THE ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR ST GEORGE & ALL SAINTS TUFNELL PARK 2024
ST GEORGE AND ALL SAINTS TUFNELL PARK ANNUAL REPORT 2024
The PCC of St George and All Saints Tufnell Park is registered as a charity (no. 1134714). Our address is: St George’s Church, Crayford Road, Tufnell Park, London N7 0ND. The report was approved by the PCC on 4 May 2025.
The Revd Alexandra Lilley Vicar and Chair of the PCC
AIMS AND PURPOSES
St George and All Saints Parochial Church Council (PCC) has the responsibility of cooperating with the vicar, in promoting in the ecclesiastical parish the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical.
INTRODUCTION
The vision for our Diocese is for every Londoner to experience the love of God found in Christ Jesus, through making confident disciples, building compassionate communities and bringing about creative growth. Here in Tufnell Park, we give thanks for God’s faithfulness to us at St George’s for another year of witnessing faith deepen, love abounding in service to the community and green shoots of new life springing up through our outreach.
If 2023 was a year of new things, 2024 was a time to consolidate our current activities and resist the urge for more new ventures! The report from the Archdeacon’s Visitation in March was very positive about our mission, stating that: “St George’s is clearly a church that punches well above its size and has a wide impact on its community. It is a thriving parish church where people with diverse needs and backgrounds feel they belong and have something to contribute.” Every person at St George’s does contribute in some way to our common life, whether simply by their presence on a Sunday or by volunteering in myriad ways.
In January, a new staff member joined us – Kate Tolson – as part-time Operations and Development Manager, thanks to a generous grant, and her work has been transformative to the life of the church, specifically the building. Through her efforts, and those of Ruth Hayes, our treasurer and fundraiser, we have entirely refurbished our kitchen and installed a new sound system, as well as many smaller improvements to make the building more accessible.
This year we gladly welcomed the news that Jimmy Anderson will continue at St George’s in 2025 after he has completed his ordination training, for at least one year as an SSM Curate. Martina Kwapong joined the team in September as another Ordinand, continuing her wonderful volunteering at the Wellbeing Cafe, and now ministering among us also on Sundays.
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However, in November, we were very sad to say farewell to the Revd Debbie Onyekwuluje, who served as SSM Curate over the past three and a half years. Debbie contributed hugely to the life of St George’s, bringing great joy and deep prayerfulness. She showed immense care for the congregation, always being quick to follow up those who were absent through illness, and she brought a warm and wise presence to Open House. Debbie retired from her work in Camden Council and has moved away from the area; we give thanks for her ministry and miss her very much.
There were huge losses this year. Kevin Catton, a well-loved member of the congregation who had been worshipping with us for around 18 months, died at the end of April. Michael Lilley, husband to Alexandra, and faith-filled enthusiastic member of the church, who had been living with a degenerative illness, died very suddenly on 1 August. His funeral – and the immense care shown to Alexandra in the following weeks and months – was a testament to the great love at the heart of St George’s.
A huge thank you to everyone who is part of this community – with special mention to our churchwardens, Catherine and David – and to everyone who has contributed to this report. To God be the glory.
WORSHIP, DISCIPLESHIP & PASTORAL CARE
WORSHIP & PRAYER
Whilst as Christians, we worship throughout the week in all the contexts to which we are called, we continued to gather together for worship on Sundays at 10.30am and a wide variety of people are involved in making the services happen.
A new audio-visual system was installed in the summer. It has vastly improved the experience for attendees to our service both in person and on line. It has also decreased the amount of time needed for repetitive setup and tidy up, and reduced further wear and tear. Designed to minimise the need for lots of training and technical knowledge, a few members of the congregation are now learning how to control the new equipment to make minor adjustments when necessary. Others are invited to join this group.
Roo continues to lead the musical elements of our worship on Sundays. The loss of Michael Lilley in the summer had a deep impact on our music making, as his frequent contribution to services through percussion and drumming has been sorely missed. Roo has been encouraged that the music team is experiencing growth, with gifted people in our congregation offering to take part on a regular or ad hoc basis.
The Christmas choir expanded to 16 members, rehearsing from October until midDecember 2024. The choir includes adults and children, with a sizeable number who are not part of our regular Sunday worship. Several members joined for the first time this year. The choir has increased in their confidence and capability, aided by an increased number of rehearsals and faithful rehearsal attendance.
Beer & Carols at Tufnell Park Tavern included in its ‘congregation' an enthusiastic bunch of children and their parents this year. The pub was bursting with people and participation was
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enthusiastic and joyful; so much so that the upright piano on the premises was easily drowned out by the singing – something to address next Advent.
We primarily followed the lectionary in our Sunday services, but also had a mini-series on the Fruit of the Spirit in the Summer. We give thanks for our in-house preachers this year (in addition to the clergy): Jimmy, Daniela, Corin, Andrew and Martina. We also heard from Katherine Maxwell-Rose during Refugee Week; Simon Brown from A Rocha and Mike Mullins from Christian Climate Action during Creationtide; and Bishop Joanne, Tamsin Merchant, Kristin Breuss and Jane Hodges all kindly covered services during Alexandra’s compassionate leave.
Attendance on an average Sunday remained around 40 people, with inevitable peaks over Easter (120 people across the two Easter Sunday services) and Christmas (330 people across all the Christmas services, including many visitors at Midnight Mass). We still have a small number of people (on average 17) tuning into our services regularly online.
Our Wednesday morning prayer meeting continued, although sparsely attended – special thanks to Maame Serwaa for her faithful presence – but prayer has also been a focus on our church WhatsApp group, including a week of focussed prayer for the roof redevelopment. In April it was joyful to welcome people from across the Stepney Area to one of the termly ‘Stepney at Prayer’ gatherings and to share some of the ministry here at St George’s, as well as to hear from and pray for local councillors.
CHILDREN’S CHURCH AND ALL AGE SERVICES
Children’s Church continues to be an important part of our Sunday worship and it’s great to share the good news about Jesus with the children and watch them grow in faith. During the year we’ve looked at: people meeting Jesus in Luke’s gospel; What God is like; and The Exile and return to Jerusalem. And we’ve marked key events in the Christian calendar at home with our Easter Resurrection eggs and Christmas story sticker Advent calendar.
In 2024 we had an average of 10 kids in Children’s Church each Sunday, down from 12 last year. But even so with leaders and parents also present our room is very busy most Sundays. And with some our children coming to the end of primary school we will need to think and pray about having another older group on Sunday morning.
We’re very grateful to those who helped lead Children’s Church - Steve, Debbie, Jimmy, Michael and Martina. And this year we especially remember Michael and his years of serving in Children’s Church right up until his passing in the summer. I (Steve) am very grateful for all Michael did for our group during his time at St. George’s. Debbie also moved on after finishing her curacy and we pray God would bless her in her new church. We were also pleased to welcome Martina to the Children’s Church team as she joined us as an ordinand. And in 2025 we’re looking to add more new leaders to the team.
