## _Annual Report 2022_ _**SHORT REPORT with summary of accounts for 2022**_ **Our vision is to be a welcoming, growing, vibrant church for the community of Denmead** _**www.allsaintsdenmead.org.uk www.facebook.com/allsaintsdenmead All Saints, Denmead - Charity Registration No: 1134705**_ **We want to be a people who:** **KNOW God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit and worship Him in spirit and truth.** **GROW in our faith and discipleship through prayer, study, and trust in God SHOW God’s love by serving our community, sharing the good news of Jesus in the power of the Spirit.** 1 |**CONTENTS**|| |---|---| |**Administratve Informaton**|Page 3| |**Aim and Purposes**|Page 3| |**Structure, Governance and Management**|Page 5| |PCC Members|| |Safeguarding and Health and Safety Ofcers|| |Independent Examiner and Architect|| |Churchwardens|| |Volunteers and Stewardship|| |Safeguarding|| |Health and Safety|| |General Data Protecton Regulaton (GDPR)|| |Church Fabric|| |Church Ofce|| |Sanctuary Guild|| |Church Hall Management|| |Havant Deanery Synod|| |**Worship and Prayer**|Page 12| |Vicar’s Report|| |Congregaton Statstcs|| |**Children, Youth and Family Work**|Page 14| |**Mission and Outreach**|Page 17| |Mission Group|| |Mothers’ Union|| |Pastoral Care|| |Bereavement Support Group|| |Home Groups|| |Cofee & Chat Mornings|| |Men’s Group|| |Parish Chronicle / Church Website / Facebook|| |Art Exhibiton|| |Concerts|| |**Financial Review**|Page 22| |**Independent Examiner’s Report**|Page 24| |**Accounts for 2022**|Page 25| **Appendix 1: Mission Action Plan** 2 ## **ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION** All Saints, Denmead is in the county of Hampshire. It is part of the Diocese of Portsmouth within the Church of England. The correspondence address is: All Saints, Denmead Parish Office Hambledon Road Denmead Hampshire PO7 6NN Telephone: 023 9226 8757 Incumbent: The Reverend Emma Racklyeft Curate: The Reverend Jack Williams (left summer 2022) Licensed Lay Minister (Reader): Mr Peter Mitchell Churchwardens: Mr Mike Gaskin Mrs Amanda Hillyard Parish Office Administrator: Mrs Claire Holland (resigned May 2022) Mr Terry Davies (joined September 2022) ## **AIM AND PURPOSES** **Our Vision is to be a welcoming, growing, vibrant church for the community of Denmead.** All Saints Parochial Church Council (PCC) has the responsibility of cooperating with the Incumbent, Revd. Emma Racklyeft, in promoting within the ecclesiastical parish the whole mission of the church, pastoral, evangelistic, social, and ecumenical. The PCC is also specifically responsible for the maintenance of the Church and Church Hall complex. The PCC is committed to our Vision to be a welcoming, growing, vibrant church for the community of Denmead. We want to be a people who: **KNOW** God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit and worship Him in spirit and truth. **GROW** in our faith and discipleship through prayer, study, and trust in God. **SHOW** God’s love by serving our community, sharing the good news of Jesus in the power of the Spirit. 3 The PCC acknowledges that at the heart of church life is a desire to help as many people as we can to encounter God. Therefore, the PCC has adopted several **Values** which form and shape our corporate church life. ## **Loving (Matthew 22: 36-40 and 1 John 4: 7-12)** In all that we are and do, we will seek to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love our neighbour as ourselves. ## **Welcoming (Romans 12: 9-18)** In all that we are and do, we welcome everyone. Every person in our community is important. We want each one to feel at home with us. ## **Generous (2 Corinthians 9: 5-7)** In all that we are and do, we will seek to be a blessing to others, generous with our time and resources. ## **Prayerful (Romans 8: 26-27 and Philippians 4: 6-7)** In all that we are and do, we will be committed to shaping our lives by grace. We will be regular and consistent in prayer, encouraging one another to keep God at the centre of personal and community life. ## **Missional (John 3: 16 and Romans 8: 18-20)** In all that we are and do, in every area of life, individually and together, we will reach out to others in the love of God. ## **Biblical (2 Timothy 3: 16 and Psalm 119)** In all that we are and do, we will seek to follow God’s ways, understanding and keeping the truths of Scripture interpreted and taught by the church down the centuries. ## **Spirit-filled (Acts 2 and Ephesians 5: 18-20)** In all that we are and do, we will allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us. We want to see the fruit, gifts and presence of the Spirit in our lives, an ever-increasing Christlikeness in our character and conduct. ## **Courageous (Joshua 1: 9)** In all that we are and do, we will seek to be a community that has big dreams, courageous hearts, takes risks and is always looking to see where God is at work. It is this vision, and these values, that focuses the PCC’s work and have led the PCC to create a twoyear **Mission Action Plan** . This Mission Action Plan is a working document and is constantly under review. The latest version is attached at the Appendix. 4 ## **STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT** The Parochial Church Council is a corporate body established by the Church of England. The PCC operates under the Parochial Church Council Powers Measure. The PCC is a Registered Charity, No: 1134705. The method of appointment of PCC members is set out in the Church Representation Rules. At All Saints, the membership of the PCC consists of the incumbent (our Vicar), the Churchwardens, the Licensed Lay Minister (Reader) and members elected by those members of the congregation who are on the electoral roll of the church. All those who attend our services/members of the congregation are encouraged to register on the electoral roll and stand for election to the PCC. The PCC members are responsible for making decisions on all matters of general concern and importance to the parish, including deciding on how the funds of the PCC are to be spent. New members receive initial training into the workings of the PCC. Given its wide responsibilities the PCC has two support committees, each dealing with an aspect of parish life. These are the Church Fabric and Church Hall Management, and both are responsible to the PCC and submit