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**Welcoming all to walk with Jesus** **Report to the Annual Parochial Church Meeting for the year ended 31 December 2025** ## **Church Office:** The Vineyard, 18-20 Charlestown Road, Glossop SK13 8JN 01457 853330 www.whitfieldparish.org ## **Charity Number 1134145** 1 Annual Report 2025 – FINAL ## **Vicar’s Report** Rev Chris Neilson **Hebrews 10:23-25a** _“[23] Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.[24] And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,[25] not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another”_ ## **Faithful Church** I love God’s Church and I am privileged to share this part of it with so many brilliant and faithful people. My over-whelming feeling as I write this report is of so many people in this parish who give, serve, pray, encourage and love one another. This is the church and may our fellowship of love and good works continue and flourish. I know people pray for me, amongst many other things, which blesses and humbles me more than anyone can know. We have a church of faithful people. I could mention many but need to pay particular attention to Hilary Collard and Martin Galvin in all the hard work and humble support they have gifted to this church as wardens, aiding my settling in the parish more than I could ever deserve. Thank you as you step aside from your roles this year. I remember particularly some faithful and dearly loved church family members who we have lost this year. Let us all continue to “Welcome all to Walk with Jesus”, as they did. I have seen faithfulness in the generosity of folk, as our giving has increased again. Turning concern into celebration. God, the Holy Spirit, has been faithful in drawing new people to our church. Talk of a ‘quiet revival’ in the church is not bypassing ourselves. As individuals are being drawn to faith and church, looking for hope and faith in Jesus, I pray that we can faithfully witness to them and support them to walk with Jesus in our fellowship. ## **Activities** There are lots of different activities in our churches, supported by a bunch of good and faithful people. Our Growth Groups have been supported by Martin Dowland’s very helpful notes and faithful folk who lead these groups. Our Growth Groups are admired by other churches in Glossopdale, and we will explore how we may develop a network of growth groups with the other churches in the next year. We continue to have strong relationships with our mission partners. Quarterly visits help us to celebrate their successes and stand with them in support and prayer as they work to see God’s kingdom come. 2 Annual Report 2025 – FINAL ## **Vicar’s Report** ## Continued…. We seek to grow younger as a congregation, investing in young peoples and family work. We thank Rebecca Wilson for all her support as she completes her second year of training. Kingdom Kids on Sunday, 6:30 kids in the week, Roots and TnT is a busy programme. We need to work more on youth discipleship and build on the promise of The Ark and Messy Church at Dinting. We will work with other churches in the valley on the wider Growing Faith work to do this. Coffee Pot’s warm and welcoming space has built and consolidated relationships and supported other work in the parish. Whitfield Café continues to reach out to community folk locally and Grace Kitchen serves those who need some extra support. These all help us with our vision to serve our community. Fresh people, vision, ideas and resources will help to sharpen our focus and support further growth. Eco church’s bronze award is a huge encouragement for a project that I hope will continue to flourish and grow (forgive the pun) as it complements our witness and broader expression of mission. ## **Church Growth** New people, new team and more folk coming to know Jesus will require us to focus and co-ordinate our efforts to capitalise on the faithful service and generosity of the parish over the year. I’d like to see more growth with The Ark, a new expression of worship for families and young people, a deepening of fellowship with more small groups, working more with our fellow churches in the valley and seeing more people make first steps of faith in our Start Courses. I look forward to establishing a new team and new leaders in many areas of our activity and witness, which I hope will create new avenues to welcome more to walk with Jesus. 3 Annual Report 2025 – FINAL ## **Church Warden’s Report** Hilary Collard and Martin Galvin It has been a privilege to serve as Church Wardens during 2025, a year in which faithful commitment has both encouraged and supported us. In 2024 Chris embarked upon the final year of his renewable term of office and we anticipated the appointment of two further stipendiary clergy in the valley. The Bishop of Derby was delighted to announce Chris’ appointment as Priest-in-Charge of Whitfield on a permanent basis, taking effect on 25[th] September. This was immediately followed by the licensing of David Ridley at Glossop Parish Church on 27[th] September (with responsibility for All Saints and St Andrew’s, Hadfield) and Laura Neilson at Holy Trinity on 23[rd] November (taking part-time responsibility at Dinting and St John’s, Charlesworth). With a full complement of clergy, the Diocese is now embarking on necessary legal changes whereupon