Eastbourne Parish Church (St Mary the Virgin)
Registered Charity No 1133958
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Trustees’ Annual Report and Financial Statements
of the Parochial Church Council for the year ended 31 December 2023
Officers
Vicar
Canon Tom Mendel MA SSC (until August 2023)
Churchwardens
Gill Siggs Martin Devonish
PCC Secretary & Treasurer
Nancy Randles MBA
Bankers
Barclays Bank Plc Terminus Road Eastbourne BN21 3PG
Investment Managers
Charles Stanley & Co Ltd 55 Bishopsgate London EC2N 3AS
Contents
| Contents | |
|---|---|
| Page | |
| Trustees Annual Report for 2023 | 3 |
| Financial Review | 5 |
| Stewardship Report | 6 |
| Deanery Synod Report | 6 |
| Safeguarding Report | 7 |
| Buildings & Fabric Report | 7 |
| Accounts for 2023 | 10 |
| Independent Examiner’s Report | 21 |
| Summarised Results 2023 & Budget 2024 | 22 |
| Reports on Parish Organisations and Activities | 23 |
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Eastbourne Parish Church St Mary the Virgin Registered Charity No 1133958
Trustees Annual Report for 2023
Structure, governance and management
The Parochial Church Council (PCC) is registered with the Charity Commission as required by the Charities Act 2011. Its governing document is the Parochial Church Council (Powers) Measure 1956.
During the year the following served as members of the Parochial Church Council:-
Ex-Officio Members:- Incumbent Canon Tom Mendel MA SSC (retired August 2023) Wardens Martin Devonish (also Vice-Chairman of the PCC) Gill Siggs Deanery Synod:- Brian Etheridge (also Stewardship Secretary) Ian MacKellar (also Clerk of the Works) (deceased June 2023) Graham Marsden (until 2023 APCM) Elaine Fletcher (elected at 2023 APCM but resigned June 2023) John Oliphant Nancy Randles (also Treasurer and Secretary)
Elected Members:- Carol Walsh (until 2023 APCM) Peter Morston ( “ ) Elaine Beynon (Safeguarding Officer) Lyndsay Hylton Graham Marsden (from 2023 APCM) Avril Bell ( “ ) Liz Forman ( “ ) Ronald Shotter ( “ ) Paul Standen-Payne ( “ )
Co-opted John Cooper (from September 2023 to act as Clerk of the Works)
Invited to attend Meetings as observers Vicky Barton Jacqueline Ede
The Vicar and Chairman of the PCC, Canon Tom Mendel, retired during August 2023. The Parish remains in vacancy and the process of appointing a new Vicar is ongoing.
Membership of the PCC is determined under the Church Representation Rules and consists of certain ex-officio members (the Incumbent/Priest in Charge, Curates, Readers licensed to officiate in the church, the Churchwardens and members of the Deanery, Diocesan or General Synods) and up to nine members of the Church who are elected at the Annual Parochial Church
3
Meeting (APCM). Members of the congregation are warmly encouraged to stand for election to the PCC and attempts are made where possible to ensure there is a balance of skills and experience on the Council.
Aims and Purposes
The primary objective of St Mary’s PCC is the promotion of the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to the doctrine and practices of the Church of England. The PCC has the responsibility of co-operating with the Incumbent in promoting in the ecclesiastical parish the whole mission of the church, pastoral, evangelical, social and ecumenical.
The PCC’s objectives for the year have continued to be
-
Enabling as many people as possible to worship at our church.
-
Enabling as many people as possible to find a place of calm and refuge in the church building.
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Enabling as many people as possible to become part of our parish community at St Mary’s.
The PCC maintains an overview of worship throughout the Parish and makes suggestions on how our services can involve the many groups that live within the Parish. Our services and worship put faith into practice through prayer and scripture, music and sacrament.
When planning our activities for the year, the Incumbent and the PCC have considered the Charity Commissioner’s 2018 guidance on public benefit and, in particular, the specific guidance to charities for the advancement of religion. In particular we try to enable local people to live out their faith as part of our parish community through:-
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Worship and prayer, learning about the Gospel, and developing their knowledge of and trust in Jesus.
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Provision of pastoral care for people living in the Parish.
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Missionary and outreach work.
-
Parish organisations
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To facilitate this work it is imperative that we maintain the fabric of St Mary’s Church, The Old Parsonage and The Old Parsonage Barn and Cart Lodge.
Committees
The PCC operates through a number of committees. The Standing and Finance Committee is the only committee required by law. Its membership consists of the Vicar, Churchwardens, Secretary, Treasurer, Stewardship Secretary and Clerk of Works.
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Achievements and Performance
Church Attendance
There are 255 people on the electoral roll. Very sadly eleven people have died in the last year There have been four additions to the electoral roll. There are 115 people resident in the parish and 140 non resident. This is the last annual revision of the present electoral roll before a new roll is prepared next year in 2025 (Mary Peck – Electoral Roll Officer)
Attendance continues to recover from the pandemic. Sunday services have been well attended and in addition, a celebration of the Eucharist was live-streamed every week for the first eight months of the year and viewed both within and outside of the parish. It is planned for this provision to resume in the future.
Review of the year 2023
The PCC met on seven occasions during the year. The Standing Committee met as required during the year and Notes of its deliberations were received by the full PCC and discussed where necessary. During this period, apart from the usual general business, the PCC discussed the following matters:-
Christmas arrangements Investments and financial matters Safeguarding Building matters and fabric concerns for the short and medium term Matters relating to the search for a new Vicar.
Financial Review
-
The total receipts on general unrestricted funds were £185,627 and are detailed in the Financial Report.
-
The Stewardship receipts through envelopes and bankers’ orders were £57,650. Our use of the Gift Aid scheme enabled the recovery of £14,758 tax.
3. The largest expenditure of the PCC was the sum of £60,000; £50,000 paid to the Diocese to cover ministry costs, although this was less than the full parish cost, and £10,000 to help another parish in the Deanery.
