## **THE PARISH OF ST MARTIN AND ST PAUL, CANTERBURY The Annual Parochial Church Meeting, 11[th] May 2025** _There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus._ Galatians 3: 28 ## **TABLE OF CONTENTS** |**TABLE OF CONTENTS**|| |---|---| |1. Welcome from the Rector|Pg 3| |2. List of PCC members 2024 - 25|Pg 4| |3. Report from the PCC|| |a. Significant decisions|Pg 5| |b. A brief canter through the year|Pg 6| |4. The Churchwardens’ reports|| |a. St Martin’s|Pg 6| |b. St Paul’s|Pg 8| |5. Parish activities|| |a. Growing in Faith|Pg10| |b. Outreach|Pg10| |c. Community Engagement|Pg11| |d. Christians Together in Canterbury|Pg12| |e. Children and Young Families|Pg12| |f. Mothers’ Union|Pg12| |g. St Paul’s @ Tea Time|Pg13| |h. Messy Church at Spring Lane Community Centre|Pg13| |i. The Choir|Pg13| |j. Visits at St Martin’s|Pg14| |k. Parish Lifelong Learning|Pg15| |l. Pilgrim Post|Pg16| |m. Eco-Group|Pg17| |n. Flowers|| |i. St Paul’s|Pg18| |ii. St Martin’s|Pg18| |6. Safeguarding|Pg18| |7. Deanery Synod|Pg19| |8. Finances|Pg20| |Appendix A: Accounts for 2024/Independent Examiner’s Report|Pg21| |Appendix B: Misc Attendance Statistics|Pg26| Page | 2 ## 1) WELCOME FROM THE RECTOR I was delighted to join you, as your Rector, on 6[th] April 2025, in a splendid Evensong, with Bishop Rose officiating. Thanks go to Ros Newington for her hard work in putting the service together and to all of you for your outstandingly warm welcome. It was a rich occasion, well attended, with an anthem specially commissioned for the occasion. The text was Galatians 3.28, chosen by myself as both personally meaningful to me, and also representative, it seemed to me, of the radical inclusivity that we aim for at St Martin and St Paul. The fresh and modern setting was by Olivia Sparkhall, who was in attendance and the choir sang beautifully. Services for Holy Week, with revised liturgy, were well attended. Two significant new additions were: the washing of feet on Maundy Thursday, with 12 volunteers, representing the 12 disciples; and the addition of an early morning Eucharist as we greeted the Risen Lord on Easter Day, before having the traditional marvellous breakfast, prepared by Jackie Curd and team, to whom thanks. I have received enthusiastic feedback about both of these additions. As we leave interregnum firmly behind us, I look forward to getting to know you all, and your hopes and dreams for the parish, and to moving forward in that same light of Christ with which we entered St Martin’s early on Easter morning. ## _**Mary Kells**_ Page | 3 ## 2) THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL 2024-2025 * Indicates where one person holds more than one role |**PCC members**|**PCC members**| |---|---| |Rector (Chair)|Vacancy (to 5 April 2025)
The Revd Dr MaryKells(from 6 April 2025)| |Vice Chair (acting Chair to 5th
April 2025)|Christopher Robinson| |Curate (to December 2024)
Associate Priest (from January
2025)|The Revd Prof Dr Charlotte Sleigh| |Churchwardens at St.Martin’s|Christine Robinson
David Stuart| |Churchwardens at St.Paul’s|Michael Keeler-Walker
Ros Newington| |Parish Treasurer|Gordon Craig (and co-opted member)| |Readers holding the Bishop’s
Licence|Mary Butcher (PTO non-voting member)
Samuel Keeler-Walker (_also Deanery Synod_*)
Christopher Robinson
Dr RosemaryWalters(_also Deanery Synod_*)| |Deanery Synod
representatives 2023-2026|Andrea Don (_elected 2024 in place of_
_H.Schoenefeldt_)
Samuel Keeler-Walker_(elected 2024 in place of_
_R.Matthews)_
Dr RosemaryWalters| |Elected members 2022-2025|Felicity Bolton
Sue Spillett (elected 2024 in place of R.Newington)
Camilla Titterton
Dr Dan Titterton| |Elected members 2023-2026|Prof Claire Butler
Abraham Joseph
Joanna Lawson (also PCC Secretary)
James Sampson| |Elected members 2024-2027|Ruth Baker
Jackie Curd
Judith Dimond
Kit Johnson-James| |Co-opted member 2024-2025|Monica Walling| |Also in attendance(non-votingin matters of legal resolution and non-trustees)|| ||Dominic del Nevo(Choir Director)| Page | 4 ## 3) THE PCC’S REPORT ## **A) SIGNIFICANT DECISIONS 2024-25** All meetings receive reports and updates from the Treasurer, Churchwardens, parish centre and on safeguarding. Below are particular matters of significance or approved at meetings or both. ## May New PCC formed and elections / appointments made. Christopher Robinson confirmed as acting chair during the vacancy. Report from the parish profile group (collating ideas and preparing documents for the new Rector’s recruitment) and the presentation of draft parish priorities for review and comment. ## June Sub-committee memberships and appointments made. Rector vacancy – parish profile reviewed and approved. Appointments of electoral roll officer, safeguarding officers, and parish disclosure officer. Parish safeguarding policy statement adopted. July – section 11 meeting attended by the Archdeacon s.11 requirements regarding the formal process relating to the vacancy and steps needed to select and appoint a new Rector. Formal approvals given, and two lay members were appointed from the PCC to act as its representatives in connection with the selection of a new incumbent. Appointment of new PCC Secretary. ## September Approval of transfer of moneys from our CCLA investment account to suitable alternative interest earning account to aid cashflow. Sidespeople’s rota agreed to be expanded to ensure all Churchwardens’ Sunday duties covered. Safeguarding action plan approved. Lone worker policy approved. ## November Rector vacancy and appointment update. Expenditure approved for both churches: St. Martin’s for smoke detection hardware and monitoring system, and work on the Church tower; St. Paul’s for investigation into water ingress. Policy on recruitment of ex-offenders approved. St. Martin’s senior visitor host – contract renewal and pay approved. ## January Safeguarding – CofE guidance regarding appropriate boundaries with children and vulnerable adults reviewed and compliance confirmed. Pilgrim Post – increase in cover price approved. Parish priorities – discussed with collated ideas for future consideration with the new Rector. Page | 5 ## March Audited accounts approved. Parish centre – expenditure approved for painting the exterior. Church building maintenance – approvals for necessary work to be undertaken. Safeguarding – a template for risk assessments was