2023-12-31-accounts

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With Clumber and Carburton

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Annual Report of the PCC
for the Year 2023
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Organisational Structure

The Parochial Church Council (PCC) is responsible for the overall management of church affairs within the parish. Its duty is to co-operate with the Vicar, Fr Nicolas Spicer, in promoting and encouraging, within the ecclesiastical parish, the whole mission of the Church, pastoral and evangelical, social and ecumenical. It is also responsible for the maintenance of the church building.

Bank : Virgin Money

Independent Examiner : Alistair Livesey

Membership of the PCC

Members of the PCC are either ex-officio (Churchwardens and Deanery Synod Representatives) or they are elected at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) in accordance with the church representation rules.

The 2023 composition of the PCC following the APCM in May 2023 was as follows:

Vicar Fr Nicolas Spicer Ex Officio (Chair) Churchwarden James Rubie Deanery Synod Representatives: Peter Klonowski and James Rubie Elected members – normally serving for 3 years

Robin Carrington-Wilde (Vice Chair)

Wendy Cottingham (until May 2023)

John Palmer (until May 2023)

Kate Walters (until May 2023)

Tina Thistlethwaite (from May 2023)

Standing Committee

This is the only committee required by law. It comprises the ex officio members, Churchwardens, Secretary, and Treasurer. Its duty is to transact the business of the PCC between meetings, subject to any directions given by the council. During 2023 it met 4 times.

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Church Attendance

On 31 December 2023 there were 161 (2022 157) members on the Church Electoral Roll.

Child Protection

Government legislation requires that all statutory and voluntary organisations working with children address the issues of Child Protection. Although the Church of England and the Diocese of Southwell & Nottingham have their own Child Protection systems each parish is required to adopt and implement their own policy and procedure. The PCC adopted their policy in 2008 and reviewed it in May.

Helen Duffy is the PCC’s nominated Safeguarding Person.

Everyone who is involved with children’s work in the parish is required to provide references and 30 people in the Parish have satisfactorily completed this process. Everyone with a DBS for the parish updated their training.

E-Safety

The PCC reviewed and updated its E-safety policy in May.

Health and Safety

John Palmer is Health and Safety Officer.

The PCC reviewed and updated its Health and Safety Policy in May

Insurance

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St Giles Church, Priory Church, and the Gatehouse are all insured on separate polices with Ecclesiastical Insurance.

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Vicar’s Report

Once again it is my privilege to recommend this report of the Parochial Church Council to you. It makes me proud of all the faithful prayer and worship, all the time and work that goes into our life here at Priory and Clumber for which I am most grateful.

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Our faithful keeping of the Churches year, led by Rosemary and the choir and our servers, has ensured that once again we can say we are a place of excellence, offering the very best of praise and worship, which is after all our primary role here. Often people comment that they have heard the bells ringing for prayer and been grateful. Those of you who have spoken to and been helpful and welcoming to visitors whether Mass, Baptism or Funeral, have all played a part in this, thank you.

A highlight of the year was Bishop Stephen’s first visit to the parish when he baptised and confirmed. Welcome to Ola, Mia, Shergun, Michelle and Tony. Let us be thankful that the Lord is adding to our number.

Sadly for us, but we pray of mercy and blessing for them, we said our farewells to Paddy Dobbs, John Humphries, John Gent, John Ledger and Frank Underwood. Their families trusted all of us to give them the funeral and farewell rights fitting for a faithful child and servant of God.

A special thanks to the members of the Church Council who have worked hard, few that they are, this year. James has taken on a great deal more than would be expected of a warden and we all owe a debt of gratitude to him and his family.

To Maria as well for her work and support to me and our church life, not least the Mass booklets, Magazine and weekly booklets—themselves more hours than we pay her for. On top of that Maria’s dealing with the bank and getting the finances into a state that they can be presented to the Independent Examiner, has been exemplary and well beyond her paid job. Along with Fr Mason, Maria has put in many voluntary hours, which the PCC are well aware of. This cannot continue in 2024, its simply not fair on them, as willing as there are. Hopefully an appointment of a Treasurer will help with this.