Reserves Policy
It is the PCC’s policy
-
To maintain a balance on the general fund which equates to approximately two months’ worth of unrestricted payments as contingency against unforeseen situations. The closing result, showing a deficit of £1,458 at the end of 2023 did not fully achieve this.
-
To invest surplus funds with Charles Stanley, stockbrokers, to provide an income to support the ongoing work of the church and at least maintain the real capital value.
Legacy Policy
The PCC welcomes and is grateful for legacies, of whatever size, and is always concerned to use every legacy for the benefit of the Parish. All legacies are directed to the PCC’s legacies
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fund, which is used for capital or other special projects. The PCC’s policy is to refrain from using legacies to fund routine running expenses.
The Trustees Annual Report and Financial Statements were approved by the PCC on 11[th] March 2024 and signed on its behalf by Martin Devonish, as Churchwarden and Vice-chairman of the PCC, and Nancy Randles, Treasurer.
STEWARDSHIP REPORT
This annual report is for 2023 before our renewal appeal in February this year.
At the end of December 2023 there were 17 contributors using the weekly envelopes.
The number of contributors using monthly or annual bank standing orders totalled 67.
Of the total number of 84 in the Stewardship scheme, 67 have signed Gift Aid certificates, which has enabled the Church to reclaim a further 25p for each pound given.
To help maintain and increase the income of the Church we need to encourage more of the congregation to join the scheme, so that the numbers joining exceed the number leaving.
Brian Etheridge, Stewardship Secretary
THE EASTBOURNE DEANERY SYNOD REPORT
The Deanery Synod met three times during 2023.
The first meeting was held on 28[th] February at St Wilfrid’s Broad Road, Willingdon. The Archdeacon of Hastings, the Venerable Edward Dowler gave an address reflecting on the Diocesan pilgrimage he had led to the Holy Land and Jordan. One thing he emphasized was that the diocesan party could not but feel the sense of fear engendered by the ongoing conflict between the Jewish authorities and the Palestinian population. When people are consumed by fear, the single greatest need is for the gospel of the risen Christ to reach into their lives.
The second meeting was held on 14[th] June at St Elizabeth’s. There was an address by Gerry Howitt, CEO of the Beachy Head Chaplaincy about their work. There is a team of 29 of whom 25 are chaplains. Their task is crisis intervention at Beachy Head, the No 1 suicide destination in the world.
The Revd Bob Dillingham spoke about changes to the Church Commissioners’ Strategic Development Fund.
There was a report from the Diocesan Synod.
The third meeting was held on 12[th] October at St Marys Willingdon. After elections for officers and committees, there was a talk by Revd Simon Hobbs about his work as the diocesan Retired Clergy Adviser. In this diocese we have 370 licensed Clergy, plus 400 retired with PTO (permission to officiate) and 200 without PTO.
Sally Scott-Ralphs outlined the 3-prong approach to bereavement counselling at St John’s Meads.
Brian Etheridge, Deanery Synod Representative
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SAFEGUARDING REPORT
The PCC has complied with the duty under Section 5 of the Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure 2016 (duty to have regard to House of Bishops’ guidance on safeguarding children and vulnerable adults).
The PCC reviews annually our Policy Statement, a copy of which is published on the Main Noticeboard in Church and on the website. https://stmaryseastbourne.co.uk
I took over from Elaine Fletcher as Parish Safeguarding Officer in May 2023 and would like to thank her for the efficient handover and for the many years of good work she carried out in the role.
One of my responsibilities is to ensure that those who have relevant roles and responsibilities within the parish, either as employees or volunteers, receive the correct safeguarding training and undertake DBS checks as required. We expect all PCC Trustees to do the basic safeguarding online training and a DBS check. Training and DBS checks are renewed every three years.
Any member of the congregation may undertake basic safeguarding training which takes 90 minutes online. Please speak to me for further information and guidance.
I have completed all the available training courses provided by the Church of England and the Diocese which includes Safeguarding Leadership, Raising Awareness of Domestic Abuse, Safer Recruitment and People Management, Lead Recruiter, Modern Slavery Safeguarding.
The Churchwardens, the Diocesan Safeguarding Team, the Parish Administrator, and the PCC have been very supportive in my first year in post.
The Church of England have recently published a review entitled “The Future of Church Safeguarding”. This was commissioned by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York. We will work with the diocese to implement any changes or improvements required to Church safeguarding good practice.
Please speak to me at any time if you have any safeguarding questions or concerns.
Elaine Beynon, Safeguarding Officer
BUILDINGS AND FABRIC
I start this buildings and fabric report by paying tribute to Ian MacKellar. Sadly, Ian died in June last year. He will be greatly missed by the Church, for the many roles he took on, not least for his ten years as Clerk of Works.
I was approached by the Church Wardens towards the end of September, who asked me if I could help out.
7
CHURCH
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1 Quinquennial inspection report 2022. I have met with Peter Pritchett, the architect who prepared this report, and we are working though what is still outstanding.
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2 Tower Clock repairs have been done
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3 Fire risk assessment completed. Further works are required from the recommendations
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4 Contactless payment donation machines installed
OTHER PROPERTIES
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The Old Parsonage / Barn
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Installation of new heating system to the Old Parsonage rooms and Verger’s flat
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Further work to the old pipework is still required
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Fitting of snowguards to the Old Parsonage completed
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New metal guards fitted to openings in each gable of the Barn to prevent pigeons gaining access was completed
2. 20 Motcombe Road
- Smoke and Carbon Monoxide detectors replaced
3. 6 Bay Pond Road
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Insurance work to the drains completed
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Further work to replace structural windows yet to be completed
4. Church yard
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I have on site met with the officer in charge of maintaining closed churchyards for Eastbourne and Lewes councils.
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One of the cherry trees that had died has been removed and replaced with a new tree
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I would like to express my sincere thanks to Eric Hylton and his team of volunteers that continue to do such good work supplementing what the local authority are charged with doing, weeding around the perimeters and tidying the ashes garden.
