OpenCharities

This text was generated using OCR and may contain errors. Check the original PDF to see the document submitted to the regulator.

← The Parochial Church Council Of The Ecclesiastical Parish Of Congleton

2023-12-31-accounts

==> picture [192 x 113] intentionally omitted <==

PARISH OF CONGLETON

(known as All Saints Congleton)

TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT 2023

==> picture [452 x 255] intentionally omitted <==

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work in us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!

Ephesians 3: 20-21

==> picture [205 x 77] intentionally omitted <==

1

C O N T E N T S

The Rector ....................................................................................................................................................... 3 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................................. 3 2. Executive summary....................................................................................................................................... 3 3.Charity and Administrative Details ................................................................................................................. 4 4.Objectives and activities ................................................................................................................................ 6 4.1 Worship and Prayer ................................................................................................................................ 7 4.2 Pastoral activities ................................................................................................................................... 9 4.3 Outreach ................................................................................................................................................ 9 4.3.1 Children and Families......................................................................................................................... 10 4.3.2 Older Adults ...................................................................................................................................... 12 4.4 Heritage & events ................................................................................................................................. 13 4.5 Life Groups ........................................................................................................................................... 14 5. Fundraising Standards ................................................................................................................................ 14 6. Public Benefit ............................................................................................................................................. 14 7.Achievements and Performance .................................................................................................................. 19 8. Financial Review ......................................................................................................................................... 20 9. Structure, Governance and Management ................................................................................................... 22 10. Declaration ............................................................................................................................................... 26 11.Trustees' Responsibilities Statements ........................................................................................................ 27 12. Examiner’s Report .................................................................................................................................... 28 13. Statement of Financial Activity (SOFA) ...................................................................................................... 29 14.Balance Sheet (Separate Funds) ................................................................................................................. 30 15.1 Accounting Policies ................................................................................................................................. 31 15.1 Governance costs ............................................................................................................................... 33 15.2 Trustees' and key management personnel remuneration and expenses .............................................. 34 15.3 Staff costs and employee benefits....................................................................................................... 34 15.4 Fixed asset investments ...................................................................................................................... 35 15.5 Pensions and other post-retirement benefits ...................................................................................... 35 15.6 Fund Movement Summary ................................................................................................................. 36 15.7 Fund Movement of Change ................................................................................................................. 37 15.8 Listing of Funds ................................................................................................................................... 38

2

THE RECTOR

Revd Ian Enticott

The Rectory

2 Hartley Gardens

Congleton

CW12 3WA

1. INTRODUCTION

This is the annual report of the Parish of Congleton, known as All Saints Congleton, for the period 1[st] January 2023 to 31[st] December 2023.

The Parochial Church Council (PCC) along with the Chapter is responsible for promoting the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical in the ecclesiastical parish. The PCC has maintenance responsibilities for St. Peter’s, St Stephen’s, St. John’s and Holy Trinity Churches and their respective Church Halls and Rooms. The parsonage is the responsibility of the Diocese.

As a parish of the Church of England in the Archdiocese of York, the structure and governance of the Parish are controlled by the Church Representation Rules of the Church of England. The Parish is in the Deanery of Congleton which is part of the Archdeaconry of Macclesfield and the Diocese of Chester.

2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In 2023, the parish was able to continue and expand activities from the previous year to support the community; we have participated in town centre and civic events.

The parish continued to promote its single identity as All Saints Congleton, although the registered name of the charity remains unaltered, through use of the logo on communications, publicity materials and clothing for teams of volunteers. Development has started on a new website with professional support.

The service pattern established in 2022 has continued and, alongside our outreach activities, is attracting new families. The Business Usage Strategy group have made a preliminary report to the PCC and identified some potentially difficult changes that will be required to improve the financial situation; there is still much work to be done in this area. The St Peter’s Church Project has made some considerable progress with a wide-reaching consultation with congregations, the town and community.

Unfortunately, the parish outgoings have exceeded its income, which itself was lower than anticipated. This is an area that will need to be closely monitored and addressed in 2024. It is

3

due to unanticipated repairs to the buildings and unbudgeted expenditure – including a rise in energy cost.