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The Rev’d Peter Stanley has given many hours helping with the 2022 and 2023 finances, for which I'm most grateful. The Diocesan Finance team have been supportive too which has helped relieve stress levels considerably.

Priory is not alone in struggling to find committed volunteers and the income to support the life here, but I earnestly request that you prayerfully consider how you can practically and financially help our situation and speak with myself.

Thank you.

Church Warden’s Report

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It has been another busy year for the Priory and its faithful members and properties. As always with buildings of this age there have been some practical works done; boiler repairs (again), roof slate replacements, various leaks, a new Internet Broadband system and the usual checks on things like the fire extinguishers.

Maria Mason has been invaluable this year in providing general church administration but also in many other areas such as church finance, banking and numerous process improvements. On a finance note the efforts of Keith Wake, the Hutchinsons and others who help with counting Sunday collections has been really appreciated.

I would like to thank all those who have contributed to the Church’s finances during this year especially during such challenging times. This includes those who give regularly, as one-off donations and those who have supported the fundraising events. I look forward to sharing details in the coming months of initiatives to make giving easier and more beneficial for all of us including a new Digital Giving device.

The live streaming mass remains an important service and the numbers using it regularly is increasing; it is good to see how much it is appreciated by those, sometimes significant numbers who share with us from home. Thank you to those who have responded positively to requests for help in and out of services for things such as Parish lunches, Intercessions, offertory and refreshments after Mass, it really does help with the smooth running of the church.

In the continued absence of a second Churchwarden Kate Walters, Andrew Higgins, Robin Carrington-Wilde and others such as Gill Nelson have provided much valued support and guidance. Please do not hesitate to be in touch if you would like to volunteer to help in any way.

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I would also like to acknowledge the efforts of those who have helped with church maintenance this year including regular cleaning, gardening (especially in the memorial garden area) and floral arrangements.

There has been significant progress with the development of the Priory Gatehouse this past year and the Trust chaired by Fran Walker have managed to secure funding to start essential repairs as you will have noticed recently. Please contact Fran or any other Gatehouse Trustee if you’d like more information or would like to help in any way.

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Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all church members for their kind words, advice and on occasion the most amazing baking, it really helps. Thanks.

James Rubie

Report from Clumber

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Though we are a small congregation at Clumber we have had some wonderfully positive things happen over the past year. We saw two couples marry in the chapel both of whom have been attending for a number of years and continue to do so even though one couple now live in Durham! We have another couple who hope to marry in 2025 with long standing connections to the park who are also now part of our congregation.

The carol service saw numbers return to pre pandemic levels and we raised nearly £300 for the local charity Joel.

Our relationship with the National Trust remains strong and we said goodbye to Becky one of the chapel stewards who has left for pastures new down south.

We managed to contribute over £1000 to priory funds and remain blessed that we have a Priest to say mass most Sundays.

God bless. Robin Carrington-Wilde

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Children and Families Report for Priory and St Paul’s

Priory and St Paul’s children’s work continues at Sunday morning mass where we follow the lectionary of the day. Thanks go to Helen and Tina for teaching our children at Priory. An enthusiastic number of between 2-12 take advantage of this ministry at our churches in both Priory and St Paul’s. We often hear what the children have learnt after mass.

On Wednesday mornings at Priory Helen Duffy and her team provide The Songs and Stories group for babies and children that are of preschool age. Thank you for your continued support with this group. The link between school and church, with nursery children walking up to church to join in with these session on a monthly basis is valuable.

In the summer we held a ‘Pop up Church’ at the park off Shrewsbury Road. It was an enjoyable time with games and activities in the community. Many local families attended.

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We had a wonderful week at the Walsingham Youth Pilgrimage in August with 3 teenagers from our churches.

The annual Lights Party was a great celebration of All Saints tide with activities, food and fireworks in St Paul’s grounds.

