## **Annual Report and Financial Statements of the Parochial Church Council for the year ended 31 December 2023** ## **Incumbent** Sophie Chatten ## **Bank:** Barclays Bank Plc 19 Princess Street Plymouth ## **Independent Examiner:** Tony Jopson & Co. 246 Peverell Park Road Plymouth PL3 4QG ## **Registered Charity Number:** 1134139 ## **The Parish Church of Charles with St Matthias and St Simons** **‘St Matts Plymouth’** North Hill, Plymouth, PL4 8HF **stmplymouth.org.uk** **1** # THE **EVANGELISATION** OF THE NATIONS THE **REVITALISATION** OF THE CHURCH AND THE **TRANSFORMATION** OF SOCIETY # **ANNUAL REPORT OF THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023** _(presented Sunday 21st April 2024)_ ## **‘CHARLES WITH ST MATTHIAS AND ST SIMON ’** ## **Diocesan ID - 9187 Registered Charity Number - 1134139** **PURPOSE -** St Matts is a **City Centre Resource Church** with a vision to play it’s part in the: The **EVANGELISATION** of the nations; The **REVITALISATION** of the Church; The **TRANSFORMATION** of society. **MISSION -** St Matts aims to fulfil this vision through four operating lenses: **KNOW GOD** - We want everyone to come into a personal relationship with Jesus. We do this principally through our **Sunday Services** and encouraging people in their own personal faith journey. **FIND FREEDOM** - We want everyone to grow in their relationship with God and to discover freedom and life. We believe this happens supremely in community with others in midweek **Small Groups** where we can grow in life, faith and friendship. **DISCOVER PURPOSE -** We want everyone to discover their purpose in life. We do this through our **Join the Adventure sessions** providing people with an opportunity to learn how to get the most out of their faith and how God has made them. **MAKE A DIFFERENCE** - We want everyone to get up and running living a life of service and blessing. Through our **Dream Team** of volunteers we hope to connect every person with an area of the church’s life that energises them, blesses others and spills out into other areas of their life. **2** **Background -** The church in its current format was launched on **25 September 2016** by Revd Olly & Ali Ryder and a small staff & volunteer team, at the invitation of the Bishops of Exeter and Plymouth in partnership with Holy Trinity Brompton, London. St Matts is part of the **Plymouth City Deanery** in the **Diocese of Exeter** in the **Church of England** and is based at the top of North Hill, Plymouth, PL4 8HF. St Matts has been in interregnum (vacancy) since Nov 2022 but Sophie Chatten was licensed as Priest-in-Charge to the parish on **29th February 2024** ! ## **Structure, Governance and Management -** St Matts is led by the **PCC** (Parochial Church Council). The method of appointment of PCC members is set out in the Church of England’s _‘Church Representation Rules’_ . All church attendees who consider themselves as belonging to the worshipping community of St Matts are encouraged to register on the Electoral Roll. All those on the Electoral Roll may stand for election on the PCC. The Church Council should reflect the diversity of the church and local community. PCC members are re-elected every three years. The Church Council has responsibility, alongside the Vicar, staff team, and lay pastors, of fulfilling the church’s vision. PCC members who served from **April 2023** until the date this report was approved are: ## **PCC Members** ## _**Ex-Officio Members**_ Vicar and Chairman Sophie Chatten (licensed 2024) Assistant Curate Mike Knight _**Church Wardens Elected annually up to six successive years**_ Steve Campion Elected 2023 Sally Pearson Elected 2023 _**Deanery Synod Members Elected every three years**_ Teressa Cornish **Treasurer** Elected 2022 Jeff Stephenson Elected 2022 ## **Safeguarding Representative** Mark Pearson Appointed 2023 _**Other Members Elected every three years**_ Dean Jacobs Elected 2021 [serving second term] Laura Fraser-Crewes Elected 2021 Neil Mawson Elected 2021 Beth Horton Elected 2021 Sam Ansell Elected 2022 Jonny Wilson Elected 2022 Janet Stirling Elected 2022 _Vacant_ Elected 2022 Lizzie Philips Elected 2023 Amy McCusker Elected 2023 Peter Horton Elected 2023 _Vacant_ Elected 2023 **3** ## **Co-Opted Members** Hannah Bowker **Secretary** [re-elected annually since 2017] Claire Worth **Staff - Executive Director** [re-elected annually since 2017] ## **Staf Team** _- (as of April 2024)_ Claire Worth Executive Director Mike Knight Associate Minister Vacant Worship Pastor Amy Wheeler Kids & Youth Pastor Lizzie Roberts Youth Pastor Intern Hannah Bowker Church Coordinator & Executive Assistant ## **- ANNUAL REVIEW 2023/24** St Matts has completed its **seventh** full year as a ‘ **HTB Network’ City Centre Resource Church** with a vision to play its part in the **‘evangelisation of the nations, the revitalisation of the church and the transformation of society’** by helping people to know God, find freedom, discover purpose and make a difference. The church has grown from a small group of 30-50 to a post pandemic level of 300+ every Sunday. 2023 was a full year of interregnum for St Matts. We are extremely grateful to so many people in the church who have stepped up in so many different ways to make the last year a success. Olly and family have been missed but many people have commented that it hasn’t felt that there has been an ‘Olly-shaped hole’ and that is thanks to the hard work of staff, PCC members, team leaders, team members, small group leaders- the list could go on. Thank you so much! We had three rounds of interviews for the position of Priest-in-Charge- thanks so much for persevering in prayer through all this, and thanks to the PCC and panel (especially Sally and Jeff) who were careful and faithful to discern who the right person would be for St Matts. It’s super exciting to have Sophie, Simon, Benjamin and Oliver joining the church family! Over the last year we’ve continued to meet and provide a space for encounter and encouragement with our whole church family and visitors at our **Sunday Services** offering both ‘in-person’ and ‘online’ provision. Over the year we’ve continued to have around 2-300 people gathering every Sunday in the building at the Ten and Five, as well as around 50-100 online over the course of a Sunday and 40-50 children/ young people. We’ve also continued providing smaller midweek communities for people to grow in faith and friendship through our **Small Groups -** this term there have been 30 groups. Over the year we have had some change on our staff team having said goodbye to Phil Jones, Noah Gilbert and Lucy Gilbert (who did not return to the team after maternity leave) - all three brought an immense amount to the church and the team and we are really glad that they are **4** all sticking around at St Matts albeit in a different capacity. We’ve also had the joy of having Lizzie Roberts join us initially to cover maternity leave and then as a SWYM (South West Youth Ministries) intern; Amy Wheeler has also returned to work after her maternity leave. **- Church Planting** In August the PCC made the decision (after an 18-month) discernment period) to commit fully to church planting at St Simons, Mount Gould. St Simons is now officially part of the St Matts family and parish (‘Charles with St Matthias and St Simons’). Mike Knight has been appointed as Associate Vicar and will have responsibility for launching St Simons whilst still having some involvement in the wider St Matts family. We are hoping to launch Sunday service on the pentecost weekend (19th May). **Looking ahead** - We are excited about all the God will do among us this year- as we continue to grow and encourage our Sunday Services, church family, small groups, teams and ministries with a new vicar in place and as we church planting at St Simons. **Love South West** - We are looking forward to another united weekend of worship, service and invitation as part of Love South West 2024 which will be held 17-19 May 2024 (https://www.lovesouthwest.org.uk/). We’ll gather again at Methodist Central Hall