2024 .ST N11(-.14AEI. IIND ALI. .4NGF.I.'% QHURQH Bedford Park nual Report and Accowits 2024
And each one of you is a part of ft 1 Corlnthlans 12: 27 Table of Contents Page 3 Page 4 Page 7 Page 9 Page 12 Page 13 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Introduction Committees. Public Benefit. Achievements and Performance Outreach Slaff, Statement of Responsibilities of PCC, Financial Review Charities Governance SMAAA into 2025, St Pete5 Church, Acton Green Conclusion Independent Examinerfs Report Financial Statements This document pertains to the Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiaslical Parish of St Michael and All Angels Bedford Park, London, registered charity number1133805. Throughout the document we refer to the charily by Ihe shortened names: St Michael and All Angels Parochial Church Council, or St Michael and All Angels PCC.
ST MICHAEL AND ALL ANGELS BEDFORD PARK PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT FOR 2024 St Michael and All Angels Parochial Church Council {PCC) has the responsibility of co-operating with the incumbent, Father Kevin Morris. in promoting within the ecclesiastical parish the whole mission of the Church pastoral, evangelistic, social, and ecumenical. This includes parlicular responsibility for the administration and finances of the parish. the acquisition and management of church property. Ihe approval of an annual budget, and the care. maintenance. preservation, and insurance of the fabric of the church and its grounds. together wilh its goods and ornaments. All this is done within the framework of the church's mission statement- 'St Michael's exists within the Anglo-catholic tradition to offer worship to God, to proclaim the Gospel and to share the experience of the love of God wilh all people." Members of the PCC are either ex-officio or elected at the Annual Parochlal Church Meeting (APCM) to senie a term of three years, in accordance with the Church Representation Rules. In 2024 the PCC included three deanery synod representatives who are also entilled to sit on the PCC. The PCC is registered a5 a charily with the Charity Commission {registered number 1133805). Members of Ihe PCC are trustees of the charity. Since the last APCM on 28 April 2024. the members of the PCC have been: Incumbent Father Kevin Morris: chair Curate Father Brandon Flelcher-james Churchwardens Mrs Christina Whiteway: vice-chair Mr. Peter Haigh Deanery Synod Representatives Mrs Helen Wareham Dr Alison Baker. Secretary Mrs. Amanda Bradley, Treasurer Mr Jan Vermooten Mr Jim Russell Mrs Anne Mower (also deanery synod representative) Ms Lily Assefa ( until July 2024) Ms Martyn Schofield Mrs. Helen Simkin Ms Win Mensah-Larbie (co-opted November 2024).
Committees Organising the Bedford Park Festival and the Chiswick Book Festival, which attract hundreds of local people, provide enlerlainment and education. and offer local businesses and charities an opporlunity to showcase their work. The proceeds of these festivals are shared between selected charities and the church Supporling a local food bank with regular donations Fundraising for a number of charities each year Publishing weekly. online newsletter giving notice ol church services and meetings, and also publicising other community evenls. The PCC is assisted in its work by several committees and groups: Standing Committee- this is Ihe only committee required by law. It is made up of the Vicar, the Wardens, the Treasurer, and the Secretary. The PCC delegates lo the Standing Committee the power to Iransact agreed items of business between meetings Charities Group co-ordinates the church's charitable giving Young St Michael's covers matters relaling to children's worship Baptism Visitors Group - undertakes baptismal visits and preparation in co-operation wilh the Vicar and Curate Sidespeople -welcome peopte to services and support the smooth running of the services. Achievements and Performance Major Church Evenls St Michael and All Angels had a well- attended programme of services and events in 2024. We marked all the major feast days of the Anglican Church, usually with a choral Mass. Our Sunday Mass continued to be live- streamed. The mission of the church is also pursued through a number ol other groups of volunteers including servers, readers. gardeners, flower arrangers, brass cleaners, hospltality teams. two choirs and learns of stewards for events. There were six candidates for confirmation in February, and they were joined by one from St Pelerfs and two from St Nicholas. church. The celebrant and preacher was the Righl Reverend Graeme Knowle5, Honorary Assistant Bishop. Our programme for Lenl 2024 included a series of talks exploring the lives and teachings of the early Church fathers and mothers and the regular "Guess Who's Coming to Dinnerf talks by members of the congregation. On Palm Sunday evening Mark Viner gave a piano performance of the Liszt Via Crucis, interspersed wilh readings and prayers. On Easter morning around 40 people, together with the choir and clergy, galhered outside the church for the Easter dawn vigiL Public Benefit The church not only ser4es the congregation but the local community In Chlswick by: Being open to the public daily to provide a space for worship, personal prayer or quiet reflection Providing a venue for community groups. concerts and functions. and by providing additional space for a local school In May we were pleased to welcome the Right Reverend Michael Marshall who preached and led a study 5e55ion on St John's GospeL
