## **ANNUAL CHURCH MEETING APCM 2026**
**SUNDAY 22nd MARCH**
**Agenda**
## **Annual Parochial Church Meeting**
## **PART 1**
1. Apologies for absence.
2. Rector
## **PART 2 : THE ELECTION OF CHURCHWARDENS**
All who live in the parish or who are on the Church Electoral Roll are eligible to vote for Churchwardens.
3. To confirm Minutes of the meeting held on 6th April 2025
4. To elect two churchwardens.
## **PART 3 : ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING**
All who are on the Church Electoral Roll are eligible to vote for the PCC. In their report the Churchwardens have referred to the fabric of the church and any matters they wish to bring to your attention as they are formally required to do. Before you come to the meeting please read the reports below about different facets of our church life.
5. To confirm Minutes of the meeting held on 6th April 2025
6. Matters arising from last year’s meeting
7. To receive the reports
8. Finance
- i To thank the PCC Finance Advisory Committee for their overview and advice
- ii To receive the Treasurer’s presentation of the examined accounts
- iii To formally adopt the accounts
- iv To appoint an Independent Examiner
9. Elections to the PCC (conducted by the Churchwardens)
10. Election to Deanery Synod (conducted by the Churchwardens)
11. To receive the names of Sides-people (names to be read out by a Churchwarden)
12. Any other business
13. The date proposed for next year’s Annual Meeting is 14th March 2027.
2
## **Parochial Church Council**
Members of the PCC are elected for a three-year term of office. The two churchwardens are elected at the APCM annually. Deanery Synod members are elected every three years and are ex-officio members of the PCC. All PCC officers are elected at the first PCC meeting after the APCM.
The Rector is chair of the PCC. A deputy chair is elected at the first meeting after the APCM and is usually one of the Churchwardens. The Parish Administrator also plays a large part in the management of our church life, carrying out many of the requests and decisions of the PCC.
CREW undertake any work between PCC meetings, as directed by them and to maintain the diary, consider the work of the Pastoral Support Group and the operational activities of the church. CREW consists of the Rector, Wardens, Deputy Warden, a member of the PCC and the Administrator who clerks the meeting.
## Events April 2025 to March 2026
During the past year, the PCC has met on 7 occasions, including an Away Day. The following topics comprised the main business of the PCC meetings:
- 150th Anniversary in 2026
- The work of the Mission Enabler
- Projects including signage, lighting, eco projects funded by grants, remodelling for mission and welcome
- Finances, including our property portfolio
- St Nicolas’ Infant School including its joining a Multi Academy Trust
- Safeguarding, particularly training
- Review of PCC policies and regular update of Electoral Roll.
- Regular updates from Deanery Synod.
- Support of projects and good causes.
## **Rector’s report**
Another year passes and my thanks as ever go to our Wardens, Director of Music, Mission Enabler and the invisible army of volunteers that keep this place the wonderful place it is. Chief among the Noble Army is Cath, our Parish Administrator: keeper of keys, organiser of diaries, provider of all manner of things and most impressively, at everything from cooking 100+ sausages for Messy Church to setting up drinks to raise money for open morning, evening lectures and everything in between. We owe Cath far more than we pay her and I thank God for her ministry amongst us. Another of our brothers also needs a particular mention, namely Donald our Head Server. At church long before most and tidying away long after most are at the bar for their coffee or sherry after Mass, Donald's faith and dedication are a blessing not only to me and the serving team but to you, too - his, like all good servers, is the invisible working out of the kingdom. Thank you.
My Wardens continue to offer sacrificially of their time, also - their wisdom and counsel are invaluable and their love for our church undaunted by the demands made upon us. Nicky continues to do all that I had envisioned in a Mission Enabler and after a Sabbatical is now going to be working 50% of her time here rather than the 25% allocation which was truly never really the case! Imaginative, positive and a delight to share the ministry of children and young people with, we are blessed to have her ministry here.
My thanks as ever go to our Safeguarding team, Jill and Jo. This important work ensures we are safe to open and serve our neighbours. Safeguarding is not a policy which simply needs to be fulfilled but runs through the heart of what we are and do since our first duty is to care for and love one another. Developments in requirements and constant vigilance mean that the right people are essential to fulfill these ministries. I am so grateful that we have two experienced and informed PSOs and I wish to record my thanks for all their work.
Our decision to continue broadcasting our services on social media has proved very successful and continues to attract a good number of views - some long standing and some visitors. This is a bit of a shop window on the church for those who might try us out virtually before they take the huge step over the threshold. My thanks, then,
3
go to Lloyd, Darrol and Andy who enable this week in week out. And here I must make particular mention to Andy. It is Andy who quietly gets on with things more often than not - it is he who ensures there is a coffee shop up and running on a Friday, Lent lunches, the filming of live services and the work that goes into prepping for Monday's Cafe Zero. Andy is one of the true branches of this church that ensure that the church is a welcoming, hospitable place and seen as a welcome harbour in a stormy world. We owe him a huge debt of gratitude for hours of work not least in supporting and enabling Cath.
Of course this year we have also keenly felt loss: Bishop Andrew's death in March was too quickly upon us and the depth and breadth of his loss continues to affect me. After only five weeks from diagnosis to his death, there was little time for us to prepare. He has been a true Father in God to me and a true supporter of my ministry here. He was clear from the time of my appointment that I was to guard and grow the Catholic tradition of the Church and I know that he was delighted with what we have, together, achieved here. We now pray for the repose of his soul and pray, Rest eternal grant unto him O Lord and may light perpetual shine upon him. May he rest in peace and rise in glory.
Fr Ali has also left us, but in brighter circumstances, to be Rector of Merton St Mary in the Diocese of Southwark and Wayne, our URC Minister left for his new posting in Oxford.
This has meant that we are now all the more reliant upon David Greenwood and Jana Philips as Pastoral Assistants charged with home communions and pastoral visiting. Of course, we have also welcomed Craig as our LLM. LLM ministry is important - it sits in a space between the congregation and the priesthood with the authority of the church to preach and teach and take occasional offices like funerals as well as sharing in the pastoral work of the parish. Craig brings with him a Benedictine spirituality which he shares with the Rector and experience as a licensed lay minister elsewhere in the diocese and he will be taking on leadership of the men's group, Beer and Banter.
Opening up our church hall on a Monday to distribute food collected by us on a Sunday afternoon has been a tremendous success. We are now a hub in this part of town. I am so grateful to Jon and Jill who lead a team of distributors and principally to Caroline, Mary, Andy, Cath, Jo and Darrol who join me on a Sunday to collect good food from Sainsburys, Tesco, Gail’s and Lidl which would otherwise be thrown into the bin and all within use by dates. We would welcome help on Sundays to collect and on Mondays to distribute. This is vital outreach and stands centrally to my understanding of the ministry of the Church of England existing for the benefit of her non-members.
My thanks to Jana and also more recently to Jon Hebditch who produce a very fine Parish Newsletter. This is a wonderful production and takes a great amount of time. It is as much a window on our ministry as is the website and my thanks must also go to Charles who has agreed to take on responsibility for the website and facebook.
Of course 2026 has also seen the beginning of our year long 150th Anniversary of the Third Church celebrations. I am grateful to Jonathan Neil-Smith's help in coordinating this adventure with me - his ideas and his love for St Nicolas are a real blessing. Our own Catherine Ferguson has taught us so much about our heritage and how this shapes our present and future.
If you haven't yet made your way to any of the events on offer, do!
One important part of the year - any year - is our annual pilgrimage to Walsingham: a thin place: a place where the veil between our mortal realm and the eternal is somewhat thinner and I regret that we were not able to take Bishop Andrew along after he expressed his desire to join us this year.
Our other pilgrimage this past year was, of course, to Rome. This happy band of pilgrims enjoyed the sites, of course, but most of all, the fellowship at meal times and the sense of a shared adventure. It was a privilege to plan and lead it and for the hours it took to prepare, the depth of engagement, enjoyment, fulfilment and spiritual capital was a very fair return!
4
There has been a little improvement in financial giving to the church over the year but not nearly as much as we need to continue the work we are undertaking. There is no way around things, really, we need to give more. One parish I know has asked itself a hard question: are we giving sacrificially? For example, what holiday could I do without this year and give that money to the church? What am I planning on leaving to the church in my Will that I could give before I die and see the benefit of my bequest? These are hard hitting questions from beyond our tradition, but the numbers are quite stark. Without the expertise of our Finance Committee we would be in trouble. And so, another thank you from me: our Finance Committee are quite remarkable in the time they give and the expertise they share and we owe a debt of gratitude to Iain Ferguson, David Coom, Patrick and Lloyd. Patrick and Lloyd have begun the process of hand over from the former to the latter as Treasurer. I remain indebted to Patrick for his years of calm and experienced work with his head for figures and to Lloyd who has impressively agreed to take the reins in the next few months.
Finally, a thank you from me for all that you do: your prayers, your giving, your time, your willingness to engage in growing deeper in your faith - from offering to be our new Sacristan (Alister) to coming to Stations of the Cross in Lent, to Friday Masses, to serving, making coffee, and just showing up as I said in my Lent sermons - these are all gifted to God and I thank you for your companionship in the Gospel and witnessing to the love of God in this place - may His kingdom come.
As you read this report if you are prompted in any way to offer your time and talents and money to support the work and ministry of this place then first pray, secondly listen to God’s word and thirdly, act - what does our Lord require of you?