for a Kingdom Come night of worship and prayer on Fri 17th May (tickets available now); and encourage our church to run social action projects in our streets and local communities on Sat 18 May; and invite people to ‘Try Church’ at St Matts on Sun 19 May and launch St Simons at the same time! **Creation Fest** - We are looking forward to the whole St Matts family attending Creation Fest (1-4th August) - https://creationfest.org.uk/) for an extended weekend with churches across the South West for worship, teaching, prayer, fun and time together. As you read the rest of this report, we hope you enjoy and are inspired by all that God is doing in and through us and all that lies ahead. Thank you so much for being part of this family and this God-adventure by the sea! ## **- KNOW GOD Sunday Services CONTACTS** |**Database - ‘Join the Adventure’ cards**|**Database - ‘Join the Adventure’ cards**|**Database - ‘Join the Adventure’ cards**|**Database - ‘Join the Adventure’ cards**|**Database - ‘Join the Adventure’ cards**|**Database - ‘Join the Adventure’ cards**|**Database - ‘Join the Adventure’ cards**|**Database - ‘Join the Adventure’ cards**|**Database - ‘Join the Adventure’ cards**|**Database - ‘Join the Adventure’ cards**|**Database - ‘Join the Adventure’ cards**|**Database - ‘Join the Adventure’ cards**|**Database - ‘Join the Adventure’ cards**| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| ||**Jan**|**Feb**|**Mar**|**Apr**|**May**|**Jun**|**Jul**|**Aug**|**Sep**|**Oct**|**Nov**|**Dec**| |**2017**|387|450|494|543|604|639|657|667|702|743|865|902| |**2018**|935|996|1022|1040|1099|1116|1145|1161|1208|1251|1315|1363| |**2019**|1386|1401|1440|1438|1488|1500|1549|-|1584|-|1665|-| |**2020**|1719|1727|1785|1795|data cleanse||
1154|-|1148|-|1236|-| |**2021**|1246|cleanse|-|-|1250|1252|1256|-|1260||1374|-| |**2022**|1375|1402|1417|1446|1458|1483|1488|*archivin
g|1353|*archivin
g|1131|1138| |**2023**|1138|1176|1191|1223|1227|1224|1226|1234|1235|1267|1309|1318| |**2024**|1310|1323|1330|||||||||| |**Facebook - ‘Followers’**||||||||||||| |**2017**|633|685|762|797|825|852|862|894|980|1036|1059|1098| |**2018**|1109|1123|1155|1188|1217|1226|1248|1262|1337|1402|1424|1458| |**2019**|1482|1500|1521|1626|1628|1678|1688|-|1762|-|1825|-| **5** |**2020**|1828|-|1943|1971|-|-|1997|-|1941|-|2026|-| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |**2021**|2095|-|2089|-|2128|2022|2025|-|2133||2144|| |**2022**|2144|2100|2086|2096|2102|2106|2110|2134|2146|2158|2166|2170| |**2023**|2197|2206|2220|2227|2232|2235|||2192|2250|2300|2368| |**2024**|2399|2386|2381|||||||||| |**Instagram - ‘Followers’**||||||||||||| |**2018**|-|725|792|843|870|885|917|952|982|1024|1066|-| |**2019**|-|1144|1160|-|1207|-|1267|-|1342|-|1403|-| |**2020**|1447|-|-|1490|-|-|1507|-|1,510|-|1542|-| |**2021**|1560|-|1580|-|1601|1608|1611|-|1,618||1651|| |**2022**|1667|1676|1680||1691|1697|1703|1700|1699|1710|1724|1738| |**2023**|1740|1741|1743|1752|1756|1767|||1758|1763|1767|1770| |**2024**|1765|1750|1747|||||||||| ## **ELECTORAL ROLL** - (members of the church’s official register) **: 163** (as at 3rd Apr 2024). **SUNDAY SERVICES -** St Matts currently has two main Sunday services - **THE TEN** & **THE FIVE** with an average weekly attendance of around 350 people across the two services - 300 adults & 50 children - and a further 50-100 for ‘Church Online’. |**Average Main Service Attendance**|**Average Main Service Attendance**|**Average Main Service Attendance**|**Average Main Service Attendance**|**Average Main Service Attendance**|**Average Main Service Attendance**|**Average Main Service Attendance**|**Average Main Service Attendance**|**Average Main Service Attendance**|**Average Main Service Attendance**|**Average Main Service Attendance**|**Average Main Service Attendance**|**Average Main Service Attendance**|**Average Main Service Attendance**| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |||**Jan**|**Feb**|**Mar**|**Apr**|**May**|**Jun**|**Jul**|**Aug**|**Sep**|**Oct**|**Nov**|**Dec**| |**2018**|**TEN**|242|257|200|285|245|259|253|236|297|291|280|282| |**2018**|**SIX**|183|190|158|168|154|126|98|106|199|230|215|166| ||**Total**|**407**|**447**|**358**|**453**|**399**|**385**|**351**|**342**|**496**|**521**|**495**|**448**| |**2019**|**TEN**|332|311|306|297|269|321|291|257|321|319|299|213| |**2019**|**SIX**|229|254|208|177|200|172|148|127|240|227|220|201| ||**Total**|**561**|**565**|**514**|**475**|**469**|**493**|**439**|**384**|**561**|**546**|**519**|**414**| |**2020**|**TEN**|318|265|CO 298|
CO 351|
CO 267|CO 211|CO 172|
CO 120|
79|70|70|-| |**2020**|**SIX**|203|225|CO 157|
CO 87|
CO 66|Live 54|CO 44|
Live 31|
66|70|70|-| ||**YouTube**|-|-|-|418|497|441|354|393|340|366|464|569| ||**Total**|**521**|**490**|**455**|**856**|**830**|**706**|**570**|**544**|**485**|**621**|**644**|**569**| |**2021**|**TEN**|**-**|**-**|**-**|**-**|**104**|**74**|**63**|**-**|**-**|**TEN**|**150**|**272**| |**2021**|**SIX/Five**|**-**|**-**|**-**|**-**|**83**|**70**|**85**|**-**|**-**|**FIVE**|**40**|**87**| ||**SEVEN**|**-**|**-**|**-**|**-**|**-**|**-**|**-**|**-**|**-**|**SEVEN**|**90**|**119**| |**2021**|**Online**|**69**|**89**|**97**|**-**|**-**|**-**|**-**|**-**|**-**|**-**|**-**|**-**| |**2021**|**YouTube**|**235**|**262**|**219**|**-**|**358**|**133**|**170**|**-**|**-**|**YouTube**|**280**|**114**| ||**Total**|**304**|**351**|**316**|**-**|**545**|**277**|**318**|**--**|**-**|**-**|**560**|| |**2022**|**TEN**|**118**|**131**|**156**|**225**|**207**|**170**|**137**|**153**|**175**|**166**|**182**|**139**| |**2022**|**FIVE**|**96**|**124**|**147**|**108**|**132**|**98**|**98**|**55**|**65**|**132**|**109**|**168**| |**2022**|**YouTube**|**156**|**121**|**111**|**157**|**110**|**98**|**110**|**82**|**72**|**85**|**110**|**102**| ||**Total**|**370**|**376**|**414**|**490**|**449**|**366**|**345**|**290**|**312**|**383**|**401**|**356**| |**2023**|**TEN**|**159**|**175**|**138**|**197**|**144**|**136**|**148**|**136**|**118**|**138**|**152**|**131**| |**2023**|**FIVE**|**88**|**100**|**105**|**71**|**70**|**100**|**96**|**86**|**96**|**73**|**80**|**179**| |**2023**|**YouTube**|**72**|**70**|**79**|**109**|**133**|**138**|**103**|**88**|**88**|**110**|**120**|**119**| ||**Total**|**319**|**345**|**322**|**377**|**347**|**374**|**335**|**310**|**301**|**321**|**352**|**429**| |**2024**|**TEN**|**149**|**143**|**206**|||||||||| |**2024**|**FIVE**|**92**|**86**|**84**|||||||||| |**2024**|**YouTube**|**79**|**82**|**103**|||||||||| ||**Total**|**320**|**311**|**393**|||||||||| **6** **BAPTISMS -** It’s been a joy to welcome people into the Christian faith and join with them as they publicly affirm their faith in Baptism. |**Baptisms and Reafrmations of Baptismal Vows**|**Baptisms and Reafrmations of Baptismal Vows**|**Baptisms and Reafrmations of Baptismal Vows**|**Baptisms and Reafrmations of Baptismal Vows**|| |---|---|---|---|---| ||**Spring**|**Summer**|**Autumn**|**Total overyear**| |**2017**|**19**|**5**|**1**|**25**| |**2018**|**7**|**-**|**10**|**17**| |**2019**|**17**|**12**|**8**|**37**| |**2020**|**0**|**2 (reafrmations)**|**0**|**2 (reafrmations)/**