regular reports. ## **PCC members currently serving as this report was approved are:** Incumbent / PCC Chair: The Reverend Emma Racklyeft Curate: Vacant PCC Vice Chair: Mr Derek Gilbert Licensed Lay Minister (Reader): Mr Peter Mitchell (Co-opted) Churchwardens: Mr Mike Gaskin (H & S Officer and Parish Safeguarding Officer) Mrs Amanda Hillyard (Verger) Youth & Family Community Leader: Mr Lewis Jones (Co-opted) Representatives Deanery Synod: Mrs Julia Parsons Mr Fritz Simpson Elected PCC members: Mr Paul Hillyard PCC Treasurer Mrs Helen Boundy Mrs Diana Dey Mrs Karen Gaskin Pastoral Care Team Leader Mrs Kim Markham Mr Don Tocher GDPR Data Protection Officer Mr Steve Venn Chair of Fabric Committee Independent Examiner: 5 Bankers: Lloyds TSB Bank plc & Nat West Bank plc - Waterlooville branches Church Architect: Christopher C Cook Dip. Arch. R.I.B.A Axis Architecture The Old Post Office Station Road Wickham PO17 5JA 01329 832405 ## **Churchwardens Report** It has been a pleasure this year to see so many of our church family, events and activities return after 2+ years of restrictions, although understandably there has still been an element of caution. It was a delight in January to celebrate 5 years of Revd. Emma being our Vicar! We have much to be thankful for, as she has led us through some challenging times, but has always held fast to the vision and values of our community here at All Saints. We are always amazed by the generosity of people’s time and talents, that allow the church and its grounds to be maintained to a very high standard and various events to take place too. The Platinum Jubilee Street Party in June was an excellent example of this, as there was lots to do in preparation, including the knitting/crocheting of hundreds of red, white and blue flowers to make bunting to hang round the outside of the church and grounds. The celebrations brought the whole community together, with the grounds of All Saints being used for a variety of activities and providing space for picnics and games. We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their continued support and for us to express what a privilege it is to serve in this role. Amanda Hillyard and Mike Gaskin - Churchwardens ## **Volunteers and Stewardship** We would like to say a HUGE thank you to all the volunteers who work so hard to make our church the lively and vibrant community it is. Most of the activities mentioned in this report, and many others besides, are carried out by volunteers who give of their time and talents to enable the smooth running of all aspects of church and community life. Thanks also to the generosity of regular financial givers we can maintain the upkeep of our church complex and continue the pastoral work in the community. All Saints would not exist without you all. Revd. Emma Racklyeft, Amanda Hillyard and Mike Gaskin – Churchwardens 6 ## **Safeguarding Report 2022** In the last APCM, I reported that much of the 2021 safeguarding work at a National and Diocese level was to develop an improved Safeguarding programme following the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse. The two key changes affecting Parish safeguarding workload in 2022 was the introduction of: 1. The safeguarding ‘learning and development framework’ 2. The Parish Safeguarding Dashboard. Much time has been spent at a Diocese and Parish level to fully understand the precise requirements and to ensure that the former had sufficient resources to lead this. At the end of 2022 the Diocese prepared more detailed guidance particularly with respect to training for church officers and volunteers. This has helped to ensure both consistency and a clearer understanding of the requirements. The All Saints Parish Safeguarding Officer, Vicar and PCC put a plan in place to obtain Level 2 accreditation for our Safeguarding Parish Dashboard in 2023. I would also like to thank all our staff and volunteers who have supported these changes thus far. In 2022 our Parish Safeguarding Officer has become an accredited Safeguarding Trainer which has given us flexibility and additional options to train our church officers. During this period of transition, the PCC and Incumbent continued to have in place; policies, procedures, processes, training and reporting to ensure that our Parish adheres to all safeguarding obligations to protect children and vulnerable adults. A safeguarding report was prepared and reviewed by the PCC at every meeting. Should you have any question or concern with respect to safeguarding please do not hesitate to contact me or the Diocese Safeguarding _team._ Mike Gaskin, Parish Safeguarding Officer _._ ## **Health & Safety Report 2022** Health and Safety legislation applies to Church buildings. The overall responsibility for adhering to these rules is with our Vicar, supported by our Churchwardens and the Health & Safety Officer. All Saints Health and Safety Policy is the primary document which outlines what we must do in addition to confirming our commitment to the Health and Safety of all people using our building and grounds. The Policy is updated every two years and was last reviewed and approved by the PCC in March 2022. External testing of our fire extinguishers, portable appliances, gas, and electrical systems were completed in accordance with the regulations. In addition to this, tests were carried out on the lightning conductors and a certificate was issued. Our contractor has proposed some additional remedial work to the system which will be reviewed by the PCC in 2023. 