4. Verger’s garden
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The trees to the boundary of the garden and our neighbours have been cut back and
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reduced and a dangerous tree removed. This reduction needs to be done every few years
FUTURE WORK
The main item of works planned for 2024 are:
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Treatment of the roof timbers in the belfry and Barn
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New roof insulation to the Barn roof
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Working through the quinquennial report to prioritise works
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Further investigations of the lighting in the church
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CONCLUSION:
My thanks to members of the Standing Committee and the PCC for their time and consideration of the matters listed above and also to Wayne Stepney, the Verger, and the architect, Mr Peter Pritchett of Paramount Architecture, for their continued support.
John Cooper
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Eastbourne Parish Church - St. Mar the Vir in y g
Parochial Church Council
Statement of Financial Activities for the year ended 31 December 2023
| Note Incoming Resources Voluntary Income 2(a) Activities for generating funds 2(b) Income from investments 2(c) Church activities 2(d) Other incoming resources 2(e) Total Incoming Resources Resources Expended Cost of generating voluntary income 3(a) Fund raising trading costs 3(b) Church activities 3(c) Governance costs 3(d) Total Resources Used Net Incoming (Outgoing) Resources Unrealised Gains (Losses) on Investments Transfer between Funds Net Movement in Funds Balances brought forward at 1 January 2023 Balances carried forward at 31 December 2023 |
Unrestricted Funds £ Restricted Funds £ Endowment Funds £ Total 2023 Funds 2022 104,084 104,084 90,952 37,657 37,657 37,887 26,424 1,219 1,055 28,698 29,121 15,147 15,147 9,647 1,260 1,260 150 |
|---|---|
| 184,572 1,219 1,055 186,846 166,857 |
|
| 136 136 134 96 96 - 193,992 128 194,120 214,479 100 100 100 |
|
| 194,324 128 194,452 214,713 |
|
| (9,752) 1,219 927 (7,606) (47,856) 44,497 1,917 46,414 (67,233) |
|
| 34,745 1,219 2,844 38,808 (115,089) |
|
| 1,018,326 38,048 35,362 1,091,736 1,206,825 |
|
| 1,053,071 39,267 38,206 1,130,544 1,091,736 |
The notes on pages 12 to 19 form part of these accounts.
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Eastbourne Parish Church - St. Mar the Vir in y g
Parochial Church Council
Balance Sheet at 31 December 2023
| Note FIXED ASSETS Tangible fixed Assets 5 Investment assets 6 CURRENT ASSETS Debtors 8 Short term deposits Cash at bank and in hand LIABILITIES:Amounts falling due within one year 9 NET CURRENT ASSETS NET ASSETS FUNDS Endowment 7/10 Restricted 11 Unrestricted 12/13 |
2023 £ 2022 £ 253,751 253,751 751,259 704,385 |
|---|---|
| 1,005,010 958,136 17,558 20,113 89,245 88,028 25,462 30,868 |
|
| 132,265 139,009 |
|
| 6,731 5,409 |
|
| 125,534 133,600 |
|
| £ 1,130,544 £ 1,091,736 38,206 35,362 39,267 38,048 1,053,071 1,018,326 |
|
| £ 1,130,544 £ 1,091,736 |
Approved by the Parochial Church Council on 11 March 2024 and signed on its behalf by:
Mr Martin Devonish (Churchwarden)
Mrs Nancy Randles (Treasurer)
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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS For the year ended 31 December 2023
1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES
a Accounting convention
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Charities Act 2011 and under current Church Accounting Regulations in accordance with applicable accounting standards and the current (2015) Statement of Recommended Practice, Accounting and Reporting by Charities SORP (FRS102), as amended in 2016.
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention as modified by the inclusion of investments at market value. The financial statements include all transactions, assets and liabilities for which the PCC is responsible in law. They do not include the accounts of church groups that owe their affiliation to another body, nor those which are informal gatherings of church members.
b Funds accounting
Funds held by the PCC are:
Unrestricted funds – general funds which can be used by the PCC for ordinary purposes.
Designated funds – monies set aside by the PCC out of unrestricted funds for specific future purposes or projects.
Restricted funds – a) income from trusts or endowments which may be expended only on those restricted objects provided in the terms of the trust or bequest; b) donations or grants received for a specific object or invited by the PCC for a specific object. The funds may only be expended on the specific object for which they were given. Any balance remaining unspent at the end of the year is carried forward as a balance on that fund. Endowment funds – funds the capital of which must be maintained; only income arising from the investment of the endowment may be used, either as restricted or unrestricted funds, depending on the purpose set out in the terms of the original endowment.
c Incoming Resources
All incoming resources are accounted for gross.
Voluntary Income
Collections are recognised when received. Planned giving receivable is recognised only when received. Income tax recoverable on Gift Aid donations is recognised when the income is receivable. Grants and legacies are recognised when the PCC is legally entitled to the amount due.
Income from investments
Dividends are accounted for when due and payable. Interest entitlements are accounted for as they accrue.
All other income
All other income is recognised when it is receivable
Gains and losses on investments
Realised gains are recognised when investments are sold. Unrealised gains and losses are accounted for on revaluation on 31 December.
d Resources used
Resources expended are accounted for on an accruals basis and are accounted for gross
Grants
Grants and donations are accounted for when paid over, or when awarded where the award creates a binding obligation on the PCC.
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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)
For the year ended 31 December 2023
Church Activities
The diocesan parish contribution is accounted for when paid.
e Fixed Assets
Consecrated land and buildings and movable church furnishings
Consecrated and beneficed property is excluded from the accounts by s.10(2) of the Charities Act 2011.
No value is placed on moveable 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 moveable church furnishings, whether maintenance or improvement is written off as expenditure in the SOFA and separately disclosed.
The insured value of the church and the moveable furnishings is £24,600,000.