**Covid**| |**2021**|**0**|**12**|**5**|**17**| |**2022**|**8**|**9**|**6**|**23**| |**2023**|**7**|**7**|**5**|**19**| ## **CHILDREN & YOUTH - Amy Wheeler (Kids & Youth Pastor) and Lizzie Roberts (Youth Pastor Intern)** The vision of our Kids and Youth ministry is to love and serve the children and young people of St Matts, to enable them to become wholehearted followers of Jesus Christ. This is based on the scripture: ‘Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.’ (Proverbs 22:6) On Amy’s return from Maternity leave it was decided that she would take on the oversight of the youth work at St Matts. Lizzie Roberts who covered Amy and Lucy’s (Previous Youth pastor) Maternity leave was kept on as she wanted to do an internship with South West Youth Ministries (SWYM). Amy has been overseeing Lizzie’s work in running the majority of the Youth work for St Matts. Lizzie’s internship with SWYM finishes at the end of August 2024. We are hoping to have another intern for September 2024. This year we are focusing on building faith, having fun and establishing friendships. ## Age groups & rooms For Kids Church, we have Preschool (2 - 4.5 year olds) meeting in the lower hall, Foundation - Year 4 (4.5 - 9 Year olds) meeting in the upper hall and Year 5 and 6 (9 - 11 Year olds). Our Year 5 and 6 children stay in church for worship then they all head up to the library for their session. Our young people (11-16s) meet in the Church for worship then gather in the youth room for their session. The inclusion team has expanded, with almost every week having a one-to-one helper for children with additional needs. Recently Amy did some training with Urban Saints all about supporting children with additional needs. She will be implementing many of the resources and knowledge she gained from that. A notice board in the corridor of the Hall will have information on how we can support anyone with additional needs coming to Church. ## Attendance On an average Sunday we get between 30 - 50 children attending the 4 age groups with 20 young people. For our youth club Fusion we have between 8 and 10 that regularly attend. Curriculum For the Preschool room the emphasis is on play and creative based learning. We are still really enjoying the Scripture Union resources which Amy is currently creating a 3 year plan for that **7** room, so planning will be a lot easier for the future. For Foundation - Year 4 the main objective is to create a foundation of knowledge in discipleship and fellowship amongst their peers and leaders. We finished using the Scripture Union materials and may revisit that in the future. We did try the Big Start Assemblies materials but after a meeting with the Leaders it was decided that Amy could write the curriculum for Foundation - Year 4 to save money on buying materials and for ease of use for the volunteers. Year 5 and 6 the overarching principle is to prepare the children for being a Christ following young person. Amy has been writing the curriculum for Year 5 and 6 room and has been focusing on spirituality and discipleship. Youth are currently using the curriculum from South West Youth Ministries (SWYM) called TAG, which stands for ‘Transforming A Generation’. This has a discipleship focus and is very accessible for young people of faith and no faith background. ## Team In Kids Church, we currently have 31 volunteers on team, 25 female and 6 male, 2 of which are under 18 helpers. We are continuing to develop junior leaders to help regularly on a Sunday morning with younger aged groups. In our Youth groups, we currently have 6 volunteers that lead Sunday sessions, 3 female and 3 male. Lizzie runs Fusion with 2 volunteers, 1 male and 1 female. ## Light Party Around 70 children turned up with their parents and carers to our Light party. It was decided last year that there would be a joint Light party for Kids and Youth. We had a bouncy castle, candy floss, glitter tattoos, craft, face painting and a lot more. The majority of the children were not attending St Matts at the time. Lizzie gave a short message on Jesus being the light of the world and we are called to be a ‘City on a hill’ which the song of the same title was played to conclude the evening. ## Schools Lizzie helped to continue the great relationship with Prince Rock school and Amy has re-established a relationship with Mount street school. These assemblies are a form of outreach and create a strong connection in the community. Amy visits both schools once a term. Lizzie has been tasked with establishing a stronger link with Plymouth High School for Girls. We have in previous years hosted them for their christmas carol concert. This has been a joy to do for them, but we would like to help them with their Christian Union and possibly other activities for them like assemblies in due course. ## Mini-Matts Amy, Lizzie and Mike have been running a weekly parents/carers/toddlers group in the Church Hall. It’s a space for parents and carers to connect, enjoy coffee, cake, conversation and mutual support and encouragement and for their children to have a safe and fun place to play and grow in friendships. We have a lovely group of childminders and a group of parents who have formed social groups. Amy has been using her background in Early years education by adding themes and activities to the sessions. Our numbers attending has increased from an average of 10 regular parents/childminders to 20 with our busiest week having 31 adults and 45 Children. **8** ## Vision/Next Steps Amy and Lizzie have done extensive reorganisation of our Kids resources to ensure storage has been used effectively and volunteers find it easier to access resources. This will continue with Amy meeting volunteers regularly to ensure they have the right resources in place. There will be changes to Fusion to make the Hall a more inviting place and to have small groups for discussions on Monday evenings. This will be more of a christian hang out rather than replicating what we do on Sundays. We hope to invite speakers to share and have themed evenings like testimony week. Amy has been connecting with Transforming Plymouth Together to organise events in the school holidays to help with the issue of holiday hunger. Lizzie is taking the Youth and Year 5 & 6 on a holiday camp called Spree South West in June. It is the first time St Matts young people will be going on this trip. Our social media channels will be getting more regularly updated to show the church community and wider Plymouth area what our children and young people do in their sessions. We will also be releasing a termly Kids & Youth newsletter to keep parents and anyone else interested in what our children and young people are doing. We would like to do some outreach events where we can connect with the local community. These would be holiday clubs and celebration events for the community to join in. We hope to deepen our connection with the local schools by offering more resources and reaching out to more schools in our local area. **SAFEGUARDING** - All those working with children and youth are expected to have **DBS disclosures** . St Matts has a **Child Protection Policy** and an **Equal Opportunities Policy.** Any concerns regarding children’s safety should be referred to our **Safeguarding Representative** , **Mark Pearson - safeguarding@stmplymouth.org.uk** |**Children & Youth- Average Weekly Service Attendance**|**Children & Youth- Average Weekly Service Attendance**|**Children & Youth- Average Weekly Service Attendance**|**Children & Youth- Average Weekly Service Attendance**|**Children & Youth- Average Weekly Service Attendance**|**Children & Youth- Average Weekly Service Attendance**|**Children & Youth- Average Weekly Service Attendance**|**Children & Youth- Average Weekly Service Attendance**|**Children & Youth- Average Weekly Service Attendance**|**Children & Youth- Average Weekly Service Attendance**|**Children & Youth- Average Weekly Service Attendance**|**Children & Youth- Average Weekly Service Attendance**|**Children & Youth- Average Weekly Service Attendance**| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| ||**Jan**|**Feb**|**Mar**|**Apr**|**May**|**Jun**|**Jul**|**Aug**|**Sep**|**Oct**|**Nov**|**Dec**| |**2017**|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|56|57|59|46| |**2018**|69|67|65|86|66|71|71|69|92|84|81|70| |**2019**|81|87|116|73|69|87|62|60|89|81|71|64| |**2020**|78|64|74|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|--| |**2021**|98|112|75|-|-|78|81|29|72|54|43|63| |**2022**|45|48|52|48|58|51|57|36|48|45|52|28| |**2023**|37|42|37|45|42|40|42|18|32|41|40|42| |**2024**|39|38|38|||||||||| |**Children & Youth- Total Contacts on Database**||||||||||||| |**2017**|-|-|96|96|97|97|97|97|180|189|198|211| |**2018**|219|242|259|274|308|314|331|357|387|418|435|444| |**2019**|467|481|499|523|532|563|561|568|575|-|591|-| |**2020**|612|623|644|641|-|-|642|-|-|-|-|-| |**2021**|-|-|-|-|637|-|649|||||-| |**2022**|668|673|676|680|688|707|711|592|602|604|606|612| |**2023**|612|621|625|629|634|637|641|645|647|652|659|660| |**2024**|664|666|668|||||||||| |**YOUTH NIGHTS**||||||||||||| |**2020**|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|8|16|-|18| **9** |**2021**|-|-|-|5|7|8|7||-
-|-|9|9| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |**2022**||6|8|9|10|9|-||-