In 2024 we have had a number of All Age Services usually on the first Sunday of the month. These have been a chance to share something of what we’re looking at in Children’s Church and to mark key events in the Christian Calendar together (e.g. Harvest, Christmas, Easter). While attendance can vary greatly at All Age Services events like Christingle, Christmas and Easter Sunday are some of our biggest services of the year.
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All Age Services give us the opportunity to worship God all together as a church family and I pray that God would continue to bless them going forward.
BUBBLE CHURCH
2024 was out first full year of Bubble Church, a church service aimed at younger children that uses puppets, action songs, crafts and of course bubbles. We run it once a month on the second Sunday of each month throughout the year.
After starting with a bang at the end of 2023 it’s fair to say that attendance has been variable at Bubble Church during the year. On some Bubble Church Sundays we’ve just had 15 people and then on others we’ve had over 30. We’ve tended to have more people around the big festivals with 26 people at Bubble Church Easter and 32 people at Bubble Church Christmas.
We praise God for every family who comes and we’re especially grateful for the families we’ve got to know from them coming along regularly throughout 2024. We pray for God’s wisdom in 2025 about how best to stay in contact with families between services and how to help grow Bubble Church when we meet infrequently.
And I’m very thankful to God for the great team we have for Bubble Church. Our team is Steve, Alexandra, Sara, Tim, Jimmy, Debbie and then later in the year we were joined by Martina. And I want to give a special mention to our two young leaders Zoe and Jessica who’ve been so amazing in the role. They’ve come along each time to help with set-up and pack-up and during the session they help with the puppets, action songs, giving out the activity bags and pretty much anything else that needs doing. It’s been great to see them really grow into being leaders at Bubble Church.
So please do pray for Bubble Church going forward as we seek to establish it as a part of what we do. We thank God for our team and for all those who come along, and we pray for even more to do so in 2025!
LEARNING
This year we ran just one course centrally: a Lent course using the Church Urban Fund’s Growing Good toolkit. This helped us explore the connection between social action, discipleship and growth, which was very helpful for where we are at as a church, with routes from our social action into the worshipping life of the church being developed.
There is a desire to open up home groups in the year ahead, to enable people to deepen their faith through Bible study, prayer and friendship.
A couple of church members are attending the two-year Diocese’s Christian Studies course and finding the sessions spiritually nourishing.
GIVING
This financial year has been one of great generosity. Not only has the level of regular giving through Standing Orders and Stewardship been maintained, but church members and those attending our groups and community events have also given with great heart to our Roof and Sound System appeals.
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Along with Accessibility funding from Richard Cloudesley Charity, the church has been able to purchase a state-of-the-art audio visual system which has contributed greatly to improving sound for our Sunday services as well as providing two large screens. Thanks to generous donations from Trusts and Foundations, as well as from the congregation and community, we managed to narrow the funding gap for our major Roof refurbishment project and hope to have the work undertaken in 2025.
Gift Aiding remains a very valuable means of increasing our income.
The Giving Station, which takes contactless cards, has almost replaced cash giving. Apologies for times when it has not been as reliable as it should be!
Tax is reclaimed on contactless Gift aided donations, and non-Gift aided contactless donations also have tax reclaimed via the Government's Gift Aided Small Donations Scheme.
The PCC is immensely grateful to all who give donations, time and talents with such a generous spirit to support the Church's mission and activities.
PASTORAL CARE
Pastoral care is a key activity of the Church. Here at St George’s, there is a pastoral team led by Alexandra, and involving other clergy, people in training for ministry, and lay members who have received the appropriate training.
Each month the team, prayerfully thinks about everyone in the St George’s community, near or distant, prays specifically for those people who may be facing challenging circumstances, such as health, disability, family or housing issues, and bereavement. We discuss ways to meet needs for spiritual, emotional and practical support and we follow up in whatever way we can.
This year has been very challenging indeed for some of us, and the team of Alexandra, Debbie, Catherine, Dan and Jimmy have held each person in our prayers and provided support where we could. We also give thanks for those who provided support to us in the losses and challenges we faced. We try to support one other too!
In March there was good news as Catherine was commissioned as a warden for pastoral assistants in the Stepney area. Later in the year, the team was joined by Martina, our Ordinand, and we said goodbye and thank you to Debbie, our curate, who had been an active and loving member of the team since 2021.
You may be interested in pastoral care as a service you could provide and want to discuss this further. Please speak in confidence to Alexandra or any other member of the team.
THE SANDPIT
The Sandpit has continued throughout 2024 as our brunch and WhatsApp prayer group ministry for mothers connected with St George’s: run by mums, for mums. The regularity has shifted due to schedules, and we now meet in person approximately once every half term.
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Beginning life as Baby Days , this was originally a group for new mothers and their babies who met weekly to share and reflect on the journey of motherhood, exploring the spiritual elements of this new season of life. Out of this developed The Sandpit , a space for mothers of any pre- and school-aged children navigating the terrain of faith and family life. The group is open to mums from all faith and non-faith backgrounds with an openness to exploring their relationship with God in this context.
The focal point continues to be our brunch meet ups where mothers can come together for prayer and reflection, sharing a ‘consolation’ and ‘desolation’; thanking God for our joys whilst lifting up the challenges we face. The established WhatsApp group also continues to support the group throughout the year, offering a space in which to share prayer requests and offer support and encouragement to one another between meetings. We also had a Christmas evening get together which gave a space for celebrating each other in our mothering roles in the midst of the busy festive period.
We plan to continue the group during 2025 and open it out to any mothers who have recently joined St George’s.
ECO CHURCH
We believe that God calls us as a church to care for the earth and all that live in it. We seek to live sustainably both in community and personally. We have engaged with the Eco Church survey to help us towards these aims and in 2019 achieved the Bronze award. We have formed a working group that meets regularly to ensure these important issues continue to progress and any are welcome to join us! We are grateful to the Eco church organisation for providing a framework to review and change our practices as a church community and in our personal lives. We have completed the Eco Church audit to help identify the areas we could improve to help us express our care for God’s world in our worship and teaching; in how we look after our buildings and land; in how we engage with our local community and in global campaigns, and in the personal lifestyles of our congregation. In response to the climate crisis, we have pushed ahead in our aspirations to achieve the Silver award - which we have now done!
We are pleased to have made progress and highlight the following activities in the past year:
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We are very pleased to have achieved the Silver Eco church award this year!
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Regular Restart Parties to repair broken items with additional activities such as clothes swaps, with unwanted items taken for textile recycling or to local charity shops.
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Creationtide series of talks focussed on encouraging us to engage with environmental issues on a personal and congregational level, including from A Rocha and Christian Climate Action.
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Participation in WWF earth hour was encouraged.
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Ongoing litter picks after church – with new risk assessment developed.
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Ongoing regular monthly donations for the environmental charity, A Rocha.
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Hosting the “Ready, Steady, Eat!” event to explore local food systems funded by the Being Human festival.
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New bird baths and ongoing management of the grounds to promote nature.
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In addition, there are plans developed to make the building more sustainable, through insulation, natural light and the possibility of solar panels.
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ACCESSIBILITY
St George and All Saints has a strong commitment to accessibility, which can be summarised on the statement on our website (www.stgeorgestufnellpark.org/access).
