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← The Parochial Church Council Of The Ecclesiastical Parish Of Frome Selwood

2023-12-31-accounts

Frome Deanery Wells Archdeaconry Diocese of Bath and Wells

Annual Report

and

Financial Statements

of the

Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Frome Selwood

(Registered Charity number 1133925)

otherwise

Frome St John the Baptist PCC

for the year ended

31st December 2023

Office: St John’s Parish Office, St John’s Cottage, 1 Church Steps, Frome, Somerset BA11 1PL Website: www.sjfrome.co.uk Email: administrator@sjfrome.co.uk Facebook: FromeStJohntheBaptist Twitter: @ FromeStJohnBapt

Incumbent : The Revd Colin Alsbury, St John’s Vicarage, Vicarage Close, Christchurch Street East, Frome, Somerset BA11 1QL

Email: colin.alsbury@btinternet.com

Independent Examiner: B.O.A. Accountancy Ltd t/as Berkeley Hall Ltd, Unit 2, Southgate, Commerce Park, Frome BA11 2RY

Architect: George Chedburn, Chedburn Dudley, Glove Factory Studios, Brook Lane, Holt, Bradford on Avon BA14 6RL

Legal advisors: FDC Law, 21 Bath Street, Frome BA11 1DJ

Bank: NatWest Bank, 62 Fore Street, Trowbridge, Wiltshire BA14 8EX

1

The Church of St John the Baptist at Frome Selwood is of ancient foundation, being founded as a mission church by St Aldhelm in ad 685. A royal church in its early years, the patronage passed in the middle ages to Cirencester Abbey and then at the reformation into the hands of the Thynne family at Longleat, who delivered the patronage to the Diocese of Bath and Wells (Board of Patronage) in the late 1930s.

The benefice of Frome St John was held in plurality with that of St Katharine, East Woodlands until the end of September 2023.

Ministry

Vicar: Revd Colin Alsbury MA Reader: Mrs Janet Caudwell MA

Parochial Church Council (PCC)

The role of the PCC

St John’s PCC has the responsibility of co-operating with the incumbent in promoting the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical.

Charitable status of the PCC

In 2009 the PCC, previously excepted from registration, registered with the Charity Commission, and the registration process was completed in early 2010.

2

Contents

PCC membership 2023 4
Other PCC ofcers and appointees 4
Commitees 5
Collaboratve ministry 5
Inclusive church 6
Major Churches Network 6
PCC funds 7
Associated and related non-PCC funds 7
Trusts and bequests in the care of the Incumbent/Churchwardens 7
Strategy for Mission and Ministry 8
Statstcs for Mission / Electoral roll informaton 9
Report on the fabric, ornaments and goods 10
Report of the proceedings of the Parochial Church Council 11
Statement of fnancial actvites 12
Balance sheet 13
Notes to the fnancial statements 14-16
Accountng policies 17
Additonal notes regarding accountng policies 18-19
Independent examiner’s report 20
Property notes 21-22
Commitee reports 23-24
Stewardship report 24
Bennet Centre (St John’s Church Hall) report 25
Health and Safety report 26
Charity/Trust Funds income and expenditure accounts 27

Mission statement

Our mission and ministry:

‘ Seven whole days, not one in seven’

Cherishing our inheritance of Christian faith and worship, we welcome all and share the joy of the Gospel message in Christ, through concern for the wholeness of individuals and active involvement in community life in all its diversity.

3

PCC Membership 2023

Clergy:

Revd Colin Alsbury (Vicar, Deanery Synod & Surrogate)

Churchwardens (elected annually):

Mr Neil McCormick

Mr Terry Bushell

Deanery Synod Members:

Mrs Lois Bushell (Lay Dean of Frome Deanery, Diocesan Synod, Deanery Synod 2023-26) Mrs Elaine Gilburt (Diocesan Synod, Deanery Synod 2023-26)

PCC members elected until 2024:

Mr Peter Connew (PCC 2021-24, Lay Chair of PCC) Mr Brian Essex (PCC 2021-24) Ms Angela Pater (PCC 2021-February 2023, PCC Secretary to February 2023)

PCC members elected until 2025:

Mrs Amanda Crook (PCC 2022-25, PCC Secretary from February 2023) Ms Ross Frooms (PCC 2022-January 2023)

Mr Ram Patten (May 2023-June 2023)

Mr Steve Smith (May 2023-2025)

PCC members elected until 2026:

Mrs Christine Holland (PCC 2023-26, PCC Treasurer) Mr Neil McCormick (PCC 2023-26)

Mrs Kathryn Yeaman (PCC 2023-26)

Readers (appointed annually):

Mrs Janet Caudwell

Note : Within the Frome Town Group Ministry the other incumbents are also entitled to attend and take part in, but not have any vote in, the proceedings of any PCC meeting: Revd Liz Dudley Christ Church & St Mary's Revd Ian Snares Holy Trinity

