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← The Parochial Church Council Of The Ecclesiastical Parish Of Itchen Valley, Winchester

2023-12-31-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 2023

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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 - 14

  9. Churchwardens’ report - 15

  10. Deanery Synod report - 17

  11. Further reports - 18

Section 2 – Financial Reports - 22

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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 - Gerry Stacey Ministry team – John Barber, Nicky Barber, Tim Clapp, Simon Ffennell, Sarah Noble, Lavinia Owen.

Churchwardens:

St Mary’s Avington Vacant St Mary’s Easton Chris Ellis Mary Purser St John’s Itchen Abbas Sarah Hunt St Swithun’s Martyr Worthy Sara Mason Theo Mezger

Deanery Synod Representatives (elected in 2023 for 3 years) - Gerry Stacey, Chris Ellis, Mary Hogg (elected during the year).

Elected members of the PCC : Helen Wayne (Avington), Sara Janssen (Easton), Olivia Cox (Itchen Abbas), Nicky Barber (Martyr Worthy). Secretary : Beccy Clark (appointed during the year) Hon Treasurer: David Anderson

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 2023. 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 2023. All regular Church attendees are encouraged to register on the Electoral Roll and stand for election to the PCC and DCCs.

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 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 sets out some of the highlights of the parish’s achievements and performance in 2023.

6. Electoral roll

There are 138 names on the 2024 Electoral Roll for the Parish, of whom 14 live outside the parish. This is a decrease of 10 on 2023.

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7. Rector’s Report

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them.

When they saw him, they worshiped him, but they doubted. And Jesus came and said to them:

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

(Matthew 28:16-20)

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From these words at the very end of Matthew’s Gospel, we are given a blueprint for what each church around the world might look like: a community of people gathered around the Risen Jesus, knowing his presence in their midst, and who—regardless of their race or background, ‘coming from all nations’— are learning how to obey Christ as Lord and calling others to follow his teaching and to worship the Living God, revealed as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

It's a great vision, but in the nitty-gritty of ‘ordinary parish life’, we can easily lose sight of it and end up just ‘doing church’. Yet I hope that, as I now paint a picture of what we did together throughout 2023, we will sense that there was more going on amongst us than just ‘doing church’. With all our differences of character and personality—as seen in our different preferences for styles of worship and the wide variety of activities on offer—there was something else going on, indeed someone else in our midst: the risen Christ drawing us to himself, revealing his truth and love, and calling us to be his people and his witnesses here in the beautiful Itchen Valley.

So I hope you will enjoy reading this and be encouraged in your faith as you do so!

A year in the life of our parish

Springtime

One of the major aims in last year’s Annual Report was to describe the new Sunday Service plan (which had begun in November 2022). So our services from January through to Easter gave us the first opportunity to get used to the new pattern, which would then continue throughout the year:

  1. This meant we were able, for example, to see Café Church becoming an integral and a muchloved part of our church life, thanks to the vision and hard work of those in the leadership team (who even organised a special one for New Year for the afternoon of Sunday 1 January!). Café Church would then meet on the first Sunday of each month (except in May and August) in the Itchen Abbas Village Hall: the afternoon slot, especially on dark winter afternoons, and the great food on offer, together with the opportunity for children to play safely outside, would prove very attractive. And, by the end of the year, we had begun to give greater space for some teaching and contemporary worship which, whist still very accessible to people just ‘dropping in’, was also really feeding us with Jesus’ truth and love.

  2. On the second Sunday of the month, we began to see people coming to our more reflective 08.30am service of Holy Communion, followed by biblical teaching over coffee and croissants— for much of the year on the theme of Jesus the Good Shepherd.

  3. On the third Sunday, we saw how the Evening Worship at St John’s could be used in different ways—whether for an ecumenical service for the week of Prayer for Christian Unity in January (led by Lesley-Anne Ritchie as a licensed preacher in the Methodist church) or for a service of prayer in February to mark the first anniversary of the War in Ukraine (led by Gerry Stacey in the company of several of our Ukrainian refugees living in Valley). And, as the year continued, there would be a couple of Taizé-styled services (in May and October).

  4. And on the fourth Sunday, guided by John and Nicky Barber, we enjoyed a yet different style of service in Valley Worship in St Mary’s, Easton. In February we had a special Valley Worship, with Tim Clapp leading the music, and with Bishop David Williams as our preacher, as he confirmed Phoebe Culshaw (who had been baptised

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So it was good to see these services developing in their different ways—alongside our continued enjoyment and development of our more traditional services of Holy Communion and Evensong, which are valued by so many.

Coming back to the spring, after an energetic Pancake Party on Shrove Tuesday in the Itchen Abbas Village Hall (thanks to the ‘dream-team’ in the kitchen flipping nearly 200 pancakes!), Ash Wednesday was celebrated suitably differently: with the evening communion service offering the ‘imposition of ashes’ for those who wished, and with the start of a series of lunchtime Bible Studies (over a cup of soup) which focused on some Psalms and the words of the Lord’s Prayer. These lunch-hours together proved over the weeks to be quite special— as each week we found individuals within the group sharing profound insights that had only come to them at that very moment. These were Bible Studies quite different to anything I had experienced before and, looking back, were one of the highlights of the year.

Lent would not be Lent in the Valley without the Lent Lunches. So it was great to see how Jude Mezger picked up the baton from Stephanie Gretton and developed a 5-week programme in which we could enjoy being in different people’s homes and being invited to support the important work of the Hampshire Hospitals Trust. Thanks so much to our kind hosts on each occasion.

Also during February and March a small group of people met in St John’s to travel together on the ‘Bereavement Journey’. I attended some of these evenings and was touched by the level of care and sympathy seen in the group. A huge ‘thank you’ to Elaine Labram (ably assisted by Sally Clarke) for leading this course once again.