Fr Neil
## **Churchwardens’ report**
## **Fabric report**
|**Churchwardens’ report**
**Fabric report**|**Churchwardens’ report**
**Fabric report**|
|---|---|
|JANUARY
Parish Centre atrium floor deep cleaned||
|Wifi installed in Parish Centre hall||
|Replacement valve fitted to underfloor heating in Parish Centre & Loseley Chapel||
|FEBRUARY
New PCB unit fitted to the kitchen water boiler||
|Windows cleaned in Parish Centre||
|MARCH
PAT Testing carried out||
|Adjustments made to digital organ||
|APRIL
Areas of floor in the atrium and hall lifted and relaid||
|Church piano tuned||
|JUNE
Insulating wrap fitted to hall windows||
|Shade blinds fitted to atrium glass roof||
||Hall piano tuned|
||Windows cleaned in Parish Centre - outside only|
|JULY
Replacement of church lights with LEDs||
|Replacement of hall, office, disabled toilet and WTJ Room lights with LEDs and motion||
||sensitive light fitted to WTJ Room|
|Installation of infrared lights in hall ceiling||
|AUGUST
Tiled and wooden floors deep cleaned in church||
|SEPTEMBER
Double socket fitted in WTJ Room||
|OCTOBER
Church and Centre boilers serviced||
|Electricity supply disconnected to external east end noticeboard||
||Hall piano tuned|
||CCTV cameras installed|
|NOVEMBER
Heatmiser controls fitted to Church and Centre heating||
|Church piano tuned||
|Heatmiser control wifi boosters fitted||
5
DECEMBER Fire extinguishers & blankets serviced
In 2025 we concentrated on money saving, environmentally beneficial projects. At the beginning of the year Peter Oldroyd and Cath Anderson applied to the Surrey County council for a grant that SCC councillor, Angela Goodwin, had made available for consideration out of her allocated funds in the Your Fund Surrey small community projects fund. We were granted a sum of just under £35000 to make improvements to our facilities and reduce our carbon footprint. This grant covered the cost of the following items:
- Reflective film on the windows of the Parish Centre. This film reflects the heat from the sunlight in the summer, when the hall can get very hot and helps to reduce the loss of heat in the winter, when the hall is very difficult to heat.
- New infra red heaters in the hall. These heaters are cost effective heaters that make bodies feel warmer without heating the air in the room. They can be used for as little as 15 minutes or up to 2 hours and work within minutes of being switched on. This is a more efficient low energy method of providing warmth in this difficult to manage room.
- Heat absorbent sails in the Atrium corridor. These sails prevent the temperature from getting unbearably hot during the summer months and anytime that the sun beats down on the glass in the Atrium. They look good and have been very effective in balancing the temperature again reducing our bills and carbon footprint.
- Upgrading the majority of the lighting within the Church estate to LED lighting. The lighting in the church was mainly halogen lamps and traditional fluorescent tubes. A number of the units had begun to reach the end of life and needed to be replaced. Obtaining the grant enabled us to complete what we started last year in the church and extend the use of LED to all the areas in the parish centre also. This is a major step forward for us and will save us a significant amount of money over a full year. LED lights use less than a third of the energy of traditional lighting and to have been able to do this with this grant is of huge benefit to the church.
Our thanks go to Angela Goodwin for her support with the grant and to Cath and Peter for completing the application and making the case for St Nicolas to benefit in this way.
Another grant we received was from the Church of England Decarbonisation Grant Fund. This time for £3000 to enable us to upgrade our heating controls both in the church and the Parish Centre. This means that we are able to control remotely the times the estate is heated, using far more intuitive settings appropriate for our use. There is also a “smart” element that learns the patterns and preheats more precisely than we have been able to achieve in the past. This benefit has again contributed to reducing our carbon footprint.
The PCC decided, after an incident with some youths disrupting an event in the hall one Saturday afternoon, that it was time that we installed some CCTV cameras. These were installed in October and cover the Millbrook side of the hall and the main entrance to the Centre.
At the end of March last year we said goodbye to Frances Farmer, our cleaner for 9 years. She started by helping out with the Parish Centre cleaning, then took on more when Jean Hutley retired. Frances preferred an early shift and would often be on the premises in the early hours of the morning. We were sad to see her leave but thank her for her many years of hard work and wish her well in her retirement.
As the office has become more in demand with both Nicky and Fr Neil needing to use the space more, we looked at the use of space and determined that by a bit of shifting around and swapping out Cath’s large corner desk for two rectangular ones we have been able to make better use of the space. This has significantly improved the efficiency of the admin centre of the church.
During the course of the year work has been going on to redesign and update and improve the signage around the church. We are indebted to Rupert Phillips for this work in conjunction with Giddens, a local signage specialist and barely 250m from the church. We are now waiting for the faculty to be signed off before applying for Express
6
Planning permission for one of the signs. So during the course of the next few months you will see the new signs being completed, appropriately during our 150th year.
As Churchwardens we rely heavily on other people to help out in all sorts of ways, Phil Thomas and Peter Oldroyd, for the additional responsibilities they take on when I am absent, Andy Anderson and Lloyd Dunkley for the streaming, which continues to be appreciated by people far and wide. Lastly but by no means least Cath Anderson continues to manage the many administrative aspects of the church with great efficiency and with such good and patient humour.
To everyone that plays a part in the day to day running of the church, thank you.
Darrol Radley and Hilary Fletcher
## **Mission Enabler Report**
## **Junior Church**
Our children’s group that runs alongside the 10am service changed quite a lot during 2025. We have seen the arrival of more children who are under 4 which has been both a blessing and a challenge as we try to navigate how to structure this group to be challenging for our older members, but still inclusive for our youngest ones. Another change saw our Mission Enabler move to working every Sunday at St Nics (previously alternating Sunday mornings with GURC) which has made navigating this challenge easier. We are now beginning to change the structure slightly so that all the children, regardless of age, have the freedom to take part in what works for them.
## **Toastie Tuesdays**
Toasties Tuesdays is our juniors school age youth group for school years 3-6. The children come and play all sorts of games, such as board games, computer games, parachute games and even hide and seek! We also have table tennis, table football and a craft table. The tuck shop is very popular and the church always smells like delicious toasties afterwards! We now have around 35 children on the register and have had to start limiting numbers due to the restrictions of adult to child ratios and this has been made harder still by the loss of some of our wonderful
team. We would like to thank Fr Alistair, Jo, Pauline, and Jana who have done an amazing job of creating this safe space for the children and welcoming them into our church. This group is a great way for children to relax in a safe space, gain a little independence and grow in confidence, make new friends and explore our beautiful church.
## **Cafe Play**
Our Wednesday morning baby and toddler group regularly entertains around 12-15 children and their grownups each week. The children enjoy a good selection of toys, healthy snacks during story time and singing to finish, whilst parents/carers are able to relax, catch up and enjoy the refreshments. We have a lovely team of volunteers who help support this group, a particular thanks to Taliyah, Vita, Laura and Jana who do an amazing job at Cafe Play. I often receive positive feedback from parents about how welcoming and friendly this group is and there is a wonderful, supportive community of parents who attend.
## **Messy Church**
Messy Church continues to be a joint event between St Nics and GURC (Guildford United Reformed Church), alternating between the 2 churches. The numbers of attendees have continued to increase and we regularly see between 60 - 100 adults and children in attendance each month. I would like to thank our Messy Church team, which is made up of volunteers from St Nics and GURC, especially Pauline, Jo and from St Nics. In 2026 I am hoping to make our Messy Church sessions a more intergenerational space for worship and to keep the church open for longer. It would be great to show a taste of what St Nics looks like in these worship sessions, but this needs people who attend St Nics to support it.
7
## **Holiday Club**
The annual summer holiday at the end of July, held at GURC, saw over 80 children in attendance. The event was fully booked early on and we could have taken on more if we had the resources to do so. The theme for 2025 was Rock Band, and we had great fun comparing being part of a band and finding our gifts with thinking about the Body of Christ and how we can serve. Holiday Club requires an enormous team of volunteers and we are so grateful to all of them for their hard work and enthusiasm to make this event work. We have lost several of our key team leaders this year as they have moved away, or find themselves busy, so if you feel you could support Holiday Club in some way, please get in touch with Nicky Geraghty, our Mission Enabler.
## **Pizzas@8**
Our youth group for young people aged 11-17, meets monthly at GURC. The group has grown to 15 young people attending each month. The young people have been a great support at events like Holiday Club and Messy Church and have enjoyed outings like crazy golf and our annual Nerf party.
## **Christmas**
At Christmas, like last year, our Christmas Eve Christingle services were packed and we enjoyed a joint service at St Nics with GURC, many children dressed up to help tell the story of the nativity. Due to popular demand we made an annual event of the joint travelling nativity service from GURC to St Nics with a real donkey and actors. We saw around 100 people attend and this year we were joined by the Salvation Army Band which definitely helped with the singing! Thank you so much to everyone who got involved, we had wonderful feedback.
## **Fizz and Friends**
This group is for any women over the age of 18 to come and socialise and build a supportive network. We have different activities at each meeting in the church, ranging from a games night to cross stitch and wreath making. We welcome a mix of St Nics congregation and those who attend our groups like Café Play and Messy Church and parents from our school. Due to popularity we are increasing the frequency to once a month instead of once a half term and we thank Naomi, Cath and Jill for making this possible.
Nicky Geraghty
## **Music**
Sacred music, bridging heaven and earth, provides us with both a glimpse of God’s glory, and a means to offer God our thanksgiving, praise, and prayers. We are extremely fortunate to have a strong choral tradition at St Nic’s. On most Sundays and Holy Days during school term time our choir leads the musical parts of our services, offering to God a varied panorama of select, appropriate music, from plainsong and Tudor settings to outstanding 20th and 21st century compositions. With their specialist musical skills and experience the choir enriches our worship with a motet or anthem and twice a month more complex mass or canticle settings. Supported by the organ the choir leads the congregation in singing the hymns and service music
Darrol Radley, Philip Thomas, and Johanna and Alasdair Terkatz-Cameron, all from the congregation, have sung with the choir as their personal schedules have permitted. At the core of our choir are the Foundation Singers, who offer their talents, in part on behalf of the entire congregation. Alison Underhay Ward, Ruth Vanni, Sarah Marsh, Kate Lowe, Paula Juden, Stephen Petch, Daniel Mahoney, George Haymes, Nick MacMahon, and Chris Pearce are professional voices in the Foundation Singers, giving a strong and polished nucleus. Unfortunately, because of rehearsal timings before and after the services the Foundation seldom gets to interact socially with the rest of the St Nic’s community at coffee hour. With their very full diaries the Foundation are not all available for every service. We also have a number of people who occasionally deputise, coming from other choral groups in the area. We are grateful for the way they use their talents and appreciate their loyalty, dedication, and hard work.
