**The Parish of Redditch Holy Trinity. Annual Report for 2020** ## Descriptive and Administrative Information Redditch Holy Trinity has a parish inhabited by more than 35,000 people covering the north, central and west of the Borough of Redditch, and the northeast and eastern edges of Bromsgrove District. The parish population is set to rise by at least 7,000 people by 2030, owing to new housing developments; the first two phases of new housing in Webheath district was completed by the end of 2019 and there is continued new building at the north end of St Stephen’s district. The parish is part of the diocese of Worcester, and the deanery of Redditch and Bromsgrove. It borders on the diocese of Birmingham to the north, and the diocese of Coventry at its farthest point east, in Beoley district. Although there have been settlements in the area that are mentioned in the Domesday records, the Borough of Redditch was founded in 1964 to facilitate the building of a new town, which forms much of north, east and south east of the present borough. The parish includes both old and new parts of the Borough. Bromsgrove District borders the Borough boundary to cover semi-rural areas to the north and west; part of the parish falls within its boundary, including Beoley church and vicarage. The two local authorities operate in partnership. Redditch itself is the second largest town or city in Worcestershire. It is the terminus for a direct train line through central Birmingham that ends at the north of the greater Birmingham area at Lichfield, while the M42 motorway crosses the most northerly part of Beoley district. Each district within the parish has a distinct profile, ranging from the urban deprivation of St Stephen’s and the diverse communities that form Beoley district, which includes urban deprivation, to the comparatively comfortable suburbia of Webheath. The parish ranks 2,023 out of 12,382 in England where 1 is the most deprived parish, putting it in the bottom 16% in the country. Poverty issues among pensioners, and the percentage of people with no qualifications are significant reasons for this rating. Areas of especial concern are Batchley, Abbeydale and Church Hill South Tardebigge St Bartholomew left the parish at the end of March 2015 although they remain part of the wider team ministry, sharing team clergy and, de facto, Licensed Lay Ministers. The parish of St Bartholomew’s covers the Brockhill area of Redditch and the semi-rural area between Redditch and Bromsgrove and has a growing population of over 6,000. Until the beginning of Covid-19 pandemic restrictions in March 2020, the parish conducted worship at least once a week at St David’s Batchley (meeting in small numbers at St David’s Care Home); St Leonard’s Beoley; St Stephen’s Redditch; and St Philip’s Webheath. We also led some of the services of worship at St Andrew’s Methodist Church. There was an extensive ministry to care homes, nursing homes and schools. Some of the schools’ ministry has been continued online during the pandemic. St George’s Church is now redundant and no longer has representatives on the parochial church council; the diocese of Worcester is administering the sale of the church building, grounds and hall. In the meantime, the parish is responsible for the care, maintenance and security of church grounds and hall. ## Structure, Governance and Management Redditch Holy Trinity Parochial Church Council (‘PCC’) is a corporate body established by the Church of England. The PCC operates under the Parochial Church Council (Powers) Measure 1956. The PCC is a registered charity, number 1134307; the parish office is situated in St Stephen’s Church, Church Green, Redditch, B97 4DY. As a charity, the PCC must comply with the Charity Commission guidance and legislation in relation to charities. Legally, the PCC is responsible for the finances of the parish. It also has ultimate responsibility for the care and maintenance of all church buildings and their contents. The PCC and the incumbent have a duty of care to ensure the protection of the vulnerable in their church community. Although these responsibilities are executed by the churchwardens, all PCC members must share in the oversight. It has a voice in the forms of Service used by the church, although the priest is responsible for services of worship, and may make representations to the bishop on matters that affect the welfare of the parish. A “Rule 18” document has been enacted, delegating some of the PCCs powers to the constituent District Church Councils. Members of the PCC are also trustees of the charity. The method of appointment of PCC members is set out in the Church Representation Rules. PCC members are elected by those members of congregations that are on the electoral roll of the church. All baptized Church attendees are encouraged to register on the Electoral Roll and stand for election to the PCC. The full PCC met four times during the year with an average level of attendance of 16 (59%). In between PCC meetings, the business of the Parish is conducted by the PCC Standing Committee, which met four times during 2020. Their deliberations were received by the full PCC and discussed where necessary. During the Covid-19 pandemic, online Zoom video conferencing has been used for meetings. The Annual Parochial Meeting for 2020 was delayed by five months to 11[th] November 2020 owing to the Covid-19 pandemic and was held online using Zoom video conferencing. PCC Members who have