The church already has a good level of physical accessibility and continues to work towards increasing this further with the help of a Cloudesley Accessibility Survey report and the ‘360 degree audit’ provided by Diocesan Disability Ministry Enabler, John Beauchamp. An amalgamated list of priorities from those was agreed by the Accessibility Group and then the PCC at the end of 2023 and this provided the framework for steps taken in 2024.
A new sound system was installed in the summer, which has improved the sound for everyone, including those with hearing impairment. Two screens were also installed, which makes it easier for people to see the words of hymns, the liturgy and other slides used during services.
To assist those with sight loss, a ‘manifestation’ of lines of dots was added to all fully glass doors and windows where anyone could walk into those, and contrasting colour nosing was added to both sets of stairs up to the mezzanine floor. A sign was also added in office to show that there are steps leading out from the emergency exit and non-slip nosings were added to those.
Liturgy and song words are now uploaded to the website so that those watching on the livestream can download them, and guidance on how to add subtitles has been added to the YouTube channel.
An option was added to the newcomers’ card to indicate if newcomers wished to receive Communion in their chair. Steps were taken to ensure that a clear and wide, unblocked central aisle is present during Sunday services and that chairs with arms are placed at the end of some rows.
Some early work was done to explore guidance on Sunday welcoming and accessibility and to look at whether signage and notices are easy for wheelchair users to see. A review of accessibility of the church’s website was initiated.
The church also considers accessibility for those with neurodivergence to be a vital part of its ministry. During the year, the Sensory Library and Drop-in have continued to operate and make a different to the lives of many children and their families, and all activities for children are regularly assessed to ensure that they can be welcoming and inclusive to everyone.
The Accessibility Group lost two members during the year due to the death of Michael Lilley and retirement and relocation of the Revd Debbie Onyekwuluje and, for this and other reasons, did not meet as a full group during the year. Revd Lilley, Hatty Crabtree and Catherine McGowan met in October, joined by Gemma West, who had agreed to be co-opted onto PCC and to become the accessibility champion in due course.
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MISSION AND OUTREACH
TUFNELL TOTS
Tufnell Tots is our stay and play toddler group that runs from 10am to 11:30am on Thursday mornings during term time.
Most Thursday mornings the church is packed with about over 40 adults and over 40 kids coming each week. The children can play with the toys, adults can enjoy tea, coffee and home-made cake and then at the end we get together for Circle time which features bubbles (the highlight of the session) and action songs.
At the end of each term we have a special celebration – in Spring we had an Easter party, in July a Summer party and in December we had a Christmas party, featuring a scratch nativity. We’re very grateful to those who help at Tufnell Tots with Steve and Alexandra – Joan who helps in the kitchen, Marianne who helps make people feel welcome and Liz (and family) who bake amazing homemade cakes for us.
Tufnell Tots has been a great way to build relationships with young families in our community and we’re pleased to see some of them come to other church events such as the Community Events, Bubble Church and the Christingle Services. Please do pray for those ongoing relationships with families in our parish.
WELLBEING CAFÉ
From small beginnings three years ago, the Wellbeing Cafe has become a firmly established provision in the Church's week, aiming to reduce social isolation and encourage mutual support in a warm and welcoming space.
A diverse group of people meet each Wednesday in term time to make and renew friendships over coffee and cake. Catherine oversaw the welcome and activities over coffee at the start, and Nic, Martina and Bron prepared and served the lunch. Over the past year, Burns Night, St David’s Day and St Patrick’s Day have been celebrated with haggis, daffodils and wonderful Gaelic singing respectively, as well as ashes offered on Ash Wednesday. Optional activities have included a Clay Meditation, a Shakespeare Quiz, the Being Human Festival and an art session led by Helen Ainsworth - also attended by some regulars from Hilldrop Community Centre – and visits to the Octopus Communities plant nursery on the Tufnell Park estate.
With our Eco hat on, we made fat feeders for wild birds, but less successfully, we tried to grow tomato plants from seed but they never grew taller than 5 cm - we are blaming it on an unusually cold spring!
Seated exercise classes by Gee Dudley, organised by Healthy Generations and part-funded by the Gunners, have been very popular.
The redevelopment of the kitchen, with thanks to a National Lottery Cost of Living grant, has made a huge difference, and the kitchen has been registered with environmental health at Islington Council, with members of the team undergoing food hygiene refresher training.
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Funding from the grant also provided for the Café’s running costs for the first part of the year and LIF grants contributed too; otherwise the costs have been borne by the church.
Nic continued in strenuous surplus food collections from local shops, and creatively turning ingredients into delicious meals. In doing this, vast quantities of food that would otherwise end up in landfill have been rescued and turned into nutritious meals. In the Autumn a decision was made to rein in the more elaborate meals and instead provide two soups (always one vegetarian) and puddings – a special mention to Bron for her crumbles! – and share the rest of the surplus food for people to take home. This has streamlined the kitchen operation.
After some difficult encounters at the Café, the team undertook some training in managing challenging behaviour, and new guidelines were drawn up collectively to help keep the space safe and welcoming for everyone.
Martina undertook some research on the Café to gain feedback from participants. Of the 29 people who responded, 72% of participants are over 60 years old with over 65% identifying as having either some health condition or disability. 65% of participants are attending weekly and others predominantly every other week. 100% of our participants would recommend Wellbeing Café & Lunch to their friends, and found the staff and volunteers to be warm and helpful. 90% identified that activities and experiences at the Café helped them socialise and address loneliness and had a positive impact on their mental health. Other comments included:
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“A welcoming, warm, supportive and friendly staff and people.”
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“A great way to eat good delicious, nutritious and healthy food.”
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“Great for meeting new people to socialize with, make friends and be in such a good company and environment. It is helping to combat negative experiences of bereavement.”
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“I feel this is a safe place and I don’t often feel safe in many places! It took me a little bit of time but once I got used to being here the café became a part of my week.”
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I like meeting with people and I made some new friends. Also the food! WOW! It’s delicious and a nice surprise to see what we are going to be getting. I like it’s using surplus food because I always look after wastage. I am not particularly religious but this is welcoming and inclusive.”
OPEN HOUSE
The Vicarage opened its doors almost every Tuesday evening, 6-8.30pm, for anyone who wanted to find friendship and a good meal. Attendance fluctuated between around six and 20 people, but the food thankfully never runs out. Alexandra, Andrew and Alison host the evening and there is a core group of around ten people who attend most weeks, including a couple of new regulars who joined this year. The group is diverse and there is much care for one another. Towards the end of the evening, there’s a time to share what people are grateful for, and sometimes a short story too.
SCHOOLS WORK
We have two schools in our parish – Tufnell Park Primary and Yerbury. We have been able to build on the good relationship we have with Tufnell Park Primary to help at lunchtime on Fridays and share about the Christian faith through assemblies, RE lessons and church visits.
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On Fridays we (Steve & Alexandra) helped with playground activities at lunchtime. Activities have included crafts, nature art, sun pictures, balloon races and treasure hunts.