In June, at the Mass on the Green, in a public declaration of our faith at the beginning of the Bedford Park Festival. the preacher was Fr. Neil Evans, Canon Steward of St Paul's Cathedral. anecdotes of life in Wales. Entries in the book of condolences recorded the affection in which he was held. Fr Kevin Morris and Canon Nicola Slanley led a group of ten SMAAA pilgrims to the Shrin¢ of Our Lady at Walsingham in July. The theme was 'Praying the Jesus Prayer.. Autumn brought our patronal festival, wilh a procession and choral Mass. The preacher was the Venerable Kalherine Hedderly. Our harvest festival was celebrated with a Family Mass led by our choristers. This was the occasion on which their achievements were recognised with ribbons and surplices. Our main church events and many ol our outreach events have been recorded in a fascinaling photographic archive created by Jim Cox. Some of his pictures appear in this report and others are on our website. On Remernbrance Sunday, an exhibition in the church marked the 80th anniversary of D- Day. An Act of Remembrance was held at the Bedford Park mernorial seat. Church Attendance Average attendance at Sunday Mass during 2024 was around 130 adult worshippers. This does not take into account the numbers joining services online. The Electoral Roll The Electoral Roll is the church's official register of those qualified to attend and vote at the Annual Parochial Church Meeling, where elections are held for the PCC and for representatives on the Deanery Synod. Being on the Electoral Roll is an act of commitment to St Michael's and ta the wider Church. Advenl and Christmas were celebrated with music and poetry and through the liturgy. The children's crib service was a touching recreation of the Christmas story. Al other services, the church was packed with those who worship regularly at St Michael's as well as many who feel drawn to the Church at this special time of year. Refreshments after Sunday Mass are an important way of making newcomer5 feel welcome at SMAAA and helping us all get to know each other better. We are grateful to our Coffee Team who work very hard to ofler hol drinks to those atlending Mass, as well as biscuits and soft drinks for children. The Elecloral Roll for 2024 stood at 296, an increase of five over the previous year. There were seven new members and two members died. There is a need to continually promote the Electoral Roll and ensure new members of the congregation are aware of it. In 2025 the roll has to be re-drawn with parishioners asked to complete new forms. The new roll will be available at the 2025 APCM and displayed in the porch. Vicky Brooke is our Electoral Roll Off icer. and we should like to thank her for her work this year. Several parishioners died during the year, including Oesmond Jones and Colin Martin. We were particularly saddened by the death of Fr. Graham Morgan Kt who died in September. He had served as an honorary ass1Stant priest at St Michael's for 22 years. A funeral Mass forthe repose of his soul was held in November and attended by a large number of past and present parishioners and 13 clergy. It was an especially moving and uplifting service when the church community came together to remember the 5UPPOrt he provided in times of diff iculty, his thought- provoking sermons. and his entertaining Deanery Synod There were three meetings of the Hounslow Deanery Synod in 2024. All were in-person. The topics covered were:
Supporting Volunteers. This meeting led to a helpful podcast which was circulated to the PCC. Working with Hounslow Council. Discipleship enjoy. and it has grounded and resourced me for almost twenty years. Gill Stevens has assisted in the sacrisly for a long time, and recently we have been joined by Monty Lewi5. 1 would like to thank them both for giving their time and support. The Sacristy (contributed by Anne Mower. Sacristan.) Altar Servers (contributed by Calhie James. Master of Ceremonies) The work of the Sacristan is largely unseen but essential and much appreciated by the clergy. The Sacristy is the engine-house of Anglo-catholic worship. Al St Michael's it occupies the room above the vestry. St Michael's Anglo Catholic tradition has at ils heart complex liturgies which require detailed preparation and choreography. For all Sunday Masses, 8enediclion, and weekday Feast Days the clergy are supporled by altar servers. The servers are laity who have come forward for this ministry and currently the team consists of 13 members led by the Head Server Imaster of Ceremonies (MC). A server also assists at all baptisms, weddings and funerals. The Sacristan works closely with the clergy. particularly with our incumbent, Fr Kevin, and wilh the Master of Ceremonies. Cathie James. We both understand the importance of a harmonious and close working relationship which ensures the smooth running of our liturgies. I should like to thank Cathie for many years of fruitful collaboration. To achieve a seamless liturgy considerable preparation is required. especially at Christmastide and Easter. It begins with direction from Fr Kevin, then liaison with other clergy and groups involved including the Director of Music, the sidespeople. the readers, the Eucharistic Ministers, the children's groups. the parish administrators, and the caretakers there is quite a lot of heavy lifling! This is in addition to setting up for the services themselves which require the books. sacred vessels, candles etc. to be put in place. The MC and the Sacristan work very closely together their work is completely complementary. The Sacrislan is responsible for looking after the vestments, the altar linen5, the communion vessels and many other things such as the crib figures. Part of the role is ordering the necessary supplies communion wine and wafers, charcoal, incense, and candles in a range of size5. The Sacristan currently launders all the altar linen. Serving at the altar is a privileged ministry but with it comes considerable commitment of time and teamwork. l am most grateful to our team and to my colleague Anne Mower for the part they play in making our services so special for so many. both regular attenders and the wider community. Preparation for the Sunday morning Mass is usually done on Saturday and takes about 30 to 40 minutes. After Mass, the communion vessÈls are washed and the vestments carefully put away. More complicated liturgies. particularly ihose of Holy Week and Easter, need rather longer preparation. Young St Michael's {conlributed by Miriam Morris) The role of Sacristan requires attention to detail. forward planning, a good memory and a high degree of discretion. It's work that I Young St Michael's provides activities for O 18 yr olds.