Other PCC officers and appointees

Senior server Mr Peter Connew Choir leader Mrs Rosemary McCormick Sacristy Mrs Marian Alsbury Tower captains Mr Andy Mead and Mr M Higby Flower co-ordinator Mrs Elaine Gilburt Hon archive supervisor Vacant (c/o Incumbent) Safeguarding officer Incumbent to September 2023, Mr S Smith from September 2023 Health & safety issues Mr Brian Essex Electoral roll officer Mr Neil McCormick Stewardship Mrs Amanda Crook Magazine editors Mrs Amanda Crook, Mrs Karolyn Curle Church administrator Mrs Karolyn Curle

4

Committees

The PCC operates through a number of committees, which meet between full meetings of the PCC. The Vicar is a member of all committees ex-officio. Though most members of committees are also on the PCC, membership of committees is open to persons who are not members of the PCC.

Standing Committee

This is the only committee required by law. The Vicar and Churchwardens are ex-officio members, and the PCC appoints a further two members. It has power to transact the business of the PCC between its meetings, subject to any directions given by the PCC.

Worship Committee (jointly with Woodlands St Katharine until end September 2023) This committee co-ordinates the efforts and vision of all those involved in preparing and leading our worship, meeting every couple of months. It makes recommendations to the PCC on any change or development in our pattern of worship.

Social Committee

This committee oversees and organises events to build fellowship within the life of the parish.

Note: The Restoration Joint Committee is not a sub-committee of the PCC alone but forms a partnership with the separate associated registered charity 'Frome St John Restoration Fund'.

Collaborative ministry

Until September 2023, Frome St John the Baptist and Woodlands St Katharine, as benefices held in plurality and sharing the same incumbent, co-operated through sharing a parish magazine, a worship committee and a safeguarding officer, and through other joint events. Under a Bishop’s direction those qualified to marry in any one of the parishes may marry in either.

In 2018 Bishop’s Council approved a Scheme creating a Joint PCC for the two benefices to which the separate PCCs delegated a number of areas of responsibility including safeguarding, health & safety and publicity.

Following the financial challenges of the pandemic and after prolonged and detailed deliberations the Deanery Mission and Pastoral Group formulated proposals that were accepted by PCC’s and the Archdeaconry Mission and Pastoral Group for changes in clergy deployment in the Deanery. This involved the severance of the existing plurality of Frome St John the Baptist and Woodlands, St Katharine from the end of September 2023.

The parishes of the Frome Town Group are able to collaborate through a Group Council. In order to balance the pastoral care responsibilities of the benefices within the town there is a working agreement in place whereby some parts of Christ Church parish are cared for by Holy Trinity and St John’s.

The parish is committed to working with ecumenical partners and hosts a monthly prayer meeting for members of Frome area congregations. The Clergy of the Frome Deanery meet regularly as Clergy Chapter for worship, study and fellowship.

5

Inclusive Church

On 27th September 2018 the application by the PCC of Frome St John the Baptist parish church to be recognised as part of Inclusive Church was accepted.

Inclusive Church is a network of churches, groups and individuals uniting together around a shared vision:

‘We believe in inclusive Church - church which does not discriminate, on any level, on grounds of economic power, gender, mental health, physical ability, race or sexuality. We believe in Church which welcomes and serves all people in the

name of Jesus Christ; which is scripturally faithful; which seeks to proclaim the Gospel afresh for each generation; and which, in the power of the Holy Spirit, allows all people to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Jesus Christ.’

Further information is available at https://www.inclusive-church.org/

Major Churches Network

For many years there was a somewhat self-defined Greater Churches Network where those involved with the more significant churches, in terms of size and heritage, have shared support and areas of common interest.

In 2016 a report funded by Historic England and supported by the Church Buildings Council and Heritage Lottery Fund was published which aimed to investigate the problems faced by Major Churches and suggest ways of supporting them. The new national definition of a Major Church includes such factors as its listing grade (I or II*) and its size (over 1000 sqm footprint). Some 300 churches fall into this category nationally, of which Frome St John the Baptist is one of just seven in the Diocese of Bath & Wells.

The Church Buildings Council recognise that such Major Churches face issues normally associated with cathedrals, but with parish church-sized resources. Part of the support given to Major Churches will come through assistance in developing a comprehensive Conservation Management Plan.

The Greater Churches Network re-formed in 2019 as the Major Churches Network (MCN), with regional meetings being held, in order to support Major Churches in management, mission and ministry.

6

PCC funds

Apart from the General Fund, which is unrestricted in use, the following funds are held by the PCC:

Unrestricted funds that have been designated:

Because of legal changes, from 1st January 2013 payments in respect of Parochial Fees belong to the PCC and DBF (Diocesan Board of Finance), and are managed by the PCC rather than the incumbent. Fees are therefore processed through the PCC accounts.