At Easter we ran The Easter Experience in the school which was a chance to share the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection with those in Years 3, 4 5 and 6.
We’ve also had the opportunity to lead assemblies in school around key Christmas festivals such as Lent, Pentecost, Harvest and Christmas. And in October the Year 1 classes visited the church where we shared with the kids how we worship and why church is important to us.
We have had a lot less involvement at Yerbury but this year we hosted a church visit for children in Year 3 and tried to answer the question “'What does it mean to be a Christian in Britain today?”.
COMMUNITY EVENTS
Our Pancake Party and Fireworks Party have become firm fixtures in the diary with around 250 attending the former and around 300 the latter – plus an excellent team of volunteers to enable all the fun and games and food. People from all the different ministries attend and it’s wonderful to see our whole community coming together to experience hospitality and joy.
In May we held an additional Community Open Day, to share explicitly about all the different activities that are part of the church. There were stalls from some of our hirers, including Community Plan for Holloway and Perform, a book stall, a taster of Bubble Church, as well as the usual bouncy castle, games and crafts and an abundance of food. Our MP, Jeremy Corbyn, attended the event and spoke warmly about the work of St George’s. A presentation was given about the roof fund appeal and donations were invited.
In November, St George's took part in the AHRC Being Human Festival, the largest humanities festival in the country spanning across the UK. Led by Andrew and in partnership with Nic and Alexandra, two events took place across the fortnight, including the Wellbeing Cafe Festival and Ready, Steady, Cook! Starting at the church, participants enjoyed a locallysourced meal while exploring several organisations working to improve the local food system, including the Wellbeing Cafe, Octopus Community Gardens, Whittington Community Centre, and the Anson Road Wall Stall. The events were a great success with over 100 attendees, linking the church into a wider network of activists, community organisers and academics. A special thanks to Katherine from Octopus, Nic from Wellbeing Café and the wonderful team of volunteers!
SENSORY DROP-IN AND EASTER PARTY
The sensory drop-in fell into a good rhythm in 2024, with fortnightly sessions on Saturday afternoons during term-time. Sensory equipment, such as mini trampolines, therapy balls, wobble cushions and scooter boards are set out across our big church space, which is ideal for children who crave lots of movement, and the chapel is designated as a quieter space with sensory lighting, pop up tents, weighted blankets and soft textures for those who need to retreat from the action. At the end of the sessions, there is an optional ‘Hometime Blessing’ in the chapel, in which families are invited to take part in a simple action prayer and to receive a sensory blessing, often involving either glitter, glo-sticks, feathers or bubbles.
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The drop-in is designed for families with children of additional needs of all kinds, and this includes autism, ADHD, cerebral palsy, sensory processing disorder, learning or intellectual disabilities, dyslexia, dyspraxia, physical disabilities and trauma from adoption or fostering. No diagnosis is needed to access the drop-in, sessions are free, and we also offer a free lending library for families to take home and try out items such as weighted blankets, wobble cushions, stretchy sacks, and a range of books for both adults and children.
Rosie headed up the sessions, with support from Alexandra, Bisi, Debbie and Tiff, as well as Alison helping to set up and/or set down the equipment.
At Easter, we also hosted another ‘Autism Party and Egg Hunt’ to celebrate Autism Acceptance Week. The church space was set up as a network of fun activities designed to be sensory-inclusive and socially flexible, and the party ended with a giant Easter egg hunt in the Vicarage garden.
COUNSELLING
St George's Counselling Service completed its first year of operation, providing 88 hours of low-cost counselling to the Islington community. The service offers support for a wide range of issues, including addiction, loneliness, shame, grief, depression, anxiety, and family relationship difficulties.
St George's Church offers a low-cost, non-faith-based counselling service to the local community. Counselling sessions are provided once a week for 12 weeks in a dedicated counselling room at St George's Church. The service aims to support individuals who are feeling stuck, unhappy, or in need of support to move forward in their lives.
The counselling is provided by a fully qualified counsellor, registered with the BACP, who uses an integrative approach. This approach emphasizes the client's ability and drive to be their own agent of change, with the counsellor's support and guidance.
To maintain personal and professional boundaries, the service is currently unable to offer counselling to regular members of the St George's congregation. The service hopes to remove this limitation in the future by involving another counsellor from a different church to volunteer alongside the current counsellor.
Individuals seeking counselling can be referred to the St George's Church website, where contact details are available for inquiries and referrals.
The service appreciates prayers for its continued growth in 2025 and for reaching those in need. And the support of the congregation of St Georges that has enabled the service to run.
RESTART PARTIES + CLOTHES SWAPS
We held three Restart Parties in 2024, totalling eleven since we started hosting them in 2021. Last year, our Restart volunteers successfully fixed 31 powered items out of 54 brought to us. We prevented 81 kg of waste from landfill and 837 kg of CO2 emissions. On average last year, each party had 6 repair volunteers, 4 hosting helpers and 11 participants bringing electrical and electronic items.
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The church space and spacious tables make this a comfortable place for repairs, particularly for larger items like vacuum cleaners and audio amplifiers. Hot drinks and light snacks provided by Alexandra and Bron give our volunteers and visitors a much-welcomed refreshment.
Alongside the fixing tables, we held clothes swaps at three of the Restart Parties and clothing repair at one of them too. These brought in additional people from the local community and a couple more volunteers, making the Restart Parties vibrant and popular events.
Our top repaired items of all time are 1st: Lamp (10 lamps repaired) 2nd: Portable Radio (9 radios repaired) 3rd: Small kitchen item (8 of those repaired)
Our top lesson on repairs this year:
A thorough, safe cleaning and correct re-assembly can be all the repairs needed to revive an item.
HOLLOWAY PARK
The former Holloway Prison site, now named Holloway Park, is nearly ten acres in our parish, and building works progressed rapidly this year. Just under 1,000 units are being built on the site. Alexandra remains a director of Community Plan for Holloway (CP4H), which continues to have its offices in the mezzanine of the church. In November, CP4H hosted a meal at the church inviting local residents to hear the latest plans and share their views, and a youth project began. Alexandra is also on the Joint Steering Group (Peabody and Islington Council) as a community representative, shaping the future of the women’s space, which will house myriad services for women who have been through or are at risk of entering the criminal justice system. Prayers are sought for how we engage well as a whole church with this major development and begin to plan a welcome for all the new residents to our parish.
SUPPORTING WORK
STAFF TEAM
We have three part-time paid members of staff:
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Parish Administrator – Jennifer Tuson, who went on maternity leave in December, and the role is now being covered by Ruth Hayes.
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Children and Community Worker – Stephen Mawhinney
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Operations and Development Manager – Kate Tolson.
We have three part-time self-employed workers:
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Roo Stewart, who leads our music/worship.
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Nic Whitworth, who is our surplus food collector and community cook.
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Gerry Heaney began with us as a caretaker for 4 hours per week.
COMMUNICATIONS
We distributed flyers to the whole parish five times in the year: Spring, Summer and Autumn term cards, plus Easter and Christmas invitations. Newcomers often cite these
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cards as being the reason for their visit to the church. We have around 1500 people on the church’s database, and email those who have chosen to opt-in an email update roughly once a fortnight.