they will become incumbents rather than priests-in-charge. It is our expectation that, with a team of ordained ministers in place in Glossopdale, Chris will be able to focus more on Whitfield Parish whilst collaborating with David and Laura when appropriate and practicable. Whilst giving thanks for these significant appointments we were saddened to lose Suzanne Gregory, our Parish Administrator for over four years. Having been offered a fulltime teaching job, she left at the end of November with our good wishes and thanks, and the recruitment process began to appoint someone new to the role. We were delighted to see Sue Clapham appointed early in the New Year. On the subject of administration, the decision was taken to replace Church Suite with iKnowChurch as our church management software because everything is included in the one package and iKnowChurch links to _A Church Near You_ , which is where St James’ and St Luke’s now have individual websites. In the coming months we will all need patience and understanding as we become accustomed to significant changes relating to parish administration. We are grateful to all who assist in leading worship. Special thanks go to those who prepare the churches, arrange flowers, serve refreshments, and support our liturgy week by week. The prayer life of the parish continues throughout services, meetings and home groups, which remain an important source of fellowship and spiritual growth. Daily readings and prayer reflections are now posted on WhatsApp; weekly prayer meetings take place in St Luke’s on Monday mornings; our four main mission partners join us annually to share and receive prayer and a parish prayer day was organised on 22[nd] November. St James’ is now open for an hour on Fridays for private prayer and contemplation and a Start Course has been running for those wanting to think more deeply about life, ask questions or search for something more. Pastoral care remains at the heart of our calling. Clergy and lay members have faithfully visited the sick, elderly, and housebound. We give thanks for those who coordinate meals, transport and practical support where needed, both in private residences and care homes. Our churches continue to serve the wider community through baptisms, weddings and funerals, each offering an opportunity to share God’s love at significant moments in people’s lives. 4 Annual Report 2025 – FINAL ## **Church Warden’s Report** ## Continued… It has been particularly sad to report the loss of several long-standing members, and personal friends, from our congregations during this year and we continue to pray for and offer support to their families. Community events —including the Easter Peg Hunt, Glossfest 25, Family Fair for Cystic Fibrosis (organised by a church member), Whitfield Community Fun Day, Well Dressing and Lantern Parade and Christmas Carols in Norfolk Square — have strengthened our presence in the parish and the town. Furthermore, activities and events in the Vineyard and both churches, booked by various organisations, provided welcoming spaces for many and opportunities for us to grow relationships and extend invitations to church events and services. We engaged further with the neighbours of St James’, and particularly those who use the footpath through the churchyard, by conducting a survey and gained the A Rocha UK Eco Church Bronze award at each church after building bug hotels amongst other required environmental goals. Maintaining historic buildings is an ongoing challenge and the care of our churches remains a significant responsibility for us and the PCC, who meet bi-monthly to oversee the worship, mission, finance and fabric of the parish. We would like to thank all PCC members for their thoughtful contribution, diligence and commitment and extend our sincere gratitude to all volunteers who serve quietly and faithfully behind the scenes. Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, “for everything there is a season” and, as Chris announced at last year’s APCM, our term as Churchwardens is drawing to a close and we are stepping down at this year’s APCM. So, we complete our report as we started by saying it has indeed been a privilege to serve the church in this capacity for the last 3-4 years. We are grateful to have been given this opportunity and thankful for the love, prayer and support we have received during that time. _Romans 12:6 “We all have different gifts, according to the grace given to us…. if it is to serve, then serve….”_ 5 Annual Report 2025 – FINAL ## **Treasurers Report** ## Andy Hackett ## **2025 Financials** **Figures per Management Accounts** In our first outlook for 2025 our finances were looking familiar to the last few years with an initially challenging picture. However, with the sharing of our financial position, we were blessed with continuing generosity from our congregations that together with gift aid tax relief resulted in a giving amount of £122,923. Together with rental and other income, we had a total income of £145,099. Our total expenditure was £145,278 as detailed above which was an increase of £9,263 versus 2024. These cost increases came from our commitment to increase our Common Fund payment by £5,000 versus 2024 to get towards the requested amount and an increase in costs in relation to our Youth Ministry work. Overall, this resulted in a small deficit of £179 for the full year ending 31st December 2025. Please note that in the financial statements there is a slightly bigger deficit due to a lower amount of gift aid accrued in 2025 vs 2024. 