Freehold properties
Included at cost, but see Note 5. No depreciation has been provided as these comprise residential accommodation where the residual value is expected to be maintained, as it is the policy to maintain these assets in a continual state of sound repair. The useful economic lives of these assets is thus so long and the residual values so high that any depreciation would not be material. These assets will be subject to regular impairment reviews. Provision will be made if there has been any permanent diminution in value.
Other fixtures, fittings and office equipment
Equipment used within the church premises is depreciated on a straight-line basis over 4 years. Individual items of equipment with a purchase price of £750 or less are written off when the asset is acquired.
Investments
Investments are valued at market value on 31 December.
f Current Assets
Amounts owing to the PCC at 31 December in respect of fees, rents or other income are shown as debtors less provision for amounts that may prove uncollectable.
Short-term deposits include cash held on deposit either with the CBF Church of England Funds or with Virgin Money.
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g. Pension Arrangements
Eastbourne Parish Church (St Mary the Virgin) participates in the Pension Builder Scheme section of Church Workers Pension Fund for lay staff. The Scheme is administered by the Church of England Pensions Board, which holds the assets of the schemes separately from those of the Employer and the other participating employers.
The Church Workers Pension Fund has a section known as the Defined Benefits Scheme, a deferred annuity section known as Pension Builder Classic and a cash balance section known as Pension Builder 2014.
Pension Builder Scheme
The Pension Builder Scheme of the Church Workers Pension Fund is made up of two sections, Pension Builder Classic and Pension Builder 2014, both of which are classed as defined benefit schemes.
Pension Builder Classic provides a pension for members for payment from retirement, accumulated from contributions paid and converted into a deferred annuity during employment based on terms set and reviewed by the Church of England Pensions Board from time to time. Bonuses may also be declared, depending upon the investment returns and other factors.
Pension Builder 2014 is a cash balance scheme that provides a lump sum that members use to provide benefits at retirement. Pension contributions are recorded in an account for each member. Discretionary bonuses may be added before retirement, depending on investment returns and other factors. The account, plus any bonuses declared is payable, unreduced, from age 65.
There is no sub-division of assets between employers in each section of the Pension Builder Scheme.
The Scheme is a multi-employer scheme as described in Section 28 of FRS 102 as it is not possible to attribute the Pension Builder Scheme’s assets and liabilities to specific employers. This means that contributions are accounted for as if the Scheme were a defined contribution scheme. The pensions costs charged to the SoFA in the year are contributions payable (2023 £2,248, 2022 £2,248).
A valuation of the scheme is carried out once every three years. The most recent scheme valuation was carried out as at 31 December 2019. The next valuation is due as at 31 December 2022
For the Pension Builder Classic section, the valuation revealed a deficit of £4.8m on the ongoing assumptions used. At the most recent annual review, the Board chose to grant a discretionary bonus of 10.1% following improvements in the funding position over 2022. There is no requirement for deficit payments at the current time.
For the Pension Builder 2014 section, the valuation revealed a surplus of £5.5m on the ongoing assumptions used. There is no requirement for deficit payments at the current time. The legal structure of the scheme is such that if another employer fails, Eastbourne Parish Church could become responsible for paying a share of that employer’s pension liabilities.
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2. INCOMING RESOURCES
| 2(a) Voluntary income Planned giving Collections at all services Gift days Sundry donations and appeals Income tax recoverable Legacies 2(b) Activities for generating funds Festivals/Fayre Fund raising Rental income 2(c) Investment income Dividends and interest 2(d) Income from Church Activities Church Hall donations Fees from weddings etc. Parish Magazine 2(e) Other incoming resources Insurance claims Grants TOTAL INCOMING RESOURCES |
Unrestricted Funds £ Restricted Funds £ Endowment Funds £ Total 2023 £ Funds 2022 £ 57,650 57,650 62,439 4,456 4,456 5,149 7,215 7,215 4,885 5,005 5,005 2,872 14,758 14,758 14,707 15,000 15,000 - |
|---|---|
| 104,084 104,084 90,052 |
|
| 4,568 4,568 2,798 33,089 33,089 35,089 |
|
| 37,657 37,657 37,887 |
|
| 26,424 1,219 1,055 28,698 29,121 |
|
| 26,424 1,219 1,055 28,698 29,121 |
|
| 10,025 10,025 7,477 5,122 5,122 2,170 - - - |
|
| 15,147 15,147 9,647 |
|
| 1,260 - 1,260 - - 150 |
|
| 1,260 1,260 150 |
|
| 184,572 1,219 1,055 186,846 166,857 |
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3. RESOURCES EXPENDED
| 3(a) Cost of generating voluntary income Stewardship costs 3(b) Fundraising trading costs Fayre expenses 3(c) Church activities Missionary & charitable giving: Overseas: - Missionary societies - relief development agencies Home missions & charities Ministry costs: parish contribution to support others other clergy costs Church running expenses Church maintenance Fabric fund Legacies fund Upkeep of services Parish magazine Educational costs Old Parsonage & Barn Running costs Repairs Other Property repairs Bank charges 3(d) Governance costs Cost of annual accounts TOTAL RESOURCES EXPENDED |
Unrestricted Funds £ Restricted Funds £ Endowment Funds £ Total 2023 £ Funds 2022 £ 136 136 134 |
|---|---|
| 136 136 134 |
|
| 96 96 - |
|
| 96 96 - |
|
| - - - - - - - - - - |
|
| - - - - 50,000 50,000 50,000 10,000 10,000 10,000 5,077 5,077 6,015 56,366 56,366 49,120 5,002 5,002 5,714 21,288 21,288 29,058 - - 3,310 27,384 27,384 24,368 - - - 364 364 126 14,126 3,318 396 14,126 3,318 396 9,865 6,080 20,066 671 128 799 757 |
|
| 193,992 128 194,120 214,479 |
|
| 100 100 100 |
|
| 100 100 100 |
|
| 194,324 128 194,452 214,713 |
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4. STAFF COSTS
| Wages and salaries Social security costs Pension costs |
Total 2023 £ Funds 2022 £ 40,924 38,715 - 2,248 - 2,248 43,172 40,963 |
|---|---|
During the year the PCC employed, a Coordinator, a Verger/ Cleaner, and an Organist.