Holy Week began with a donkey procession starting from outside the Cricketers’ Inn in Easton. There were then three beautiful services of Compline in

Martyr Worthy, leading up to a Maundy Thursday service in Itchen Abbas which focused on the Jewish background of the Last Supper, helping people to see new significance in what Jesus said and did—as he offered his ‘body’ instead of the traditional Passover lamb.

On Good Friday, the ‘Way of the Cross’ was celebrated in quite windy conditions. We were so grateful that Femi Ladeinde had agreed to play the part of Jesus and for all those who filled the many other roles in the script—including some very energetic young Roman soldiers! The crucifixion scene in the church was, as expected, a powerful scene—followed by the singing together of ‘When I survey the Wondrous Cross’.

And then came the Good News of Easter Day! After quite a cold and dreary winter, it was such a delight to see St Mary’s, Easton full to the brim as 136 people came to celebrate the Resurrection and to sense together the powerful hope that we can have in the Risen Jesus. “Christ is risen: he is risen indeed!”

Summertime

Saturday 6 May was, of course, the Coronation of King Charles III: some watched the service on the large screen now installed within St Mary’s Easton, and there were various celebratory events in the villages. When discussing the Coronation the next morning after Sunday worship, there were many comments about its deeply Christian symbolism, as well as the dominant theme of ‘service’.

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Then, as we moved into the summer months, quite a few of the congregation set out on their travels and holidays. I myself had been away in mid-April and then again later at the end of May leading tours ‘in the steps of Jesus’ and ‘in the steps of Paul’. During my absence I was grateful for our services being led by the Ministry Team as well as visiting clergy such as Revd Peter Haughton and Revd Sarah Tillet.

Sarah had earlier led our Good Friday ‘Last Hour’ meditation and would later be invited by the Martyr Worthy wardens to be the guest preacher at the St Swithun’s Patronal Evensong in July. With her lifelong commitment to the environment, it was so good to hear her sermon on Creation Care—as well as to hear her exclaim, when standing afterwards at the church door looking out over the valley, “how good is God’s creation!”. It was a beautiful summer evening and the whole event—made all the more joyful by the wine served in the churchyard!—brought the year’s many choral evensongs to a fitting climax. Those services have continued to be a highlight within our church calendar and I am so grateful to Simon Ffennell—as well as the organists and choir members—for all the hard work that goes in to making them so uplifting. It’s so good to hear those opening words: “dearly beloved brethren….”!

During July and August we deliberately ‘played it light’ in our Sunday services, with a variety of services in different locations, ending up with a service in the Rectory garden on the August Bank Holiday weekend. I am particularly grateful for the way in which Sarah Noble came alongside me at so many of these services—between us being able to cover the worship-leading, teaching, or music-making in one combination or another!

Sarah’s commitment to being regular in Sunday worship and offering to help whenever she is able is remarkable and has been evidenced throughout the year—especially in Café Church or All Age Worship. So it was only fitting that at a recent PCC meeting everyone wished it to be recorded just how grateful we all are for all that she did for us throughout 2023. Her vision, her enthusiasm and her love of God’s Word in the Bible are all so infectious—we cannot help be encouraged to go forward in our Christian faith.

Autumn

One weekend in August, as Simon Ffennell was driving me back to the Rectory in his van, he commented how nice it would be if each village were able to offer a Harvest Supper (or similar event) for its own local community. I pricked up my ears! Yes, we had already committed to having a special ‘Historic Harvest’ in Avington; perhaps some other colourful events might happen elsewhere?

I am so grateful for the way the Martyr Worthy DCC picked up this challenge and planned a Community Harvest Celebration in the Village Hall, offering ‘tea or wine or beer or cakes’. It sounded irresistible! And, sure enough, the Hall was duly packed out—a great opportunity for a wide range of the local community to come together in one place. Thank you to all who brought contributions; and also to Gerry Stacey who joined me in going around the local community, visiting people in their homes, and encouraging them to come along.

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The next week it was the turn of Easton. What a memorable evening we had on that Friday (29 September) as Easton residents came to the first Harvest Supper in the church for more than a decade. Judy Bishop masterminded the whole event brilliantly, ably supported by a good team of helpers. Five long tables were set out in the nave, each beautifully decorated; and then, as drinks were served, the Gospel Jazz musicians started to play. That set the tone for a wonderful fun evening, in which this ancient building came to life. Perhaps banquets back in the Middle Ages were just as fun? But those medieval banquets wouldn’t have included the sight of Frits Janssen and Sue Kennedy dancing to the final jazz number, “Oh when the saints go marching in…”!

Going back to Avington for a moment, this remarkable Georgian church had two weeks earlier celebrated a Harvest Service as it might have been celebrated 250 years ago—back in 1773 (just a few years after it was built). We were joined in this by the ‘Madding Crowd’ singers—all dressed in period costume. After some introductory remarks by Gill Graham-Mawr on the history of the church, we were guided by Mike Bailey into some of the hymn tunes that would have been sung frequently in the Georgian era. This gave us the opportunity to hear the barrel organ being played for the first time in perhaps twenty or more years—carefully ‘cranked’ by Vernon Tottle. And then, we went outside to enjoy wine and canapés, to hear some more singing by the choir, and especially to say a fond farewell and thanks to Gill Graham-Maw who after 40 years was moving

from Avington to live nearby in Kings Worthy. It was a windy day, and what few people know is that Helen Wayne succeeded in preventing the marquee from flying away just 15 minutes before the guests arrived! Thank you so much, Helen, for all you did to make this event go so well—together with many others, including the locally-recognised ‘A-team’ in the village who had worked so hard in the previous months to make the church and village look so well-loved and cared for.

Finally, in Itchen Abbas, what was special was the way the Harvest season gave us an opportunity to establish a good link with the new Head Teacher at Itchen Abbas Primary School, Rob Bogan. During those first weeks in October, the school held its own harvest service (including the very rhythmic ‘Harvest Samba’); then some children and parents joined us for our harvest Sunday All Age Worship service (where the ‘harvest samba’ went down a treat with our older members!); and then, a few days later, some children were able to sing to our CAMEO guests and walk round the tables talking to people who were many decades older than them. It was a beautiful sight—seeing conversations opening up across the generations!