6 Annual Report 2025 – FINAL ## **Treasurers Report** Continued… As a result of this deficit, our general (unrestricted) cash reserves at the end of 2025 reduced slightly from £73,122 to £72,944. The Charity Commission recommends holding 3 months of expenditure in our general reserves which equates to £39,000. More detailed figures relating to 2025 can be found in the Financial Statements for the year ended 31st December 2025 within this overall report. ## **Looking forward to 2026 and 2027** Giving is currently expected to slightly increase over the next 2 years following the commitments made by many of our regular donors to our Pledge Day in November 2025. We have worked hard in the last few years to reduce our costs, but there are now fewer options. The new heating system in St Luke’s has yielded faster heat up times and lower energy costs per session and a warmer church, so even with more activities happening in St Luke’s we have kept our costs similar year on year. We are continuing to slowly increase the Common Fund that we pay to the Diocese by £5,000 per year to get closer to the requested amount. Overall, for 2026, we are currently forecasting a deficit of £7,000 and for 2027 a deficit of £12,000. On these current forecasts, our reserves will reduce to £54,000 at the end of 2027 which, fortunately, is still higher than 3 months of costs of £40,000 as guided by the Charity Commission. As such, to break-even giving will need to increase by 8.9% during the next 2 years which could include new giving. Whilst we are in a significantly better position than where we were 3 years or so ago, we still need to grow in numbers, both financially and in those coming to know and worship Jesus, and to grow spiritually and missionally. The PCC thanks everyone for their generosity, help and support in getting us to this improved position. ||||| |---|---|---|---| ||**2025**
**Actuals**|**2026**
**Latest Forecast**|**2027**
**Latest Forecast**| |Giving Income|£ 123k|£129k|£129k| ||||| |Other Income|£ 22k|£ 20k|£ 20k| ||||| |**Total Income**|**£ 145k**|**£149k**|**£149k**| ||||| ||||| ||||| |**Total Costs**|**£145k**|**£156k**|**£161k**| ||||| ||||| ||||| |**Defcit**|**(£ 0k)**|**(£ 7k)**|**(£ 12k)**| ||||| ||||| ||||| |**Reserves**|**£73k**|**£66k**|**£54k**| **Figures per Management Accounts** 7 Annual Report 2025 – FINAL ## **Grants Report** Andy Hackett In 2025, £500 was raised in grants. These funds are restricted solely for the usage they were given. Knowing church funds are increasingly tight and seeing that funding was still available for community work, the grant application secured enables Grace Kitchen to continue to be sustainable into the future and to enable this ministry to grow and expand further to help those who are struggling in our community. Below is a table showing the source of grants received, the amount and for which area of mission: |mission:||| |---|---|---| |Source of Grant|Amount|Mission Area| |Neighbourly (Sainsburys)|£ 500|CommunitySupport Grant for Grace Kitchen| ## **PCC Report** Elaine Richardson Whitfield PCC has continued to conduct its business effectively whilst retaining an atmosphere of laughter and fun. In 2025 we reviewed and developed a range of policies and procedures that ensure we follow the Charity Commission best practice and have safe and robust arrangements for the work we do in our community. We continued to agree arrangements that make good use of our buildings and supported the installation of the new heating system in St Luke’s Church. We also started investigations as to the most appropriate arrangements for the Trusts that hold responsibility for the Vineyard and Church House. Our adoption of our environmental policy and the work that we supported in our churchyards has started our journey to Eco Church awards. We were delighted to be able to confirm to the Archdeacon that we supported ending the interim arrangements on which Chris Neilson had been appointed and the licensing of him as full time stipendiary permanent Priest in Charge. We have also fed into discussions around the arrangements for Glossopdale and are pleased to be able to support Chris in working with the two new appointments to Dinting and Charlesworth and St Andrew’s and Old Glossop. We have also supported the development of ‘The Ark’, a Toddler Church initiative at St Luke’s and the use of social media to reach younger adult members of the community. We met every other month with one extraordinary meeting in March, and published the agenda for our meetings in both churches in advance with the draft minutes of meetings also displayed. We hope that the business we have conducted in 2025 has helped our parish grow through **Welcoming All to Walk with Jesus.