We have kept the vegetable garden growing until the harvest in autumn which was much enjoyed by all who picked it.

The Epiphany Party was a great success with 15 children attending with their parents.

The Boy’s Brigade has been a successful very successful during 2023, however it is at threat if more help doesn’t come forward.

We are very grateful for everyone who has been involved in supporting our young people during 2023.

Mary Howe

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Alter Servers Report

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We are very fortunate in having an enthusiastic team of Altar Servers, ranging from Primary School age, Secondary School age to Mature Years. During the year we have welcomed one adult server and one youngster to the team. Given the broad range of services at Worksop Priory, there is a broad range of knowledge and lengths of experience within the serving team.

Among these services are occasions such as the Advent Procession, Epiphany Procession, all the Holy Week liturgies, and once a month, Choral Evensong with Benediction. There are other liturgies and services as well as the ‘normal’ Sunday and weekday Masses. While we have usually avoided the thinking of ‘We’ve always done it that way’, the coming of Covid forced significant changes on the way we could do certain things. Having said that, we still have to maintain what is required or stipulated in the various services, and some of the changes are still in place, if only for safety.

Fr. Spicer and the other clergy are invaluable in guiding us through ‘what is required’ in the various liturgies. There is also support from Rosemary Field and the choir.

Peter Klonowski

Music Report to APCM for the year Easter to Christmas 2023

Liturgical music

Mostly we have stuck to the known items this year for the congregation, with a couple of new hymn-tunes introduced both by recording on the Facebook page and by 5-minute introductions on the organ before the Service in question. Choral music is still being expanded and I am very grateful to the PCC for the funding allowed in July for music purchase. There was an intention to obtain versatile, ready-made antiphons for Communion for the 3 Liturgical Years, until we learnt that at Advent 2024 the texts are due to be revised. Meanwhile we have updated some worn-out copies of regular items and purchased a couple of anthems by living composers, whose work is not available copyright-free.

Organ voluntaries continue to be explained, and this guidance for the listener is something people mention as valued. The silence-before-Mass introduced in Lent ’23 took down the pre-Mass organ voluntary to avoid sending confused messaging, in the first stages.

Evensong – continues on the First Sundays with little change to numbers in choir, church, or online.

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Special “Procession” liturgies for Advent [and Epiphany, but that’s in 2024] have been refreshed with new reading-choices and musical illustrations, to keep it focussed and avoid going stale. This year we were able to muster a little ensemble with violin and piano and soloist for a Messiah Aria, sung by Fr Willett at the Procession, and by teenage Alto chorister Ola at Mass the previous week.

Choir

The two choristers we surpliced in October 22 have, so far, stuck with us faithfully and sing most weeks. An after-school rehearsal for them on Thursdays is where they do their learning. Safeguarding is operated without their realising it, but includes checking by phone if someone expected does not arrive, handovers to parents after choir, and general watchfulness for wellbeing. Ola visited Grantham church at Eastertide to participate in Leighton’s

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Easter Sequence with the 40 children in that choir; Mia visited Goetze & Gwynn’s organ workshop at Welbeck later, where choir-soprano Abigail Balfour-Rowley demonstrated tools and methods. Mini picnics after both trips completed the “fun” though it was also educational for both children, according to their travelling tolerance and availability.

Adult membership is static, though we have a long-term sick contralto. Rota-demands on our clergy singers remove them from choir now and again, which is just a symptom of shortages all round. Recruiting seems nearly impossible; adults sometime fancy singing in the choir but really that has been a “fancy” more than a serious attempt. I am concentrating on polishing the singing with those we have, for whose devotion and effort we should all be appreciative. Rehearsals are at 8.45 on Sundays, and again after Mass; for demanding evening music we meet at 4 for 6; for simpler things, at 5.40 for 6.30. The servers join for a chat over tea and cakes, or soup in cold weather, at choir break-time before the Evensongs and the Procession services. Additional singers come from far and wide.

