,046
68,464

2 Collections and other giving

GASDS Avington
GASDS Martyr Worthy
GASDS Itchen Abbas
GASDS Easton
One-off GAE gifts (inc CAF Donate GAE)
Total		 Unrestricted
Designated
Restricted
Total
this year
Total
last year
189
—
—
189
—
2,087
—
—
2,087
187
1,262
—
—
1,262
114
1,475
—
487
1,962
473
4,013
—
30
4,043
2,818
9,025
—
517
9,542
3,592

3 Other voluntary receipts

Church wall boxes
Donations for specific purposes
Recurring grants
Other donations Non GAE & one-off grants
Total		 Unrestricted
Designated
Restricted
Total
this year
Total
last year
406
—
—
406
458
—
—
489
489
19,493
—
—
—
—
2,500
3,761
—
402
4,163
3,482
4,167
—
891
5,058
25,933

4 Gift Aid recovered

Gift aid tax reclaim
Total		 Unrestricted
Designated
Restricted
Total
this year
Total
last year
16,594
—
252
16,846
15,150
16,594
—
252
16,846
15,150

5 Other receipts

Other funds generated
Total		 Unrestricted
Designated
Restricted
Total
this year
Total
last year
4,596
—
-
4,596
4,127
4,596
—
-
4,596
4,127

27

6 Activities for generating funds

Fund raising events
Total		 Unrestricted
Designated
Restricted
Total
this year
Total
last year
3,778
—
12,613
16,391
3,352
3,778
—
12,613
16,391
3,352
7 Investment income
Bank interest
Investment income
Total		 Unrestricted
Designated
Restricted
Total
this year
Total
last year
126
33
113
273
158
—
—
—
—
1,254
126
33
113
273
1,412

8 Receipts from church activities

Wedding & funeral fees
Total		 Unrestricted
Designated
Restricted
Total
this year
Total
last year
8,870
—
—
8,870
7,359
8,870
—
—
8,870
7,359

9 Cost of generating funds

Costs of fund raising events
Total		 Unrestricted
Designated
Restricted
Total
this year
Total
last year
597
—
1,608
2,205
80
597
—
1,608
2,205
80

10 Common Mission Fund

Common mission fund
Total		 Unrestricted
Designated
Restricted
Total
this year
Total
last year
45,000
—
—
45,000
68,537
45,000
—
—
45,000
68,537
11 Clergy and staffing costs
Assistant ministry expenses
Parish administrator & bookkeeper costs
Youth worker
Rector's expenses
Total		 Unrestricted
Designated
Restricted
Total
this year
Total
last year
1,021
—
—
1,021
210
21,171
—
—
21,171
20,188
455
—
—
455
—
3,944
—
—
3,944
315
26,590
—
—
26,590
20,713

28

12 Church running expenses

Bank charges
Expenses for vacancy
Deanery Synod
Wedding and funeral expenses
Stationery, printing, computing
Sacristy
Training courses
Children's activities
Parish entertainment and hospitality
Church running - insurance
Organ tuning
Church maintenance
Service: fire, heating, safety
Worship and music
Upkeep of churchyard
Administration
Church running - electric
Church running - gas
Church running - water
Total		 Unrestricted
Designated
Restricted
Total
this year
Total
last year
120
—
—
120
96
—
—
—
—
945
105
—
—
105
—
2,350
—
—
2,350
1,852
6,086
—
—
6,086
6,002
14
—
—
14
—
25
—
—
25
173
777
—
—
777
373
523
—
—
523
461
6,426
—
—
6,426
6,189
441
—
—
441
355
2,807
—
—
2,807
4,941
850
—
—
850
2,024
2,442
—
—
2,442
2,650
4,770
—
5,502
10,272
6,768
715
—
—
715
820
2,391
—
—
2,391
2,316
5,146
—
—
5,146
2,783
493
—
—
493
369
36,480
—
5,502
41,982
39,115

13 Church repairs & maintenance

Quinquennial inspection - Martyr Worthy
Quinquennial inspection - Itchen Abbas
Quinquennial inspection - Easton
Quinquennial inspection - Avington
Church & graveyard major repairs
Total		 Unrestricted
Designated
Restricted
Total
this year
Total
last year
—
—
29
29
2,358
—
—
—
—
663
—
—
413
413
—
—
—
850
850
—
—
—
3,156
3,156
3,617
—
—
4,447
4,447
6,638

14 New building work

Avington Bible cabinet
Easton sound system
Total		 Unrestricted
Designated
Restricted
Total
this year
Total
last year
—
—
—
—
3,449
—
—
—
—
29,503
—
—
—
—
32,952

29

15 Additional notes

Details of fund-raising activities

Details of fund-raising activities
Event Unrestricted
Fund		 Restricted
Fund		 Net sum
raised for
the parish
Martyr Worthy Lectures 2022
Easton Flower Festival
Sale of woodwork
Film night
Martyr Worthy Coffee morning		 3,165
(114)
162		 10,881
123		 3,165
10,881
123
(114)
162
Easton Pancake Party 69 69
Total 3,282 11,004 14,286

In many cases, fund raising expenses are not reported to IVPCC and only net funds have been received. Although this is relatively common practice, it is not strictly in compliance with generally accepted accounting practice. This does not include the sum of £1,171, raised by the Easton Flower Festival, which has been allocated to the Ukraine Appeal fund.

Collections for other charities

During 2022 there were the following collections for other charities (not including special collections at weddings and funerals). As these collections are for third parties, they are not counted as part of the funds of the Parish. Collections include donations via CAF Donate and SumUp.

Harvest Festival collections for:
Trinity Winchester
Winchester Basics Bank
Winchester Beacon		 216
216
216
Remembrance service collection for:
Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal		 339
Christingle service collection for:
The Children’s Society		 140
Christmas collections 2022 split between:
Trinity Winchester
Winchester Basics Bank
Winchester Beacon		 966
966
966
Total collections for other charities 4,025

Gifts and fund raising for the Ukraine appeal fund

Gifts including contribution from fund raising :
Ukraine Appeal Fund		 7,576

The sum of £7,576 includes £1,171 allocated from funds raised by the Easton Flower Show.

Donations for specific purposes

Donations for specific purposes
Easton trees 489
Total donations for specific purposes 489

Donations from Trustees

The total donations from the Trustees in the reporting period was £25,948 and no conditions were attached to any of these donations.

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Itchen Valley Churches St John’s Church, Itchen Abbas, Winchester SO21 1BJ