** 8 Annual Report 2025 – FINAL At the APCM in 2025 we said goodbye to three members, with two members being reelected and one new member joining as Deanery Synod representative. Following the APCM Heather Kindleysides was appointed to the role of PCC Secretary, Andy Hackett to Treasurer and Elaine Richardson to Lay Vice chair. Our current membership is below and at the APCM in 2026 we have seven places up for election including three Deanery Synod members. |**Post**|**Name**|**Term Length**| |---|---|---| |Priest In Charge|Chris Neilson|Ex-Officio| |Curate|Vacant|Ex-Officio| |Warden|Hilary Collard|2025-2026| |Warden|Martin Galvin|2025-2026| |Deanery Synod|Heather Kindleysides|2023-2026| |Deanery Synod|Christine Peters|2025-2026| |Deanery Synod|Vacancy|2025-2026| |PCC|Elaine Richardson|2023-2026| |PCC|Joanne Swindells|2023-2026| |PCC|Sheila Humphrey|2023-2026| |PCC|Christopher Bowes|2024-2027| |PCC|Duncan Edge|2024-2027| |PCC|Jean Burston|2024-2027| |PCC|Matthew Gregory|2024-2027| |PCC|Andy Hackett|2025-2028| |PCC|Ann Williams|2025-2028| |PCC|Vacancy|| We want to thank all those that have served on the PCC in 2025 and look forward to another fruitful year in 2026. We encourage you all to read the PCC agenda and minutes and talk to any PCC member if you have any queries or wish anything to be raised. 9 Annual Report 2025 – FINAL ## **Safeguarding Report** Tracey Fellows – Parish Safeguarding Officer (PSO) **‘Safeguarding is everybody’s business – it is Gospel work’** quoted from the Church of England Safeguarding basic and foundation training modules. Safeguarding is about having the DNA and heart attitude of Jesus towards the safety and protection of the young and the vulnerable in our churches. It is not just a tick box exercise but a central theme and an essential aspect of pastoral and spiritual care. Overall responsibility for safeguarding at parish level lies with the vicar, supported by the PSO. The PCC has adopted promoting a safer church as its own safeguarding policy, it was last reviewed in September 2024. The Parish Safeguarding Action Plan was reviewed in November 2024. The PSO reported to the PCC in January 2025. Valuable administrative support has ensured that co-ordination of safeguarding training and DBS administration, both crucial aspects of safer recruitment, was shared out. Profoundly grateful thanks to both Sheila Humphrey and Heather Kindleysides for your hard work, support and commitment to this important work. Thank you to our volunteers who have followed the safer recruitment guidance and accessed face to face or online training. Latest versions of the Church of England’s Safeguarding documents can be found here: www.churchofengland.org/safeguarding/safeguarding-e-manual 10 Annual Report 2025 – FINAL ## **Fabric Report** Charlie Bishop ## **St Luke’s** There was only one job of significance – and what a job! A new heating system was installed – project managed by Andy Hackett. Getting quotes was interesting – small companies were scared stiff by the scale, and large ones thought they were installing for the size of Derby Cathedral. However, we found a suitable one following a site visit to a church known to me in Warrington. Andy Hackett and Richie Wellock did the mammoth task of boxing in all the pipework; and not only can we see the improvement, but our bodies can also feel it. ## **St James’** The entire wall to the right of the front door was in very poor condition, with water leaking onto the wall and floor of the stairs to the gallery. We all noticed the scaffolding and Steve Gill & Son did the repointing. They also undertook repairs to the bell tower roof inspection hatch, and to flashings and stonework to the southwest roof area. All we need now is a dry spell!!! Sandy Booth, Jan Edkins and I cleaned, repainted and re-stained the woodwork, plaques and walls inside and outside the lychgate. Also, there was replastering and repainting undertaken inside the church entrance. These areas now look inviting and cared for. ## **Both Churches** September saw the 2025 Quinquennial reporting take place. If someone can secure funding of approx. £40,000 per church, I’ll go through the recommendations with them. Otherwise, in view of the remedial work which has taken place over the last 5 years, we’ll concentrate on the smaller, manageable jobs – none of which are of immediate concern. 11 Annual Report 2025 – FINAL ## **Deanery Synod** Canon Nikki Goodhew – Lay Chair Area Dean – Rev’d Dr David Mundy (retired 31[st] July 2025), Assistant Area Deans – Rev’d Mark Griffin; Rev’d Louise Petheram; Rev’d Fiona Kouble (from 28[th] May 2025) **House of Laity** Number of Representatives as per Diocesan Formula – 76 Number of elected Representatives – 45 **House of Clergy** Number of clergy: 19 ## **Synod 2[nd] April 2025** At our April meeting Nikki invited us to consider questions of pastoral care, including what is distinctive about Christian pastoral care, how it is organised in our parishes, and where the boundaries are between what we do as friends and what we do as church members. A lively discussion ensued! We also said goodbye to Rev’d Canon Tony Kaunhoven prior to his retirement, and David spoke warmly about the many ways that Tony had provided leadership and support to parishes, the Deanery and the Archdeaconry over many years. ## **Synod 2[nd] July 2025** For this Synod meeting we were joined by Mandy Cornwall, Headteacher of St Andrew’s C of E Junior School in Hadfield, and Liz Seymour, Deputy Diocesan Director of Education. Mandy led our opening worship and then talked about the difference being a church school makes, and about the MACAWS project in St Andrew’s School which supports pupil wellbeing and mental health. Liz asked us to think about our church’s mission with