## **ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF BLACKMORE ST. LAURENCE**
**Charity Number 1134161**
## **Annual Report and Financial Statements of the**
## **Parochial Church Council**
For the year ended 31[st] December, 2023
## **Incumbent:**
The Reverend Sam Brazier-Gibbs The Vicarage, Church Street Blackmore Ingatestone CM4 0RN
## **Bankers:**
Santander plc Bootle Merseyside L30 4GB
CCLA Investment Management Limited CCLA Fund Managers Limited One Angel Lane London EC4R 3AB
Cambridge and Counties Bank Charnwood Court 5B New Walk Leicester LE1 6TE
## **Independent Examiner:**
Mrs. Clare E. Corby Farriers, Blacksmiths Alley Blackmore Ingatestone CM4 0QU
1
Independent Examinerfs Report to the PCC of The Priory Church
of St. Laurence, Blackmore.
This report on the accounts of the PCC for the year ended 31 December 2023 is in respert
of an examination carried out in accordance with general directions given by the Charity
Commission.
Respective re5pon5ibilities of trustee5 and examlner
A5 members of the PCC, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. You
consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144121 of the Charities Att
2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to..
Examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Charities Act
To follow the procedures laid down by the general direction5 given by the Charity
Commission under section 14515llbl of the 2011 Charities Act.
To state whether particular matters have come to my attention
Basls of Independent examlnerfs report
My examination was carried out in accordance with the general directions given by
the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records
kept by the PCC and a comparison of the accounts presented with those record5. It
also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and
Seeking explanations from the PCC concerning any such matters. The procedures
undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and
consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a 'true and fair
view, and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
Independent examlnerfs statement
In connection with my examination. no matter has come to my attention..
Which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the
requirements..
To keep accounting records in accordance with 5ertion 130 of the 2011
Charities Act and
To Prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply
with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Charities Act have not bee
met, or
2. To which, in my opinion. attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper
understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Clare E Corby
Farriers, Blacksmith5 Alley, Blackmore, E55ex CM4 OQU
19" April 2024
## **The Priory Church of St Laurence, Blackmore**
## **Annual Report of the Parochial Church Council for the Year Ended**
## **31[st] December 2023**
## **Administrative Information**
St Laurence Church is situated in Church Street, Blackmore. It is in the Deanery of Epping Forest and Ongar and is part of the Diocese of Chelmsford within the Church of England. The correspondence address is The Vicarage, Church Street, Blackmore, Ingatestone, Essex, CM4 0RN.
The Parochial Church Council (PCC) is a charity, registered with the Charity Commission, No. 1134161.
## **Aims and Purposes**
St Laurence Parochial Church Council (PCC) has the responsibility of co-operating with the incumbent in promoting in the ecclesiastical parish, the whole mission of the Church; pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. The PCC is also specifically responsible for the maintenance of the Grade 1 listed Church building and churchyard.
## **Structure, Governance and Management**
The method of appointment of PCC members is set out in the Church Representation Rules. At St Laurence the membership of the PCC consists of the incumbent (our vicar), the churchwardens, the reader and members elected by those members of the congregation who are on the Electoral Roll of the church. All Church attendees are encouraged to register on the Electoral Roll and stand for election to the PCC.
The PCC passed a resolution to rescind the Six Year Rule for electing churchwardens and will elect them every year.
The PCC members are responsible for making decisions on all matters of general concern and importance to the parish, including deciding how the funds of the PCC are to be spent. The full PCC met six times, one of these meetings being on Zoom, with the average level of attendance of 82%. Given the wide responsibilities of the PCC it has a number of Task Groups. Each dealing with a particular aspect of parish life.
These Task Groups, which include Mission, Outreach and Discipleship; Pastoral Care; Health and Safety; Children and Youth Work; Fabric and Finance; Worship Group and Leadership Team are all responsible to the PCC and report back to it regularly with minutes of their decisions being received by the full PCC and discussed as necessary.
## **Achievements and Performance**
## **Worship and Prayer**
As well as the Sunday Services there are Prayer Meetings on the first Monday evening in the month and every Tuesday morning. There are also Bible Study Groups every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday.
This Christmas there was a Starlight Trail around the churchyard for the first time. This included life size figures of the nativity and lights as well as refreshments and was very well received. The Starlight Service was a great success and Midnight Mass was also very well attended.
3
## **Church Attendance**
There are 50 parishioners on the Electoral Roll, 11 of whom are not resident within the parish.
## **Deanery Synod**
Lee Batson left this year to become the Dean of Newcastle Cathedral and John Fry was welcomed as the new Area Dean. Rev Sam continues as Assistant Dean.