7 In addition to our core responsibilities the Health and Safety Officer carries out periodic reviews of our church premises and documentation including the accident/near miss reports. All findings were reviewed by the PCC. Three inspections were carried out in 2022 and three items required follow up. On 3rd July 2022, a fire drill was conducted during the main Sunday service, and we evacuated everybody from our building in 6 minutes and 20 seconds. Thanks, should be given to the Church Fabric committee and those volunteers who continue to maintain our premises. Mike Gaskin – Health & Safety Officer ## **General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)** Since 2018, All Saints, Denmead has spent a significant amount of time: planning, identifying, and managing data, to maintain GDPR compliance. All new and existing parishioners have been requested to complete a GDPR form to ensure we have up-to-date contact details and that we can comply with their contact requirements. Don Tocher – GDPR Data Protection Officer ## **Church Fabric Committee** A couple of working parties were organised during the year to keep up with the necessary tidying around the grounds. The fence between the Church grounds and the Kidmore Lane properties blew down early in the year and was professionally replaced. Repair and maintenance jobs continued as required, including: - The sound system in the Church Hall was upgraded using components from the old Church system. - Various problems with the toilets, which were fixed. - Investigation continues into the effectiveness of lightning conductors – this should be completed early in 2023. Planning began on a project to establish a wildlife-friendly garden on a part of the large lawn, and it is hoped this will get underway in 2023. Many thanks to all who have helped in keeping on top of this work. Steve Venn – Church Fabric Committee ## **Parish Office** 2022 was in part a difficult year, as the Parish Administrator position was vacant for a few months. I was appointed in July and took up my position in September and I have settled into the role quickly. The office has been very busy with the preparation of the paperwork required for Sunday services, baptisms, weddings, funerals and many other the church activities. The first prayer course started in September and was run over an eight-week period, which was well attended, and handouts were produced from the office for each attendee. Additional duties have been added to the role, which 8 have increased the workload, but the effect of this has been positive, so the office has been busy, but it is a very interesting job. Tracking the payments as they come into the account and then making outgoing payments as and when required has continued to bring a better balance to the running of the Parish Administrator position. I am pleased to report that the bookings for 2022 were strong, with both regular and occasional bookings. There has been good feedback from the hall users, who have made regular bookings throughout the year. Terry Davies - Parish Administrator ## **Sanctuary Guild** Many thanks to the Sanctuary Guild members for their continued commitment, very loyal support, and cheerful help over the past COVID restricting years. A more normal year enabled us to resume arranging flowers in the big altar pedestal and in the Church on all Festival occasions and for weddings when requested. Donations from arranging the flowers for weddings during the past two years have enabled us to send £180 to the Rowans Hospice, the Vicars nominated charity. Mothering Sunday posies were made, Harvest arrangements, the Poppy pedestal, Advent ring and Christmas saw the theme ‘Follow the Star’ imaginatively interpreted. Red, white, and blue displays commemorated the celebration of the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. We remember long-standing member Leila Waterman, as well as Valerie Kunzle who designed and painted our flower Rota’s for us over many years. The Church Flower Club continues to flourish and has raised £1,200 for their nominated charities, Rowans Hospice and The Society of St. James. The Sanctuary Guild would like to sincerely thank the Flower Club for their continuing donations towards the cost of flowers used in the weekly pedestal. Any member of All Saints congregation who has sewing skills or an interest in Flower arranging is most welcome to join us. Lesley Hallett Chair ## **Church Hall Management** The Hall Management Committee met three times in the period. At the first meeting in February the main item of business was confirmation of the arrangements for the refurbishment of the Servery. This work was successfully completed at the beginning of March. Throughout the period the Committee continued to review our Covid-19 requirements and provisions. The Hall audio system was successfully updated and refurbished during the period. The Hall continues to be utilized extensively by the Church and the wider community. Trevor Wright – Chair of Management Committee 9 ## **Havant Deanery Synod** Havant Deanery Synod met twice in person in 2022 - in June at St. John the Baptist Church Hall, Purbrook and in November at Church of the Good Shepherd [CoGS], Widley. In 2022 we welcomed Jonathan Frost as the tenth Bishop of Portsmouth. The meeting scheduled for March was substituted to welcome Bishop Jonathan on his tour of Havant Deanery. He visited to see and experience some of the things offered, and to attend an Evening Event of worship, with an opportunity to be introduced to the Deanery. Following Bishop Jonathan’s arrival, it was announced that the Diocese intended to provide more clarity on its direction and priorities. The Deanery was asked to look at two strategic priorities and consider how they could be incorporated into the Havant Deanery action plan. These are: i) putting youth and children at the heart of our mission plan and ii): Anna Chaplaincy. It was acknowledged that children are interacting with the church through various groups; that volunteers are often willing to help but not lead - limiting implementation of many potentially good ideas and that where parishes have raised the money, there are part-time paid youth and families’ workers. It was felt that people give money to churches and charities because they can see the purpose, and there is hope that people will give generously for a vision they believe in. Presentations of note during the year were made on Anna Chaplaincy, stewardship and mission. Coleen Jackson (Anna Chaplain) and Debbie Ducille (National Anna Chaplaincy Lead) led their presentation on Anna Chaplaincy. The main purposes of Anna Chaplains are to offer spiritual support to the elderly and those who look after them, and to promote the spiritual welfare of older people in the wider community, particularly those facing challenges living independently. Portsmouth Diocese was keen to have an Anna Chaplain in every parish/benefice/cluster/etc. and hoped to have the first 20 chaplains trained and ready by November 2022 – by this time, four Anna Chaplains were licensed. Chris Parker (Diocesan Stewardship Advisor - also known as Generous Giving Advisor), presented themes which are included in Bishop