On Saturday 7 October, we had a combined meeting of the PCC and the Ministry Team, located outside the parish in Northington Village Hall. It was so good

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to meet together and especially to hear the members of the Ministry Team share some of their heart and vision for what we are seeking to do in all our activities—enabling people, in whatever style of worship they feel most comfortable, to discover how much God has loved them through Jesus’ Cross and Resurrection, to be opened to the Spirit of the Risen Lord and to be able to express this through lives filled with his love, joy and peace.

Tragically, on that very morning, awful events were taking place outside Gaza. The next few days were traumatic in the extreme—with the bomb landing in the car park of the Anglican hospital and the world’s media trying to work out who was responsible. This situation, which four months later shows little sign of imminent improvement, cast a dark cloud over the months of October and November. I was involved, for example, in Zoom prayer meetings with Christians in Gaza and Bethlehem; and in our services on All Saints Day and especially on Remembrance Day itself, the tragic situation in the so-called ‘Holy Land’ was never far from our minds.

Similarly, on the following Sunday (19 November), it was only fitting, when we had Fr Mark Hogan (the Catholic priest from St Peter’s, Winchester) as our guest preacher at the St Swithun’s Ecumenical Choral Evensong, that he and I should both be heard praying for the Christian community in Jerusalem and the Holy Land (Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant) in this most difficult time.

Yet, just before Advent, we were able to turn aside from the present and to learn more about the past, enjoying an excellent talk by Jessie Childs on the English Civil War. This was the first of the four 2023/4 Martyr Worthy Lectures. Over 100 came together on this occasion, raising the sum of £2,500 towards our parish funds. We are so grateful that Gilly Greenwood and Verity Coleman chose to continue this long-standing tradition and formed a new committee around them to mastermind this wonderful and distinctive part of our parish life. They—and their wide range of helpers each evening—deserve an incredible vote of thanks. Long may these Lecture Series continue!

Advent and Christmas

So we entered the season of Advent, feeling very conscious of the need in our troubled world for a message of hope. In November I wrote a letter on the theme of ‘Advent Hope’, encouraging people to give generously to the work of the parish in order that we might better share Christ’s hope in this dark world. It seems to have struck a chord: for we ended the year with a surplus rather than a quite significant deficit. Thank you so much for all those who responded so generously, enabling us to start 2024 on a much more buoyant note.

This theme of ‘Advent Hope’ also came through loud and clear in the Advent Calendar which Sarah Noble created. Helped massively by Beccy Clark (and with a wide range of parishioners all contributing ideas, testimonies, favourite songs and Bible passages etc), the result was phenomenal: a daily diet of worship and biblical encouragement, helping us each day to draw closer to Jesus and to prepare for his coming into our world at Christmas. Thank you so much to all who played a part in creating this quite extraordinary resource!

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And so the great day approached… There was a Christingle service (led by James Greig); a traditional carol service (devised by Mary and Malcolm Hogg, with Lesley Anne Ritchie); numerous outdoor carol events—at least one in each village; and then our three main services on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (attended by over 450 people).

A huge ‘thank you’ to Theo Mezger and all those he encouraged to give of their time and effort to take the Crib Service to a whole new level; and to Kevin Rosewell for constructing a crib platform onto which over 30 small woolly sheep could be placed by children—as it were, in the Shepherds’ Fields below Bethlehem. This was the Itchen Valley community coming together to remember the age-long story at the centre of our world—the story of Jesus and his love.

And then the year ended—just is it had begun—on a Sunday. A good number came to fill St Mary’s, Avington, for our Parish Communion on New Year’s Eve. With musical backing supplied by the choir of St Martin’s in the Fields, it was a heart-warming time, and an opportunity to look back over 2023 on a note of thanksgiving. And so ended a ‘year in the life of our parish’—a year enjoying the truth and love that comes to us through the Risen Christ.

Looking back with thanks

When we look back at such a year, we realise this is quite a thriving community, and I am so grateful for all those who contribute in any way to all that we do— helping us to thrive!

Many people will be mentioned in the Churchwardens’ Report (page 15), but may I take this opportunity to express my thanks to three special groups of people who do so much that is close to the heart of our church community: the 13 members of the PCC; those who lead the groups mentioned on page 15 and the Ministry Team (Gerry Stacey, Simon Ffennell, Lavinia Owen, John & Nicky Barber, Sarah Noble, supported by Beccy Clark). Everyone in these groups goes way beyond the call of duty and makes it possible for our church to go forward in Christ’s name—developing our worship, ministry and mission in ways that we hope will increasingly bless the wider community. Please know your Rector is deeply grateful: the parish might grind to a halt without you! Yet let’s also remember, and be encouraged by the fact, that this is not our church and not our ministry, but it is Jesus’ church and he is the one who is really at work amongst us: “remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age!”

So may I conclude with two prayers for you all in the parish, which St Paul once prayed for the Christian community in Rome (Rom. 15:5-6, 13):

May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Revd Peter

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Church Reports

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Collosians 3: 16-17

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

St Mary’s Avington

The latest Quinquennial Report has now been received and, overall, we are pleased to report that there are no major issues. Work on the electrics will go ahead in the near future. The DCC intend to organise some fund-raising events, the proceeds of which will go towards these costs.

The outstanding event of the year was the Harvest Festival service, at which we were joined by the group “the Madding Crowd”, who re-enacted in music and words (and dress) the atmosphere of the old church bands of the 18th Century. Residents of Avington joined in to help decorate the church and the marquee, providing food and drink for the visitors. It was a lively and amusing event. A New Year’s Eve service was held in the church, which had been decorated by ladies from the village. Although there have been fewer services held this year, the church is still visited by passers-by who frequently leave their comments in the Visitors Book.