Ros Lister leads the creche for 0 - 4 yr olds, organising wonderful activities and crafts for the children. Creche is very busy. with parents. often fathers, accompanying their children. and getting to know one anolher. Ros would like some help with setting up and clearing away, as well as during the session, as currently she does much of this on her own. people lo the SMAAA family and foster their spiritual growlh. Little Angels is for pre-school children. and their carers. The group is led by Tassy Russell, assisted by several very loyal volunteers. They meet on Wednesday mornings during term-time for singing, play and socialising.This is the only activity where we ask for a small contribution towards costs. The group has been well- attended. and we are looking for some more volunteers to help. Outreach SMAAA welcomed in the New Year 2024 with a lively Viennese Concert. It was altended by over 300 people. who enjoyed all the Strauss favourites played by an orchestra of local musicians led by David Juritz. Green Days Green Days, SMAAA'S summer fete, look place in June. Attendance was slightly down on previous years. probably due to some wet weather. There were, as usual, stalls run by volunteers from St Michael's and other charities, activities for children, a craft fair, refreshment tent and a very popular bar. A succession of local musical acts kept the crowds entertained throughout the two days. Organising Green Days requires an enormous amount of work. Our thanks go in particular to Nicola Chater and Vicky Brooke and to the many other volunteers who carried out Ihe essential administrative tasks behind the scenes. This was the last occasion on which Vicky was site manager, and she was awarded a fellowship of the Bedford Park Festival at the Mass on the Green. The children's church for primary aged children is led by a rota of parenls. The lesson is based on the gospel explored through games and crafts, and presented back to the congregation at the end of Mass. A highlight of 2024 the was caterpillars that grew Into buttertlies and were released on Good Friday as a symbol of resurrection {see photo.) Youth Church is led by an external organisation, Best4Learning. They begin with refreshments and games. followed by a discussion on the challenges and joys of being a teenager. Generally, children join Ihe Youth Church once they have been confirmed. Young St Michael's also organises three seasonal service5, a service at noon on Good Friday, the Crib service on Chrislmas Eve and a more low-key service with ashing on Ash Wednesday. WÈ are immensely grateful to the members of the congregation who lead and support these aclivilies, which introduce our young
Music at St Michael's Music plays an important part in tife and worship at St Michael's. There are three regular sung services every week as well as voluntaries and incidental music, accompanied by ihe organ, and Compline with singing led by members of the choir. Monthly lunchtime organ recitals are held throughout the year. They are well attended and raise money for the church music fund. The Bedford Park Arts Festival The adult choir is the main choir of the church. Singing in the choir is fun, but it is also a big commitment, with weekly practices and time spent learning rnusic at home. We are grateful to members of the choir for the time and care they take to enrich our services with music. The Bedford Park Arts Festival offered two weeks of music. drama. poetry and visual art. This year the concerts included two performances by small musical groups which were linked with workshops in local schools, marking a return to the Festival of music in an educational setting. The Saturday night entertainment came from a ten-piece band which soon had the audience out on the dance floor. There was a talk from Sanderson design group and a literary walk. As ever, the Open Gardens was the most popular event. SMAAA also provides music at weddings, funerals and memorial services during the week. We aim to provide the right music to the highest standard for these services. The choristers is our children's choir. They sing beautifully while learning chorister skills like listening and moving together. We are very grateful to Nicola Chaler and Tassy Russell for drawing up the programme and organising the events and to Sue and Hugh Johnson for leading on hospitality. Chiswick Book Feslival The 16th Chiswick Book Feslival. directed by Torin Douglas. took place in September. hugely varied range of topics brought big audiences to hear popular speakers including Adrian Chiles. Bill Wyman. Po(ly Toynbee, Al Murray, James O'Brien and many others. The Book Festival once again raised a significant amount for literary charities. The main change this year has been Vicky Brooke. slalwart of the choir and leader of the choristers, moving away. This limits what we can do with the choristers and the standard we can achieve with the choir. We are exploring some possible ways to address this. We are mosl grateful to Vicky for her unstinting work with the choristers over the years. The festival was supported by a large team of volunleers from Sl Michael's and from the wider community. Our thanks are due to all of them, and particularly Torin Douglas, Jenny de Montfort. and Shelley Hasseldine for the work they put into this event. St Michael's is enormously grateful to Jonathan Dod5 for all that he does in planning, playing, conducting and generally