Jonathan’s Road map for church giving. His talk focused on generosity and the steps that can be taken to encourage this. With MINT [Mechanisms, Impact, Need and Trust] in place, a good foundation for generosity can be laid and IDEA [Inspire, Disciple, Embed and Activate] helps promote giving. Revd Canon Nick Ralph (Head of Mission and Social Transformation for Diocese of Portsmouth) presented on the best use of data, to reach and actively encourage the different groups that make up a parish’s population, into our churches. The clear message was that multiple channels of communication are required to reach the full breadth of the population. He stated his willingness to visit the PCCs of individual parishes to discuss their needs. In other business, Havant Deanery’s request to take its Leadership paper to Diocesan Synod [January] was omitted in error and delayed due to Bishop Jonathan’s arrival. Following a note of apology, there were assurances that this would be addressed at the Diocesan Synod in November. There was a proposal to merge two sub-committees (Mission & Pastoral and Standing & Finance), to form a single Deanery Council that would cover the full breadth of the two existing groups. This was to be formally 10 proposed in November Synod with all the standing requirements being met. At year end no further update on these was available. Revd Ian Snares left the role of Area Dean and attended his last synod meeting in June, whilst Revd Kate Macfarlane was licensed as the Associate Area Dean in November. Julia Parsons and Fritz Simpson – PCC Reps on Havant Deanery Synod 11 ## **WORSHIP AND PRAYER** ## **Vicar’s Report** At long last, in 2022 we were able to fully return and re-launch most of our services, groups, and activities here at All Saints. Many of the tight restrictions of 2020 and 2021 eased away resulting in less Risk Assessments, hurray! Throughout the year we saw the return of many of our ‘normal’ activities and groups. It was wonderful to open again for Little Stars, to see the return of the Bereavement Support Group and Coffee and Chat – plus many other groups – each crucial in offering love, friendship, support, and community. We were able to mark and celebrate key events from Epiphany, Lent, and Easter, through to Harvest, Act of Remembrance and Christmas – and everything in between. In February 2022 the PCC met to pray, reflect and plan with the aim of forming a new Mission Action Plan, shaped, and inspired as God leads us – this was agreed at our AGM/APCM in May and is attached as the first appendix to this document. This MAP is a working document; regularly discussed and reviewed by the PCC to shape and influence our mission, worship, and witness. Sadly, by Easter it became clear our curate, Revd. Jack Williams would not be ordained as planned, and in fact would be leaving ministry. So, we said a fond ‘goodbye’ to Jack and his family in the summer. Jack and his family still live locally, and Jack has settled into secular work once more, and they are looking forward to welcoming a new family member in 2023! In June it was wonderful to work with Denmead Parish Council and many local community groups to plan, prepare and run the Platinum Jubilee Street Party. This was a wonderful event to which more than 4,000 came! It was good to celebrate the life on an amazing, steadfast, and dutiful Queen and to celebrate as a community post Pandemic. Sadly, on September 8[th] Queen Elizabeth II died. During the days of national mourning All Saints became a hub to which the community flocked to pay their respects, light candles, and sign a Book of Condolence. During the Autumn term it was great to run The Prayer Course on a Sunday evening. The Prayer Course ran for eight weeks using Pete Grieg’s book ‘How to pray: a simple guide for normal people.’ About 20 people engaged each week, finding both the book and the course encouraging and insightful, taking us deeper in faith and trust. In 2023 we hope to run The Prayer Course 2. With most of the Covid restrictions fully eased I was able to return slowly to many of the wider community groups and services. I was able to return on a fortnightly basis to the Infant School, and lead assemblies and offer RE teaching to specific year groups. Visits to all four local care/residential homes returned to a monthly visiting pattern. And we were able to visit people at home for Communion or a Pastoral Visit with fewer restrictions necessary. During 2022 we continued to offer Pastoral Offices for our wider community. Sadly, there continued to be many funerals – but also a significant increase in Baptisms/Thanksgivings and Weddings – each a real pleasure and delight to conduct. In December it was a great joy to prepare several of our youth group who were then confirmed by Bishop Jonathan at Portsmouth Cathedral. My role as Vicar at All Saints is only eighty percent of my time. With my other twenty percent I serve as an Assistant Director for Diocesan Ordinands. This role involves working with a small vocations team to discern, guide and lead candidates through a discernment process ready for training and 12 study before Ordination within the Church of England. I really enjoy this role and it allows greater flexibility with my time here in the parish. And so, 2022 has been a year of _respair:_ renewal and fresh hope as we’ve restored and renewed much of our worship and prayer as a church, and our witness and mission to this community. As we move into 2023, I’m excited with the new opportunities to reach out to our community with the good news of Jesus, in the power of the Spirit – that All Saints may be a church that is growing, vibrant and welcoming for all in Denmead. I want to express my thanks to the staff team, Peter, Terry, Lewis, to the Churchwardens Amanda, and Mike, and to the wider PCC who encouraged, prayed, went above and beyond to support me, and to ensure that wherever possible, we remained fixed in our focus on God, resolute in our desire to worship and deepen discipleship, and intentional in sharing God’s love, mercy and forgiveness with our community. Revd. Emma Racklyeft ## **Congregation Statistics** The numbers attending All Saints are measured each October in order that the church can report to the Diocese its average weekly attendance, a statistic used in the assessment of the church’s Parish Share payment. However, the figures in recent years have been disrupted by the Covid Pandemic. In 2022 our average weekly attendance at morning services: Adults: 101 Under 18: 28. 