## **St John the Baptist Church**
## **Parish of Yeovil with Kingston Pitney**
**Annual Report for the Year ended 31[st] December 2024**
## **Parish of Yeovil with Kingston Pitney**
## **Annual Report of St John the Baptist Church for the Year ended 31[st] December 2024**
Administrative Information Structure, governance and management Objectives and Activities Achievements and Performance Report on the PCC Meetings St John’s Wardens Report St John’s Sidespersons’ Report Report on the Electoral Roll St John’s Finance Report – Accounts to 31[st] December 2024 Gift Aid Officer’s Report St John’s Building Report St John’s Bell Ringers St John’s Young Adults (SJYA) Youth Ministry Report Junior Church Tiny Toes Footprints St John’s and St Andrew’s Holiday Club Pastoral Care and Gone Fishing Cafe Parish Prayer Chain Mission Group Fellowship Groups Ladies Bible Study Safeguarding Life Skills St John’s Website Social Media TCP Craft Fellowship St John’s Music Group St John’s Model Railway Group Prodigal Bikes Bookstall Yeovil College Chaplaincy Deanery Synod Report Yeovil CAP Centre Annual Report The Lords Larder (Yeovil Christian Support Trust)
## **Parish of Yeovil with Kingston Pitney Annual Report of St John the Baptist Church for the year ended 31[st] December 2024**
## **Administrative Information**
St John’s Church is situated in the centre of Yeovil and has a daughter church, St Andrew’s, which is about one mile from the centre. They are part of the Diocese of Bath and Wells within the Church of England. The correspondence address is: Church Street, Yeovil, Somerset BA20 1HE. This report covers the activities of St John’s church and of the Parish. St Andrew’s Church has produced its own report covering its own domestic issues. The Parochial Church Council is registered under the Charity Commission, registration number 1134345.
The PCC comprises members from both churches with the Incumbent, Readers, Wardens and elected representatives to the Deanery Synod. The following members have served on the PCC during the last year.
|**Incumbent**|Revd James Dudley-Smith|Revd James Dudley-Smith|**Chairman**|
|---|---|---|---|
|**Associate Ministers**|Revd Ben Graham|||
||Revd George Beverly|||
|**Representatives on**|Rob Dean|||
|**Deanery Synod**|Janet Dean|||
||Phil Juggins|||
||Beth Farrington||**St Andrew’s**|
|**Member of Diocesan Synod**|Rob Dean|||
|**Member of General Synod**|Jam Cary|||
|**Wardens**|Lin Hann||**St John’s**|
||Keith Ovenden|||
|**Deputy Warden**|Brian Gay||**St Andrew’s**|
|**Elected Members**|Lucie Bruce|||
||Ros Bush|||
||Nick Chatwin|||
||Chris Frazer|||
||Doreen Maitland|||
||David Matthew|||
||Calum McFarlane|||
||Tim Osborn|||
||Lizzy Pudner|||
||Kate Scorer|||
||Ann Thurgood|||
||Tim Thurgood|||
||Chris Tune|||
||Robert Warr|||
||Les Whittle|||
|**Co-opted Members**|Janet Dean|Secretary||
||Alan Irwin|Treasurer||
## S **tructure, Governance and Management**
The method of appointment of PCC members is set out in the Church Representation Rules. All church attendees are encouraged to join the Electoral Roll and stand for election to the PCC at the time of the Annual Parochial Church Meeting. They have prime responsibility for managing the affairs of the church. St Andrew’s Church has its own Church Council (DCC).
## **Objectives and Activities**
St John’s PCC has the responsibility of co-operating with the incumbent, Revd James Dudley-Smith, in promoting in the ecclesiastical parish the whole mission of the church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. It also has responsibility for St John’s Schoolrooms and St Andrew’s Church Hall.
## **Achievements and Performance**
This report covers the activities of St John’s Church. St Andrew’s Church produces its own report.
- St John’s is thriving and growing after recovery from the difficult years of the Covid pandemic.
- Lin Hann and Keith Ovenden continue to serve us as Churchwardens and work extremely well as a team.
- George Beverly was ordained during the year. He continues his busy life as Chaplain of King’s School, Bruton, as well as taking the occasional service in St John’s when he has the time!
- The financial affairs of the church are as good as can be expected but continue to run at a deficit each year.
- Congregations at our services grew throughout the year with many newcomers attending
- Services continued to be live-streamed as this has been especially beneficial for those more elderly members of the congregation or those who are unwell at home, or even for those who are away on holiday.
- Tuesday morning communion continued.
- A new gathering was begun on Friday mornings entitled Friday at Nine, or FAN as it has become known.
- The Gone Fishing Café continues to thrive on Thursday mornings.
- Youth activities continue.
- Holiday Club took place in July and was well attended.
- First Wednesday prayers continued and remained some of the time on Zoom as this proved a popular option for many, particularly during the dark winter months.
- The various fellowship groups meet in person twice a month, though one group continues to meet via Zoom.
- Tiny Toes, for mums and babies, and Footprints, for mums and toddlers, continue to meet each week.
- Christians Against Poverty continued to provide a vital service for increasing numbers of people having problems with unmanageable debt.
- The Tech Team, ably led by David Matthew, are to be greatly commended for their continuing work and dedication; they also continue to livestream services for those who wish to watch services at home each week or who are unable to attend for any reason.
There is, therefore, once again a tremendous amount going on in the life of the Church and we are indeed blessed by the number of people willing to get involved.
_Janet Dean PCC Secretary_
## **Report on PCC Meetings**
The PCC met on four occasions during the year and were generally well attended. The minutes of all PCC Meetings can be viewed on the St John’s parish website.
Apart from the routine business of finance, services and fabric matters, much of which is covered in other sections of this annual report, the following items were discussed.
- The continued burden of paying the Parish Share
- Mission giving
- Data protection
- Safeguarding
- The fabric of St John’s and the ongoing repairs
- The importance of on-going mission and evangelism
- Prayers of Love and Faith, regarding same sex relationships
## _**Janet Dean PCC Secretary**_
## **Church Wardens’ Report**
2024 has been a busy year at St Johns. Keeping a busy church like St Johns functioning involves so many people and we are truly blessed with a congregation made up of so many gifted people. The skills gifts and talents that are given by God to further his Kingdom require commitment and sacrifice on behalf of us all; organisational skills, creative skills, teaching skills, interpersonal skills are all put to good use!
The Parish Office has seen a dramatic change; as Emma went off to Maternity leave she was smoothly replaced by Chris Tune who is standing in until she returns later this year. We are so impressed and grateful for Chris who has taken up the challenge and really helped us maintain direction and pace.
We have had to say farewell to Terry Bush in his role as Facilities Coordinator which he has carried out to our benefit and his credit so well over the years and he is now enjoying his retirement in full measure. As an experiment we have recruited Andy Lane to the role of Facilities co-ordinator for a year to enable us to understand what this role now entails as the life of our church has grown so much. The Mid week welcomer role has been filled by volunteers for whom we are very grateful for, and the cleaning roles have been taken up by a professional team on a monthly basis, again as an experiment.
Quinquennial repair work is underway project managed by Phill Juggins and the newly named Buildings Repair and Maintenance team. As well as all of the groups involved in the life of the church a new group has formed who are busy refurbishing all of the pew runners headed by Claire Coulson. It is a huge task and we look forward to seeing all of the pews graced with a padded seat by the end of the year!
I cannot report without acknowledging the huge impact that our clergy make directing us spiritually and ministering to us throughout the year. James, Ben, George aided by Doug and all of the preaching team put so much work into the preaching and teaching in all sorts of ways; as James enjoys the remains of his sabbatical, we must acknowledge how much we have appreciated Ben at the helm, supported by Abi and the boys.
2024/5 has been challenging in many ways; your PCC has discussed many important topics. Prayers of love and Faith, Safeguarding including domestic abuse are just two that have challenged us prompting passionate debate in a spirit of openness, grace and respect.
As we enter a new period of activity this year, I want to share our thoughts around the challenge of providing volunteers to staff all of the regular and adhoc events that go on in our church. For example, it
may surprise you to learn that there are 23 rotas involved in just making Sunday services work! The available pool of human resource for that is changing rapidly as retired people get older and less able, younger couples are working more and have young families as well as having to work well into their 60s! As we grow in numbers (55 people were added to our number in 2024/25) the challenge in making all of our activities work will only increase and I encourage you to look hard to see where you may be able to lessen the burden on the few that do so much.
God continues to bless us in his provision to us and we can be thankful for all he has provided and will provide in the future!
Keith Ovenden Church Warden
## **Sidespersons Report**
One original definition of this role is “sidespeople are appointed to promote the cause of true religion in the parish, and to assist the church wardens in the discharge of their duties in maintaining order and decency in the church and churchyard, especially during the time of divine service “.
Across the Church of England these days, churches have created two roles under the heading of sidespeople: deputy wardens and welcomers. Here at St Johns, we have two wonderful teams: eight deputy wardens and fifteen welcomers.
It has been another very busy year and it seems as if there is more and more happening in the church, both on Saturdays, Sundays, mid-week and evenings.
Deputy wardens continue to arrive early before services and leave late, ensuring that the building is open and ready for use and then closed safely afterwards. They also keep us safe during the services and will be very quick to assist, should there ever be a fire. This is very much a hidden role and the wardens on a Sunday morning can be on duty for more than four hours at a time as they are always last to leave after we have enjoyed coffee and a time fellowship together.
Apart from Sunday mornings and evenings, there are a number of other events which they cover. These include Civic services, commercial events, often running late into the evening, choir performances, weddings, funerals, school carol services and all of their rehearsals in December, as well as extra Christmas and Easter events. The deputy wardens welcome these opportunities to invite people into church and visitors who are new to the building are often blown away by its beauty. We have had many new people joining us this year.
We all know what a difference it makes to be welcomed at an event or a meeting, particularly if we are new to that meeting or anxious about attending. Our welcomers do an amazing job of welcoming every adult and child who attend on a Sunday morning or evening. Many people tell us that, as a church family, we are incredibly friendly and welcoming and our welcoming team play a huge part in that.
There are times when the church is extremely full for which we praise God, and our deputy wardens and welcomers do an amazing job at fitting everyone in.
Lin Hann Churchwarden
## **Report on the Electoral Roll**
The Electoral Roll for 2025 currently stands at 212. Forty three previous members came off and 73 new members joined St John’s congregation.
Chris Tune Temporary Church Secretary
## **St John’s Finance Report on the accounts for the year ended 31st December 2024**
The statutory accounts of St John’s also include the data for St Andrew’s. However, this report covers only the finances of St John’s, which are managed by means of several funds. The General Fund can be spent at the discretion of the PCC and mostly covers the day-to-day running costs of the church. Several Designated Funds hold money set aside for specific purposes, such as the Schoolrooms Fund. Restricted Funds can only be used for the purposes for which they were originally set up, such as the Peter Wakely Community Fund and the Christians Against Poverty Fund.
## The General Fund
Regular general giving to St John's in 2024 amounted to £154,567, with other donations totalling £47,066 and the tax recovered was £41,188. This makes a total for general giving of £242,821.
We also received legacy gifts of £2k. With the approval of the PCC, £30k was drawn down from the Peter Wakely investment fund in order to support our pastoral and outreach work during the year. The Friends of St Johns, which had raised many thousands of pounds for the upkeep of the church buildings over the years, closed their operations in 2024 and transferred almost £5,000 to the St John’s Church Building Fund. We also received a £5,000 grant from the Horseman Trust.
Our regular expenditure in 2024 was dominated by staff costs (c.£73k), Maintenance and Cleaning (c.£15k), utilities (c.£13k) and the Parish Share, which is paid to the Diocese of Bath and Wells (c.£167k). When other costs are added, the general monthly expenditure was typically £4.5k more than our general monthly income. We donated £24k to our mission partners and a mission giving budget of £24k was set for 2025, which is 10% of the general donations received in 2024.
The balance of the St John's general fund at the end of 2024 was approximately £37k, which is slightly up on last year.
## Designated Funds
The St John's Church Building Fund (previously known as the Fabric Fund) balance reduced by c.£6k to £52k, due to spending on maintenance and repairs.
During 2024, the remainder of the Youth Development Investment Fund was spent in support of our children and youth ministry. The closing balance was zero, and the fund was closed. It should be noted that this is only an administrative change. All donations to the children and youth work at St John's will continue to be reserved for that purpose, and will go towards our junior church, Friday youth club and other children's ministry activities.
Similarly, all of the monies in the Schoolrooms Fund, the Organ Fund and the Office Equipment Reserve Fund were expended in 2024. These funds have also been closed.