## **The Church Building**
The church remains open to visitors every day during daylight hours.
Tower and Lychgate: There has been a major fund raising campaign this year as £200,000.00 is required for the recladding, etc. Work is ongoing to secure various grants. We are very grateful to Friends of St Laurence for their work and support.
Notice Board: A new Notice Board has been installed in the churchyard, it is now situated in the lychgate so is easier to see and looks very smart.
Sound System: A new sound system was installed this year.
## **Pastoral Care**
Sandra Wood and Sandra Keeble continue to run this successfully, bringing help to those in need. They have produced a Pastoral Care Policy, a summary of which is available in church.
Prayer Chain: The Ministry Team has been taking urgent prayer requests until the re- launch of the Prayer Chain.
Serenitea, which is held every Tuesday morning, continues to be very popular and attended by many people who are not regular church goers.
## **Mission and Evangelism**
During 2023 MODS organised ploughman’s lunches in the church during Blackmore Village Fayre; a Brass Band Concert in the churchyard; Harvest Supper; Christmas Quiz and Carols on Horsefayre Green.
Create meets once a month.
We continue to support Children in Distress and they have a sales stall at Serenitea.
## **Children and Youth Work:**
Friday Club for under 12’s is well attended.
Open the Book has re-started, fortnightly, at Blackmore School.
Little Lauries was launched this year, this is held weekly and is for babies, toddlers and their parents/carers.
## **Ecumenical Relationships**
St Laurence continues to co-operate with Blackmore Baptist Church.
**Gill Hall – Secretary.**
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## **Financial Report 2023**
Receipts totalling £94,000 were received in 2023. These were placed throughout the year in our General Account with Santander plc, the exception being interest on other accounts, which was retained with them. Payments for the year amounted to £103,929 producing a deficit of £9,929.
The majority of funds are generated by regular giving from the congregation along with other donations from friends and visitors. Funds are also generated from fundraising and social events, church users and fees.
Our parish share of £56,351 was paid in full. The parish share largely provides the stipends, housing and training for the clergy and the necessary legally required administration of the Diocese as the Church of England is the state church. The Diocese allocates the specific costs for the provision of ministry, training for future ministry and Diocesan services to each church.
We have continued to support Children in Distress, the Brentwood Schools Christian Workers Trust, the British Legion’s Poppy Appeal and the Church of England Children’s Society. We have also begun supporting Agapé, an international Christian charity, active in over 190 countries whose aim is to inspire people to discover Jesus at home, at work, at university and abroad, bringing people together and seeing lives transformed.
The deficit this year was mostly expected but was exacerbated by unplanned repairs and reduced fee receipts. The sound system in church was upgraded with a new mixer, radio microphones and additional wired microphones. Our parish share was subject to an agreed one-off increase in 2023. The expected increase in utility costs materialised with a 2.5 times increase over 2022 bills. Receipts from fees were down on 2022 as the number of weddings reduced. Major repair works were undertaken on the waste pipe that runs across the churchyard.
I would like to thank the many church members and friends who support the church through regular and one-off giving, all those who come and support the fundraising and social activities. I would also like to thanks the Friends of St Laurence group for their fundraising activities, support for the fabric of the building and the churchyard and for providing support and funding for the preliminary activities for the Tower and Lych Gate repair project.
## **John Hughes – Treasurer**
5
## **Financial Statement for the Year ended 31[st] December 2023**
## **General Fund Receipts and Payments Account**
|**Receipts**
**Notes**
**Voluntary Receipts**
Planned Giving (Gift Aided)
Planned Giving (Not Gift Aided)
Service Collections, Contactless & Online
All other giving
FoSL Funding
Gift Aid Recovered
Legacies Received
Grants
**Activities for Generating Funds**
Teas in the Tower
Serenitea
Social Events
Christmas Market
**Income From Investments & Other Accounts**
General Accounts
Fabric Account(s)
Business Savings Bond
**Church Activities**
Merchandise
Charity - Children in Distress
Church Users
Fees
**Other Receipts**
Other
3
**Total Receipts**
**Payments**
**Costs of Generating Funds**
Fundraising Activities
**Church Activities**
Mission Giving/Donations
4
Parish Share
Clergy & Staff Expenses
5
Miscellaneous
**Church Expenses**
Mission and Evangelism
6
Church Running Expenses
7
Church Office Expenses
8
Church Utility Bills
Costs of Trading
Other Outgoings
9
**Major Capital Expenditure**
Tower and Lych Gate
Vicarage
Church
**Total Payments**
**Surplus/Debit**
**Transfers between accounts**
Santander Deposit to Santander Current|**2023**
**2022**
£
£
33197
32653
850
1010
5631
3684
8960
13011
5646
1815
12358
6997
0
3000
1810
0
1464
864
6074
5309
2713
1547
2051
1737
605
124
707
156
1040
414
536
556
365
474
1890
1636
7068
10298
1035
155|
|---|---|
||**94000**
**85440**|
||£
£
1214
339
2718
2941
56351
49490
4518
6525
854
289
1922
1402
9313
9924
1968
1852
4485
1753
542
448
3767
2777
8047
1098
0
537
8231
0|
||**103929**
**79374**|
||**-9929**
**6066**
3000|
6
## **Notes to the Accounts for the year to December 2023**
## **1 Accounting Policies**
The financial statements of the PCC have been prepared in accordance with the Church Accounting Regulations 2011 using the Receipts and Payments basis.