served at any time from 1[st] January 2020 until the date this report was approved are: Ofcers of the Council Chair: The Revd Richard Clark Lay Chair: Rhiannon Walpole (Until 11/11/2020), Philip Mitchell (From 11/11/2020) Secretary: Elaine Whitfield Treasurer: Stewart Mason (Until 13/01/2021), Mark Blamire-Brown (From 13/01/2021 ## Members of the Council ## Team Clergy The Revd Paul Lawlor’s ministry is shared between St Stephen’s, Faith at Work in Worcestershire and St John the Evangelist Church, Greenlands, which is in the parish of Ipsley. He is also Area Dean for Redditch and Bromsgrove Deanery. The Revd Richard Clark is Team Rector and has special responsibility for St Philip’s, Webheath and St Bartholomew’s, Tardebigge The Revd Francis Moloney is an Assistant Curate serving in the team The Revd Paul Irving had special responsibility for St Leonard’s, Beoley and for Parish Education. ## Parish Wardens Christopher Prevett (Until 08/11/2020) Rosalind Prentice (From 08/11/2020) Ann Simmons Keith Abbotts Lady Elaine Whitfield John Hawkins Keith Carter (Until 11/11/2020) ## Deanery Synod Representatives Alyson Hawkins Jaquii Hearnshaw (Until 11/11/2020) Jules Bird (From 11/11/2020) Gail Stone Susan Clarke (Until 11/11/2020) Elaine Whitfield Pauline Bird Norma Walters (Until 11/11/2020) Licensed Lay Ministers Enid Mullis Margaret Lloyd Norma Walters Bryan Allbut is the Chair of the Diocesan Board of Education and a member of Diocesan Synod and is therefore an ex-officio member of the council. ## Members Elected from the District Churches not otherwise listed Mark Blamire-Brown (From 08/11/20) Rosemary Davis (Until 08/11/2020) Philip Mitchell (From 08/11/2020) Michael Preston (From 08/11/20) Christopher Prevett (From 08/11/20) Robin Simmons (Until 08/11/2020) Susan Watkins (Until 08/11/2020) Karen Collett (Until 11/11/2020) Bethan Craner Elizabeth Herbert (Until 11/11/2020) Gail Stone Garry Roberts Margaret Williams Stewart Mason Irene Yates Philip Bladon David Townsend Keith Carter ## Objectives and Activities The role of the PCC has the responsibility, along with the incumbent, the Revd Richard Clark, to promote the mission of God in its parish, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. The PCC and the incumbent have a duty of care to ensure the protection of the vulnerable in their church community. The PCC is responsible for the districts of Beoley St Leonard; Redditch St Stephen, St George & St David; Webheath St Philip; and all buildings, etc., associated with the churches. We bear in mind the diocesan mission priorities, as contained in its Kingdom Vision initiative, which can be summarised as: Prayer to, and Worship of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit; Sharing, and helping people to understand, the Faith; Addressing issues of poverty throughout the world; caring for the earth and the responsible management and use of its resources; building inclusive communities. The Diocese is especially concerned that each parish builds its work with children and young people, which we are already eager to do. As part of this concern the diocese deployed a Mission Enabler, Anne Batchelor, to the parish for a year beginning in April 2019 as part of their Calling Young Disciples initiative. As part of this initiative some of those involved in ministry to children has been formed into a Learning Hub to further the work begun by the Mission Enabler to ensure sustainable initiatives are developed. The initiative was effectually in abeyance for much of 2020 owing to the Covid-19 pandemic. The parish remains active in reaching out through school assemblies, including many conducted by Open the Book teams or by Revs Paul Irving and Paul Lawlor. Faith at Work in Worcestershire, led locally by Rev Paul Lawlor, are busy locally, especially in ministry to staff in the Kingfisher Centre, the Civic Centre and to the Police and Emergency Services The Electoral Roll in 2020 is 223. St Stephen’s has worked at ensuring that it has a central place in community life; St Leonard’s has been active in Church Hill and further afield; St Philip’s has sought to draw local people to church. We have two Messy Churches, an ecumenical meeting based in the town centre, and another based in Church Hill. It is hoped to grow these congregations, meeting on a more regular basis when it is possible to do so. ## **Review of the Year** With the advent of social distancing, worship services have not been held in the usual manner. We have focussed our activity on online ministry, which, after some challenges in getting ourselves set up and becoming accustomed to the new way of doing things, has changed the shape of mission and ministry of the parish. On those occasions when ‘inperson’ worship services were allowed in church buildings, capacity constraints due to social distancing rules meant that the number of places available to worshippers was severely reduced. We are to be a gathered body with an outward focus; working as one, disrupted so that we can grow as the Lord leads. There is a call for direct Christian activity and increased bravery in presenting the gospel. There are barriers, real & imagined, that can lead us to water down our message. We recognised the importance of marketing and communication, while the role of our online communication has been important in not only reaching our established congregation but others from outside the local area as well. New equipment has been purchased to facilitate ongoing