agreed to be created and sent to all groups for use. ## _**Jo Lawson**_ ## **B) A BRIEF CANTER THROUGH THE YEAR** Our report this year reflects another busy and fulfilling year in the life of the parish. As temporary, stand-in, and now ex-acting Chair of the PCC, I would like to thank all those who have given tirelessly over the last year: the many clergy who celebrated for us week by week; the resolute churchwardens; our many musicians; the rest of the ministry team; the administrators and printers; the anointing team; the bellringers; the cleaners; the coffee makers; the educators; the florists and gardeners; the H&S and Safeguarding co-ordinators; the sacristans and servers; the sides-people; the Sunday Zone tutors; the SP@TT, Hangouts, and other children’s teams; and everyone else who have given their time and skill in so many ways in the service of God and neighbour - and apologies if I have missed your contribution! This report is a record of a busy year which has seen us consolidate and, indeed, grow. In looking back there is much to celebrate and so many things going on, so these are just a few items. Back in May, Ros Newington joined Michael at St Paul’s as churchwarden. In December, Charlotte finished her term as our curate and seamlessly transformed into our new Associate Priest as well as starting a new role at St Augustine’s College. Thank you, Charlotte, for all that you have done (and, we hope, will carry on doing). Thank you also to Revd Dr Perry Butler for preaching at Martinmas and to the Ven Darren Miller for preaching at St Paul’s patronal Sunday, and to the many visiting clergy who preached at the monthly Evensong services. Many people were involved in preparing the parish profile last Summer as part of our work to recruit our new Rector; thank you to all of them and especially to Sue Spillet and Dave Stuart who were part of the interviewing panel. There is so much else that I have missed. In brief, our worshipping life continues to develop. And now, onwards and upwards! ## _**Christopher Robinson**_ ## 3) CHURCHWARDENS’ REPORTS ## **A) CHURCHWARDEN’S REPORT - ST MARTIN’S** - **i. Worship** - We have been very grateful and want to give thanks to the retired clergy who have taken the services for us during the interregnum. We have managed to continue our normal pattern of worship and hopefully forged some long-lasting relationships. Page | 6 - We have a small but loyal congregation. We have had some growth with four new regular attenders joining us in the last year. We continue to have our numbers augmented by visitors especially during the warmer months. - For the St Martin’s Patronal Festival we were delighted to premiere a new setting for the Mass composed by Canon Christopher Gower. It has become our regular sung service on the first Sunday of the month. ## **ii. Buildings and Maintenance** - The new sound system was installed last October. The speakers are extremely discreet and give a good quality of sound in the church. - The fire alarm monitoring service had to be changed to a monitored system with the phasing out of copper telephone lines. This does incur an annual charge, but it is much more reliable than the previous system. - The annual servicing of Gas boiler, Fire and Smoke Alarms are up to date - All electrical equipment has been PAT tested (Portable Appliance Testing) including the Christmas lights. - Buddleia and Birch growing on the outside of the Bell Tower has been removed by some heritage abseilers. They returned this year to treat woodworm in the Bell frame and reposition a stone on the Tower roof. - Due to the interregnum, we have made no progress on possible plans for toilet facilities. This project would incur significant cost and would need whole Parish involvement. The Church Wardens and PCC felt this should wait until the new incumbent was in post before any further money was committed to this project. ## **iii. Visitor Information** - Jessica Morris has continued to work with our loyal volunteers. Without their support we wouldn’t be able to keep St Martin’s open throughout the year. The visitor numbers continue to grow, and Jessica has forged new relationships across the wider Canterbury Community. She has written her own report about some of the activities over the last year. - Sadly, Jessica is leaving Canterbury in June, and we are in the process of advertising and recruiting for her replacement. We would want to give a vote of thanks for all her hard work and initiatives over the last twenty months. St Martin’s consistently gets excellent reviews on both Google and Trip Adviser and this is due directly to Jess and the volunteers who help us keep the church open to visitors throughout the year. ## _**Dave Stuart** and_ _**Christine Robinson**_ Page | 7 ## **B) CHURCHWARDEN’S REPORT - ST PAUL’S** This year has been a challenging but exciting year in the life of St Paul’s without the Walls! Although most of it has been in a period of interregnum, there has been continued energy and enthusiasm to move forward and to grow. We began the year by saying farewell to Jo Luck, who stepped down as Churchwarden in May. We are deeply grateful for her dedicated service, particularly in bringing the terrier and log book up to date and into the digital age - an overdue but vital piece of work that will serve the church well into the future. At Christmas we said congratulations to our Curate Charlotte Sleigh as she completed her studies and took on a new role at St Augustine’s College. Thankfully she was also accepted as an Associate Priest to the parish, so she and her family continue to be present amongst us. ## **i. Worshipping and Community Life** We are truly thankful for all those who stepped up to support our worship during the interregnum. Special thanks go to Father David Stroud, Reverend Lindsay Yates, Reverend Sue White, and especially to Canon David Roper, whose faithful presence - often at a moment’s notice - ensured that not a single Sunday went uncovered. We also extend our gratitude to Samuel Keeler-Walker, whose steady hand behind the scenes ensured each visiting priest had everything needed for services to run smoothly. Sunday attendance has remained strong, even growing in some areas, and the live stream continues to connect with a wider audience - giving newcomers a window into our worship and encouraging them