Registered Charity No 1133958
Trustees’ Annual Report and Financial Statements
of the Parochial Church Council for the year ended 31 December 2024
Officers
Vicar
Churchwardens
The Reverend Arwen Mary Folkes (from July 2024) 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
| Page | |
|---|---|
| Trustees Annual Report for 2024 | 3 |
| Financial Review | 5 |
| Stewardship Report | 6 |
| Deanery Synod Report | 6 |
| Safeguarding Report | 6 |
| Buildings & Fabric Report | 7 |
| Accounts for 2024 | 9 |
| Independent Examiners Report | 20 |
| Summarised Results 2024 & Budget 2025 | 21 |
| Organisations’ Reports | 22 |
2
Eastbourne Parish Church
St Mary the Virgin
Registered Charity No 1133958
Trustees Annual Report for 2024
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 Reverend Arwen Mary Folkes (from July 2024) Wardens Martin Devonish (also Vice-Chairman of the PCC) Gill Siggs
Deanery Synod:-
Brian Etheridge (also Stewardship Secretary) John Oliphant Nancy Randles (also Treasurer and Secretary) Eric Hylton (from 2024 APCM) Naomi Hambly (from 2024 APCM)
Elected Members:-
Elaine Beynon (Safeguarding Officer) Lyndsay Hylton Graham Marsden James Fletcher Avril Bell Liz Forman Ronald Shotter Paul Standen-Payne John Cooper (Clerk of the Works)
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 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.
3
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.
-
Enabling as many people as possible to become part of our parish community at St Mary’s.
The PCC maintains an overview of worship in 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 PCC has 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
-
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. During the year the PCC also established a Buildings Committee chaired by the Vicar and including people with knowledge of and interest in the church buildings.
Achievements and Performance
Electoral Roll
A new electoral roll has been published this year. The total numbers are 202. There are 84 residents in the parish and 118 non-residents. I should like to thank Sarah Morley for all her kindness and hard work in sending out all the new electoral roll application forms and in keeping the supply of application forms stocked up in church. During the next few years the Electoral Roll will revised annually until 2031 the year in which the next completely new electoral roll has to be prepared (Mary Peck – Electoral Roll Officer)
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Church Attendance
Attendance continues to recover from the pandemic and the subsequent interregnum. Sunday services have been well attended and in addition, a celebration of the Eucharist has been livestreamed every week since the arrival of the new Vicar and viewed both within and outside of the parish.
Review of the year 2024
The PCC met on seven occasions during the year. The Standing Committee met as required during the year. During this period, apart from the usual general business, the PCC discussed the following matters:-
Investments and financial matters
Safeguarding Christmas arrangements Building matters and fabric concerns for the short and medium term Matters relating to the appointment and licensing of the new Vicar Planting of a Christmas tree Parish Giving Scheme Re-establishment of a Junior Choir Admission to Holy Communion from age 7 Additional clergy and lay ministry resources
Financial Review
-
The total receipts on general unrestricted funds were £174,795 and are detailed in the Financial Report.
-
The Stewardship receipts through envelopes and bankers’ orders were £58,606. Our use of the Gift Aid scheme enabled the recovery of £14,911 tax.
-
The largest expenditure of the PCC was the sum of £60,000 paid to the Diocese to cover ministry costs, although this was less than the full parish cost.
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 £8,958 at the end of 2024 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 fund, which is used for capital or other special projects, unless they are restricted to another specific fund. During the year one legacy was specifically directed to the Tower Bell Fund by the donor. The PCC’s policy is to refrain from using legacies to fund routine running expenses.
The Financial Statements were approved by the PCC on 8[th] April 2025 and signed on its behalf by the Vicar and Nancy Randles, Treasurer.
5
STEWARDSHIP REPORT
During the latter part of the year the PCC considered, and subsequently approved, a change in the way Stewardship is managed by beginning a transfer to the Parish Giving Scheme. This is an independent charity which is owned and funded by the National Church Institutions of the Church of England. PGS will collect your regular donation by Direct Debit, claim any Gift Aid from the Government and send the total directly and regularly to our parish bank account. Donors can choose to increase their donation by an amount equivalent to inflation each year or increase (or decrease) their gift at any time. Members of the current Stewardship Scheme are encouraged to transfer to PGS but can continue with their present donation method if they prefer. New members will be enrolled with PGS.