## Restricted Funds
There are four funds categorised as restricted:
- _The Restoration Fund_
- Apart from accumulated interest, there were no significant transactions in the Restoration Fund in 2024, leaving the closing balance at £13,629.
- _Christians Against Poverty (CAP) Fund_
- This fund raises and spends money in support of the Yeovil CAP Debt Centre, managed by Mary Irwin. A total of £64,778 was given and raised in 2024 to support this ministry. The expenditure, comprising the monthly salaries of the manager and debt coach, a monthly payment to CAP HQ, and other operating expenses, amounted to £49,932. There was a surplus in the year of £14,846 and the balance carried forward to 2025 was £52,157.
- _The Peter Wakely Community Fund_
- This fund was set up with the proceeds of the legacy received from Peter Wakely. The funds are invested in a unit trust administered by CCLA on behalf of the Church Commissioners. During the year we used £30,000 from this fund to help pay for our pastoral and outreach ministries. However, the fund value also benefitted from an increase in the stock market during 2024 and the closing balance was £247,725.
- _The Tom Setter Belfry Fund_
- During 2024, the value of the Tom Setter hardly changed. The final balance was £11,847.
## The Balance Sheet
The balance sheet shows where our total funds of £416,377 are invested. Most of this is accounted for by designated or restricted funds with a relatively modest £37k represented by the General Fund. A total of £305,574 is invested in unit trusts administered by CCLA on behalf of the Church Commissioners; £39,683 is on deposit with CCLA; £65,120 is in three current accounts with NatWest bank, which pay some interest, and £6,000 is in National Savings.
Looking forward to the remainder of 2025, our regular expenditure continues to exceed our income and our reserves and investments must be used to fill the gap.
Operating costs are expected to continue rising this year. The PCC have approved a pay rise for our staff to help them with the rising cost of living. Utilities costs are continuing to rise, while the 2025 Parish Share remains close to the 2024 figure.
We are particularly grateful for the ongoing generous donations from church members and others. In 2025, as always, I would ask that all of us should actively and regularly review our level of giving to the work of St John's, and increase it if that is appropriate. If you can commit to regular giving by standing order, this method helps to make our income more stable. Of course, donations using the envelope scheme or in other ways are equally welcomed and appreciated. Please also ensure that you add Gift Aid to your donations if you are a UK taxpayer. Last year we reclaimed more than £41,000 from HMRC and could not have managed without it.
While regular planned giving contributes to our day-to-day running costs, a legacy in your will offers the opportunity to donate to St John's out of your estate, perhaps for specific purposes. The largest legacy that we have received in the last few years is £189,895 from Peter Wakely, but of course legacies of any amount are valued. Such gifts can be invested and may provide a lasting and valuable resource for many years. We have produced a leaflet about legacies and a copy is available at the back of the church. If you are considering including a legacy to St John's in your will, please discuss this with the treasurer or a warden, who can advise you on the needs of the church.
On a personal note, I would like to express my appreciation to all those who have helped me to continue in the job of Treasurer in 2024. In particular, I owe a large debt of thanks to Emma Handcock and Chris Tune for administrative support and to Judith Brookes for managing our Gift Aid scheme.
Alan Irwin
Treasurer of St John’s
## **St John’s Building Report for 2024 (to April 2025)**
The ‘Building Committee’ (previously known as the Fabric Committee) is a sub-committee of the PCC which meets regularly to coordinate and report on the state of the church building and to monitor the planned regular maintenance and repairs and other work stipulated in the Quinquennial Surveys (the latest being in July 2023). In 2024, the committee met in February, April, July, September and November, in addition to coordination through emails and other ad hoc communication. Necessary maintenance and repair work on the building was continued through 2024, including non-routine activities as follows:
Vestry Roof damage and leaking - resulting in damp in areas of the vestry and main church. A rainwater hopper and connecting pipe had fallen (Nov 2023) and damaged the flat roof asphalt covering. Roofer Simon Hodder provided a quote to paint the flat roof with liquid rubber sealer and repair / re-fix the hopper and pipe. He was unresponsive in completing the work, which was passed to Dale Pitman of Acorn Roofing in August to (for the same quote). He repaired the hopper and downpipe but did not seal the roof, initially delayed by wet weather. Eventually (in March 2025) the damaged area of the roof was sealed by our own action.
Leaks in the vestry toilet and office ceilings should be alleviated by this work. A refurbishment of the toilet is proposed in 2025, with a quote now accepted from Tim Cracknell, comprising repairs of decorative surfaces and upgrading / renewal of existing facilities.
Internal stone damage due to damp on the north wall below the window adjacent to the organ, and by the Phelps Memorial, is thought to be caused by the vestry roof issues. These areas are being monitored – redecorating will be required when confident the walls are no longer damp (brushing off loose plaster in advance).
Vestry and South Transept, internal decoration – The vestry work has been completed, with paintwork on one wall in the S Transept remaining to be applied, when the plaster has dried.
Salt deposits are coming out of the N/NE vestry wall new plaster. It is proposed to brush off the loose surface plaster and let the wall dry over the coming Summer. The plasterer is to be consulted too.
Stonework Repairs (including South Transept Parapet stone fracture) – Requests for quotations were made to 10 contractors for a parapet coving block repair and a package of other stonework repairs identified for completion in 12-24 months by the 2023 Quinquennial Inspection. Initial quotes were obtained from Cliveden Conservation (£26k) and Gary Sayer of Crowstep (£7.5k) after visits to the church. Stonemason Luke Grafton also visited and requested a more detailed specification, which was obtained from the church architect and will also support the List B application for the Diocese. Gary Sayer visited the church on March 2025 to review his quote in the light of the specification. Significant further erosion of exterior (north) window frames was identified, which Gary will consider when quoting. Tim Cracknell has quoted £11k but is unable to do the work. Luke Grafton is now unavailable until 2026. Quotes were to be confirmed for completion of the work in Summer 2025, with cost expected around £10k. List B application is to be made to the Diocese (initiated). At time of writing, we await Gary Sayer’s revised quote.
Miscellaneous – Quotes for an alarm system to protect the **roof lead sheeting** have been collated. A project to replace all **light bulbs** (including internal and external spotlights) with low-energy LED bulbs is being scoped for completion in Summer 2025. Roger Fox has identified work required to improve **the bells** and a quote from Nicholson Engineering (£2.8k) has been accepted, for completion in 2025.
At the end of 2024 we said goodbye and a **big thank you** to Terry Bush and welcomed Andy Lane in his new role; in March 2025 **more thanks** and a farewell to Tim Thurgood. **Many thanks** too to Lin for her brilliant support, as warden on the team, with Keith now swapping over from her.
With thanks to all who care for our building!
Phil Juggins (Building Committee Chair)
## **St John’s Bell Ringers**
We have had some encouraging developments at St John’s recently; due to increasing involvement from other bands and individuals in the area we have many opportunities to help us improve our ringing.
The focus for our Monday practices was originally to teach beginners and to give newer ringers an extra opportunity to practice rounds, call changes and place-making. Four new ringers, based in Odcombe, now ring for services and support both bands along with others from the village. We are currently teaching three other beginners at Odcombe and St John’s. As outlined below, we are fortunate to come together with ringers from other towers on a regular basis.
In addition to this, a Wednesday session with six tied bells at the start of the practice has proved popular, as improvers can be practising skills particular to them and developing more confidence in bell handling. Individuals from other towers, especially Martock and Odcombe, support this practice and the open ringing at the end is often appreciated by visitors to the town. We are improving one step at a time!
Our links with other bands is invaluable. We work very closely with Odcombe Clangers; teaching of beginners takes place at both venues and we support each other at practices and service ringing. Towards the end of last year, Pen Hooper and Taunton Minster ringers kindly started coming to help - on the first Monday of the month - so we have the opportunity to ring all 12 bells. This year we have arranged to hold another of our Monday practices – the third Monday of the month – at East Coker, where there are a number of people keen to ring but not enough to form a steady band.
We are fortunate to have these opportunities to go regularly to other towers as it offers a breadth of experience and develops strong local bonds so we can support each other in local ringing commitments. There are too many individuals to thank personally, but we are very particularly grateful to Dave Hammonds and Lawrence Bignell as well as Pen Hooper and her band, who have freely given their time and experience to encourage us in our efforts. Lawrence’s expert work on the simulator at St John’s adds a valuable asset to the practices. It means that we can tie clappers on a number of bells so they do not sound outside, but can listen to them strike using a computer programme. We hope it will help to improve the consistency of our striking – once we have learned how to use it!
Unfortunately it has become increasingly difficult for Roger to access the ringing at St John’s and we miss his guidance there. However, he is very active ‘behind the scenes’ in coordinating activities and we are all so glad to benefit from his continuing leadership and involvement.
Annette Organ Bell Captain
## **St John's Young Adults - SJYA**
St John's Young Adults meet on the third Wednesday of each month. We do a range of social activities which change through the seasons, but we often end up having a good old chat in the pub! Bowling, games nights, bring and share dinners, walks and BBQs all feature throughout the year.
Each month we have plenty of great conversations and encouraging fellowship together. This year we have been in a wonderful time of growth in numbers with many young adults moving to the area recently and we have been encouraged to see new friendships form in the group and a growing sense of community. We are lucky to have a mixture of individuals - those who are from other churches, those who are curious about faith, and others who are regular church goers. We hope in the next year to continue to see more new faces - if you find yourself talking to someone you might class as a young adult who may be interested
in the group, please feel free to pass on either of our email addresses to them and we can make sure that they get all the information that they need to get involved.
Tim and Hannah Osborn
## **Youth Ministry**
Our work with young people continues to be one of the things I thank and praise God for the most. Although we have seen slightly lower numbers this year due to our large group of older youth becoming busy with exams and jobs and other things, there has been no decrease in the spiritual engagement, quite the opposite in fact!
“Friday Youth” is a big highlight for me each week, as it is for many young people. We meet on Friday evenings in term time with 15-20 young people and a team of 4 leaders. We serve them a snack as they arrive to energise them for the organised activity which varies from week to week – sports, games, crafty challenges, giant hungry hippos, water fights, task master, baking and much more. We then gather round for a talk from the Bible before splitting into smaller groups to discuss what we’ve heard and to pray for each other. In 2024 we started with a topical series on Big Questions in the spring. We worked our way through the I AM statements in John’s gospel in the summer term, and then did a series on prayer in the Autumn term. We made our annual trip to Heatree Activity Centre, which continues to be a highlight for youth and leaders alike. George Beverly helped us to see what God says to us about our identity, which prompted many hours of discussion that the youth wanted to continue into leisure and mealtimes! I’m not sure who had more fun acting out our murder mystery; the youth watching or the leaders who got to act and ad lib hilarious antics! Throughout the year, we also had some local trips, including a trip to the Cary’s for a bonfire and (surprisingly good) fireworks, an evening at Tesco for the Tesco Challenge, an evening walking around Yeovil judging the quality of chips (oh, the life of a youth leader!)
Please continue to pray for our precious young people who are under so much pressure at school and in the secular world they live in. Pray that this gathering would continue to be time to unwind after a busy week with friends, but that it would also be a place where they are spurred on to live for Jesus. Please also pray for the youth team as we seek to make it a space where they feel increasingly comfortable inviting friends. And please pray on for God to provide someone with a heart for serving youth and a desire to lead this ministry.
“Pathfinders” is our group for young people in school years 7-11. We meet in the crypt during St John’s 10:30 service on the 2[nd] , 3[rd] , and 4[th] Sundays to study God’s word together. This group varies from a quiet group of 2 or 3 to a sparky group of as many as 15! We have enjoyed working through Mark’s gospel in the first half of 2024 and then did a series called Back to Basics where we looked at what it means to live our lives for Jesus. Please pray for Jam as he works hard writing the material for this group. Please also pray for us as we navigate group dynamics when the people present can vary so much from week to week. Pray those in their final year of GCSE’s as they also adjust to staying in the service each week by the end of the academic year.
“JOY Group” (=Just Older Youth) continues to be a joy! Jam and I meet with a group of half a dozen youth in their GCSE and A level years for a Bible study and a game. And, of course, cake. We now meet monthly on a Monday evening. In 2024 we finished Colossians, worked through the Back to Basics series and also started a series in the Psalms. I always leave this group thanking God for the depth of our discussions and the abundance of laughter. Please pray for this group as we wrestle with what faith looks like in practice; pray that their faith would be real and deep and that it would sustain them as they go out into the wider world.
Candy Price Minister for Children and Youth
## **Junior Church Report 2024**
2024 was another busy year in Junior Church. We had 30 regular children, many visitors and over 20 adults helping in the different groups along with four teenage assistants.