Concerts (home-grown)

Midday Music continued on Thursdays from Easter to All Saints minus August. We had visiting performers from Lichfield, Birmingham, Grantham, Newark and Coningsby as well as those from our choir and congregation; these people were hosted to a

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light lunch as there is no fee. Sometimes a collection plate was put out, sometimes people requested to give. The audience has grown slightly and serves a social purpose for those best able to be out and about in the daytime. The plans for the next season are advancing well, and the Priory has agreed to reimburse modest expenses with a collection being made every week, though without pressure to the “regulars” to feel that it is now expected.

The choir piano is responding well to a bowl of water and frost-free convector! At £85 per tuning, this is the cheaper option for the winter. Rosemary Field

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Deanery synod Report

Items discussed at Deanery Synod March 2023:

• The church at Everton had taken over a toddler group in the village.

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• Harworth is establishing a weekly Saturday morning group in church.

• St. Anne’s youth group café take-up has been disappointing.

• Rivers, Retford have great Messy Church events at Christmas and Easter, but struggle to get anyone to commit to regular Messy church.

• General Synod update.

• Deanery Vacancies including Deanery Treasurer, Lay Chair. This was the last meeting of Deanery Synod for this Triennium. Members thanked for serving their Parishes over the last three years.

• Churches in vacancy: Idle and Sands - Blyth, Scrooby and Ranskill – Oswaldbeck – Rivers, Retford. No changes to report.

• Safeguarding.

Items discussed at Deanery Synod July 2023:

• The guest speaker gave us a very interesting overview of her work in foster caring in Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire.

• Elections for the posts of Lay Chair, Deanery Treasurer, and election of Deanery Standing Committee.

• In the Good News slot and Deanery items of prayer, various matters were placed before the meeting.

• We were given an update on Diocesan Synod.

• There was the Admission of Churchwardens from various parishes.

• We had an update on various vacancies within the Diocese, including personnel and parishes without clergy.

• Within Safeguarding we were urged to have this on the PCC agenda as normal practice.

• There was an update on Eco Church.

Items discussed at Deanery Synod November 2023:

• Two people were elected to Deanery Standing Committee.

• Update of Deanery Vision Refresh.

• Curate Update & Deanery items of prayer.

• Update on Diocesan Synod (7 Oct) & General Synod (13-15 Nov).

• Deanery Share Update 2024 for allocation of Parish share for 2024.

• Sound of Musings – Bryony Wood.

• Deanery Vacancies Update.

• Safeguarding – Domestic Violence Training & Dashboards.

Peter Klonowski

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Flower Arranger’s Report

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A very big thank you to everyone who has donated to our funds this year. As always it is a great help and enables us to always have fresh flowers in church during the appropriate seasons. It is a joy to decorate our church for the major festivals of Christmas and Easter especially after having had no flowers in church during Lent.

I would like to extend my thanks to the ladies who help with arranging flowers. We are all getting on in years and it becomes that little bit harder each year. As with all areas of church life, attracting new helpers is difficult. However, if you feel you could help and be part of a rota of flower arrangers it would.

You may like to join others in remembering lost loved ones by sponsoring a floral tribute for them on the anniversary of their death. We are pleased to be able to offer this but please, give us plenty of notice.

Thank you.

Wendy Caseldine

Bell Ringers’ Report

Our bells have not rung for some time due to my ill-heath and the lack of other ringers. However, I am pleased to report that our bells did ring out in 2023 when a visiting group of ringers visited Priory as part of a bell-ringing ‘crawl’.

The bells are in good working order but as with everything they will need checking for any wear and tear in structure and will need new bolts, oiling and other regular maintenance procedures.