Restricted funds that hold:

Associated or related non-PCC funds

The following funds are not under the control of the PCC but are held for purposes within or connected with the life of the parish of Frome St John:

Frome St John Restoration

Established by a Trust Deed in July 1986 as the Friends of St John’s, this is a separate registered charity (No 295057) whose objects are ‘the maintenance and repair of the fabric of St John’s Church and its surrounds’.

The Trustees of this associated charity are accountable directly to the Charity Commissioners for its funds, and notes of their work do not form part of the PCC Annual Report. Their Annual Meeting was held on 8th May 2022.

The report of their Trustees is separately available.

Sacristy Fund

Under the terms of a bequest from Rose Hunt a capital sum is held by the Diocesan Trustees, and the income is paid to the parish for the upkeep of vestments etc.

‘Vicarage Garden’ Trust fund

This fund, which arose from the sale of land adjoining the former vicarage garden, is held by the Diocesan Trustees for the benefit of the Church School.

Trusts and bequests in the care of the Incumbent/Churchwardens

The following funds are in the care of the Incumbent or the Incumbent and Churchwardens:

Charities Funds

Byard (Education) , Taunton (Music), T Smith (Alms), Singer (Bennett Services), Leversedge (Fabric), Baily (Clock, Carillon, Bells), Hutchings (Grave & Fabric)

Trust Funds

W Baily (Bennett Memorial), Via Crucis, Bennett Grave, Foster (Flowers)

They are included here on page 27, but for information only. They do not form part of the PCC’s Annual Report.

7

Strategy for Mission and Ministry: ‘Seven Whole Days …’

Strategy for Mission and Ministry: ‘Seven Whole Days …’
Congregation to grow as a viable, sustainable community of worship, ministry & mission
Worship to maintain and develop a rich variety of worship
Nurture to establish an effective programme of all-age learning and growth
Fellowship to provide and enjoy regular social events
Membership to affirm a sense of belonging, encouraging new membership and maintaining
accurate and up to date membership records
‘One Holy, Catholic&
Apostolic Church		 to draw strength from and contribute to the wider life of the Church
Plurality of St John &
Woodlands		 to share resources effectively
Group Ministry to share common policies and vision for the town
Frome Area
ChristiansTogether		 to grow in mutual fellowship and ministry
Deanery / Diocese to take an active role in the synodical process
Wider Church to learn from and support the work of the wider church
to give a proportion of our income to support the wider mission and ministry of
Mission partnerships the Church and to welcome fresh understanding of our calling through learning
from the life of the wider church
Community to engage actively with the whole life of the community in which we are set
Pastoral care to share people’s joys and sorrows and provide appropriate care, support and
guidance
Prayer Network to hold in prayer all those whose needs are known to us
Baptism to welcome all who would seek to begin their journey of faith
Marriage to celebrate mutual love and commitment in marriage
Bereavement to support people in the time of grief
Geographical parish to engage with the ordinary life of the community that live, work or take
their leisure within the parish
Resident population to reach out in service and witness to the people of the parish
Voluntary sector to know and be known by those working for the welfare of the local community
Business community to value the people involved in the local economy,especially at Rogation and
Harvest
Education to affirm all involved in the work of education and support individuals of all
ages in their learning and personal growth
Church School to actively share in and contribute to the life of St John’s School
Church as a teaching to enable the use of the Church building for school visits and as a place where
resource learningcan be enriched
Heritage to cherish the inheritance which is in our trust and provide as best we can
for that inheritance to be maintained and developed
The site & building to work creatively with heritage bodies to assure the future of a living site
Parish archives to work with county archives and others to preserve our unique records
Conservation &
access		 to keep safe and ensure security of records, including provision of archive quality
copies; to provide reasonable access to records, including provision of copies,
findingaids and indices wherepossible
Visitors & tourism to welcome casual visitors and organised visits and enrich the experience
of their visit
An open church – to maintain a team of volunteers who will be confident in explaining the history,
stewarding life and mission of the parish
Guides & literature to provide in accessible form a variety of literature which enrich people’s visit
Music & the arts to develop the offering of music and arts within worship and to host
appropriate exhibitions and concerts throughout the year
Frome Festival to work closely with the Festival organisers in promoting music and the arts

8

Statistics for Mission

A number of returns are made each year to the Diocese and Church Commissioners regarding membership, attendance and other aspects of church life.