THE EASTBOURNE DEANERY SYNOD REPORT
The Deanery Synod met three times during 2024.
There has been some emphasis during the year on the relationship between parishioners and their clergy. At one meeting there were discussions on how parishioners could help their clergy and other parish leaders mitigate stress and overwork leading to burnout. At the October meeting members were asked to discuss how vocations could be encouraged. There were accounts of certain people being approached with the question “have you ever considered offering yourself for ordination?” some of which had resulted in individuals doing just that, having previously not recognised the gifts in themselves. There was much food for thought.
Deanery Synod Representatives
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).
Safeguarding is an agenda item at all PCC meetings.
The PCC reviews annually our Policy Statement, a copy of which is published on the Noticeboards in Church and on the website: https://stmaryseastbourne.co.uk In July 2004 the PCC formally adopted a set of safeguarding policy documents which was issued to employees, volunteers, and PCC Trustees. All recipients have been asked to sign and confirm they have read the documents. These policies will continue to be reviewed, adopted, and published annually and will be used as part of the induction for any new employees, volunteers, and PCC Trustees.
During the year we carried out relevant risk assessments for children’s activities, including the relaunched Noah’s Ark and for those who carry out lone working in the church buildings such as the Verger and the Parish Co-ordinator.
Safeguarding training continues to be a priority and we continue to offer training to all those undertaking a voluntary role. Many people have completed online training, but we have also offered group training sessions e.g. for the Noah’s Ark Team, the Pastoral team, and others. Safeguarding and DBS checks are updated every three years. There will be more opportunities
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for online individual training or group sessions in the coming year. We would encourage all members of the congregation to participate in basic awareness training.
I can confirm that all necessary DBS checks or renewals have been completed during the year. We have also encouraged volunteers to register for the DBS update service which if reviewed and confirmed annually will negate the need for a repeat check in 3 years.
I have now completed my second year in post and would like to thank Mthr. Arwen, The Diocesan Safeguarding Team, the Churchwardens, the PCC, and the congregation for their continued support.
Chichester Diocese Safeguarding Team are introducing the Parish Dashboard which will be aligned to the National Safeguarding Standards and will provide the PCC with means of monitoring and ensuring robust safeguarding standards at St Mary’s. Safeguarding is the responsibility of us all and it is important to raise awareness. Please speak to me if you would like to undertake the training or if you have any safeguarding questions or concerns.
Elaine Beynon, Parish Safeguarding Officer
BUILDINGS AND FABRIC
Beyond routine repairs, work on the church building waited for the arrival of our new vicar. Following her arrival the PCC has been organised to create a Buildings Sub-Committee to foster a team approach to the maintenance and care of our buildings. The Buildings subcommittee has grown in strength and is now working on a major building project plan to meet the needs identified in the Quinquennial Report.
Church
Lower gutters have been cleared.
Other Properties
The Old Parsonage / Barn
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A stair lift has been put in place on the OP staircase to enable accessibility to be improved.
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Routine maintenance has been completed
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Trees were cut and controlled to stop them from impacting on our neighbour’s gardens.
20 Motcombe Rd
- Routine maintenance has been completed
6 Bay Pond Rd
- New bay windows have been fitted and related structural problems addressed.
108 Green Street
- Work has been carried out to the roof to prevent water ingress.
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Churchyard
- The gardening team continue to do an excellent job in the churchyard and we extend our continuing thanks to them and Eric Hylton
Verger’s Garden
- Work has continued to try to keep the ivy under control.
Future Work
As mentioned above the formation of the new Buildings Sub-Committee is working on a three year plan to carry out the necessary repairs on the church, which we hope will include the roof repair, improvement to lighting.