13 ## **CHILDREN, YOUTH and FAMILY WORK** ## **Little Stars Baby and Toddler Group** Meets on Fridays from 9:15-11:15 during term time. We had to say a sad goodbye to Tracy Ahearn who joined us on team in 2021 but is no longer around on Friday mornings as she welcomed her new grandchild and took on extra grandparent duties – Let me say a huge thank you to Tracy for all the time and support she gave us. We are so blessed to welcome Gill Byrne and Miriam Thompson on the team, they help with the clear-up and serving refreshments but most of all we are blessed to have them come alongside our grown-ups to chat, support and build relationships showing Gods love. We are also blessed to have an amazing refreshments team preparing and serving snacks for all who attend, they keep us going and bring smiles to everyone’s faces. In November we gave our donations to Children in Need and raised over £50. Lewis Jones – Youth and Family Community Leader ## **Youth at 10am** Meeting on the first and third Sundays of each month, for young people aged 1118 years. 2022 was an exciting and somewhat delicious year as we welcomed the start of our ‘Youth Bake Off’ where we challenged our young people to bake once a month – each bake was then tasted, judged, and shared with the whole congregation during refreshments after the main Sunday service. We have some very talented bakers and some very creative young people – it has been a joy and we are looking forward to 2023 as we start our ‘Youth Bake Off Book Project,’ where we hope to release a charity recipe book including some of the amazing recipes that were created. As well as enjoying some moreish bakes we dug deeper into Scripture whilst having fun, sharing our thoughts, and encouraging each other as we get to know God personally, grow in our faith and look at how we can show God’s love as we live out our lives in a series on prayer, and ending the year looking at specific bible characters. Lewis Jones – Youth and Family Community Leader ## **Messy Church** Messy Church meets once a month, on the third Saturday at 3.30-5.30pm. It involves art, craft, singing, games, stories, prayers and sharing a meal together. Sadly, we were not able to get Messy Church up and running as early as we had hoped, but in September 2022 we started back. We welcomed 46 people (16 families) in September where we looked at the story of the Prodigal Son and in October, we saw over 70 people (25 families) come through our doors to enjoy the parable of the Rich Fool, we were blessed with similar numbers for November and December. It was great to be back and reaching out to our local families. We are very much looking forward to 2023, but couldn’t do it without 14 our fantastic team, thank you! – If you would like to support Messy Church with your time please do speak to Lewis. Being on the Messy Church team is very rewarding, bringing the church to families and being a part of their Christian walk all whilst having fun. Lewis Jones – Youth and Family Community Leader ## **Jesus, Light Up Denmead** This initiative started in October 2020 to shine the light and love of God to our young families across Denmead. After a successful start in 2020 and an amazing year in 2021 we got to work planning for the major events in 2022. We launched The BIG Pancake Party (1st March) where we opened our doors and invited families in to fill their own pancakes, play games, make crafts, and build relationships. One lady left a comment on Facebook saying “We had a lovely time. Thank you so much 💕” and people have been talking about it all year. In April we made way for our Easter Extravaganza an eggciting day full of Activities, Games, Crafts, Hot Cross buns, and the retelling of the Easter Story. We also encouraged families to paint rocks to hide around the village as part of the ‘Denmead Rocks’ group – around 70 rocks were decorated at the Easter Extravaganza, then later hidden around Denmead along with 10 special golden Easter Rocks that could be handed in and exchanged for prizes. In October we launched our Pumpkin Café where we welcomed families in for activities, games and food including Hot Dogs, nachos, and fruit. On each café style table, we also had a pumpkin where families were encouraged to write down things they were grateful for over the year. Then in December, we kept it simple with a few Christmas-themed Rocks hidden around the village and a competition to Count the stars: people were encouraged to come into the church to count the number of stars on display around the church - the total coming to 398. We received many, many entries but only one came close at 397, winning a prize of £25. It was wonderful to see so many families coming into the church and looking around – many asking questions about the plaques, the chapel, the font and more. Lewis Jones – Youth and Family Community Leader. ## **Denmead Junior School** In November ’22 we were able to return to the Junior school. I now attend assemblies with the opportunity to share God's word and love. We also welcomed the whole Junior School into the church for their Christmas assemblies, with each group sharing the Christmas story in creative ways. It was a blessing and a privilege to be a part of this special time and we are looking forward to even more engagement with them in 2023. Lewis Jones – Youth and Family Community Leader 15 ## **Denmead Infant School** Over the last year it has been wonderful to lead an assembly on a fortnightly basis with the children at Denmead Infant School covering key Bible Stories and values such as Love, Friendship, Resilience and Strength. I’ve also been able to lead some RE teaching at key points covering topics such as Creation, Easter, People who help us and Special places of worship. We’ve also been able to welcome the children and staff to All Saints at Harvest and Christmas. Each assembly or visit has given opportunity to share God’s love and truth. I’ve also been able to continue in my role as Community Governor at the Infant School, attending regular Governing Body meetings and supporting work in the Early Years. Revd Emma Racklyeft ## **Kids at 10** Kids at 10 is for children aged three to eleven and has its own worship space in the church hall during