**ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF BLACKMORE ST. LAURENCE**
Charity Number 1134161
## **Annual Report and Financial Statements of the Parochial Church Council**
## **For the year ended 31st December, 2024**
## **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
Page **1** of **9**
## **Annual Report of the Parochial Church Council for the Year Ended**
## **31[st] December 2024**
## **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 seven times with the average level of attendance of 80%. 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 Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday mornings. There are also Bible Study Groups every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. During the summer, Sean Wood led a Celtic service once a month after Teas in the Tower.
There was a Starlight Trail round the churchyard again this Christmas. The Starlight Service was a great success and Midnight Mass was also very well attended.
Page **2** of **9**
## **Church Attendance**
There are 64 parishioners on the Electoral Roll, 12 of whom are not resident within the parish.
## **Deanery Synod**
John Hughes and Andrew Smith attended John Fry’s inaugural meeting in February and, in June, Rev Sandra Eldridge (Diocesan Environmental Officer) gave an inspiring talk on environmental issues. In October there was a meeting in St Laurence attended by Michaela Southworth who is Chief Executive of the Diocese.
## **The Church Building**
The church remains open to visitors every day during daylight hours.
Tower and Lychgate: The great news this year was that we have secured an NHLF grant for the full amount of money to proceed with the work on the Tower. Many thanks to Richard Thwaite for all the work he put in on this. There are still other expenses we shall have to meet and work must be done between March and November because of the bats.
The organ had a major overhaul this year, at a cost of £14,500.00 (ex VAT)
Work has been carried out on the sewer pipe.
## **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.
The Ministry Team are now responsible for the Prayer Chain which is for urgent requests. Other requests are to be included in the Weekly Sheet.
Friday Club for under 12’s has 20 children attending each session and Friday Club Plus, for older children, now has 25 members.
Open the Book takes place fortnightly at Blackmore School and in July all the children in Year 6 were given bibles.
Little Lauries for babies, toddlers and their carers has proved very popular.
Serenitea, which is held every Tuesday morning is very popular attracting both churchgoers and non- church-goers.
## **Mission and Evangelism**
During 2024 MODS organised a Beetle Drive; Safari Supper; Medieval Feast; Jazz on the Green; 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.
## **Ecumenical Relationships**
St Laurence continues to co-operate with Blackmore Baptist Church.
## **Gill Hall – Secretary.**
Page **3** of **9**
## **Financial Report**
Receipts totalling £233,719 were received in 2024 including interest from all accounts, grants totalling £122,060 designated for the Tower Restoration and money received from the Friends of St Laurence (FoSL) to cover for Tower work costs (ex VAT) so far.
Payments for the year amounted to £107,662 producing a surplus of £126,077.
Excluding the grants which are planned to be spent in this year, the actual surplus was £3997.
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 £42,919 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 of Chelmsford. The Diocese allocates the specific costs for the provision of ministry, training for future ministry and Diocesan services to each church. Our share requirement was significantly down on the previous year due to organisational changes and the removal of a one-off payment in 2023 agreed by the PCC to support other churches in the deanery.
Tower Restoration costs (excluding VAT) have been met by monies from FoSL. Other significant costs have been the restoration of the Church Organ (£17,340) and repairs to the sewerage pipe across the churchyard (£2,160). These have been paid from church funds. VAT has been reclaimed on these items but payment was not received in time to be included in these accounts.
We have continued to support Children in Distress, the Brentwood Schools Christian Workers Trust, the British Legion’s Poppy Appeal, Agapé and the Church of England Children’s Society.
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 to support the fundraising and social activities and those who give up their time to help manage and run all the activities that the church puts on. I would also like to thank the Friends of St Laurence for their fundraising activities, support for the fabric of the building and the churchyard and for providing funds for the costs incurred so far for the Tower and Lych Gate restoration project.
## **John Hughes – Treasurer**
Page **4** of **9**
## **Financial Statement for the Year ended 31[st] December 2024**
## **General Fund Receipts and Payments Account**
|**Receipts**
**Voluntary Receipts**
Planned Giving (Gift Aided)
Planned Giving (Not Gift Aided)
Service Collections, Contactless & Online
All other giving
FoSL Funding
Gift Aid & VAT 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 (1.5 yrs)
**Church Activities**
Merchandise
Charity
Church Users
Fees
**Other Receipts**
Other
**Total Receipts**
**Payments**
**Costs of Generating Funds**
Fundraising Activities
**Church Activities**
Mission Giving/Donations
Parish Share
Clergy & Staff Expenses
Miscellaneous
**Church Expenses**
Mission and Evangelism
Church Running Expenses
Church Office Expenses
Church Utility Bills
Costs of Trading
Other Outgoings
**Major Capital Expenditure**
Tower and Lych Gate
Vicarage
Church
**Total Payments**
**Surplus/Debit**|**Note**
**s**
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10|**2024**
**2023**
£
£
33390
33197
1115
850
7073
5631
8188
8960
16090
5646
12268
12358
0
0
122060
1810
2290
1464
7732
6074
5103
2713
2299
2051
1370
605
1404
707
4089
1040
383
536
496
365
975
1890
7344
7068
50
1035|
|---|---|---|
|||**233719**
**94000**|
|||£
£
1378
1214
2603
2718
42919
56351
2471
4518
20
854
2378
1922
10186
9313
2268
1968
3538
4485
406
542
1779
3767
18036
8047
0
0
19681
8231|
|||**107662**
**103929**|
|||**126057**
**-9929**|
Page **5** of **9**
|
|**Transfers Between Accounts**
**2024**
**2023**
£
£
Santander Current to Santander Savings
75860
Santander Current to CCLA General
40000
Santander Savings to Santander Current
3000
Santander Savings to CCLA General
17000|
|---|---|
## **Notes to the Accounts for the year to December 2024**
## **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 Accounts and Funds**
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.