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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 2024
| 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 2024 Balances carried forward at 31 December 2024 |
Unrestricted Funds £ Restricted Funds £ Endowment Funds £ Total 2024 £ 93,067 5,000 98,067 40,293 40,293 28,460 2,083 1,193 31,736 12,975 12,975 - - |
Funds 2023 £ 104,084 37,657 28,698 15,147 1,260 |
|---|---|---|
| 174,795 7,083 1,193 183,071 |
186,846 | |
| 139 139 140 140 215,398 156 215,554 100 100 |
1364 96 194,120 100 |
|
| 215,777 156 215,933 |
194,452 | |
| (40,982) 7,083 1,037 (32,862) 12,435 1,765 14,200 |
(7,606) 46,414 |
|
| (28,547) 7,083 2,802 (18,662) |
38,808 | |
| 1,053,071 39,267 38,206 1,130,544 |
1,091,736 | |
| 1,024,524 46,350 41,008 1,111,882 |
1,091,736 |
The notes on pages 11 to 18 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 2024
| 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 |
2024 £ 2023 £ 253,751 253,751 766,034 751,259 |
|---|---|
| 1,019,785 1,005,010 22,965 17,558 61,483 89,245 20,615 25,462 |
|
| 105,063 132,265 |
|
| 12,966 6,731 |
|
| 92,097 125,534 |
|
| £ 1,111,882 £ 1,130,544 |
|
| 46,008 38,206 41,350 39,267 1,024,524 1,053,071 |
|
| £ 1,111,882 £ 1,130,544 |
Approved by the Parochial Church Council on 8[th] April 2025 and signed on its behalf by:
Rev. Arwen Folkes (Vicar)
Mrs. Nancy Randles (Treasurer)
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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
For the year ended 31 December 2024
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 2024
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.
g. Pension Arrangements
Eastbourne Parish Church (St Mary the Virgin) participates in the Pension Builder Scheme
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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 (2024 £2,248, 2023 £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 2022. The next valuation is due as at 31 December 2025.
For the Pension Builder Classic section, the valuation revealed a surplus of £34.8m on the ongoing assumptions used. At the most recent annual review, the Board chose to grant a discretionary bonus of 6.7% to both pensions not yet in payment and pensions in payment in respect of service prior to April 1997; and a bonus on pensions in payment in respect of post April 2006 service so that the pension increase was 2.7%(where usually it would be calculated based on inflation up to2.5%) This followed improvements in the funding position over 2024. There is no requirement for deficit payments at the current time.
For the Pension Builder 2014 section, the valuation revealed a surplus of £8.5m 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 2024 £ Funds 2023 £ 58,606 58,606 57,650 3,778 3,778 4,456 7,340 7,340 7,215 7,432 7,432 5,005 14,911 14,911 14,758 1,000 5,000 6,000 15,000 |
|---|---|
| 93,067 5,000 98,067 104,084 |
|
| 6,595 6,595 4,568 33,698 33698 33,089 |
|
| 40,293 40,293 37,657 |
|
| 28,460 2,083 1,193 31,736 28,698 |
|
| 28,460 2,083 1,193 31,736 26,698 |
|
| 9,205 9,205 10,025 3,770 3,770 5,122 - - - |
|
| 12,295 12,295 15,147 |
|
| - - - - 1,260 - |
|
| - - 1,260 |
|
| 174,795 7,083 1,193 183,071 186,846 |