8
Especially memorable this year were the Easter Triduum, Corpus Christi, the confirmation service for St Nicolas Day, the Advent and Christmas season services, and various Red Letter days, often when strings, brass or woodwinds added additional richness.
## Rick Erickson
## **Stewardship**
2025 was a year when we hoped for a reasonable increase in our parish giving via the 3 of the methods available. We had a drive during the last half of the previous year to increase our giving by more than just the cost of living, and although it has borne some results, they are less than we hoped for. Of course, the economic situation of the country, with everything increasing rapidly in price and constrained budgets for nearly everyone, has not helped. We also recognise that the demographic of our church tends strongly towards the retired sector, where incomes are pretty static and under strain. We do have some new people in the congregation of a younger age group, and we hope their giving will help our finances.
In case you didn’t already know it, there are 4 methods of giving. These are:
- Parish Giving Scheme
- Direct donations to the bank account
- Envelopes every week
- Via the card reader at the back of the church
**The Parish Giving Scheme** It is difficult to explain the change in our income following our drive for an increase in giving, because many, not all, already instruct the scheme to increase their donations in line with the increase in the cost of living every year. Also some of those who have already increased by this method, have then added another amount to their donations. And then some keep their giving static every year, so a combination of the elements makes it almost impossible to track how much additional income was due to our appeal.
**Direct donations** to the bank remain static.
**Envelopes** show a quite good increase in donations in percentage terms, showing an increase of 39%.
**Via Card Reader** . This goes directly into the bank account, and it tends to benefit us from the occasional visitor. Some of our congregation are regular givers by this scheme, but they are very few. We have little influence on this method of giving, apart from the positioning of the reader, and hope it influences those passing by to use it.
If only we could replicate the percentage increase in the Envelope giving in the other schemes. That would put us in a position to be able to pay nearly the entire Parish Share to the Diocese. Nevertheless, our total income from the first 3 items in 2025 was £61174.12, which is a healthy amount and represents an increase of about 9% over 2024.
Once again, as I did in last year’s report, I must draw your attention to the fact that our contribution per head in St Nicolas is about half the per head donation on average across the whole Diocese. If anyone has any bright ideas on how we can increase our giving by nearly 100% to be in line with the average, we would be delighted to hear from you.
If you have not already done so and you pay tax to HMG, please do fill out a Gift Aid form, available from the office and give it to one of the team. Gift aid gives us 25% extra on your donation, paid by Inland Revenue.
I do thank all of you who contribute so generously.
Philip Thomas, Planned Giving Officer
## **Safeguarding**
Jo Radley and Jill Sandham have continued in their shared roles as Parish Safeguarding Officers (PSOs) throughout the year and to the present, working collaboratively in safeguarding children and adults in the parish. Jo has past experience in teaching children with special needs, and for many years as PSO at St Nic’s; Jill is a social worker, with past experience as a Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser for adults and children, and developing Church of England policies, guidance and training. Cath Anderson as Parish Administrator manages applications for Disclosure and
9
Barring Service (DBS) disclosures and training records as required.
We have continued to respond promptly to concerns and allegations of abuse raised, following Church of England, Diocesan and Parish policies and guidance, and with the advice and support of the Diocesan Safeguarding Team. This year there have been five concerns raised; in every case procedures have been followed and where required we have consulted with the Diocesan Safeguarding Team, followed their advice, assessed risks, recorded incidents and supported victims.
A number of our volunteers were affected by the data breach of the DBS platform used by the Diocese. The Diocese has changed its platform, and those affected were supported and advised on what action they should take to avoid misuse of their personal data.
We use the Parish Dashboard to monitor and review our adherence to policies, procedures and practices, including policy review, activity risk assessments, safer recruitment and training. All sections are either up to date or work in progress. We are in the process of updating all volunteer role descriptions and working agreements, and implementing fully Safer Recruitment as required by Church of England Guidelines.
The PSOs report to each PCC meeting; both are currently members of the PCC. The Safeguarding Team comprising the Rector, both Churchwardens and both PSOs meets quarterly to ensure good communication and commitment to safeguarding and clarification of boundaries of confidentiality in all we do.
We record referrals with a standardised referral form stored with all other safeguarding information in a secure platform, with access limited to the two PSOs and the Rector. Both PSOs have St Nic’s email addresses; safeguardingteam@saintnics.com reaches both of them simultaneously.
Safeguarding is promoted as fundamental to our faith, and part of pastoral care for one another, through a notice board in the Narthex and a paragraph in each Pews News. On 22nd June we celebrated Safeguarding Sunday, promoting safeguarding positively and as everyone’s responsibility, with an address which spoke of what this means in practice, particularly with reference to vulnerable adults. On 28th June Jill, as part of the PCC Awayday, led training for PCC members and leaders which focused particularly on vulnerable adults and how that related specifically to St Nicolas’ congregation and groups. This stood alongside the Diocesan safeguarding training which all church officers are required to do.
Jill is a member of the Pastoral Support Group, to ensure attention to safeguarding in pastoral visiting.
We continue to work towards a safe and healthy culture through making safeguarding everyone’s responsibility in how we care for one another.
Jo Radley & Jill Sandham, Parish Safeguarding Officers
## **Deanery Synod**
Our parish representatives this year have been Donald Thompson and Jill Sandham, with one vacant position. Andrew Rustell and Philip Hooper also attend as Diocesan Synod members, and with Fr Neil as Area Dean, St Nicolas’ is well represented! Synod meetings are lively with good discussion and opportunity to raise concerns; there is collaboration between churches and a commitment to work together. Synod has met three times since the last APCM meeting, and its members report to the PCC after each meeting.
On 30th April we welcomed Bishop Peter Hancock, who gave an overview of the Caleb stream for ordination of those aged 55+. Each parish in the Deanery agreed to make an annual contribution from 2026 to cover costs of an Secretarial honorarium to improve efficiency and communication, and a small pot for speakers, events and response to specific needs of parishes which may need assistance.
Following through on two motions raised by Synod in January, in May the Area Dean, Lay Chair and Deanery Secretary met with Kate Darwent, Head of Operations and Governance and Jackie Broadfoot who was then Diocesan Safeguarding Officer regarding information flow of urgent safeguarding information direct to Parish Safeguarding Officers; and GDPR information sharing to enable more fruitful communication within the Deanery; positive changes in practice have ensued.
10
On 10 th September we welcomed the relatively new Dean of Guildford Cathedral, Bob Cooper, who shared his vision for the Cathedral and its role in the life of the Deanery.
A Synod member submitted a paper about the Parish Share, which provoked a lively debate.
In response to this discussion, on 13th January Inigo Churchill, Director of Finance, gave a presentation on the Parish Share, and how it was calculated; he referred to the current Diocesan consultation, and members were encouraged to ensure their PCCs responded.
Jill Sandham on behalf of Synod representatives
## **Zero @ St Nics Community Fridge**
Earlier in 2025, Zero Carbon Guildford approached us to ask if we would consider running a Community Fridge for them in the town centre as they moved to premises further away in Walnut Tree Close. With the support of a grant from the Bishop of Guildford's Communities Fund to buy a freezer, we opened our doors for the first time on 21st July 2025.
Over the course of the year we have saved over 1800 kg of perfectly good food that otherwise would have been thrown away. 1800kg is roughly the equivalent of a fully laden touring caravan (or 3 polar bears)!
On Sunday evenings we collect from Tesco, Lidl, Sainsburys in the High Street and Gails. We also collect from Gails on Thursdays. The food is then brought back to the parish centre where it is weighed and sorted ready for distribution the following Monday morning.
Each Monday we are welcoming between 30 and 40 people and it is becoming a real community of fellowship.
This only works due to the efforts of volunteers and we are struggling with finding enough people, especially on Sunday afternoons.
If this important environmental and outreach initiative is something that you feel you could help with, please speak to Fr Neil, Cath or Jill.
## **St Nicolas’ Infant School**
It’s been a really positive and busy year in our school, with lots to celebrate and plenty to look forward to. As always, we are incredibly grateful for the church’s ongoing support. This relationship strengthens our vision and helps our children flourish spiritually, academically, and personally.
## **Staffing and School Life**
We were delighted to welcome new staff members to our team this year. We have two new teachers, Mrs McCabe in Reception and Miss Fuller in Year 1. Miss Ptak has joined us as a Learning Support Assistant and we have a new team in the office too, Mrs Capildeo and Mrs Barnes. They have quickly become part of our school family and are already contributing richly to classroom life and our wider provision.
Our children continue to thrive within our nurturing church school environment. We see our children flourishing every day—developing new skills, deepening their understanding, and living out our Christian values in the way they learn, play and care for one another.
## **Collective Worship, Pause Days and Christian Distinctiveness**
Our collective worship cycle continues to grow in richness, drawing on the World Church, retelling Bible stories in engaging ways, exploring our Christian vision and values, using Diocesan materials, and sharing ‘thoughts to make your heart sing’ that help children reflect and feel inspired. Our collective worships also help children to think about and understand what our values look like in everyday situations.
This year we've introduced values points—a meaningful way of recognising when children are living out our school vision. It’s been lovely to see how proud they are to earn them and see the values points collector filling up. Our School Council have been planning a special way to celebrate when it is full, and are very keen that this involves a fundraising element for charity.
11
Pause Days remain really special times in the school year, giving children time to reflect, create, and explore faith more deeply.
Our Harvest Pause focused on the theme of thankfulness as we harvested food the children had grown themselves. They were so proud to display this at our Harvest Service as we reflected on all the good things God gives us.
We have also marked Black History month with our Black History and Dignity Pause, learning about inspiring figures who were role models for our values.
