## **Fulwood Methodist Church** ## **Annual General Meeting** ## **Sunday 18[th] April 2021** ## **Church Activities Report** ## Dear Friends It seems a long time since we held a Church Annual General Meeting, in fact it was in May 2019. The one we will hold on Sunday 18[th] April 2021 following the Morning Worship will be a truncated meeting because of the need not to be in church for a long period under the current Covid 19 regulations. As you all well know the church has been empty of activity for over a year now, but this does not mean that the church has not been active. Some of our regular community activities such as Welcome Wednesday, Tuesday coffee, and the Farmers Market have been impossible, (although the Farmers’ Market has now resumed outside for two sessions in November and March). Other activities have developed; the format of our work and meetings therefore has been very different but has still continued. When representatives from the various groups were asked in November what they had been doing the following list of activities was produced: Craft activities, mapping, treasure hunts, virtual sleepovers, fitness training, Fairtrade activities, knitted nativity contributions, socially distanced walks, resource drop offs, Fulwood Church Challenge materials, Cake ministry, ‘WhatsApp’ groups, email and telephone contact and Zoom meetings. There are probably many others. The last four responses in the list being the most common. The Fulwood Challenge, which was originally devised for the young people was broadened to become intergenerational and is now coming to the end of the 6[th] Challenge. This has provided inspiration to explore bible stories through all kinds of media, enabling everyone to learn more and have fun at the same time. During the first lockdown it became obvious that with the church closed there would be no distribution of flowers to the church family. We did realise that our bakers were redundant so with a bit of organisation and some willing helpers we devised a way of distributing plates of cakes each week to the church family. Sometimes this has coincided with a birthday, a bereavement, illness or just a pleasant surprise to brighten the day. Hopefully we will continue our ‘Cake Ministry’ until we are able to meet again more socially at church. In May last year we emptied the church freezers and made up 30 three course meals for some of our older members. At Christmas a three course lunch (with extra goodies) were given to a number of people who were spending Christmas alone. At Christmas the knitters were kept busy with decorating the outside of church with the Christmas Story and at Easter they knitted bunnies hats and chicks with a chocolate orange inside. At Easter too the church front doors were decorated with knitted and crafted hearts to show God’s love. Many people were beavering away at home knitting and sewing hearts for the hospital which were given to patients and their loved ones who could not visit them. Some our ladies were sewing scrubs bags, and scrubs for the nurses and others were sewing reusable masks. Contact by Zoom meetings has been a great enabler for people to joint together albeit from their own homes. The Book Club continued to meet by Zoom and apart from supplying their own biscuits joined in lively conversations about the books they had been reading. A Family Zoom quiz was held in Lent and paper quizzes compiled and distributed. Our services have been transmitted by Zoom and it has been good to meet to chat each week after the service with people we have not seen in person for many months. The Holy Week reflections and Good Friday service were imaginative and thoughtful. Church Council, Stewards and ministers have continued to meet over the internet to maintain the business and oversight of the church through these strange times. . Although some people have struggled