No member of the PCC, apart from the clergy who received reimbursement of expenses of office, received any reimbursement of expenses or remuneration.
5. FIXED ASSETS FOR USE BY THE PCC
| Tangible fixed assets GROSS BOOK VALUE At 1 January 2023 Note (1) Additions At 31 December 2023 DEPRECIATION At 1 January 2023 Charge for the year At 31 December 2023 NET BOOK VALUE At 31 December 2023 At 31 December 2022 |
Office equipment Freehold land & Buildings TOTAL 22,826 253,751 276,577 - - - |
|---|---|
| 22,826 253,751 276,577 |
|
| 22,826 22,826 - - |
|
| 22,826 22,826 |
|
| - 253,751 253,751 |
|
| - 253,751 253,751 |
- Note (1) The freehold land and the buildings comprise the following property owned by the PCC and vested in the Diocesan Board of Finance: -
The Old Parsonage - used as Church Hall, Parish Office and Verger’s flat The Old Parsonage Barn - used as Church rooms
The Old Parsonage was gifted to the parish in 1923 by the Duke of Devonshire. It is insured together with the Church for £24,600,000.
The Old Parsonage Barn was purchased on 1 March 1984 for £65,782 and a further £94,614 has been spent on renovation. It is insured for £909,642.
Curate’s House 6 Bay Pond Road was gifted to the parish under the will of Mrs. Dyer deceased on 25 May 1965. Improvements totalling £14,055 were carried out in 1996. It is insured for £458,918. It is let on a six-monthly tenancy for £1,250 per month.
Curate’s House 20 Motcombe Road was bought in May 1979 for £18,500 and is insured for £368,705. It is let on a six-monthly tenancy for £1,100 per month.
House 108 Green Street was bought in September 2011 for £253,751 including all costs and is insured for £445,424. It is let on a six-monthly tenancy for £950 per month. Only the cost of this property is included in fixed asset costs.
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| 6. INVESTMENTS Snape & Colbeck Trusts 1678 Units in CBF’s Fixed Interest Fund Welfare Fund 756 shares in CBF’s Investment Fund 19442 10p shares Lloyds Banking Group plc Cash held by Stockbrokers Other Stocks and Shares (Investment portfolio with Charles Stanley) |
2023 £ 2022 £ 2,429 2,301 17,090 9,276 15,620 8,829 7,971 7,511 714,493 670,124 751,259 704,385 |
|---|---|
7. ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS BY FUND
| Fixed Assets Current Assets Current Liabilities Fund Balance . DEBTORS Income tax recoverable Prepayments Debtor |
Unrestricted Funds £ Restricted Funds £ Endowment Funds £ Total £ 978,644 26,366 1,005,010 81,158 39,267 11,840 132,265 (6,731) (6,731) 1,053,071 39,267 38,206 1,130,544 2023 £ 2022 £ 13,141 13,443 2,687 5,370 1,730 1,300 17,558 20,113 |
|---|---|
8. DEBTORS
9. LIABILITIES: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR
| Accruals and deferred income Creditors for goods and services Other creditors |
2023 £ 2022 £ 3,253 2,189 886 1,899 2,592 1,321 6,731 5,409 |
|---|---|
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10. FUND DETAILS
The endowment fund comprises the Welfare Fund and is a permanent endowment which requires the income to be spent at the Vicar’s discretion in connection with the Sick & Poor of the Parish. The fund also includes the Vicar’s discretionary fund.
The restricted funds comprise the Dick Relf Choir Presentation Fund and the Tower Bell Fund.
The unrestricted funds comprise the Fabric/Property Maintenance Fund, the Legacies & Memorial Fund, the Clergy Housing Fund and the Sinking Fund: Roof, all of which are designated by the PCC. The General Fund is also an unrestricted fund.
In addition, the Snape & Colbeck Trust assets are held for church purposes and are therefore unrestricted but the PCC has designated the income for Fabric Fund purposes.
The Upwick Mission Church & Hall site proceeds are unrestricted funds and have been invested in the property at 108 Green Street, Eastbourne.
11. MOVEMENTS IN RESTRICTED FUNDS
| Tower Bell | Tower Bell | Dick Relf Choir | TOTAL |
TOTAL |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fund | Fund | |||||||
| £ | £ | £ | ||||||
| Donations & | Fundraising | |||||||
| Investment Income | 1,125 | 94 | 1,219 | |||||
| Expenditure | ||||||||
| 1,125 | 94 | 1,219 | ||||||
| Balances at 1 January 2023 | 35,104 | 2,944 | 38,048 | |||||
| Balance at 31 December 2023 | 36,229 | 3,038 | 39,267 | |||||
| 12. MOVEMENTS IN DESIGNATED/UNRESTRICTED FUNDS | ||||||||
| Clergy | Upwick | Fabric/ | Legacies | Sinking | General | TOTAL | ||
| Housing | Mission | Property | Fund | Fund: | Fund | |||
| Fund | Fund | Fund | Roof | |||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | ||
| Donations/ | 1,260 | 15,000 | 141,792 | 158,052 | ||||
| other income | ||||||||
| Investment | - | 52 | 26,372 | 26,424 | ||||
| income | ||||||||
| - | 1,312 | 15,000 | 168,164 | 184,476 | ||||
| Expenditure | 24,606 | 169,622 | 194,324 | |||||
| - | (23,294) | 15,000 | (1,458) | (9,752) | ||||
| Realised | ||||||||
| gains/(losses) | - | - | - | - | ||||
| Unrealised | ||||||||
| gains/(losses) | 128 | 41,264 | 3,105 | 44,497 | ||||
| Transfer | ||||||||
| NET | - | - | (23,166) | 56,264 | 3,105 | (1,458) | 34,745 | |
| MOVEMENTS | ||||||||
| Balances at | 278,136 | 130,139 | 77,172 | 440,128 | 92,690 | 61 | 1,018,326 | |
| 1 Jan 2023 | ||||||||
| Balances at | 278,136 | 130,139 | 54,006 | 496,392 | 95,795 | (1,397) | 1,053,071 | |
| 31 Dec 2023 |
Note: The Fabric Fund received no restricted income in 2023.