Our Advent Pause Day explored the theme of 'joy to the world', and we learnt about how Christmas is celebrated in other countries. As part of this, we learnt about traditions in Uganda, where we support a school run by the Forgotten People's Project.
We look forward to our Easter Pause Day, as well as our Anti-Racism and Pentecost Pause Days later this year.
Our church services continue to be joyful occasions, with children growing in confidence as they lead prayers, readings, and singing. Our school community very much enjoyed celebrating Christmas at church, and we are looking forward to our Easter Service in a couple of weeks' time.
We were also delighted to welcome Bishop Paul for a very positive visit this year. Children, staff, and governors all thoroughly enjoyed the time spent with him, and his encouragement and warmth were greatly appreciated across our school community. We were very pleased that Bishop Paul recognised that "the Christian faith and associated values are familiar and form an important part of school culture".
## **Curriculum and EDI**
We’ve continued to strengthen our approach to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI). We are updating our resources, and ensuring that there are learning opportunities woven throughout our curriculum that help children understand themselves and others, and reflect the diverse world around them. This aligns strongly with our Christian commitment to unity, respect, and fairness.
Last year’s Ofsted success still gives us much to celebrate. It was a wonderful acknowledgment of the work staff put in and the nurturing environment we offer every day. The inspectors recognised that "pupils are supported to become active and responsible citizens from a young age" and that they "develop a strong understanding of the school’s values".
## **Enrichment: Trips, Visits and Experiences**
We’ve enjoyed a range of enriching experiences this year. The whole-school trip to the panto was a highlight and brought lots of excitement. We've also had ducklings in school over the last two weeks, offering children the ‑ opportunity to see the eggs hatch and the little ducklings grow. This is a much loved experience that brings joy to all the children.
We’re looking forward to KS1’s trip to Butser Ancient Farm, bringing their history learning to life, and to the mobile farm’s visit to Reception, which enhances their learning this half term.
## **Wellbeing, Environment, and Community**
Our staff have been putting lots of work into our school environment. Our EYFS team have transformed the Reception classroom and outdoor area, creating an inviting and purposeful learning environment for our children.
We are very excited to now have our newly installed playground equipment. This has added even more opportunities for active outdoor play across the school. Children have been using it enthusiastically, and it’s already supporting physical development and positive playtimes.
Our KS1 children have enjoyed the opportunity to take part in sporting events with other local schools this term, and have represented our school beautifully. They have been excellent role models for our values.
12
Our school choir has also been going out into the community this year, performing at care homes, at the URC, in Guildford town centre and at school events. Their singing has been a wonderful way to share joy and live out our vision beyond the school gates.
Our Green Team has been championing our eco school work, encouraging everyone to think more about recycling, energy use, and caring for the environment. They have even created some artwork with the litter they have collected.
We are also incredibly grateful for our PSA, whose ongoing support remains a huge strength of our school community. The school disco at church last half term was a real highlight for the children. Our new PSA team is already planning events like the Mothers' Day Breakfast to bring our community together.
We are thankful for the support of the church and we look forward to continuing to nurture a community where every child can experience life in all its fullness.
Dina Pandis, Head of School
## **Tuesday Group**
Tuesday Group has completed another year of meetings in the Parish Hall, following a varied programme of events and activities. These included visits from outside speakers, craft sessions, discussions, and games. Meetings have been generally well-attended, with new people joining the Group.
Tuesday Group’s tangible contributions to parish life this year included running the Plant Stall at the Summer Fayre, decorating the foyer to the Parish Centre at Christmas, making the decorations for a Christmas tree displayed at the URC Christmas Tree Festival, and taking responsibility for two of the plant containers in the courtyard.
Thanks are, as ever, due to Cath Anderson for supporting the Group, particularly through sending out communications such as the TG Newsletter.
Tuesday Group
13
Registered Charity number 1133971
## **Parish Church of St Nicolas Guildford**
## **Report and Accounts**
**31 December 2025**
## **Contents:**
||**Page**|
|---|---|
|Church information|1|
|Trustees' report|2|
|Treasurer's report|5|
|Independent Examiner's report|6|
|Statement of Financial Activities|7|
|Balance Sheet|8|
|Notes to the financial statements|9|
## _Parish Church of St Nicolas Guildford_ **Church Information**
## **Church address**
Parish Church of St Nicolas Guildford The Parish Office Bury Street Guildford GU2 4AW
The church is a charity registered with the Charity Commission. The full registered name is: THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST NICOLAS GUILDFORD
The registration number is: 1133971
## **Parochial Church Council**
PCC Secretary
## Catherine Anderson
The following were members of the PCC as at the start of the Annual Parochial Church Meeting held on 22 March 2026 (as anticipated as at the date of the PCC's report).
|Rev'd Neil Roberts||Incumbent|
|---|---|---|
|Darrol Radley
Hilary Fletcher||Church Wardens|
|Philip Hooper||Diocesan Synod|
|Andrew Rustell||Members|
|Philip Hooper|Jill Sandham|Deanery Synod|
|Andrew Rustell|Donald Thompson|Members|
|_Elected Members:_|||
|Catherine Anderson|Nicky Geraghty|Jo Radley|
|Caroline Coleman|David Greenwood|Steve Reeds|
|Lloyd Dunkley|Jonathan Neil-Smith|David Sharpin|
|Catherine Ferguson||Philip Thomas|
## _PCC Treasurer :_
Patrick Andrew
## **Bankers**
NatWest Bank plc CCLA Investment Management Limited 151 High Street The CBF Church of England Funds Guildford One Angel Lane GU1 3AH London EC4R 3AB
## **Independent Examiner**
Julian Ansell FCCA 19 Brooklyn Drive Emmer Green Reading RG4 8SR
1
_Parish Church of St Nicolas Guildford_ **The report of the Trustees (The PCC)**
The PCC present their annual report and accounts for the period ended 31 December 2025
## **Name, address and constitution**
The full name and address of the church is The Parish Church of St Nicolas Guildford, The Parish Office, Bury Street, Guildford GU2 4AW. The Parochial Church Council (PCC) is a body elected by those eligible to vote at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting. The PCC is registered with the Charity Commission. The PCC members are trustees of the charity and are therefore bound by the laws relating to the Charities Act 1993.
The PCC works with the Rector in promoting in the parish the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social, and ecumenical.
## **Organisation**
The PCC currently comprises 11 elected and 7 ex officio members.
As required by law, the PCC has delegated to nominated members the power to transact the business of the PCC between its meetings, subject to any directions given by the Council. CREW meets to undertake any work between PCC meetings as directed by them and to maintain the diary, consider the work of the Pastoral Support Group and the operational activities of the church. CREW consists of Rector, Curate, Occasional Preacher, Mission Enabler, Administrator, Wardens and Deputy Warden.
## **Review of the Year**
For an account of the aims and objectives of the church, for details of maintenance carried out on the fabric of the church, and for a record of the meetings held by the PCC during the year, please refer to the appropriate reports within this document,
## **Significant changes and developments and plans for the future**
The PCC intends to sell its three residential properties during the year 2026.
## **The electoral roll and church attendance**
At the start of the Annual Parochial Church Meeting on 22nd March 2026 there were 103 names on the roll; of these, 38 are resident within the parish and 65 are resident outside the parish.
The number of regular communicants averaged 79 per week.
## **Transactions and Financial position**
The financial accounts are set out on pages 7 to 18. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Church Accounting Regulations 2006 and in conjunction with the Statement of Recommended Practice for Accounting and Reporting by Charities issued by the Charity Commission for England and Wales in March 2005. The trustees consider that the financial performance by the charity during the year has been largely as expected.
The Statement of Financial Activities shows a shortfall of net incoming resources for the year of a revenue nature of £18,313, and net realised incoming resources of a capital nature of £Nil, making overall a net deicit of incoming resources of £18,313. The total reserves at the year-end stand at £1,837,808 of which £83,804 are restricted funds and £1,754,004 are unrestricted.
2
_Parish Church of St Nicolas Guildford_ **The report of the Trustees (The PCC)**
## **Specific changes in tangible assets**
The PCC continues to own three residential properties.
## **Availability and adequacy of assets of each of the funds**
The Board of Trustees is satisfied that the church's assets are available and adequate to fulfil its obligations.
## **Policies on reserves, investment policies and investment performance**
Surplus cash reserves are placed in interest earning accounts operated by the church's bankers. The PCC adopts a low risk policy in the management of its investments and seeks to maximise the income derived from them.
## **Effectiveness of fundraising policies**
The church relies for its income substantially on regular planned giving by members of the congregation. Steps are taken regularly to remind members of the benefits to the church of making such giving in a tax efficient manner. Income is also derived from property rentals and from other activities as detailed in the notes to the accounts.
## **The Church's grant making policies**
Special collections are held throughout the year and these, together with other amounts from the church's reserves, are gifted in furtherence of the church's charitable objectives. Details of these donations, totalling £6,870, are shown in note 7 to the accounts.
## **The major risks to which the church is exposed and reviews and systems to mitigate risks**
The PCC seeks to identify the major risks to which the church is exposed each financial year when preparing and updating its strategic plan, in particular those related to the operations and finances of the church. The PCC then reviews any major risks which have been identified, and establishes procedures to mitigate those risks. The PCC is satisfied with the procedures that are in place to mitigate such risks.
The church is open to the usual financial risks of any organisation, and the PCC has introduced controls to minimise these risks, such as two signatures being required for all payments from bank accounts. In addition, the accounts are regularly presented to members of the PCC and are open for members' inspection at any time.
The PCC has an established safeguarding policy and has a named children's and adults' safeguarding representative.
## **Legal Status**
The church is an unincorporated association that is recognised under the Charities Act 2011. As with many other PCCs within the Church of England, the PCC registered with the Charity Commission during 2010 and is now required to file accounts with the Commission. Copies of the accounts must also be made available to members of the public on request.