supporting this very important aspecl of our ministry and outreach. make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent prepare the financial statements on a going concern basis. unless it is not appropriate. Staff Anna Benson and Claire Barrell share the work of the Parish Off ice. This year much of their work has been dealing with both planned and unplanned maintenance of our fabric and responding to Ihe needs of our long-term hall hirers. We are indebted to them for dealing with the numerous demands on their time and for continuing to manage the flow of information between the congregation and the public, the clergy and the wardens. Their wealth of practical knowledge aboul the complex workings of the church and parish hall is an essential part of the smooth running of St Michael's. The PCC is responsible for keeping sufficient accounling records which disclose with reasonable accuracy the financial position of the charity and comply with the Charities Acl 2011. the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of the trust deed. It is also responsible for saleguarding the assels of the charity and for laking reasonable steps to prevent and detect fraud and other irregularities. Financial Review (contributed by Amanda Bradley, Treasurer) Claire Barrell retired al the end of the year and we give her our best wishes for the future, In March 2025 we shall welcome her replacement, Larissa Sutton, who will be working in collaboration with Anna for Iwo days a week. We had a team of part-time carelakers, and we have benefitted from the range of practical skills which they have demonstrated in keeping our building in good order. We are grateful for their reliability and good humour in coping with the various problems Ihrown up by a well-used and complex structure which is over 140 years, old. Our finances comprise tive distinct areas of activity: the church, the parish hall. our festivals, the Quick Road property, and investments. The Church 2024 income from ourregular monthly donors totalled £122.205 12023.. £115.005), of which 64% (2023.. 60%) comes through the Parish Giving Scheme (rather than standing orders or direct debils to the church bank accounl). This reduces the administration burden on SMAAA as Gift Aid is claimed by Ihe scheme on our behalf and it also enables donors lo request that thelr regular donation is adjusted annually in line with inflation. Cash colleclions at our services decreased by15% to £11.500 (2023: £13,479), ref lective in part of the higher proportion of regular donations being made via the Parish Giving Scheme. Excluding the Chip In campaign in 2023 which brought in an exceptional £11,243, other donations held broadly firm at £13,797 (2023: £13,266, excluding Chip In). Income from church lettings and concerts also increased by 7X on prior year. No legacies were received in the year. We have also benefitted greatly from donations to our Music Fund. which supports the musical life of our church. We received £6,618 in donations to the fund in 2024 (2023. £3.806). all of which were used to offsel the cost of Statement of Responsibilities of the Parochial Church Council (pcc) The PCC is responsible for preparing the Annual Report and Financial Statemenls in accordance with applicable law and United Klngdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accountancy Practice). In preparing these financial statements. the PCC is required to: select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently
music in the year. The net cost of our musical ministry in 2024 was £12.372 (2023: £15.930). We remain very grateful to all who donate to the Music Fund and to Jonathan Dods for arranging the organ recitals at which most of these donation5 are received. standalone church, nol least financially, we have ended our financial support this year. We continue to share knowledge. resources and skills with St Peterf5. reinforcing our ongoing close relationship beyond the provision of financial support. The Parish Hall We kept our Common Fund contribution to the London Diocese static at £93.000 this year. Unlike the prior Curacy year, the London Diocese agreed lo pay our 2024-25 Curacy cost. Once again, the St Michael & All Angels Bedford Park Trust generou51y agreed to fund 50% of the 2023-24 Curacy cost incurred in the year. Along with the London Diocese contribution, this reduced our 2024 Curacy cost to £5.590 {2023: £18,150). We remain deeply grateful for the Trust's ongoing support. Our contribution continues to exceed the standard cost of a London parish (2024.. £91.300). Standard parish costs have increased 4% year on year. due to property maintenance cost increases across the Diocese and training and support cosls at Diocesan level. The PCC considers Ihat it Is important for St Michael's to continue to help support those less well-resourced churches which are unable lo meet the standard cost. hence ensuring our fee exceeds both the slandard cost of a London parish and the Diocesan estimated cost of running our church. The church's result for the year is skewed, and therefore harder to interprel, due to the receipt of É24.122 in donations to the Heritage Conservation Fund in the year as funds were received in the year but are forecast to be spent in 2025 when the repair of the area above the Font takes place. As we go through a period of fundraising to undertake the major work of repairing the North Wall. the church's result will tontinue to be somewhat obscured by the timing difference between receipt of donattons and spending on major projects. For the past five years, we have provided notional financial support lo our sister church. Sl Peter's church, Aclon Green. It is growing church, attracting a younger demographic through the activitie5 il offers. Consequently, its financial situation has improved. As St Peterfs seeks to be a Income from the Parish Halls in 2024 increased to £156.768 {2023: £139,364) predominantly due to the release of £14,459 of deferred income on the hall kitchen, which was paid for by Dukes Education in 2023 under the terms of the licence agreemenl belween the school and the church for the hall's usage. The one-off payment for the kitchen was deferred at inception over a five- year period. beginning in 2023, to match the useful economic life of the asset. Community rentals suffered a small decrease in the year due to the loss of our main school holiday camp contract. Hall costs saw a sharp increase in costs at £142,984 (2023: £IQI,016), mainly due to a change in the percentage of hall costs recharged to the church account as a reasonable approximation of the Parish Managerfs time in supporting the activities of the church. The recharge is designed to ensure more of the direct costs of the church are funded by the congregation. The decision was made during the 2024 budgeting process to reduce the recharge figure from 25/•1015Y. in recognition of the additional work undertaken in the office to manage the ongoing school contract. This accounts for around £IO.000 of the increase in the parish hall c05t of the year. The depreciation of our new kitchen added a further £14,459 to costs in the year. Around £IO.000 of planned maintenance was also carried out to refurbish the Parish Hall toilets and bathrooms as well as the wooden floors in the Gabriel and Michael rooms. Caretaker costs also rose by around £8,000 in the year. This is offset in part however by reducing cosls for rr and sound engineering as the specific 5killsets of our caretakers were used rather than bringing in more expensive external contractors. io