schools, and how churches and schools can work together in partnership. Later in the meeting we agreed the Deanery accounts for 2024 and the budget for 2026. We also welcomed Fiona as an Assistant Area Dean, and although David was unable to be with us we thanked him for his contributions to the Deanery over many years and wished him well for his retirement, which Nikki conveyed to him after the meeting. ## **Synod 12[th] November 2025** We welcomed Alison Fletcher from Derbyshire Rural Chaplaincy to our November meeting to talk about the work of the chaplaincy, and some of the issues facing the agricultural sector in our diocese and how we can support it. We then split into small groups to discuss our parish’s links with the farming community, and these discussions were then shared together. Mark also congratulated Nikki on her appointment as a lay canon of Derby Cathedral, and we heard a cautionary tale from one parish urging us to check our electrical systems are suitable before installing new appliances or heating systems! At the end of 2025 we were still waiting for the appointment of a new Area Dean, and in February 2026 it was announced that Rev’d Fiona Kouble would be taking on this role. We look forward to welcoming Fiona as Area Dean at our next Deanery Synod meeting. 12 Annual Report 2025 – FINAL ## **Missional Partnerships** Judith Woodward Jesus asked his disciples to go into all the world with the Good News, we are not all called to go to new countries, but we can all move outwards in our prayers and financial giving. As a parish we have four main Mission Partners: Tear Fund and Open Doors with global reach, Dave Maguire’s mission is to Romania and lately Ukraine, and nearer to home is Embassy Village for the homeless in Manchester. Our aim is to have visiting speakers from each of these charities once a year. The PCC is responsible for managing the giving from the parish tithe. In addition, there is a small team who gather prayer news and meet to pray three times a year for our mission partners. Everyone is welcome to join us in prayer then. News and prayer notes are forwarded to Growth Group leaders after each prayer meeting, please ask them for copies. Also, the Mission Partners’ display board in both churches is kept updated. It is always encouraging to listen to speakers from our partner charities and praying together is a good way to maintain consistent prayer support. Our ambition is to inspire more involvement with local and world missions, to encourage the fellowship of agreement in prayer. From Paul in Colossians 4, _“Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving …pray for us that God may open a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, that I may make it clear.”_ ## **Eco Church** Chris Peters and Suzanne Gregory The Eco Church programme supports churches in taking practical action to care for God’s creation and the environment. Organised by A Rocha UK, the bronze, silver and gold award levels of Eco Church each cover five key areas of church life: Worship and teaching, Buildings and energy, Land and nature, Community and global engagement, and Lifestyle. In 2025, we relaunched the Eco Church programme across our parish, beginning with a lively parish brainstorm meeting in February. Throughout the year, we have been blessed and encouraged by many people from both our congregations who have helped us in understanding what we are already doing as a parish that contributes towards the bronze award, and to plan and run new activities. The dedicated work by those who nurture and care for our church grounds and flower borders throughout the year, and building bug hotels in the church grounds, have helped us towards the ‘Land and nature’ category. 13 Annual Report 2025 – FINAL Many of the activities that count towards the Eco Church awards also provide us with opportunities for working within our local community, e.g. litter picking with The Bureau and Whitfield Womblers, organising the Easter Peg Hunt in Howard Park, providing refreshments for Whitfield community events, open-air services in Norfolk Square, making bug houses and planting seeds with 6.30 Kids, and work in our local primary schools. We achieved the bronze award for both St Luke’s and St James’ churches in December 2025 and are now working towards the silver award. 14 Annual Report 2025 – FINAL ## **Children, Youth and Families** Rebecca Wilson **Kingdom Kids** runs alongside our normal Sunday services in both churches. In St Luke’s we have a small number of kids who come regularly. They are new this year which is exciting. We have a growing team which is allowing us to run sessions every week. We sometimes go into the back, read the Bible, make crafts and sing songs, other weeks we stay in church and provide packs that have a Bible story they can explore themselves and some little crafts they can do if they are more comfortable staying in the service. In St James’ we have a larger group of kids who come regularly, but you rarely get them all at the same time. We are struggling to get enough people on the team, and our current volunteers also do other jobs in church on a Sunday morning as well. Due to this we are only taking the kids out on the first and third Sundays in the month. On the second Sunday I am staying in church, in the kids corner at the back, and we are quietly