Our grateful thanks go to Christopher Langford and Christopher Cawte for their work not only on reinstating the gravestones which form the church path but also for renovating the South Door of the church, and to Jonathan Parry for replacing the threshold, which has greatly improved the appearance of the entrance. Thanks too to all in the village who help with the flower rota, the locking and unlocking rota, the gardening and the flag-raising.

paintings in the chancel underneath paint that was lifted following water ingress through the external roof access repaired in 2019. The Diocesan Architectural Committee requires us to have these assessed by an expert before we can proceed with interior repairs. We now do have Diocesan permission to proceed with the external repairs and tenders are being received from builders with the intention of starting work as soon as the weather permits in 2024.

Assessment of the wall paintings will allow us to develop a plan for addressing the interior later in the year subject to funds being available and after completing the external repairs and the survey. Elsewhere repairs were carried out to the heating system, the path lighting and a new LED floodlight outside the South Door - completing the conversion of all our frequently used lighting to energy efficient types. Elsewhere in the graveyard repairs were carried out on an emergency basis to several graves that had become unsafe. We have not suffered any further loss of roof shingles to the steeple this year despite some recent high winds but are watchful as they continue to age increasing their vulnerability to being dislodged in high winds.

St Mary’s Development Project:

Consultations were held with South Downs National Park and English Heritage, following which an informal letter was received indicating that the major concern was with proposals for disabled access and the impact on trees of executing plans to make changes to accommodate a drop-off point within the churchyard. Other options are now being examined as to how best to address this need and potentially alleviate the parking overload on street parking in Church Lane when we attempt to use St Mary’s capacity on a parish-wide basis.

St Mary’s, Easton

2023 was a year of slow progress with the specifications for repairs to the church roof developed originally as one package of work requiring to be split into external and internal repairs. This meant that it was not possible for contractors to be appointed to do repairs with lime mortar before the temperatures fell in the early autumn. The separation of works was triggered by the discovery of some potential wall

St John’s, Itchen Abbas

The use of St John’s continues to be many and varied. The regular midweek events include Little Rainbows, CAMEO, Wednesday Night Worship, evening and mid-day Bible teaching and discussion, sometimes involving John Bouldin with projector, as well as PCC and other parish meetings. Groups of pilgrim walkers were welcomed after arrangements

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made in advance; they have always been grateful for this hospitality.

Vernon Tottle has been exemplary in his endless rearrangement of chairs, cleaning the carpet and making sure all aspects of St. John’s are monitored and noted. Patrick Appleby’s skill in dealing with various maintenance matters and acting as plumbing adviser and ‘go to’ man in emergencies is hugely appreciated. John Bouldin’s tireless supervision of churchyard maintenance, with generous contribution from Rodney Dartnall ensures everything outside is maintained in good order.

Thanks to John Bouldin, a new grass mowing contract was arranged with Andemar after Trimmers ceased their operation. This is proving very satisfactory and reliable. Patrick Appleby and John Bouldin repaired the churchyard field fence in an ingenious way, using fence posts and rails no longer needed by Rodney Dartnall, who renewed the fence on the side of his drive. Patrick Appleby has given the central area of the interior of St. John’s far better lighting by installing temporary downlights that make a vast difference.

The falling plaster from the chancel ceiling and flaking plaster from the skirting area have all been repaired by Asa Ramsay-Dunn of Venetian Finish, who made a good job in less than a week. Using Patrick Appleby’s scaffold tower reduced the cost. The little window in the old vestry has been renewed; the air vent seems to have reduced the musty smell. Kevin Travers, the joiner, is due to return as water is condensing at the base, but he is recovering from being knocked off his bicycle by a motorist.

Elizabeth Bouldin continues to organise the flower rota, finding enough people to do this, while Arminel Tottle co-ordinates church festival arrangements. Elizabeth Bouldin is also wonderfully good-natured in providing coffee and biscuits on a regular basis after services. Joan Dartnall is absolutely reliable in opening and closing the church every day, as well as providing a variety of help in other ways. Others not mentioned by name all contribute to different needs including welcoming people to different services as well as helping when there are occasional or extra tasks.

St Swithun’s, Martyr Worthy

Fortunately, no major repairs were needed to the fabric of the building during the last year. However, much work was required on the boiler, which we hope will now serve us well for a few more years.

Meanwhile, much progress has been made concerning the engraving of the west window, to the extent that we believe we should be in receipt of a faculty soon. Once the faculty is received, effort will go into fundraising, whilst we are already assured that the Trustees of the Friends of St Swithun’s are supportive of the project.

9. Churchwardens’ report

As always, we warmly welcome all of those who are new to the parish including young families and those from further afield who choose to worship with us and so be part of our family.

Revd Peter Walker is now well established and appreciated within the parish. Although COVID is essentially behind us, its lasting impact remains evident as we struggle to regain our pre-pandemic congregational numbers. Subtle changes continue to be made to the service schedule in an effort to make it more accessible and appealing to a greater number. Further, throughout the year Revd Peter has taken it upon himself to visit many households to build his relationships in the Valley not only in the hope that former members of the congregation will return but also to attract those who have not been in the habit of attending church. The Rector’s efforts are impressive; the quality of preaching and teaching is appreciated; there is a sense of security amongst traditional worshippers; and Café Church has found its place in the service schedule.

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We recognise the huge contribution made by the Ministry Team and others, all led by Revd Peter, particularly:

We are most grateful to all those mentioned above for all of their enormous contributions to our parish and we are truly blessed to have them working so diligently for us. Let us remind ourselves that the Rector is technically working only on a half-time basis and that without the exceptional support of these generous people, our parish could not be so active and effectively run. They make a substantial contribution towards the welfare of the parish and our Valley.