mission and ministry. We have established a rhythm of prayer through the broadcasting of six morning and evening prayer services every week; services at various times have been recorded, or live streamed from St. Stephen’s Church in the town centre. Alpha (Youth & Adult), Exploring Discipleship and other courses, Messy Church and Open the Book have all been held online at regular intervals, with people from different congregations, in the parish and beyond, working collaboratively. Despite Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, progress has been made in seeking to become ecochurches and action has been taken at St Leonard’s and St Philip’s to enhance the attractiveness of the churchyards to wildlife. We recognise that people are in different places; before the pandemic, some were in complacency or denial while others were in confusion, reaching towards renewal. Since that time, we have been brought up short by the longest period of church building closure since the reign of King John, and the great damage that the nation has suffered because of Covid-19 and the battle to contain it. As we emerge into a “New Day” we will want Jesus to move us to personal renewal & prayer so that we can be incarnational, reflecting who he is to the world in general, wherever we are. ## **Financial Review** Parish of Redditch Holy Trinity Trustees Annual Report 2020 Report and Financial Statements Financial Review a) Income Overall income in 2020, at £780,038, was £481,482 higher than the previous year. This included a legacy of £551,791 received from the estate of a former churchwarden at St. Leonard’s Church, which compares to legacies and other donations received in the previous year amounting to £94,825. Income in 2020 also included grants amounting to £43,500 (2019 £6,608) received for major building improvement and roof repair projects being carried out at St. Philip’s Church and St. Stephen’s Church. Unrestricted income, excluding legacies and grants, in 2020 amounted to £120,245, which is £42,860 (36%) lower than the comparable figure for the previous year. The unprecedented closure of church buildings and surrounding grounds due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which came into force at the end of March 2020, has resulted in a severe loss of income from plate collections, fund raising activities and weddings. ## b) Expenditure Expenditure in the year totalled £271,180 compared with £255,985 in the previous year. St. Philip’s Church has completed the construction of their new annex and is currently in the process of fitting out the building. To date the project expenditure has totalled £363,065, of which £40,153 was spent in 2020 (2019 £56,182). An estimated £60,000 is required to complete the project. £6,719 was held in the project bank account at the year end, and donations totalling £41,155 have been received since the year end. St. Stephen’s Church embarked on a major project in 2020 to carry out roof repair and other building repair work that has been identified by a Quinquennial Inspection of the building. The overall project expenditure is budgeted to be £260.000, of which £46,196 was spent in 2020. The project is to be funded partially by grants and the remainder from the unrestricted General Fund, with the balance being funded by the designated St. David’s Batchley Fund. St. Leonard’s Church spent £15,793 on two major expenditure projects in 2020: £8,858 for a new video projector and electric screen, and £6,935 on extending and landscaping the footpath in the lower churchyard. Both projects were funded from the restricted, Growing Mission & Ministry Fund. In 2020, everyday expenditure of £152,719 exceeded the income in the unrestricted General Fund by £32,473 (2019 £22,521). ## c) Net Outgoings Net incoming resources, before other recognised gains, in the year amounted to £508,843 (2019 £42,571). However, excluding the effect of significant receipts from legacies and grants on the one hand and capital expenditure on the other, the surplus turns into a deficit for the year amounting to £49,542 compared with a surplus of £11,968 in the previous year, which is the result of the lower income as described above. ## d) Transfers between funds At the year end, St. Stephen’s Church transferred £18,177 from their unrestricted, General Fund to a newly created designated fund for the roof and other building repairs project, as described above. At the beginning of the year, St. Philip’s Church closed the designated fund for organ restoration, transferring the balance of £6,951 to a newly created restricted fund for organ restoration. ## e) Balance Sheet Fixed asset investments Long-term investments are “marked to market” at year end and any increase or decrease in value from the previous year is shown in the SOFA below the net income or deficit of the period. Stock markets did not perform as well in 2020 as the strong market performance in 2019. However, share prices did rise in 2020, consequently the value of investments held at the year-end was £64,379 (2019 £116,184) higher than at the start of the year. Some dividends are reinvested in the investment funds from which they have been received. In 2020, reinvested dividends totalled £19,496 (2019 £19,192). Investments have been made in funds that are in accordance with the Church’s principles and beliefs. These include the CBF Church of England Funds, which are managed by CCLA Investment Management Limited and EdenTree funds for charities