doing some crafts and chatting about the theme of the service. I want to say thank you to all the volunteers for the time and effort they put in, we couldn’t run it without them. My hope for this year is that we can continue to grow the young people that come to St Luke’s and we can grow the team for St James’. **Roots** is our High School and older group. We meet on Sunday evenings from 5-6.30pm. The group is run by myself and Chris Neilson, with a team of volunteers who support us. We provide a space for the young people to come and feel safe, we play games with them, chat with them about their week and what is going on in their lives. We also have a dedicated space where we look at God. At the moment we are working through a book called “We are Satellites” which looks at different themes and how they are important in our lives, but also in our relationship with God. The big highlight from last year was going to Satellites in the summer. Satellites is a weeklong camp in Bath where the young people were able to join with hundreds of other teenagers their age. They had big group worship sessions, there were seminars, workshops and activities all afternoon. It was a fantastic experience. My hope for this year is that we can go back to Satellites, and that we can continue to see the young people grow in their relationship with God. A massive thank you to everyone on the team for all the time and effort you put in. 15 Annual Report 2025 – FINAL ## **Outreach Activities** ## **6.30 Kids** is our Primary School aged group. We meet on Thursday evenings from 6:30-7:45pm. The group is run by myself with a small team of volunteers. We create a space where we can introduce them to God, explore ideas and answer questions. We play games and do crafts and get to know the children that come along. Some positives from last year are that we have started to see them engage really positively in the “God spots” we do. We also ran a light party at Halloween which went really well and we got lots of positive comments from the parents as well. My hope for this year is that we can grow the team, so we can run more consistently and continue to see the children grow in their faith journey. I also hope that we can start to get the parents more involved as well. A huge thank you to everyone on the team for all the time and hard work you put in. ## **T’n’T (Tea and Toast) and Messy Church at Dinting** We also work with Dinting supporting them in their children’s and youth ministry outreach. We support them at TNT, the after school drop in on a Friday. We provide a safe space for teenagers to come get some toast and hot chocolate, play games, do crafts and chat with the volunteers. We get anywhere from 30-80 children each week, some stay for the whole time, some just pop in. It is run by a dedicated group of volunteers from Dinting, Whitfield and St John’s. It has been really encouraging to see the young people grow up and some of them have started to come along to Roots as well. We also support them with Messy Church which they run once a month. We have around 15 children plus their families come and we do activities for them on the theme for the month, then we have a Bible story and sing some songs before we have tea together. It is run mainly by volunteers from Dinting. The numbers fluctuate each month but it was really encouraging towards the end of the year we had 3 months where the numbers were really high. Annual Report 2025 – FINAL **The Ark** Debbie Seel The aim is to introduce pre-school children and their families to Jesus. The first meeting took place on 20/3/2025 and ran each Thursday until Christmas, ending with a crib service on 24/12/2025. The event is advertised by fliers, posters and Facebook. The team is made up of the following roles: greeter at registration, connectors, prayers, servers, cleaners, organizers and valediction. The following themes have been engaged: Lost and found, God’s love, The open gate, summer holiday crafts, Miracles of Jesus, Characters of the nativity during advent. Activities and toys are arranged for the children to enjoy between 1:30-2:30pm. A craft activity in line with the story is available throughout. At circle time all in attendance gather in the chancel for a story, action songs and fun together. Everyone is then invited to have a snack in the backroom, which is nutritious and well received. Throughout the year the numbers in attendance have varied greatly but have recently settled above 14 toddlers. It is often families that attend rather than individuals which is very encouraging and means we have more than 30 people in church. After all the children and their carers have left we pray together and tidy away. Evidence of the children’s activity is posted and arranged around church for the encouragement of the congregation. Resources are regularly cleaned and work is currently taking place to categorize and store them better. The engagement at circle time is key to measuring our success in meeting the aim. It is important to get enough participants, but a much more significant matter is the presence of the Holy Spirit. There have been many occasions when the evidence has been clear that children are aware of His presence amongst us. The aim for 2026 is to strengthen the team, grow in numbers and see converts. 