At the end of 2023 the core worshipping community at St John's, defined as those who attend worship at least once a month, or would do so if not restricted by health or other reasons, comprised 52 individuals, an increase of 3 on the previous year:

Children (0-10) Youth (11-17) Adult (18-69) Older (70+) Total
3 2 19 28 52 In 2023
5 0 18 26 49 In 2022

The number of baptisms, weddings and funerals were:

Baptsms
2023
2022
Under 1 year
4
5
Age 1-4
1
3
Age 5-10
0
0
Age 11-17
0
0
Adult
0
1
Total
5
9		 Weddings
2023
2022
Full service
9
5
Dedicaton afer civil
marriage
0
2
Funerals
2023
2022
in church
9
8
at crematorium
3
2

The numbers attending Easter, Advent and Christmas services were:

Easter Day Communicants Communicants Communicants Atending
2023 48 73
2022 45 68
Advent For congregaton &
local community
For civic and school		 Christmas
Communicants		 Atending
2023 350 350 2023 104 320
2022 450 750 2022 60 130

Electoral roll

The number on the church electoral roll for 2023 was 77

9

Wardens’ report on the fabric, ornaments and goods for 2023

Work undertaken during 2023:

Power sockets: Some minor adjustment to the position of electric sockets was undertaken, mainly to re-route trailing cables, to wire the router and the donation machine so that they cannot so easily be turned off inadvertently (which had been happening) and to provide additional power for the radio microphone.

Organ: A report was obtained on the condition of the organ, as a result of which money was raised to repair it ,which should be possible early in 2024.

Tower: The Tower and Bells were thoroughly cleaned of pigeon mess by a specialist contractor; next is needed a cleaning session for dust and cobwebs by a volunteer cleaning team. Mesh was placed inside the belfry vents to prevent pigeons getting in again, but some further work here was advised.

WC: Work was carried out to make the skylight in the WC watertight.

Boiler: The boiler was out of action for some time and the cause of the fault proved difficult to pin-point, but was possibly related to the water that came through the loo skylight in some quantities. The skylight itself has now been repaired and the area is slowly drying out.

Quinquennial Report: The long-awaited Quinquennial report was received and the reroofing of the Baptistry and Lady Chapel has now become a little more urgent.

Neil McCormick and Terry Bushell

Churchwardens

10

Report of the proceedings

of the Parochial Church Council in 2023

  1. The PCC held ten meetings in 2023. Standing agenda items at each meeting included Health & Safety, the Net Zero Carbon initiative, and Safeguarding.

  2. Building work and repairs continued to be supervised by Peter Connew and the Churchwardens throughout the year. See separate Fabric report.

  3. The PCC is committed to and is complying with the National Safeguarding Policies of the Church of England and the Diocese of Bath and Wells. The PCC appointed Steve Smith as Parish Safeguarding Officer from September 2023; he can be contacted via email at smith.steve.71@icloud.com or by post c/o The Parish Office.

  4. There were nine weddings, five baptisms and 14 funerals/thanksgiving services during the year.

  5. Several successful Frome Festival events were held in Church in July, including Evensong, concerts and talks, as well as the flower festival. There was a well dressing service in May, an autumn fair and ten Mini-Markets on Independent Market Sundays, which were excellent fund-raisers and also brought a wide range of visitors into the church.

  6. There are regular links with our school, St John's CE VA First School. Janet Caudwell our Reader continued as an associate School governor. At least once a term she took one of their daily acts of worship, and visits to the church took place throughout the year. Reception children visit the church as part of their school induction during the first term so they become familiar with the building and its purpose. Collective worship was occasionally held in church, in particular at Harvest, Christmas and Easter. As always the school was particularly generous in providing the floral display for the Well Dressing; also, their donations to the Food Bank provided an inspiring display in church for Harvest Festival. The school supplied seasonal artwork for display in church during the year and made their annual contribution to the schools' exhibition in church for the Frome Festival.

  7. From the end of September 2023, the new parish structure was implemented and St Katharine’s Woodlands became a separate benefice, no longer sharing a vicar with St John’s.

Mandy Crook, Angela Pater

Honorary Secretary

11

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Appendix to the Statement of Financial Activities

Accounting Policies

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Church Accounting Regulations 1997 together with applicable accounting standards and the Charities SORP.

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention except for the valuation of investment assets, which are shown at market value.

Funds

General 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. Funds designated for a particular purpose by the PCC are also unrestricted.

The accounts 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.

Incoming resources

Voluntary income and capital sources :

(1) Collections are recognised when received by or on behalf of the PCC.

(2) Planned giving is recognised only when received.

(3) Income tax recoverable on gift aid donations is recognised when the income is recognised.

(4) Grants and legacies to the PCC are accounted for as soon as the PCC is notified of its legal entitlement and the amount due.

(5) Funds raised by fetes, garden parties and similar events are accounted for gross.

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

Other ordinary income : Rental income from the letting of the church premises is recognised when rent is due.