In 2024, we are looking forward to the opportunities presented to us to consolidate and continue to grow. Our work will aim to support our parish vision: ‘Making Jesus known, living his way’ and our parish mission as we proclaim and show our love for God and our community.

3.CHARITY AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS

3.1 CHARITY NAME

The formal name of the charity is “The Parochial Church Council of The Ecclesiastical Parish of Congleton” .

3.2 CHARITY REGISTRATION NUMBER

The Parish of Congleton operates as a registered charity, no. 1134829.

3.3 TRUSTEES

The trustees who have served during the year and since the year end were as follows:

Trustee Name Office Dates acted if not for
wholeyear
Blackmore, Nic Children and Families Missioner From April 2023
Connolly, Jean Churchwarden
Downes-Ward, Christopher Licensed Pastoral Worker
Drew, Pauline DeanerySynod Representative Re-elected April 2023
Drew, Richard DeanerySynod Representative Re-elected April 2023
Edmondson, Carole Laymember From April 2023
Enticott, Ian Rector
Frost, Anthony Laymember
Glarvey, Vivienne Treasurer From April 2023
Grace, Loretta Laymember Re-elected April 2023
Harrison, Helen PCC Secretary
Houldsworth, Peter Churchwarden
Hutchison, Mike Reader Representative Upto April 2023
Laurence, Mike Treasurer Up to April 2023
Co-opted
Murray, Lesley Reader Representative From April 2023
Proctor, Joan Laymember
Scott, Christine Churchwarden
Snook, Maggie Churchwarden
Swaine, Mark Laymember

All members of the PCC are automatically appointed as Trustees and remain in position until they leave or complete their elected term; all Trustees are required to make a PCC Member

4

Trustees Eligibility Declaration; appropriate DBS checks and safeguarding training are completed in accordance with Diocese of Chester requirements.

3.4 REGISTERED OFFICE

The registered office address is:

Congleton Parish Office Chapel Street (behind St Peter's Church) Congleton Cheshire CW12 4AB

3.5 EXAMINER

Examiner services for the period January 1[st] , 2023 to December 31[st] , 2023 are provided by:

Reverend Alan A Clements, MA, ACIB, FCIE 15 Carleton Road, Great Knowley, Chorley, PR6 8TQ

3.6 BANKERS

Banking services for the period January 1[st] , 2023 to December 31[st] , 2023 are provided by:

NatWest Congleton 46 High Street Congleton Cheshire CW12 1BE

3.7 INVESTMENT MANAGERS

Investment services for the period January 1[st] , 2023 to December 31[st] , 2023 are provided by:

CCLA Investment Management Ltd. Senator House 85 Queen Victoria Street London EC4V 4ET

3.8 EXEMPTIONS FROM DISCLOSURES

None.

5

4.OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

The Parish covers a large area of Congleton, including the town centre. Our four churches currently serve a population of approximately 17,000. Although the town continues to expand with a programme of new housing especially around the link road, Wolstenholme Elmy Way, these are largely outside the parish.

The Parish contains four primary academy schools. We have strong links with Mossley Primary (which is a Church of England Controlled Academy) through the Incumbent and our three Foundation Governors, leadership of weekly assemblies and delivery of regular faith-based material and lessons. We have active relationships with three other primary schools: Havannah, Buglawton and Marlfields (which is just outside the parish).

There are two nurseries which also have active links with our churches. There are two large secondary academy schools on the outskirts of the Parish. As part of the Children and Families Missioner’s work we hope to deepen relationships with pupils, teachers and parents at schools.

At the start of 2023 we had connections with many organisations including:

6

The Children & Families Missioner has continued to serve the Diocesan Outreach Committee through 2023, influencing and impacting the way that the Diocese of Chester reaches communities and delivers its materials, programmes and projects in the most effective way.

Our signers for D/deaf and hard of hearing provide support for our services and also events at Congleton Bible Week, the outdoor service on Good Friday and the World Day of Prayer.

An important part of our fellowship is to support our congregations in their pastoral needs. Our future mission will extend to those that are not yet part of our church community, and our community buildings are proving to be places that offer immediate links to those who are outside our current church family.