The Bedford Park and Chiswick Book Feslivals for the Heritage Conservation Fund (£24.100), reduced Curacy costs as explained previously (c£13k) and the net rental income from Quick Road (c£15k). A further £5.101 related to the Advent appeal and other charitable events held in Q4 2024 and was therefore held in restricted funds for Ihe benefit of our charity partners. These amounts were paid out to the various relevant charities by 28 February 2025. Current liabilities decreased in the year (2024: £98.883,. 2023- £117.331). This is due to the release of £14,459 in deferred income on the hall kitchen as described above. The 2023 figure also included £8,000 of deferred income from prepaid rental income on Quick Road rentals which was released in the year. No such advance on rental has been required frorn the current tenant. The 2024 accruals figure included £11,235 pertaining to the final charitable distributions from Chiswick Book Festival as well as the £5.101 of amounts due lo charities from the church's charitable activities, predominanlly raised during the Advent Appeal which was still ongoing at year end. At the balance sheet date, the Parish held net current assets of £214,711 (2023: £127,910). The PCC is satisfied that the parish has sufficient resources, along with income received in 2024. lo meet its liabilities as they fall due. However, the various repairs required to the fabric of the church and its properties in 2024 has underlined the ongoing need to fundralse to pay for the upkeep of our historic buildings. Accordingly, in March 2024, the PCC crealed the Heritage Conservation Fund, a restricted church fund to finance the upkeep of our historic buildings and the required north wall repairs. Ongoing cost control and attention to fundraising continue to be necessary to maintain an adequate buffer against any unexpecled financial headwinds which may arise. Reserves Policy The Bedford Park Festival raisedover £44,500 in support of the church. the Sl Michael and All Angels, Bedford Park Trust and our three church charities. Net income was around £14,000 higher than 2023, mostly due to sponsorship activities. The cold weather over Green Days weekend impacting takings slightly. The Chiswick Book Festival was a great success, raislng over £16,000. Payments of £3,875 went to each of the three charities supported by the Festival.- Read for Good. Koestler Arts and Read Easy Ealing. This brings the lotal raised for charity partners by our 2024 festival activities to over £34,000. We remain deeply grateful to Alyson Mitchell for her dedicated work as Fesllval Treasurer for bolh events. Quick Road Parish House The parish house in Quick Road was rented out for Ihe majority 01 2024. with a short break between tenants being used lo undertake routine maintenance. Net rental income for Quick Road was £15.919 {2023: £13,586) after offsetting the expense of alternative accommodation for our Curate and routine maintenance between leltings. A new tenancy agreement was signed at Ihe end of 2024. giving comlorl that any rental expenditure arising for Curate alternative accommodation in 2025 would most likely be offset in full. Investments The church invests a portion of its cash reserve in an ethical investment fund. managed by CCLA. In 2024, we enjoyed a further £3.620 (2023: £7,963) annual gain on this investment. This more than offsets the £6,433 loss suffered in 2022. From its inception in 2020 when interest rales were low. until the balance sheet date, our investment with CCLA has resulted in an overall net gain. Balance Sheet It 15 the PCC'S policy to maintain a balance on unrestricted funds wherever possible equal lo six months. expenditure. At present, we are jusl above this, holding 6.5 months. expenditure. The PCC continues to be aware Cash in the bank at year end of £297.501 has increased Significantly year on year (2023: £229,119), predominantly due to f undraising li
of the speed with which this can change. particularly once we complete the Memorial Garden. We continue to exercise strong budgetary control. and further fundraising is being planned to ensure our financial securitygoing forward. The PCC will continue to monitor adherence to this policy in 2025. It is our policy to invest a judicious amount of our reserves, currently held in a CCLA ethical fund account. Our Autumn fundraiser raised some £3000 with a wine tasting, organised by the local branch of Lea & Sandeman, a quiz and raffle. We also raised fund5 from Iwo Lent lunches, one of which was organised by Vicky Brooke and the Youth Church. Vicky and her family have now moved lo the West Country. and we are hugely grateful for her help over many years. Carol singing outside Turnham Green lube 51ation was a great success, raising money for good causes and lifting the spirits of commulers and shoppers alikel Special Ihanks to Andrew Pears. Ros Lister and Cathy Millin for making this happen. Charities Group Report 2024 (contributed by Andrew Mitchell, chair ) The Charities Group at St Michael's had another busy year, raising funds for our two 'core' charities the Upper Room and Chiswick Crosslight as well as our 2024 Lent Charity: the Ealing Food Ban During the early part of the year. our third Swinfen long-term charity partner Telemedicine merged wilh a larger US- based organisation and was unable lo continue to accepi donations from St Michael's. The bulk of the money which would have been donated to Swinfen was divided between the Upper Room and Crosslight and a one-off donalion of almost £1500 was made to the UNICEF Gaza Fund from funds raised over Advent and Christmas. Special thanks go to Ros Lister, who organised fundraising for SMAAA during Christian Aid week, as well as the annual poppy appeal on behalf ol the Royal British Legion. Margaret Hill co-ordinated the Harvest Festival donations and the collection of clothing for the Upper Room. Our two core charities also benefitted from a share of the proceeds of the Bedford Park Festival. Looking forward. we are finalising our recommendations to the PCC for a new overseas charity partner for the next three years and for the 2025 Lent charily. l am grateful to members of the SMAAA community who took the time to submit a nomination. We were fortunate in having an excellent selectian of charities f rom which to make our choice. 