There are others who take on more particular, yet much valued roles, to whom we express great thanks:

We are hugely indebted to Beccy Clark, our Parish Administrator, whose sensitivity, discretion, helpfulness, creativity, skills, efficiency and hard work are so essential for the smooth running of our parish. In addition to her regular administrative function this year, she has also taken on the function of PCC Secretary for which we are so grateful. We are truly blessed to have Beccy supporting all of us; we thank her.

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Furthermore, the success and smooth running of our parish depends upon a veritable army of volunteers who perform various key roles and duties; without their selfless commitment of time, energy and sheer hard work and enthusiasm, we would not be able to operate at our continuing level. They serve in so many ways:

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.

We retain the objective of holding a minimum of two church services each Sunday with services spread across our four churches in a regular pattern of

worship that our congregation appreciates. For various logical reasons, this last year the regular pattern of services has not been maintained but the pattern will return.

As set out in our parish profile and we restate that, in recognition of the fact that the Church of England is a broad church, we are a rural parish and different members of our congregation like different forms of worship, liturgy and versions of the prayer book and Bible, and we aim to offer worship across a broad spectrum. This involves a balance of traditional and more modern family-orientated services so as to maintain a wide appeal and attract younger people, which is so important if we are to be a vibrant and growing rural parish.

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.

Such initiatives include Café Church, held once a month in Itchen Abbas Village Hall, the Pancake Party held in Itchen Abbas, the Lent Lunches, The Way of the Cross held down Church Lane, Martyr Worthy on Good Friday, outdoor carol-singing in Martyr Worthy and Itchen Abbas before Christmas, the Crib Service in St Mary’s Easton on Christmas Eve and the Harvest Festival parties. Further, through the Rector we seek to build closer relationships with the two schools in the Valley. Also, our Valley Visitors’ activities very much reach out to all parts of the Valley population, as does Cameo which continues to attract those older members of the community.

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Our external charitable activities have again been to Winchester Beacon (formerly called Winchester Night Shelter), Winchester Basics Bank, Trinity Centre in Winchester and the Royal British Legion, and last year The Hampshire Medical Fund and Winchester Street Pastors through monetary donations from special collections, donations in kind and by active involvement.

Our own fundraising activity has still not recovered since COVID. Events for the General Fund were limited to Martyr Worthy Lecture Series and the Pancake Party. 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 former levels. Fundraising events also provide a social dimension to our life as a parish and demonstrate that the congregation is active in the local community. We are once again grateful for the energy and enthusiasm of fundraising teams but are always looking out for new ideas and helpers.

In the autumn, it became clear to the Treasurer that if drastic steps were not taken in the form of increased giving, the parish would suffer a substantial shortfall in its annual accounts. By way of a letter carefully crafted by the Treasurer and the Rector, an appeal was launched for both one-off donations and increased regular giving, which together with other fortuitous events, has resulted in a healthy surplus, upon which the Treasurer reports. In summary, the Churchwardens thank all those who have contributed in many different ways to the work and smooth running of the parish during the last year.

10. Deanery Synod report

During 2023 the Deanery held three synod meetings; the major activity that was introduced and developed during the year was that of links with Rwanda. In February we received a presentation, given by Revd Mark Collinson, on the existing links with Rwanda through the Diocese School of Mission and the Lyndhurst Deanery. Following this it was agreed that Gillian Gray Knight and Alex Green would visit

Rwanda and prepare a report. In June we heard their report and one from Revd Simon Newman of the Lyndhurst Deanery about their experiences linking with Rwanda. It was agreed that all reps would speak with their PCC’s and bring feedback to the next meeting. Following this it was agreed by a significant majority of PCC’s that the Deanery would pursue the link, which they are currently doing. Although we agreed the deanery should pursue the link, we decided not to be actively involved as a PCC at present. Revd Peter is planning to visit Rwanda in 2025 to examine how we may become more actively involved. The Focal Ministry trial continues having successfully completed its first year in the Arle Valley Benefice and the Archdeacon Richard Brand is looking to continue its development across the Diocese.

The Diocese is currently examining changes to the operation of the Common Mission Fund, and we engaged in various discussions about the procedure and communication of the process. The discussion period will end in 2024 with a survey and the recommendations will be reported by the finance committee.

11. Reports

Cameo

There have been some farewells and some new arrivals in CAMEO, both among helpers and guests, with arrivals fortunately out-numbering departures. However, with the resumption of ‘normal life’ after COVID, there are occasions when more important or more urgent activities have to take precedence. As one guest said “you don’t turn away an NHS appointment just because it clashes with something else”, and several of our guests have been fortunate, or unfortunate, depending on how you look at it, to have several of these. Holidays and family gatherings have also resumed, thank goodness. The helpers who cook, lay, serve, wash up, arrange table decorations and drive are a wonderful team, and we continue to think of new menus, as well as repeating a few top favourites – sticky toffee pudding anyone? We were fortunate to enjoy visits from Itchen Abbas Primary School choir at Harvest and Christmas times. The children sang with energy and skill and in addition some of those who are learning to play instruments showed us how they are getting on. After entertaining us the children dispersed among the tables and chatted to the guests - a much appreciated extra treat which we hope will be repeated. Our thanks to Mr Bogan and his staff.

17

Vernon Tottle has continued to apply his problemsolving skills to the task of seating a different number of people every month, always coming up with a new lay-out of tables and chairs for the exact number expected – although sometimes numbers do change at the last minute. This is not a problem - we always cater for a few extras! - so if you decide to call in at St John’s on the 3[rd] Tuesday of the month at 11.50 am you will be sure of a warm welcome. Ideally, give me a ring in advance – 779778! Charlotte Appleby

Valley Visitors

The Valley Visitors remain a team of fourteen dedicated visitors who have continued to reach out to others in the Community. Yet again I must stress that our most pressing need is for more and a new generation of visitors. Sadly, some of our visitors are beginning to be in need of support themselves. In spite of this, 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 the Reverend Peter and Georgie. We are delighted that Gerry has been able to take Home Communion to those unable to come to services. 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 are not there to give medical advice or the much-needed help with mental health. Nonetheless our visits are often a lifeline for those for whom formal intervention is hard to access. They can be immensely rewarding for the visitors as well. Lavinia Owen

Café Church

Café Church was launched in the autumn of 2022 and throughout 2023 it has gained momentum as a valued informal gathering, meeting on the first Sunday of each month at 4pm in the Itchen Abbas Village Hall (which has continued to be a welcoming, flexible space for it – its enclosed garden is a real asset when the weather permits, allowing for a variety of games, usually orchestrated by Alex Mezger and much enjoyed by younger attendees). While it continues to attract newcomers (many of whom would not really feel at ease in traditional services), in the second half of the year the Café Church team decided its emphasis should shift somewhat from being very ‘seeker-friendly’ (involving brief talks with simple messages).