with technology others have been able to embrace it (albeit reluctantly!) and our provision has become more creative and inclusive. Some groups have attracted new members and others have maintained their numbers. The challenge for everyone has been to maintain contact with members and the need to keep systematic records - it is too easy to lose track of when friends were contacted. Whilst the church has been empty, the building has not been neglected. A big thank you must go to our Caretaker, Derek, who has continued to keep the building clean and tidy, running taps etc and making sure that the heating was working correctly. Sweeping, dusting, hoovering throughout the whole building. Thanks too, go to several members of the Property group have also spent time checking for repairs and keeping the garden tidy. The floors in the Oak Hall and Willow Grove have been cleaned and oiled ready for our return to the building too. The place is spotless!! Our young people may not have been seen around the church, but the uniformed organisations have kept in contact with all their groups and many activities have been redesigned to keep the youngsters active and involved. Reports of some of their activities can be found below. OMG, Messy Church and Breakfast Church have kept the children and young people busy with quizzes, games and baking, all by that miracle of technology Zoom! Thank you especially to Darren Arnold, Delma Whitman and Janet Wales for all their hard work. ## _**Rainbows**_ _After lockdown was announced we began Rainbows at Home on Zoom between April and July. We had about 4 girls attend each week. In September most of those girls moved up to Brownies. That left us with 4 Rainbows and 8 girls on our waiting list. When contacted by email only one of them was interested in attending virtual meetings so Rainbows has been paused since then. However there have been some virtual activities put on by Girlguiding and I have passed on the details to parents via email._ ## _**39[th] Preston Brownies**_ _The last twelve months have been a learning curve for us. We have learned to adapt activities for virtual meetings, including the Guiding Programme (which_ _only came into force in September 2019 and was never intended for this type of meeting) and how to work with Zoom._ _A number of girls have left us, having passed the age of 10 and decided to move on, some to Guides and some to take a break at least until we meet face to face again. We currently have a regular cohort of 12 girls on Zoom, with another 4 waiting to join us when we get back to meetings at Fulwood Methodist Church (we are aiming for 20[th] May, restrictions permitting)._ _We have worked to achieve many badges:- Virtual Camp, Skills for my future Theme (consisting of 3 badges), Virtual Brownie, Inventing, Chinese New Year, Express Myself Theme (again with 3 badges) and the girls have completed several badges at home (Baking, Painting, Performing, Thinking Day, Shimmer and Sing) and we have 4 girls who have completed their Bronze Award, 2 who have completed their Silver Award and 1 achieved Gold Award._ _We have also had lots of fun playing games, favourites being treasure hunts, quizzes with a difference, Bingo, the number game, “Asteroid Antics”, and “Strike a Pose”. We have made Chinese lanterns, sock puppets, rockets on Bonfire Night, Minions out of empty loo rolls, to name a few. We also dressed up for World Book Day and had a Christmas Disco._ _The leaders have been brilliant throughout the pandemic and we have never been short of someone to lead an activity. Our Young Leader, Hope, has completed her YL Award and already started her Adult Leadership award and our Leader in Training, Charlotte, is now a fully qualified leader (sporting the name Little Owl)._ ## _**4th Fulwood Scout Group**_ _The Scout Group, i.e. Beaver Scouts, Cub Scouts and Scouts are meeting