## **2 Funds**
The general fund usually represents the funds of the PCC that are not subject to any special restrictions regarding their use and are available for application to the general purposes of the PCC unless specified otherwise.
The fabric fund consists of unrestricted and restricted funds designated for the maintenance of the Church building, tower and churchyard.
These accounts include monetary transactions, assets and liabilities for which the PCC can be held responsible. They do not include the accounts of other Church groups that owe an affiliation to another body, nor those that are informal gatherings of Church members.
The Blackmore PCC have agreed to waive future contributions of Stondon Massey PCC Ministerial and Office Expenses.
Where the PCC collects monies on behalf of other charities, both the Receipts and Payments are included in these accounts.
|**3**
**Sundry Receipts:**
Other (MacMillan)
FoSL Receipts
Stondon Receipts
**4**
**Mission Giving and Donations**
BCSWT
Children In Distress
Childrens Society
British Legion
Community Giving
Agape
**5**
**Clergy and Staff Expenses:**
Ministry Expenses & Resources
Organist / Bells / Choir
Verger
**6**
**Mission and Evengelism:**
Children and youth
Worship Material
Training|**2023**
**2022**
£
£
128
155
121
0
786
0|
|---|---|
||1035
155|
||1200
1200
653
775
100
396
90
90
450
480
225
0|
||2718
2941|
||3918
5940
400
385
200
200|
||4518
6525|
||1551
1308
322
45
49
49|
||1922
1402|
7
## **Notes to the Accounts (continued)**
|**7**
**Church Running Exps.**
Insurance
Copyright Licences
Consumables
Hospitality
General Maintenance
Organ & Piano maint.
Churchyard
Memorial Plaques
**8**
**Office Expenses:**
Office-Stationary
Office-Postage
Office-Telephone
Office-Electricity
Office-Photocopier
IT Software/Hardware
**9**
**Other Outgoings**
Payments to CDBF
Money collected payments (FoSL, Stondon, McMillan)|**2023**
**2022**
£
£
3096
2913
517
541
347
647
617
0
1389
2310
70
264
2402
1883
875
1367|
|---|---|
||9313
9924|
||228
137
55
30
352
447
838
474
283
535
211
230|
||1968
1852|
||2781
2777
986
0|
||3767
2777|
## **THE PRIORY CHURCH OF ST. LAURENCE, BLACKMORE Financial Statement for the Year ended 31st December 2023**
## **Fabric Fund Receipts and Payments Account**
|**Receipts**
Interest from CCLA Fabric Fund
**Payments**
**Surplus**
CCLA Fabric Fund account at
31st December 2023|**2023**
**2022**
Designated
Restricted
**Total**
Designated
Restricted
**Total**
£
£
£
£
£
£
706
706
156
156|
|---|---|
||706
0
706
156
0
156|
||0
0|
||0
0
0
0
0
0|
||706
156|
||15174
1655
**16829**
14468
1655
**16123**|
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## **THE PRIORY CHURCH OF ST. LAURENCE, BLACKMORE Statement of Assets and Liabilities at 31st December 2023**
||||**2023**||**2022**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|General||Designated||||
|Funds||Funds|**Total**||Total|
|£||£|**£**|£||
|**Bank Accounts YE Balances**||||||
|Santander Current Account|7630||**7630**||16911|
|Santander Deposit Account|13563|3852|**17416**||20372|
|C.C.L.A General Fund|13353||**13353**||12792|
|C.C.L.A Fabric Fund||16829|**16829**||16123|
|Cambridge and Counties Bank|60496||**60496**||59456|
|**Bank Accounts Total**|95042|20681|**115723**||125652|
|Change from 2022|||**-9929**|||
|Other monetary Assets (all in respect of unrestricted funds)||||||
|Q4 Gift Aid claim|||||£2,316|
## **Other Assets**
Moveable church furnishings held by the Church Wardens on special trust for the PCC and which require a faculty for disposal. Office Equipment used for Parish administration.
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