There is now more focus on providing spiritual food and refreshment as well to the core group of attendees, leading to talks that are a bit longer and more challenging as well as to more intentional worship. A further new, and well-received, innovation has been to suggest that those attending gather around tables in small groups after the talk to respond together to questions derived from the talk, which has led to lively discussions and to opportunities to get to know each other better.

Typical attendance has ranged from 40 to 60 and the Café Church team is really grateful to all the volunteers who contribute to making its winning formula of cakes and other goodies, tea, children’s food, crafts, games and conversation work well. In particular, the very dedicated and generous Jude Mezger (who routinely prepares a few dozen freshly cooked hot dogs) and Sarah Hunt (without whose cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches and worldclass cheese scones Café Church would not be the same).

Wednesday Night Worship

During 2023, Wednesday Night Worship continued to take place once a month, in St. John’s, Itchen Abbas. The vision for these evenings remains the same: to worship Jesus; to share testimonies; and to pray for one another.

The evenings follow the general pattern of starting with a time of fellowship over tea and brownies as people arrive; then moving into a time of informal worship; followed by hearing a testimony rooted in Scripture; and then time to pray for one another.

Approximately 20 people attend each evening, sometimes more, from a wide geographical area. 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 our faith. We continue to pray that these evenings are both filled with and 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

Little Rainbows continues to flourish this year, and the numbers have been swelling: A significant number of 3 year olds stayed on this year, meaning that the average age of the group has increased slightly; although we have also welcomed a number of tiny new rainbows! To cater for this broader range, we have set up a weekly craft activity, on a rota system; as well as having a weekly puppet show of a bible story. The children’s enthusiasm for singing is infectious, and means we often stay later than the official 11am finish! A lovely group of regulars and new comers keeps the atmosphere warm and friendly; our rota of much-loved volunteer “Older Rainbows”, organised by Verity Coleman, continue to help in serving tea, coffee and a treat to exhausted parents, grandparents and carers, and we are blessed to have both them and the lovely space at St John’s to meet in. The summer saw many of us

18

staying on after Rainbows to picnic together in the churchyard, something all of the children enjoy! Rooey Aker

The Ark

In 2023 we made the decision to align the Ark Kids Club with our warm, welcoming and Spirit filled Valley Worship service. During the spring and summer months this meant the Ark took on a ‘forest school’ feel, meeting in the grounds of St. Mary's in Easton. As the cold set in during October, we all agreed that the best location for families was Martyr Worthy with the village hall so close to the church, so the leadership team kindly moved Valley Worship to the intimate space of St. Swithuns.

As we launched the Ark “Forest School Style” in Spring we publicised the new format across the Valley; this brought in some new families and particularly notably attracted grandparents who had their grandchildren staying.

We have a loyal core group of 10 children every month who have grown in faith this year. Ages range from 1 to 13 and we are delighted to see how they love the Ark and choose to come as a priority over sports clubs and even parties! Many of the children have been with us since they were toddlers and as the group gets into their teens the Ark will evolve to meet their ages and stages meaning that Sundays will still be fun for the younger people in our church.

We try to make sure the topics and Bible verses we study in the Ark are in sync with the service in church so that families can chat about their morning

together. This year we have covered: the importance of each person in the body of the church; Jesus reappearing to the disciples; how important children are to Jesus; what heaven is like; the great commission; and thanksgiving in response to what God has done for us.

We have had lots of fun with activities like M&M thanksgiving, map-making, frisbee in Easton playground, rock-painting, Pictionary air and scavenger hunts. The children always make beautiful creations and participate in the games with enthusiasm and overall have a lot of fun.

Now that we have settled into a rhythm of the Ark running alongside Valley Worship in a location best for our children, 2024 will be a great year where we can continue to hold children at the centre of what we do in Itchen Valley Churches just as Jesus did. “I tell you the truth. You must change and become like little children. The greatest person in the kingdom of heaven is the one who makes himself humble like a child” Matthew 18 v3.

A huge ‘thank you’ to everyone behind the scenes who shows love to our children: those publicising the Ark to offering their homes; those baking especially for the children; the risk-assessment team listening to our needs first and foremost; and, most of all, the families who bring their children to be part of the fun, supporting and believing in the value of church for children.

Verity Greig

UTX (Under the Cross)

2023 was a year of fun for UTX. Our five regular members were joined by some other friends on a couple of occasions too.

Most evenings were spent at St. John’s, Itchen Abbas, playing games (board games or Wii), crafting, playing Task Master or other such activities; and each evening ended with drinks and snacks. We enjoyed outdoor games and a BBQ (expertly cooked by Mike) in September. In December we met at The Rectory for Christmas-themed games and pizza.

Mike and Kelly Gibson led us with consistent calmness and gentle spirit. We see their love for our young people and will miss them in 2024. We rejoice with them on the birth of their precious daughter, Aoife, and hope that they will visit UTX at some point for us to meet her. Our thanks go to them for all their hard work going back many years.