Income from investments : Dividends and interest are accounted for when receivable. Tax recoverable on such income is recognised in the same accounting year.

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

Resources used

Grants: Grants and donations are accounted for when paid over, or when awarded if that award creates a binding obligation on the PCC.

Activities directly relating to the work of the church: The diocesan quota or parish share is accounted for when payable. Any quota unpaid at 31 December is provided for in these accounts as an operational (though not a legal) liability.

Prepayments: Prepayments below the threshold of £100 and non-recoverable payments less than £100 are generally treated as payment at the time rather than being apportioned over relevant years. Fixed assets

Consecrated land and buildings and movable church furnishings:

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

(2) No value is placed on movable church furnishings held by the churchwardens on special trust for the PCC and which require a faculty for disposal since the PCC considers this to be inalienable property. All expenditure incurred during the year on consecrated or benefice buildings and movable church furnishings, whether maintenance or improvement, is written off as expenditure in the statement of financial activities (SOFA) and separately disclosed.

17

Other fixtures, fittings and office equipment: Equipment used within the church premises is depreciated on a straight line basis over 4 years. Individual items with a purchase price of £2,500 or less are written off when the asset is acquired. Items that have had no net book value for a clear financial year are retained on the inventory but no longer listed on the accounts.

The Bennett Centre depreciation policy provides that a financial reserve be built up by depreciating its capital contents. The depreciation would be calculated on items or group of like items with a purchase price in excess of £300.

Investments: Investments are valued at market value at 31 December. Current assets:

Additional notes regarding accounting policies

Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme

Monies recoverable under this scheme have been identified as debtors to the parish until the monies are received. Changed policy includes a risk that not all claimable VAT expenditure will be subject of a grant in compensation. Whilst VAT expended which may be or is the subject of a claim will continue to be shown as debtors there will be a future risk of non-receipt. Such non-receipt will be shown as a bad debt within the accounts.

Employment

Persons employed (e.g. church administrator) and self-employed persons who contract to provide regular services (e.g. organists) have been grouped together for accounting purposes within salaries and honoraria. Such grouping together is of no bearing with regard to their employment status.

Reserves policy

A formal reserves policy has been adopted suggesting that a working reserve of unrestricted funds of the order of half the annual parish share plus three to four months other ordinary turnover is vital to sustain sensible cash-flow management. This is reinforced by cash flow modelling of income and expenditure through the year.

A further factor in management of reserves is that at 1 Jan a substantial sum of additional reserve (of the order of 20% of projected project cost) is required in years where substantial capital expenditure is planned involving reclaim of VAT under the government Listed Places of Worship grant scheme as the VAT has to be paid first and reclaimed later with some uncertainty now as to whether funds will always be fully recoverable due to changes in government policy.

Successive years of running at a deficit exhausted unrestricted reserves, and the PCC is now aiming to develop a modest working reserve so that some of the many important or desirable capital works and mission initiatives previously unable to be funded by the general funds of the PCC can be taken forward.

The working reserve figure in line with our policy is £37,500 at 31 December 2023.

18

continued

Policy documents

Policy documents – including a donations and fundraising policy document adopted in September 2014 – are available for inspection at the Open Door sessions in church (on the second Saturday of every month) or in the parish office.

Risk Management

The PCC identified the following principal risk categories. The issues arising under these categories are reviewed annually.

Financial risk – the most common category of risk and it is possible to measure many nonfinancial risks in terms of financial impact. Financial risks can be managed through budgets and internal financial procedures as well as strategic business and development plans, and management accounts.

Reputational risk – can have an impact on parishes if, for example, unwelcome publicity hinders the mission of the Church.

Statutory and legal requirements – such as health and safety, employment law, Equality Act, Charities Act, safeguarding (Child Protection and vulnerable adults) and associated matters which could lead to substantial liabilities arising from claims or other legal action.

The PCC is committed to and is complying with the National Safeguarding Policies of the Church of England and the Diocese of Bath and Wells.

A Fire Safety risk assessment and plan is in place.

The test of ‘reasonable’-ness in the Equalities Act, Disability Discrimination Act and similar duties with regard to Health and Safety clearly requires any organisation to exercise due diligence at all times. We have a responsibility to recognise, plan and implement response to these issues as a priority claim on resources.

First Aid provision, emergency procedures, exit routes and related matters need to be regularly reviewed and all sidesmen, stewards and other responsible persons kept up to date in training.

New General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) legislation came into force in 2018 (replacing the Data Protection Act), and the PCC has worked to take on board the implications of this new legislation with the Diocese providing training and support so that relevant changes in policies and procedures can be implemented.

The PCCs of our parish and our associated parish at Woodlands recommended to their APCMs that a joint Benefice Church Council be established to lead in oversight of statutory and legal requirements that affect them both and that Scheme was approved by Bishops Council in September 2018.