to join us in person. ## Sunday Zone Our provision for you people continues during the morning service (except on the second Sunday of the month). While numbers fluctuate, we’ve seen older children branching off into a new group - currently “Sunday Zone 2” - and are starting to take part in young leader roles in regular worship which aligns closely with our parish priority to involve young people more in the worshipping life of the church. ## Wednesday Midweek Eucharist This growing community has been supported by the support and leadership of Jennifer Llewellin and her small team who have arranged all the priests to take this special midweek and made sure that there is coffee available to everyone afterwards. ## Home Communion Thanks to Reverend Sue White undertook much of the pastoral role and home visiting during the interregnum who along with our lay Readers have visited parish care homes on a regular basis ensuring and ongoing ministry to our older communities. ## Funeral Arrangements Thanks to Reader Mary Butcher who has taken a principal role on this during the interregnum and supported grieving families and lead services. Page | 8 ## St Paul’s @ Tea Time Tea time services have been consistent each month. The Autumn term saw a visit to stories from the Old Testament and this year the overarching focus has been on God so loved the world with many Scientific links. ## Choral Evensong and Supper This monthly service continues to flourish and grow in numbers with a range of interesting topics, speakers and a delicious supper afterwards. ## Installation and induction of our new rector Last summer a small cross-representative team of people put together our parish profile which went with the advertisement for a new parish rector. This was successful in encouraging a number of prospective candidates for the role. In April this year we were pleased to welcome Reverend Dr Mary Kells as our new rector with a splendid service and celebration. It included a piece of music by Olivia Sparkhall based on words from the bible chosen by Revd. Mary to reflect the inclusive nature of worship. This was specially commissioned and paid for by the choir. ## Open doors St Paul's Church doors are open throughout the week, allowing people to explore the space, where we hope they may find our church as a peaceful place to sit and pray in God’s presence. The displays, available booklets, and the development of dedicated prayer area in the Lady Chapel support individual engagement with the Christian faith at a personal level. More people are also making use of the church’s wider resources, including Christian literature, quiet spaces, and community features like the fiction book exchange. ## **ii. Community Events** Throughout the year, our community has enjoyed a range of activities that have enriched our fellowship. In January, we gathered for our Patronal Festival, which was marked by a shared meal and, on that occasion, a welcome from former Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, who preached for us. Later, in April, we held a farewell lunch for our former Rector, Reverend Mark Griffin, as we thanked him for his dedicated service and wished him well on his new journey. As the year continued, we also shared a delightful garden party, parish picnic, and a refreshing seaside visit. We’re pleased that our chess club now meets informally in the church after coffee. In August, we celebrated Reg’s 100th birthday with a special parish lunch. Additional events such as Harvest, Christmas gatherings, Ride and Stride, Nosh and Knowledge evenings, and the Blythewood Appeal, during which we filled shoeboxes with Christmas gifts, have provided further opportunities for connection, reflection, and community life. ## **iii. Buildings and Fabric** The overall fabric of the church remains sound. However, there is some water ingress in the South aisle ceiling which needs further investigation. This year has seen the mending of the altar rail and the main front glass door. Some ongoing issues require continual monitoring, including the need for repointing of the floor and a few minor cracks on the walls and ceilings that are being closely observed. This year has seen a change of suppliers for gas and electricity to Octopus Energy and despite the incredible increase in cost per unit the bills have been carefully monitored and Page | 9 can be controlled to suit the usage of the church. Mindful of the need for the National Church overall to be net zero by 2030, a continual review of ways to heat this ancient building sustainably is important to ensure it continues to be a place of worship and meet all the needs of people in the parish. Using our well-insulated parish centre and meeting rooms for non-worship events will help meet these goals. ## **iv. Looking forward** We are so grateful to every single person who has contributed to the life of St Paul’s during this season of transition. Your dedication has ensured that even without a rector, we’ve not just managed - but grown in lots of different ways. We’re especially looking forward to welcoming Bishop Rose on Sunday 29[th] June for a Confirmation service - a celebration of faith and community as we confirm both young people and new members of our church family. With joy, we now look forward to supporting Reverend Mary in her new role and embracing this exciting next chapter of ministry together. We continue to pray for wisdom and courage to follow where God is calling us - and to create a church where all feel they belong. Alleluia - on we go! ## _**Michael Keeler-Walker** and_ _**Ros Newington.**_ ## 4 PARISH ACTIVITIES ## **A) GROWING IN FAITH** We’ve had a great year at GIF. We are now meeting on a Wednesday and Saturday once a month around a theme of the month. On the Wednesday evenings, we talk about the theme; and on the Saturday mornings, we have worship, breakfast and continue the discussion. This year our themes have been: Anglo-Catholicism; environment and faith; the Reformation; Galatians; and Julian of Norwich. We have also had a great Lent group based around Charlie Bell’s book, _Searched me out and Known me_ . Encouraged by this, we met every day during Holy Week for the first time offering compline on Holy Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday for the whole church community. During Lent, we also virtually walked to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, all putting our miles in together to get there. Outside of this, we were involved with delivering the parish’s Christmas cards, cleared part of the garden at Jesus’ Hospital, and assisted with the cleaning morning at St. Pauls. ## _**Samuel Keeler-Walker.