**Scramblers** (3 years old to Reception) was led by Melissa Cary, Abi Graham and Chris Pavey. They were assisted by Ellie Bradley, Jayne Watson and Doreen Maitland. Our teenage helper was Ronel Fossi Bakam and in the autumn term, due to increased numbers, we were joined by Davina Fossi Bakam and Emelia Smith. There were 9 regular Scramblers in the Spring and Summer terms, rising to 12 in the autumn term. In fact, there were so many children at the beginning of the autumn term that we had to have an extra adult each week on standby in case we surpassed our safeguarding ratio of one adult to every four children (the teenage helpers counted as children). Many thanks to all those who agreed to be on call for us each week. It was such a squeeze in the downstairs school room with the children, teenage helpers and adults that we had to swap rooms with the creche. Thank you very much to the creche team for accommodating our needs. We really appreciate the extra room to move around and play games.
We have a rolling two-year curriculum for the children in Scramblers, circling through five different topics: _**God Made**_ which introduces God as the universal Creator of all things, _**Thank You God**_ which teaches the appropriate response of gratitude for all that God has made including who we are as human beings, _**God Cares**_ which teaches that the Creator God knows everything about us. He is intimately involved in the details of our lives, _**Friends with God**_ which teaches how we can be friends with God because of Jesus’ death on the cross and what that friendship involves, and _**The Life of Jesus**_ which introduces Jesus as the Son of God who came to rescue us from sin and death. As the children are in Scramblers for two years they get a thorough grounding on all these topics before going up to Climbers.
**Climbers** (Years 1 to 3) was led by Chris Tune, Becky Dudley-Smith and James Maitland and assisted by Emma Handcock, Helen Peace, and Victoria Bradley. Becky Lukins joined the team to replace Emma Handcock in the autumn term. There were 8 in this group throughout the year.
**Explorers** (Year 4 to 6) was led by Rowena Murray, Candy Price and Anne Wickes. They were assisted by Tim Neville, Jo-Anne Smith and JJ Bidwell. Davina Fossi Bakam, Harry Dudley-Smith and Emelia Smith were the teenage helpers in the first part of the year. This started out as the biggest group in Junior Church with 13 children, but after 8 children moved up to Pathfinders, there were just 6 children in the autumn term.
Together Climbers and Explorers started the year with a series exploring the Sermon on the Mount and learning what it means to be a member of God's Kingdom, then they studied Jesus' death and resurrection from Matthew 27-28, in the summer they explored the lives of Elijah, Daniel and Esther and in the autumn term alongside learning about God's sovereignty and grace in Jonah, and the true meaning of Christmas according to Luke, we took a break from Mustard Seeds material to explore the question of ‘Who am I?’ with Faith in Kids. The children discovered from the Bible that their true identity is in Christ.
Very many thanks to all our fantastic leaders and assistants for all they do to share the gospel with the children at St. John’s, and to the parents for their support of this work.
Melissa Cary
## **Tiny Toes**
Tiny Toes Baby Group meets on a Thursday morning in the School Rooms to provide support to families in the first year of their baby’s life. We welcome an average of 6 families per week. It is mostly mums who attend but we have had one or two dads. We put out a variety of sensory toys which the parent can use to engage the children while enjoying “adult conversation” and home-made cake. These conversations inevitably veer towards parenting and the attendees find it a great to help to chat through parenting joys
and challenges with others in the same boat. We end by singing a few nursery rhymes and always try to include one or two which point to God. We also keep them informed and invited to church events.
It is our aim that they will feel loved and supported and make friends with others who attend. To that end we work hard to encourage conversation within the group. It is also our prayer that the relationships we build with these families will be the beginning of a relationship they will have with the church and ultimately with God Himself. We have seen many families move on to the Footprints toddler group when their child is older, and some have joined the church family.
Did you know that 75% of all children under the age of 5 in the UK have links with a church toddler group. It is a HUGE opportunity for outreach in our community. Please give God thanks and praise for the opportunity and pray for more visible fruit!
St John’s is grateful to Ann Thurgood who stepped down from leading this group at Easter 2024. Please join me in praying for the Tiny Toes team. We give great thanks for the committed team which serves these families so faithfully, and we pray on for one more team member to share the load and for someone with a heart for outreach willing to lead this vital ministry. Speak to Candy if you’d like to learn more.
Candy Price Minister for Children and Youth
## **Footprints Toddler Group**
We meet in the Church Rooms on term-time Monday mornings from 10 – 11.30 am. The team is made up of 10 willing volunteers, some of them new to the role and others seasoned helpers.
We start with playtime which is followed by a time together for a Christian song and Bible story before children sit for a snack and adults enjoy cakes home-baked by generous members of our Church family. More playtime, before songs together and our goodbye “blessing “song. Our theme for the coming term is “Our Great Big Loving God”.
We regularly have around 14 children, many of whom come up from Tiny Toes and so we are privileged to watch them grow into more confident children ready for school and pre-school. We get to know the families who come from all over Yeovil and surrounding areas and are able to support them and share the gospel with them through our programme of stories and invitation to church events. We recently have parent who has started re-attending church and asking questions about faith and several come to Carol Services and Easter Family events.
We would value prayers for the continued effectiveness of building good relationships with and among the families and for the ability to share the gospel and the love of Jesus in an accessible and joyful way.
Rowena Murray
## **Survival Squad Holiday Club 2024**
Our 2024 Holiday Club in August was attended by around 70 children aged 4-11 years old. The central theme was exploring the Lord’s Prayer linked with God’s provision for our survival. The teaching programme put together by Ben Graham and Candy Price who divided the prayer into five sections, which we looked at in more detail each day.
We were blessed to have a wonderful team of almost 60 Adult and Young Leaders who made it all possible. We could not run the Club without the time and dedication of these people.
Prior to the main week Candy Price organised a training session. She also laid on a social event for our Young Leaders during the week.
After many years as our artistic director Jennifer Matthew stood down. We thank her for the extraordinary contribution she has made to this event, creating some amazing sets in the church.
We welcomed Kate Gillam and Emily Gilham to our team, who came forward and ably filled the breach, with much enthusiasm. Under their direction our church became a forest, complete with a waterfall, trees, woodland animals and life-sized eagle (thanks to Claire Coulson) flying above the pulpit/mountain.
We were immensely grateful to all the church family who helped transform the building on set up Sunday.
George Beverly wrote, directed and acted in the daily drama, aided valiantly by Harry Dudley-Smith, Emelia Smith, Abi Graham and a bear! Children and leaders alike were enthralled by the antics of the cast which captured and reinforced the day’s teaching.
We sang to a wonderful band, under the musical direction of Becky Dudley-Smith including a song to the tune of “Bare Necessities” (lyrics penned by our very own Rector James!)
There were jokes, prayers, messy games, outdoor games and other activities in the schoolrooms which included crafts, bread making, a Lego challenge and water filtering.
On Friday the whole club went outside to take part in a shelter- building challenge which proved to be a time of organised chaos and laughter.
The whole week went by with much fun and joy. All the children were really invested in the club with many leaving on the Friday expressing a strong wish to return next year.
The Holiday Club Sunday Service saw many children returning with their family, allowing them the opportunity to show them some of the things we had done together over the week.
Planning for ‘Knights of the King’ Holiday Club 2025 is now well under way.
Roz Chatwin
## **Pastoral Care Report**
The priority of pastoral care in our churches is that of encouraging and supporting, praying for and with others, to help them retain their hope and faith in the God who is holding on to them, and remember His great love for them during often difficult, unexpected, and inexplicable situations. This work is for all of us to be engaged in, and the care of others is often found in practical ways - the lift to church or to an appointment, in the making of a meal or doing some shopping, meeting for a coffee to listen and chat and pray, and a host of all different things. It is so wonderful to see a church family caring for one another, and it is a joy to be able to help co-ordinate some of this support when needed.
As with all years, for many of us there have been joys and sorrows: babies, new jobs, new homes, new illnesses, new treatment, and inevitably, death of loved ones. Through it all, God is faithful and gracious, and cares for us, and this is often shown in practical and prayerful ways through the support and love within the community of our church family.
As always, my grateful thanks to the **Pastoral Team** – Beth Farrington, Jenny Jones, Hannah Osborn, Chris Salberg, Jenny Salberg, Keith Stevens, Ann Thurgood and Heather Voizey. It has been a joy to add Lizzy Pudner and Anne Wickes to the team. We have met across the year and prayed together and sought to use the gifts we have in the pastoral setting, with many home visits undertaken, hospital visits, lifts given and practical help too. Thank you to Keith Stevens who does a tremendous amount of work in the Hospital Chaplaincy Team and in the care homes around Yeovil. With James and Keith leading services, and visits from the members of the Pastoral Team, we have an active presence in the Knoll, Ivelhurst, Cooksons Court, Grovelands and Pearson House.
The **Gone Fishing Café** operates on Thursdays from 10am to 12 noon, and sometimes it is the first point of contact for newcomers to our church. Companionship and friendship are still at the very heart of the café and our strapline is ‘nobody alone’. The CAP team – Rowena, Mary, Paul (CAP money coach), Les, Paula, Jennifer and other helpers and befrienders are often there to welcome and engage with CAP clients who come along. We enjoy delicious home-made cake and good fair-trade coffee. Laughter, prayer, listening, merriment – it all happens at the café. It’s good. Why not join us? As always, a huge thank you to all who bake cakes and those who come and serve at the café. Thank you to Ann Johnson for organising the rota – if you’d like to join it to bake or to help out please do contact her or speak with me.
## **Fellowship Groups**
These are a key aspect of our church life and growth together as Christians, as we meet and read the Bible and pray together, as we drink coffee and laugh and chat and share life together. We have 14 groups meeting on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (most in the evenings). This year we have been looking at church life in ‘Six Sunday Essentials – what has the church done for you?!’ – featuring welcome, fellowship, praise, prayer, learning and Holy Communion. Reports at Fellowship Group leaders’ meeting have revealed great conversations and encouragement from the groups. We are currently studying a series in Luke’s Gospel. **We are seriously short of spaces in any of the groups and would like to encourage new people to join – so please do speak with me if you are able to lead or host a group.**
**Caring for the Carers** : We have continued to meet every couple of months, with the aim of supporting one another in the role of caregivers: those who look after relatives – both near and far. I am grateful to those who have come and shared openly about the joys and stresses of this role and who support one another so kindly, as we have prayed and listened to one another.
## **Captain’s Table**
The Captain’s Table lunch club continues to be a source of joy to many, and we meet for lunch on the 1[st] Saturday of each month at St Andrew’s Church Hall, where 40 guests are provided with an excellent 2 course lunch with tea/coffee, entertainment and a Gospel message.
The lunch club has not been without its challenges over this past year for a variety of reasons. A heated metal hostess trolley was eventually purchased with money from a community grant, and this has been a very useful addition, keeping food and plates hot. The challenges of cooking in a very small kitchen space on a domestic sized oven for 40 people is not for the faint hearted, and I am very grateful to the resilience of the team of cooks: Jennifer Matthew, Roz Chatwin, Gill Brookes and Sarah Blake, who do an amazing job.
It is very much a team effort, so thank you if you have given up a few hours on a Saturday to lay tables and set up, wait on tables, wash up, make tea, provide transport, bring God’s word, provide entertainment. It is always lovely to have families involved, and the older folk enjoy conversation with the children and young people who have occasionally come along and helped with their parent(s). A special thank you to Ann Beable, for all the tablecloths, T-towels, aprons and any other laundry that she has washed, ironed and returned to us.
**We desperately need more helpers, especially to take a lead in cooking. With a few more cooks signed up, there would be a much better division of the work and only require help every couple of months. Could this be you?**
The **Holiday at Home** in September 2024 went to **the Ukraine** , during which we enjoyed borscht and fruit pancakes. We learned some Ukrainian language with our guests – a teacher, parent and child from Preston School, accompanied by local linguist, Jonathan Peace. We learned many facts about the country and about the war, personal and emotive stories of hardship and separation that made the conflict more real to us all.
## **Church Family News**
We have lost some dear church family members this year from St John’s and St Andrew’s, and since last reporting: Jose Brookes, Alan Reeves, Margo Down, Peter Poulton, Diana Rose, Rachael Maynard-Griffin, Roderick Baker (former Reader at St John’s) and Tony Kirkland. Many of our church family members have suffered bereavements this year: the loss of parent, child, family member and friends.
We have said a warm ‘hello’ to babies Jessica (to the Handcock family), Estelle (to Lucie and Sam Bruce), Hannah (to the Ellis family), Eloria (to the Smalley family) and very recently to baby Leah (to the DeeringWood family). It has been a joy to provide the family with meals in the early days of having a new baby in the home. Congratulations to Lizzy and Ashley on their wedding at St John’s, and also to Ebuka and Miracle, and Manni and Deborah.