the 10 am service every first and third Sunday of the month, the children returning to the church before communion is shared, so that they may receive a blessing from the minister and the whole church family joins together for the conclusion of the service. Kids at 10 has welcomed 33 different children over the past year with a core group of 9 or 10 children attending most sessions and 5 or 6 other children coming regularly. We have a group of 7 leaders and helpers and are very grateful to them for continuing to give up their time to plan, to prepare and to lead our young children in deepening their understanding of God and Jesus and growing and developing their own personal faith and discipleship. Each week we aim to follow the Gospel reading for that Sunday morning, ensuring that our children are receiving the same message as the wider church, exploring this though illustrated Bible readings, prayers, games, discussions, art and craft, which the children enjoy sharing with the whole congregation at the end of our services. Our weekly register and individual registration forms are completed, in line with our Health and Safety and Safeguarding policies, and we meet occasionally as a Kids at 10 Team to offer guidance, to discuss issues, and to share ideas and resources for future Kids at 10 sessions. We have lots of fun and are a welcoming team of people, so if you are interested in volunteering to help with Kids at 10, please speak to Revd Emma, to Lewis Jones or to either of us; no previous experience is necessary and appropriate training will be given. We work as a team of two or three each week, with one main leader and one or two helpers, so if you don’t fancy the planning but do enjoy having fun and doing crafty things, we’d love to hear from you too. Helen Boundy and Peter Mitchell – Kids at 10 Leaders 16 ## **MISSION AND OUTREACH** ## **Mission Group** We support our 5 Mission charities – CMS (Church Mission Society – Alan and Lexi and family working in SE Asia), MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship), The Children’s Society, Friends Without Borders and IDWAL (Inter Diocesan West Africa Link) with prayer, correspondence, and monetary donations. Our proposed Mission Sunday BBQ was again postponed until 2023, when it is hoped that Alan and Lex (our CMS links) will be able to join us (whilst home on furlough) as well as other representatives of our mission charities. We do hear regular updates in church services about the work of our supported charities. · In May we held our Christian Aid free coffee morning in the church hall – it was very well attended and over £2723 + Gift Aid was raised during the week and the E-envelope scheme was successful. · There was no parish visit to Ghana in 2022, but Bishop Felix of Koforidua diocese stayed in Denmead and worshipped at All Saints, prior to the Lambeth Conference, in July. · We were fortunate to welcome Beth Racklyeft onto the group in September and she has agreed, in the first instance, to revamp the notice board and keep it up to date. Sadly, Mike Gaskin has had to step down, due to work commitments, but he has agreed to coordinate Christian Aid week until a new person is found. · Keith Varney joined the men’s breakfast in November and gave an interesting talk about the work of MAF – he will be returning in 2023 to talk to the Mothers Union. · Two members of this group attended the AGM of ‘Friends without Borders’ and gave a very interesting and comprehensive report of their work. · Two Christingle services were held on Christmas Eve (proceeds of which went to the Children’s Society) and both were very well attended. Christingles will take place in 2023, but not on Christmas Eve. More sad news hit us at the end of 2022 when it was announced that Traidcraft had gone into administration. However, Angela has sourced Fair Trade Christmas cards so hopefully we may still have an open day each year. Committee members of the group for 2022 are: Revd. Emma Racklyeft, Diana Dey, Peter and Jane Dickinson, Angela Herring, Julia Parsons, Beth Racklyeft and Claire Thompson. 17 ## **Mothers’ Union** It has been lovely to have a full programme of monthly meetings during 2022. We have sent over £400 for various MU projects at home and overseas to help families in need. Our friendly meetings are very varied although we always start with prayers. We also occasionally join with other members from across the deanery. At present we are being run by a committee with various members taking a lead. We have 25 members and non-members are always welcome at our meetings. Liz Venn, on behalf of the MU committee. ## **Pastoral Care** Pastoral Care Visitors. We continue to have a dedicated, loving and gracious team of Visitors, visiting people in the parish, with some Visitors taking Home Communion to our parishioners. We have well established relationships and some quite new, and sadly some dear friends have gone to glory, and we **are all the richer for knowing them.** As a team we met in March, June, and October. I would like to say a heartfelt thank you to all the team. “We love because He loved us first." 1 John 4:19 Karen Gaskin – Pastoral Care Leader ## **Bereavement Group** The group continued to meet monthly throughout 2022 on the fourth Wednesday of the month. We have a core of regular attendees; some have moved on during the year and others have joined us. We organised a program of speakers from local charitable organisations and covered various topics related to bereavement issues. The group enjoyed a visit to Stanstead Park Garden Centre for a set afternoon tea in June and we had our normal ‘Christmas Lunch’ at the White Hart in November. Our meetings generally follow a pattern of a short talk followed by some discussion questions with feedback. We then have a light-hearted quiz or game followed by tea and cake provided by our volunteer helpers. We make no charge for the group or the tea but many of those who come like to give a small donation. This money is used for occasional expenses for the group, but the majority is given to charity, usually to those who come to talk to the group about their work. These are the donations we made in 2022: Waterlooville Food Bank £100. Citizen’s Advice Bureau £30. Memory Clinic £15. Wacky Wednesday Ukulele Group £40 and Samaritans £50. Many thanks to all the helpers who give of their time and