Thanks too go to Beccy and Vernon, both of whom play a significant role in helping UTX to run smoothly. Georgie Walker

19

Rectory Prayer Meetings

In 2023 we started regular prayer meetings at the Rectory. Our first meeting in September meant we could pray together for our parish, our wider community, and for issues affecting our world. This is the pattern we will focus on in 2024 too. It has been good, even though small in number, to have an hour together; short, but important, as we bring our gratitude and our requests, to our Heavenly Father.

Georgie Walker

Health and Safety

We have returned to normal with sharing the communion cup and the legacy of the pandemic has passed. I am pleased to report there have been no reported accidents this year. We have had two minor incidents reported at St Mary’s, Avington. These were resolved quickly due to the actions of the members of the congregation. Gravestones were checked within the graveyard at St Mary’s Easton and repairs were carried out to secure them as they were at risk of toppling. A number of events have required a risk assessment that have been diligently prepared by a team including David Swinstead, Theo Mezger, Chris Ellis and Mary Purser, Helen Wayne and Sarah Hunt. Thank you to everyone for their care and attention to ensure we have safe events for our community. I am very grateful to the members of the PCC for their support in managing health and safety within our church buildings and grounds.

Safeguarding

All safeguarding training has been completed by the SGO and is up to date. A DBS certificate audit was completed and a number of volunteers were approached to renew their expired certificates. We now as a parish use the online method of renewal. There were no incidents or confidential matters which have caused concern. The PCC has adopted the safeguarding policies and procedures of the Church of England for a further year and has complied with the duty under section 5 of the Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure 2016 (duty to have regard to House of Bishops’ guidance on safeguarding children and vulnerable adults). I am grateful to people for their support for using the online system. This does make everything quicker. Jessica Helgesen

Sara Mason

Safeguarding

20

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

21

Itchen Valley PCC

End of Year Financial Statements

Year ending 31[st] December 2023

22

Financial Review

This report shows the financial performance of the Itchen Valley Parish for 2023.

When looking at these accounts the most important column is ‘Unrestricted funds’ which shows the receipts and payments related to the running of our church activities.

Total unrestricted receipts for the year at £150k were 25% higher than 2022 (£120k) and this led to a surplus of £7k. The primary reason for the surplus was a significant effort to focus on one-off giving during Advent which led to contributions of around £16k. The total surplus for the year (including both unrestricted and restricted funds) was £7k. The equivalent figure for 2022 was a surplus of £14k.

A special mention should be made of the Martyr Worthy lectures which continue to make a significant contribution to our funding as well as being very enjoyable occasions.

Total funds at 31st December 2023 were £238k (2022 - £231k).

The Parishes’ contribution to the Common Mission Fund (CMF) was £75k in 2023 compared to £45k in 2022. Across the diocese contributions to CMF have fallen for 2024 and the figure for 2024 is £71k.

Planned giving (unrestricted) and associated Gift Aid recovered totaled £106k (2022 - £90k). Efforts continue to be 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 know at the beginning of the year that it is operating with a surplus. We need to increase planned giving to around £120k and will be working during the current year to seek to achieve that.

As ever thanks are due to all those who contributed to the running and financing of the Parish. David Anderson continued as Treasurer. 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 14 March 2024 and signed on their behalf by

Reverend Peter Walker

23

Independent Examiner’s Report on the Accounts for year ended 31st December 2023

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, 5th 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 : 15[th] March 2024

Signed

Stephen Hendy

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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 31st 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.

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Statement of Financial Activities

Note Unrestricted
funds
Designated
funds
Restricted
funds
This year
total funds
Last year
total funds
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
Net incoming / outgoing before other gains /
losses
Other recognised gains / losses
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		 84,548
—
—
84,548
73,046
21,644
—
30
21,674
9,542
7,495
—
2,361
9,856
5,058
21,305
—
164
21,469
16,846
649
—
4,750
5,399
4,596
3,045
—
6,105
9,149
16,391
3,165
739
2,675
6,579
273
8,391
—
—
8,391
8,870
150,241
739
16,085
167,065
134,622
1,022
—
226
1,248
2,205
74,580
—
—
74,580
45,000
29,223
—
—
29,223
26,590
38,791
269
132
39,193
41,982
—
2,610
8,019
10,629
4,447
—
—
5,414
5,414
—
143,616
2,879
13,791
160,287
120,224
6,625
(2,140)
2,294
6,778
14,398
—
—
—
—
—
6,625
(2,140)
2,294
6,778
14,398
—
—
—
—
—
6,625
(2,140)
2,294
6,778
14,398
109,387
27,400
94,101
230,889
216,491
116,012
25,260
96,395
237,667
230,889
116,012
—
—
116,012
109,387
—
25,260
—
25,260
27,400
—
—
7,774
7,774
9,508
—
—
47,252
47,252
44,313
—
—
17,744
17,744
17,277
—
—
23,625
23,625
23,002
116,012
25,260
96,395
237,667
230,889

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Balance sheet

This year
total funds
Last year
total funds
Current assets
Debtors
Investments
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		 8,638
2,980
178,471
—
67,898
242,373
255,008
245,353
17,341
14,465
17,341
14,465
237,667
230,889
237,667
230,889
237,667
230,889
116,012
109,387
25,260
27,400
7,774
9,508
47,252
44,313
17,744
17,277
23,625
23,002
237,667
230,889

Statement of assets and liabilities

General
Designated
Restricted
This year
total
Last year
total
Current assets
CAF current account
CAF Gold bank account
Nat West current account
Flagstone CAF Deposit
Accounts Receivable
Totals
Liabilities
Agency collections
Accounts Payable
Prepayments
Totals
Grand total		 16,126
3,375
17,390
36,891
155,440
13,005
2,721
10,415
26,141
35,628
996
208
3,662
4,867
51,305
88,790
18,579
71,102
178,471
—
5,713
376
2,549
8,638
2,980
124,630
25,260
105,118
255,008
245,353
—
—
8,435
8,435
10,804
3,627
—
288
3,915
2,570
4,991
—
—
4,991
1,091
8,618
—
8,723
17,341
14,465
116,012
25,260
96,395
237,667
230,889