**_ ## **B) OUTREACH** The last year has seen the small Outreach Group putting in to practice our new plan to promote our support for our chosen causes. Each month we have a Cause of the Month which we highlight with a display at St Paul’s and an article in Pilgrim Post. We are very Page | 10 grateful to Ros Newington for her work on the displays and to Clive Barlow for guaranteeing us space in the magazine each month. In the last year the Outreach group has grown in numbers and in a sense of purpose. We continue to promote support in the wider parish for our chosen charities, which we believe cover a range of God’s work in the world; locally in Canterbury, nationally in U.K., and internationally. We hope people appreciate the monthly reports in Pilgrim’s Post, and include the ‘Cause of the Month’ in their personal prayers and intercessions. Monthly displays are on view in St Paul. Membership of the group changed this year; we said a sad goodbye to Ruth Matthews, whose passion and concern for many causes kept up on our toes! We have been pleased to welcome Michael Northey, Diane Fawcett, and Claire Butler to our group; and with Brian Munday and Judith Dimond we look forward to working with Rev. Mary. This year we shared our Stewardship tithing with the following charities: - Locally: Connecting Canterbury, Street Pastors, and Catching Lives. - Nationally: Christians against Poverty. - Internationally: support for local initiatives working with refugees from Calais, Pastos Verdes in Mozambique (with our personal link via Valerie Taylor’s family), Open Doors UK (protecting Christians persecuted overseas), CORD (building peace where conflict destroys) and the Amos Trust - particularly its work in Gaza and the West Bank. Since we choose to give a ‘large’ sum to fewer charities, we have been recognized by CORD as a ‘Peace Partner’, and have been linked with their initiative PLURAL: - Promoting Rule of Law and Understanding of Religious Affairs in Laos. The worrying news is that total funding for four other CORD projects (mainly in SE Asia, in areas of conflict where they work to strengthen civil society and particularly encourage women’s voices), has been withdrawn by USA following the policies of the new Government, leading to their complete closure; so we must be all the more energized to step in where we can. The same goes for our support for Amos Trust which works, amongst other places, in Palestine and Gaza, where they support the Al Ahli ‘Baptist’ Hospital in Gaza, which has been decimated in recent fighting. We continue to hold all these charities in our prayers, and thank the congregation for their Stewardship sacrifice and generosity which enables us to support such a variety of need, in the name of Jesus, the Prince of Peace. _Judith Dimond_ , Convener ## **C) COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT** As always, this is just the official connections that we have as a church and does not begin to count the many connections that you all have as individuals with different community projects across the city. Page | 11 ## **i Home Visits** Visits to members of our community from members of the Ministry Team have continued during the interregnum. Revd Sue White has been a pillar of strength, carrying out much visiting, for which we are very grateful. ## **ii The Night Shelter** The night shelter used our Hall once a week for three months under Jackie Curd’s leadership, including on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day! Thank you to all who assisted in any way. ## **D) CHRISTIANS TOGETHER IN CANTERBURY (CTC)** CTC continues to serve people in Canterbury, through the wide range of worship and ministry freely available in so many churches and different traditions in our city. Prominent is the help given to people in need, through the provision of food and information. The Baptist Church offers food and refreshments on Thursday 11-1pm, and at All Saints on Friday 10am – 12 noon(with breakfast from 9am). Through the support of the Social Justice Network in the Diocese, led by Canon Jonathan Arnold, Connecting Canterbury at both hubs continues to offer emergency small grants for gas and electricity, and the provision of grants via Acts345 for white goods such as cookers and beds. Help and information is also available for Citizens’ Advice, City Council and KCC grants/benefits, GP access, links to Canterbury FoodBank, and Wave Community Bank et The most public act of worship is the Walk of Witness on Good Friday, starting at the Salvation Army and led by their band to the High Street. There is a need to coordinate and promote the work of CTC to churches and supporters, as Lyndall Bywater has stepped down from her role as Secretary. ## _**David Hartwell**_ ## **E) CHILDREN AND YOUNG FAMILIES** In my report last year, I asked you to pray for this committee which oversees this important part of our Parish family. Thank you. I can report that our small committee has doubled in number and Christopher Robinson, Jackie Curd and Ros Newington joined myself, Ruth Baker, and James Sampson. We are now refreshed and invigorated as we continue to keep an eye on the many activities and events that affect our children and young people. Fisherfolk and St Paul’s at Teatime continue to thrive. Hangouts has grown in numbers and those who come along each month are getting to know each other and enjoying a relaxed time together. Sunday Zone 2 has been instigated for those too old for Sunday Zone. Thank you to Rosemary and Val for their commitment to this which meets once a month during the 10.30am service at St Paul’s. Sunday Zone and Messy Church now need our prayers and input. Thank you to all who work, pray and support all the work in this field. ## _**Sue Spillett**_ Page | 12 ## **F) MOTHERS’ UNION** It has been a happy and productive year for the Mothers’ Union both here and globally. As a branch, we have continued to support the Parish in many ways and there have been the initiatives of the _Rise Up Campaign_ and the _Blue Christmas_ service, as well as the regular activities of Fisherfolk, Mothering Sunday posies, Easter baskets, Christmas presents for St Martin’s Hospital, and Baptism anniversary cards. We have enrolled new members and hosted and supported Parish, Archdeaconry, and Diocesan MU events and services, including a visit from our new worldwide President on 1[st] April. We are looking forward to showing our new Rector what a wonderful Christian organisation the Mothers’ Union is and what an asset it can be to the Parish. We are without a Branch leader at the moment but carry on with all we have planned due to the continued hard work of the wonderful Branch committee. All MU activities are mentioned on the weekly newsletter and in the Pilgrim’s Post and are open to all, so do join us if you would like. ## _**Sue Spillett**_ ## **G) ST PAUL’S AT TEATIME (SP@TT)** SP@TT continues to welcome new families to its monthly gatherings. It started soon after the reordering of St Paul’s, so has been going for about 10years. How amazing! It is good to see it evolve, with new team members as well as families. Thank you to all the wonderful volunteers who come along each month to create, play, chat, pray, and eat alongside our families; also those who help move all the furniture before and after the event. The pattern of craft, story, prayer, church search, and songs continues to stand the test of time, and we choose varying themes for each session. A mum said to me last month: “It is so good for my son to be able to come here, to a safe and welcoming space, where he can learn and have fun alongside lovely people of all ages”. I was so thrilled to hear this, as it is exactly what we are hoping to achieve, Here’s to the next 10 years! ## _**Sue Spillett**_ ## **H) MESSY CHURCH AT SPRING LANE COMMUNITY CENTRE** We have continued to hold Messy Church in the Spring Lane Community Centre but, frankly, it has been a bit of a struggle. Following discussions with Barbara, we will be holding meetings every three months or so starting at 1pm on Saturdays. Thanks also to Barbara and all the staff at the Spring Lane Community Centre for their cheerful support for our work. We are planning to hold the next meeting on 5[th] July. If you would like to help with one of the future Messy Churches in some way, or would just like to come along and observe, please do not hesitate to contact me on 07584 355001 for more information. ## _**Christopher Robinson**_ Page | 13 ## **I) THE CHOIR** The Choir’s regular duties cover the 10.30am service most Sunday mornings, monthly choral evensong (except in April, August and December), and additional services throughout the year (e.g. Advent and Christmas carols, Ash Wednesday, Holy Week, Ascension). Alongside that, as in previous years, we have led a number of choral evensong services at the Cathedral (three of which were attended by the former Archbishop of Canterbury) over the year. We continue to broaden our repertoire, introducing canticle settings by Ernest Moeran and Charles Gounod, responses by Philip Radcliffe, and some challenging pieces by Peter Warlock, William Harris, Hebert Howells, and Herbert Sumsion. We have collaborated with other (relatively) local churches. In October, we welcomed the choir of St Clement, Sandwich to join us for evensong (with a return visit planned later in 2025); and in November, we hosted a combined choir evensong with delegations from St Michael’s Sittingbourne, St Mary in Charity Faversham, St Mary’s Dover, and St Andrew’s, Reading Street. Some of us have also reciprocated the support, with trips to Sittingbourne, Faversham, and Dover over the year, including a performance of Stainer’s _The Crucifixion_ in Sittingbourne on Palm Sunday, featuring an exceptional bass soloist. Whilst the music of Lent and Passiontide is generally less ebullient than the rest of the year, we did enjoy a particularly jovial evensong on Passion Sunday, during which we welcomed Rev Dr Mary Kells. The service included the premiere of a piece, commissioned by the choir themselves for the occasion, composed by Olivia Sparkhall. As always I would like to extend my thanks to David (and our cover organists when he is away) and the members of the Choir for their commitment, and to everyone who supports our work throughout the year. ## _**Dom del Nevo**_ ## **J) VISITS AT ST MARTIN’S** In the last report, St Martin’s was working with two other churches in Kent to form the _Royal Kentish Camino_ . Since then, the pilgrimage route has been launched and we saw coverage in local news pages. Since then, we have seen more visitors to St Martin’s enquiring about the walk and the history of the women behind it and so I am pleased to say that the life and history of Queen Bertha and St Martin’s Church is being shared widely! In connection to this, we have continued to progress our 2024 plan for a year of ‘media’. The St Martin’s social media page has become quite popular with the sharing of snippets of history, information about visiting or services, and the occasional ‘Archival’ find demonstrating the long history of the church. We continue to welcome visitors, who have welcomed their learning about our church through this new outreach. In the Summer of 2024, we expanded our publicity to include a write up in the city’s _MyCanterbury_ magazine. Thanks to these efforts, and the hard work of our volunteers, we witnessed a steady increase in visiting numbers (by over 3,000 in 2024 alone) and we hope that this year, with a write up happening in the local _Canterbury Courier_ newspaper, we will continue reaching out to the local community so that Page | 14 it can get involved with us. We have been far from idle over this winter; recently we did a short radio piece with BBC Radio Kent in the hopes of enticing more of the community to explore the rich history on their doorstep. We have also continued getting involved in local events, such as the Medieval Pageant and Heritage Open Days and have received vast amounts of positive feedback from families and visitors who came up to see us last year. We hope to repeat this where we can; and meetings for the 2025 Medieval Pageant and the involvement of St Martin’s are already happening. We have also continued our work with local schools and universities to welcome students and provide a fantastic space to support education. In a push to keep