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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 2024 £ Funds 2023 £ 139 139 136 |
|---|---|
| 139 139 136 |
|
| 140 140 96 |
|
| 140 140 96 |
|
| - - - - - - - - - - |
|
| - - - - 60,000 60,000 50,000 - - 10,000 24,760 24,760 5,077 56,886 12 56,898 56,366 11,245 11,245 5,002 2,972 2,972 21,288 - - - 30,662 30,662 27,384 - - - 523 523 364 13,420 - 14,274 13,420 - 14,274 14,126 3,318 396 656 144 800 799 |
|
| 215,398 156 215,554 194,120 |
|
| 100 100 100 |
|
| 100 100 100 |
|
| 215,777 156 215,793 194,452 |
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4. STAFF COSTS
| STAFF COSTS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Total | Funds | |
| 2024 | 2023 | |
| £ | £ | |
| Wages and salaries | 44,366 | 40,924 |
| Social security costs | - | - |
| Pension costs | 2,248 | 2,248 |
| 46,614 | 43,172 |
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 2024 Note (1) Additions At 31 December 2024 DEPRECIATION At 1 January 2024 Charge for the year At 31 December 2024 NET BOOK VALUE At 31 December 2024 At 31 December 2023 |
Office equipment Freehold land & Buildings 22,826 253,751 - - |
TOTAL 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) |
2024 £ 2023 £ 2,502 2,429 17,481 10,650 17,090 9,276 8,546 7,971 726,855 714,493 |
|---|---|
| 766,034 751,259 |
7. ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS BY FUND
| Fixed Assets Current Assets Current Liabilities Fund Balance |
Unrestricted Funds £ Restricted Funds £ Endowment Funds £ Total £ 983,108 36,677 1,005,010 54,382 46,350 4,331 105,063 (12,966) (12,966) |
|---|---|
| 1,024,524 46,350 41,008 1,111,882 |
8. DEBTORS
| Income tax recoverable Prepayments Debtor |
2024 £ 2023 £ 14,145 13,141 6,009 2,687 2,811 1,730 |
|---|---|
| 22,965 17,558 |
9. LIABILITIES: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR
| Accruals and deferred income Creditors for goods and services Other creditors |
2024 £ 2023 £ 4,250 3,253 6,407 886 2,309 2,592 |
|---|---|
| 12,966 6,731 |
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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
| Donations & Fundraising Investment Income Expenditure Balances at 1 January 2024 Balance at 31 December 2024 |
Tower Bell Fund £ Dick Relf Choir Fund £ TOTAL £ 5,000 5,000 1,922 161 2,083 |
|---|---|
| 6,922 161 7,083 36,229 3,038 39,267 |
|
| 43,151 3,199 46,350 |
12. MOVEMENTS IN DESIGNATED/UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
| Donations/ other income Investment income Expenditure Realised gains/(losses) Unrealised gains/(losses) Transfer NET MOVEMENTS Balances at 1 Jan 2024 Balances at 31 Dec 2024 |
Clergy Housing Fund £ Upwick Mission Fund £ - |
Fabric/ Property Fund £ Legacies Fund £ Sinking Fund: Roof £ General Fund £ TOTAL £ 1,000 145,335 146,335 63 28,397 28,460 |
|---|---|---|
| - | 63 1,000 173,732 174,795 16,846 198,931 215,777 |
|
| - - |
(16,783) 1,000 (25,199) (40,982) - - - 73 11,497 865 12,435 |
|
| - - 278,136 130,139 |
(16,710) 12,497 865 (25,199) (28,547) 54,006 496,392 95,795 (1,397) 1,053,071 |
|
| 278,136 130,139 |
37,296 508,889 96,660 (26,596) 1,024,524 |
Note: The Fabric Fund received no restricted income in 2024.