4.1 WORSHIP AND PRAYER

The Sunday service pattern established in 2022 has continued throughout 2023.

There are two services at St Stephens. The One Service, at 9.30am has continued to grow and develop through the year. It has explored faith in interesting and different ways - through themes of prayer and prayers through the bible, resourcing mission, and Jesus walking with us through our struggles. The One Service team has also grown and developed; this has included opportunities for two young people in preaching and leading worship. The team involves members of the congregation from 10 to 80+ years old.

The second service, at 11am, follows a traditional worship approach familiar to the congregation; attendance is very positive and it has attracted new people too. Services are British Sign Language (BSL) signed for the D/deaf and hard of hearing once per month, and more frequently when the signers are available.

The Space & Time Service at St Peter’s at 11am continued throughout 2023 thanks to the commitment of a small team of parishioners who welcomed, served refreshments, and prepared and led both meditations and worship; it is a fresh expression of worship. A short service of Holy Communion led by the Rector was provided once per month. Those attending included parishioners and members of the community. Discussions are ongoing regarding how we develop Space and Time over the next year.

The midweek service at 10.15am on Wednesdays continued at Holy Trinity, Mossley. It attracted between 15 and 30 attendees with an average congregation of 21. The service is either Holy Communion or Morning Worship led by a lay reader in the Rector’s absence.

Home communion was provided regularly by two Lay Readers to 6 recipients.

Several one-off services took place at St Peter’s during the year including the Mayor’s Civic service in the summer and the Community Carol Service at Christmas. The latter was attended by over 200 people from the local community and the singing was led by members of the Beartown Singers.

7

Nearly 1000 local primary school children helped make an eight-foot-high Christmas Tree of Thankfulness that was displayed at St Peter’s. Individual cut-outs of their hands, decorated and expressing their thanks, formed the leaves of the tree. Hands from members of the community, gathered at the Town Lights Switch-On event, were used to create the star for the top of the tree and separate Christmas tree banners displayed on the church pillars. Marlfields primary school once again chose to hold their Christingle service in the church and it was wonderful to see so many young children, their teachers and their parents filling the church with their presence and their voices.

Over the course of 2023 we have baptised 20 children and 1 adult, one of which was a special request from a family in Scotland who were previously residents of Congleton but who no longer have a local church open, and for whom we had baptised another member of their wider family the previous year. We have also seen a baptism take place in the One Service as a family who are regular members wanted it to be experienced as part of the church family.

As part of the baptism process, families attend two preparation sessions. These allow us to help support families, discuss support networks and family engagement, as well as answer questions and find ways that we might further connect them to other work in the parish such as our toddler group, Shine, and Messy Church events.

On Thursday evenings, we hold a weekly prayer meeting for the parish on Zoom with around 10 people who join the meetings when they are available. We pray for various matters in the parish including our forthcoming events, and for those who have requested prayer for a particular situation. We also pray about events in the wider world. We always take time to report back on any answers to prayer and generally begin the prayer time with some verses from one of the psalms and end with the weekly collect.

There is a monthly tea church, on the second Wednesday of the month, at All Saints Community Centre in Buglawton. It is a fresh expression of worship that reaches a congregation of mainly older people.

Across the Parish there were 21 baptisms, 1 service of thanksgiving, 3 marriages, and 47 funerals (40 in church and 7 elsewhere (mainly crematoria)).

4.1.1 DEANERY SYNOD

Two lay members of the PCC are elected to the Deanery Synod which is chaired by the Rector. The Pastoral Worker is also a member of Deanery Synod by virtue of his licence.

Three meetings were held during the year; the speakers were Bishop Sam Corley answering questions, Jared Brown on Youth Ministry and Rev Peter Froggatt on the new Diocesan Vision: Together in Christ – Sharing Hope.

8

4.1.2 CHURCHES TOGETHER IN CONGLETON (CTC)

We continue to be an active member of the Churches Together in Congleton with our Rector as the Convenor. CTC maintain a combined church presence at town centre events and lead a short outdoor service on the pedestrian precinct on Good Friday. There is a monthly prayer meeting. Member churches also join together in offering sessions from the Hope Journey to all the local schools. There is a different topic for each year group spread through the school year. School leavers are presented with a copy of Scripture Union’s book “It’s Your move” funded by the Churches Together group.