2024 wa5 an exceptional year for fundraising. with over £22.000 raised for our core charities. In January, we organised a 'cake and catwalk, event in the church. attended by over 150 guests. An auction of pre-loved clothing was combined with a superb afternoon tea, some wonderful music and an interview with two well-known novelists. We raised several thousand pounds and special Ihanks must go to Jacks Edwards, Paula Nelson and Sally Haigh for organising thi5 memorable event. should like to express our gratitude as ever to the Parish Office team. to Torin Douglas for PR support. Amanda Bradley and Alyson Mitchell for looking after the finances. and many other volunleers who helped us on an ad hoc basis. Finally. I should like to thank everyone who served on the Charities Group over the course of the year. It has been a pleasure to work wilh them all over the last three years. The work we do is hugely rewarding and I would encourage anyone interested in volunteering to contact the Parish Off ice for further details. 111 SMAAA is very grateful to Andrew Mitchell for his three years as chair of Ihe charitie5 group.11 has been a period of some upheaval and change, and we appreciate the time he has given to navigating this. 12
Governance We have also discussed Ihe refurbishment of the side-chapel. We have had advice from our church architect and have submitted plans to the Diocese. We hope these will be agreed early in 2025. The upkeep and refurbishment of the church and halls have to be carried out within a tight budget and taking account of the restrictions of a listed building. This year we agreed to set up a Heritage Conservation Fund to encourage donations from the wider Chiswick community to the maintenance of Ihe building. Clergy The vicar of both St Michael's & St Peterfs Acton Green is Father Kevin Morris. The Associate Vicar with particular responsibility for St Peterfs is Father Fabrizio Pesce. Falher Brandon Fletcher-James is Curate at St Michael's. Mother Maggie Davidge-smith and Mother Sarah Lenton are Honorary Assistant Priests. Graham Holderness 15 a Licensed Lay Preacher and Anne Mower is our Reader. Father Graham Morgan. Honorary Assistant Priest, passed away during the year. Part of the role of a PCC member is to get to know people in the congregation. Fr. Kevin has asked the PCC to encourage members of the congregation to have the confidence to offer their skills and experience as volunteers to support the work of the church. Although much of the discusslon at the PCC occurs in the context of budgets, Fr Kevin reminds us of the need to find a balance between spending time and effort on financial issues and considering issues of ministry. One of our important decisions in 2024 concerned the blessing of civil partnerships. It was agreed that SMAAA should continue to make it clear that we welcome a diverse congregation and will offer blessings lo same-sex parlnerships in a form to be agreed between the couple and the priest. The PCC held an 'away morning. in October where we spent time considering what we do well at St Michael's and where we could improve. We agreed that our music and our meticulously planned services in a beautiful, well-kepl church are a positive feature of SMAAA. 'I'i'il'Jl The PCC in 2024 The PCC met seven times in 2024. Average altendance was 72Y.. Meetings begin with Mass and always include a financial report and a report on safeguarding. This year financial discussions were dominated by how to handle the increasing pressures on our budget, and our contribution to the Common Fund. Although we see ourselves as a friendly church, we are aware that not everyone would agree and there is more to do. We recognised that it is not always easy for people unfamiliar with the Anglo-catholic liturgy to understand what is happening during Mass, and we thought our service booklets could be more helpful to them. We decided to join in the Church of England campaign to encourage people to "Come Back to Church. and we plan to Use the next Mass on the Green to invite our friends to join U5 there. Plans for the installation of a Memorial Garden have been under discussion for some time. Thi5 year our plans were finalised and displayed in the church for several weeks. The feedback was considered carefully. and a pre- planning application was submitted to Hounslow. The report from their planning officer is awaited. We are very grateful to Helen Wareharn and Sue Hunt for all the work they have pul in to enable us to progress our plans for the Memorial Garden.
At the APCM 2025 two PCC members will come to the end of their term of office. Lily Assefa Stood down during the year. Anne Mower will continue as a deanery Synod representative, entitled to sit on the PCC. and Jan Vermooten is willing to stand for election for a second term. We are very grateful to them for their contribution to SMAAA in their different capacities. the PCC once a year to enable the members of the PCC to ask questions and to make sure we are aware of any new guidance. We had no incidents to repori this year. The Makin Review and resignalion of Ihe Archbishop of Canterbury in November led to two emergency meetings between church safeguarding officers and Martin Goodwin (Diocesan Head of Safeguarding). The main outcome is that church policies must be robust and followed rigorously. Jane advised us that SMAAA should continue to do everything that we are already doing. especially keeping up with training requirements. She and Father Brandon are working on the Parish Dashboard which keeps us as a parish up to date with all of this. Health and Safety/Risk Management During 2024 the PCC re-appointed Chris Bradley as Health and Safety Olficer and approved an updated Health and Safety Policy. This now includes a section on lone working with guidance for staff and volunteers who may find themselves alone in the church. We should like to thank Chris for the invaluable advice he ha5 provided throughout the year. We are fortunate to have a well-informed and available safe-guarding officer to advise us on these importanl issues and guide us through change5 