the learning and visiting experiences at St Martin’s interesting for all, the volunteers are St Martin’s are still researching as much as they can. We recently hosted, alongside our sister UNESCO site St Augustine’s Abbey, an impromptu talk by Professor Paul Bennett to ensure the two sites are up to date with as much information as possible. This gave the volunteer guides at both places a chance to talk more and discuss the overall history and connectivity that the sites share. The Abbey is not the only site we have been keeping in touch with; Eastbridge Hospital remains a site we are talking with and with its re-opening, we hope to rekindle important pilgrimage links with them this year. This is made yet easier with St Martin’s beginning to work closely with the Cathedral’s newly appointed Pilgrim Officer. We are continuing to work with the World Heritage Committee to create a World Heritage Plan for Canterbury. Last year, we had hoped to see the appointment of a Coordinator overseeing all three sites. This has been delayed but St Martin’s continues to work with the committee to try and bring this position into fruition and create a more unified UNESCO front in Canterbury. That aside, we continue to work closely with the other sites to bring special UNESCO tours to St Martin’s for another year running, something that has been well received to date. 2025/6 will see me stepping down from my role and I hope that whoever takes over will bring more exciting opportunities for visiting St Martin’s. ## _**Jessica Morris**_ ## **K) PARISH LIFELONG LEARNING 2024-5** Highlights from The Life Long Learning Group in 2025 have been: **i Meet, Eat and Explore** June 2024: _Lisa Muerasse_ **:** _**Green Pastures: Leading People to the Good Shepherd:**_ a stimulating account of the amazing transformative work being done to help children and their communities in Lichinga, Mozambique. Oct 2024: _David Kemp_ **:** _**Money, Sex and Power: Reflections from General Synod:**_ a fascinating insider view of debates, decisions and deliberations from one of our Diocesan House of Laity representatives. Feb 2025: _Dr Claire Butler_ **:** _**Assisted Dying: Concern or Celebration:**_ a sensitive and informative presentation of perspectives on this emotive issue. **ii Advent and Lent Discussion Groups: A Selection of Resources** Advent 2024: _So What are You Waiting For?_ Lucy Winkett Lent 2025: _On The Third Day_ John Pritchard Page | 15 _Prizing the Passion_ David Stevens _Searched Me Out and Known Me_ Charlie Bell ## **Iii Miscellaneous** In addition, we have publicised the Church of England national campaigns: Christmas 2024: _Follow the Star: Calm and Bright_ Lent 2025: _Living Hope_ and provided suggestions for lively reading and further study promoting the Diocesan _Deepening Discipleship_ course. The Life Long Learning section of the Parish website and our outward facing Parish Centre windows regularly provides poster details of the St Martin in the Fields online talks and the Canterbury Contemporary Theology Group events. Thanks to all the members of the committee for their support and practical engagement and to Jackie and Mel for catering. The big question is **Where Do We Go Next** ? ## _**Rosemary Walters**_ ## **L) PILGRIM POST** ## **i Editorial Policy** We continue to comply with the seven guiding principles in the government’s code of practice i.e. to be: lawful, cost effective, objective, even handed, appropriate, to have regard to equality and diversity, and to proceed with care during times of heightened sensitivity. **ii Editorial Team** Editor – Revd Clive Barlow. Member of The Association of Church Editors. Advisory Group – Brian Munday, Rosemary Walters, and Judith Dimond (proof-reader). ## **iii Our Objectives** We aim to be relevant to our Parish Vision and to be outward looking by including: - Details of our church’s worship, ministry, children, youth and adult activities. - Articles that help people learn more about God and what the Bible teaches., i.e. through the Parish Letter, Sermon in a Sentence, Life-long Learning events and opportunities. - Information relating to the Diocese and Deanery, and other Christians, eg Christians Together Canterbury. - Articles reflecting on Christian beliefs on various issues i.e. Eco-Church reports, - and articles entitled _In Perspective, Point of View, Insight_ , and book reviews. - A Parish Diary of church services and weekly events. - Articles in support of local charities i.e. Connecting Canterbury, Catching Lives, and the charities named in the PCC’s ’Cause of the Month’. - A parish archive researched by Brian Hogben (Parish Archivist) and regular reports from St Martin’s Tourism Manager (Jessica Morris) ## **iv** P **roduction and Distribution** Pilgrim Post is printed ‘in house’ in the Parish Centre by the editor, and collated each month (at the editor’s house) by a team of volunteers for subscribers who collect a magazine from church or receive one by post. A small number of volunteers deliver magazines around the Page | 16 parish. A pdf copy of each edition is accessible on the parish website, and this is also emailed to subscribers who have requested pdf copies. Since ’Covid’ the number of printed copies has reduced from 200 to appx. 130 each month. ## **v** ## **Cost** The parish magazine is produced on a low cost budget subsidised by income from advertisements. The editor’s office expenses are reimbursed by the PCC. As from April 2025, the cover price is 70p and an annual subscription is £7.00. Church members living in the almshouses or Residential Homes receive a complementary copy, as do former clergy who have been on the staff. The PCC acknowledges that some of the cost of production is part of our outreach. ## **vi Thank You** To everyone involved in making Pilgrim Post what it is, and a warm welcome to Chris Kirkland, whose graphic design skills will be vital to our continuing development in a rapidly changing publishing world. ## _**Clive Barlow.