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Report

2023 has seen a great deal of upheaval in the 100 Club membership, leading to a larger number of spare numbers, which has resulted in a much-reduced profit this year. That being said, we can hopefully rebuild the membership to full capacity. The commitment to being a member is to buy a number at the cost of £1 per week and this can be paid in any way you choose, annually, monthly, or even weekly. The prizes are as follows:

• ❖ £500 annually

• ❖ £100 twice annually

• ❖ £20 weekly

• ❖ £10 weekly

• ❖ £5 x 2 weekly

All profit is used to purchase items needed by Church which otherwise would not be obtainable. Over the past few years these have included carpets for the lower sacristy, meeting room, Lady Chapel, and choir stalls, as well as doors in the lower sacristy and café room, furniture for Cloister Room and equipment for our administrator to enable her to work safely from home.

If you feel able to take part in this fundraiser, please see Ivy Underwood who will be happy to help you.

Thank you to all those members who have supported the 100 Club during 2023.

Ivy Underwood

Administrator’s Report

Who can believe another year has gone by? Having now experienced the ebb and flow of a complete liturgical and calendar year as administrator at Priory, I am feeling part of the team that keeps the show on the road.

During 2023 my hours were increased as I took control of the

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finance administration. As this isn’t really my forte it has taken me much longer than a financially knowledgeable person. I am pleased to say that we can present a financial statement for 2023 as part of this report. Thank you to Rev’d Peter Stanley for setting me up with an appropriate system and to Alistair Livesey who acted as Independent Examiner.

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I have settled into a weekly and monthly routine with weekly preparation and printing of Sunday service books and notices for Priory and Clumber, e-Newsletter for emailing, documents to be uploaded to our ‘church near you’ website, counting and preparing monies for banking, paying bills, financial recording etc. On a monthly basis there is the Parish Magazine, printing of material for Junior Church, printing readings for readers to prepare and for the lectern, paying staff, banking and finance reconciliation. Added to this is the quarterly and annual reporting required by the diocese.

I am not telling you this to blow my own trumpet but to inform you of the work that goes on behind the scenes that we come to expect. In an ideal world much of the work I have done in 2023 would be done by a PCC Secretary or Treasurer, so I would echo Fr Spicer’s plea for you to consider whether you could help with either of these roles.

I continue to be available during the public hour each Friday morning between 10.30am and 11.30am. I have had the privilege of meeting many young families who have come along to book Baptisms. I have also been privileged to have conversations with people who come to visit Priory and share their stories with me. I look forward to this time each week, though not so much in the winter months when it is particularly cold in our church.

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A highlight for me in 2023 was the Worksop Community Christmas Tree Festival. Priory Church is the ideal choice of venue due it’s size, position in the town and history. We were pleased to welcome 51 organisations with their trees. Priory church was visited by over 1000 people, young and old, during the five days it was open. The visits from five separate school groups and the participation of young people from North Notts College made for a real inclusive event. The Christmas Fair on

the Saturday was positively buzzing. As always there were far too few helpers which meant those involved spent hours in the church over the seven days, including set up and clear up. If we are to continue to co-ordinate and host this community event, we will need to do things differently with more help to reduce the pressure on the few.

Maria Mason

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Workso Prio Statement of Financial A¢tivTIKrt5 For the ear ended 31 12 2023 2023 2022 Intome and Endowmènts Voluntary Income 66.697.92 68.785.02 Activities forgeneratire fvnds 9,305.28 5,070.40 Income from investments 217.51 216.32 Church activities 12,712.16 6,918.90 Total Inwme 88,932.87 80.990.64 enditure Church ActSvltles 111,68&67 72.088.11 RalsinE Funds 1,162.67 Total Exp•nditur• 112,851.34 72,088.11 Net In¢ome l Expendrlur• .23 918.47 141Page

Work50 alanie Sh Foithe ear ended 31 2023 2023 2022 Fixed A&5ets Tan8iNe 84.[￿.{X) Investments 23,080.52 22 367.70 lo7,0￿.52 106,367.70 Current Assets C&h at bank and in hand 12.726.20 37,357.49 12,726.20 37.357.49 abilitie5 Current Uabllltes L(x)g term UabilltiÈS Net Assets 119,806.72 143,725.19 Parlsh Funds Unre5trirted 12.726.20 37.357.49 Re5trirted 107.080.52 106 367.70 119.806.72 143,725.19 151Page