regularly using Zoom. We are getting a pretty good turnout each week and we have quite a few of our young people who are taking this opportunity to meet up virtually with leaders and their friends. Yes, it is quite challenging for the leaders and I must say they are doing a really great job of keeping the young people interested in Scouting._ _Activities have included autumn art with leaves, mapping, pumpkin carving, virtual sleepovers, Fairtrade evening, treasure hunt round the streets as a family, pioneering, fitness training and also contributing to the recorded Remembrance Service for our Church. Some of our members made hearts for the recent display and other activities have included cooking pizzas in mugs, disability awareness, astronomy, virtual visit to Alston Observatory, digital knowledge, photography and lots more._ _Scouting is continuing in the group and we have even had new members join. We have also been able to award Bronze and Silver Awards to Beaver Scouts and Cub Scouts, they are still achieving._ _We are looking forward to meeting face to face when we can, although there will be risk assessments needed for every activity to help ensure the safety of leaders and young people against Covid, as much as possible._ The challenge now is to support those who have felt isolated by technology, maintain and widen our regular but varied contacts with all our church family and the community and remind ourselves and others that we are loved by God. So, as we move into a new stage of reopening our activities and hopefully less need for social distancing etc we pray that God will guide us to work to build on what we have learned over the past year. It may be that we have to set aside some of the things we used to do but raise up new ideas and ways of working. ‘ _Our Calling’_ to worship, to learn and care, to serve and to evangelise remains as vital as ever. Margaret Squire Church Council Secretary ## **Fulwood Methodist Church** ## **Church Council Membership 21-22 updated after GCM 1.5.22** |**Superintendent**|Revd. Jane Wild|2017| |---|---|---| |**Minister**|Revd Jane Wild|2017| |**Youth Children & Family**|Mr Darren Arnold|2017| |**Worker**||| |**Church Stewards**|Mrs Wendy Bennett|2016| ||Mr John Ferris|2016| ||Mrs Amanda Latham|2010| ||Mrs Sue Rennie|2019| ||Mrs Hilary Banks|2019| ||Mrs Cheryl Arnold|2021| ||Mrs Carly Miller|2021| ||Mrs Sue Salisbury|2021| |**Church Treasurer**|Mr Ted Lowes|2013| |**Secretary to Church Council**||Mrs Margaret| **Secretary to Church Council** Squire 2020 ## **Secretary to Pastoral Committe** Mrs Sue Penrith 2001 |**15 Elected Reps from GCM**|| |---|---| |Mrs Gill McGill|2015| |Mrs Gemma Roberts|2015| |Mrs Lindsay Walton|2015| |Mrs Mary Jackson|2016| |Mrs Veronica Frost|2017| |Mrs Mavis Fletcher|2018| |Miss Pauline Kirkham (Died Oct|21) 2017| |Mr Alan Smith (resigned Dec 2021 2017|| ||Mrs Judith Harvey (resigned Ap 2022|Mrs Judith Harvey (resigned Ap 2022|2018| |---|---|---|---| ||Mrs Janice Astley|2021|| ||Mrs Liz Ellison|2021|| ||Mr Len Fletcher|2021|| ||Mrs Chris Oldham|2021|| ||Mrs Libby Stone|2021|| ||Mr Ken Wales|2021|| ||Mrs Joan Smith|2022|| |**Co-ordinators or Representatives of Church Groups**|||| |Church Life|Mrs Janet Wales|2017|| |Church Outreach|Mrs Margaret Squire||| |Finance|Mrs Amanda Latham|2013|| |Property|Mr Mike Ellis|2014|| |**Co-opted members**|Mrs Lesley Birkett (Safeguarding) 2011||| ||Mrs Sharon Beck (Church Admin)2021||| |**Circuit Steward**|Mr Ben Riley|2020|| |**Reps to Circuit Meeting**|Mrs Lesley Birkett||| ||Mr Mike Ellis||| ||Mrs Margaret Squire|2021|| ||Mr Ken Wales|2022|| ||Mrs Veronica Frost|2022|| ||Mrs Gemma Roberts||| CHURCH RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS THE METHODIST CHURCH STANDARD FORM OF ACCOUNTS Fulwood Methodlst Church FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 August 2022 Clrcult ClrGult no. 21111 