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13. MISSIONARY & CHARITABLE GIVING
| Home Missions and Charities Mothers Union – Away from it all holidays |
2023 £ - - |
2022 £ - - |
|---|---|---|
In addition the following amounts have been raised within the Parish for Missions and Charities and sent direct by the Secretaries concerned:
| £ | |
|---|---|
| Special Collections in Church | |
| DEC Turkey (February 2023) | 368 |
| Christingle service (The Children’s Society) | 107 |
| Raised and sent direct by the Secretaries concerned | |
| For Overseas Work by the MU | - |
| For Home Work by the MU | 847 |
| For USPG (Sec. Mr. I MacKellar) | 22 |
| For The Children’s Society (Sec. Mrs. E. Fletcher) | - |
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IDdepelldeDt Examitter's Report to the PCC of SL Mary'5 Parish Chub. Eastbourne This report otj the a¢counts of the PCC for the year ended 31 December 2023. which are set out pag¢5 9_19. is r¢spec¢ of an examination carri¢d out ill attordance with the Church A¢counting Regulations 2006 ('Ihe Regulations'} and section 145 of the Charities A¢¢ 2011, Respective Resptsnsibilities •f Trn$tees (Memljers of th¢ PCC) and ihe Examiner As the m¢rnbers of th¢ PCCJ you are responsible for the prqwation of the accounts.. you consider that the audit requir¢ment of RelatiOnS and section 144 of ihe A¢t. do not apply. It is my reswnsibility to i55ue this rewrt on thos¢ accounts in accordan¢e with the IErn]s of RegulatiOll5. Basi5 of lTrdependent Examiner's Report My exarnin*ion was Carri out in accordance with the Generaj DittttiotJ5 given by the Charity Commission under Section 145(SKbl of the Act. and to be found in the Church guidance 2006 edition. That examination includes a review of the acGouniing records kept by the PCC and a comparisox> of the accouT]ts with th05e rerords. It ajso includes constdering any unusual items or thsclosures in the a¢¢ounts and seekn"n¥ explanations frotn you as tnistee$ conceTning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all th¢ evid¢nce that would be required in an au(h'¢ and ¢ollsequently I do not express an atsdrt opinion on the view giv¢n by the accounts. IDd¢peDdeDt Examiner's Sts¢emeI In connection with my examination, no matter ha5 come to my attention". which gtves me reasonabl¢ ¢aus¢ to beli¢ve that in any materia] respect th¢ requtrements to keep Ounting records fftn accordanc¢ with section 130 of the Act to prepare accouuls which acrord with the aeeountin¥ records and to comply with the ac¢ounting requiremetJt5 of the A¢t a[ of the Chariiies {Accounts and Report8) Regulations 2008 have not been Tnet or (2) to which. in my optnion. att¢ntiotJ should be drawn in ord¢r to enable a proper Lthderstonding of the arcounts to be reached. Alatr¢lr Gulhrl Redred CharreredAccounthnt 9 Sthrdee Close EasTbourne BN23 26 March 2024 21
Eastbourne Parish Church - St. Mar the Vir in y g
Summarised Results 2023 and Budget 2024
| GENERAL INCOME Christian Stewardship Contributions Tax recoverable General Church Collections Fees - PCC Donations Magazine (net) Fund Raising (Summer Fayre/Gift Day) Income from Legacy Fund Net rents Thursday Market/ Coffee Morning INCOME TOTAL GENERAL EXPENDITURE Hon Assistant Clergy Expenses Vicarage Rates & Taxes Clergy House Expenses Clergy Working Expenses OP Flat Expenses Parish Administrator Verger Lighting & Heating of Church Organist & Choir Sanctuary Expenses Insurances Education - Sunday School/Youth Work Old Parsonage & Barn (net) Stewardship Expenses Printing & Stationery Telephone, Internet &Website Grants to Bellringers Minor Repairs Water Charges Sundry Expenses Cleaning Materials Vestment Repairs Parish Contribution Total Parish Cost To support others Missions & Charities Bank Charges Exceptional Expense EXPENDITURE TOTAL (Deficit)/Surplus |
Actual 2022 Actual 2023 Budget 2023 Budget 2024 62,439 57,650 62,500 58,000 14,707 14,758 15,000 15,000 5,149 4,456 6,000 5,000 2,170 5,122 3,000 4,000 2,872 5,005 3,000 5,000 - - - - 5,683 9,788 8,000 10,000 25,889 12,208 26,372 33,089 26,000 12,500 28,000 34,000 2,000 1,900 2,500 2,500 133,117 158,140 138,500 161,500 500 55 500 500 4,360 404 4,266 396 4,500 404 4,500 400 1,155 757 1,200 1,000 2,200 3,253 2,500 3,500 16,356 17,694 17,500 18,500 13,194 13,968 14,000 14,500 7,569 10,484 9,000 11,000 13,402 14,997 14,000 15,500 1,575 1,558 1,200 1,600 8,104 9,632 9,583 9,632 126 364 200 400 2,388 4,101 2,500 4,000 94 96 96 96 8,032 10,085 8,000 8,000 1,198 884 1,200 1,000 250 250 250 250 5,714 5,002 5,000 5,000 485 150 500 200 180 391 517 622 632 301 544 - 700 - 600 - 50,000 50,000 50,000 60,000 10,000 10,000 10,000 - - 637 - - 671 - - 650 - - 700 - 148,856 159,598 154,000 161,500 (15,739) (1,458) (15,500) 0 |
|---|---|
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Other Organisations and activties
Mothers’ Union
It is wonderful to be part of St. Mary’s MU where there is a kind consideration of each other, and fellowship as well looking outwards towards the needs of the parish. In this triennial we have a strong committee which is working very well together. They are a rich input to the branch.