4.1.3 CONGLETON BIBLE WEEK

All Saints supports Congleton Bible Week which is part of the Keswick Fellowship. Every year we have a Bible teacher speaking on a theme. This year we held the Bible Week in September with Matt Searles speaking on passages from Isaiah around the theme “Comfort my people”. The parish hosted a number of the events.

4.2 PASTORAL ACTIVITIES

The parish offers a range of activities for children and families as well as older people.

4.2.1 PARISH BREAKFAST

In 2023 there have been 6 parish breakfasts hosted by All Saints Community Centre.

4.2.2 ALL SAINTS LUNCHEON CLUB AT ALL SAINTS COMMUNITY CENTRE.

The luncheon club reduced the number of weeks it operated to support its team of volunteers; thereby it only served 1320 hot meals to our guests in 2023. The volunteers’ willingness to drive, cook, serve, wash-up and, most of all, join in the fellowship by relaxing and eating with the guests is invaluable.

A special Coronation Luncheon Club, held in May, raised £380 for the East Cheshire Hospice. The cost of the celebration luncheon was supported by a generous grant from Plus Dane Housing.

4.2.3 PARISH HOLIDAY

The parish holiday took place in June when a coach full of parishioners went on holiday to Cromer for a week.

4.2.4 MOTHERS’ UNION

Mossley Mothers Union meets monthly in The Chappell Centre. It provides an interesting programme of speakers and activities; many of the sessions are open to the wider congregation. It has a membership of 16 people and an average attendance of 8 people.

4.3 OUTREACH

Volunteers are the backbone of our mission objectives and one of the most valuable resources. A cup of coffee or tea and a chat can often make a positive difference in the day of

9

someone just passing through. Our volunteers are drawn from the Parish, other churches and local residents who engage with the community and feel valued from their contributions.

4.3.1 CHILDREN AND FAMILIES

2023 has seen a deepening and growth of the children and family’s work that has developed in previous years. As we look to 2024, we hope to increase events such as Messy Church, to provide a regular programme and develop new and greater discipleship for families and our young people, as well as continuing to grow and develop our volunteers and volunteer base.

Across the spectrum of events and activities under the Children and Families banner we have seen more than 45 members of the parish volunteering in a variety of roles. These volunteers range from the age of 4 to people in their 80s as we encourage and empower people of all ages to be involved. We have seen members of the congregation step-up and start to serve in different capacities. We introduced a team uniform, proudly displaying our logo, allowing team members to be easily identifiable for those attending events and activities and also allow us to show a recognisable presence as All Saints Congleton at public events such as the Light Switch On.

4.3.1.1 EASTER

We ran our successful town-wide easter egg event, ‘The Hunt’, for a third year. With clues posted on our Facebook page, 100 wooden eggs were hidden across the town over the course of a week. For each wooden egg brought to a collection point, the finder received a free chocolate egg and a copy of the real Easter story. This activity continues to connect us to the community on a far-reaching basis and we received really positive feedback from those taking part. People of all ages came to collect their eggs and we have seen an increase in awareness of our presence in the town from members of the community.

4.3.1.2 CHRISTMAS

Over the Christmas period there were lots of opportunities to engage with schools and the community. As previously mentioned, we ran our ‘Tree of Thanks’ project and 5 local primary schools and one nursery participated. Students and staff were invited to cut-out handprints on green paper or card and then write prayers or words of things they were thankful for, from family, to friends to many others. Almost a thousand hands were produced.

We had a presence at the town Christmas Light Switch on where we also invited children, families and other attendees to also join in with adding their hands of thanks to the project, creating colourful hands for the star for the top of the tree and separate banners. It included a hand from the Mayor of Congleton.

Bringing together the congregations of the One Service and traditional service, we saw almost 200 people attend a united carol service on Christmas Eve at St Stephen’s followed later in the day by an interactive nativity service for families at Holy Trinity. This was attended by families from Shine, the local schools we work with as well as others from the community.