Priory Income and Expenditure 2023 by Category

Income		Expenses
Cash	£16,138.48	Bank	£541.32
Donation	£1,500.00	Charity	£110.00
Fundraising	£5,445.28	Church Supplies	£1,243.89
Gift Aid	£12,569.71	Copyright	£658.00
Giving	£36,489.73	Course Fee	£175.00
Grant	£3,860.00	Diocesan Fees	£2,249.00
Investment	£217.51	Expenses	£599.69
Other Income	£2,052.16	Fundraising Expenses	£1,162.67
Pilgrimages	£60.00	Hospitality	£37.60
Statutory Fees	£10,500.00	Insurance	£10,658.27
Travel	£100.00	Maintenance	£8,234.86
Total Income	£88,932.87	Miscellaneous	£172.00
		Music	£71.90
		Office	£3,537.10
		Organ and Piano Maintenance	£330.00
		Other Expenditure	£15,667.54
		Parish Share	£29,000.00
Income less Expenses	-£23,918.47	Rental Expenses	£1,365.93
		Salaries	£19,341.16
		Utilities	£15,897.07
		Walsingham	£1,798.34
		Total Expenses	£112,851.34

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I re[￿ on the accounts of the WcYksoD PrKxy church for the Year ended 31 December 2023 wh￿h are set out on below. ts.ve R si1x.1￿.es of Trustees and EKwnit The ¢hwch'8 trust￿ are reswnsible the preDaral￿n of the accwnts. The church'8 tru8tee8 consider that an audit 18 required f¢y this year under section 144(21 of Charities Act 2011 and that an irKlependent examinati(￿ 15 needed. It 18 my re¥p)rots'1ty to: Ex&nine the ¥¢counts under sedK>n 145 of Ihe 2011 A¢ll" To fotlcm the procedures laid dcvwn in the Ger￿al Direct)ns given by the Charty CThnmlssi￿els lunoer sect￿￿ 1495llbl of the 2011 Act).. and To state whether parb.culw matters have come to my attenticffl. Basi5 of lThJe dent Examinerfs My eX￿1n￿"C￿ was earried cMJt li accordance v4rth tr genernl Direth"cms given by the Charity CcmmissiM. An examinab.on includes a review ot the acc(MJnb"ng reuy(ts kept by the chanty and companson of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes cortsiderats.on of any unusual Item5 or discloyjres in the accwnts, and seeking explanatKJns from Y￿ as trustees conceming any such matter8. The wo¢edures undertaken do wovioe all the evidence that would be reauired in an audit and conseQuent￿ no opinKn is oiven as lo whether the account5 present a and fair v?evl and the reFXNt 15 h"mrted to those matter5 set out n the ststement belw. lThJ erbjent exwninefs statement Since the gross income f￿ year exceeds the amwnl wowded in sect￿￿ 14931 of the Act, I confimi that I quaIrf￿ to act as Independent Examiner under the provi8iorts of that seC￿n of the Act and that my quaIrficat￿ is as shoym beb)w. In connection v4ith my examinatic￿, rn matter has ccyne to my attenti￿." whieh gNes me reas¢)nabbe cause to believe that in material resrect the requirements to keep acc¢yJ)Img re¢ords m acccrfdance ￿th Sect￿ 130 oltr 2011 Act. and to Ffepare aCc￿ntS which acc(Yd with the accounting records and conwy ith the accountiThJ reqLirements d Ihe 2011 Act have nol been met.. (ff to Vlhich. in my t)￿n￿n. att￿tion ￿Uld be dra*n in cffder to enable a prw underglandino of the ac¢cwnts to be reathed. Date of Independent Examination- 1610212024 Alirtair Li¥tsey Director L&P AccountarKy Ser¥ice5 Ltd 171Page

Worksop Priory Email [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] Web www.worksoprpiory.co.uk - - - - - achurchnearyou.com/st mary st cuthbert worksop priory

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