As I started this report, I conclude again by saying that the pastoral work is for all of us to be involved in, and a **big thank you** for all that you are doing, however big or small, however visible or invisible. It is a work that the Lord has instructed us all to do: to love one another.
_Helen Peace, Pastoral Care Co-ordinator_
## **Parish Prayer Chain Report**
I’m delighted to say that the parish prayer chain has increased from 24 to 31 people, mainly due to the messages being communicated via WhatsApp, which enables the message to be communicated succinctly and enabling all to receive the same message. It’s great to know that there is lots of praying going on!
It is an amazing opportunity we have to provide prayer support for the specific needs of church family members as and when they arise. All requests are dealt with in a sensitive manner. Prayers are offered to the Lord in faith and we leave both people and different situations in His loving care.
If you have a request for prayer, perhaps for yourself or a loved one, then you can contact me and I will send out a WhatsApp notification and people will bring the situation to the Lord and ask for His help and strength.
Very recently one person on the prayer chain was being prayed for and wrote ‘there is something so comforting about knowing people are praying’.
**Philippians reminds us “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God”.**
_Helen Peace_
**St John’s Mission Group report 2024**
The mission group met in July and November and comprises Doug Johnson (Chair), Ben Graham, Judith Brookes, Chris Salberg, Mary Irwin, Ann Johnson
## Events
Barnabas _food.gives_ appeal
Hilary Deneufchatel translation seminar _First Wednesday_
Visit of Pastor Constantine and launch of family sponsorship for Moldova
## First Wednesday
The Mission Group provide information and prayer points for First Wednesday from our five main mission partners in rotation. Other people and needs abroad are prayed for as we receive news.
## Giving
St John’s PCC has agreed to give 10% of its income to support Christian training, education and compassion ministries overseas and in the UK.
The budget for 2024 was £24,000 and £20,000 was divided equally between our main mission partners:
- SIM for the work of Hilary Deneufchâtel
- Servants of the Word Bible College in The Gambia
- The Christian Institute
- Emmanuel Church, Lapusna, Moldova
- Barnabas Aid
## _Additional giving (£4000)_
- £800 Mission Direct
- £800 UCCF
- £800 Mike Ovey Fund (Oak Hill College)
- £800 Tear Fund (Emergency Appeal)
- £600 SOW Staff training
- £200 Hilary Deneufchâtel (seminar expenses)
The Mission Group are grateful for the privilege of serving fellow Christians around the world and for the support and generosity of the members of St John’s.
Doug Johnson
## **Fellowship Groups**
This year our groups have studied "Six Sunday Essentials"
- Welcome – How (and why) do we make non-Christians or newcomers welcome?
- Praise – Role of music and musicians, how to focus our hearts on God
- Prayer – Especially a focus on confession and intercession. What should the church pray for?
- Learning – What are Bible readings and sermons for? Why do we do this the way we do it?
- Communion – What does Jesus intend for us through this?
- Fellowship – Is it just a chat over a cup of coffee? How do we express our ‘body life’ on Sundays?
Then we dug deep into Jesus teaching from Luke 11-12.
Our fellowship groups are a key part of our pastoral care, they are the first port of call in our church as we seek to love one another.
Ben Graham
## **Ladies Bible Study Group**
The Ladies’ Bible Study Group has continued to meet on the first and third Wednesdays of each month during term time, and our meetings always conclude with a time of prayer.
In the Summer we watched several speakers on the internet, studied the letter to Philemon, and ended the term by sharing favourite Bible verses.
During the Autumn and Spring we studied 2 Samuel, and for our last meeting before Christmas we talked about our favourite Carols.
In the lead up to Easter we shared thoughts on Bible passages on the Cross and Resurrection, not only from the Gospels, but from the Old and New Testaments, bearing in mind how Jesus, “beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.”
We have also met socially for a meal on a couple of occasions.
Jean Conley and Helen Truett
## **Safeguarding report**
At the end of 2024 there were approximately 126 people who were volunteering in our churches in roles which require Safer Recruitment. They all have current, satisfactory DBS checks which are repeated every 3 years, and those recently recruited have all participated in an informal interview, completed a declaration that they have no cautions or convictions, and have provided satisfactory references. Everyone has attended either online or in person safeguarding training to a level appropriate to their role, which is refreshed every three years. Our thanks go to all those who carry out these roles and especially for complying with these expectations. We cannot be too careful about ensuring that only suitable adults work with our children, young people or vulnerable adults.
The church continues to use the Safeguarding Dashboard audit tool to ensure we are following best practice. This has recently become an expectation for all churches within Bath and Wells Diocese, so it is satisfying to know that we had a head start on this and are working to the highest level of the dashboard.
In addition to the general safeguarding training thirty-nine church members have now completed the Church of England Awareness of Domestic Abuse course. We have prioritised people for this training who serve in activities such as Tiny Toes, Footprints, CAP, and the Pastoral Team but we plan to widen this further in the coming year. Nationally there has been a huge rise in cases of such abuse over the past few years, making this a very valuable topic for all to be aware of, and those who have attended report that they have found it very informative and thought provoking.
The change in 2023 to DBS checks being completed through Thirtyone:eight has brought greater clarity but also some challenges. They have emphasised that it is illegal to require someone to apply for a DBS check unless it is fully justified, checks can be purely for children, for adults or for both, and there are also different levels of check depending on the expectations of the role. We obviously must comply with law but it is sometimes hard to decide both when a check is needed and which type, however this is gradually becoming clearer.
The national headlines this year about past cases of abuse in the Church of England and discussions about independence of safeguarding, means that we need to pray for all who work to plan and implement our national Church of England processes and practices – the National Safeguarding Team, Bishops, the various Synods and the Diocesan Teams. Within St John’s and St Andrews please continue to pray that we maintain the highest possible standards, making wise decisions when issues arise, and that we will be sensitive and supportive to those attending our churches who have been, or are, victims of abuse.
Ann Thurgood
## **Life Skills Manager’s Report**
Our Cap Life Skills team has run eight courses since we started in 2022 and we have helped 55 group members (who all finished the course).
The team currently consists of one Life Skills manager, five coaches (including the LS manager) and eight additional team members, two of whom are past LS group members. Our team ebbs and flows, each course depending on availability. Two team members stepped back in the past year and two new team members joined us. We also have 22 prayer supporters who pray for us each time we run a course, receiving a prayer email the day before the session and updated with the needs of the group members as well as our wider LS community.
I give thanks for all those who give their time, energy and friendship to this ministry, which immensely blesses those who join us for our courses - building friendships, providing hope, and opening the door into our church family, along with a renewed relationship, or new awareness of our Father God.
In our connected events and outreach, this past year has seen continued strengthening of friendships and changed lives within the sUpper Room group. From within CAP we also started the Food 4 Thought group for the faith explorers that we had met through our work. So far, our numbers have moved between 5-9 attendees (plus group leaders and cooks) as we follow the Glen Scrivener 3 2 1 course. A sound start, with wide-ranging discussions and interest from the group.
Our wider Life Skills community continues to grow with each course, and it is very rare to call into the Gone Fishing Café without seeing a range of familiar faces, for whom the café has become the place to come each week for a friendly welcome, companionship and the chance for conversation. We saw very good turn-outs for the CAP summer BBQ, the autumn fish and chip supper, and the Christmas tea which were, as always, great events and the combined church/CAP Beetledrive was a lot of fun with a blended mix of attendees. We even had entertainment this year with one of our very talented LS members playing the keyboard for us as the many dice flew through the air at speed!
If you would like to be part of our team, our work, or our outreach please do contact Mary Irwin or me and we will gladly talk with you about the opportunities to serve God through our CAP ministry.
Finally, we pray that in everything we do within CAP we will be examples to our CAP friends. That our Lord God will answer them if they call out, he will relieve them of their fears, show them that they have no need to be ashamed, and demonstrate the refuge he provides when the storms of life rage. More than anything we pray that they will taste and see that he is good!
_I sought the LORD, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to Him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. Oh, taste and see that the LO RD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!_
Jennifer Matthew Life Skills Manager
## **St John’s Website**
St John's website was upgraded in 2021. The new look was intended to be fresh, modern and eye-catching while its content was tailored towards those not familiar with our Church family. We have some basic analytics running on the website looking at web traffic so I can provide the following stats.
Since the website was re-launched it has attracted over 22550 page views with 80% of our visitors being new or on a different device to a previous visit. We see 65% of people viewing the website from their phone and 33% on their desktop or laptop computers. The average time of any user remaining on the website is 55 seconds, which is actually slightly above average for websites in general (52s is average). Most of our views come from the UK but we have also had hits from the US, Nigeria and Norway in recent months. Our top 10 viewed pages in the last 30 days may surprise you:
1. Home - St John's Church - 163 views
2. Meet the team - St John's Church - 77 views
3. Sundays - St John's Church - 53 views
4. Contact - St John's Church -34 views
5. About - St John's Church - 32 views
6. On-line Sundays - 25 views
7. Church news and updates - 18 views
8. St Andrew's Home - 14 views
9. James Dudley-Smith - 14 views
- 10.Upcoming Events - 11 views
A great deal of thanks must go to Emma and Chris in the Church office who have kept the website well updated with news and events and created the lovely eye-catching banners that appear on the front page.
Calum McFarlane
## **TCP** _**(Tea, coffee, croissants, and prayer)**_
TCP meets on the 4[th] Saturday of the month in the Lower Schoolrooms between 9 and 10.30 am.
The group continues to thrive, with up to 20 members from both our churches. This is a great way of staying connected and gives us the opportunity to support one another. During our breakfast meetings we enjoy croissants, hot drinks, chatting and plenty of laughter. We keep a prayer diary and always finish the morning with a time of prayer which we all value greatly. We would always welcome anyone who wishes to join us.
In March this year, 17 of us went on a Quiet Day to Lox Farm Christian Centre near Shaftesbury. We had a wonderful, sunny and peaceful day of reflection and prayer led by Alison Handcock. We all returned home feeling blessed and refreshed. We were all in agreement that we would like to repeat this another year.
Roz Chatwin
## **Crafty Ladies Fellowship Group**
We continue to meet on 1[st] and 3[rd] Thursdays of the month at 7.30-9.00pm in the Lower Schoolrooms.
During the last year we have completed two banners for the autumn/harvest season which we very much enjoyed designing and making. Currently we are working on a pair of new banners which we hope will be ready for spring next year.
At present the group consists of around nine members. We welcome anyone new people who would like to be creative with us; come equipped with enthusiasm.
Roz Chatwin
## **St John’s Band Report 2024-25**
During 2024-25 the Band continued to grow in technical knowledge and repertoire. We had a committed team of: vocalists, musicians (keyboard, guitar, flute, recorder, sax, drums) and tech.
We practised on a Monday evening in the Church building and an hour before each morning and evening service. This enabled us to: pray together, get to know each other, learn from each other, go through service songs, try new ones and become more knowledgeable, comfortable with the technical side.
Each service has a different combination of musicians and vocalists. This is on a rota dependent on an individual's availability. Numbers varied from two to up to seven for each service.
We led worship in song for morning services: Together for Worship (first Sunday), Communion (fourth Sunday) and two Communions (fifth Sunday). As well as every evening service. For 2024-25 this numbered seventy services. For the Weekend @ Home: 11th, 12th, 13[th] October a small number of us led worship in song for each session. Also, a large Band was formed for the Carol Service.
If on reading this you are interested in adding to the Band with your gift of music or tech please speak to: Keith, Becky, Judy or myself. The four of us oversee the planning and running of the Band. We all sign up to a Band commitment membership document.
It is a privilege and blessing to serve our Church Family. Jesus is the centre and in Him we trust.
Jane Hiscock
## **St John’s Model Railway Group**
St John’s Model Railway Group continues to meet every third Thursday evening of the month in the Schoolrooms, with a typical attendance of up to around 10 people. We also have the occasional session on a Saturday.
Our aim is to offer a creative fellowship activity in which we can enjoy our hobby together, being thankful for God’s goodness, while welcoming anyone who wants to join us, whether having a faith or not. There’s also quite a lot of tea drinking and chatting. Anyone is welcome to come and see what we’re up to!
Please pray that we would honour God in our times together and have conversations that point us to Jesus and help us all to acknowledge him in our lives.
Tim Neville
**Prodigal Bikes**
Prodigal Bikes is a charity set up in 2017 by a small group including Tim Neville and Calum McFarlane from St John’s, with the aim of “bringing hope and changing lives in both Africa and the UK” through bicycles. In our workshop near Merriott we refurbish old bikes donated to us, teaching engineering skills and giving work experience to those who need a “second chance”. These bikes are then either shipped to Africa or given to refugees and asylum seekers here in the UK (some of these being paid for through the Lords Larder Community Fund). In Africa our bikes are used by patients to access healthcare, and by school children and teachers to get to schools. We also provide tools, spare parts and training to keep the bikes working.