in policy. Our Ihanks go to Jane for all her work. General Data Protection Regulalions {GDPR) These regulations have been in force since 2018. The church has a data controller. Dan Klein. who works remotely and is our main source ot advice about updating our policies. The Church Building The PCC ha5 a particular responsibility for the fabric of the church and ils grounds. A Quinquennial visit from the diocese and subsequent report was made in the spring. Some remedial work to the church fabric was undertaken as a result. This included repainting external iron work and clearing gutter5 and hopper5. The rear door to the church and the arch around it was also repainted. Church mailing lists keep names unseen in emails except where recipients have posilively opted into disclosure. We take care to alert people to the fact Ihal a service is being streamÈd and will be posted online.. there is normally a statement on the weekly pew sheet. The Standing Committee is alert to data protection issues but there were no reported breaches of the regulations or complaints during 2024. Some areas of the ceilings and walls have major (Jamage from damp- these are being assessed before repair work which will be undertaken in 2025. The church hall boiler was overhauled and its control panel replaced. The floors in the church hall were stripped and varnished. Safeguarding Jane Mccabe was re-appoTnted as Safeguarding Officer and Jim Russell as Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checker, and we approved the Safeguarding Pollcy after carefully reviewing it to ensure it still met our needs. We receive a report on safeguarding as a standard item on Ihe PCC agenda. This ensures that we are in compliance wilh our duty to= 'have due regard to House of Bishops, guidance on safeguarding children and vulnerable adults.- In addition. Jane Mccabe attends We have postponed work on the north wall of the church until we have sufficient funds available for this major project. Environmenlal Issues (contributed by Helen Dods) The biggest change for SMAAA energy usage in 2024 was the ending of our existing contracts with our energy 14
suppliers. In June, new suppliers were approved by the PCC on 2-year contracts these are Ecotricity and Yu Energy. Ecotricity is one of the Church of England's 'approved' suppliers for green energy, allowing for a large reduction in our net carbon emissions. In 2023 our carbon footprint was 30.9 tonnes of C02 emissions. Although our overall energy usage rose slightly in 2024. our nel carbon footprint dropped from 30.9 tonnes of C02 emissions to 21.8 tonnes. The'Little Fishes. playgroup continues to be popular. The group runs the children's corner a5 part of Green Days and it funds a number of activities for the church including an Easter Garden workshop Motherfs Day bouquets and Advent children's crafts. The monthly coffee mornings are always a welcome social event for many locals, who enjoy a slice of homemade cake and a chat, SMAAA into 2025 Other achievements in 2024 include the construction of not one, but two bug hotels in the church garden, and installing insulating foil behind the major radiators in the church halls thanks to all who assisted with these. Unfortunately, the Eco Church survey. run by A Rocha UK, was relaunched al the end of the year in a new format. We will need to resubmit our dala before we can continue to plot our progress towards a Bronze award. Much of our attention in 2025 will be focused on repairing and conserving our fabric and raising lunds for this through the new Heritage Conservation Fund. We will be collaborating with the Bedford Park Society as they celebrate 150 years of Bedford Park. This collaboration will both support our fund raising and extend our outreach programme in the arts. SMAAA is very grateful for the detailed and timely work which Helen does in this important area. During the coming year we hope to be able to Improve our communication with our congregalion Ihrough Ihe website and also consider how best to engage with the local community and our various sponsors and donors. St Peler's Church. Acton Green (contributed by St Peterfs Church Warden) We have been pleased that numbers in the congregation at major feast days and at Remembrance Sunday have been maintained at high levels despite concerns in the press and elsewhere that the Church is in decline. We hope to continue to atlract new people into our congregation. Our ministry to children and young people has flourished over the past few years and we look to involve more young families in our work in different capacities. St Peterfs Church is a growing parish with a lot of young congregation members. Both our pre and post contirmation groups offer a range of fun activities lor our younger church members on a Sunday morning. We offer a number of activities for our congregation and the local community. These include classical concerts and choral performances, monthly cake and book sales and an annual Christmas fair. 2024 also welcomed our first Jazz festival which was a huge success. Conclusion The Eucharist is the focus of our church life at St Michael and All Angels. We commit ourselves to a Christian theology which engages With contemporary issues, and we have a particular ministry celebrating the arts. Father Fabrizio Pesce, the Associate Vicar with particular re5pon5ibility for St Peter's. runs Mindfulness and Christian medilation courses. as part of his centre for mindfulness and spirituality. He also runs a pilgrimage to Assisi. 15
We are a welcoming, supportive and inclusive church which provides. through daily worship, a 5pirttual home to an increasingly diverse congregation. It is our hope to grow stronger in our discipleship through worship, through engaging with the Scriptures and through fellowship within our church. Under the leadership of the Vicar, St Michael's offers guidance and inspiration to parishioners and maintains a witness in our community to the falthfulness and love of God. Alison Baker. PCC Secretary, March 2025 Fr. Kevin Morris, Ma h 2025 16