10

4.3.1.3 SHINE (Parent & Toddler Groups)

Our baby and toddler group, SHINE, continues to flourish. The attendance each week averages 40 children, aged 0-4, and their respective parents and carers. The group provides a warm and friendly welcome for families, that includes people from Stoke and Alsager as well as supporting families in the more immediate community. We continue to provide healthy snacks and age-appropriate developmental toys and equipment. Parents and carers are given a listening ear and have appreciated the space that is given for the family as a whole.

Due to the connections and relationships being built at the groups, we have seen families engaging with other aspects of our outreach and services. We have begun to see our families transition as the original families who came in 2021 return to work and are replaced with new attendees. However, even as we make the most of the opportunity to build relationships with these new families, it has been great to see many of our original families still connect through Messy Church and other events.

4.3.1.4 MESSY CHURCH EVENTS

As the numbers attending the Messy Church events has grown, we have increased the number of events in 2023 to every two months. Our themes included Valentines, Joseph, Harvest and Christmas. The events continue to be free for attendees and provide opportunity for children and carers to utilise their creative skills as we explored the topics through crafts and artistic activities. They were then brought together to think more deeply about the topic in a celebration followed by an opportunity to eat together in fellowship. We have seen additional volunteers step up to help, bringing their skills and creativity and improving the experience of those attending.

4.3.1.5 SCHOOLS

Our schools’ work has grown and deepened over the course of 2023. We continue to provide regular assemblies with Buglawton, Havannah and Mossley CE primary schools as well as some ad-hoc provision at Daven primary school, supporting over 1000 students. There has been an uptake in schools asking for our involvement delivering RE provision based on the Cheshire East Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE) curriculum.

We have worked in-depth with Mossley CE school providing RE lessons including topics such as the Holy Spirit, the visit of the Magi, How Christians Celebrate Christmas across the world, and more. They have also had various visits to Holy Trinity for worship services celebrating Easter and Harvest. We were also invited to lead or take part in the Year 6 leavers’ assembly, Christingle service and Key Stage 2 Christmas Carols. All of the schools have had visits to the local churches as they have explored RE topics such as baptism and acts of worship, the history of the Georgians, Christingle and more.

The biggest development of 2023 has been the delivery of ‘ Walk Through the Bible’ . The Children & Families Missioner undertook training in the winter of 2022/23 with a local presenter before working with 4 schools during 2023. ‘ Walk Through the Bible’ is split into two 5-week courses, Old Testament Mini and New Testament Mini, covering major stories

11

and events of the bible and connecting them with 80 actions that students learn over the two courses. We delivered 4 Old Testament Mini course and 2 New Testament courses. There is opportunity for this to continue to grow in subsequent years.

Through 2023 we have continued our ecumenical work across all 11 primary schools, reaching over 900 students, delivering Hope Journey workshops on Parables and the Nativity. This has also opened the door into a new venture with a fourth primary school, Daven, as we hosted their Christmas Carol concert and are looking to take assemblies and deliver ‘ Walk Through the Bible’ Old Testament Mini in the new year.

4.3.2 OLDER ADULTS

4.3.2.1 GRAVETALK

GraveTalk is designed for people who have big questions about death, dying and funerals. It is a café space, where people have the opportunity both to talk and listen. The Pastoral Worker provided these sessions. There were nine sessions in 2023 with a break for the summer holidays. Three of the sessions were held in the "Wild & Wild" café in the centre of town and six in “Higher Ground” Café and bar. Attendance at these events has run from 0 to 6 with an average of 2.

4.3.2.2 THE BEREAVEMENT JOURNEY

The Bereavement Journey is a series of 7 sessions of videos and talks used to help people who have been bereaved. During 2023 a team of 5 people were trained by the Pastoral Worker. It is planned to deliver the first course in January 2024.

4.3.2.3 BOARDGAMES FOR MENTAL HEALTH

The Pastoral Worker has been assisting the local United Reformed Church with their initiative to provide a monthly place for people with a variety of mental health needs to meet and socialise through the structured environment of playing boardgames.

4.3.2.4 WELLBEING SESSIONS

There have been 2 Wellbeing courses in 2023 – the first was the completion of a course that started in November 2022 and the second started in October 2023. We are still in contact with 17 of the attendees. Once the 8-week course ends we continue monthly meet-ups on the first Wednesday of the month.