In the southwest we now average around eight bikes a month to refugees or those who cannot afford one and to date East African countries have received 630 bikes. This year we have managed two shipments, one to Malawi in which we sent 58 bikes and a large amount of spares and our largest shipment ever to Tanzania, which received 315 bikes and spares. It has been a year of many ups and downs which reminds us of God's grace in our work and makes us ever grateful for the continued support and prayers of members of St John’s.
Calum McFarlane
## **St John’s Bookstall (SJB)**
I am very pleased that SJB is appreciated by so many people, but particularly thrilled that books are purchased by people coming into the church during the week.
Populate titles ‘fly off the shelf’ and recent flyers include:
_The Air We Breathe Have You Ever Wondered? Radical Reconciler_
It is now possible to pay by card as the Church’s card reader has an SJB option.
In the last year, some £600 worth of books have been bought and sold. We buy mainly from ‘10 of Those’ Christian books. I am always happy to discuss books that could be sold by SJB, but do insist that titles point people to Jesus.
Iain Maitland
## **Yeovil College Chaplaincy**
Praise God for an encouraging year in Yeovil College. God has continued to open doors to sharing the good news of Jesus amongst students and staff, and offering support in a wider context. This last year has been made up of the following opportunities...
College Tutorials - Every student has an hour tutorial a week on a different topic. I've been given the opportunity to deliver one at both Christmas and Easter. This means for half of the students creating teaching material for tutors to use in their tutor groups and for the other half delivering in person tutorials. At Easter I encouraged the students to consider what makes a leader trustworthy, then told stories of Jesus and how he is deeply trustworthy.
Life Groups - These are the college Christian Union groups, I run 2 at different times of the week. Each one now averages about 4 students. The greatest joy from this year is watching believing students seeking to encourage others and reach their friends with the gospel.
Staff support - I've been given opportunity to offer staff 1-1 support for various issues.
Hockey Coaching - This year Yeovil College fielded a hockey team which competed against other colleges.
Ben Graham
## **Report of meetings of Deanery Synod**
Synod met three times in 2024, a year which welcomed four new clergy to the Yeovil area.
- a) Rev Sarah Sanderson has been appointed Pioneer Associate Vicar for St James, Preston Plucknett, Thorne Coffin and Lufton.
- b) Rev Richard Horner joined Mudford, Chilton Cantello, Marston Magna, Rimpton and Ashington on 1[st] January 2025.
- c) Rev Phil McCauley has been appointed Rector of Coker Ridge.
- d) Farhad Chermahini was ordained deacon Holy Trinity with Barwick. He will maintain his pioneer work in Birchfield field.
Presentations during the year were received from:
## **1. Deanery Environmental Champion**
- Kris Emmett is new in this role and is available to help PCCs look at reducing carbon footprint, encouraging biodiversity in churchyards, and creation care. Email: decyeovil@gmail.com
## **2. Developing Lay Ministry**
Preb Ronnie Crossman, Ministry Training Team Leader at the Diocese, gave an interesting presentation on the new lay ministry training pathways, outlining points such as:
- Shared local ministry with lay and ordained people working in collaboration
- The Diocesan vision regarding development of local gifts and skills
- On-going: LWA and LPA training
Local ministry and local preaching Healing ministry Funeral Assistants – a role currently being explored
**3. Street Pastors.** Chris Thomas, Co-ordinator of Street Pastors, gave a presentation on their work which has been going on for the past fifteen years in Yeovil. The organisation consists of churches of several denominations working together and is currently growing internationally. They are in town on a Saturday night to look out for young adults in particular: if they need help, they will be there for them: for example, giving out flip-flops to girls whose high heels are not suitable, putting them into taxis to get them home. They listen and are non-judgemental. They are supported by a prayer team. In some situations they are asked to work with the police.
They are seeking new volunteers to join the team which would involve about 40 hours of training but Chris wanted to stress that the work is fun.
**4. Youth Work** Ruth, who is Youth Worker at St Peter’s Church and Community Centre, gave us an interesting insight into the work she has been doing for the past five years. We were shown videos about:
- “Tea & Toast’ which is aimed at girls in Years 6-13 which meets after school on Tuesdays when between 13 and 18 girls attend but this number is evolving.
- “HangOut” which meets on Wednesdays after school for Years 3-7 – some of the Year 7s help.
- “DropInto” meets on Thursdays after school for Years 7-13. This group had become quite disruptive and the police advised her to stop, but this has recently started up again.
- Anti-social behaviour has decreased by 75% as a result of this work!
**5. Pioneering** . Rev Tina Hodgett, who is linked to St Michael’s and to CMS, explained that the term ‘Pioneer’ is a term used to describe trying to reach the unreached by various means.
She showed some slides of Ali, on the Isle of Wight, who began by clearing her local churchyard where people now gather for outdoor services: it is a place which has become a meeting place in the heart of the community. Pioneers love the Gospel, love people and want to serve the community. She encouraged people to think of those who might become pioneers in their communities and mentioned future taster sessions taking place for those who might be interested.
**6. Diocesan Finance.** Matthew Pinnock, Diocesan Head of Finance and Operations began his talk by informing us that the Church of England as a whole has a deficit of £60m, of which Bath and Wells has a deficit of £2m, and of course there is an urgent need to get back to a financially stable position! The good news is that, since Covid, the Church is growing.
After much consultation the method of calculating Parish (Benefice) Share has been modified and will be phased in over the next three years. Matthew summarized how our parish share is spent:
- a) To cover the costs of stipendiary ministers to the benefices, about £56K per minister
- b) To cover other Diocesan-wide costs, such as archdeacons and the mission support team, education, etc.
- c) A mutuality and generosity fund to support churches and communities that cannot fully cover the cost of their ministry.
There is a five-year recovery plan in place with the hope and expectation that the Diocese’s accounts will break-even after that time. In the meantime, they are looking at ways to make it easier for people to give.
**7.** On a more positive note:
- a) Synod discussed items on _Lament to Action_ to atone racial injustice, ecological stewardship, encouraging progress on the Diocesan Strategy and the fundamental need to proclaim the good news of the gospel of Jesus.
- b) Yeovil College had a freshers’ week stall manned by Christian students for the first time!
- c) Lufton are still collecting candles and clean tins for Ukraine and encouraged others to do the same.
Rob Dean
## **Yeovil CAP Centre Report 2024-5**
## _**Debt Centre**_
The Christians Against Poverty Debt centre at St John’s church is now in its 14[th] year. In that time, we have been contacted by over 600 local households to access our free service to help with unmanageable debt. We have now seen 176 households go debt free, including a record 26 households in 2024. Debt centre clients receive face to face home visits from a local debt coach and befriender to gather information on their finances, expert advice and debt management from the team in Bradford and ongoing support from the local church as they journey out of debt.
We are so privileged to be invited into the homes of strangers at some of the most difficult times of their lives, offer practical help to deal with their finances, as well as sharing our own hope in Jesus, as Christians, and offering to pray with our clients and connect them to the church. We thank the Lord that CAP and the local centre have good standing amongst the local agencies, and we regularly have clients who have been signposted to us from local services including DWP, the probation service and GP health coaches as well as recommendation from existing clients.
Anne Charlotte retired at the end of December, after six years serving as a debt coach. We are so grateful for her years of service and thankful that she remains on our Management Committee and as a befriender. Steve Hart took over from Rick Pudner as chair of our management committee in January and also featured in this year’s national CAP Easter appeal. Emma Handcock began maternity leave in October within her role as our Service Support Administrator.
Rowena Murray has now completed her first year as a Debt Coach and is now fully trained and signed off. She is a gifted and pro-active colleague who connects easily with her clients and is a great asset to the team. Between us, Rowena and I have 4 new client referrals a month, totally nearly 50 a year.
## _**Befrienders**_
Our home visits rely on our debt coaches being accompanied by one of our wonderful volunteer befrienders, who then offers ongoing support and friendship to the client, in terms of checking in with them occasionally, meeting up for a coffee or helping with practical tasks such as form filling and attending appointments. They also encourage clients on their faith journeys. Our befrienders have an amazing ministry, showing Christ-like sacrificial love, patience, resilience, and kindness to those in difficult circumstances. We currently have 14 befrienders, some of whom may see one new client a year, and others who see many more.
## _**Christmas Hampers**_
Our Debt Centre households were each provided with a Christmas Hamper in December, stocked full of Christmas goodies, along with a gospel pamphlet, Christmas card and Christmas story book for those with young children. These Hampers were provided through the generosity of around 35 individuals and small groups from at least 8 churches in the area. They were delivered alongside meat and fresh fruit and vegetables. This year we were also supported by Yeovil Tesco who donated ‘pigs in blankets’ and cheese selection boxes.
## _**The Extra Mile**_
We always try to go the extra mile in supporting our CAP clients. This would not be possible without the generosity of many of our supporters. In the last year this has included delivering food parcels, supplied by the Lord’s Larder; fresh food shops; gas and electricity top ups; help to upgrade a car; providing (secondhand) fridge/ microwave/ furniture; repairing washing machines; accompanying clients to court and advocating for clients facing unfair charges on their services, when they are unable to do this for themselves.
## _**CAP Money**_
This year, Paul Hiscutt joined the team as a CAP befriender, after seeing an article about us in the Yeovil Press. He went on to train as a Money Coach. Alongside Peter Gibson, Paul has run Money Coaching courses in the Autumn and Spring terms at St John’s church. Course delegates gained knowledge, skills, tools and confidence to manage their finances.
## _**Events**_
We held four client events in the last year. In July our Summer BBQ was well attended with around 70 guests and helpers enjoying food and hearing a gospel message. In September, our Fish, Chips and Fun event saw a similar number and was held at St Peter’s Community Centre –Adrian and Yvonne Bright of Reborne Church spoke about God’s love. In December, we held our traditional CAP Christmas tea for CAP families and friends at which Candy gave an interactive gospel talk. In February ‘25 we held a Beetle Drive
as a joint event with St John’s. All of these events were opportunities to demonstrate the Lord’s love and generosity through hospitality, friendship, and sharing our faith in Jesus.
We were thrilled that ten children from our CAP families, who did not have other church connections, attended the St John’s Holiday club in July.
## _**Church engagement**_
St John’s is our lead church, and we are so grateful for the financial, practical, and prayerful support from both St John’s and St Andrews. Our supporter base covers many other local churches, and this year we spoke at various services including Crewkerne Community Church, God’s House International, St Mary’s church, Thornford and Haselbury Bible Christian Church. We continue to have a regular contact with past, current and potential clients at the Thursday morning Gone Fishing Café, which last year launched a monthly ‘Catch of the Day’ slot for a short Bible message. We are so grateful to Helen and her amazing team who run the café each week.
We hold prayer meetings on the last Tuesday of each month, and send out a prayer and praise update - Turning the Tide - to over 170 supporters.
## _**Food for Thought**_
In January, we started a new initiative, Food for Thought; a lunchtime, weekday, explorer group for anyone with questions about the meaning of life, God and Jesus. This fortnightly group, run by Jennifer Matthew, Ruth Drapper and myself, has seen a core of regular attendees with others joining us occasionally, to eat delicious homemade soup, watch a Glen Scrivener 3-2-1 video and then discuss and pray. We are grateful to the Lord for this opportunity to meet with those from the CAP family and further afield who may be curious about faith, or have responded to a gospel message at one of our events, in an accessible friendly group to help them grow in faith.
## _**Fundraising**_
We thank the Lord for his financial provision for our work. We are blessed to have around 50 regular financial donors who give by standing order to the work of the local CAP centre. In addition, we hold fundraising events to cover the running costs of the centre, which include salaries, Head Office fees, expenses and client blessings. In May we held a fabulous, and showery, garden party hosted by Rick and Lizzie Pudner. Amongst the guests were our MP, our Mayor and CAP CEO Stewart McCullough. Guests enjoyed delicious food and listened to our guest of honour Neil share his experience as a CAP client. We invited donations, which were match funded, raising a total of £20K including new standing orders and gift aid. We also ran two online Aviva community fund campaigns (with matched giving) raising a total of around £15K.
We pray that the Lord’s name will be honoured as the Yeovil CAP Centre continues to work in partnership with the local church and that we will continue to _proclaim good news to the poor._
Mary Irwin Debt Centre Manager
## **The Lords Larder (Yeovil Christian Support Trust)**
_**To everyone in St John’s who gives to The Lord’s Larder and The Lord’s Larder Community Fund:**_ Thank you for all your continued support of Yeovil Christian Support Trust over 2024. It was no surprise that last year was another busy year for the Lord’s Larder Food Bank and we were able to help over 9,300 people through the year.