10|10|8|6| |**2023**|7|8|6|8|8|6|7||-
8|10|7|7| |**2024**|10|11|10|||||||||| ## **STUDENTS - Revd Mike Knight** - We love students and are super thankful for the many who commit to being part of the St Matts Family. **Student Night** - Student Nights are the highlight of student life at St Matts. We meet weekly on a Thursday evening with around 20-40 students for time to hang out, worship together, hear from scripture or on particular topics and chat/ pray in our small groups. Highlights of the year included our packed out ‘Testimony Takeover nights’ and end of year Beach BBQ at Bovisand with over 60 people attending. We said goodbye to a huge year group for final year students in the summer so it has been a bit of a rebuilding year and we’ve loved seeing a good group of freshers getting involved this year- and particularly getting stuck in quickly with teams, serving and sharing as part of the church community. = **Vision/Next Steps** - As Mike transitions towards a new role leading at St Simons the Student team are taking on responsibility for running Student nights with Hanne Deakin coordinating this team. We will now start to look for a new Student Pastor for the next Academic year - there is so much opportunity (to reach out to the 35,000 students at Plymouth’s three universities) and St Matts holds an important position as we sit right at the heart of the student area of the city. |**Students - connected with community (Facebook Group)**|**Students - connected with community (Facebook Group)**|**Students - connected with community (Facebook Group)**|**Students - connected with community (Facebook Group)**|**Students - connected with community (Facebook Group)**|**Students - connected with community (Facebook Group)**|**Students - connected with community (Facebook Group)**|**Students - connected with community (Facebook Group)**|**Students - connected with community (Facebook Group)**|**Students - connected with community (Facebook Group)**|**Students - connected with community (Facebook Group)**|**Students - connected with community (Facebook Group)**|**Students - connected with community (Facebook Group)**| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| ||**Jan**|**Feb**|**Mar**|**Apr**|**May**|**Jun**
|**Jul**
|**Aug**
|**Sep**|**Oct**|**Nov**|**Dec**| |**2017**|-|-|-|-|-|-
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|-|-|178|184| |**2018**|189|196|206|214|207|207
|209
|213
|218|234|240|-| |**2019**|-|255|259|-|-|-
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|-|-|272|-| |**2020**|-|-|-|295|296|297
|298
|295
|305|313|313|312| |**2021**|313|314|-|-|308|308
|306
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|-|-|308|-| |**2022**|309|307|305|307|307|307
|307
|308
|309|306|305|303| |**2023**|300|299|296|293|290|289
|289
|289
|289|290|290|288| |**2024**|288|288|288|||||||||| |**Instagram -@stmstudents**||||||||||||| |**2021**|-|-|-|-|-|-
|-
|-
|-|-|401|-| |**2022**|419|422|430|433|439|439
|439
|436
|434|445|469|471| |**2023**|473|474|475|472|468|465
|465
|466
|466|487|495|495| |**2024**|495|494|492|||||||||| |**Student Nights - Thursday nightgathering during term time for food, worship, message, discussion, prayer**||||||||||||| |**2019**|-|67|50|40|41|-
|-
|-
|52|59|47|-| |**2020**|45|57|-|-|-|-
|-
|-
|-|68 (in
person)|42
(online)|45
(online)| |**2021**|37
(online)|40
(online)|-|50|52|46
|-
|-
|40-60|40-60|40-60|-| |**2022**|-|40|45|45|49|49
|-
|-
|45|45|45|45| |**2023**|50|40|40|40|40|-
|-
|-
|30-40|30-40|20-35|45
christmas| **10** |||||||||||||party| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |**2024**
|35|35|35|||||||||| ## **- FIND FREEDOM Small Groups** **SMALL GROUPS - Revd Mike Knight (Curate)** - _Small Groups have one, simple purpose - to bring people together. We believe God created us to live in community with others and only then can we experience the full life he intends for us. Small Groups provide a place for us to_ _**connect with others** ,_ _**share life** , and_ _**grow in faith** together. We believe life-change happens in the context of relationships. Our belief and vision is that St Matts is a church_ _**of** Small Groups, not a church_ _**with** Small Groups._ Small group numbers have been slightly lower over the course of the interregnum year with c. 40 groups each term in 2022 and c. 30 groups currently). However many of those that have been running have seemed to be more committed and vibrant than ever before. We have an opportunity now to begin to strengthen our current small group leadership and encourage wider sign up to this vital part of church life. I’d love to develop our small group training further (with smaller groups of leaders meeting more regularly for discipleship and shared learning so that we continue to grow our groups as places of deeper discipleship, closer community and mission. |**SMALL GROUPS**|**SMALL GROUPS**|**SMALL GROUPS**|**SMALL GROUPS**|**SMALL GROUPS**| |---|---|---|---|---| |||**SPRING**|**SUMMER**|**AUTUMN**| |**2017**|**GROUPS**|28|28|24| ||**LEADERS**|-|-|-| ||**MEMBERS**|154|181|135| |**2018**|**GROUPS**|34|33|48| ||**LEADERS**|-|-|65| ||**MEMBERS**|246|252|357| |**2019**|**GROUPS**|46|40|44| ||**LEADERS**|58|60|60| ||**MEMBERS**|329|315|353| |**2020**|**GROUPS**|52|44|50| ||**LEADERS**|60|54|62| ||**MEMBERS**|497|400|382| |**2021**|**GROUPS**|37|38|41| ||**LEADERS**|47|48|56| ||**MEMBERS**|319|290|360| |**2022**|**GROUPS**|43|41|44| ||**LEADERS**|55|52|48| ||**MEMBERS**|410|355|330| |**2023**|**GROUPS**|45|33|24| ||**LEADERS**|55|45|30| ||**MEMBERS**|345|251|286| |**2024**|**GROUPS**|26||| ||**LEADERS**|34||| ||**MEMBERS**|250||| **11** **ALPHA -** We encourage members of the congregation to share their faith with others in their everyday life. We also run the Alpha course as a more intentional way of providing an opportunity for people wanting to investigate Christianity or are new to faith. |**Alpha**|**Alpha**|**Alpha**|**Alpha**|| |---|---|---|---|---| ||**SPRING**|**SUMMER**|**AUTUMN**|**Total**| |**2016 attendees**|-|-|120|120| |**2017 attendees**|14|28|100|142| |**2018 attendees**|11|6|70|87| |**2019 attendees**|-|-|90|90| |**2020 attendees**|60|30|23|113| |**2021 attendees**|29|?|?|29| |**2022 attendees**|50|-|-|50| |**2023 attendees**|20|-|-|-| |**2024 attendees**|-|||| **MAKE A DIFFERENCE -** Every member of St Matts is encouraged to serve on the **DREAM TEAM** whether it’s helping with Kids Church, Worship, Welcome, Production, Cafe, Students, Youth, Small Group Leadership, Prayer Team. **GIVING -** We would love to help everyone that calls St Matts ‘home’ and is part of the DREAM TEAM to develop Godly practices with their finances including — _‘earning diligently, spending carefully, saving wisely, and giving generously’._ We would love to grow the number of people worshipping God through their finances and enabling the vision of the church to grow through their ‘tithes’ and ‘offerings’ and we are very grateful for everyone who gives financially into the life of the church enabling us to flourish and grow as a church family and bless the city, region and further afield. |**GIVING: Number of individual monthly givers & monthly amounts given**|**GIVING: Number of individual monthly givers & monthly amounts given**|**GIVING: Number of individual monthly givers & monthly amounts given**|**GIVING: Number of individual monthly givers & monthly amounts given**|**GIVING: Number of individual monthly givers & monthly amounts given**|**GIVING: Number of individual monthly givers & monthly amounts given**|**GIVING: Number of individual monthly givers & monthly amounts given**|**GIVING: Number of individual monthly givers & monthly amounts given**|**GIVING: Number of individual monthly givers & monthly amounts given**|**GIVING: Number of individual monthly givers & monthly amounts given**|**GIVING: Number of individual monthly givers & monthly amounts