If.,I I The Parlsh of Ottery St Mary Addressfor correspondence.. Ottery St Mary Parfsh Church, Poternoster Row, Ottery St Mary. EXII IDP Annual Report and Flnanclal Statements of the Parochlal Church Councll for the year ended 3151 December 2025 Rector: The Reverend Lydia Cook Bankers: Santander PO Box 1109 Bradford BDI 5ZJ Independent Examlner: Mr Nik Cross 32 Pavey Run Ottery St Mary. Devon EXII IFQ Ourweb site: www.ottervalethurche&ory The Parochlal Church Councll Is a Re8lstered Charlty no I The Parochlal Church Council of Ottery St Mary the Virgin, and St Edward the Confessor Wlggaton Annual Report for the year ended 31° De￿mber 2025 Alm and Purpos• The Parochlal Church Councll of the Eccleslastlcal Parlsh of Ottery St Mary 1.the PCtrI has the responslbillty of cooperatin8 Wlth the Incumbent. the Reverend Lydla Cook. in promotin8 In the ecdesiastkal parlsh, the whole mlsslon of the Church, pastoral. evangelistic, social and ecumenical. As well as St Marfs Church, it al￿ has responslbility for the Church of St Edward the Confessor. Wiggaton I"Wwton"I which is licensed •$ a Dlstrlct Church, with Its own elected District Council and Deputy Churchwarden. Obl•rtIV￿ and Actfvltle> The PCC Is commltted to en•Win8 as many people as posslble to worshlp at our Churches, and to become part of our parish famlly. When plannln8 our attNltSes. the PCC has considered the Charlty Commisslon's guidance on publlc benefit, and in particular the specific guidance on charrtles for the adwdncement ot rell8lon. Our servlces and worshlp put faith into practlce throu8h prayer and scripture. music and sacrament. We try to enable ordinary people to live out their faith as part of our parish famity, throu8h: • Worshlp and prayer.. learnln8 about the Gospel. and developin8 thelr knowled8e and trust in Jesus: Provislon of pastoral care for people INin8 in the Parish; and • Mlssion and outreach work. Ach1￿•M1nts and P•rfornwK• Wonhlp •nd Proyr Ottery St Mary church was c105ed Monday to Saturday Sept- early Nov 2025, but Sunday servltes contlnued unaffected. The church offers a range of worship seNces on Sundays: a weekly seTvice at 10.30am13 x Holy CommunSon and I x Mornin8 Worship) and monthly BCP Holy Communlon and Choral E¥enson8. Flfth Sundays offer nd 2 8CP Hoty Communkin and a more Infornial pralse Servi￿ often wilh input from ChIld￿n. On 2 Sundays therels an Informal even5n8 8atherfn8 called Prayln8 the News- a dlscusslon and prayer time based on the week's news. Wl8gaton has 2 ser4lces a month. esther 2 sesvices of Common Worshlp Holy commUn￿n. or one Holy Communion and Mornln8 Worshlp wlth leadership shaied between the Rector. Curate and John White. The church had Its annual Son8s of Prabse, a well-attended carol seNlce and sepilces at the major festlvals. Midweek prayep is offered in both Ottery and Wi8gaton. Evenin8 Prayer is offered in Ottery on Mondays and Tuesdays with Prayers for Peace on Wednesdays. Evening Prayer moved to Zoom durlng the church closure and ha5 remained on Zoom on Mondays and Tuesdays. Tots Praise worship5 week￿, MU Hoty Communion is celebrated on the 1st Thursday and a"Becomin8 Whole" ser4ice is held on 3¢• Thursdays. At present there are 113 partshlone￿ on the Ekntornl Roll. 104 of whom live wlthin the PaTiSh. The avernge Sunday attendance at the 10.30am servi￿ on Sundays at Ottery wa$ 77 Iwtth a church family of 1951. The average Sunday attendance at Wlggaton on Sundays was 12 {wbth a church famlty of 181. Lent was observed with an Ash Wednesday ser4ice of Holy Communion, and a Week￿ Lent course on praying the Eucharist. The Motherin8 Sunday service was supported by singing from Kingdom Kids. In Holy Week we held a slmple service of Holy Communion on Maundy Thursday wlth the stripping of the altar& We joined in the Love Ottery Walk of Witness on Good Friday and had an afternoon ServKe of Reflection on the Cr055. A