The outcomes and feedback from the courses have been positive. Everyone said it was a safe, friendly space and helpful to talk things out. People reported that they felt they gained quite a lot of tools on how to positively enhance wellbeing but acknowledged that it would sometimes be a struggle to put them into practice. 3 people have continued helping as volunteers on the Wellbeing Course, 2 people have got jobs and 2 are actively seeking jobs. Quite a few people have made friendships within the group and have continued to meet. One person got involved in a new craft group, and several have tried exercise groups. A couple of people actively looked for volunteering posts and began volunteering. One lady who repeated the course commented on how much she realised she had moved on since the first course. It was encouraging for leaders to observe people supporting and encouraging one another.

12

4.3.2.5 RESIDENTIAL CARE HOMES

We provide support to 3 of our local care homes:

4.4 HERITAGE & EVENTS

People visit our churches for all sorts of reasons and not solely for worship. Our Grade 1 listed parish church, St Peter’s, provides regular opportunities for people to visit. The ministry of Welcoming involves being sensitive to when visitors want to talk, when they want to sit quietly with their thoughts and prayers or when they want to wander around the church.

4.4.1 HERITAGE

4.4.1.1 SATURDAY OPENING AT ST PETER’S

As a grade1 listed building St. Peter’s is open for casual visitors for 4 hours each Saturday from April to the end of September. The history and significant features are explained on attractive pop-up banners. 113 people visited on Saturdays including visitors from Spain, Chile and Japan. Some wanted to “see inside”, others popped in for refreshments, some wanted quiet space and others the opportunity to talk to someone.

4.4.1.2 TUESDAYS AT TEN

St. Peter’s ‘ Tuesdays@Ten’ had a programme of events running from April until July. We welcomed a total of 252 adults and 9 children.

Events included Easter reflections and the Easter story in the churchyard. There were two interesting talks by a member of the White Ribbon Group and the other by a local magistrate. We offered access to St. Peter’s registers and in May focussed on the Coronation. On ‘quiet’ days people were offered a reflective walk round the church. Our 4 lunch-time organ and piano recitals were enjoyed by 153 people.

In addition to this regular opening, we hosted a Sunday afternoon concert with local young singers, coached by one of our church members, with proceeds going to Music Action International, an Advent concert by the Nantwich Singers and a patchwork exhibition by

13

Congleton Patch-workers and Quilters. These events attracted another 149 adults and 4 children. Event costs were covered by donations from those attending. A programme is being planned for 2024.

4.4.2 COMMUNITY EVENTS

4.4.2.1 CONTRIBUTION TO TOWN EVENTS

St. Peter’s hosted the new Mayor’s Civic Service and was open on Remembrance Sunday for visitors following the service at the town war memorial.

The Parish held a stall at the Health & Wellbeing Fayre in March and at the town’s Green Fayre in September.

4.4.2.2 COFFEE MORNINGS AT ST STEPHEN’S

Coffee mornings have resumed on the first Saturday morning of every month from March to December. The proceeds from each event are donated to charity.

4.5 LIFE GROUPS

Regular life groups (previously bible study groups) have been meeting throughout the week across the year.

5. FUNDRAISING STANDARDS

The parish makes no direct appeals to the public or street collections and so is not required to maintain standards in this area.

6. PUBLIC BENEFIT

When planning our activities for the year, the incumbent and the PCC have considered the Charity Commission guidance on public benefit and, in particular, the specific guidance on charities for the advancement of religion. We try to enable people to live out their faith as part of our parish community through:

All the work is aimed to support the parish vision “Making Jesus known, living his way”, and our mission as we proclaim and show our love for God, and our community.

To facilitate this work, it is important that we maintain the fabric of the buildings in our care. These are:

14

6.1 HOLY TRINITY, MOSSLEY

As a result of a storm in March 2023, we experienced slippage of the finial cross and damage to the roof and ridge along the Eastern apex. We swiftly employed a steeplejack to lower the cross to the ground, repair the damaged roof and complete maintenance work on some slipped tiles in other parts of the roof. The cost of the repairs was £1,050 and due to a £1,000 excess on our insurance, the PCC chose not to make a claim.