Our website had 7.7k visits last year and 19k page views, which is fairly static year-on-year. We have a small following on Facebook (288) and Twitter (510), and our new Instagram account (113). It would be helpful to find a volunteer who is skilled in social media to manage this aspect of communications in the year ahead.
BUILDING
We managed to achieve a lot with our buildings in 2024! In March the project to refurbish the kitchen was completed with new units, floor and electric oven with induction hob. This was mostly funded with a National Lottery Cost of Living grant. In August, a £10k Cloudesley grant, along with generous congregational giving, enabled a new sound system to be installed, including new TV screens, audio equipment and camera. Other works and repairs included replacement of emergency lights on the stairs and in the Gallery, improved emergency and directional signage, roof repairs, tree trimming and decoration of the Young Room. The building continues to be compliant with statutory regulations e.g. gas/electrical checks.
The Quinquennial Inspection by our architect, Alex Veal at ARTarchitects took place in June. He commented on how much the building had been improved. The subsequent report highlighted all the areas needing addressing, most of which relate to the roof project.
The concerted focus for 2025 is to get the main roof replaced and the hope is to begin work this summer. The roof project will not only prevent the (not insubstantial) leaks, but also provide much-improved insulation and natural lighting, making the building sustainable for the future. Having commissioned a mechanical and electrical survey of the building and taken professional advice, we are also gathering quotes for fitting solar PV panels to the roof at the same time as the main roof project. External funding is being sought for the solar panels.
HIRERS
St George’s Church Hall is leased to Les Petites Etoiles on a long-term contract. After several long delays, the lease was finally extended to 2040, in December.
The following groups hired out the church regularly: Tea Dance (Sunday afternoons) Young Dancers (Monday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons) SLOW (Tuesday and Wednesday mornings – in the creche) Perform (Tuesday and Friday afternoons) Cally Yoga (Tuesday evenings) Turkish Women’s Lunch (Thursday lunchtimes – autumn term only) LAMDA (Saturday mornings)
The church remains a very popular venue for children’s parties on Saturday afternoons. Community Plan for Holloway continue to rent a couple of desks in the co-working space, and there are some ad hoc hires from people in the local area.
14
We registered with Just Park in July to rent out two of our parking spaces and this has proved to be popular, providing extra income.
GOVERNANCE
The PCC operates within the regulation of both charity law and the Church Representation Rules. At the Annual Parochial Church Meeting, held on 26 May, there were 56 names on the electoral roll; a net gain of one.
The following people formed the PCC after the APCM: Vicar: Alexandra Lilley Curate: Debbie Onyekwuluje (until November) Church Warden: Catherine McGowan (also Gift Secretary) Church Warden and Deanery Synod Lay Representative: David Wilson Deputy Church Warden: Maame Serwaa Treasurer: Ruth Hayes James Anderson (also Ordinand) Andrew Cooper Heather Hylton Tim McDowall (also Children’s Champion) Sophie Wastcoat
The PCC met eight times during the year.
The Standing Committee consisted of the vicar, curate, churchwardens and treasurer.
The Finance and Fundraising sub-group consisted of the Standing Committee plus Jimmy Anderson and Sophie Wastcoat.
There is also an Eco Church group and an Accessibility group, which are open to anyone.
SAFEGUARDING
Every year, including this one, the PCC adopts the Church of England’s House of Bishops’ Safeguarding Policy. Additionally, PCC members took time to reflect on proactively promoting a healthy and safe church culture.
Tiff Barker McDowall continued as Safeguarding Officer, Steve Mawhinney as Deputy Safeguarding Officer, Tim McDowall as Children's Champion (acting as a voice for children in PCC meetings), and Steve Mawhinney and Chris McGowan have both been available as evidence checkers to support the process of applying for DBS checks.
Tiff, Steve, and Alexandra continued to use the Parish Safeguarding Dashboard tool to regularly review adherence to the safeguarding good practice guidance and requirements. Risk assessments regarding our church activities were created/updated on an ongoing basis and the Safer Recruitment process followed for those working or volunteering in specified roles. Thank you to all the volunteers for your cooperation, participating in training, adherence to the Code of Conduct and more.
15
FINANCE AND FUNDRAISING
We were pleased to have had another successful financial year, and are extremely grateful to individuals, Trusts and Foundations and Islington Council for their support. We would not be able to run the range of activities that happen at the church without their generous giving.
Our church hire income has not yet recovered to pre-pandemic levels but has increased since last year, and we are very fortunate to have been able to appoint an Operations and Development Worker who is identifying additional ways to increase income and making a range of improvements to the way in which the building is run. The post has been funded by a grant and is making a real impact.
Our individual giving increased again last year, and we greatly appreciate the generosity of the congregation and of the local community.
In 2024 we received grants from: Islington Council’s Local Initiatives Fund, Anglo-American Charity Ltd, Cloudesley, NISA’s Making a Difference Locally fund, Joseph Rank Foundation, the National Lottery’s Cost of Living Fund and the Arsenal Foundation. This support enabled us to sustain and extend the activities we can offer the community and to make improvements to our building by renovating our kitchen.
We continue to fundraise for our major building works and were very pleased to have been awarded grants by the Benefact Trust and Garfield Weston, as well as Cloudesley, towards the replacement of our roof and fascia, improved insulation and re-installation of skylights. We are planning to have the works undertaken in the summer of 2025, and are still seeking funding to install solar panels.
Our income was higher than average last year as we received backdated rent following a rent review, as well as the restricted fund grants and donations. However, we made an underlying surplus on unrestricted income which gives a sound foundation for the future.
16
The Parochial Church Council of St George and All Saints Tufnell Park 2024 Financial Accounts
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST GEORGE AND ALL SAINTS, TUFNELL PARK
I report on the financial statements for the year ended 31st December 2024, which are set out on pages 2 to 6 [18-22].
Respective responsibilities of Parochial Church Council and examiner:
The members of the PCC are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The PCC considers 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.