**The Lord’s Larder Food Bank**
Over 2024 with the support from St Johns, along with other churches and the wider community, we were able to **give out over 163,000 items of food** which went into **4,206 emergency food parcels** to help **9,342 local people in our community** , that figure breaks down as: -
## **5,678 adults 3,684 children 1,993 families**
Through the three weeks leading up to Christmas in December, the Lord’s Larder Food Bank, helped 1,000 people, placing 18,500 food items including Christmas puddings, mince pies and salmon and ham into 384 food parcels up to Christmas 2024.
We continue to give thanks to God for his faithfulness over the years; next year we will celebrate 35 years of operating as the Lord’s Larder Food Bank having served the local community for over three decades. Over that time we have found we always have enough food donated to make up the increasing number of food parcels requested. Last year we were able to give out over 163,000 items of food to ensure that 9,300 people did not go without food, and didn’t go hungry.
**The Lord’s Larder Community Fund** continued to make a huge difference to 114 people’s lives last year. By using the fund to make small grants available for agency clients, these clients are families and single people have no other way of buying essential household items, like beds, furniture and cookers; their only other option would be to go to loan sharks, or into debt.
_I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those in St John’s for choosing to continue to support the valuable work of Yeovil Christian Support Trust (YCST), The Lord’s Larder and Lord’s Larder Community Fund and to pass on the heart-felt gratitude from all those we are able to help throughout the year._
Mat Callaghan
## **PCC of ST JOHN THE BAPTIST CHURCH YEOVIL**
**ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31**[st] **DECEMBER 2024**
## **CONTENTS**
|**Independent Examiner's Report**|**1**|
|---|---|
|**Statement of Financial Activities**|**2**|
|**Balance Sheet**|**3**|
|**Cash Flow**|**4**|
|**Notes to the Financial Statement**|**5 – 8**|
**Note: The full Annual Report for 2024 including a Finance Report is available separately and will be filed together with these accounts with the Charity Commission.**
**PCC of St John the Baptist Church Yeovil is a Registered Charity No. 1134345**
Independent Examlners Report to the Trustso8 of the PCC of
St John the Baptlst Church Y•ovil
I report on the accounts of the Trust for the year ended 31. December 2024,
which are set out on Pages 2-8.
Re$pe¢tlve r¢8ponslbllltles of trusteog and examlnor
The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts.
The charity's trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year
(under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act)) and that
an independent examination is needed. The charity is preparing accrued accounts
and l am qualified to undertake the examination, being a qualified member of the
Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.
It is my responsibility to..
examine the accounts (under section 145 of the 2011 Act)
follow the procedures laid down in the General Direction$ glven by
the Charity Commission (under section 14515lb of the 2011 Act,. and
to state whether particular matters have come to my attention
Ba*ls of Independent oxamln•r'8 rnport
My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directlons given
by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting
records kept by the charity and a comparison ol the accounts presented
with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or
disclosures In the accounts and seeking explanations from you as trustees
conceming any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the
evldence 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 next statement.
Independent Examlnor's Statement
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention..
(1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements
- lo keep accounting records In 8¢¢ordance ¥th section 130 of the 2011 Act,. and
- lo prepare accounts accord ¥th the accounting records ond
compty vlth the accountlng requlremenls of Ihe 2011 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
Name: Mr. Craig Howes
Relevant professional qualification or body.. ICAEW
Address: 22 Watercombe Heights, Yeovil, Somerset, BA20 2TA
Date..
Page 1
## **PCC of St JOHN THE BAPTIST CHURCH YEOVIL Statement of Financial Activities**
**For the Year to 31**[st] **December 2024**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Unrestricted Designated Restricted Total Funds Unrestricted Designated Restricted Total Funds
Funds Funds Funds 2024 Funds Funds Funds 2023
Note £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £
Incoming Resources
Incoming Resources from Donors 2a 287,057 8,417 65,013 360,487 293,436 975 51,441 345,852
Other Incoming Resources 2b 3,500 0 0 3,500 9,725 0 0 9,725
Income from Charitable and Ancillary Trading 2c 7,855 0 0 7,855 2,619 0 0 2,619
Other Ordinary Incoming Resources 2d 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Income from Investments 2e 2,347 814 942 4,102 2,027 836 551 3,414
Total Incoming Resources 300,759 9,230 65,955 375,944 307,807 1,811 51,992 361,611
Resources Used
Grants 3a 31,821 0 0 31,821 28,122 0 0 28,122
Activities directly for the Work of the Church 3b 218,357 14,790 50,166 283,313 265,866 585 42,994 309,445
Fund Raising and Publicity 3c 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Church Management and Administration 3d 36,821 28,169 31,000 95,990 42,412 20,000 30,000 92,412
Total Resources Used 286,999 42,959 81,166 411,124 336,401 20,585 72,994 429,980
Net Incoming/(Outgoing) Resources 13,760 (33,729) (15,211) (35,180) (28,594) (18,773) (21,002) (68,369)
Movement on Creditors/Debtors
Movement on Creditors 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Movement on Debtors 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Change in Value of Investments
Realised Gains 2f 0 0 1,052 1,052 0 0 4,510 4,510
Unrealised Gains 0 1,442 11,711 13,154 0 5,418 24,685 30,104
Net Movement in Funds 13,760 (32,287) (2,448) (20,975) (28,594) (13,355) 8,194 (33,755)
Balances brought forward at 1 [st] January 2024
General Fund St Johns 32,868 32,868 53,744 53,744
St Andrews Funds 7,096 7,096 14,813 14,813
Organ Fund 1 1 1 1
Schoolrooms Fund 271 271 271 271
St John's Building Fund 57,491 57,491 51,943 51,943
Flower Guild Investment Fund 793 793 666 666
Youth Development Investment Fund 25,718 25,718 44,893 44,893
Equipment Replacement Reserve 1,637 1,637 1,637 1,637
Bell Ringers' Investment Fund 182 182 36 36
Restoration Fund 13,394 13,394 13,246 13,246
Tom Setter Belfry Fund 12,067 12,067 12,078 12,078
Peter Wakely Community Fund 265,922 265,922 266,702 266,702
Christians Against Poverty Fund 36,424 36,424 27,584 27,584
Total Balance Brought Forward 39,964 86,093 327,806 453,862 68,557 99,448 319,612 487,616
Balances carried forward at 31 [st] December 2024
General Fund St Johns 37,215 37,215 32,868 32,868
St Andrews Funds 16,510 16,510 7,096 7,096
Organ Fund 0 0 1 1
Schoolrooms Fund 0 0 271 271
St John's Building Fund 51,717 51,717 57,491 57,491
Flower Guild Investment Fund 883 883 793 793
Youth Development Investment Fund 0 0 25,718 25,718
Equipment Replacement Reserve 0 0 1,637 1,637
Bell Ringers' Investment Fund 1,204 1,204 182 182
Restoration Fund 13,629 13,629 13,394 13,394
Tom Setter Belfry Fund 11,847 11,847 12,067 12,067
Peter Wakely Community Fund 247,725 247,725 265,922 265,922
Christians Against Poverty Fund 52,157 52,157 36,424 36,424
Total Balance Carried Forward 53,725 53,805 325,357 432,887 39,964 86,093 327,806 453,862
**----- End of picture text -----**
Page 2
PCC of St John the Baptist Church Yaovil
Balance Sheet as at 31. Dec8mb8r 2024
Note
2024
2023
FIXED ASSETS
Tangible
Investment Assets
305,574
305,574
321,368
321,368
CURRENT ASSETS
Stock
Debtors and Prepayments
Short Term Deposits and Bonds
Cash at Hand and in Bank
45.683
81.629
127,312
51,581
80,912
132,493
LIABILITIES
Amounts falling due within one year
NET CURRENT ASSETS
127,312
132.493
NET ASSETS
432,887
453,861
FUNDS
Unrestricted
Dedicated
Restricted
53,725
53,805
325,357
432,887
39,964
86,093
327,806
453,862
These accounts were approved on 'li April 2025 by..
Alan Irwln - Treasurer
Kelth Ovenden- Churchwarden
Page 3
## **PCC of St JOHN the BAPTIST CHURCH YEOVIL**
## **Cash Flow Statement**
**For the year to 31**[st] **December 2024**
|**Reconciliation of Net (Outgoing)/Incoming Resources**
**to net Cash Flow from Operating Activities**
Net (outgoing)/incoming resources before investment changes
Investment Income
Roundings
Net cash (outflow) from operating activities
**Cash Flow Statement**
Net cash (outflow) from operating activities
Movements on Debtors
Movements on Creditors
Sale of Investments
Investment Income
Cash Flow / Decrease in Cash
**Net Funds at 1**st**January 2024**
**Net Funds at 31**st**December 2024**|**2024**
**2023**
**£**
**£**
(35,180)
(71,783)
4,102
0
0
0
(39,282)
(71,783)
(39,282)
(71,783)
0
0
0
0
30,000
20,000
4,102
3,414
(5,180)
(48,369)
132,493
180,862
127,312
132,493
(5,180)
(48,369)|
|---|---|
Page 4
## **PCC of St JOHN THE BAPTIST CHURCH YEOVIL NOTES to the FINANCIAL STATEMENTS**
**For the Year to 31**[st] **December 2024**
## **1 ACCOUNTING POLICIES ( i) Format of Accounts**
The Financial statements of the Parochial Church Council (PCC) have been prepared in accordance with Church Accounting Regulations, on an accrual basis, except as stated below (Para.iii)
The accounts include transactions, assets and liabilities for which the St John the Baptist PCC can be held responsible. They include the figures for St Andrews church.
The accounts for 2024 show that the total income is £390,150 and the total expenditure is £411,124
**(ii) Funds** General funds represent the funds of the PCC that are not subject to any restrictions regarding their use and are available for application to the general purposes of the PCC.
The following funds are categorised as “Designated Funds” within the terms of the Act.
Schoolrooms Fund *** Office Equipment Reserve Fund *** Organ Fund *** St John's Building Fund (formerly known as the Fabric Fund) Youth Minister Investment Fund *** Bell Ringers' Investment Fund Flower Guild Fund
The following funds are categorised as “Reserved Funds” within the terms of the Act. Restoration Fund Tom Setter Belfry Fund Christians Against Poverty Fund Peter Wakely Community Fund
***** As all monies in the Schoolrooms Fund, the Office Equipment Reserve Fund, the Organ Fund and the Youth Minister Investment Fund were expended during 2024, the final balances of these funds at the end of 2024 were zero and the funds have been closed.**
## **Placement of Funds**
The PCC's financial policy is to invest the bulk of its liquid assets with the Church Commissioners (CCLA). Operating funds are retained in NatWest Bank current a/cs.
(iii) A full analysis of investment placement is shown in the Balance Sheet (Funds Statement). All material items of income and expenditure are accounted for on an accruals basis, regardless of their not having been received or paid during the year.
(iv) **Tangible Fixed Assets** The church is believed not to own any significant fixed assets, particularly the church building or clergy residences, at 31[st] December 2024.
Any fixed assets acquired by the PCC, which the PCC is then free to dispose of at a future date, without faculty, and where the original cost exceeds £1000 (One Thousand Pounds), are reviewed for capitalisation and depreciation over the useful economical life of those assets as determined by the Finance Committee.
Both the decision to capitalise an asset and the resultant depreciation policy is determined by the Finance Committee.