given**|**GIVING: Number of individual monthly givers & monthly amounts given**|**GIVING: Number of individual monthly givers & monthly amounts given**|**GIVING: Number of individual monthly givers & monthly amounts given**|**GIVING: Number of individual monthly givers & monthly amounts given**|| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| ||||**Jan**|**Feb**|**Mar**|**Apr**|**May**|**Jun**|**Jul**|**Aug**|**Sep**|**Oct**|**Nov**|**Dec**|**Total**| |**2017**||**Givers**|45|34|52|50|52|60|58|57|54|70|85|82|58| |||**Amount**|4192|5627|8697|5123|5219|5806|7437|6771|6991|9831|9993|9145|84832| |**2018**||**Givers**|77|85|86|105|99|93|97|102|96|123|116|120|100| |||**Amount**|9207|12382|11372|13815|12536|11762|12004|12936|12037|14941|13000|14,376|150368| |**2019**||**Givers**|141|149|149|151|143|143|143|143|145|137|154|148|145| |||**Amount**|15,444|13,707|16,046|15,097|14,945|15,743|14,201|15,615|16,546|14,755|21736|18288|192123| |**2020**||**Givers**|147|132|162|162|161|150|147|136|138|138|152|140|147| |||**Amount**|19,034|14,385|20,563|14,607|16,000|17,885|16,359|14,312|14,866|14,439|17,356|17,452|197258| |**2021**||**Givers**|134|136|132|126|142|140|127|122|125|142|132|126|132| |||**Amount**|14273|18174|16933|13460|13210|15061|13,456|13,318|13,138|15,891|14782|15438|177134| |**2022**||**Givers**|130|132|170|143|152|139|173|135|141|157|148|171|155| |||**Amount**|15450|14938|19089|15810|16913|14586|16,438|14,457|15634|17829|14660|13993|189797| **12** |**2023**|**Givers**|135|131|130|139|130|131|126|115|112|131|113|107|125| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| ||**Amount**|14826|14166|13682|16347|14,231|15,083|13,420|13,041|13,352|13,617|13,338|12678|167781| |**2024**|**Givers**|111|104|||||||||||| ||**Amount**|13122|12664|||||||||||| ## **OTHER ACTIVITIES/REPORTS DURING THE YEAR** ## **Soup Run** - St Matts have now been supporting Plymouth Soup Run for 4 years making and delivering food to 4 locations across the city every other Tuesday evening. Over the last year we have seen numbers reach a peak, with almost 100 meals being provided on a regular basis during Autumn 2023 reflecting the increased need in the city. We have been blessed again this year by a group of longstanding and committed volunteers, many of whom but not all are members of St Matts and we are hugely thankful for them. We are grateful for the £2.5k of church funds that have enabled us to serve over 2000 hot meals this year, alongside cash donations of around £1,500, clothing and sleeping bags. This has allowed us to maintain the same level of service to those in need despite increasing costs. The new stove and storage cupboards have also made a real difference to our efforts thanks to the generosity of the church and Jerry Morris’ sterling efforts. Soup Run continues to provide an outlet for service and community for those in the church who are motivated to be involved in social action and to demonstrate the love of God. We would be happy to talk to anyone who would like to contribute to this ongoing ministry. **MISSIONS -** St Matts ‘tithes’ 10% of it’s income to other local, national and international charities and mission organisations including: **- 2% - Trevi House / Sunflower Project** (https://trevi.org.uk/) - Trevi is a nationally award-winning women’s and children’s charity based in St Matts parish, Plymouth providing safe and nurturing spaces for women in recovery to heal, grow and thrive. **- 2% - Shekinah** (https://shekinah.co.uk/) - South West charity providing opportunities for people who are experiencing all forms of homelessness. **- 2% Creation Fest** (https://creationfest.org.uk/) - regional Christian festival supporting and encouraging the church in the South West. **- 2% - Church Planting Fund** - a fund to support and enable church planting in and around Plymouth through St Matts. **- 1% - St Matts ‘Acts 4 Fund’** - a fund providing small grants for St Matts members in financial hardship - **1% - St Matts ‘Missionary Fund’** - a fund providing small grants to support St Matts members with missionary endeavours. **13** ## **ST SIMONS MOUNT GOULD -** In December 2021 the derelict church of St Simon’s Mt Gould (Edith Avenue, PL4 8TJ) legally became part of St Matts. The PCC agreed with the Diocese of Exeter to an 18 month period to assess the longer term viability of developing a new worshipping community at the church, restoring the buildings and serving the area. In August 2023 St Matts PCC officially agreed to church plant at St Simons Mount Gould. Mike Knight has been appointed as Associate Vicar with responsibility for St Simons and we are hoping to launch Sunday services on the 19th May as part of the Love South West weekend. Do get in touch if you are interested in this exciting endeavour, and especially if you live over towards St Simons. Considerable work has been accomplished over the years by dedicated volunteers. As well as generally maintenance of the site and upkeep of the gardens we have also installed new inner doors, made repairs to the external doors, and repaired stone tile flooring. We look forward to getting going with some larger projects (particularly installing heating and a PA) which will make the building more welcoming as we enter into the next season of church life. The midweek service continues with around 20-30 people, monthly Sunday hangouts have varied (with 30-40 during the summer months but much fewer over the winter) and our Christmas Carols by Candlelight service was attended by well over 200 people with standing room only at the back! ## **BUILDINGS & MAINTENANCE REPORT - Claire Worth (Executive Director) -** The Church site and buildings have continued to be used in many different ways; The Church Hall has continued to be used for AA meetings, cooking and preparation for the bi-weekly Soup Run and providing pastoral care, support, friendship and advice. The Church Building is in full swing with Sunday services, Alpha, Student nights, St Mellitus College, Kingdom Come and other ad hoc events. **Last year's wins! -** 2023 saw us complete some big projects that have been in the pipeline for many years. The toilet project was finished on time and within budget. This has made a big difference to the site and the users. It has been so nice to have a fully functioning, warm and clean space that is accessible to all. In addition, the sale of Dale Gardens not only allowed us to finance this project, but also gave us 3 months of operational reserves and some additional funds to invest back into the life and ministry of St Matts. **AA -** Since lockdown and beyond, we have seen an increase in the number of people attending the Alcoholics Anonymous ‘Road to Recovery’ group in the Church Hall. The group continues to meet twice a week with over 100 members coming each week. **Site Maintenance** - We were able to recruit a volunteer handyman who has been working hard to keep the grounds and garden area clean and tidy. There are some other church family members who have offered to help in this way so the team is building slowly but surely. **Flat roof in upper hall -** The flat roof in the fire escape section of the upper hall (by the kitchen) had been leaking for some time. We have now had this replaced and the inner roof plastered and decorated. This will enable access to the disabled toilet. **14** **Roof in the Church -** As many of you will be aware, the roof in the church is slowly showing more and more leaks as the year progresses. With such wet weather, these leaks have gotten worse and we are getting quotes from various roofing contractors to see what needs to be done. This will likely be quite an expensive project and we are looking at grant/ matched funding opportunities to aid us with this. **Cleaner -** We currently have an individual cleaning for us on a weekly basis, which is a cost saving in comparison to the various companies we have used over the last few years. We will keep an eye on this and assess our needs as required. ## **FINANCE REPORT - Teressa Cornish (Treasurer)** - During the year, the charity received a total income of £322,118. Although