**_ ## **M) ECO-GROUP** The group has continued to submit monthly articles to Pilgrim Post highlighting activities concerning the parish, particularly the need for help in St. Martin’s Churchyard. There have been regular updates from Pat Crawford alerting us all to the effects that climate change is having on the whole earth. Local events and dates have been brought to the attention of readers, and it is hoped that some have been able to participate. Within services, there has been a talk about the work of Fairtrade and the importance of seeking out Fairtrade goods. As far as possible, such items are in use in the parish, ranging from wine to sugar. Recycling of blister packs and crisps continue unabated to the extent that Super Drug, who recycle the blister packs, suggested that the latest bag constituted bulk delivery, and they didn’t do that - nevertheless, they took the black bag! Paper is recycled in the church, while phones and electrical gadgets are taken to All Saints’ for their roof Appeal. Tools of all kinds are collected for _Tools With A Mission_ , who prepare packs for delivery to Africa. There, people are trained in their use, pay a nominal sum for the pack, and are encouraged to set up their own businesses. No further progress has been made on Eco Church Awards as the PCC has declined to establish provision for solar panels and replacement boilers. Work on St. Martin’s Churchyard has continued. Some of the dead box has been cut down but more remains to be done. The last working party made significant inroads into the bramble patch, and the donation of a Magnolia tree and Witch Hazel in memory of Keith Dimond have been planted and are thriving. Further donations would be very welcome. ## _**Sue White**_ Page | 17 ## **N) FLOWERS** ## **i Flowers at St Paul’s** Despite the increasing price of flowers, the dedicated flower arrangers have ensured that St Paul’s continues to be beautifully decorated with fresh flowers and look spectacular for festivals. The generous donations of the flower arranging team and members of the congregation have meant that the cost for the flowers has been completely met without requesting additional funding from the PCC. We are truly blessed and thankful. Also, appreciation goes to those who donated greenery over the year. There is much that goes on behind the scenes for which we are truly grateful. Having completed her Duke of Edinburgh skill section with the flower arrangers, Annabel has returned regularly this year to help in the decoration of the church for festivals such as Harvest, Christmas and Easter. This has included working to decorate the large Christmas tree and to create the Easter garden. Thank you! We would gladly welcome new members to our little team of flower arrangers. No experience is necessary, as help and support will be given whilst you gain the confidence and faith to have a go. _May God grant that our hearts, our eyes and our hands may receive inspiration, enabling us to continue to glorify this place with the beauty of the leaves and blossoms created by God._ ## _**Ros Newington**_ ## **ii Flowers at St Martin’s** There are new things to report. First, a member who has recently joined the St Martin’s regular congregation has agreed to help out our tiny band of flower arrangers. Secondly, since we abandoned “oasis” (because it never rots) for traditional and unhelpful chicken wire, my Climate Activist son-in-law found a foam that is neither very expensive nor environmentally harmful - and bought us our first box. Arranging is now much easier again and we continue to do our modest best. ## _**Doreen Laven**_ ## 6) SAFEGUARDING Last year saw the retirement of Chris Page who was responsible for the DBS checks of all eligible members of the church involved with children, young people or vulnerable adults. This role is now undertaken by Ros Newington who has updated and extended the monitoring of this, alongside the record of safeguarding training, as Safeguarding Administrator. The Parish Dashboard has been set up and the Level 1 _Standard of Safer Foundations_ has been achieved. Work has commenced to complete Level 2 _Safer Activities_ and Level 3 _Safer Practices_ as well. These levels require considerable preliminary work involving creating policies and actions; safeguarding procedures and roles; ensuring training is undertaken for Page | 18 key roles; displaying information; and making sure that safeguarding is on the agenda for every PCC meeting; and, importantly, that PCC members undertake the necessary safeguarding training to carry out their role effectively. Activities within the church will be the next focus, to ensure that full authorisation and risk assessments are recorded for every activity involving children, young people and vulnerable adults. Much of this is already carried out by dedicated volunteers, but it requires further formalisation to meet the new requirements and to be entered onto the secure Safeguarding hub. The Parish Safeguarding Officers and Church Wardens continue to maintain their vigilance and awareness to ensure that any concerns are followed up immediately, with advice and information promptly sought from the Diocesan Safeguarding Officers. ## _**Ros Newington**_ ## 7) DEANERY SYNOD 2024/5 ## **A) SYNOD MEETINGS** Synod has met three times since our last APCM. In June 2024 we met at Canterbury Cathedral’s Studio and discussed Revitalisation, one of the three bold outcomes of the Diocesan strategy. Following an introduction from Archdeacon Will Adams, there were group discussions focussing on what revitalisation could look like in the parishes. In October 2024 at St Paul’s _,_ we focussed on another of the bold outcomes, _New Worshipping Communities_ . After a presentation by Shiela Porter on the work of Myriad (a national organisation which helps lay leaders to form new communities), there was a short video on three such communities. After a lively period for questions, there were group discussions. In February 2025 at All Saints, Synod was an entirely open meeting which focussed on the Deanery Mission Plan. Revd Nick White gave a short presentation outlining the structure and main elements of the plan, followed by opportunities for discussion around six tables each led by a facilitator. These covered the main elements of the Plan: Ignite, Youth, Housing estates, University students, Buildings, and Eco church. Everyone had the opportunity to discuss each topic for 10 minutes during the hourlong session. Each facilitator gave a brief summary of the main issues raised and these comments will be taken back for further consideration by the Deanery Mission and Ministry Committee (DMMC). The Plan will be brought back for formal approval