It is my responsibility to:
-
examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act
-
to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act
-
to state whether particular matters have come to my attention
Basis of independent examiner’s report
My examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of 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 concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair view’ and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
Independent examiner’s statement
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:
-
which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements
-
to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act; and - to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the requirements of the Act and the Regulations have not been met; or
-
to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Revd David M Green FCA, Gowers Limited
The Old School House, Bridge Road, Hunton Bridge ,Kings Langley, Herts. WD4 8SZ Date: 8th May 2025
17
The Parochial Church Council of St George and All Saints Tufnell Park - 2024 Financial Accounts
Statement of Financial Activity
| Statement of Financial Activity | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year Ended 31 December 2024 | Year Ended 31 December 2024 | Year Ended 31 December 2023 | Year Ended 31 December 2023 | Year Ended 31 December 2023 | ||||||||||
| Notes | Restricted Funds |
Unrestricted Designated Funds |
Unrestricted Funds |
TOTAL FUNDS |
Restricted Funds |
Restricted | Unrestricted Designated Funds |
Unrestricte d Funds |
TOTAL FUNDS |
|||||
| Turnover | ||||||||||||||
| Donations & Legacies | 2a) | 123,633 | 438 | 100,614 | 224,685 | 44,412 | 2,067 | 72,873 | 119,353 | |||||
| Income from Charitable Activities | 2b) | 428 | 0 | 3,240 | 3,667 | 590 | 3,969 | 1,215 | 5,774 | |||||
| Investment Income | 2c) | 0 | 3,582 | 4,907 | 8,489 | 0 | 0 | 4,909 | 4,909 | |||||
| Earned Income | 2d) | 82 | 0 | 165,370 | 165,452 | 445 | 0 | 85,470 | 85,915 | |||||
| Other Income | 2e) | 0 | 0 | 328 | 328 | 0 | 0 | 335 | 335 | |||||
| Total Income | 124,142 | 4,020 | 274,460 | 402,621 | 45,447 | 6,036 | 164,802 | 216,285 | ||||||
| Expenditure | ||||||||||||||
| Expenditure on Charitiable Activities | 3 | 15,911 | 2,751 | 189,399 | 208,061 | 25,769 | 8,207 | 149,068 | 183,044 | |||||
| Cost of Generating Funds | 3 | 767 | 0 | 801 | 1,568 | 342 | 0 | 99 | 441 | |||||
| Total Expenditure | 16,678 | 2,751 | 190,200 | 209,629 | 26,111 | 8,207 | 149,167 | 183,485 | ||||||
| Net Incoming (Outgoing) | ||||||||||||||
| Resources | 107,464 | 1,268 | 84,260 | 192,992 | 19,336 | (2,171) | 15,635 | 32,800 | ||||||
| Transfers | ||||||||||||||
| Gross transfers between funds - in | 275 | 63,697 | 63,972 | 933 | 10,826 | 11,760 | ||||||||
| Gross transfers between funds - out | (63,972) | (63,972) | (11,760) | (11,760) | ||||||||||
| Net movement in funds | 43,492 | 1,543 | 147,957 | 192,992 | 7,576 | (1,237) | 26,461 | 32,800 | ||||||
| Funds Brought Forward 1January | 8 | 19,763 | 310,293 | 831,467 | 1,161,523 | 12,187 | 311,530 | 805,006 | 1,128,723 | |||||
| Funds Carried Forward 31 | ||||||||||||||
| December | 8 | 63,254 | 311,836 | 979,424 | 1,354,515 | 19,763 | 310,293 | 831,467 | 1,161,523 | |||||
| 63,254 | 311,836 | 979,424 | 1,354,515 | 19,763 | 310,293 | 831,467 | 1,161,523 | |||||||
| - | - | - | - | |||||||||||
| Statement of Financial Position- Balance Sheet | ||||||||||||||
| 31-Dec-24 | 31-Dec-23 | |||||||||||||
| Notes | TOTAL FUNDS |
TOTAL FUNDS | ||||||||||||
| Fixed Assets | ||||||||||||||
| Tangible Assets | 4a) | 73,418 | 14,008 | |||||||||||
| Investment Assets | 4b) | 680,000 | 680,000 | |||||||||||
| Current Assets | ||||||||||||||
| Debtors | 5 | 5,991 | 52,709 | |||||||||||
| CashatBankandIn Hand | 6 | 600,782 | 460,525 | |||||||||||
| Total Current Assets | 606,773 | 513,234 | ||||||||||||
| Creditors:amount falling due in 1 | ||||||||||||||
| year | 7 | 5,677 | 45,720 | |||||||||||
| Net Current Assets | 601,097 | 467,515 | ||||||||||||
| Total Assets less currentliabilities | 1,354,515 | 1,161,523 | ||||||||||||
| Net Assets | 1,354,515 | 1,161,523 | ||||||||||||
| Funds Brought Forward 1st | ||||||||||||||
| Janaury | 8 | 1,161,523 | 1,128,723 | |||||||||||
| Movement In Funds | 192,992 | 32,800 | ||||||||||||
| Funds Carried Forward 31 | ||||||||||||||
| December | 8 | 1,354,515 | 1,161,523 |
Statement of Financial Position - Balance Sheet
These accounts were submitted to and approved by the Parochial Church Council and signed of their behalf by;
Signed: Name: Alexandra Lilley Position: Vicar Date: 04-May-25
The Parochial Church Council of St George and All Saints Tufnell Park Notes to financial statements for year ended 31 December 2024
1 Accounting Policies
Basis of preparation:
The accounts are prepared under the historical costs convention, in accordance with the Church Accounting Regulations 2006 and Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with FRS 102 (effective 1 January 2019) – (Charities SORP FRS (102)) and the Charities Act 2011.
The financial statements include all transactions, assets and liabilities for which the PCC is responsible in law. They do not include the accounts of Church groups that owe their main affiliation to another body, nor those that are informal gatherings of church members. The Church meets the definition of a public benefit entity. There are no materials uncertainties about the charity’s ability to continue in operation. Funds Restricted Funds represent (a) income from trusts or endowments which may be expended only on those restricted objects provided in the terms of the trust or the bequest, and (b) donations or grants received for a specific object or invited by the PCC for a specific object. The funds may only be expended on the specific object for which they were given. Any balance remaining unspent at the end of each year must be carried forward as a balance on that fund. The PCC does not usually invest separately for each fund. Where there is no separate investment, interest is apportioned to individual funds on an average balance basis. Unrestricted Funds are general funds which can be used for PCC ordinary purposes. Designated Funds are earmarked by the PCC for particular purposes but are nevertheless still unrestricted as the PCC can re-designate the funds if it wishes. Income Planned giving, collections and donations are recognised when received. Tax refunds are recognised when the incoming resources to which they relate are received. Grants and Legacies are accounted for when the PCC is legally entitled to the amount due. Dividends are accounted for when receivable, interest is accrued. All other income is recognised when it is receivable. All incoming resources are accounted for gross. Government Grants The church has not received government grants during the reporting period (previous year HMRC Job Retention Scheme) Expenditure Grants and donations are accounted for when paid over, or when awarded, if that award creates a binding obligation on the PCC. The Diocesan quota or parish share is accounted for when due. Amounts received specifically for Mission are dealt with as restricted funds. All other expenditure is generally recognised when it is incurred and accounted for gross. Grants payable without performance conditions These are only recognised in the accounts when a commitment has been made and there are no conditions to be met relating to a grant which remains in control of the charity. Pensions Policy The Church does not fund its own pension scheme but a government backed defined contribution pension scheme is available to all eligible employees. Tax Status As a charity, the PCC is exempt from paying income and corporation tax. 1 a) Fixed assets Consecrated and Beneficed Property The asset within this class is the Church Building . Consecrated and beneficed property is excluded from the accounts by S.96 (2) (A) of the Charities Act 1993. This is because reliable historical costs/value information is not available and alternative valuation approaches (such as current cost of construction) lack sufficient reliability as a measure of current value. No value is placed on moveable church furnishings held by the Church Wardens on special trust for the PCC and which require a faculty for disposal since the PCC considers this to be unalienable property. All expenditure incurred during the year on consecrated or beneficed buildings and moveable church furnishings, whether maintenance or improvement, is written off as expenditure in the SOFA and separately disclosed. The charity capitalises equipment / furniture and fittings when they have a value of over £1,000
Depreciation is calculated at a rate to write off the cost of tangible fixed assets on a straight line basis over their estimated useful lives. The rates applied per annum are as follows: Office equipment 25% Furniture and fittings 10% 1 b) Investment assets
The asset within this class is the church hall.