the majority of this was voluntary giving, £26,862 was received from hall rental and £48,734 was profit generated from the sale of the investment property at Dale Gardens. Operating expenditure in the year amounted to £339,306. This includes costs of £47,995 to refurbish the toilet facilities in the church building. In addition, £19,948 of depreciation was charged in the year. As a result of the significant deficit brought forward from 2022, substantial efforts have been made during the year to reduce operating expenditure. Despite the additional challenge caused by continued cost increases, expenditure in 2023 was approximately £40,000 less than the previous year. A considerable drop in regular giving of approximately £20,000 reduced the net impact of these savings on church funds. The church is currently operating with a monthly deficit of around £1,500. The monthly operating deficit in 2022 was £4,500. Plans are in place to increase giving and further reduce costs in 2024, with the aim of achieving a balanced budget. The investment property at Dale Gardens was sold during the year. Proceeds of sale totalled £194,734. £75,000 of this has been used to establish a designated reserves fund, in accordance with the organisation’s reserves policy. £47,995 was used to cover the cost of the toilet refurbishment. The remaining £71,739 was allocated to general funds to offset the negative balance brought forward from 2022 and to cover the anticipated 2023 deficit. There were no capital purchases in the year. The 3 separate charities controlled by the Vicar, Churchwardens and PCC were dissolved during the year. The associated endowment accounts relating to these charities were closed and all funds were transferred to the church reserve account, where they are temporarily being held as general funds. The PCC will continue to decide how to utilise these funds to fulfil the purposes for which they were originally intended. During the year, £3,379 was added to the church planting fund, which now stands at £72,241. £1,689 was used to establish a new mission fund to support individuals wishing to undertake **15** short term mission projects. £1,689 was also allocated to the hardship fund; ‘The Acts 4 Fund’ is available to support members of the congregation in financial difficulty. The balance of this fund is currently £8,222. £8,294 of funds held for youth and media were used to offset some of the salary costs of the Youth Pastor and Media Coordinator during the year. After the deduction of the £106,671 former endowment funds awaiting further allocation (see above), the general fund year end balance stands at £19,172. ## **Investment policy** In accordance with the charity’s governing document, the Trustees have the power to invest funds in any investments that they see fit. The policy is to adopt a low risk strategy whilst maximising returns. The Trustees are satisfied with the performance of the investments held and that the policy adopted remains adequate and appropriate. ## **Reserves policy** It is the policy of the trustees to maintain unrestricted funds, which are free reserves, at a sufficient level to secure the continued provision of normal charitable activities for a maximum period of six months. Teressa Cornish Treasurer **16** **Safeguarding -** The PCC has complied with the duty under section 5 of the Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure 2016 (duty to have regard to House of Bishops’ guidance on safeguarding children and vulnerable adults). **Trustees’ Responsibilities -** Charity law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity at the end of the year and of the surplus or deficiency for the year then ended. In preparing those financial statements, the trustees are required to select suitable accounting policies, as described later in the accounts, and then apply them on a consistent basis, making judgements and estimates that are prudent and reasonable. The trustees must also prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue. The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011. The trustees 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. ## **Independent Examination** A resolution to appoint Tony Jopson & Co. as independent examiners for the ensuing year will be proposed at the next APCM during which the financial statements are approved in accordance with the Charities Act 2011 On behalf of the PCC Sophie Chatten, Priest In Charge Date **17** INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCILOF CHARLES WITH ST MATTHIAS YEAR ENDED 31 ' DECEMBER 2023 I report on the attached accounts of the Parochial Church Council I'PCC") for the year ended 31 December 2023, in respect of an examination carried out under regulation 3 of the Church Accovntin8 Regulations 1997 to 2001 and Section 145, Charites Act 20111"the 2011 Act"). Respective responsibilities of trustees and exominer The chariV5 trustees (members of the PCCI are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. They consider that an audit is not required for this year under Section 144 of the 2011 Act and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to.. examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act- to follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners lunder section 14515llbll of the 2011 Act- and to state whether particular matters have come to my attention. Bt¥Si5 of Independent Examinerfs Stotement My examination was carried oul in accordarice with the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and comparison of the accounts presented with these 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 rsot provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit. and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present è 'true and fair view" and the report is limited to those matters as set out in the statement below. Independent Exominerfs Statement In connection with my examination. no matter has come to my attention.. iii 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 2011 Act. and to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act, have not been met.. or 121 to which. in my opinion. attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Ll A P Jopson, FCA Date IFellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales) Tony lopson & Co Ltd, Peverell Corner, 246 Peverell Park Road, Plymouth, PL3 4QG 18 **The Parochial Church Council of Charles with St Mathias, Plymouth** ## **FINANCIAL STATEMENTS** ## **Year Ending 31 December 2023** ## **STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES (SOFA)** |Note
**Income from**
Donations and legacies:
Regular giving
2
Other voluntary receipts
3
Church activities
4
Investments
5
**Total Income**
**Expenditure on**
Church activities
6
**Total Expenditure**
**Net income / (expenditure)**
**before investment gains / (losses)**
**Net gains / (losses) on investments**
**Net income / (expenditure)**
**Transfers between funds**
**Transfers in of 3 charities**
Assets controlled by PCC
**Net movement in funds**
**Total funds brought forward**
**Total funds carried forward**
12|**General**
**Designated**
**£**
**£**
**Unrestricted Funds**|**General**
**Designated**
**£**
**£**
**Unrestricted Funds**|**Restricted**
**Funds**
**£**|**Endowment**
**Funds**
**£**|**Total Funds**
**2023**
**£**|**Total Funds**
**2022**
**£**| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| ||197,067
0
53,170
3,384|17,050
0
0
48,734|2,713
0
0
0|0
0
0
0|216,830
0
53,170
52,118|238,340
0
43,696
67| ||**253,621**|**65,784**|**2,713**|**0**|**322,118**|**282,103**| ||318,320|11,117|29,817|0|359,254|356,834| ||**318,320**|**11,117**|**29,817**|**0**|**359,254**|**356,834**| ||**-64,699**
**0**|**5,933**
**48,734**|**-27,104**
**0**|**0**
**0**|**-85,870**
**48,734**|**-74,731**
**-11,812**| ||**-64,699**
**219,648**
0|**54,667**
**-114,666**
0|**-27,104**
**1,689**
0|**0**
**-106,671**
0|**-37,136**
**0**
0|**-86,543**