From the end of September 2023, in accordance with the plan for future clergy deployment prepared by the Deanery Mission and Pastoral Group and approved by the Archdeaconry Mission and Pastoral Group, the severance of the plurality with Woodlands was enacted.

Operational risk – relates to threats to the Church’s ability to deliver its objectives due, for example, to damage to the church building.

Steps have been taken to reduce risk in this area in relation to alarm systems, stewarding at times of higher risk, etc.

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ST JOH.41 THE BAPTIST CHURCH FROME AROC R¢wrt And financial stsicments for the year e￿Ied Jl. Dec¢mbcr 2023 We B O A Accountancy Vas Berkeley Hall Limited of Unit 2, South8at< Commerce Parl Frome. rep)rt thaE we have caTTied out an examination in aC￿[danCe with the Church Accountin8 Regulations 1998, the regulations mad¢ under Part tv of the Chariiies Ad 1993 and in aceordance with any appltc4ble diTections given by the ¢Jwity commi98iollXS. In conneclion with this examination w¢ can ￿nfirrn that no matter come lo our attention which would give me reasoDabl¢ to believe that in any mateTial TUPCCI: A) The Council's aCCA)unting records have not b¢¢n kept in &ccordan¢e with Sedion 41 of the ChaTitse5 Act 1993 And with above re8ulations, B) the accounts do not accord with those re¢ords. c) The slatanent of accounts which have been pr¢par¢d on an accruals basis does not comply with #ny of the requiremenL4. No matter has come to my att￿tion which iti our opinion should b¢ disclos￿ iti the rEWrt in order to ethle a prop¢r underswJdin8 to bc reached. . S A Sn)ith ACA ATll 20

Property notes

Bennett Centre – St John's Church Hall

The Bennett Centre was built in 1854 as a school on land partly the site of the former Grammar School (of Edward VI foundation) and partly land acquired by Vicar Bennett that had been occupied by a number of small poor-quality dwellings. Below the Centre the spring and cistern that lay within the courtyard of those properties remain, evidencing the 18th century ground level. The site is held by the PCC, having been acquired for £5 under a conveyance of 19th May 1961, and is subject to a reversion clause should it cease to be used as a Church Hall or for church purposes. The book value to the PCC of the property is therefore limited to the sum of £5. The Centre has been significantly improved over recent years with two of three intended phases of works now effectively complete.

Churchyard and Curtilage

The ancient churchyard included the western half of the present nave and part of the present forecourt. The visible churchyard was officially closed for burials by Order in Privy Council in 1854 and the southern area substantially re-landscaped at that time. Somewhat irregularly, burials resumed and continued until the mid-20th century. The present-day care and maintenance of the (walled) churchyard, including trees, is the responsibility of the Somerset Council, although the PCC remains responsible for the structure of the Via Crucis. Interment of ashes within the churchyard is allowed within the area along the eastern edge of the main churchyard and the PCC has worked through the DAC (Diocesan Advisory Committee) to remove the restriction that has been in place for some 30 years or so that such interments could not be marked in situ with memorial slabs.

Via Crucis

The extension of the churchyard to include the Via Crucis in the 1860s is the subject of a memorandum of Agreement dated 25th of September 1856 between the then Marquess of Bath and the then Vicar and Churchwardens. The Via Crucis is Listed in its own right, and structural repair work has qualified for the LPWG Scheme. The steps in this area were in the past repaired by the then Mendip District Council working with Somerset County Council, and occasional services of 'Stations of the Cross' are now held at the Via Crucis.

Blindhouse

The ‘Blindhouse’ in the corner of the southern churchyard appears to have been relocated to its position where what was Twattle Alley met Church Lane (as Blindhouse Lane was formerly known) in 1798. The re-ordered churchyard was consecrated in 1801 by the then Bishop of Bristol.

Forecourt

The forecourt as now seen was formed in about 1818 when Bath Street was cut. It includes an area of the old churchyard and land formerly parochial glebe and other properties belonging to the Vicar and Churchwardens. It was cleared on the north side between 1815 and 1818 and on the south side between 1826 and 1837. Somerset Council maintains the highway through the forecourt under a licence agreement, and a further agreement from 1848 allows the owners of 8 Bath Street access to the rear of their property through the forecourt area.

Church Cottage

The Cottage site was conveyed to the Vicar and Churchwardens from the Longleat Estate, and since its use as the Verger’s residence, it has been let in all or part to a variety of bodies. It has been managed by the PCC on behalf of the Vicar and Churchwardens and currently hosts Focus Counselling and provides office space including our own parish office, and some storage.