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13. MISSIONARY & CHARITABLE GIVING
The following amounts have been raised within the Parish for Missions and Charities and sent direct by the Secretaries concerned:
| Special Collections in Church | £ |
|---|---|
| Eastbourne Amalgamated Charities (Lent Lunches) | 177 |
| Christian Aid | 380 |
| Induction Service (Bishop’s Fund) | 428 |
| Christingle service (The Children’s Society) | 85 |
| Crib Service (Family Support Work) | 330 |
19
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Summarised Results 2024 and Budget 2025
| 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 Interregnum 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 Parish Contribution Total Parish Cost To support others Missions & Charities Bank Charges Exceptional Expense EXPENDITURE TOTAL (Deficit)/Surplus |
Actual 2023 Actual 2024 Budget 2024 Budget 2025 57,650 58,606 58,000 58,000 14,758 14,911 15,000 15,000 4,456 3,778 5,000 4,000 5,122 3,770 4,000 4,000 5,005 7,432 5,000 8,000 - - - - 9,788 11,845 10,000 5,000 26,372 33,089 28,397 33,697 28,000 34,000 28,000 34,000 1,900 1,950 2,500 2,000 |
|---|---|
| 158,140 164,386 161,500 158,000 |
|
| 55 1,007 500 - 4,266 396 4,477 400 4,500 400 4,750 400 757 1,107 1,000 1,500 3,253 2,924 3,500 3,000 17,694 18,574 18,500 19,000 13,968 14,752 14,500 15,250 10,484 9,411 11,000 11,000 14,997 15,253 15,500 15,750 1,558 1,280 1,600 1,400 9,632 9,836 9,632 9,980 364 523 400 600 4,101 4,214 4,000 4,000 96 99 96 99 10,085 12,270 8,000 10,000 884 1,299 1,000 1,500 250 250 250 300 5,002 11,245 5,000 7,500 150 - 200 200 391 489 622 471 50,000 60,000 60,000 70,000 10,000 - - - - 671 - - 657 1,928 - 700 - - 700 - |
|
| 159,598 173,344 161,500 177,400 |
|
| (1,458) (8,958) 0 (19,400) |
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ORGANISATIONS
MUSIC AT ST. MARY’S
I would like to start by thanking all members of the choir who give up a large amount of time to enhance the worship here. Special thanks to Becky who conducts the singing when required and puts up with me for seven days each week.
There are now 21 members of the choir which has allowed us to tackle more of the main-stream repertoire. Choral Evensong, in particular is a success and continues to grow in popularity with the choristers and congregation. They continue to amaze me with the standard of singing and the amount of work they put in to learning it, and I hope that they enjoy themselves as much as I do. Choir practices are always great fun, full of good music making and camaraderie, with a smattering of below-par jokes.
Notable musical events this year have been the Carol Service (which was exceptional), singing carols and anthems to the guests at the Grand Hotel on Christmas Eve and the performance of the beautiful Faure Requiem on Good Friday. For the Faure, 40 other singers were invited to augment the choir, favours were called in from soloists and nearly 200 people came to listen. It was a fabulous evening and £1283.07 was raised for church funds.
Becky and I did a recital in March to ‘unveil’ the new Roland piano which was very kindly (and unexpectedly) donated and £866 was raised for the church’s music fund. This has also led to inquiries about renting the church as a concert venue, and we have come up with a pricing structure which has already secured a booking of some excellent musicians for September. Continuing to make St Mary’s a centre of high quality music both in services and via renting will strengthen its place in the heart of the community and entice people into our wonderful building.
Music at St Mary’s is going from strength to strength and I am honoured to be a part of it.
Coin Hughes Director of Music
BELLRINGERS
A busy year and I thank all the ringers for their support ringing at the various events throughout the year, as well as at our practices and Sunday Service ringing. It was a pleasure to ring for Arwen’s Service of Induction in July, and we joined towers around the country to ring for the D-Day 80th anniversary ‘Ring Out for Peace’ on 6th June. Thank you to Alastair and Don for running the ringing at the times I was unable to be there.
In May we held our annual ‘Open Tower’ on the first Bank Holiday to demonstrate bell ringing, and we again opened the tower for St Mary’s summer fayre. At these events, a camera was placed in the belfry for visitors to view the bell whilst it is being rung. Thank you to Peter for helping to set this up. Both days are very good publicity events for bells and ringing, as well as giving us a chance to recruit new learners.
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We have attempted a few quarter peals (a ring of 1260 changes taking approx. 45 minutes) for Sunday Evensong. Hopefully, we will ring some more during this year. Our focus on teaching ringing continued with several starting to learn the skill during the year. Two of our learners attained the level to join the Sussex Association of Change Ringers and we currently have three learning. My thanks to Jude for all the help she gives me teaching. In September, we started teaching bell handling to novices on a Monday evening on a “silenced bell”. This has proved invaluable giving a far longer and better-quality session of concentrated teaching learners. They follow up on Tuesdays with a short recap before the main practice then a short ring on an untied bell to enable them to “hear” the bells. Listening and hearing “your bell” is an essential skill for learners that is missing when teach on a “silenced” bell.