**0**
0| ||**154,949**|**-59,999**|**-25,415**|**-106,671**|**-37,136**|**-86,543**| ||**-29,109**|**208,929**|**105,765**|**106,671**|**392,256**|**478,799**| ||**125,840**|**148,930**|**80,350**|**0**|**355,120**|**392,256**| **19** The Parothlal Churth Coundl of Charfe5 wlth St Mathlas, Plymouth FINANCIAL STATEMEiirs Ymr Endkng 31 O•c•mb•r 2023 frALANCISNEET Freehold InY•stm•ni wop•rty Furnlture. Ok1vres ind frttlrq¥ Audjo ￿lU41 eoul?ment In¥*srm?nts 17,491 31374 35,453 44.363 IC6.671 59J67 JJ2887 Debrors Cash on depo Cash •t b•nk•Thl In h•nd io 11,616 263.030 27.691 22,3C4 19.019 70JJi Fillln8du¢thn ¢myur 51770 Jss,uo )91256 Falllni duelfter m¢w¢than on¢ vÈ•r J92 Fur Endowment lunth Des18nai•d lund5 Ae5Eritt¢d Ivnds Vnrestrtcted lunds IC6.6?1 108.929 105.76S -29.109 148.9x1 ,350 125 TO￿ J9 Th?fln•ntl•l sr•iwnentswwe Ipwo￿d bylhe Parochtslchwth C(wArtllon 2V3n024 ands*don bEhaWby Dr 5 Pear50n PCC Choir •A5 T Cor 20 ## **The Parochial Church Council of Charles with St Mathias, Plymouth** ## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Year Ending 31 December 2023** ## **1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES** ## **Basis of preparation** The financial statements have been prepared under the Charities Act 2011 and in accordance with Church Accounting Regulations 2006 together with the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice (Charities SORP (FRS 102)) and Financial Reporting Standard 102 (FRS 102). The financial statements have been prepared under the historic cost convention, except for the valuation of investment assets, which are shown at fair value. The PCC meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the PCC. ## **Going concern** The financial statements have been prepared on the going concern basis. There are no material uncertainties related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubts upon the PCC's ability to continue as a going concern. ## **Funds** General funds represent the funds of the PCC that are not subject to any restrictions regarding their use and are available for application on the general purposes of the PCC. Funds designated for a particular purpose by the PCC are also not restricted. Restricted funds are amounts which have been received by the PCC with specific directions concerning the way in which capital and any income arising are to be expended. Endowment funds are sums which are held by or on behalf of the PCC and where only the income can be spent, with the capital being retained permanently, or at the PCC’s discretion, and invested. The financial statements include all transactions, assets and liabilities for which the PCC is responsible in law. They do not include the accounts of the church groups that owe their main affiliation to another body nor those that are informal gatherings of church members. ## **Income** _Donations and legacies:_ Planned giving, collections and general donations are recognised only when received. Gift aid recoverable on donations is recognised when the donation is received. Grants and legacies to the PCC are recognised as soon as the PCC is notified of its legal entitlement, the amount due is quantifiable and its ultimate receipt by the PCC is probable. 20 **21** ## **The Parochial Church Council of Charles with St Mathias, Plymouth** ## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Year Ending 31 December 2023** _Charitable activities:_ Income from church fee income is recognised when the fee is due. Income from activities is accounted for gross. _Other trading activities:_ Rental income is recognised when the rent is due. Where income is received in advance, it is recognised in the year in which the event takes place that it relates to. _Investments:_ Interest entitlements are accounted for as they accrue. Dividends are accounted for when due and payable. ## **Expenditure** _Raising funds:_ Expenditure on raising funds is accounted for on the accruals basis. Raising funds includes the costs of the investment property. _Charitable activities:_ Expenditure on charitable activities is accounted for on the accruals basis. The diocesan common fund is accounted for when payable. Any unpaid amount at 31 December is provided for in these accounts as an operational (although not legal) liability and is shown as a creditor in the balance sheet. Grants are accounted for when paid over, or when awarded, if that award creates a binding obligation on the PCC. ## **Tangible fixed assets** _Consecrated land and buildings and moveable church furnishing:_ Consecrated and beneficed property is excluded from the accounts by s10(2)(a) of the Charities Act 2011. No value is placed on moveable church furnishings held by the churchwardens on special trust for the PCC and which require a faculty for disposal since the PCC considers this to be inalienable property. All expenditure incurred during the year on consecrated or beneficed buildings and moveable church furnishings, whether maintenance or improvement, is written off as expenditure in the SOFA and separately disclosed. _Freehold property:_ Freehold property is valued at purchase price. In the opinion of the PCC members, depreciation of freehold properties would be immaterial and has not been charged. The members carry out an annual impairment review, and in their opinion no provision is necessary in respect of the value at which freehold properties are included in the financial statements. _Other fixed assets:_ Other fixed assets are recognised at cost. Individual assets with a purchase price less than £1,000 are written off when the asset is acquired. Depreciation has been provided on other fixed assets on a straight-line basis in order to write off the cost of the assets over the following estimated useful lives: - Fixtures and fittings - 10 years - Computers and equipment - 5 years 21 **22** ## **The Parochial Church Council of Charles with St Mathias, Plymouth** ## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Year Ending 31 December 2023** ## **Investment properties** Investment properties are included in the balance sheet at their open market value in accordance with FRS 102 and are not depreciated. ## **Investments** Investments are a form of basic financial instrument and are initially recognised at their transaction value and subsequently measured at their fair value as at the balance sheet date using the closing quoted market price. The SOFA includes net gains and losses arising on revaluations and disposals throughout the year. ## **Debtors** Amounts owing to the PCC at 31 December in respect of fees, rents or other income are shown as debtors less provision for any amounts that may prove uncollectible. These are recognised initially at the settlement amount. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid, net of any trade discounts due. ## **Cash and cash equivalents** Cash and cash equivalents include cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks, and other shortterm liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less. ## **Creditors** Creditors are recognised when the PCC has an obligation at the balance sheet date as a result of a past event, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefit will be required in settlement, and the amount of the settlement can be estimated reliably. Creditors are recognised at the amount that the PCC anticipates it will pay to settle the debt, or the amount it has received as advanced payment for the goods or services it must provide. ## **Financial instruments** The church only has financial assets and liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments. All (including debtors and creditors) are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently measured at their settlement value. 22 **23** **The Parochial Church Council of Charles with St Mathias, Plymouth** ## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS** ## **Year Ending 31 December 2023** |**2**
**Regular giving**
Planned giving inc. envelopes
Collections at services
Income tax recovered
**3**
**Other voluntary receipts**
Government COVID relief grants
Love Your Neighbour & Covid relief giving
Donation to youth and media
Hardship fund
**4**
**Income from church activities**
Statutory fees - weddings, funerals, etc.