which are managed by EdenTree Investment Management Limited, part of the Ecclesiastical Insurance Group, who are owned by Allchurches Charity Trust. Cash Flow and Cash at Bank Net cash from operating activities, including cash from legacies and grants, in 2020 amounted to £500,832 (2019 £31,230). Of this, £363,358 has been invested in income funds managed by CCLA and Eden Tree Investment Management. The balance of the legacy money mentioned above has been placed in shorter-term deposit accounts held with CCLA and the CAF Deposit Platform. At the end of year, cash held in bank current and, the above mentioned, deposit accounts amounted to £447,506 (2019 £308,542). Net Assets and Fund Balances The Balance Sheet ended the year in a far stronger position than at the beginning of the year. The value of net assets rose by £580,117 in the year to £1,643,394 (2019 - £1,063,277) at the year end. Restricted funds rose by £607,058 to £909,432 (2019 - £302,374). Designated funds rose by £3,352 to £565,020 (2019 - £561,668), whilst the value of endowment funds rose by £3,326 to £54,724 (2019 - £51,398). However, the strengthening position of overall funds during the year was not experienced in all funds. Unrestricted, General funds fell £33,620 during the year to £114,217 (2019 - £147,837) at the year end. That is a fall of 23% in the year. The General funds reserve at the year-end represents approximately 9 months (2019 – 12 months) of ‘everyday’ future expenditure. Mark Blamire-Brown Treasurer, Redditch Holy Trinity PCC 21st April 2021 ## **Role of the Laity** A time of change and uncertainty, which began for the nation in March 2020, is now being added to by significant changes in the Church of England’s ministry across the diocese. It is the role of the laity that is crucial in this as they have the capacity to be advocates for the changes as they happen. Pastorally, the role of the laity is vital in helping each other to come to terms with new realities and to become accustomed to the changes as they unfold, upholding our faith in Jesus as Lord of His Church amid ongoing uncertainties on the one hand and a sense of loss on the other. It is also hoped that lay leaders can get something of a sense of excitement and energy from the process, and a sense of hope for future mission and ministry together. ## **Church Activities** Due to Covid-19 pandemic restrictions many church activities were curtailed in 2020 with all meetings and courses being held on Zoom. A rhythm of worship was developed so that Sunday Services, Daily Morning and Evening Prayer were broadcast online via the Holy Trinity Redditch Facebook page and YouTube Channel and livestreamed where possible. St Stephen’s has done its best to remain a focal point for Christianity in the town and will continue to seek to be on a journey towards being a visible and vibrant presence working with, and at the heart of, the community. St Stephen’s was open for prayer as soon as it was permitted and has hosted many joint services. It has been the first church to be able to livestream its worship, although having installed a new projector and electric screen in the church building in 2020, St. Leonard’s will install a livestreaming facility, together with an improved sound system in 2021 St Stephen’s has also made significant progress in the renewal of its building by completing major repair work on its roof. While the condition of St Stephen’s remains concerning in view of the large size of its building and its low capacity to fund repairs and maintenance through congregational giving, plans for the rest of a major refurbishment are progressing. The diocese of Worcester continues to give active help and guidance in this respect. The Messy Church team have created many online activities, including activities throughout Advent, and will be working hard again in the coming year to provide a growing, Christcentred church for families involving fun, creativity, hospitality and celebration. Messy Church is a flagship example of collaborative mission. Church members at St. Leonard’s remained active as a worshipping community determined to serve and care for their neighbours. The church building was occasionally open for prayer, however, opening times were limited due to the number of funerals that took place during the week. The Pastoral Care Team was expanded to provide a network of support for church members with regular telephone calls to ensure communication and mutual care, supporting the clergy in this ministry. House groups remain an integral part of St. Leonard’s worshipping community, continuing to meet online to share fellowship, prayer, and Bible study and in some cases have increased in frequency. Groups included members from across the parish. Care to the wider community has been provided through collections for the Redditch Foodbank and increasing charitable giving. There was a strong response to the Christmas appeal to provide book tokens to children of prisoners at Hewell Prison, working closely with Beoley Mother’s Union branch in this respect. The St. Leonard’s organist recorded an extensive catalogue of worship songs for use in the parish wide video recordings and live worship services. When the opportunity arose to hold worship ‘in person’ rather than online, then creative approaches were taken to hold services in the church grounds, at Harvest and Christmas. Sadly, the annual Snowdrop Weekend fundraising event in February 2020 had to be abandoned on the Sunday because of Storm Ciaira. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, improvements to access and landscaping of the lower churchyard were completed in the year. Happily, the delayed ordination to the priesthood of Rev Francis Moloney was able to take place in person, although in a more limited way than is usual. Francis has brought fresh life and perspective into parochial ministry, as well as considerable gifts and talents. He has been a considerable asset during the pandemic because of his ability to work confidently and effectively online, especially in concert with Rev. Paul Lawlor. He has also been as active in evangelism as he can and has co-hosted several Alpha courses. The Revd Francis Moloney is a member of the Interim Executive Board of St George’s School, and a Joint Diocesan CMEAC rep and UKME Vocations Champion. St Philip’s church building is, unlike the others in the team, located in the single housing district that they serve; members of the congregation often walk to church, and few live more than a mile away. It is, however, the least visible of the church buildings, having no tower or spire. In view of this, the church usually has a programme of exhibitions and events to draw people onto the church site. This was completely lost because of the pandemic. Private donations plus a transfer generously given by St Stephen’s mean that the annex will be completed before the end of social distancing. This project will serve to enhance the context of mission from the church building, which is the only congregation of any denomination that meet in the local area. St Philip’s does not receive income through historic trusts set up to benefit the church, nor does it have unrestricted reserves with which to respond to any unusual liabilities that may occur. Thankfully, it has a strong group of volunteers whose work helps to defray the cost of maintenance and repairs. ## **Education & Safeguarding** The parish seeks to be involved as possible in local schools as part of its ministry to children. Due to the closures of schools during the pandemic this has proved more difficult, though many assemblies or contributions to collective worship were recorded by the clergy, especially the Revd. Paul Irving; some were also recorded by Open the Book teams for use in several local schools. St Stephen’s hosted a weekly Young Bell Ringers group. We have once again held educational courses across the parish on zoom this year to encourage mutual learning and fellowship. Messy Church in the town centre has used zoom and Facebook to reach families with younger children. Trained Safeguarding Officers are in place for all district churches. The clergy are up to date with Safeguarding training; all required safeguarding policies have been adopted and are in place; ICT policy is being reviewed. Worcester diocese are currently ensuring that training has been given regarding Safer Recruitment and Data Protection; PCC have reviewed and amended their practice in the light of the forthcoming implementation of new legislation. ## **Other Leadership Roles and Activities** The clergy team was fully staffed until February 2021. In addition, they have had the opportunity to be involved in training an Assistant Curate, Revd Francis Maloney, throughout 2020. The parish has maintained its role in the community through supporting communitybased activities, the conduct of many occasional offices, and the involvement in ecumenical outreach and other activities. Two Licensed Lay Ministers are licensed by the bishop to take funerals, while the third, Norma Walters, co-ordinates a pastoral team. Laity are actively involved in pastoral care and ministry in residential care homes when permitted to do so. The Revd Paul Lawlor has continued to foster civic links through involvement in major civic and community events in the town centre, and he has a strong relationship with the local press. The Revd Paul Lawlor was Rural Dean of Bromsgrove and is now Area Dean of an enlarged Redditch and Bromsgrove Deanery. He is also a member of the Diocesan Mission and Pastoral Committee, a trustee of Faith at Work in Worcestershire and of the Word Christian Bookshop. He is a governor of St Stephen’s School The Revd. Richard Clark has a chaplaincy role at Redditch United Football Club where he has encouraged the community work of the club, been a pastoral presence for directors, staff, volunteers and their families and shared Christian-based messages in programme articles for every home match, although the club was closed for half of 2020 because of the pandemic. The Revd. Richard Clark is a member of Bishop’s Council and Standing Committee, Chair of the Commission of Social Responsibility and a trustee of the Worcester Diocesan Academies Trust. He is a governor of Tardebigge School and a member of the Shires Multi Academy Trust The Revd Paul Irving is a Bishop’s Representative at Bishops Advisory Panels for the Candidates for Ordained Ministry. He was a governor of St George’s School. The Revd Francis Moloney is a governor of St George’s School Bryan Allbut is Chair of the Diocesan Board of Education and of Worcester Diocese Multi Academy Trust. The Reverends Paul Lawlor, and Richard Clark are members of Diocesan Synod. Clergy have also undertaken other commitments which have helped them grow personally and in their contribution to parish life, which have in turn expanded the horizons of church members. This includes conferences and