No assets of this type were capitalised by the PCC during the period under review.
|(v)
**Fixed Asset Investments**
Investments are held in the following funds -
Peter Wakely Commiunity Fund - CBF CofE Investment Funds Accumulation Shares
Fabric Investment Fund – CBF CofE Investment Funds Income Shares|**Value at**
**Cost**
**31**st**Dec 2024**
**£**
**£**
144,097
241,121
36,519
64,453
180,616
305,574|
|---|---|
Page 5
## **PCC of St JOHN THE BAPTIST CHURCH YEOVIL NOTES to the FINANCIAL STATEMENTS**
**For the Year to 31**[st] **December 2024**
|**2. INCOMING RESOURCES**
**2a. Incoming Resources from Donors**
Regular Giving
Income Tax Recovered
Dedicated Collections
Other Collections
Grants Received
Directed Giving
Fabric
Floral Group
General
Christians Against Poverty
Sundry Donations
General
Fabric
Youth Minister
**2b. Other Incoming Resources**
Legacy – General Fund
Floral Group Fundraising
Transfers from General Fund
Costs Recovered from St Andrews
**2c. Income from charitable & ancillary trading**
Church Hall Lettings
Fees and Church Lettings
**2d. Other Ordinary Incoming Resources**
Insurance Claims
**2e. Income from Investments**
General Fund
Schoolrooms
Organ Fund
St John's Building Fund
Bell Ringers' Investment Fund
Christians Against Poverty Fund
Tom Setter Belfry Fund
Restoration Fund
Peter Wakely Community Fund
Youth Development Investment Fund
Flower Guild Investment Fund
**2f. Change in Value of Investments**
Realised Gain/(Loss)
Unrealised Gain/(Loss)
**TOTAL INCOMING RESOURCES**|**Unrestricted Designated**
**Restricted Total Funds Unrestricted Designated**
**Restricted Total Funds**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**2024**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**2023**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
173,123
0
0
173,123
170,350
130
0
170,480
46,547
0
0
46,547
48,859
0
0
48,859
4,695
0
0
4,695
19,931
0
0
19,931
57,692
1,042
235
58,969
46,180
145
147
46,472
5,000
4,886
0
9,886
8,116
0
0
8,116
0
1,898
0
1,898
0
0
0
0
0
591
0
591
0
700
0
700
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
64,778
64,778
0
0
51,294
51,294
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
287,057
8,417
65,013
360,487
293,436
975
51,441
345,852
2,000
0
0
2,000
8,225
0
0
8,225
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1,500
0
0
1,500
1,500
0
0
1,500
3,500
0
0
3,500
9,725
0
0
9,725
6,870
0
0
6,870
1,769
0
0
1,769
985
0
0
985
850
0
0
850
7,855
0
0
7,855
2,619
0
0
2,619
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2,347
0
0
2,347
2,027
0
0
2,027
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
0
887
887
0
0
519
519
0
0
14
14
0
0
8
8
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
40
40
0
0
24
24
0
794
0
794
0
825
0
825
0
19
0
19
0
11
0
11
2,347
814
942
4,102
2,027
836
551
3,414
1,052
1,052
4,510
4,510
1,442
11,711
13,154
5,418
24,685
30,104
0
1,442
12,763
14,205
0
5,418
29,196
34,614
300,759
10,673
78,718
390,150
307,807
7,230
81,188
396,225|
|---|---|
Page 6
## **PCC of St JOHN THE BAPTIST CHURCH YEOVIL NOTES to the FINANCIAL STATEMENTS**
**For the Year to 31**[st] **December 2024**
|**3.RESOURCES USED**
**3a. Grants**
Charitable Giving (Special Collections)
External Donations from Church Funds
**3b. Activities directly for work of the Church**
**Ministry**
Parish Share
Clergy & Staff Expenses
Clergy Housing
**Church Running Costs**
Utilities
Telephone & Broadband
Insurance
Repairs and Maintenance
Major Works
Altar Requisites
Music
St Andrews Church & Hall
**C.A.P. Activities**
Expenses of Project
**Junior Church & Youth Work**
Junior Church & Youth Work
Mother & Baby Group
Other Costs
**3c. Fund Raising and Publicity**
**3d. Church Management and Administration**
Church Office Expenses
Wages and Fees
Printing and Stationery
Books
Sundries
**TOTAL RESOURCES USED**|**Unrestricted Designated**
**Restricted Total Funds Unrestricted Designated**
**Restricted Total Funds**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**2024**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**2023**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
7071
0
0
7071
3752
0
0
3752
24750
0
0
24750
24370
0
0
24370
31821
0
0
31821
28122
0
0
28122
177070
0
0
177070
167511
0
0
167511
5292
0
0
5292
8167
0
0
8167
137
0
0
137
105
0
0
105
13072
0
0
13072
10344
0
0
10344
762
0
0
762
1236
0
0
1236
5552
271
0
5823
5543
0
0
5543
941
14000
234
15175
50471
0
20
50491
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
141
519
0
661
316
585
0
901
2174
0
0
2174
2012
0
0
2012
8390
0
0
8390
15318
0
0
15318
0
0
49932
49932
0
0
42974
42974
4826
0
0
4826
4810
0
0
4810
0
0
0
0
34
0
0
34
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
218357
14790
50166
283313
265866
585
42994
309445
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
6131
1637
0
7768
4521
0
0
4521
28211
26532
31000
85743
33168
20000
30000
83168
257
0
0
257
358
0
0
358
132
0
0
132
450
0
0
450
2090
0
0
2090
3915
0
0
3915
36821
28169
31000
95990
42412
20000
30000
92412
286999
42959
81166
411124
336401
20585
72994
429980|
|---|---|
Page 7
## **PCC of St John the Baptist Church Yeovil NOTES to the Financial Statements**
**For the year to 31**[st] **December 2024**
|**PCC of St John the Baptist Church Yeovil**
**NOTES to the Financial Statements**
**For the year to 31**st**December 2024**|||
|---|---|---|
|**4. STAFF COSTS**|**2024**|**2023**|
|**Salaries, Taxes and Pensions**|**£**|**£**|
|Facilities Manager|17,188|16,304|
|CAP Centre Manager|20,012|18,043|
|CAP Centre Debt Coach|8,824|8,050|
|Children and Youth Minister|30,554|29,040|
|Pastoral Care Coordinator|15,431|14,635|
|Parish Administrator|27,441|18,595|
|Organ Services (bought out)|0|1,440|
|Cleaning Services (bought out)|2,640|2,604|
|**During the year the PCC employed**|||
|Facilities Manager (25 hrs p.w. - retired in Dec24)|1|1|
|Facilities Manager (c.500 hrs per year – from Nov24)|1|0|
|CAP Centre Manager (22.5 hrs p.w.)|1|1|
|CAP Centre Debt Coach (15 hrs p.w. - from Mar. 24)|1|1|
|Children and Youth Minister (full time)|1|1|
|Pastoral Care Coordinator (22.5 hrs p.w.)|1|1|
|Parish Administrator (maternity cover – from Sep24)|1|0|
|Parish Administrator (36 hrs p.w.)|1|1|
|**5. DEBTORS**|||
||**£**|**£**|
|General Fund|0|0|
|Restoration Fund|0|0|
|Schoolrooms|0|0|
|Christians Against Poverty|0|0|
|Tom Setter Belfry Fund|0|0|
|Peter Wakely Community Fund|0|0|
|Fabric|0|0|
|**6. DEBTORS**|||
||**£**|**£**|
|General Fund|0|0|
|Schoolrooms|0|0|
|Tom Setter Belfry Fund|0|0|
|Christians Against Poverty|0|0|
|Fabric|0|0|
## **7. ANALYSIS of NET ASSETS by FUND**
|Fixed Assets and Investments
Current Assets
Current Liabilities|**as at - 31**st**December 2024**
**Unrestricted**
**Designated Restricted**
**Total**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
0
51,717
247,725
299,442
53,725
2,088
77,632
133,445
0
0
0
0
53,725
53,805
325,357
432,887|**as at - 31**st**December 2023**
**Unrestricted**
**Designated Restricted**
**Total**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
0
63,011
258,358
321,368
39,964
23,082
69,448
132,493
0
0
0
0
39,964
86,093
327,806
453,862|
|---|---|---|
Page 8
## **PCC of ST JOHN THE BAPTIST CHURCH YEOVIL**
**ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31**[st] **DECEMBER 2024**
## **CONTENTS**
|**Independent Examiner's Report**|**1**|
|---|---|
|**Statement of Financial Activities**|**2**|
|**Balance Sheet**|**3**|
|**Cash Flow**|**4**|
|**Notes to the Financial Statement**|**5 – 8**|
**Note: The full Annual Report for 2024 including a Finance Report is available separately and will be filed together with these accounts with the Charity Commission.**
**PCC of St John the Baptist Church Yeovil is a Registered Charity No. 1134345**
Independent Examlners Report to the Trustso8 of the PCC of
St John the Baptlst Church Y•ovil
I report on the accounts of the Trust for the year ended 31. December 2024,
which are set out on Pages 2-8.
Re$pe¢tlve r¢8ponslbllltles of trusteog and examlnor
The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts.
The charity's trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year
(under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act)) and that
an independent examination is needed. The charity is preparing accrued accounts
and l am qualified to undertake the examination, being a qualified member of the
Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.
It is my responsibility to..
examine the accounts (under section 145 of the 2011 Act)
follow the procedures laid down in the General Direction$ glven by
the Charity Commission (under section 14515lb of the 2011 Act,. and
to state whether particular matters have come to my attention
Ba*ls of Independent oxamln•r'8 rnport
My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directlons given
by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting
records kept by the charity and a comparison ol the accounts presented
with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or
disclosures In the accounts and seeking explanations from you as trustees
conceming any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the
evldence 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 next statement.
Independent Examlnor's Statement
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention..
(1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements
- lo keep accounting records In 8¢¢ordance ¥th section 130 of the 2011 Act,. and
- lo prepare accounts accord ¥th the accounting records ond
compty vlth the accountlng requlremenls of Ihe 2011 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
Name: Mr. Craig Howes
Relevant professional qualification or body.. ICAEW
Address: 22 Watercombe Heights, Yeovil, Somerset, BA20 2TA
Date..
Page 1
## **PCC of St JOHN THE BAPTIST CHURCH YEOVIL Statement of Financial Activities**
**For the Year to 31**[st] **December 2024**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Unrestricted Designated Restricted Total Funds Unrestricted Designated Restricted Total Funds
Funds Funds Funds 2024 Funds Funds Funds 2023
Note £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £
Incoming Resources
Incoming Resources from Donors 2a 287,057 8,417 65,013 360,487 293,436 975 51,441 345,852
Other Incoming Resources 2b 3,500 0 0 3,500 9,725 0 0 9,725
Income from Charitable and Ancillary Trading 2c 7,855 0 0 7,855 2,619 0 0 2,619
Other Ordinary Incoming Resources 2d 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Income from Investments 2e 2,347 814 942 4,102 2,027 836 551 3,414
Total Incoming Resources 300,759 9,230 65,955 375,944 307,807 1,811 51,992 361,611
Resources Used
Grants 3a 31,821 0 0 31,821 28,122 0 0 28,122
Activities directly for the Work of the Church 3b 218,357 14,790 50,166 283,313 265,866 585 42,994 309,445
Fund Raising and Publicity 3c 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Church Management and Administration 3d 36,821 28,169 31,000 95,990 42,412 20,000 30,000 92,412
Total Resources Used 286,999 42,959 81,166 411,124 336,401 20,585 72,994 429,980
Net Incoming/(Outgoing) Resources 13,760 (33,729) (15,211) (35,180) (28,594) (18,773) (21,002) (68,369)
Movement on Creditors/Debtors
Movement on Creditors 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Movement on Debtors 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Change in Value of Investments
Realised Gains 2f 0 0 1,052 1,052 0 0 4,510 4,510
Unrealised Gains 0 1,442 11,711 13,154 0 5,418 24,685 30,104
Net Movement in Funds 13,760 (32,287) (2,448) (20,975) (28,594) (13,355) 8,194 (33,755)
Balances brought forward at 1 [st] January 2024
General Fund St Johns 32,868 32,868 53,744 53,744
St Andrews Funds 7,096 7,096 14,813 14,813
Organ Fund 1 1 1 1
Schoolrooms Fund 271 271 271 271
St John's Building Fund 57,491 57,491 51,943 51,943
Flower Guild Investment Fund 793 793 666 666
Youth Development Investment Fund 25,718 25,718 44,893 44,893
Equipment Replacement Reserve 1,637 1,637 1,637 1,637
Bell Ringers' Investment Fund 182 182 36 36
Restoration Fund 13,394 13,394 13,246 13,246
Tom Setter Belfry Fund 12,067 12,067 12,078 12,078
Peter Wakely Community Fund 265,922 265,922 266,702 266,702
Christians Against Poverty Fund 36,424 36,424 27,584 27,584
Total Balance Brought Forward 39,964 86,093 327,806 453,862 68,557 99,448 319,612 487,616
Balances carried forward at 31 [st] December 2024
General Fund St Johns 37,215 37,215 32,868 32,868
St Andrews Funds 16,510 16,510 7,096 7,096
Organ Fund 0 0 1 1
Schoolrooms Fund 0 0 271 271
St John's Building Fund 51,717 51,717 57,491 57,491
Flower Guild Investment Fund 883 883 793 793
Youth Development Investment Fund 0 0 25,718 25,718
Equipment Replacement Reserve 0 0 1,637 1,637
Bell Ringers' Investment Fund 1,204 1,204 182 182
Restoration Fund 13,629 13,629 13,394 13,394
Tom Setter Belfry Fund 11,847 11,847 12,067 12,067
Peter Wakely Community Fund 247,725 247,725 265,922 265,922
Christians Against Poverty Fund 52,157 52,157 36,424 36,424
Total Balance Carried Forward 53,725 53,805 325,357 432,887 39,964 86,093 327,806 453,862
**----- End of picture text -----**
Page 2
PCC of St John the Baptist Church Yaovil
Balance Sheet as at 31. Dec8mb8r 2024
Note
2024
2023
FIXED ASSETS
Tangible
Investment Assets
305,574
305,574
321,368
321,368
CURRENT ASSETS
Stock
Debtors and Prepayments
Short Term Deposits and Bonds
Cash at Hand and in Bank
45.683
81.629
127,312
51,581
80,912
132,493
LIABILITIES
Amounts falling due within one year
NET CURRENT ASSETS
127,312
132.493
NET ASSETS
432,887
453,861
FUNDS
Unrestricted
Dedicated
Restricted
53,725
53,805
325,357
432,887
39,964
86,093
327,806
453,862
These accounts were approved on 'li April 2025 by..