Miscellaneous
Gross income (solar panels)
Gross income (hall lettings)
Gross income (letting 18 Dale Gardens)
**5**
**Income from investments**
Profit from sale of investments
Dividends & interest
Bank interest received
**Total Income**
**6**
**Expenditure on charitable activities**
Ministry: common fund
Church running expenses
Church maintenance
Upkeep of services
Music and production
Parish hall – services and maintenance
Events and other parish expenditure
Youth / student work
Maintenance costs – 18 Dale Gardens
Salaries and fees
Training
External giving
Depreciation
Administration
Accountant’s fees
**Total Expenditure**|**General**
**Designated**
**£**
**£**
**Unrestricted Funds**|**General**
**Designated**
**£**
**£**
**Unrestricted Funds**|**Restricted**
**Funds**
**£**|**Endowment**
**Funds**
**£**|**Total Funds**
**2023**
**£**|**Total Funds**
**2022**
**£**| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| ||165,453
3,473
28,141|15,150
0
1,900|2,457
0
256|0
0
0|183,060
3,473
30,297|198,824
0
39,516| ||**197,067**|**17,050**|**2,713**|**0**|**216,830**|**238,340**| ||0
0
0
0|0
0
0
0|0
0
0
0|0
0
0
0|0
0
0
0|0
0
0
0| ||**0**|**0**|**0**|**0**|**0**|**0**| ||372
20,722
5,214
25,996
866|0
0
0
0
0|0
0
0
0
0|0
0
0
0
0|372
20,722
5,214
25,996
866|1,408
13,545
0
23,543
5,200| ||**53,170**|**0**|**0**|**0**|**53,170**|**43,696**| ||0
1,859
1,524|48,734
0
0|0
0
0|0
0
0|48,734
1,859
1,524|0
0
67| ||**3,384**|**48,734**|**0**|**0**|**52,118**|**67**| ||**253,621**|**65,784**|**2,713**|**0**|**322,118**|**282,103**| |||||||| ||67,637
16,227
55,068
4,515
8,716
20,001
3,643
5,089
866
117,355
1,098
10,209
0
7,496
400|0
834
9,845
294
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
144
0|0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
8,294
0
1,575
19,948
0
0|0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0|67,637
17,061
64,913
4,809
8,716
20,001
3,643
5,089
866
125,649
1,098
11,784
19,948
7,640
400|56,918
13,708
20,758
6,283
10,908
23,925
13,623
6,177
1,581
155,046
1,829
13,600
19,948
12,529
0| ||**318,320**|**11,117**|**29,817**|**0**|**359,254**|**356,833**| **7 Transactions with PCC members and related parties** - None of the members of the PCC were remunerated or reimbursed for their expenses in their capacity as PCC members. - Hannah Bowker was paid £18,540 for her role as Church Centre Manager. Claire Worth was paid £38,625 for her role as Executive Director. - During 2023, the PCC received £27,708 in donations from Trustees. The donors did not attach any conditions to their gift which required the charity to significantly alter the nature of its existing activities. **24** **The Parochial Church Council of Charles with St Mathias, Plymouth** ## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS** ## **Year Ending 31 December 2023** |**8**
**Tangible fixed assets**
**Cost or valuation**
At 1/1/23
Additions
At 31/12/23
**Depreciation**
At 1/1/23
Charge for the year
At 31/12/23
**Net book value**
At 31/12/2023
At 31/12/2022
**9**
**Investments**
Household of Faith
Victoria Almshouses
Charles Plymouth Relief in Need|**Investment**
**Property**
**A/V & IT**
**Equipment**
**Furniture,**
**Fixtures &**
**Fittings**
**Total**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
146,000
119,887
79,595
345,482
-146,000
0
0
-146,000|**Investment**
**Property**
**A/V & IT**
**Equipment**
**Furniture,**
**Fixtures &**
**Fittings**
**Total**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
146,000
119,887
79,595
345,482
-146,000
0
0
-146,000| |---|---|---| ||0
119,887
79,595
199,482|| ||0
75,524
44,143
119,666
0
11,989
7,960
19,948|| ||0
87,512
52,102
139,614|| ||**0**
**32,374**
**27,493**
**59,867**|| ||**146,000**
**44,363**
**35,453**
**225,816**|| ||**Market Value**
**31/12/23**
**£**
0
0
0
**0**|**Market Value**
**31/12/22**
**£**
34,247
30,682
41,742
**106,671**| - These investments were held in separate charities and were shown on the church's balance sheet as they were under the control of the Vicar, Churchwardens and PCC, in line with guidance from the Diocese. - These charities were disolved during 2023 and the balances held were transferred to the church general fund, as directed by the PCC. **10** **11** **12** |**Debtors**
Gift Aid reclaimable
Prepayments
Rent due
Solar feed-in
Other debtors
**Creditors**
Fees due
Other creditors
Accrued expenses
**Funds**|**31/12/23**
**£**
2,175
0
7,551
0
1,890
**11,616**
**31/12/23**
**£**
229
1,846
5,010
**7,085**|**31/12/22**
**£**
10,157
3,777
6,600
0
8970| |---|---|---| |||**29,504**| |||**31/12/22**
**£**
64
5,774
5,223| |||**11,061**| |||| |General unrestricted
Designated for church planting
Designated property investment
Designated mission
Designated reserves
Restricted youth & media
Restricted hardship fund
Restricted fixed assets
Endowment funds - 3 separate charities|**Bal b/fwd**
**Income**
**Expenditure**
**Transfers**
**Bal c/fwd**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
-29,109
253,621
318,320
219,648
125,840
62,929
17,050
11,117
3,379
72,241
146,000
48,734
-194,734
0
0
1,689
1,689
0
75,000
75,000
20,557
8,294
12,263
5,395
2,713
1,575
1,689
8,222
79,813
19,948
59,865
106,671
-106,671
0| |---|---| ||**392,256**
**322,118**
**359,254**
**0**
**355,120**| **25**