Church monies are held in accounts with Santander, CCLA and Cambridge and Counties banks. The accounts are termed as General or Fabric Funds. A separate spreadsheet is maintained which contains details of funds given / allocated for Designated purposes.
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**
**Gift Aid and VAT**
Gift Aid Recovered
VAT Recovered
**4**
**Sundry Receipts:**
Other
FoSL Receipts
Stondon Receipts
**5**
**Mission Giving and Donations**
BCSWT
Children In Distress
Childrens Society
British Legion
Community Giving
Agape
**6**
**Clergy and Staff Expenses:**
Ministry Expenses & Resources
Organist / Bells / Choir
Verger
**7**
**Mission and Evengelism:**
Children and youth
Worship Material
Training|**2024**
**2023**
£
£
10397
12358
1870|
|---|---|
||12268
12358|
||50
128
0
121
0
786|
||50
1035|
||1200
1200
288
653
0
100
90
90
0
450
1025
225|
||2603
2718|
||1976
3918
295
400
200
200|
||2471
4518|
||2161
1551
187
322
30
49|
||2378
1922|
Page **6** of **9**
## **Notes to the Accounts (continued)**
||||||**2024**|**2023**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**8**|**Church Running Exps.**|||£||£|
||Insurance||||3183|
3096|
||Copyright Licences||||586|
517|
||Consumables||||350|
347|
||Hospitality||||390|
617|
||General Maintenance||||1687|
1389|
||Organ & Piano maint.||||0|
70|
||Churchyard||||3298|
2402|
||Memorial Plaques||||692|
875|
||||||10186|
9313|
|**9**|**Office Expenses:**||||||
||Office-Stationary||||110|
228|
||Office-Postage||||85|
55|
||Office-Telephone||||345|
352|
||Office-Electricity||||505|
838|
||Office-Photocopier||||436|
283|
||IT Software/Hardware||||788|
211|
||||||2268|
1968|
|**10**|**Other Outgoings**||||||
||Payments to CDBF||||1779|
2781|
||Money collected payments (FoSL, Stondon, McMillan)|||||986|
||||||1779|
3767|
||||||**107662**|
**103929**|
|**THE**|**PRIORY CHURCH OF ST. LAURENCE, BLACKMORE**||||||
|**CCLA Accounts - Receipts and Payments**|||||||
|||||**2024**||**2023**|
|||General|Fabric|**Total**||**Total**|
|||Fund|Fund||||
|||£|£|£|£||
|**Opening Balance**||13353|16829|**30182**||28915|
|**Receipts**|||||||
|Transfer in from Santander||17000|40000|**57000**||0|
|Interest||1191|1404|**2596**||1267|
|Total Receipts||18191|41404|**59596**||1267|
|**Payments**|||||||
|||0|0|**0**||0|
|Total Payments||0|0|**0**||0|
|**Increase / Decrease**||18191|41404|**59596**||1267|
|CCLA accounts at|||||||
|31st December 2024||31544|58233|**89777**||30182|
Page **7** of **9**
**THE PRIORY CHURCH OF ST. LAURENCE, BLACKMORE Statement of Assets and Liabilities at 31st December 2024**
|**Bank Accounts YE Balances**
Santander Current Account
Santander Deposit Account
C.C.L.A General Fund
C.C.L.A Fabric Fund
Cambridge and Counties Bank
**Bank Accounts Total**
Change from 2023
Change from 2023 (Excluding Grants £122,060 & MMU £392.78)
Other monetary Assets
Q4 Gift Aid claim
2024 VAT claim
**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.|**2024**
**2023**
**£**
£
**12866.23**
7630
**76454.79**
17416
**31544.05**
13353
**58233.42**
16829
**63074.21**
60496|
|---|---|
||**242172.70**
115723|
||**126449.39**
**3996.61**
£2,316
£3,447|
## **Funds Designated for Specific Purposes**
Funds for specific purposes are no longer held in separate accounts. A detailed list of these donations is maintained to ensure the funds are allocated correctly. The current monies set aside are:
|Childrens work (from Play School closure)|£846.47|
|---|---|
|Tower (Grants, Donations, Church allocation)|£134,441.53|
|Fabric|£1,655.00|
|MMU|£392.78|
|**Total**|**£137,335.78**|
|**Unallocated**|**£104,836.92**|
**Signed on behalf of the PCC:**
**Reverend Sam Brazier-Gibbs Chairperson**
**John Hughes Treasurer**
Page **8** of **9**
Independent Examiner's 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 2024 is in respect
of an examination carried out in accordance with general directions given by the Charity
Commission.
Respertlve responsibilities of trustees and examiner
As 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 Act
2011 Ithe 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to..
Examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Charities Att
To follow the procedures laid down by the general directions given by the Charity
Commission under section 14515llbl of the 2011 Charities Act.
To state whether particular matters have come to my attention
Basis of Independent examinerfs report
My examination was carried out in accordance with the general direttions given by
the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records
kept by the PCC and a compari50n of the accounts presented with those records. It
also include5 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 15 limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
Independent examinerfs statement
In connertion 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 section 130 of the 2011
Charities Act and
To prepare accounts which accord with the accounting record5 and comply
with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Charities Act have not been
met, or
2. To which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper
understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Clare E Corbv
Farriers. Blacksmiths Alley. Blackmore, Essex CM4 (KIU
30" May 2025
Page9019