17 Annual Report 2025 – FINAL ## **Growth/House Groups** Martin Dowland I prepare study notes based on the Sunday sermon series chosen by Chris, which Growth/House Group leaders have the option to use as a basis for their studies or choose other teaching materials as most appropriate for their groups. There are eight groups altogether, two of which meet in the Vineyard, five in private homes and one online either weekly or fortnightly, some during the day and others in the evening. ## **An example:** The Peveril Court group has continued to meet weekly at Pat and Laurie Gill’s (and occasionally at Hilary Collard’s) for most of the year, under the leadership of Laurie and myself. However, the Lord took dear Laurie to be with Him in glory early in the New Year 2026 soon after we had decided to meet fortnightly. The group carries on but in changed form to grow in grace and in the knowledge of God’s word, missing Laurie enormously but very conscious of all he gave us over many years, with his clear example of Christian manhood and discipleship. We are now almost entirely female and in the second half of life! If anyone would like to alter this by joining an otherwise wonderful group, you will be very welcome … Have a word with me or any of the other members. 18 Annual Report 2025 – FINAL ## **In Our Community** ## - **Coffee Pot at St Luke’s** Cynthia Jones and Gill Booth Looking at Coffee Pot Reports from 2008 onwards (earlier records also exist) some things have changed over the years, but hopefully not the warm welcome. At first, we served cakes with coffee, now the merry band of volunteers exercise their gifts of hospitality in pairs, serving toast, crumpets or fruit loaf with coffee, tea (including specialty teas), hot chocolate or a cold drink, with some taking the opportunity to have their breakfast. The cornerstone of Coffee Pot is not only the weekly gathering but a time and place where friends, and not yet friends, can come together to share fellowship, lift each other up spiritually, sharing and caring, but importantly, praying for others when the opportunity arises. Not only being a blessing to others but being blessed. A small charge enables us to donate to many good causes. During 2025 we donated a total of £695 to Dave Maguire, Stephen Bell, Open Doors, Cystic Fibrosis, Tearfund, Christian Aid, Embassy and Christmas Gifts for children in Whitfield, and we continue to make regular contributions to The Ark. We hope to serve our great coffee, tea and toast for many years to come. ## **Grace Kitchen** – John and Ann Midwood Grace Kitchen continues to provide a warm and safe place for local residents. On arrival warm drinks and biscuits are available. A sandwich lunch with tea, coffee or a cold drink is provided free of charge, together with a bag of groceries donated by local supermarkets. The Team Leader is Martin Galvin and the volunteers are, Judith Woodward, Sandie Mann, Mari Brown, David Leigh, Catherine Cowley, Liz Strek and ourselves. We are grateful to St James’ School for their continued support and donations of food for the Harvest Festival. With thanks also to the congregations of St Luke’s and St James’ for their generous donations. Our guests help with the setting up of the tables and chairs once the team has cleared away the food bags ready for collection. 19 Annual Report 2025 – FINAL We continue to support a vulnerable single mum by providing a bag of groceries and takeaway sandwiches, which are collected by a local carer. We have several guests who drop in now and again and would encourage members of the local community, who are in need of support to come along to Grace Kitchen. If you would like to join the volunteer team or know of anyone interested in getting into volunteering, please let any member of the team know. ## **Whitfield Community Café** – Jo Galvin – Along with myself, the volunteers John and Marilyn Butterworth, Stephen Brown, Judith Moore, Ruth Bennett, Julia Tinson and Bee Oliver – can sometimes struggle with the workload. Despite being elderly, they are truly amazing. The aim of the Café is to provide a safe space for all people of all ages in the Glossop and surrounding areas where they can enjoy a free cuppa with cake, have a chat and a laugh. Our aim is to gently present the gospel. We do this by running Easter and Christmas parties as well as offering a listening ear to anyone who is struggling with personal problems. We offer prayer where we feel it’s appropriate. Our service users are committed to the café both in their attendance and by their generous support, bringing cakes and every now and then a cash donation towards our events. The Vineyard provides an excellent space to run the café. In April 2026, I will be stepping down as Team Leader. We are at present looking for my replacement. We are also looking for new volunteers. 