Continued

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Church School

The school site is formed from a total of six parcels of land originally the site of the Rectorial Manor House and Tithe Barn of Frome and now vested in the Diocesan Board of Trustees as holding trustees on behalf of the owners, the Vicar and Churchwardens. One parcel is held under the School sites act for educational purposes having been given by the Lamb Brewery in 1932, but the remainder were purchased at various dates from 1910 to 1918 and in 1939 and are all held for general church purposes.

Chancel repair liability

By October 2013 all liability for Chancel Repair should be registered at the Land Registry as any land related liability remaining unregistered at that date will cease upon the next conveyance of that land.

Anciently the responsibility fell to Cirencester Abbey and was accepted by Longleat when they acquired the Rectory of Frome in the 16th century. Though Longleat is described as ‘impropriate Rector’ in the 1936 Tithe Act documentation, there is some lack of clarity concerning liability for Chancel Repair as it attached to the Rectorial Glebe of the parish and other properties listed in the relevant Schedule of Ascertainments. A lengthy and thorough period of investigations has revealed that the lands described as Rectorial Glebe in 1840 known as ‘Hewish’ near the present Frome station were acquired by the Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway about 1846, and that area of land is now fragmented into a considerable number of separate ownerships. A copy of the Schedule of Ascertainments has also been obtained from the National Archives, and it lists several hundred parcels of land as having a proportionate liability. Many of these parcels have since that date been divided into further smaller parcels as development has taken place in the area.

In the light of guidance received through the Diocese and Church Commissioners, and following research as to the number of properties listed in the relevant Schedule of Ascertainments, the PCC decided in 2012 that no registration against properties in respect of Chancel Repair Liability will be made.

This decision has been made bearing in mind the administrative burden involved in identifying the many hundreds of properties that would be involved, the legal and other costs that would be incurred both in registration and in any future enforcement of the liability, and the reputational risk and pastoral consequences of registration against a substantial proportion of properties in the parish.

Christ Church Churchyard

The northern extension to the churchyard at Christ Church was originally conveyed to the parish of Frome St John the Baptist.

Mary Baily Playing Field

Although this field is vested in other parties and managed by the Town Council for recreational use by children, there is a clause in Mary Baily’s will specifying that upon any breach of the trust upon which the land is held it will then be given over to the Vicar and Churchwardens of Frome St John the Baptist with power of sale and any such proceeds to be held for the general purposes of the parish.

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Committee reports

Worship Committee

The Worship Committee continued to meet and report to the PCC. We are representatives of St John’s ministry, music, sacristy and flower teams together with our Parish Administrator and members of the congregation. Until September 2023 we were a joint committee with representatives of St Katharine’s church who are now part of the Beckington benefice. Until December 2023 our planning of services was guided by our Vicar, the Revd Colin Alsbury. We make plans for each season of the liturgical year and note occasional events (weddings, concerts, Frome Festival activities). Very occasionally, we recommend to the PCC a significant change to our usual pattern of services ‒ this has usually been a change from Eucharistic to non-Eucharistic service, especially when a priest was not available to celebrate. Since the beginning of our Vacancy we have been pleased to welcome a variety of retired priests, but have welcomed the particular care extended by the Revds Ian Pearson and Kevin Tingay.

Janet Caudwell

Pastoral Team

Our Pastoral Team communicates mostly by email, with an occasional face to face meeting. Thus we are able to let each other know quite quickly about any particular concerns we have. There has been a change of personnel‒Colin and Marian Alsbury were members of the team‒and we do need to recruit some more members of the congregation who will be prepared to take responsibility for a small number from our electoral roll and keep an eye out for them, pray for them and perhaps send them a Christmas card, or a palm cross.

Janet Caudwell

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Social Activities

The old ‘Social Committee’ used to meet regularly and produce minutes. They generated fortnightly parish lunches during the year and gave away any profits to church funds and selected charities. They were also responsible for monthly ‘Tea Time at St John’s’ and the annual Harvest Supper and Christmas Lunch.

These activities ceased during the pandemic and have never restarted in their old form and the Social Committee has not met.

However social activities have continued in a different way. An important part of the monthly mini-markets are the refreshments served by elements of the former Social Committee and some newcomers. Tea Time at St John’s has been reinstated (although not on such a lavish scale) as part of a programme of lay-led worship monthly on a Sunday afternoon and has provided an opportunity for fellowship over tea and cake.

We experimented with a Bring and Share Harvest Lunch in church immediately after the Harvest Festival service and this was judged by many to have provided an ideal opportunity for fellowship.

Of course, St John’s always comes into its own on big occasions and the Revd Pat Lawless’s final service was followed by a social gathering in church, while the Revd Colin Alsbury’s farewell was a much larger affair in the Bennett Centre and involved considerable planning and execution by members of the congregation (with some co-opted family members).

Two further social activities have become a new part of St John’s calendar: the Cake and Craft group and Inspired to Read (the book group). Each of these provides vital social contact (and tea and cakes and wine and crisps!)