In 2023 we were very pleased to welcome 3 new members namely Liz Forman, Janet Bandy and Dinah Taylor. But very sadly we said rest in peace to Joan Balch, Joan Morgan and to Michael Simmons who, although not a member, had given tremendous practical support to our MU over the years and touched all our hearts. We also had two members whose membership lapsed, namely Terry Brooks and Sylvia Slater.
Christine Sutcliffe and myself tried to attend as many Bexhill district meetings as possible so that we could keep members informed of the wider MU world. These included the district committee meetings in Bexhill n February July and November. Then in August we were at the district Mary Sumner celebration at Hellingly Church, a stirring service and social time and also a fundraiser for te district.(This money is used for district expenses including the hire of the hall for meetings). It was good to be accompanied by several members and we went on to tea at Hilliers in the afternoon. The Diocesan Autumn Members’ meeting was held in Brighton this year, and then we moved on to a very enjoyable Advent Quiet Day in early December at St. Mary’s Willingdon.
WE gave generously in 2023, disbursing £280 to the Disasters Emergency Committee in February as aid for the Turkey and Syria Earthquake fund (this was the proceeds of the members’ Bible auction). £600 shared between AFIA, the Contact Centre and general MU fund. This was all raised by our fund-raising activities. We also gave personally to our speakers, namely £70 to Anna Nolan for the Children’s Hospice, £70 to the speaker on Romania and £42 to St. Wilfrids’s Hospice. Plus there was a sum of £100 from the previous year’s brunch, that was finally handed to the local Refuge just before Christmas.
Our programme of activities for 2023 was varied and included Anna Nolan talking about her faith journey and the life and death of her disabled daughter, Lisa, an excellent Lent reflection by Tony Windross, Janet Webber on her 90[th] birthday helicopter ride, Richard Burgess talking about his charity work in Romania, Kathryn Anderson talking about being a helper at the Lambeth Conference and Sarah Marsh updating us about St Wilfrid’s Hospice. Our outing was limited to an enjoyable visit in cars to Bexhill Museum, followed by tea in the park, and our closing service was on June 23[rd] .
The Autumn meetings restarted with an opening service in late September led by David Weaver. Our first talk was by Margaret Roylance on her life as a vicar in Tenterden. This was accompanied by her singing and playing the piano, which was much enjoyed, Jill Need followed, talking about her work in California State Parks, including the uniform, and John Oliphant talked about the British Empire and his book based on evidence rather than fancy. We also had an afternoon when we shared details about significant moments, or people, on our own faith journeys.
Activities included a quiz, curry evening at the Spice Garden, and in July a fund-raising Ploughman’s Lunch in the OP, raising £322.50. And we finished 2023 with a very enjoyable party on December 8[th] .
The invaluable work at the Cosy Book Club is continuing under the leadership of Gill Siggs and Elaine Beynon, a brilliant idea that is making a real difference at Pashley Down School.
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We still had £400 in our kitty from Joan Fairbairn’s bequest (and this has now been donated to AFIA in the 2024 accounting year) and about £200 donated in memory of Doris Jackson. This money is earmarked for branch use and we are still considering buying a table microphone and speaker to make listening easier in the OP.
Despite reduced membership post-pandemic, our committee feels that the branch is moving forward in a very positive way and we thank God for our blessings. In 2024 we hope for more new members to carry on the good work.MU must move forward and be relevant in the world in which we are living. Our theme for the triennial remains the same “Transformation…..now”
Anne Eastbury
Flower Guild
We have continued during the year to focus on having Flower at the back of the Altar and a Pedestal by the Pulpit rather than the previous three Pedestals that we used to do.
However for the three main Festivals we continued with swags, windows and the usually extras. Thanks go to all the Guild Members who work so hard to decorate the Church to such a high standard.
In-memorial and special arrangements. We did 32 arrangements, this last year, which is about the average for the last few years.
These sponsored arrangements and the donations for lilies at Easter help to pay for the flowers in the Church the rest of the year.
Weddings. This year we dealt with just one Bride, which put £75.00 into our coffers. Sadly as things stand there are no Weddings booked for 2024.
St. Mary’s was represented at the Flower Festival held in St. Nicholas’ Church, Pevensey’s at the end of May. Their theme being ‘Sussex by the Sea’
At our AGM in November the following were re-elected, Vanessa Jeffries, Leader and Gillian Cant Treasurer. Unfortunately, due to caring commitments Jackie Marshall has resigned from the Guild, which has left us rather short on experienced arrangers.
Gillian was pleased to report that although we had a deficit last year there would be enough money in the Bank to keep us going.
Training is still on going to get some of the window folk to progress to doing the back of the Altar and we welcomed a couple of new ‘swag makers’.
However, we do still need more volunteers, so we welcome anybody who would like to join us ‘Experience not necessary’ just a willingness to learn and have fun.
Availability of flowers at a reasonable price is still the biggest problem. At Festivals, I have been putting in a bulk order at the nearest wholesaler in Brighton. However, that means getting up early to drive over and collect them before they close at 9am (if I don’t order I have to be there for 6am!!). For the rest of the time it is a Supermarket sweep. My thanks go to the Members who spend their time and petrol having to do this.
Finally, we thank God for the beautiful flowers that we work with, the majestic building to put them in and the wonderful friendship that we get from being part of the Flower Guild.
Vanessa Jeffries
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Junior Church
It is a pleasure to report that we are continuing to offer a family service on the first Saturday of each month at 4.30pm to enable Christian worship to busy families. We introduced this service some years ago after chatting with young parents about how we could fulfil their desire to keep a connection with the church whilst enabling their children to carry out other activities. (We were told that if a child misses the practice sessions they are excluded from the team or game, which doesn’t seem fair). We have been very blessed that Fr. Tony Delves has stepped into this role with ease and has been a kind, considerate and very gentle man with the families. He has also taken on the lead role for our workshop services.