20 Annual Report 2025 – FINAL ## **Whitfield Parochial Church Council** ## Objectives, Governance and Structure The primary object of Whitfield PCC is the promotion of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to the doctrines and practices of the Church of England, in co-operation with the Priest In Charge, Reverend Christopher Neilson, to promote in the parish the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. Whitfield Parish has four buildings: the Churches of St James the Great, Hollincross Lane and St Luke, Fauvel Road; Church House, Fauvel Road and The Vineyard, 18-20 Charlestown Road. Whitfield Parish is part of the Peak Deanery in the Diocese of Derby. The correspondence address is The Vineyard, 18-20 Charlestown Road, Glossop, Derbyshire, SK13 8JN. The PCC is a body corporate (PCC Powers Measure 1956, and the Church Representation Rules 2025). The PCC is a Registered Charity, number 1134145. The method of appointment of PCC members is set out in the Church Representation Rules. The Council comprises the Incumbent, the Churchwardens, those elected to the Deanery Synod, and other members who are elected at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting by those on the Electoral Roll. Members of the congregation are always encouraged to join the Electoral Roll, and to consider standing for election to the PCC. The PCC appoints a sub-committee to advise on all matters of finance. 21 Annual Report 2025 – FINAL WHrrFIELD CHURCH COUNCIL FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEM8ER 2025 WHITFIELD PAROCHIALCHURCH COUNCIL STATEMENTOF nNANCWi ACTMn£s Forthe year ended 31 December 2025 Totsl Fund4 2024 INCOME Voluntary I￿tomÈ Activrbesforseneraknsfund5 4ntomÈfrom InvÈstments 1,336 7,721 2.788 11,667 122,326 20,212 4,974 11,667 116.553 14,754 7.301 10.669 LILXI 717 11.391 Church xuvkfks Zd Total income 144,0 L817 13.3fl> 159.189 149,2n EXPENDttURf Churth attmties Rai￿n£tUn￿5 143.827 1.470 198,207 2.889 142,574 9,573 1.419 Toral expendiwre 145.297 55.609 20L1196 152.147 Inve5tmentgain5 11.2851 L627 1412491 141,W71 12.8701 112851 1.627 1422491 141JJ71 118701 NEfMOVEMENfiN WP4PS 11.2851 1.627 1412491 14L￿7} 12.8701 Totslfunds brwthfol￿rd 79.ST4 16.683 206.925 303.181 306.051 Tot31 (3r[1￿* forwar¥J 78.288 18.310 164.676 26L274 303.181 BAiAtKESHE 25 2024 FIXEDASS Tangib￿ fixed assets Investments 125.684 225,684 CURR£tIT ASSEIS Dobtors 5.821 113.950 16.089 6.722 147.479 23.416 177.617 Shorr term deposirs cash at bank and th hand Jnountsfaiiin8duewlthkn oneyear Z70 120 NEfcLIRRENT ASSETS la5.5￿* 177.497 ASSEfS 26L274 303,181 FUNDS Unresiricte 79,573 16.6 I(￿,9 303.121 DE518nated Restricted J&310 164.676 261,274 ThÈ att¥chÈd notes num d I to 8form part of these fina￿131 £laternÈErts Approved bythe PCC on.--.--.-- Marth 2026 and ￿gned ofttheir behalf by C Neilson PCC Chairperson .. AR Hackett PCCTreasurer WHITFIELD PAROCHIALCHURCH COUNOL 140TES TOTHE FINANCiALSTATEMEPITS Forthe yearended 31 December20Z5 I. ACCOUNTING POUOES The PCC Is a public benefrt Èntity wlthin the meani*g of FRS 102. The financkBI ststernents have been prepared uftderthe CharFbes Act 2011 and In 3ciordance wtth the Cbuich Accounting Regutstions 2(M)6 governingtlr indtvidLwI atcounrs of PCCS, and wlth the Regylations-true and falr VIe￿ prov15ions. They have akn beett prepared ￿ftder FRS 102120161 as the applKabie accouttb¥* standard5 and the 2016 versitin of Recommended PractSce. knountirEand Rewrring by Charites ISORPI IFRS1021. Consecrated and beneffts In 50 far 8$ consecrated benefKe prok*rtyol any kind is exchjdedfrom the statutory definttbn of "charl￿ ty Section 10121 lal and Icl ol Ihe Charitie5 Ad 2011 such a55ets are notCapttal￿ed tn thè ffirtanci21 &tstsm@nts. Moveable church furnishi￿sand18￿blefiXed assots Iterns costing in e￿55 01 £1.O(VJ wtth a usefvl economK lrfe excess of 3 year are ca￿￿k￿d and depreciated Lxfer that Usefvl ecorK)mlc life. DeprecI3tion iscalculated to writeoff the cawtslised c05tof fixed assets. le55t￿4ra￿t*iPatett le￿d￿al valueijvei their estimated useful INes as follows: LaTrLS and buildi￿£$ FLthres. f￿￿ngS and equIF￿nert 4Year5 DeprecIatIo￿ 15 tiot provlded on land and buildings as thecurrently estimated value Of the PToperty is lessthan the carrying value and the remaining useful lffe currently exceeds 50 years, 50 that any deprectatio* charge5 would be imrnaterial. Inve5tsnents Investments are valued at marketvabje ottheyeaf end. Short term deposits These Jre monies held on deposit with CCLA. 2. INCOME Fund5 20Z4 2a. Voluntaryinwme Planned g￿1￿¥ Tax recovered 95222 22.0 95J22 22,030 91,759 21,022 2.2n collecti￿S-open GRnt5 Sundry￿￿3￿0￿5and Woes 121,836 122,336 116,553 tX>nauonsfor spelific purpose5(H￿l￿din8thXI Rent frrJmChurih House 5.431 ILJgt 13.1S2 20.212 13.152 14.754 2c. Incrfflefrcm kn%*striiénts O￿ld￿d50￿ CU Investment FutyS Net gain5 OD CCLA Investmeni Fund IntÈresron CCLA t*￿S(t Fvnd 717 4.974 4,974 7,301 7,301 2,788 717 Feesfor wedd*EW and funeraL RoDtn hire and otherartNftie5 1,672 8,997 10.669 s,￿1 11.667 11,667 Totrl incoTne 144.0 I￿17 13,3E 159,189 149,27T WHITAEU) PAROCH￿ CHURCH COUNCIL NOTES TO TrIE FIPIANCIALSTATEMENTS For the year ended 31 December 2025 3. EXPENDITURE Totsi Total 2024 FuTh15 M￿￿Onaryand tharitsblewwn8'. Church owet5ÈaS RelEf 6nd development agen(ies Personal tn£55A)naries Home mi$5h7Tr53nd othÈr£hurch socle1*5 Secukr 3.(61 3.051 4,284 3.776 817 IL6R2 3.776 817 612 IL612 DILKesan pansh share Cler8y and sraffingcosts Church running aAd maintenance Upkeep oFd%urthyard Deprècthiion of equipmont Mlnlstry costs Training and tonfeyences Publicity costs 0￿￿eXpen￿5&Thd otherio#5 45.LKK) 23.257 49.152 45,(VXI 23.2S7 24.894 39503 llJDJ 164 14, 12,576 112 164 195 3322 143*27 3.323 198.207 1,938 142.574 3b. Ral51rff￿)dS Church House maIntena￿e ahd othef cotts L470 1.419 9,573 14S,297 55,6riJ 2Ql.096 152.147 Thebllowing amouttts were induded ￿E￿￿EndIl￿r￿". Independent examine