Reglstered Charlty - Charlty Reglstratlon nurnber If not a registered charity Her Majesty's Revenu• and Customs Glft Ald number (The HMRC number is equivalent to a registered charty number in terms of evidence of charitable status and may be used to give to donors or grant funders wishing to see evidence of the organisation's charitable status. Methodist charrties in England and Wales that are not registered ¢harrties are excepted from registration under Statutory Instrument 2014 No.242) 1133929 Minister.. Rev Jane Wild Churth Stewards.. John Ferris Amanda Latham Hilary Banks Susan Rennie Sue Salisbury Carly Miller Cheryl Amold Treasurer.. Angela Dunnett (Edward Lowes retired 311112023) CtrrtJrth R and P 2015.￿$ lat5 ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2022 Fulwood Methodist Church Unr••trlct•d RMtd¢tsd Totsl• thls Funds Fund8 year Totsl• la•t year SECTION A a1 RECEIPTS Nots a2 Offerin s and Tax recovered Bank and CFB intere51 and Investment income 97.474 97,474 97,487 a3 71 71 44 Lettin 5.707 5.707 41.246 144.497 3.130 18.146 118.807 a5 Other recgipt$ TOTAL RECEIPTS 37 426 3.819 3.819 140.678 la71 SECTION b1 PAYMENTS b2 Circuit Assessment or Share 90.000 90.000 5.625 87.250 b3 Donation8 5.258 367 5.760 R• airs ané Mainl•nan¢• utilit￿e8 Iln8urances, walef chor 08, healin & I. htin 4.227 227 5,492 b5 16,786 13,710 b7 Other payments TOTAL PAYMENTS 23 471 4,491 27,962 144,600 21,027 133,240 139,743 4,858 Ibg) SECTION C NET RECEIPTSIPAYMENTS FOR THE YEAR c1 •6.b8 935 103 14,433 Total fund8 brought forward from 1891 year 25.287 31,412 71,132 ¢3 Sub tot•1 c1+c2 26.222 30.373 Transfers and ad'uslmenls 7.739 7,739 c7 TOTAL FUNDS AT END OF YEAR {¢3+¢4} 33,961 22,634 66.59S 1¢81 S6,698 Ic6) SECTION D FOR INFORMATION ONLY.. MONEY RECEIVED AND PASSED ON TO EXTERNAL ORGANISATIONS Ithmo amount• aro not to b• includ•d in total r•c•l fflent• fi ur d1 8alane8 brou hl forward from last ear 148 Offerin sIGifts- received for exlomal or nisalK)ns 3.580 1.416 d3 OfferingslGifts - passed lo extemal organisations 2,975 1,564 BALANCE STILL TO BE PAID Id1 +d2-d3) Chwrh R arKI P 2015 x15 2ofS Fulwood Methodist Church RY RCH INTER RGA P4S Rll SECTIO14 E ktAnc Summary cl the Cnuicn aCCDunty loi Ire year eraett 31 2G24 an￿.￿￿'v. 0'9a•iSatons Chuich CounryVChuTCn k4oetyn9 N￿elh¥t￿&1U￿￿Sl￿1 aD Intsrnai Ofgani$8btsn WoU￿j normal￿ oe fun0$ It￿￿3 be tr1oitney t* fDr4ny pufm¥8 This 5e¢ion mu81 toarnvè at the grDS$ •x[￿￿￿￿￿o b*als Of1￿churCh IKffftJ ¢xc*ed&th• dAccoJnbng AND A DIFFERENT FORM mu81 be used ￿ reporttr* aCCL¥Jnts Iw me￿￿1$1￿￿￿5rttt? p*•se refor* tm T•9a￿mq tr•nstsrs botyw•nthe Di¥trid ènd connectqd DLsirKt Or94hisatrons INTERNAL ORGANISAT￿8 N•1 R**P owi Cbw tsA￿n ntaFn• ChuiGh 4ccounty Itots 2-lOtals columni 144.497 144 81.698 BY CHLIRCH 144.497 144.6OD 56,698 68,595 Cortliny• on • MM1•t••￿e1 11 Th•¢4￿ry Ind ￿rvI￿& TOTAL RECEIPTS TOTAL PAYIIEPITS ¥ECnON F OPENINO AMce# CL08114fj 8ALANceJ CHURCH. CA•M FiIND8 HtLD•t)I 20 74 C•ih In h•n¢ 59 1360 913 BHnk Cuii•rn Attwnt lil AccDunt 48 659 B•nk C•Mr•l FIna￿ Bo• 404 Tru*t••• lar M•thodist Chwth Pv 0tr•rfur￿I 66,696 56,431 Ic81 SUB TOTAL.¢huff¢h wxouni• Toi81 fund5 hlla by Ifflwnii bAlinGe totAI trom 4kn•11•121 YOTALCA8H FUNOS HELO •YCHURCH 56.698 56,431 Al 3t Aupu812022 SECMON G OTHEA ASSETS •rKI LL4BILIIIES Invffj*gm￿ 5 767 856 L4nd & Bu￿d • notr• r? Imul•￿¥*L* LOAD Other Li•tsirtJ f4 1n4ud•C￿[Y F￿al held •itr• ￿traI Firt•n￿ Bo¥d fs lrtdude Funds he￿ al Tru3ttestrmethtsj￿tChvrCh Putr¢J 01 1n￿l*le atyoth•rin¥•Str￿ts IrthtrerAish kn•fS Jrfs Name of Church FULWOOD METHODIST CHURCH No 1133929 Declarations and Scrutiny I confirm that these Receipt and Payment based accounts for Ihe year to 31 August 2022 have been prepared from the records of the Church and that they include all funds under the control of the Church trustees. Signature of treasurer Date.....l%. Name and address of treasurer .......