3
_Parish Church of St Nicolas Guildford_ **The report of the Trustees (The PCC)**
## **The members of the Board of Trustees of the Church, the PCC, during the year ended 31 December 2025 were:-**
|Rev'd Neil Roberts||Rev'd Alistair Milne|ret'd 8 Feb 2026|
|---|---|---|---|
|Catherine Anderson||Jonathan Neil-Smith||
|Caroline Coleman||Darrol Radley||
|Lloyd Dunkley||Jo Radley||
|Catherine Ferguson||Steve Reeds||
|Hilary Fletcher||Louise Rolfe|ret'd 6 April 2025|
|Wendy Gabriel|ret'd 6 April 2025|Andrew Rustell||
|Nicky Geraghty||Jill Sandham||
|David Greenwood||David Sharpin||
|Philip Hooper||Philip Thomas||
|John Hutchinson|ret'd 6 April 2025|Donald Thompson||
## **Responsibilities of the Trustees for the Accounts**
The Trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations.
The Trustees must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity, of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charity for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the Trustees are required to:
- select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently
- observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;
- make judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
- state whether applicable UK accounting standards have been followed, subject to any
- material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and
- prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate
- to presume that the charity will continue in business.
The Trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the charity’s transactions, disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the provisions of the Charity’s constitution. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
Insofar as each of the trustees of the charity at the date of approval of this report is aware, there is no relevant information needed by the charity’s independent examiner in connection with preparing the report of which the charity’s examiner is unaware. Each trustee has taken all of the steps that he/she should have taken as a trustee in order to make himself/herself aware of any relevant information and to establish that the charity’s independent examiner is aware of that information.
This Annual Report of the Trustees, prepared under the Charities Act 2011, was approved by the Board of Trustees on 24th Feb 2026
Catherine Anderson PCC Secretary 24-Feb-26
(Note that Electoral Roll numbers have been updated subsequent to the date of this report and show the position as at the current year's closing date for registration on the Roll, 7th March 2026.)
4
_Parish Church of St Nicolas Guildford_
## **Treasurer's Report**
Our basic financial performance in 2025 is summarised in the following table; this shows our continuing heavy reliance on the contribution received from the Dorothy Grover Trust. These figures summarise the first column in the main report, i.e. these exclude the restricted and the designated funds, and therefore reflect our core performance.
||||2025||2024|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||£||£|
||Free (i.e. unrestricted) income||171,815||169,714|
||including...Dorothy Grover Trust donation||42,000||42,000|
||||213,815||211,714|
|less|Total running costs|*|(232,415)||(248,298)|
||leaving||**(18,600)**||**(36,584)**|
|less|Donations made||(3,017)||(3,049)|
||Surplus / (Deficit) for|the year|**(21,617)**||**(39,633)**|
* (Church + Parish + Parish Centre + Parish Share)
The year's deficit of £21,617 was substantially within the originally budgeted figure of £38,000. The shortfall was funded by transfer from the Hope Baillie investment fund.
Income from Planned Giving clearly benefitted from the effects of the stewardship campaign that was carried out during late 2024; elsewhere there were instances of swings and roundabouts as against the budgetted expectations; however, these mainly netted themselves out. The property at 17 Chaucer Court was unoccupied during the last three months of the year, but despite this, and despite the lack of income from St Catherine's House (occupied by our curate and his family) we still brought in some £2,000 more than in the previous year, 2024.
Overall expenditure was within budget, again with swings and roundabouts against the originally budgeted amounts. We were successful in obtaining substantial grants for improvements to heating and lighting, in particular a grant of nearly £35,000 received from Surrey County Council which enabled us to make much needed improvements to the church lighting and the centre heating. These grants, and the related expense items, are reported as 'restricted' funds in the following pages.
Please see the following pages for the full report.
5
## **Parish Church of St Nicolas Guildford**
## **Independent Examiner’s Report For the period ended 31 December 2025**
## **Independent Examiner’s Report to the PCC of St Nicolas Guildford**
## **Respective responsibilities of the trustees and independent examiner**
The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity's trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 ("the Charities Act") and that an independent examination is needed. I am qualified to undertake the examination by being a qualified member of The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.
It is my responsibility to:
- **.** examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act.
- **.** to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act), and
- **.** to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
## **Basis of Independent Examiner's Report**
My examination was carried out in accordance with general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a 'true and fair' view and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
## **Independent Examiner’s Statement**
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention
- 1 which gives me reasonable cause to believe that, in any material respect, the requirements:
- . to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; and
- . to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Charities Act
have not been met; or
- 2 to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Julian Ansell FCCA Chartered Certified Accountant 19 Brooklyn Drive Emmer Green Reading RG4 8SR
22 March 2026
6
## _Parish Church of St Nicolas Guildford_
## **Statement of Financial Activities for the year to 31st December 2025**
||**Note**|**Note**|**2025**|**2025**|**2025**|**2025**|**2024**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||**Unrestricted Funds**||**Restricted**|**Total**|**Total**|
||||**General**|**Designated**|**Funds**|||
||||**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|
|_Incoming Resources_||||||||
|Given by the Congregation|2,7||71,478||3,853|75,331|73,970|
|Donations and Bequests|3||47,060||40,439|87,499|98,579|
|Investments etc. Income|||36,905||3,162|40,067|53,925|
|Other Income|||58,372||940|59,312|54,209|
|**_Total Incoming Resources_**|**2**||**213,815**|**-**|**48,394**|**262,209**|**280,683**|
|_Resources Expended_||||||||
|Church Expenses|4||68,565||41,237|109,802|167,415|
|Parish Expenses|5||56,563|||56,563|59,115|
|Parish Centre Expenses|6||17,287|||17,287|19,669|
|Parish Share|||90,000|||90,000|84,000|
|Donations Made|7||3,017||3,853|6,870|14,437|
|**_Total Resources Expended_**|||**235,432**|**-**|**45,090**|**280,522**|**344,636**|
|**_Net Incoming Resources for the Year_**|||**(21,617)**|**-**|**3,304**|**(18,313)**|**(63,953)**|
|Gains/(losses) on Investments|8,9|||(7,866)||(7,866)|5,097|
|Realised Profit/(Loss) on Sales||||(1,032)||(1,032)|2,142|
|Revaluation gains/(losses) on Properties||||||0|(50,000)|
|Funds as at 1 January 2025|||31,557|1,752,786|80,676|1,865,019|1,971,733|
|Transfers between Funds|||30,176|(30,000)|(176)|0||
|**_Funds as at 31 December 2025_**|||**40,116**|**1,713,888**|**83,804 **|**1,837,808**|**1,865,019**|
|_Allocation to Funds of_||||||||
|_Net Incoming Resources_|8|||||||
|General|||(21,617)|||(21,617)||
|Anniversary|||||141|141||
|Maintenance|||||1,756|1,756||
|Piano|||||(1,506)|(1,506)||
|Flowers Fund|||||75|75||
|Hazelden Fund|||||3,162|3,162||
|Tuesday Group|||||30|30||
|Bellringers' Fund|||||(354)|(354)||
||||(21,617)|**-**|3,304|(18,313)||
|_Transfers Between Funds_|8|||||||
|General|||30,176|||||
|Café Play|||||(176)|||
|Hope Baillie||||(30,000)||||
||||30,176|(30,000)|(176)|-||
7
_Parish Church of St Nicolas Guildford_
## **Balance Sheet at 31 December 2025**
|**Note**|**2025**|**2024**
£
900,000
250,000
375,000
1,525,000
227,786
227,786
11,995
(6,995)
5,000
1,757,786
5,125
0
80,245
27,415
112,785
(5,552)
107,233
**1,865,019**
£
31,557
227,786
900,000
250,000
375,000
1,752,786
1,438
3,012
1,633
68,895
281
176
5,241
80,676
**1,865,019**|
|---|---|---|
|**Tangible Assets - investment properties**|£||
|St Catherine's House
1
17 Chaucer Court
1
209 Stoughton Road
1
**Tangible Assets - unlisted investments**
CCLA Investment Fund
9|900,000
250,000
375,000
1,525,000
188,888
188,888
11,995
(9,495)
2,500
1,716,388
9,129
1,738
90,423
23,608
124,898
(3,478)
121,420
**1,837,808**||
|**Tangible Assets - equipment**
Piano at cost
1
Less depreciation
**Total fixed assets**
**Current Assets**
Debtors and Prepayments
10
Anniversary Supplies
Central Board of Finance Deposits
Cash at Bank and on Hand
**Creditors: amounts falling due within one**
**year**
Sundry Creditors and Accrued Expenses
11
**Current assets less current liabilities**
**Net assets**
**Reserves**
8
_Unrestricted Funds_
General Fund
_Designated Funds_
Hope Baillie Fund
St Catherine's House Fund
17 Chaucer Court Fund
209 Stoughton Road Fund
_Restricted Funds_
Chancel Re-ordering
Anniversary Fund
Maintenance Fund
Piano
Flowers Fund
Hazelden Fund
Tuesday Group
Café Play
Bellringers Fund
**TOTAL RESERVES**|||
||£||
||40,116
188,888
900,000
250,000
375,000
1,713,888
1,438
141
1,756
1,506
1,708
72,057
311
0
4,887
83,804
**1,837,808**||
The notes on pages 9 - 18 form part of these financial statements.
Approved on 22nd March 2026 and signed on behalf of the PCC by:
Revd Neil Roberts
8
## _Parish Church of St Nicolas Guildford_
## **Notes forming part of the accounts for the period ended 31 December 2025**
## **1 ACCOUNTING POLICIES**
- _a)_ Basis of preparation
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP FRS 102 applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with FRS 102, the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland, the Companies Act 2006 and in accordance with the Church Accounting Reguations 2006 governing the individual accounts of PCCs and with the Regulations 'true and fair' view' provisions.
The Charity meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy note(s).
- b) Preparation of the accounts on a going concern basis
After making enquires, the Trustees have a reasonable expectation that the Charity has adequate resources to continue its activities for the foreseeable future. Accordingly, they continue to adopt the going concern basis in preparing the financial statements.