The legal title to the church hall is held by the Diocese on behalf of the PCC.
The London Diocesan Fund (as landlord) and the Parochial Church Council of St George and All Saints Tufnell Park leases the Church Hall to Les Petites Etoiles Limited (a bi-lingual nursery school). The annual rental is currently fixed at £70,000 per annum. Regular rent reviews occur in accordance with the lease agreement. The church hall is currently let, (with the landlord’s consent) in order to generate income for Parochial Church Council of St George and All Saints Tufnell Park with specific provisions limiting the use of the building for nursery use and ancillary services and prohibiting any purposes that would be inimical to the practices and beliefs of the Church of England.
| 2) 2a) 2b) 2c) 2d) 2e) 3 |
Income Year Ended 31 December 2024 Year Ended 31 December 2023 Restricted Funds Unrestricted Designated Funds Unrestricted Funds TOTAL FUNDS Restricted Funds Unrestricted Designated Funds Unrestricted Funds TOTAL FUNDS Donations & Legacies General Giving 24,310 438 52,468 77,215 9,542 1,032 46,932 57,506 Grants 99,323 0 40,281 139,604 33,365 1,000 18,341 52,706 Donations & Appeals 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Gift Aid Tax Refunded 0 0 7,865 7,865 1,505 35 7,600 9,140 |
|---|---|
| Total Donations & Legacies 123,633 438 100,614 224,685 44,412 2,067 72,873 119,353 |
|
| Income from Charitable Activities Fees - Weddings, Funerals etc. 0 0 2,042 2,042 0 0 558 558 Panto Income 0 0 60 60 0 3,969 450 4,419 Community Event Income 428 0 1,138 1,565 590 0 207 797 |
|
| Total Income from Charitable Activities 428 0 3,240 3,667 590 3,969 1,215 5,774 |
|
| Investment Income 0 3,582 4,907 8,489 0 0 4,909 4,909 |
|
| Earned Income Church Hire 0 0 31,778 31,778 0 0 30,489 30,489 Les Petites Etoiles Nursery Rent 0 0 127,141 127,141 0 0 50,000 50,000 Carparking Space Hire 0 0 2,440 2,440 0 0 1,935 1,935 Co-working Space Hire 0 0 2,958 2,958 0 0 3,046 3,046 Wellbeing Café Income 82 0 927 1,008 445 0 0 445 |
|
| Total Earned Income 82 0 165,370 165,452 445 0 85,470 85,915 |
|
| Other Income 0 0 328 328 0 0 335 335 |
|
| Total Income 124,142 4,020 274,460 402,621 45,447 6,036 164,802 216,285 |
|
| 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Note: Income up significantly YtY driven by Grants and backdated rent settlement from Les Petites Etoiles Nursery Expenditure Common Fund 0 0 50,000 50,000 0 0 45,200 45,200 Clergy Expenses 0 0 5,160 5,160 0 0 689 689 Service Expenses 0 629 11,156 11,785 0 910 6,791 7,701 Community Expense & Outreach 1,537 171 2,417 4,125 2,579 2,761 3,355 8,695 Children & Youth Expenses 337 216 21,820 22,373 0 149 19,165 19,314 Running Costs 2,807 1,735 78,194 82,737 11,228 3,486 53,748 68,462 Support Costs 0 0 2,907 2,907 0 0 2,698 2,698 Utility Costs 0 0 14,229 14,229 0 0 10,626 10,626 Governance Costs 0 0 2,590 2,590 0 900 6,797 7,697 Wellbeing Cafe Expenses 10,425 0 267 10,691 11,794 0 0 11,794 Sensory Library Expenses 806 0 660 1,466 168 0 0 168 Fundraiser 767 0 801 1,568 342 0 99 441 |
|
| Total Costs 16,678 2,751 190,200 209,629 26,111 8,207 149,167 183,485 |
|
| 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
Note:
4a) Fixed Assets Year Ending 31st Dec 2024
| Cost 1/1/202 Addition Transfer Cost 31/12/202 Accum Depn 1/1/202 Depreciation in Yea Accum Depn 31/12/202 NBV 31/12/2 NBV 31/12/2 |
Furniture & Fittings Furniture & Fittings - Restricted Office Equipment Staging Equipment Worship Instruments - Piano Total Fixed Assets 4 12,721.40 24,331.60 5,532.38 10,013.52 1,154.00 53,752.90 s 66,019.80 - - 66,019.80 s - |
|---|---|
| 4 78,741.20 24,331.60 5,532.38 10,013.52 1,154.00 119,772.70 |
|
| 4 12,085.24 12,033.33 5,327.63 9,144.69 1,154.00 39,744.89 r 4,790.19 1,455.66 70.20 293.60 - 6,609.65 |
|
| 4 16,875.43 13,488.99 5,397.83 9,438.29 1,154.00 46,354.54 |
|
| 3 636.16 12,298.27 204.75 868.83 - 14,008.01 |
|
| 4 61,865.77 10,842.61 134.55 575.23 - 73,418.16 |
Year Ending 31st Dec 2023
| Cost 1/1/202 Addition Transfer Cost 31/12/202 Accum Depn 1/1/202 Depreciation in Yea Accum Depn 31/12/202 NBV 31/12/2 NBV 31/12/2 |
Furniture & Fittings Furniture & Fittings - Restricted Office Equipment Staging Equipment Worship Instruments - Piano Total Fixed Assets 3 12,271.40 24,331.60 5,532.38 10,013.52 1,154.00 53,302.90 s 450.00 - - 450.00 s - |
|---|---|
| 3 12,721.40 24,331.60 5,532.38 10,013.52 1,154.00 53,752.90 |
|
| 3 12,023.20 10,577.67 5,257.43 8,851.09 1,154.00 37,863.39 r 62.04 1,455.66 70.20 293.60 - 1,881.50 |
|
| 3 12,085.24 12,033.33 5,327.63 9,144.69 1,154.00 39,744.89 |
|
| 2 248.20 13,753.93 274.95 1,162.43 - 15,439.51 |
|
| 3 636.16 12,298.27 204.75 868.83 - 14,008.01 |
Note: Additions are made up of new Kitchen and new soundsystem installed in the church
| 4b) | Investment Assets Church Hall |
|---|---|
| Value 1/1/2024 680,000 |
|
| Revaluations 0 Additions 0 Transfers 0 |
|
| Value 31/12/2024 680,000 |
9) Staff Costs, Numbers and Key Management Personnel
| 5) 6) 7) |
Debtors 31-Dec-24 31-Dec-23 TOTAL FUNDS TOTAL FUNDS Accounts Receivable 1,950 1,415 Accrued Receivables 3,831 50,777 Prepayments 210 518 |
|---|---|
| Total Debtors 5,991 52,709 |
|
| Cash at Bank and In Hand 31-Dec-24 31-Dec-23 TOTAL FUNDS TOTAL FUNDS CAF - Platinum 69,109 67,220 CAF Current Account 50,209 44,056 CAF Gold Account 180,915 49,248 Petty Cash 550 0 Scottish Widows 90 Day Notice 300,000 300,000 Undeposited Funds 0 0 |
|
| Total Cash at bank and in hand 600,782 460,525 |