energy to help with the Bereavement Group. Especial thanks to Revd Emma who has supported the group and been a regular attender over this last year and many before that. We will miss seeing her so often in the coming year, but fully understand the need to establish a regular day off during the week to enable her to manage her busy workload. Jeanette Power 18 ## **Home Groups** We started 2022 with five home groups meeting regularly (sadly one group had closed by the end of the year, but we will re-establish a new group in 2023). These groups meet (fortnightly or thereabouts) to study the Bible, pray, encourage one another, and share together socially. If you’re not yet in a home group, I’d really encourage you to join one, they are a great place of care, friendship, and fun! Information about the groups can be found on our church noticeboards. Revd Emma Racklyeft ## **Coffee & Chat Mornings** Although we have passed the baton of the organization of Coffee and Chat to one of our hosts, Alistair Johnston at the beginning of 2023, together with the Rota for the next six months, we are pleased to report that the Tuesday morning session has gone from strength to strength, after the awful couple of years of COVID restrictions. It had been our joy & privilege to organize Coffee and Chat for several years, but we both felt it was the right time to hand it over to a younger and more “athletic” host! Although we are sad that some of the long-standing guests are no longer with us, the numbers for the session are very encouraging although there is always a welcome for new people. A cup of tea or coffee together with a biscuit and good company for 50p must be the best bargain of the week! We would like to thank the hosts, both past and present, for their unstinting help without which this valued Community asset could not have been run. Sylvia & John Morphett ## **Men's Group** We breakfasted five times hearing stories of life, faith and encouragement from members. We walked three times, around Denmead, over Portsdown Hill and to World's End. We curried once. We bowled once. We skittled once. We barbequed once, on one of the hottest days of Summer! Relationships were built. Newcomers were welcomed. Members of Crookhorn church men's group were hosted. We reflected on The Queen's Platinum Jubilee. We heard some other faith viewpoints and Mission Aviation Fellowship gave us a new view of serving others. We were blessed! We hope to be a blessing. We welcome men, trying to encourage each other to make life and faith work well. John Byrne, Paul Over and Don Tocher – Men’s Group Leaders 19 ## **The Parish Chronicle** Denmead Parish Chronicle: following its post COVID relaunch in May 2022, eight monthly copies have been distributed by 42 volunteer distributors to 761 homes and premises in the Denmead area. A credit was given to those subscribers who had paid in advance when the publication ceased in 2020 and a discount was given to advertisers to encourage them to advertise again in the new publication. Copies of the Chronicle continue to be available to purchase in the church and at Parkers in Hambledon Rd. Pearsons Estate agents also ensure that a complimentary copy is included in each welcome pack for new families moving into or within the village and complimentary copies are also provided to each of our nursing homes. Overall, the publication made a budget loss of £2,300 but this is more than covered by the surplus transferred to general church funds in 2020 and overdue advertising fees. The return of the publication has been widely welcomed particularly due to the presence of all village activities and events being in one place. The continued support of subscribers, advertisers, article contributors and distributors is much appreciated and will ensure that it continues to be valued in 2023. Paul E. Over – Parish Chronicle Distribution ## **Church Website & Facebook** The website and Facebook page continue to be an extremely beneficial means of making regular connections with our local community. We no longer stream Morning Prayer daily, but we’ve been able to stream several funerals and weddings during the year and continue to live stream the majority of Holy Communion Services (10am on the first and third Sundays). Although it is impossible to know exact figures, many people clearly appreciate these services being available online. Steve Venn and Revd. Emma ## **Art Exhibition September 2022** The popular Art Exhibition made a welcome return after its Covid break! It was good to have the opportunity to display the local artists work again after a few years’ hiatus. We received work from our regular artists and showed off some new talent this year with nearly 250 paintings. The Exhibition is a wonderful outreach into the community, welcoming many into the hall to admire and purchase local artwork and meet up with old friends over a cup of tea. The atmosphere in the hall was buzzing throughout the weekend and we were very grateful for the team of volunteers who manned the door, acted as stewards and those that made the teas. We sold 25% of the paintings and raised funds traditionally used to maintain the organ and church charities. New artists are always welcome, and details are available on the church website for this year’s exhibition in September. Tina Cottam - Member of the Art Exhibition Team 20 ## **Concerts** We were delighted to welcome back the Band of His Majesty’s Royal Marines to perform their annual concert. After restricting numbers last year, it was great to be able to sell a full complement of tickets this year. The full audience was not left disappointed with another wonderful programme of music starting for the first time with God Save the King. The band gratefully devoured a delicious meal cooked by the catering team at Oaklands after their rehearsal before providing us with a full programme of entertainment. The band and audience enjoyed a wonderful spread of food during the interval kindly prepared and donated by members of the church family. The Band are always happy to come to Denmead as they receive such a positive welcome from their ardent followers - tickets sold out very quickly again raising money for the church’s work in the community. The Band use the concert as part of their training program and so we look forward to welcoming them back in November 2023. Once again thank you to all the supporters of this event, especially the team of hard-working volunteers who helped on the night. Tina Cottam - Concert Coordinator 21 ## **FINANCIAL REVIEW** **Overall.