child￿n,$ Easter Experience was held on Holy Saturday. Easter Day was celebrated with a joyous serrfice of Hoty Communion. On Pentecost Sunday we welcomed all the churches of the OVMC tO8ether for a servsce of Holy Communion followed by a picnic. The Remembrance seNices were very well attended ty the town and unrformed o￿aniSatIOnS wlth Kingdom Kids singing an anthem. We 5UPPOrted the bereaved through our annual All Sours Sery￿e and a Blue Christmas service both with significantly increased attendance thbS year. The annual Athnt Carol service for the Mission Community was well supported. We welcomed the Guldes and The Kings School for thelr carol seThices and held our own Carols by Candlelight. We were invtted to sing carols at the Coffee Bank and the children's Choir5 led our Cri￿Stin8le service which was once more packed with over 400 people in attendance. As well as our regular servkes. we enable our communlty to celebrnte and thank God ar the milestones of the journey through Ilfe. There have been 6 Baptisms. 16 weddings and 27 funerals116 in church and 11 ot the C￿mOtorIuM) durin8 the year. Those who are no longer able to come lo Church are not for8otten: Hoty Communlon is received at home or in a care home by 29 people each month. Church attendance at both Ottery and Wi88aton Is Inc￿a51n￿. House groups: 2 8roup5"retlred" but Explore and The Tumbllng Weir 8roup met re8uhrty. There was a short Blble course on i fimothy. Other Midweek groups flourlshed In 2025: Tots, Mme, Kln8dom Klds lan amal8am of Ughthouse and Brt8ht Stsrsl. and Coffee and Chat Iwhlch moved to the Slfver Otter). Four members of the PCC sit on the Otter Vale De•nery Synod. This provides the PCC with a Ilnk wlth the churches around us, and also wlth the Dlocese •$ a whole. It also receives reports from the General Synod. Church Fobrf¢ St Mary's church bulldlnB Is vested In Ottery St Mary Church Corporatlon but the day to day running of the bulldln8 and its maintenance is managed by the PCC. The Fabric Working Group Ireportin8 to the PCCI manage5 the fabric malntenance and repairs. The major piece of work in 2025 wa5 the Connect Enhance Engage project funded by the Shine a Li8ht appeal. This entailed a complete overh•ul of the wirln8 and li8htin8 in the church. IN fix wlrlng for a new AV system was Installed as well a5 a newly posltSoned ￿￿Thd desk and wekome desk. Wi88aton buildln8 malntenance Is self-funded. with the year-end restricted fund for that purpose standln8 at £23k Mlsslon and E￿n¢ell$M Outreach into the communlty contlnued with 2 Famlfy Fun Days In Ottery. Carols In the Coffee Bank. and our work wlrh chlldren an(1 famllies. We had a 6 month attempt at bulldln8 a new worshlpplng community ￿th Brlck Church but thls was not sustainable. Wl8gaton Church held Its Christmas Dinner and hosted • vlllage conceit. In March each year the PCC publlshes a Se￿rnte document contslnin8 reports and detalls of the 20 or8anlsatlons anLI gfOUPS that are part of our Church farnlly* Reserves Pollcy Our unrestricted reseNes policy is to ￿taIn sufficient funds to cover three month's nonnal expenditure. This pollcy Is Usually achleved.. Restrkted resep4es are lar8ely invested In the C8F Church of En8land Oeposlt Fund. Saf•gu•rdl￿ . The PCC has complied with the duty under sertson 5 of tFÈ Safeguarding and CleT8y Dlscipline Measure 2016 (duty to have regard to House of Bishopg guidance on 54fE8uardir￿ thiklren and vulnerable aduitsi. V•lufit••r5 The membets ot the PCC would like to thank all the volunteers who work $0 tI￿leSS1Y to make our Church a Ilvely and vibrant community. Our especial thanks go to our Chufchwardens and Deputy wardenk Structure, Governance and Manaynwnt The method of appolntment of PCC members is set out in the Church Representstion Rules. The Council comprises the Incumbent, the ChurchvRrdens. a representative of the Readers Irf so decided at the Annual