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Analysis of income and expenditure

1. Planned giving

Planned giving - GAE donations
Planned giving - non GAE donations
Planned giving - GA inclusive
donations
Total		 General
Designated
Restricted
This year
total
Last year
total
63,938
—
—
63,938
55,616
7,410
—
—
7,410
7,470
13,200
—
—
13,200
9,960
84,548
—
—
84,548
73,046

2. Collections and other giving

GASDS Avington
GASDS Martyr Worthy
GASDS Itchen Abbas
GASDS Easton
One-off GAE gifts
Total		 General
Designated
Restricted
This year
total
Last year
total
298
—
—
298
189
4,816
—
—
4,816
2,087
909
—
—
909
1,262
2,394
—
30
2,424
1,962
13,227
—
—
13,227
4,043
21,644
—
30
21,674
9,542

3. Other voluntary receipts

Church wall boxes
Donations for specific purposes
Other donations Non GAE & one-off
grants
Total		 General
Designated
Restricted
This year
total
Last year
total
465
—
—
465
406
500
—
626
1,126
489
6,530
—
1,735
8,265
4,163
7,495
—
2,361
9,856
5,058

4. Gift Aid recovered

Gift aid tax reclaim
Total		 General
Designated
Restricted
This year
total
Last year
total
21,305
—
164
21,469
16,846
21,305
—
164
21,469
16,846

5. Other receipts

Other funds generated
Total		 General
Designated
Restricted
This year
total
Last year
total
649
—
4,750
5,399
4,596
649
—
4,750
5,399
4,596

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6. Activities for generating funds

Fund raising events
Total		 General
Designated
Restricted
This year
total
Last year
total
3,045
—
6,105
9,149
16,391
3,045
—
6,105
9,149
16,391

7. Investment Income

Bank interest
Total		 General
Designated
Restricted
This year
total
Last year
total
3,165
739
2,675
6,579
273
3,165
739
2,675
6,579
273

8. Receipts from church activities

Wedding & funeral fees
Total		 General
Designated
Restricted
This year
total
Last year
total
8,391
—
—
8,391
8,870
8,391
—
—
8,391
8,870

9. Cost of generating funds

Costs of fund raising events
Total		 General
Designated
Restricted
This year
total
Last year
total
1,022
—
226
1,248
2,205
1,022
—
226
1,248
2,205

10. Common Mission Fund

Common mission fund
Total		 General
Designated
Restricted
This year
total
Last year
total
74,580
—
—
74,580
45,000
74,580
—
—
74,580
45,000
11. Clergy and staffing costs
Assistant ministry expenses
Parish administrator & bookkeeper
costs
Youth worker
Rector's expenses
Total		 General
Designated
Restricted
This year
total
Last year
total
583
—
—
583
1,021
23,294
—
—
23,294
21,171
—
—
—
—
455
5,347
—
—
5,347
3,944
29,223
—
—
29,223
26,590

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12. Church running expenses

Bank charges
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
Church running - annual maint.
Total		 General
Designated
Restricted
This year
total
Last year
total
216
36
132
385
120
75
—
—
75
105
2,164
—
—
2,164
2,350
5,062
—
—
5,062
6,086
44
—
—
44
14
147
—
—
147
25
784
—
—
784
777
419
—
—
419
523
6,782
—
—
6,782
6,426
2,343
—
—
2,343
441
2,129
233
—
2,362
2,807
1,874
—
—
1,874
850
3,018
—
—
3,018
2,442
5,125
—
—
5,125
10,272
670
—
—
670
715
2,437
—
—
2,437
2,391
5,042
—
—
5,042
5,146
230
—
—
230
493
230
—
—
230
—
38,791
269
132
39,193
41,982

13. Church repairs & maintenance

Quinquennial inspection - Martyr
Worthy
Quinquennial inspection - Easton
Quinquennial inspection - Avington
Church & graveyard major repairs
Easton roof repairs
Total		 General
Designated
Restricted
This year
total
Last year
total
—
—
—
—
29
—
—
—
—
413
—
—
737
737
850
—
2,610
2,062
4,672
3,156
—
—
5,219
5,219
—
—
2,610
8,019
10,629
4,447

14. New building work

Easton extension
Total		 General
Designated
Restricted
This year
total
Last year
total
—
—
5,414
5,414
—
—
—
5,414
5,414
—

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15. Additional Notes

Details of fund-raising activities

Event Unrestricted
fund		 Restricted
fund		 Net sum raised
for
the parish
Easton bell-ringers coffee morning
Safari supper
Suez Talks
Michael Lunt – Noel Coward concert for Easton roof
repairs
Wayof the Cross refreshments		 52 283
400
1,536
3,659		 283
400
1,536
3,659
52
Martyr WorthyLecture 2023 2,514 2,514
Total 2,566 5,878 8,444

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.

Collections for other charities

During 2023 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.

Lent lunches for:
BOAZ		 254
Harvest Festival collections for:
Trinity Winchester
Winchester Basics Bank
Winchester Beacon		 369
369
369
Remembrance service collection for:
Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal		 410
Christingle service collection for:
The Children’s Society		 93
Christmas collections 2023 split between:
Trinity Winchester
Winchester Basics Bank
Winchester Beacon		 1,128
1,128
1,128
Total collections for other charities 5,247

Gifts and fund raising for the Ukraine appeal fund

Ukraine Appeal Fund at 31.12.22
Gifts received during the year
Payments to beneficiaries during the year
UkraineAppeal Fund balance at 31.12.23		 6,892
-
(2,772)
4,120

Donations for Specific Purposes

Goodplate (payment device)
Planning fee – Easton
Lecturn–Easton		 500
120
506
Total donations for specific purposes 1,126

31

Donations from Trustees

The total donations from the Trustees in the reporting period was £32,611 and no conditions were attached to any of these donations.

This report dated: 5.2.2024

32