In December, we held some concentrated sessions of raising and lowering a bell for ringers able to ring but needing further practice at this skill. We ran a training session for fitting “muffles” to the clappers before ringing for Remembrance Sunday which we will run again in 2025. As well as needing new ringers, we need ringers who can help with this type of work.
A full inspection of the bells was carried out in October. Don also carried out work on the bells during the year with the help of Nigel, Jim and Laurence. My thanks to them for helping with this, and to Don for keeping the bells in good working order.
The monthly ‘combined towers’ practice for St Mary’s, Christ Church and St Saviour’s continues on the first Tuesday of the month with each tower taking it in turns to host the practice. This practice 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.
Ann Wright
JUNIOR CHURCH
We hold a service on the first Sunday of the month at 3.30pm for families, especially tailored for those with children, although everyone is most welcome to attend. These services are led by Mthr. Arwen who makes the talk informative, relevant, and interactive so that children can participate at their level, without being in a formal setting. When a question is asked, we never know what the answers may be, and they sometimes take you by surprise! The great thing is that Mthr. Arwen always receives all comments with respect and consideration . After such a long absence, we are slowly trying to encourage a wider congregation to these monthly meetings.
We continue to hold our children’s workshops at Easter and Advent, and they still prove very popular. They are well attended and everyone who comes is very grateful that we have given so much time and effort into providing crafts themed to the season. It is also great that almost all the families, who enjoy these events, come to the brief service afterwards and both children and adults alike gain something from them. Thank you to all the volunteers who make this possible.
Christmas time is a celebration of the Nativity, and our younger children acted out the story, while the older ones read the narration. We even had a very wonderful and chilled baby Jesus, who stole the show. Thank you to Issey and Kyle for letting us use Marley. All the children
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were brilliant, and the play really gives meaning to the birth of Jesus. We had an increase in the number of visiting families and it was lovely to see so many new and familiar faces.
We are looking forward to the coming months and seeing where the future will take us under Arwen’s guidance.
Elaine Fletcher
NOAH’S ARK
Noah’s ark was restarted in September 2024 (with a slightly different format) The play and stay group for pre school children is run on a Monday morning 9.30-11.30 by a wonderful group of volunteers from our congregation, term time only.
During last summer a group of us brought all the toys out from the shed and sorted and cleaned them so each Monday a selection of toys and play items are arranged around the OP with a craft activity layed out on tables. There is a snack and drinks provided for children and their carers and also story and singing time. Each week there are 3 volunteers on hand to help and play with the children and chat to the parents/grandparents and carers . I must say that our lives would be much harder without Wayne’s help, he does a lot of the setting up and clearing away. A huge thank you to all involved and helping us to reach out to families in our community,
Gill Siggs
THE GARDENING TEAM (St Mary’s churchyard volunteers)
There is little to add to the article that appeared in the April – May Parish Magazine, other than to say that the Christmas Tree is now planted, and we have a compost bin!
We hope that you all find that the Churchyard and surroundings, are now in relatively good order, which shows that we have a thriving and caring church community. This is down to the hard work and enthusiasm of the team, who certainly earn a pint at the Lamb afterwards! Naturally, if anyone wishes to join us please contact me
Eric Hylton
THURSDAY COFFEE MORNINGS
This provides not only a service to our church family but also to the larger community, as it has done for the last 60-70 years. It was started by Eunice Bess to help fund the purchase of the barn.
A big Thank You to all who participate at the coffee morning and to all who serve and wait at tables together with the ladies on the bric-a-brac tables without whom the morning would lose some of its colour. Thanks also to Sarah Morley and Wayne Stepney for their invaluable help and kindness. The amount raised for the church during the year was just in excess of £2,000 including approx. £700 from the bric-a-brac tables.
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Abby Howden.
MOTHERS’ UNION
Firstly I would like to say that there is a warm and rewarding fellowship amongst our local branch of MU at St Mary’s.
The committee members, Treasurer and auditor have worked hard for the benefit of the branch, and we all work very well together. I think there are huge benefits in the branch being led by such a committed team. We have added Sue Long to this group and she has taken over Elaine Beynon’s role at the Cosy Book Club, to allow Elaine more time for her essential role of Safeguarding Officer for St Mary’s. You will also be aware that there are many members who although not on the committee, do invaluable jobs for the good of the branch members, including fund-raising, and I thank them one and all.