Parochial Church Meetlng [°APCM"Il. those elected to the Deanery Synod. and other members who are elected at the APCM by those on the Electoral Roll. Wl8gèton's District Church Council is constituted such that, on an annual basi5. a representative from one of Wiggaton's habltual worshippers shall be elected as a PCC member at the APCM. Members of the congregation a￿ always encouraged to join the Elettordl Roll, and. if so qualified. to consider standir for elettlon to the PCC. The PCC members are responsible for makin8 decisions on all matters of 8eneral concern and Importance In the parlsh, and for all financial matters. The full PCC met seven times dltrTr￿ the year and attended an "away daf in August. The average level of attendance was 86%. To facilltate rts work.the PCC operates throu8h a number of committee5, which meet between fvll meetings ofthe PCC. Stsfid1￿ Commltt••. Thls Commlttee met 11 times. Thls is the only committee required by kw. The Fln•nc• commlrt•• oversees the work of financial management and stewardship. Membership: John Maybery. 8ruce Odlin. Paul Slmmonds, Val Mclntosh. Rev Lydia The Safeluardlni Tearn supports the PSR In all matter5 of ￿feguardIng. Membership- Mell Kaye, Kay Duffy. Barbara Simmond& Howard Clayton, Rev Lydia. Rev Carys The Charltable Gl¥lr4 Group recommends to the PCC those charttles which the church ml8ht support and supplies ongoin8 informatlon to the church community at large. Membership.. Dlana Gee, Sue Jeacock, Helen Atkinson. Rev Lyth The Fabrlc Worklni iroup meets e¥ery 2 month5 to Over￿ the maintenance and repairs to the church fabrk. Membership.. lan Godfrey. Rlchard Coley. &mon Lowne. Jan Fowles IH&S Officer), Rob Fowles. jeff Wyldes, John Mavbery. Val Mclntosh. Sue Jeacock, Rev Lydia The Church Focus youp meets every 2 months to offer thallen8e and supp)rt to the Incumbent on the Culture of the church and the opportunitles for 8rowth and con8re8ational en8a8ement Membershlp: Mell Kaye, Rosle Mclnt05h, sue Jeacock. Val Mclntosh, Jane Bennett Rev Lydia. Rev Carys The OVMC Eco Group meets 3- 4 times through the year offerin8 encoura8ement Ind opportunltles for en8a8ement with eco church across the M4ssion Community. Adrnlnlstratlv• Infonn•tlon The Parish Church is situated at Ottery St Mary Parfsh Church, Patemoster Row. Ottery St Mary. EXII IDP. It Is part of the Diocese of Exeter within the Church of E￿land. The correspondence addressls The Parish Office. Ottery St Mary Parish Church, Paternoster Row, Ottery St Mary. EXII IDP Wlggaton church is located at Sidmouth Rd. Wwton. Ottery Saint Mary EXII IPX. The PCC is a body corporate IPCC Powers Measure 1956, and the Church Representstion Rule5 20201 and a Charity registered with the Charity Commisslon. PCC members who have served from I" Janu•ry 2025 until the date this ￿port was approved were.. Rev LydSa Cook lincumbentl Rev Carys Baker Icuratel Jaclynn Baker, April 2025-2028 Howard Clayton, 2024-2026 IChurchwarden} Sue Clayton. 2023-2026 Deanery SYr￿d Kathryn Duffy, April 2025-2028 Ellzabeth Everett. 2023-2026 Deanery Synod Anitra Lockwood. 2024-2027 John Maybery. 2023-2026 Deanery SyrK)d Valerie Mclntosh, 2023-2026 (Churchwardenl and 2023-2026 Deanery Synod Melloney O'8rien Kaye. 2024-2027 Mark Rix, 2023-2026 Barbara Simmonds. 2023-2026 her M mb Inonwotingl: Sue Jeacock PCC secretary Si8ned: Rector Date Lal Sl 518ned: Treasurer INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL ('THE TRVSTEES,) ob orrERY ST MARY I report to the tn￿etS on my examination ofthe xcounts ofthe Par(thial Chur¢h CourKil ofottery St Mary (the Tnsi.) for the year erthd 31" December 2025. RESPONSIBILITIES AND BASIS OF THE REPORT As the iharity. uustres of the TnLSi you arc r¢sN)nsible for the pre￿ation of the accounts in accordantt with th¢ requirnnent5 of the Charities Act 2011 fthe Ath). I rekx)rt in r¢sfvxrt o(my exwnin&ion of the TTUSV5 X c c