** 2022 was another challenging year for the church in respect of its finances. Fundraising was however back on track as we had both the Art Exhibition and the Royal Marine Band to boost our income. Fortunately, we have a high percentage of givers in the Parish Giving Scheme or who give via Standing Order. At the end of the year, we were left with a deficit of £48,737.43 if you include the loss of £25,440.74 in the valuation of our investments, from the General Fund. **General Fund.** The General Fund is the main fund operated by the PCC and is used for income and expenditure relating to the running of the church, church services, churchyard upkeep, Outward Giving, and the Parish Share. The Parish Share is by far the largest commitment and is paid to the Portsmouth Diocese for clergy salaries and pensions and the central costs of all mission and administration in the diocese. In 2022 General Fund income was £93,749, a 1% decrease on the previous year. Expenditure was £122,149 a 12% increase on 2021. We therefore achieved a deficit of £23,296. **Stewardship.** We did not hold a Stewardship campaign in 2022 and so it has been three years since the last one. With the current strain on everyone’s resources it may be prudent not to ask for more giving with the current state of our finances. We will review in 2023. **Parish Giving Scheme.** The Parish Giving Scheme is now in its sixth year and 70% (£39,643) of our planned giving came via this scheme. 41 of our 64 donors are in the scheme and we are expanding this number as it eases local administration and improves the church’s cash flow with monthly payments of Gift Aid. **Charitable Giving.** The PCC has agreed to give 10% of its 2021 income to selected charities at home and overseas. In 2022 charitable giving totalled £9,300 which was given to our five Mission Partners. **Church Hall.** Hall income was up from £8,867 to £18,492 while expenditure was up from £12,638 to £17,061 giving a profit for the year of £1,431. This leaves the balance on the Hall account at £14,220. **Parish Chronicle.** We revived the Parish Chronicle during 2022. It made a loss for the year of £3,716 but we are anticipating it will just about break even in 2023. **Investment Policy.** The PCC continues to invest its reserve funds in the following accounts: £40,609 in the CBF Global Equity Income Fund; £67,048 in the CBF UK Equity Fund; £15,090 in the CBF Property Fund; £24.871 in the CBF Investment Fund; and £14,356 in Charifund. All these accounts are specifically designed for charities and are aimed at the lower risk end of the market. The CBF funds are managed in accordance with the policies of the Church of England’s Ethical Investment Advisory Group **Risks and Reserves Policy.** Most of the church's income comes from Planned Giving. The loss of ten key donors would have the effect of reducing the church's income by 33%. The PCC needs to have contingency plans for the loss of key donors and therefore it is PCC policy to maintain a balance of unrestricted funds which equates to six months unrestricted payments (equivalent to £48,000). This money is contained in the General Fund and accounts, which combined stood at £175,000 at year 22 end. It is forecast that our reserves would be expended in approximately ten years if there were not substantial unpredicted one-off donations. **Thanks.** Our grateful thanks go to Steve Furby, our Independent Examiner, who undertook the examination of the funds. Paul Hilyard – Church Treasurer 23 Independent Examiner's Report P•rDehlal ChU￿h Counell of All S•lnts D•nmwd Ind•p•nd•nt Ex•mine￿• Report This r•port on the accounls of the PCC for the year er¢d8d 31 D￿rnber 2022, which are set oul in ihe folk￿ing pages. is in of an èxamination camed oul in accordance with the Church unting Regulations 20C6 Ilhe Regut8th?ns'l and the Chanlies Act 2011 1.the Acri. Respec￿ve respon8lbil¥ti•¥ of the PCC and the Examlnor Tr￿nbe￿ of the PCC you are ￿pon￿b￿ for the preparat¥)n crf the financ3al statwno￿'. you consider that the audit wuirement of the Regulabon5 and section 43121 of the Act (kes not aFvty. It is my responsibility to issue report on those financial sialements in acc(ydance wilh the terms (rf the Regutab"ons. Basls of this report My exaMinat￿n VAS camed t￿t in Kcordonc* wrth the Gweral ￿re￿Oft$ given by the Charity Commission undgr sectK)n 43171 Ibl of the Act lo i* found in the Church guthnce. 2016 edrt¥)n. Th8t examination indudes a ￿VIeW of the accounting recoft1s kept by the PCC and a comparwn of the ac£ounts wrth those recor(ts. It also includes considering any unusual items or disch)sures in the financial statements and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters The procedu￿$ undertaken do not prov¢de all the evidence that would be requi￿ in audrL and rx)n5equently I do not express an audrt on the view gwen by the accounts. Independent Examlnerfs $tatem•nt In rfjnnects)n wrth my examinatjon. no rnattw has come to my attentx)n'. 111 whKh gives wtasonabk tsuse to belEve that in any material re5pecl the rgouirw)wits to keep aC¢C￿nting records in ac£ordance wth sectK)n 41 of the Act. and to prepare financial statements. wh￿h accord with the accounting records and comply wrth the requirements of the Acl arKI the Regulat￿n$ hava not Wn mèt.. or (21 to Wh￿b. ￿ my cyinw. attention sh￿Id bè drawn in order to enthi a proper underslandiThJ of the accounts lo bo reached. S￿ned.. 14 ho 2023 Mr Steve Furby 1 Carpenierfs TKay P07 6GH 24 Surnnwy of FiTknwial Activitics TOTAL FUP£6 TOTAL Furn Gmng {GdtAkll pl•￿j Gmng IrK¥t GAI *023.62 £ 3.219.17 É 14.611.25 e 806.07 É 7.674 64 £ 81334.TS £ $6.023.62 e 6101228 3.219.17 t 3M41.C 14.611.2S £ 13M2.$4 tth.07 £ .OY64 £ 81714.75 £ 380Q) £ 3￿.(X1 £ 973278 IJ)14A6 8.517.1￿* E 20.640.48 É 276.(Xl E .517.80 £ XJ.640.48 t 276.00 8fyB8.75 Iw.00 t 2￿00 23176 £ 32.OSS.04 £ 99￿ t 39.91 £ 271.67 t 32.094 YS £ 177 72 13.020 47 114,389.79 £ 419.91 t 114 809 70 £ 104.034 93 97196 È .gr2.86 t 66.632.04 11.C(¢J.QO £ 8J75.IJ) tt.3LXS. 1.967.S5 t 2.LW.62 14.818.86 e 24.143.31 24.117.42 t 19.691.J6 1677.89 £ 3.C&%.42 17.C61.40 £ 12.638.42 4.701.￿} £ 281.eo t .37 t 1.422.￿ t 1545.45 £ 100(000 £ 16701629 £ 14746399 11.(O).C