## **INCOME**
## **Recognition of income**
These are included in the Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA) when:
- The charity becomes entitled to the resource;
- it is more likely than not that the trustees will receive the resources; and
- the monetary value can be measured with sufficient reliability.
## _Donations_
These are generally included when received by the charity, since it is virtually impossible to be certain of the income before this point. Gift aid recoverable on donations received is included once this can be quantified with reasonable certainty.
## _Legacies_
These are included once the charity's legal right to the legacy has become clear and once the legacy can be quantified with reasonable accuracy.
## **EXPENDED RESOURCES**
## _Liabilities_
Liabilities are recognised where it is more likely than not that there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to pay out resources and the amount of the obligation can be measured with reasonable certainty.
Expended resources are, as far as is possible, included in the period to which they relate. All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and the majority is directly attributable to specific activities. Other indirect costs are apportioned to activities in accordance with staff activity and an assessment of where the resources have been applied.
All expenditure is classified under headings that aggregate all costs related to that category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to activities in accordance with staff activity or an assessment of where the resources have been applied.
9
## _Parish Church of St Nicolas Guildford_ **Notes forming part of the accounts for the period ended 31 December 2025**
## **1 ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Continued)**
## _Special Collections and Donations_
These include receipts from all collections held for a specific purpose:
home boxes and other specific donations including the 'monthly good causes' and the luncheon voucher scheme. All such income is reported as 'restricted fund income'. Details are shown in note 7. Distributions to the beneficiaries of the 'monthly good causes' may be enhanced by an allocation from the PCC's own funds, also shown in note 7, any such additional amount being assessed by the Council during the year.
## **FUNDS**
**The Funds held by the charity are:-**
- Unrestricted funds
These are funds which can be used in accordance with the charitable objects, at the discretion of the trustees.
- Designated funds
These are funds earmarked by the trustees for a particular purpose.
- Restrictred funds
These are income funds that must be spent on restricted purposes, as specified by the donor, and details of the funds held and restrictions provided are included in the notes to the accounts.
## **Tangible Assets**
## _Investment properties_
The investment properties owned by the church consist of one leasehold and two freehold properties, two of which have been let at market rates and one (St Catherine's House) has, until recently, been occupied by our former curate and his family. St Catherine's House and 17 Chaucer Court are now. unoccupied.
These properties were acquired as follows:
72 Wodeland Avenue, St Catherine's House, was acquired during 1994 at a cost of £160,000; 17 Chaucer Court was part of a bequest received in 2003;
209 Stoughton Road was purchased during 2010 at a cost of £237,500.
Updated independent valuations of the above properties were carried out by Romans Estate Valuers in January 2025 and these values are shown in the balance sheet on page 8, (the valuation of 17 Chaucer Court has been written down in light of the diminishing term of the lease).
Valuations of the properties are carried out every three years.
The buildings are maintained in a good state of repair and are therefore not depreciated in the accounts.
10
## _Parish Church of St Nicolas Guildford_
## **Notes forming part of the accounts for the period ended 31 December 2025**
## **1 ACCOUNTING POLICIES (continued)**
## **Tangible Assets (continued)**
## _Equipment_
## **Consecrated property and movable church furnishings**
Consecrated and beneficed property of any kind is excluded from the accounts by section 10(2) of the Charities Act 2011.
Movable church furnishings held by the Rector and Churchwardens on special trust for the PCC, and which require a faculty for disposal, are accounted for as inalienable property unless consecrated. They are listed in the church's Inventory which can be inspected (at any reasonable time). For inalienable property acquired prior to 2002 there is insufficient cost information available and therefore such assets are not valued in the accounts. Items acquired since 1 January 2002 are capitalised and depreciated in the accounts over their currently anticipated useful economic life (initially five years) on a straight line basis.
All expenditure incurred in the year on consecrated or beneficed buildings, on individual items of £2,000 or less, or on the repair of movable church furnishings acquired before 1 January 2002, is written off.
## **Other fixtures, fittings and office equipment**
Equipment used within the church premises is depreciated on a straight line basis over five years (previously four years).
Individual items of equipment with a purchase price of £2,000 or less are written off when the asset is acquired.
## **Piano**
A new grand piano was purchased in 2022 at a cost of £11,995; this purchase was funded by a mix of donations received from members of the congregation (augmented by a grant from Surrey County Council) and loans received, also from members of the congregation. The donations are reported as contributions to a restricted fund as shown in note 8. The loans are interest free. Repayment terms are as follows: The Borrower will repay the loan in annual installments related to the income from the use of the piano following certification by an independent examiner, appointed by the Borrower, of the amount available for distribution. Such annual repayments shall be calculated by reference to the annual income from events in which the piano is used less direct costs relating to those events and the cost of maintenance of the piano. A minimum of 50% of this net figure shall be applied as repayments pro-rata across all the loans provided by lenders for the same purpose then outstanding. The first such repayment calculation shall be made with reference to the accounting year ended 31st December 2023 and repayments made following the approval of financial statements for that year for St Nicolas, Guildford.
At any time while not in default under this Agreement, the Borrower may make lump sum payments or pay the outstanding balance then owing under this Agreement to the Lender without penalty. Should the Lender experience a change in circumstances, the Lender or their legal representative may apply to the Borrower for repayment of the Loan.
## _Cashflow statement_
The PCC has taken advantage of the exemption in Financial Reporting Standard No 1 from producing a cashflow statement on the grounds that it is a small charity.
11
_Parish Church of St Nicolas Guildford_ **Notes forming part of the accounts for the period ended 31 December 2025**
## **2 Incoming Resources**
||**2025**|**2025**|**2025**|**2025**|**2024**
**Total**
**£**
46,980
8,477
55,457
7,115
11,398
73,970
98,216
363
98,579
18,000
15,960
8,424
3,926
7,615
53,925
28,668
15,605
-
51
1,607
130
-
1,280
2902
1,042
2,924
54,209
**280,683**
**2024**
**£**
46,502
52,077
98,579|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**Unrestricte**|**d Funds**|**Restricted**|**Total**||
||**General**|**Designated**|**Funds**|||
||**£**
3,000
64,230
7,248
71,478
42,000
5,060
47,060
13,320
16,600
766
6,219
36,905
25,652
24,093
60
690
139
3,246
4,492
58,372
**213,815**
61,230|**£**
**£**
**-**
**-**
3,853
**-**
3,853
40,439
**-**
40,439
3,162
**-**
3,162
525
415
**-**
940
**-**
**48,394**
**2025**
**2025**
**£**
**£**
1,773
42,000
500
2,787
47,060
34,983.00 #
682.98 #
613.04 #
409.80 #
3,000.00 #
750.00 #
40,439
87,499||**£**
3,000
64,230
7,248
3,853
75,331
42,000
45,499
87,499
13,320
16,600
0
3,928
6,219
40,067
25,652
24,093
0
60
690
139
0
525
3,246
0
4,907
59,312
**262,209**
**2024**
**£**
1,920
42,000
2,582
4,216
52,000
311
(5,000)
450
100
61,230||
|_Planned Giving:_Donations
Income Tax Refunds||||||
|Income Tax Accrual
Open Collections
Special Collections
**Given by the Congregation**
Dorothy Grover Trust
Donations and Bequests
**Donations and Bequests**
17 Chaucer Court Rent
209 Stoughton Road Rent
St Catherine's House
Interest Received
Investment Income
**Investments etc. Income**
Given for use of Parish Centre
Given for use of Church
Sales of Church Chairs
Publications
Parochial Fees
Votive Candles
Coffee etc
Flowers
Traidcraft
Coffee etc sales
Summer fayre
Sundry Income
**Other Income**
**_Total Incoming Resources_**
**3 Donations and Bequests**
Cards for Good Causes
Dorothy Grover Trust
U3A choir
other donations received
_Restricted Donations:_
Dorothy Grover Trust, repositioning the altar
Dorothy Grover Trust, purchase of new organ