|
| Creditors: amount falling due in 1 year 31-Dec-24 31-Dec-23 TOTAL FUNDS TOTAL FUNDS Accruals 4,623 2,764 Pensions Payable 770 771 Refundable Deposits for Church Hire 285 100 Income in Advance 0 42,085 Rounding (1) (1) |
|
| Total Creditors: amounts falling due within one year 5,677 45,720 |
8a) Statement of Funds
| ment of Funds | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted Funds General Fund |
Balance Brought Forward Income & Other Gains / (Losses) Expenditure Transfers Balance Year Ended 01-Jan-24 31-Dec-24 £ £ £ £ £ 831,467 274,460 (190,200) 63,697 979,424 |
Balance Brought Forward Income & Other Gains / (Losses) Expenditur e Transfers Balance Year Ended 01-Jan-23 31-Dec-23 £ £ £ £ £ 805,006 164,802 (149,167) 10,826 831,467 |
YtY £ |
| 147,957 | |||
| Total Unrestricted Funds | 831,467 274,460 (190,200) 63,697 979,424 |
805,006 164,802 (149,167) 10,826 831,467 |
147,957 |
| Designated Funds Ashburnham DESIGNATED APPEALS OTHER - DESIGNATED CHILDREN'S WORK - DESIGNATED BUILDING PROJECTS - DESIGNATED PANTO - DESIGNATED TUFNELL TOTS - DESIGNATED |
373 0 0 (373) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 181 (829) 648 0 303,653 3,839 (1,536) 0 305,956 5,617 0 (171) 0 5,446 650 0 (216) 0 434 |
373 0 0 0 373 0 0 0 0 0 0 112 (1,045) 933 0 308,039 0 (4,386) 0 303,653 3,118 5,260 (2,761) 0 5,617 0 664 (14) (0) 650 |
(373) 0 0 2,303 (171) (216) |
| Total Designated Funds | 310,293 4,020 (2,751) 275 311,836 |
311,530 6,036 (8,207) 933 310,293 |
1,543 |
| Restricted Funds APPEALS RESTRICTED CLOUDSLEY GRANT - RESTRICTED FIXED ASSETS RESTRICTED LIF RESTRICTED JOSEPH RANK - CHILDRENS RESTRICTED VICAR DISCRETIONARY FUND RESTRICTED WELLBEING CAFÉ RESTRICTED |
218 0 0 0 218 7,129 20,648 (767) (18,400) 8,610 319 0 (180) 0 139 (1,650) 2,850 (2,231) 1,031 0 4,000 12,000 (337) (11,663) 4,000 0 0 0 0 0 3,263 44,117 (10,944) (34,940) 1,495 4,935 0 (806) 0 4,130 1,549 44,527 (1,414) 0 44,663 |
218 0 0 0 218 7,470 10,800 (11,142) 0 7,129 499 0 (180) 0 319 0 5,685 (2,840) (4,495) (1,650) 4,000 12,000 0 (12,000) 4,000 0 0 0 0 0 0 11,507 (11,794) 3,550 3,263 0 3,750 0 1,185 4,935 0 1,704 (155) (0) 1,549 |
0 1,481 (180) 1,650 0 0 (1,768) (806) 43,114 |
| SENSORY LIBRARY RESTRICTED | |||
| BUILDING DEVELOPMENT RESTRICTED | |||
| Total Restricted Funds | 19,763 124,142 16,678 - 63,972 - 63,254 |
12,187 45,447 26,111 - 11,760 - 19,763 |
43,492 |
| TOTAL FUNDS | 1,161,523 402,621 (209,629) 0 1,354,515 |
1,128,723 216,285 (183,485) (0) 1,161,523 |
192,992 |
| 1,161,523 1,354,515 |
1,128,723 1,161,523 |
8b) Analysis of Net Assets by Fund
| Unrestricted Funds Designated Funds Restricted Funds TOTAL FUNDS 2024 £ £ £ £ 753,418 0 753,418 225,692 311,836 63,254 600,782 5,991 5,991 (5,677) (5,677) 979,424 311,836 63,254 1,354,515 |
Unrestricted Funds Designated Funds Restricted Funds 693,689 319 130,788 310,293 19,444 52,709 (45,720) |
TOTAL FUNDS 2023 £ |
|---|---|---|
| 694,008 460,525 52,709 (45,720) |
||
| 831,467 310,293 19,763 |
1,161,523 |
| 2024 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Wages & Salaries | 50,631 | 34,046 |
| Employers National Insurance Contributions | ||
| Employers Pension Contributions | 1,544 | 1,024 |
| Total | 52,175 | 35,070 |
| Average # Staff: | 3 | 2 |
The Employer NI Contribution was under the Annual Allowance and therefore none was due in the current or prior year Above figures exclude clergy who are paid through the diocese.
No employee received remuneration in excess of £60,000 (2023: none)
The key management role is performed by the Revd Alexandra Lilley who receives her stipend directly from the Diocese. She received no remuneration or benefits in kind directly from St Georges during the financial reporting period.
Note: In prior year accounts the 2023 / 2022 data actually represented the 2022/2021 data in error - hence why the above 2023 data does not tie to previous year.
10) Related Party Transactions
13)
The total known identifiable donations to St. Georges Church by serving Trustees in the year ended 31 December 2024 was £17,998 (2023:£16,844)
11) Post Balance Sheet Events
- 12) Reserves Policy and Risk Assessment
Reserves are unrestricted funds which the PCC has set aside for the future. The purpose of holding reserves is so that St George’s is able to continue to meet its financial obligations in a situation where unforeseen shortfalls arise, until alternative plans can be put in place.
The PCC has identified the key risks and assessed the amounts prudent to set against those risks. As a result of this assessment, the PCC will seek to maintain reserves in the region of £70,000 plus/minus £5,000.
The PCC will monitor the level of reserves. Should the reserves fall below the target amount, the PCC will seek to understand why and take action to increase them. Should the reserves rise above the target amount, the PCC will seek to understand why and will take corrective action as we do not wish to tie up funds unnecessarily which could be spent on our charitable objectives. This policy will be reviewed annually.
Public Benefit
The church acknowledges its requirement to demonstrate clearly that it must have charitable purposes or “aims” that are for the public benefit. Details of how the church has achieved this are provided in the Review of the Year report. The PCC Members confirm that they have paid due regard to the Charity Commission guidance on public benefit before deciding what activities the charity should undertake.