at the June meeting of Synod. ## **B) MISCELLANEOUS** The Deanery Eco group continues to flourish, although Caroline Blamey is stepping back from the coordinating role, the Deanery is grateful for all the effort she has put into the group. Page | 19 The _Care in a Crisis_ initiative, networking local agencies working against poverty and disadvantage, was merged with the similar activity led by the Canterbury Society, to avoid unnecessary duplication. ## _**Communication:**_ The Deanery Facebook page ww.facebook.com/CanterburyDeanery/ provides current news of the huge range of activities among our Deanery parishes and Christians Together in Canterbury. During the year, the Deanery welcomed back Revd Jo Richards after a period of illness. Revd Brian McHenry was appointed as Assistant Area Dean. Liz Morrison (Lay Chair) and John Morrison (Treasurer) stepped down from their roles. Professor Roger Vickerman was elected as Lay Chair and Canon Treasurer Revd Andrew Dodds as Treasurer. Thanks to all members of the DMMC for their hard work on the Deanery Mission Plan and for their continuing dedication to the needs of the Deanery, and to Harry Macdonald, our Administrator, for his efficient work in serving the Deanery ## **Roger Vickerman** ## 8) FINANCES ## **A) GENERAL NOTE** For details of our finances for the year just passed, please see the separate tables of figures in Appendix A (pages 21-25) which have been audited by Mrs Jane Neame FCA. ## **B) THE TREASURER’S REPORT: FINANCE & STEWARDSHIP** I begin by welcoming Mary and I am sure she will have an interesting fulfilling and enjoyable time here. Thanks to the churchwardens for their hard work over the past year. I would like to thank everyone for their , whether it be financial, time, or extra voluntary work. Last year was a tough one with the accounts showing a small deficit. The accounts been audited in the manner required by the Charity Commission. Looking forward, Parish Share has been increased by over 7 per cent for 2025. This is more than twice the rate of inflation. I had discussions with Diocesan House but to no avail. The monthly payment is now £8160. Parish Giving has not kept not kept pace with inflation and with other costs, such as wages and National Insurance, rising by above inflation, 2025 will be another difficult year. Although income from hiring out the Parish Centre and St Paul’s, and income from visitors to St Martin’s, has been encouraging, we need to increase our income further. Maybe a Stewardship campaign is required to bring in additional members? With two very old churches, unexpected costs are always likely and, in order to improve our cash position, £10,000 was withdrawn from our investment reserves in February This has proved to be a well-timed decision. It should be possible to put aside £9,000 towards Outreach charities this year. Budgeting has proved to be totally inaccurate over the years and cash flow and cash maintenance are my aims. I end my review by recommending that Jane Neame be reappointed as our Independent accounts examiner. She also looks after our payroll services. ## _**Gordon Craig**_ Page | 20 ## APPENDIX A: ACCOUNTS FOR 2024 AND THE INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT Page | 21 Furnl 8.618 FLffxI 4618 3218 1237 8511 Xl237 L130 6.691 L130 6.691 8297 19.035 31.105 1.355 249 31036 31036 428 5357 5357 321 135 327 L617 34 3￿5 665 740 4523 4359 326 1016 10.637 4523 4359 326 iOIG 10.637 3.(%9 1.993 2.1￿1 785 ioio TOT AL PAYIIEIITS: 3,218 0 225,722 214475 -9a1 -1.532 0 4513 -1.532 0 4513 0 1.407 Page | 22 S7 I R￿triE*d lni A55 775 n3.6#J 33 3.95611 74in 79S WartrAan r•A)J ¢L-. F. Page | 23 160.636 17.914 17.914 q386 4n6 17954 810 167 81 791.926 19222 •10.167 16 Page | 24 (HA￿Ty COMM￿￿oN Independent oxaminerfs report on tha F&Q thD WALES | accounts Soction A Indèp¢rnd•ni Examiner's Report Report to the trug¢eMI m•mb•rs ol The Par￿￿181 Chwch c(M￿lI of 8t Marbn's arKI St Pa￿.$ On accounts for the Y￿rI31 O•Gernte" 2￿4 •nded , Charfty no Irf any) 1133979 oul ￿ p•g¢g 1 to 4 l¢Xe to fw) I r8POrt io 'the ￿￿St&￿S tx my exarninatKJn ol tfre ac¢otrts of the above charrty nhE Tru5t'l the year ended 31 f1212024. ReSPDn¥ibilities basls ol report As the charit￿5 trustees YDU ar8 resp￿Sibl8 for thè prèpafaliort of ttre *¢count$ In 8ct>xd•nce wrth the requifemerts of tha Chantias Act 2011 AcV>. I report in w ¢1 my exwnirffjlw of the TNst's acojunts carried under sethon 145 of the 2011 Act arKI In caryiro out my oxafflinatson. I havp followed all appli¢abSe DireGtsons giver. by the Charrty Commi￿10￿ nder sec*on 145(5',1?i of the Acl. Independent I have o)m*ted my examination. I confirm that po maleqal mahrs h•Yé 0xamin9￿S statom•nt Como lo my attenb'on in ￿)￿naCtIon wrth thè ex￿in3t￿)￿ giv￿ ne cauFe tv bd*ve that ￿. eny material res￿. the acGourrting reGords *tre not kept in 8crxxdanc8 with 130 ol the C1•arrt￿$ Act. or ac£ount6 rrfll accnfd *Ath the accounting records.. or the acGount5 OKI ￿1 comply with the aP￿Icable requirements corKorrring Ihe fom and cortont of a¢courts set out in Ihe Ch3rilie¥ IAGcounts and Raportsl Re9Jati¢ns 2008 other than any requiremenl ￿￿t th8 accounts give a and fair vithw which Is a mattsr )nsthred as part of an independent eXaMinat￿n I nave no ￿nc•M$ and have Corre acFw$ no other matters in cOnT￿￿or vjith the eXaMinat￿n lo which attenticfi shou&J b6 drawin in this réport In lo pnabb a yr4)e' unL*$t•Mding of Ihp Ip be re3GtEd. S￿￿d. Dato: 21JON2.?25 N•me: IArn J C Neame R•l•vaTrt prof•Mlonal , In*itutE of Ch•rtpred ACC￿nI•nts m Ery14￿ ar#J W•les qualMcatlon{sl or body (If ary): Addre66: 52 Ham Sha**Attendances**
***Unless stated**|**ST MARTIN**|**ST PAUL**|**PARISH**| |---|---|---|---| ||||| |Usual Sunday Eucharist|18 Adults
01 Child|81 Adults
08 Children
25 Online|99 Adults
09 Children| ||||| |SP@TT
2023Average|N/A|20 Adults
16 Children|N/A| ||||| |St Paul’s Evensong and
Supper
2023Average|N/A|65 Adults
03 Children
36 Online|N/A| ||||| |Usual Wednesday
Eucharist|N/A|16 Adults|N.A| ||||| |Thursday Midday
Prayers (2024average)|04|N/A|N/A| ||||| |Easter Day Eucharist
2024*|35|169|204| ||||| |Christmas 2023* (Eve &
Day)Worshippers|31|119|150| ||||| |Baptisms|05 Children
01 Adult|08 Children
05Adults|13 Children
06Adults| ||||| |Weddings2023|02|01|03| ||||| |FuneralsinChurch|03|02|05| ||||| |Funerals at
Crematorium or
Cemetery|00|07|07| Page | 26