U3A concert, purchase of new organ
Refund donor re old organ
New Chasuble
Bequest
SCC
Benches
Anniversary Fund, gin
Anniversary Fund, calendars
Archbishop's Council
Bp Gfd Community Fund||||||
|||||||
12
_Parish Church of St Nicolas Guildford_ **Notes forming part of the accounts to 31 December 2025**
## **4 Church Expenses**
||||**2025**|**2025**|**2025**||**2025**|**2024**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||**Unrestricted Funds**||**Restricted**||**Total**|**Total**|
||||**General**|**Designated**|**Funds**||||
||**£**||**£**|**£**|**£**||**£**|**£**|
|Heating and Lighting|||6,536||||6,536|6,551|
|Insurance|||7,011||||7,011|6,505|
|Sanctuary Supplies|||3,203||||3,203|3,392|
|Music|||30,917||||30,917|28,761|
|Cleaning|||5,248||||5,248|5,955|
|Repairs and Maintenance|||7,619||35,922||43,541|93,111|
|Items of Equipment (see Note 13)|||703||||703|1,776|
|Curate housing rental|||||||0|12,390|
|Flowers||||||450|450|483|
|Anniversary Supplies|||||2,620||2,620|-|
|Depreciation|||994||1,506||2,500|2,500|
|Sundry||||||739|739|-|
|Miscellaneous|||3,367||||3,367|3,889|
|Independent Examiner / Payroll|||700||||700|700|
|Coffee expenses|||868||||868|556|
|Bank charges|||651||||651|568|
|New Accounting System|||748||||748|278|
||||**68,565**|**-**|**41,237**||**109,802**|**167,415**|
|**5 Parish Expenses**|||**2025**||**2025**||**2025**|**2024**|
||**£**||**£**|**£**|**£**||**£**|**£**|
|Office Administration|||8,700||||8,700|6,569|
|Parish Administrator|||16,873||||16,873|16,141|
|Clergy Expenses|||6,590||||6,590|5,205|
|Rectory & St Caths House|||5,644||||5,644|6,511|
|Children and Families' Worker|||7,020||||7,020|7,021|
|Young People|||2,950||||2,950|2,807|
|Magazine|||||||||
|Social Events|||181||||181|948|
|17 Chaucer Court|||||||||
|Maintenance & Council Tax|1,292||||||||
|Service Charge, Ground Rent etc|2,646||||||||
|Agent Fees etc|1,598||5,536||||5,536|7,183|
|St Catherine's House|||||||||
|Maintenance|||||||||
|Insurance|||||||||
|Agent Fees etc|||||||0|2,838|
|209 Stoughton Rd|||||||||
|Maintenance||702|||||||
|Insurance||375|||||||
|Agent Fees etc|1,992||3,069||||3,069|3,892|
||||**56,563**|**-**||**-**|**56,563**|**59,115**|
|**6 Parish Centre Expenses**|||**2025**||**2025**||**2025**|**2024**|
||||**£**|**£**|**£**||**£**|**£**|
|Heat, Light, Water|||2,579||||2,579|4,135|
|Insurance|||1,855||||1,855|1,711|
|Repairs and Maintenance|||3,011||||3,011|3,232|
|Cleaning etc.|||9,425||||9,425|9,910|
|Kitchen equipment|||417||||417|681|
||||**17,287**|**-**||**-**|**17,287**|**19,669**|
13
## _Parish Church of St Nicolas Guildford_ **Notes forming part of the accounts to 31 December 2025**
## **7 Special Collections and Donations Made**
|_Monthly Good Cause_|||_Collected_|_Paid_|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||||£|£|
|January|The Childrens' Society||29.00|29.00|
|February|Medecins Sans Frontieres||111.36|111.36|
|March
April|The Bishop of Gfd's Foundation||232.50|232.50|
|May|Zane||150.00|150.00|
|June|Mission to Seafarers||62.15|62.15|
|July
August|USPG||42.76|42.76|
|September|MacMillan Cancer Support||268.11|268.11|
|October|WaterAid||75.00|75.00|
|November|Lend With Care||136.30|136.30|
|December|The Children's Society||92.00|92.00|
|_Sub-Total_|||_1,199.18_|_1,199.18_|
|_Others:_|||||
|Confirmation Service
Lent Lunches|The Bishop of Gfd's Foundation||198.50
642.22|198.50
642.22|
|Sales of Produce|USPG||||
|Friday Lunches|USPG||640.80|640.80|
|Summer Fayre|||||
|Christingle|The Childrens' Society||580.34|580.34|
||St. Nicolas School|||3,000.00|
||St. Nicolas School, key|rings||17.27|
||Sundry||||
||Luncheon Vouchers|/ Guildford Action|541.55|541.55|
||Besom||50.00|50.00|
|bring and buy|||||
|i.m.o…|||||
|_Sub-Total_|||_2,653.41_|_5,670.68_|
|**_Total:_**|||**_3,852.59_**|**_6,869.86_**|
14
|_Parish Church of St Nicolas Guildford_
**Notes forming part of the accounts to 31 December 2025**
_Note_
**£**
**£**
**8 Movements in Reserves**
UNRESTRICTED FUNDS:
_General Fund_
Balance as at 1st January 2025
31,557
Transfer from Hope Baillie Fund
30,000
Transfer from Café Play fund
176
Surplus (Deficit) for the year
(21,617)
8,559
**40,116**
_Designated Funds:_
_Hope Baillie Fund_
Balance as at 1st January 2025
227,786
Transfer to General Fund
(30,000)
Gain/(Loss) on Revaluation
(8,898)
(38,898)
**188,888**
_St Catherine's House Fund_
Balance as at 1st January 2025
**900,000**|_17 Chaucer Court Fund_
Balance as at 1st January 2025
**250,000**
_209 Stoughton Road Fund_
Balance as at 1st January 2025
**375,000**|
|---|---|
## RESTRICTED FUNDS:
|_Anniversary Fund_
Add
Receipts, calendars
410
Add
Receipts, sales of gin and glasses
613
Less
Calendar costs
(280)
Less
Gin costs
(602)
**141**
_Maintenance Fund_
Add
SCC
34,983
Add
Benches
683
Add
Archbishop's Council
3,000
Add
Bp Gfd Comm Fund
750
Less
Lighting and Heating Improvements
(34,499)
Less
Benches costs
(619)
Less
Heating improvements
(1,947)
Less
Fridge/Freezer
(595)
**1,756**
_Flowers Fund_
Balance as at 1st January 2025
1,633
Add
Contributions Received
525
Less
Purchases
(450)
75
**1,708**
_Bellringers Fund_
Balance as at 1st January 2025
**5,241**
Add
Contributions received
385
Less
New ropes
(739)
(354)
**4,887 **|_Chancel Re-Ordering_
Balance as at 1st January 2025
**1,438**
_Piano_
Balance as at 1st January 2025
3,012
Less
Depreciation
(1,506)
**1,506**
_Hazelden Fund_
Balance as at 1st January 2025
68,895
Add
Interest earned
3,162
**72,057 **
_Tuesday Group_
Balance as at 1st January 2025
281
Add
Receipt
30
**311**
_Café Play_
Balance as at 1st January 2025
**176**
Less
Transfer to General Fund
(176)
**0**|
|---|---|
15
## _Parish Church of St Nicolas Guildford_ **Notes forming part of the accounts to 31 December 2025**
## **9 Investments**
Funds originating from the Hope Baillie Trust are invested in the CCLA Investment Fund (CCLA : Churches, Charities, and Local Authorities). This Fund, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, aims 'to provide their C of E clients with investment strategies designed to align with their purpose and values'.
|**10 Sundry Debtors and Prepayments**|**2025**||**2025**||**2024**||**2024**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**£**||**£**||**£**||**£**|
|_Prepayments_||||||||
|Insurance|3,855||||3,413|||
|RSCM|137||||137|||
|Water|544||4,536||403||3,953|
|_Sundry Debtors_||||||||
|Planned Giving Tax Accrual|3,000|||||||
|CBF interest accrual|906||||940|||
|Rent received late|||||132|||
|Bequest|||||100|||
|Sundry Debtors|687||4,593||||1,172|
||||**9,129**||||**5,125**|
|**11 Sundry Creditors and Accrued Expenses**|**2025**||**2025**||**2024**||**2024**|
||**£**||**£**||**£**||**£**|
|_Accrued Expenses_||||||||
|Donations|50||||41|||
|Electricity|386||||481|||
|Gas|830||||972|||
|Sundry Creditors|280||||320|||
|Repayments re piano loans|||||1,850|||
|Professional Charges|700||2,246||700||4,364|
|_Deferred Income_||||||||
|Rent received early|||1,232||||1,188|
||||**3,478**||||**5,552 **|
## **12 Related Trusts**
## _Dorothy Grover Trust_
This Trust, which is a separately registered charity, no. 276803, is established for the welfare of St Nicolas Church; the trustees are: Catherine Anderson, David Coom, Iain Ferguson. and Revd Neil Roberts..
|**13**|**Purchases of Equipment**|**2025**||**2024**|**2024**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||**£**||**£**||
||Projector|200||||
||Office desks|313||||
||Screens|125||||
||Sum-Up terminal|65||||
||Display boards and stand||||450|
||Vacuum cleaner||||179|
||Microphones|||1,024||
||Church signs||||62|
||Banner||||61|
|||703||1,776||
16
## _Parish Church of St Nicolas Guildford_ **Notes forming part of the accounts to 31 December 2025**
## **14 Employees and staff costs**
|The average number of employees during the year was 2.5 (2024 : 3).|**2025**||**2024**|
|---|---|---|---|
|The total cost of employing these (part-time) staff was:||||
||£||£|
|Salaries|33,046||36,620|
The charity employees work on a combination of charitable activities and administrative matters.
|**15**|**2025**||**2024**|
|---|---|---|---|
||£||£|
|Independent Examiner's Remuneration|450||450|
|**16 Music**|**2025**||**2024**|
||£||£|
|Director of Music, salary|14,441||13,823|
|Purchase / hire of music|663||626|
|RSCM membership fee|137||133|
|Organ maintenance, piano tuning|320||320|
|Foundation Choristers|14,108||12,995|
|Musicians|1,225||815|
|Sundry|23||49|
||30,917||28,761|
## **17 Related Party Transactions**
One member of the PCC was employed as a part time administrative assistant of the Church at a total annual salary cost of £16,871. No other members of the PCC nor any parties connected with them received any remuneration during the year.
Expenses amounting to £6,590 incurred by the Rector and the Curate in carrying out their pastoral duties were re-imbursed to them during the year. No other members of the PCC, nor any parties connected with them, were paid expenses during the year, other than reimbursement of payments made on behalf of the church.
The purchase of the new piano was part funded by loans received from members of the congregation; these included three current members of the PCC.