meetings run by New Wine, Naturally Supernatural and World Prayer Centre. Richard Clark usually undertakes an annual mission trip to support a “Fresh Expressions” outreach based at Boat of Garton near Aviemore, giving encouragement, support and guidance in shaping this new work, although he was only able to offer support by zoom in 2020. These conferences and trips serve to refresh the clergy and renew their vision, giving them much to share when they return to the parish. ## **Plans for Future Periods** It is the usual practice for an annual report to provide the reader with an explanation of the PCC’s plans for the including the key objectives and activities planned to support them. This is complicated by the pandemic and the restructuring of the ministry of the Church of England in Redditch and Alvechurch, so that there are more unknown factors than would normally be the case. ## **Mission and Ministry** We hope to make all our churches warm, welcoming and family friendly; churches that are active in our efforts to reach out to the community, meeting the needs of the people and helping them to discover God’s Love we will do this together, while being unique and distinct from one another, in creative collaboration and outward focused mission. ## Tasks for 2021: 1. Re-establish worship in the church building. We have begun with a single service every Sunday until the government end social distancing restrictions. It will, however, be impossible to return to the pre-lockdown pattern as we do not have the people available to take the services. This is an opportunity for the church to gather closer together as a single Christian community as the New Testament envisages. A reduction in the number of services at St Leonard’s will in any case be necessary given the forthcoming combining of that church with St Laurence’s Alvechurch; no incumbent, however gifted and energetic, can be in two places at once. 2. Re-establish occasional offices. Some people took their funerals to the crematorium because they did not feel they could have “proper” church service; weddings have been moved, and the first baptisms of the year will not take place until 13[th] June 2021. We will not know until the summer of 2022, when we can review a year without social distancing, to know what impact the pandemic has made on the incidence of occasional offices. 3. Draw together the community. There are key events that take place during the summer that will serve to help re-establish links between the community and our church buildings. The relationship between the church and schools will be more challenging without the expertise of The Revd Paul Irving which makes the work of the Calling Youth Disciples Learning Hub, Open the Book and Messy Church all the more important in the future. We look forward to a full celebration of Christmas and will consider investing in additional publicity to reconnect with the people of our districts. 4. Review our mission in a post-pandemic world. In general terms, mission is defined as: “an important assignment given to a person or group of people, or the vocation or calling of a religious organization, especially a Christian one, to go out into the world and spread its faith.” Jesus said to His disciples at the end of His time on earth, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:18b-20a) This passage, known as the Great Commission, was the mission that Christ left for His Church to fulfil. We are also mindful that Jesus states in Luke 4:18 that part of his mission is to evangelise the poor. Jesus’ strategy began with the calling of his disciples; any church growth strategy must include the development of a core group committed to train and to act as they are led by, and in the power of, the Holy Spirit to extend the Kingdom of God in Jesus’ name and to devote themselves to church growth. It will, however, be the responsibility of all those associated with the team parish to be committed to this objective, and to support one another in that task. ## **Parochial Reorganisation** The Revd Paul Irving, Team Vicar for St. Leonard’s Church moved to a new position in Taunton, Somerset in February 2021. Plans are in place to recruit a priest who will be shared between St. Leonard’s Church and the neighbouring parish of Alvechurch St. Laurence where the vicar is to retire in July. The post will be advertised shortly. The new priest will be licensed as a team vicar to this team but also priest in charge of St Laurence’s, which is not part of the team. The second half of 2021 could be a time of discovery for the members of St. Leonard’s Church in developing new ways to work in partnership with St. Laurence’s Church. By the end of 2021, following a consultation with laity and clergy, we will also have a proposal for a new ministerial structure for the Redditch and Alvechurch area to maximise the deployment of the five full time stipendiary priests (assistant curates are not included in the plan) across the 12 churches and 92000+ parishioners with a view to maximising collaborative mission and ministry across the area. Above all, it is intended that there will be an increase of collaborative ministry across the churches, with appropriate structures to facilitate this. **Parish of Redditch Holy Trinity Trustees Annual Report 2020 Report and Financial Statements** ## **Financial Review** ## **a) Income** Overall income in 2020, at £780,038, was £481,482 higher than the previous year. This included a legacy of £551,791 received from the estate of a former churchwarden at St. Leonard’s Church, which compares to legacies and other donations received in the previous year amounting to £94,825. Income in 2020 also included grants amounting to £43,500 (2019 £6,608) received for major building improvement and roof repair projects being carried out at St. Philip’s Church and St. Stephen’s Church. Unrestricted income, excluding legacies and grants, in 2020 amounted to £120,245, which is £42,860 (36%) lower than the comparable figure for the previous year. The unprecedented closure of church buildings and surrounding grounds due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which came into force at the end of March 2020, has resulted in a severe loss of income from plate collections, fund raising activities and weddings. ## **b) Expenditure** Expenditure in the year totalled £271,180 compared with £255,985 in the previous year. St. Philip’s Church has completed the construction of their new annex and is currently in the process of fitting out the building. To date the project expenditure has totalled £363,065, of which £40,153 was spent in 2020 (2019 £56,182). An estimated £60,000 is required to complete the project. £6,719 was held in the project bank account at the year end, and donations totalling £41,155 have been received since the year end. St. Stephen’s Church embarked on a major project in 2020 to carry out roof repair and other building repair work that has been identified by a Quinquennial Inspection of the building. The overall project expenditure is budgeted to be £260.000, of which £46,196 was spent in 2020. The project is to be funded partially by grants and the remainder from the unrestricted General Fund, with the balance being funded by the designated St. David’s Batchley Fund. **Parish of Redditch Holy Trinity Trustees Annual Report** ## **2020 Report and Financial Statements** St. Leonard’s Church spent £15,793 on two major expenditure projects in 2020: £8,858 for a new video projector and electric screen, and £6,935 on extending and landscaping the footpath in the lower churchyard. Both projects were funded from the restricted, Growing Mission & Ministry Fund. In 2020, everyday expenditure of £152,719 exceeded the income in the unrestricted General Fund by £32,473 (2019 £22,521). ## **c) Net Outgoings** Net incoming resources, before other recognised gains, in the year amounted to £508,843 (2019 £42,571). However, excluding the effect of significant receipts from legacies and grants on the one hand and capital expenditure on the other, the surplus turns into a deficit for the year amounting to £49,542 compared with a surplus of £11,968 in the previous year, which is the result of the lower income as described above. ## **d) Transfers between funds** At the year end, St. Stephen’s Church transferred £18,177 from their unrestricted, General Fund to a newly created designated fund for the roof and other building repairs project, as described above. At the beginning of the year, St. Philip’s Church closed the designated fund for organ restoration, transferring the balance of £6,951 to a newly created restricted fund for organ restoration. ## **e) Balance Sheet** ## **Fixed asset investments** Long-term investments are “marked to market” at year end and any increase or decrease in value from the previous year is shown in the SOFA below the net income or deficit of the period. Stock markets did not perform as well in 2020 as the strong market performance in 2019. However, share prices did rise in 2020, consequently the value of investments held at the year-end was £64,379 (2019 £116,184) higher than at the start of the year. Some dividends are reinvested in the **Parish of Redditch Holy Trinity Trustees Annual Report** ## **2020 Report and Financial Statements** investment funds from which they have been received. In 2020, reinvested dividends totalled £19,496 (2019 £19,192). Investments have been made in funds that are in accordance with the Church’s principles and beliefs. These include the CBF Church of England Funds, which are managed by CCLA Investment Management Limited and EdenTree funds for charities which are managed by EdenTree Investment Management Limited, part of the Ecclesiastical Insurance Group, who are owned by Allchurches Charity Trust. ## **Cash Flow and Cash at Bank** Net cash from operating activities, including cash from legacies and grants, in 2020 amounted to £500,832 (2019 £31,230). Of this, £363,358 has been invested in income funds managed by CCLA and Eden Tree Investment Management. The balance of the legacy money mentioned above has been placed in shorter-term deposit accounts held with CCLA and the CAF Deposit Platform. At the end of year, cash held in bank current and, the above mentioned, deposit accounts amounted to £447,506 (2019 £308,542). ## **Net Assets and Fund Balances** The Balance Sheet ended the year in a far stronger position than at the beginning of the year. The value of net assets rose by £580,117 in the year to £1,643,394 (2019 - £1,063,277) at the year end. Restricted funds rose by £607,058 to £909,432 (2019 - £302,374). Designated funds rose by £3,352 to £565,020 (2019 - £561,668), whilst the value of endowment funds rose by £3,326 to £54,724 (2019 - £51,398). However, the strengthening position of overall funds during the year was not experienced in all funds. Unrestricted, General funds fell £33,620 during the year to £114,217 (2019 - £147,837) at the