ST MICHAELAND ALL ANGELS PCC, BEDFORD PARK INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF ST MICHAELAND ALL ANGELS PCC, BEDFORD PARK I raport to the Members on my examinatson of the financial ststements of St Michael and All Angels PCC, Bedford Park (the charity) for the year ended 31 December 2024. Responsibilities and basls of report As the Members of the tharity you are responsible for Ihe preparation of the financial statements in accordance with th8 requirements of the Charities Act 2011. I report in respect of my examination of the charity's financial statements carried out undèr section 145 of th8 Charities Act 2011. In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Comrnis5ion under section 145(5){b) of the Charities Act 2011. Indopondont oxamlnorfs statement Since the charity's gross income ex¢e8ded £250,000, Ihe independènt examiner must b& a mèmber of a body list8d in section 145 of the Charities Act 2011.1 confinm that l am qualified to undertake the examination because l am a member of ICAEW. which is one of the listed bodies. I have complet8d my examinalion. I confimi that no matters have come to my attention in Mnnecllon wilh the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material re5peGt'. accounting records were nol kept in respect of tho charity as réquired by section 130 of the Charities Act 2011. the financial statements do r1 accord with those records: or the financial statements do not Comply with ihe applicable requirements conceming the fonn and content of financial statements set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulalions 2008 other than any requirement that the financial statements give a Irue and fair view, which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examinatFOn. I havè no con¢ems and have come across no other matters in conneth'on with the examlnation to which attenllon should be drawn in Ihis report in order to enable a proper understanding of the financial statement5 to be reached. Seema Siddiqui Bsc FCA Reddy Slddlqul LLP 183-189 The Vale Acton London W3 7RW United Kingdom Dated.. 30 March 2025 17
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Sl Michael and All Angels PCC Balance Sheet as at 31 December 2024 Notes 2024 2023 T•nglbl• Flxad Assets 860.981 883.968 Current Ass•ts Debtors & Prepayments Cash at Bank 16,092 297,501 313,593 16,122 229,119 245.241 Currenl LlablUII•s Creditors: Amounts falling due within one year (98,883) (98.883) (117,331) (117,331) N•1 Curr•nl A•s•ts / (LlablUll•s) 214.711 127,910 Total Ass•l• less Curr•nl Llabllltl•s 1,075.691 1,011,878 N•t Assets 1.075.691 1,011,878 Funds Unrestricted Funds Designated Funds Re5tricled Funds 2 & 3 904,415 143.554 27.722 1,075,691 859.707 147,971 4,200 1,011,8?8 Approved by the Parochial Church Council on 30 March 2025 and signed on its behalf by. eRe In Morris Incumbent Arnanda Bradley Trustee & Treasurer The note5 on pages 20 to 29 form part of these accounls. 19
St Mlchael and All Angels PCC Notes to th• Flnancial Stalements Y•ar lo 31 D•¢•mb•r 2024 Accountlng Poll¢l•¥ a) Accounllng Conv•ntlon The financial slatements have been prepared in accordance with the Charities Act 2011 and in a¢cordance with the Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS102) (effective l January 2019). The financial statements have departed from the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulatlons 2008 only to the extent required to provide a true and fair View. This departure has involved following the Statement of Recommended Practice for charities applyinu FRS102 rather than the version of the Statement of Recommended Practice which is referred to In the Regulations but which has since been withdrawrL The accounts are prepared In sterllng. which Is the lunctlonal currency ol tho charity. Monetary mounls in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest L The accounts have been prepared under the hlstorlcal cost convention. modified to Include financial instruments at lair value, wilh any rnovemenl in fair value being recognised as a gain or loss on lh• investment. The prlncipal accounting policies adopted are sel out below. The PCC continues to be a public benefit entity under FRS 102. The PCC considers that there are no material uncertainties about the Church% ability to continue as a going concern. b) R•tondllallon whh pr•vloui G•n•r•lly A¢c•pl•d Pr•ctl¢• In preparing the accounts. Ihe PCC have considered whether, in applying the accounting policiès required by FRS102 and the Charities SORP FRS 102, a restatement of comparative itern5 was needed. No restatements were required. ) Fund• Unreslrlcled funds represent the funds of the PCC that are not subject to any restrictions regarding their use and are available for application on the general purposes of the PCC. Designat•d funds are sums set asidÈ out of unrestricted funds for specific designated purposes. The funds can be transterred back lo unrestricted funds at any time. Restricted funds represent donations or grants recelved for a specific purpose. The funds rnay only be expended on the specific purpose for which they were given. Any balance remaining unspent at the end of the year rnusl be carrled forward as a balance on thal lund. d) Incomlng R•iourc•s Voluntary Incom• and capllal sourc•s Collections are recognised when received by or on behalf of the PCC. Planned glving recelvable under Gift Aid is recognised only when received. Income Tax recoverable on Gift Aid donalions Is recognised on an accruals basis. Incom• from Inv•stmenls Interest is accounted for on receipt. 20
Sl Michael and All Ang•ls PCC Notes lo the Flnanclal Statements Y•ar to 31 D•c•mber 2024 •) R•sourc•• UJ•d Donatl•n• Donallons are accounted for when payable. Acllvlll•s dlr•rtly r•lallng to lh• work of lh• Church The diocesan quota is accounted for wh•n payable. l) Flx•d A•s•l• C•M•cr¢•t•d land and bulidlngs and movabh church lurnlshlngs Consecreated and beneflced prop•rty Is •x¢lud•d from th• account$ by s.10 ol th• Chariti•$ Act 2011. Expendilure on Consecreated and beneficed property is written off when incurred. No value Is placed on movabl• church furnishing5. Church Halls and Other Property is stated at historical cosl. No provlsion Is mad• for depreciation as there is likely to be a long unexpired life and high residual value in each case (based on current Yalues). Roullne additions and replacements lo Church Hall contents or• charggd to expenditure. Oth•r flxlur•s. Ilttln91 and offic• •qulpm•nl Depreciation is charged over Ihe useful economic lil• of Ihe asset on a IOX to 33% stralght linè basis depending on the asset. 21
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