## **18 Anniversary Sales**
|||£||£||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Calendars||||||
|sales||||410|46 sold|
|calendars|purchases|(353)|||60 calendars|
|closing stock||73||(280)|14 on hand|
|||||130||
|Gin||||||
|Sales||||613|16 sold|
|Purchases||(2,267)|||60 bottles|
|closing stock||1,665||(602)|44 bottles on hand|
|||||11||
17
_Parish Church of St Nicolas Guildford_ **Notes forming part of the accounts to 31 December 2025**
## **19 Previous Year Statement of Financial Activities**
## **Statement of Financial Activities for the year to 31st December 2024**
||Note|2024|2024|2024||2024||2024||2023|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||Unrestricted Funds||||Restricted||Total||Total|
|||General||Designated||Funds|||||
|||£||£||£||£||£|
|_Incoming Resources_|||||||||||
|Given by the Congregation|2,7|62,572||||11,398||73,970||65,027|
|Donations and Bequests|3|46,502||||52,077||98,579||65,401|
|Investments etc. Income||50,361||||3,564||53,925||67,558|
|Other Income||52,279||||1,930||54,209||49,719|
|**Total Incoming Resources**|**2**|**211,714**||**0**||**68,969**||**280,683**||**247,705**|
|_Resources Expended_|||||||||||
|Church Expenses|4|85,514||||81,901||167,415||97,661|
|Parish Expenses|5|59,115||||||59,115||51,983|
|Community Centre Expenses|6|19,669||||||19,669||15,283|
|Parish Share||84,000||||||84,000||79,409|
|Donations Made|7|3,049||||11,388||14,437||7,477|
|**Total Resources Expended**||**251,347**||**0**||**93,289**||**344,636**||**251,813**|
|**Net Incoming Resources for the**|**Year**|**(39,633)**||**0**||**(24,320)**||**(63,953)**||**(4,108)**|
|_Gains/(losses) on Investments_|8,9|||5,097||||5,097||24,727|
|Realised Profit/(Loss) on Sales||||2,142||||2,142|||
|Revaluation gains/(losses) on Properties||||(50,000)||||(50,000)|||
|_Funds as at 1 January 2024_||18,075||1,862,547||91,111||1,971,733||1,951,114|
|Transfers between Funds||53,115||(67,000)||13,885||0|||
|**Funds as at 31 December 2024**||**31,557 **||**1,752,786**||**80,676**||**1,865,019**||**1,971,733**|
|Allocation to Funds of|||||||||||
|Net Incoming Resources|8||||||||||
|General||(39,633)||||||(39,633)|||
|Organ||||||(18,959)||(18,959)|||
|Chancel Reordering||||||(5,812)||(5,812)|||
|Piano||||||(1,506)||(1,506)|||
|Flowers Fund||||||797||797|||
|Hazelden Fund||||||500||500|||
|Café Play||||||40||40|||
|Tuesday Group||||||(30)||(30)|||
|Bellringers' Fund||(39,633)||0||650
(24,320)||650
(63,953)|||
|Transfers Between Funds|8||||||||||
|General||53,115|||||||||
|Organ||||||13,885|||||
|Hope Baillie||53,115||(67,000)
(67,000)||13,885||0|||
18
## **DRAFT MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING OF ST NICOLAS’ CHURCH HELD ON SUNDAY 6TH APRIL 2025 AT 11:45AM**
Fr Neil chaired the meeting and opened it with prayer. Members of the Electoral Roll attended in person and online.
## **Part 1**
- 1 Apologies for absence were received from Fr Alistair Milne, Pauline Oldroyd, Steve Reeds, Jean Taylor, John Varney, Julia Wake and Gill Williams.
- 2 The Rector welcomed attendees to the meeting.
He told the meeting that he had a debt of heartfelt and sincere thanks for people’s time and talents, their kindness, friendship, support, guidance and experience in all areas, eg safeguarding, finance, worship - through serving, music, the office, churchwardens etc.
He said that numbers are up in terms of regular communicants. Junior Church has variable attendance but the love and care the children are shown is not diminished. In addition, so much happens on days other than Sundays.
He told the meeting that the focus this year is consolidation.
## **Part 2 Election of Churchwardens**
- 3 Minutes of the meeting held on 17th March 2024 The minutes were confirmed unanimously as an accurate record.
4 Fr Neil reported that Darrol has stood as a candidate for churchwarden for a number of years. Last year the meeting voted to allow him to stand for another term. Having done so, there is no requirement to do so again but he proposed that we give consent again. The meeting agreed unanimously.
Election of Churchwardens: Hilary Fletcher was proposed by Jill Sandham and seconded by David Greenwood. Darrol Radley was proposed by Cath Anderson and seconded by Michael Pike. Both nominees had confirmed their willingness to stand. The meeting voted unanimously that they be appointed for the year ahead.
## **Part 3 Annual Parochial Church Meeting**
5 The minutes of the meeting held on 17th March 2024 were approved unanimously as a correct record. The minutes were signed by the Chair. 6 Matters Arising - none.
- 7 The reports in the booklet were formally received.
Fr Neil commented on the various reports. Much had been done to the fabric of the church. The Quinquennial Inspection had been carried out and a new Inspecting Architect appointed upon the retirement of Michael Staff.
He gave thanks for Nicky in her work as our Mission Enabler. He also highlighted music and the foundation and congregation choirs, thanking David Greenwood for his work with the latter.
In terms of Safeguarding, he said that people need to feel and know that they are safe and this shouldn’t be taken for granted. He commended Jo and Jill for their hours of work for which he is immeasurably grateful.
Deanery Synod gave huge opportunities for collaboration and cooperation. The number of clergy in the Church of England is dropping and fewer churches will have their own priest and we should be mindful of how we make our presence felt.
Plans for academisation continue at our school. The Executive Headteacher Stina is keen to be involved in School Sundays at church.
Tuesday Group does wonderful work providing fellowship in a safe space.
He commended the volunteers who keep the church open, which is so important, but said that we need more. It gives the opportunity for exciting conversations, eg we may have a future orchestra in residence, resulting from their founder calling in whilst the church was open.
Cathy Goodwin expressed her disappointment at the congregation choir not being mentioned in the reports. Fr Neil hoped that it would be a part of future reports.
Cathy also queried whether Fizz & Friends had a religious basis similar to Beer & Banter, also commenting that it was held too late in the day. Nicky said that the aim was to build a supportive community of women. Keeping it social enabled all types of people to attend and the timing was inclusive of those who couldn’t attend groups during the day.
Chris Goodwin asked about the role of the Executive Head of the school. Fr Neil explained that Stina is also Headteacher of St Andrew’s in Cobham, which is part of the trust that St Nicolas’ School is going into. St Nicolas cannot afford a full-time non-teaching Headteacher. He said that she is seen and known by parents, and the relationship is growing.
Ian MacPherson wished to thank those who stream the services, commenting that it is an important element of outreach and that the production is as good as any he has seen. Fr Neil said that many churches had discontinued this provision.
Philip Hooper informed the meeting that in October we had been awarded the Bronze Aware for Access by Guildford Borough Council and that he would like to work with the churchwardens to improve on this.
Andrew Rustell said that whilst we were one of the first churches to receive an Eco Church Award, we should be looking at working towards Silver and Gold.
8 Finance. i Fr Neil wished to thank the Finance Advisory Committee, saying that we are very fortunate to have such experience. ii Patrick spoke to the accounts.
Referring to the Statement of Financial Activities, he stated that the deficit of £39,633 (after a contribution from the Dorothy Grover Trust of £42,000, was as budgeted.
Income: £1,920 had been received from Cards for Good Causes. Several anonymous donations had been received via CAF, including one for £1,000; investments were mainly our properties, down as St Catherine’s House is currently housing the Curate. Income from use of our buildings was up as Cath does her best to take as many bookings as possible.
Expenses: Included in repairs and maintenance included £8,200 for upgrading the lighting to LED in church, £1,100 on boiler repairs and £1,000 for the Quinquennial Inspection fees. Half the £3,200 of parish centre expenses was repairs to the automatic doors.
Balance Sheet: The properties were revalued resulting in a decrease of £50,000 in the value of 17 Chaucer Court which has a diminishing lease of c 35 years. The Makin digital organ was funded by £52,000 from the Dorothy Grover Trust and £13,000 from PCC funds.
Monies raised at the Icons exhibition was sufficient to purchase an ambulance for Ukraine.
Philip Hooper asked about the decrease in the organ restricted fund. Patrick said that this was a refund of a donation made for refurbishment of the Father Willis organ which is now mothballed.
Craig Nobbs asked how giving has improved and whether there is greater uptake of the Parish Giving Scheme. Patrick said that an extra £6,000-£7,000 has been achieved as a result of the Stewardship campaign. Our target was to cover parish share which is increasing from £84,000 last year to £90,000 this year. However, any increase in giving is very important.
Michael Pike asked whether the Diocese uses part of the parish share as a fund to be distributed to other churches in difficulty. Fr Neil said that c70% is for clergy stipends with the rest being for diocesan functions such as education, safeguarding etc. He said that we are blessed to have two clergy - some priests have up to 17 parishes. We must be mindful that we are not a huge parish and will need to make economies. Michael also asked whether the Church Commissioners pay clergy pensions. Fr Neil said that pensions are a lot less than half a priest’s stipend - the level they used to be - and that we are in danger of not retaining priests.
Andrew Rustell commented that Diocesan Synod had voted against an earlier increase in parish share but that the increase is therefore now greater.
iii Catherine Ferguson proposed formal adoption of the accounts. This was seconded by Rory Fenner and passed unanimously
iv Our Independent Examiner is willing to act for us again this year. Darrol proposed that he be appointed. This was seconded by Jill Sandham. The meeting voted and the motion was carried subject to one objection.
- 9 Elections to the PCC:
The terms of office of Cath Anderson, Caroline Coleman, Wendy Gabriel and John Hutchinson , came to an end at the APCM.
Darrol reported that as the number on the newly revised Electoral Roll is now 92, the number of elected members next year would be 3. He thanked Wendy and John for their contribution to the PCC.
The following nominations had been received.
Cath Anderson: proposed by Jill Sandham and seconded by Jill Sandham. Caroline Coleman: proposed by Cath Anderson and seconded by David Greenwood. Nicky Geraghty: proposed by Darrol Radley and seconded by Cath Anderson.
- As there were three nominations for four vacancies, all were duly elected.
- 10 Elections to Deanery Synod:
There was one vacancy for a period of one year, but no nominations had been received.
Fr Neil thanked Linda Sharpin for her time on Deanery Synod and everyone who attends and contributes
11 Sidespeople Hilary read out the names of sidespeople and explained that if anyone else wished to serve, their names would be proposed to the next PCC meeting for agreement there. Two training sessions would be held and Hilary said that she hoped people would do their best to attend. 12 Any Other Business Fr Neil pointed out the huge number of Ministry leaflets now in the narthex and encouraged people to have a look and thanked Jill and Cath for their efforts with these. Darrol wished to give the meeting’s heartfelt thanks to Fr Neil and Fr Alistair for their work developing the church and wanted to express thanks to Helen and Carrie and their children for their support. 13 Next year’s APCM would be held on 22nd March 2026. The meeting finished with a blessing.
Signed …………………………………………………………….. Date ……………………………