year end. That is a fall of 23% in the year. The General funds reserve at the year-end represents approximately 9 months (2019 – 12 months) of ‘everyday’ future expenditure. ## **Mark Blamire-Brown** ## **Treasurer, Redditch Holy Trinity PCC** **21[st] April 2021** **– HOLY TRINITY PCC ACCOUNTS 2020 EXAMINERS REPORT TO THE PCC TREASURER** ## **THE YEAR** It is almost impossible to find the right words to comment on such a difficult year. There is no need to repeat the impact that Covid 19 has had on everyone both personally and professionally with many individual tragedies. With regard to Holy Trinity the only appropriate term I could come up with is the “Curates Egg” (Punch cartoon 1895 where a meek curate who, given a stale egg at the bishop's table, assures his host that ‘parts of it are excellent’) Despite all the difficulties faced in fundraising and loss of wedding revenue and other income the parish has shown itself resilient - in the hard work of the volunteers and particularly the treasurers; and lucky - in the legacies and grants received. Out of these difficulties there has been pressure for change and adaptability and it is this change and adaptability that I see as the good parts of the “Curate’s Egg”. ## **PEOPLE** Last year I emphasised the need for a qualified accountant at PCC treasurer level and many thanks are due to Mark BlamireBrown for taking on this role in addition to his role as treasurer (thus providing him a significant work load). I note that the problems at St Stephen’s are on the way towards resolution but I have to reaffirm my comments in last years report that as finances become more complex the need for a succession plan with people working alongside the existing treasurers is hugely important. I am not oblivious to the situation of a limited number of volunteers taking on every role at some time or other. I hope that maybe more volunteers from outside the church / faith can be encouraged to help and to appreciate the good work that goes on within the individual churches and feel thus emboldened to join. ## **CONSOLIDATION OF SKILLS AND RESOURCES AND MEETINGS** As the C of E is faced with the search for economies and the clergy’s responsibilities become increasingly spread over 1 communities so the financial resources of the parish will need to bring together individual tasks wherever economies of scale can be achieved. One particular benefit from lockdown has been the bringing together of the treasurers through Zoom meetings and the ability to share problems and knowledge more easily. There are a number of policies in existence and in need of constant update and such meetings can ensure there is common recognition and education throughout both diocese and parish. I refer specifically to: Project and Financial Management of Major Maintenance and Capital Expenditure projects Legacy Investment planning and monitoring Charities Commission and C of E policy changes and Accounting Standards Asset registers Reserves In allowing people to attend meetings from home, Zoom also saves travel time. There is current duplication of topics across the current meetings and I fully support efforts to reduce this duplication. ## **DIGITAL CASH GIVING AND MANAGEMENT** The lockdown church closures have focussed the need for alternative arrangements. I was pleased to see that many envelope users had accepted alternative means of giving and would hope that all the churches will grasp this opportunity to make paying in books as redundant as the chequebooks have become. The Parish Giving Scheme is also proving a huge benefit for the management of Direct Debit donations and Gift Aid. Streamed services which I understand are planned to continue have also brought new watchers and an opportunity to widen the internet base for donations through Give Net, Just Giving and the other net based donation sites. ## **CHURCHES AND USE OF BUILDINGS** 2 Whilst endeavouring to retain those aspects of faith and ritual which make the church a location for reflection and prayer the response by younger generations to the ending of lockdown highlights the importance of social gatherings to the secular world. All the parishes within the C of E have the identical problem – very expensive and often heritage linked buildings with high costs and decreasing congregations. Acknowledging that it is the past loyalty and sentiment that is currently bringing in large legacies does not remove the annual need to fund these buildings with activities which may conflict with the concept of silent prayer and traditional rituals. If these activities can bring in new listeners to the moral and social messages as well as the religious aspect of Christ’s teachings then I think the secular challenge can be addressed. ## **EXAMINATION QUERIES** There were no major queries to the individual and consolidated accounts and those queries which arose have been discussed with the individual treasurers. The PCC Examiners report in the accounts has accordingly been signed. ## **FUTURE APPROACH** Those plans which were scuppered by the lockdown can now (deo volente!) be resurrected, Completion and editing of manual by MBB and DR. 6 monthly examination of the DCC and PCC accounts targeted for September 2021. Interim discussion by the DCC treasurers in meeting to agree on cross parish methods and sharing of duties. Finally thanks to all the treasurers for their time and patience as my Long Covid disappears to be a faint memory. HELEN M GRAVE 21.04.2020 3