Mention must be made of the loss of a vital member of St John’s Social activities: Kathy Yeaman, who died in February 2024, was a member of the original Social Committee (we remember her generous hospitality in her home during winter Tea Times at St John’s) but since the pandemic she was part of the mini-market refreshment team. She was an early member of the Book Club and instigated the Cake and Craft group. She is much missed.

Janet Caudwell

Stewardship report

As ever we are extremely grateful to all of you who have continued to donate regularly to our income, and we are pleased to report that our income from planned giving increased a little – by just over 5% – after several years of decline.

Towards the end of 2023 we joined the Parish Giving scheme, which means that we can at last offer Direct Debit as a method of giving, and a stewardship review is planned for 2024.

Thank you all for your continued support. We hope for a prosperous 2024 for us all.

Mandy Crook, Stewardship treasurer

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Bennett Centre (St John’s Church Hall) Report

Hirings increased again during 2023 and turnover in excess of £19,000 was achieved. On top of that a number of donations were received and a £10,000 grant towards installing the first of the new Cloister door.

We also hosted various church groups from St John’s during the winter months as we awaited repairs to the church’s central heating boiler.

With the extra hirings there were additional running costs. Our cleaning costs were up and the heating bill remained very high due to the price of gas; although there were signs of the utility prices reducing going forward into 2024, we increased our hourly rates from September 2023 to address general cost increases. So overall we ended with a very small surplus for the year.

Alongside operating the Centre, we continued to move forward with the renovation work. During the year with very little surplus forecast, we concentrated on completing the new steps into the Cloister yard which will allow us to use the new door into the Cloister.

We have been joined on the management team by Alison Henderson, who is going to boost efforts in seeking grants for the remaining renovation work (internal and external lifts, remaining cloister doors, yard surfacing and landscaping).

I would like to record thanks to Mandy Crook, Christine Holland, David Daniel and Toby Whitty for working to develop the space for the wider community use that we envisaged back when renovations were first considered.

Finally at the end of the year, I handed over the booking responsibilities to Lloyd Carey, a long-standing hall user with the wargamers. This allowed me to start picking up some elements of Church business with Colin’s retirement and I’m very grateful that Lloyd has volunteered.

Peter Connew,

Management Committee, Bennett Centre

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Health and Safety report

Early in the course of 2023 the church insurers, Ecclesiastical, provided a useful Risk Reminder along with a proforma for PCC health and safety reviews. This provided a good monthly prompt, though it did not prevent the PCC discussing anything in greater detail.

There were a number of standout features:

1) Slips and trips within the church

The breakdown of the church’s central heating system through the lack of availability of replacement circulation pumps, meant that the interior floors of the church became slippery. The unusual hollow nature of the floor with wood flooring covering a shallow underfloor area tended to exaggerate this, causing some areas to become damp and slippery. Notices were provided so that the congregation and visitors were warned appropriately to be careful. The eventual replacement of the pumps made the situation better.

2) Interior of the church tower

After the pandemic, the plan to use the bells again and to possibly reinstall the carillon and clock raised an issue about the toxic state of the interior of those parts of the tower that were accessible to the bird population. Cleaning this was not a simple task as the fouling was extensive so a professional company was employed. The access points for birds were sealed.

3) Fire Precautons

The false belief that there was little flammable in a stone-built church was brought home by the tragedy in Paris at Notre Dame. The church has a planned fire and evacuation procedure, with extinguishers available, but training needed refreshing. The opportunity therefore was taken in preparation for the Frome Festival and the use of the church for events to train the stewards for an evacuation. This was done by suitably qualified persons and some training was done with fire extinguishers that had come to the end of their scheduled life.

4) Security and Vandalism

There were a number of security and vandalism issues. A potential need to provide CCTV is recognized and we are moving to consider this as there were a number of acts of vandalism in the church yards. Perhaps the most serious problem is the poor repair of the north wall and the walls and railings along the southern footpath. This is the responsibility of the local authority, Somerset Council, which is required to maintain these important facilities, but it said it hasn’t the necessary resources to carry out the work.

5) Other issues and risks

During the year we also considered: ladders, working at heights, electrical wiring, working alone, waterpipes and heating.

There was increasing and illegal use by vehicles of the pavement between the stone Wyattville screen and Bath Street, affecting the state of the pavement itself and causing potential trip hazards . This may deteriorate further since 8 Bath Street opened as an off-licence.

Brian Essex

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Charity/Trust funds Income and expenditure accounts 2023

Notes:

1. For information only – these do not form part of the PCC’s annual report.

2. Some of the Trusts and Charities result from the merging of a number of smaller old Trusts and Charities and the descriptive wording relating to purpose for which held is indicative rather than being a full statement of the purposes for which the relevant funds may be applied.

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