We certainly did well in 2024, disbursing £1250 to MU funds including the money for the Burundi Literacy project, led by a West Sussex MU member, Pam Brooks. She walked 90 miles along the coast to mark her 90[th] birthday. Pam and her husband had worked for many years teaching in Burundi, and had great affection for the people there. An amazing achievement, an amazing woman, and I was lucky enough to greet her at the AFIA caravan at Winchelsea Beach when she finished her long ramble!
We also gifted personally to our charity speakers, including the Foodbank, SANDS (Stillbirth and Neonatal Deaths), and Matthew 25 Mission; and to the local Refuge during the 16 days of activism against violence against women worldwide. This amounted to £360 in all.
We had four new members, Arianne Williams and Dorothy May, and Sue Long who rejoined us in April, and Mother Arwen who transferred to our branch in August.
But sadly we said goodbye to Val Varley who decided she could no longer be a member, and to Mary Sweetman, Elizabeth Rankin and Val Goss who all died towards the end of the year. All had given years of service to others during their lifetimes. I feel I must also mention Margaret Way who was a faithful and hard working member of the committee for many years, until she moved to be nearer family in Hythe when her health was declining, and she also died late in the year.
It is clear that the church is growing under the encouragement of Mother Arwen, and it is good to hope that we will have more young blood in the future. We used to have a younger MU group called Four Seasons, and do an evening meeting for them, as many were working or caring for young children. If necessary it would be wonderful to think on these lines again, and if this happens it will probably be necessary to expand the committee to cater for this group and get it going.
At this point I would like to say a big thank you to our Programme Secretary for another varied and interesting programme for 2024 and for this year. We had two home grown speakers, Janet Webber who repeated her interesting talk about the MU that she had given to Bernhard Baron Cottage Homes when she raised a lot of money, and also a talk on St Francis; and Dorothy May fascinated us with a talk on her working life at the BBC. Rev John Cleaver talked about Music
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hath Charm, we had speakers from the Food Bank and BBCH, and also from Angie Graff from SANDS. That was very moving, and a reminder of the invaluable work carried out by MU members in the special care baby unit at the Conquest.
We took members out to tea at Litlington on a beautiful afternoon, and some of us prepared cakes for the MU rest tent at the Ardingly show. And in August several of us went to the MS Day at Hellingly, a lovely event.
Tony Ward spoke on memories of his life with Sheila before and after her dementia, and his poems that reflect some of that, Chene updated us on Staying Safe online, and Julie told us of the work carried out at St Matthew mission. We finished the year with a party in December. What a lot we squeezed into the year!
We are part of Bexhill district of the MU, and there are a number of district events throughout the year where members meet those from other branches, and find out what they are doing. This can also seed additional ideas for our branch and vice versa.
It's easy to be despondent when you see the media coverage of world events! But there is a great deal of good out there, and in the name of our faith and through the vehicle of the MU we are able to share God’s love and reach around the world.
And so we look to the future, a new triennium, and a new World-wide President in Kathleen Snow from New Brunswick in Canada. Our new slogan is “Join us and join in, MU is changing lives”. We can’t do this without God’s help as we try to share his love in the world through our care for those around us. This is no new concept for us as Mothers’ Union; rather it has always been at the heart of our mission and outreach.
Anne Eastbury
SOCIAL COMMITTEE REPORT
We have had a busy and fulfilling year, helping at our Church Festivals, including Harvest, Christingle, and our Patronal, and of course, the induction of our new vicar, Mother Arwen, at the end of July.
In addition, St Mary’s has held various concerts, talks, quiz’s, not forgetting the Summer Fayre. It has been wonderful to see our local community and beyond, joining in the social life of St Mary’s. We have served many cups of teas and coffees, not forgetting the Cakes! We have a committed team who gladly give of their time, and this enables us to make our Parish a more welcoming and vibrant place, for all.
Thank you to everyone who makes the above possible.
Lyndsay Hylton
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