Alan Irwln - Treasurer
Kelth Ovenden- Churchwarden
Page 3
## **PCC of St JOHN the BAPTIST CHURCH YEOVIL**
## **Cash Flow Statement**
**For the year to 31**[st] **December 2024**
|**Reconciliation of Net (Outgoing)/Incoming Resources**
**to net Cash Flow from Operating Activities**
Net (outgoing)/incoming resources before investment changes
Investment Income
Roundings
Net cash (outflow) from operating activities
**Cash Flow Statement**
Net cash (outflow) from operating activities
Movements on Debtors
Movements on Creditors
Sale of Investments
Investment Income
Cash Flow / Decrease in Cash
**Net Funds at 1**st**January 2024**
**Net Funds at 31**st**December 2024**|**2024**
**2023**
**£**
**£**
(35,180)
(71,783)
4,102
0
0
0
(39,282)
(71,783)
(39,282)
(71,783)
0
0
0
0
30,000
20,000
4,102
3,414
(5,180)
(48,369)
132,493
180,862
127,312
132,493
(5,180)
(48,369)|
|---|---|
Page 4
## **PCC of St JOHN THE BAPTIST CHURCH YEOVIL NOTES to the FINANCIAL STATEMENTS**
**For the Year to 31**[st] **December 2024**
## **1 ACCOUNTING POLICIES ( i) Format of Accounts**
The Financial statements of the Parochial Church Council (PCC) have been prepared in accordance with Church Accounting Regulations, on an accrual basis, except as stated below (Para.iii)
The accounts include transactions, assets and liabilities for which the St John the Baptist PCC can be held responsible. They include the figures for St Andrews church.
The accounts for 2024 show that the total income is £390,150 and the total expenditure is £411,124
**(ii) Funds** General funds represent the funds of the PCC that are not subject to any restrictions regarding their use and are available for application to the general purposes of the PCC.
The following funds are categorised as “Designated Funds” within the terms of the Act.
Schoolrooms Fund *** Office Equipment Reserve Fund *** Organ Fund *** St John's Building Fund (formerly known as the Fabric Fund) Youth Minister Investment Fund *** Bell Ringers' Investment Fund Flower Guild Fund
The following funds are categorised as “Reserved Funds” within the terms of the Act. Restoration Fund Tom Setter Belfry Fund Christians Against Poverty Fund Peter Wakely Community Fund
***** As all monies in the Schoolrooms Fund, the Office Equipment Reserve Fund, the Organ Fund and the Youth Minister Investment Fund were expended during 2024, the final balances of these funds at the end of 2024 were zero and the funds have been closed.**
## **Placement of Funds**
The PCC's financial policy is to invest the bulk of its liquid assets with the Church Commissioners (CCLA). Operating funds are retained in NatWest Bank current a/cs.
(iii) A full analysis of investment placement is shown in the Balance Sheet (Funds Statement). All material items of income and expenditure are accounted for on an accruals basis, regardless of their not having been received or paid during the year.
(iv) **Tangible Fixed Assets** The church is believed not to own any significant fixed assets, particularly the church building or clergy residences, at 31[st] December 2024.
Any fixed assets acquired by the PCC, which the PCC is then free to dispose of at a future date, without faculty, and where the original cost exceeds £1000 (One Thousand Pounds), are reviewed for capitalisation and depreciation over the useful economical life of those assets as determined by the Finance Committee.
Both the decision to capitalise an asset and the resultant depreciation policy is determined by the Finance Committee.
No assets of this type were capitalised by the PCC during the period under review.
|(v)
**Fixed Asset Investments**
Investments are held in the following funds -
Peter Wakely Commiunity Fund - CBF CofE Investment Funds Accumulation Shares
Fabric Investment Fund – CBF CofE Investment Funds Income Shares|**Value at**
**Cost**
**31**st**Dec 2024**
**£**
**£**
144,097
241,121
36,519
64,453
180,616
305,574|
|---|---|
Page 5
## **PCC of St JOHN THE BAPTIST CHURCH YEOVIL NOTES to the FINANCIAL STATEMENTS**
**For the Year to 31**[st] **December 2024**
|**2. INCOMING RESOURCES**
**2a. Incoming Resources from Donors**
Regular Giving
Income Tax Recovered
Dedicated Collections
Other Collections
Grants Received
Directed Giving
Fabric
Floral Group
General
Christians Against Poverty
Sundry Donations
General
Fabric
Youth Minister
**2b. Other Incoming Resources**
Legacy – General Fund
Floral Group Fundraising
Transfers from General Fund
Costs Recovered from St Andrews
**2c. Income from charitable & ancillary trading**
Church Hall Lettings
Fees and Church Lettings
**2d. Other Ordinary Incoming Resources**
Insurance Claims
**2e. Income from Investments**
General Fund
Schoolrooms
Organ Fund
St John's Building Fund
Bell Ringers' Investment Fund
Christians Against Poverty Fund
Tom Setter Belfry Fund
Restoration Fund
Peter Wakely Community Fund
Youth Development Investment Fund
Flower Guild Investment Fund
**2f. Change in Value of Investments**
Realised Gain/(Loss)
Unrealised Gain/(Loss)
**TOTAL INCOMING RESOURCES**|**Unrestricted Designated**
**Restricted Total Funds Unrestricted Designated**
**Restricted Total Funds**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**2024**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**2023**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
173,123
0
0
173,123
170,350
130
0
170,480
46,547
0
0
46,547
48,859
0
0
48,859
4,695
0
0
4,695
19,931
0
0
19,931
57,692
1,042
235
58,969
46,180
145
147
46,472
5,000
4,886
0
9,886
8,116
0
0
8,116
0
1,898
0
1,898
0
0
0
0
0
591
0
591
0
700
0
700
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
64,778
64,778
0
0
51,294
51,294
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
287,057
8,417
65,013
360,487
293,436
975
51,441
345,852
2,000
0
0
2,000
8,225
0
0
8,225
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1,500
0
0
1,500
1,500
0
0
1,500
3,500
0
0
3,500
9,725
0
0
9,725
6,870
0
0
6,870
1,769
0
0
1,769
985
0
0
985
850
0
0
850
7,855
0
0
7,855
2,619
0
0
2,619
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2,347
0
0
2,347
2,027
0
0
2,027
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
0
887
887
0
0
519
519
0
0
14
14
0
0
8
8
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
40
40
0
0
24
24
0
794
0
794
0
825
0
825
0
19
0
19
0
11
0
11
2,347
814
942
4,102
2,027
836
551
3,414
1,052
1,052
4,510
4,510
1,442
11,711
13,154
5,418
24,685
30,104
0
1,442
12,763
14,205
0
5,418
29,196
34,614
300,759
10,673
78,718
390,150
307,807
7,230
81,188
396,225|
|---|---|
Page 6
## **PCC of St JOHN THE BAPTIST CHURCH YEOVIL NOTES to the FINANCIAL STATEMENTS**
**For the Year to 31**[st] **December 2024**
|**3.RESOURCES USED**
**3a. Grants**
Charitable Giving (Special Collections)
External Donations from Church Funds
**3b. Activities directly for work of the Church**
**Ministry**
Parish Share
Clergy & Staff Expenses
Clergy Housing
**Church Running Costs**
Utilities
Telephone & Broadband
Insurance
Repairs and Maintenance
Major Works
Altar Requisites
Music
St Andrews Church & Hall
**C.A.P. Activities**
Expenses of Project
**Junior Church & Youth Work**
Junior Church & Youth Work
Mother & Baby Group
Other Costs
**3c. Fund Raising and Publicity**
**3d. Church Management and Administration**
Church Office Expenses
Wages and Fees
Printing and Stationery
Books
Sundries
**TOTAL RESOURCES USED**|**Unrestricted Designated**
**Restricted Total Funds Unrestricted Designated**
**Restricted Total Funds**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**2024**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**2023**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
7071
0
0
7071
3752
0
0
3752
24750
0
0
24750
24370
0
0
24370
31821
0
0
31821
28122
0
0
28122
177070
0
0
177070
167511
0
0
167511
5292
0
0
5292
8167
0
0
8167
137
0
0
137
105
0
0
105
13072
0
0
13072
10344
0
0
10344
762
0
0
762
1236
0
0
1236
5552
271
0
5823
5543
0
0
5543
941
14000
234
15175
50471
0
20
50491
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
141
519
0
661
316
585
0
901
2174
0
0
2174
2012
0
0
2012
8390
0
0
8390
15318
0
0
15318
0
0
49932
49932
0
0
42974
42974
4826
0
0
4826
4810
0
0
4810
0
0
0
0
34
0
0
34
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
218357
14790
50166
283313
265866
585
42994
309445
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
6131
1637
0
7768
4521
0
0
4521
28211
26532
31000
85743
33168
20000
30000
83168
257
0
0
257
358
0
0
358
132
0
0
132
450
0
0
450
2090
0
0
2090
3915
0
0
3915
36821
28169
31000
95990
42412
20000
30000
92412
286999
42959
81166
411124
336401
20585
72994
429980|
|---|---|
Page 7
## **PCC of St John the Baptist Church Yeovil NOTES to the Financial Statements**
**For the year to 31**[st] **December 2024**
|**PCC of St John the Baptist Church Yeovil**
**NOTES to the Financial Statements**
**For the year to 31**st**December 2024**|||
|---|---|---|
|**4. STAFF COSTS**|**2024**|**2023**|
|**Salaries, Taxes and Pensions**|**£**|**£**|
|Facilities Manager|17,188|16,304|
|CAP Centre Manager|20,012|18,043|
|CAP Centre Debt Coach|8,824|8,050|
|Children and Youth Minister|30,554|29,040|
|Pastoral Care Coordinator|15,431|14,635|
|Parish Administrator|27,441|18,595|
|Organ Services (bought out)|0|1,440|
|Cleaning Services (bought out)|2,640|2,604|
|**During the year the PCC employed**|||
|Facilities Manager (25 hrs p.w. - retired in Dec24)|1|1|
|Facilities Manager (c.500 hrs per year – from Nov24)|1|0|
|CAP Centre Manager (22.5 hrs p.w.)|1|1|
|CAP Centre Debt Coach (15 hrs p.w. - from Mar. 24)|1|1|
|Children and Youth Minister (full time)|1|1|
|Pastoral Care Coordinator (22.5 hrs p.w.)|1|1|
|Parish Administrator (maternity cover – from Sep24)|1|0|
|Parish Administrator (36 hrs p.w.)|1|1|
|**5. DEBTORS**|||
||**£**|**£**|
|General Fund|0|0|
|Restoration Fund|0|0|
|Schoolrooms|0|0|
|Christians Against Poverty|0|0|
|Tom Setter Belfry Fund|0|0|
|Peter Wakely Community Fund|0|0|
|Fabric|0|0|
|**6. DEBTORS**|||
||**£**|**£**|
|General Fund|0|0|
|Schoolrooms|0|0|
|Tom Setter Belfry Fund|0|0|
|Christians Against Poverty|0|0|
|Fabric|0|0|
## **7. ANALYSIS of NET ASSETS by FUND**
|Fixed Assets and Investments
Current Assets
Current Liabilities|**as at - 31**st**December 2024**
**Unrestricted**
**Designated Restricted**
**Total**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
0
51,717
247,725
299,442
53,725
2,088
77,632
133,445
0
0
0
0
53,725
53,805
325,357
432,887|**as at - 31**st**December 2023**
**Unrestricted**
**Designated Restricted**
**Total**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
0
63,011
258,358
321,368
39,964
23,082
69,448
132,493
0
0
0
0
39,964
86,093
327,806
453,862|
|---|---|---|
Page 8