We re-introduced the workshops for Good Friday last year and I am pleased to say that they are attracting a lovely crowd of youngsters. We may not have the numbers that attended in the past, but the children and parents who come, do stay for the whole of the session and are very grateful and appreciative of the crafts and worship they receive. It has been great to see the connection between Pashley School and St. Mary’s develop since the introduction of the Cosy Book Club which is run at Pashley by Gill Siggs and Elaine Beynon who also represent MU and we have a growing number of pupils attending these events.
The Crib service is a highlight of the festive season for many families, especially those who may not come on a regular basis. We often hear parents saying that this service is the start of their Christmas! The children were outstanding. The readers were very accomplished, and we had a small but perfect set of ‘actors’ who played out the nativity scene beautifully. Many thanks to all who participated and supported this special service, especially Francesca Vogels, who acts as my ‘right hand man’. I cannot finish my report without giving due credit to Fr. Tony again. His relaxed manner and ease with which he addressed the 600 or so people was wonderful. A magical way to begin the true celebrations.
I look forward to what the new year will bring and hope to continue my support of the families who call St. Mary’s their church, with our new vicar, in whatever way God plans.
Elaine Fletcher
St Mary’s Association of Change Ringers
During 2023, the bells have been rung for all Sunday morning services and also for special services/events including, Candlemass, Commonwealth Day, Mothering Sunday, Palm Sunday, Easter Sunday, Bell Sunday, the Patronal Festival, Armistice Day service, Remembrance Sunday, and all the Christmas Services. Some rings were quarter peal attempts or special rings. The biggest event we rang for, was the King’s Coronation where we rang both before the coronation, and later in the afternoon.
We ran 2 successful open towers during 2023, the first in May as part of the ‘Ring for the King’ May bank holiday. For the first time we set a camera up in the belfry to show the bells swinging whilst we rang them. This worked very well for a number of reasons – it gave us the opportunity to show how we ring as a team, gave a much better idea of how pulling on the rope turns the bells, saved a lot of time and moving people between the chambers, and is far safer than taking people into the belfry. It also helped those learning to ring gain a better understanding of the interaction of the bell, rope and stay/slider.
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The tower was also open for the summer fayre in September. Again, the camera was set up to show the bells although this time only one bell was rung to show how we ring. Both open towers have resulted in new recruits and will be worth repeating in 2024.
From the Open Tower and other advertising, we’ve gained some new ringers. We said g’day to new ringers – Lynda (who started learning in May) and Richard (moved from St Leonards). Going into 2024, we have Alf and Liz starting to learn ringing with us. Sadly, we’ve said goodbye to Jenny and Mark, both of whom have moved away. And we had some learners who came to learn to ring but, for various reasons, couldn’t continue – Caroline, Patrizia, Jonathan and Jocelyne.
Jude and I attended an ART (Association of Ringing Teachers) course for teaching bell handling in September at Hailsham with other ringing teachers from this area. We both found the course very informative and helpful with lots of ideas, and with the group being local, we’ve also attended a couple of further sessions. Thank you to the PCC for their annual grant which paid for the course. The grant also covered the cost of some new ringing books for the tower to help learners & ringers alike. It is all helping to teach our new learners.
Pre-covid, St Mary’s joined with Christ Church and St Saviour’s towers to hold a monthly ‘combined towers’ practice with each tower taking it in turns to host the practice. In November last year this re-started and those practices have been well attended. It gives ringers a chance to ring different bells, (especially those new to ringing), a chance to ring on 10 bells at St Saviour’s, and more advanced ringers have an opportunity to ring methods which isn’t always possible at a tower’s own practice evening.
Unfortunately, we received a couple of complaints about the bells ringing, one by email, and one verbal after a Tuesday evening practice. Thankfully, this hasn’t happened again.
I would like to thank Don for all his support especially with the bell maintenance, to Alastair for running the ringing when I am not present, and to Peter for setting up/clearing away the camera and cables in the belfry for the open towers.
Thank you to all who have supported ringing at St Mary’s, our members and those from other towers who ring with us on Sundays and other occasions.
Ann Wright
Family Support Work (FSW)
The FSW charity is a Sussex based Charity which was founded over 130 years ago with the Churches in the Diocese to offer help to families in need. This help can be financial, emotional or practical and whatever is needed they will do their best to guide and support families through the trauma and hard times that sometimes befall them. They deal with illness, job loss, hardship, mental health issues, homelessness, divorce and death on a regular basis.
To give you an example of what the practitioners do in just 1 month:Attended 34 supported meetings with other agencies Enabled 50 group activity sessions Delivered 123 food parcels Now times that by 12 – WOW
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Besides all this, they are tirelessly fundraising. They have arranged a family event at Arundel cricket ground to spend a day with the Cricket Foundation. This event enables disadvantaged children an opportunity to experience sport and forest school in an open space within a safe environment. There are also farm visits and other activity days planned to ensure families enjoy their holiday time. FSW also send as many families as possible to the caravans owned and maintained by the MU charity AFIA (Away from it all). It is lovely to know that these two charities are working together and supporting one another.
The annual walk has been moved to 30[th] May and will start from Alfriston at 8.30am. It will be guided by Fr. Peter Blee from Berwick and is an 11 mile walk, but can be joined for all or part of it.
Their Open Gardens season starts on 6[th] /7[th] April at Butler’s Farmhouse near Herstmonceux and if you would like attend, your support would be most welcome. All details of any of the above fundraising events can be found on their website or google Family Support Work.
Finally, they support in a practical way with food parcels. We can all help with this if we are able to donate food or grocery items. Our collection box is in church on the last Sunday of the month, but items can be given to me at any time.
Thank you for continuing to support this vital work.
Elaine Fletcher
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