In June 2023 we started new 24-month contracts for our gas and electricity supply and the costs are approximately 35% higher than during the previous 36-month contracts

Throughout the year we continued routine maintenance of the building, which included annual maintenance of the two gas boilers. The West Room boiler failed in October and has not been repaired due to cost, the room now being de-chilled by oil-filled radiators. In July our Portable Appliance Testing was undertaken by the parish volunteer, the lightning conductor was tested and our fire-fighting equipment was inspected in December. Other maintenance to church, graveyard and car park is all performed by volunteers with the exception of a paid contractor who cuts half of the graveyard grass each fortnight during the growing season. We continue to have minor issues of fly-tipping and long-term parking in the car park, the latter which we try to manage by leaving notices on the vehicles in the carpark. Unfortunately, due to this being private land, we can gain no assistance in removing the vehicles by Cheshire Police nor Cheshire East Council.

There were 46 services of holy communion led by Rector Ian and during Ian’s absence one service of holy communion led by a retired priest and four services of morning worship led by our Lay Readers. We held an Easter Day holy communion service at 8.00am which attracted a congregation of 24 and our Christmas Eve nativity service attracted 81 people. Three baptisms, one wedding and six funerals were held during the year and three Easter and three harvest services were held to accommodate the whole of Mossley School.

The Quinquennial Inspection of the church took place in October 2023 and we received the report in February 2024.

6.2 MOSSLEY VILLAGE HALL PREMISES AND THE CHAPPELL CENTRE

No major expenditure has been required at the Mossley Village Hall premises in 2023. However, major improvements to the ceiling are scheduled for 2024.

15

6.3 ST JOHN’S, BUGLAWTON & ALL SAINTS COMMUNITY CENTRE

A Quinquennial Inspection was undertaken in September 2023 which revealed a number of areas within the building and churchyard that need attention, but, overall, the report was positive.

Necessary roof work was completed by a steeplejack. This included repositioning a number of tiles on the high-level roofs, clearing debris from the gutters, and resealing a split in the lead on a low-level roof which was causing damage inside the church at a cost of £900.

The lower gutters on the boiler house, vicar’s vestry and choir vestry were cleaned out by members of the dedicated team of volunteers who are very effective in maintaining high standards of maintenance in the church and grounds.

Within the building, old kneelers and other items that were no longer used were disposed of effectively, making the church more spacious and inviting. All servicing and routine maintenance of the church was performed. Heating system inspected, serviced and certificate received. The building was kept clean.

The churchyard was maintained by the team of volunteers. The grounds were kept neat and tidy, the grass cut regularly, perimeter hedges trimmed, and old wreaths cleared from the graves. All the ground level drains around the church were cleaned out. The mower and strimmer used to maintain the grounds were serviced, ready for the start of the next grass cutting season.

To improve wheelchair access into the churchyard from the gates at the entrance, some paving stone flags were levelled. The stone in the soakaway was replaced and the broken plastic grid replaced before re-levelling the stone flags.

A dead tree in the churchyard was leaning against the partition that separated the churchyard from the rear area of the adjacent community centre. There was no danger as that area had restricted access, but the tree was cut down and removed by a tree surgeon. Other tree work was done by tree surgeons at the request of the Primary School next door, and undertaken from our side of the boundary. This involved felling two trees which were overhanging from the churchyard. The school organised and paid for the work.

Although used infrequently for traditional services of worship, the church is used for Weddings, Funerals and Baptisms. The church was hired out a couple of times during 2023 and used by the Buglawton Primary School for some festivals.

16

6.4 ST STEPHEN’S CHURCH

Some necessary repairs to the church roof were completed this year, including the replacement and resetting of a significant number of roof tiles. All gutters were cleared of leaves and debris. This work was undertaken by a steeplejack at a cost of £1014.

Water ingress affecting the main porch roof and nearby wall, causing damage to the internal wall surfaces, has been surveyed by our architect, and his recommendations to resolve the problem have been approved by the DAC. We are hoping to come to the PCC with a proposal for remedial action in 2024; it is anticipated that the cost will be met from the General Repair Fund.

Routine jobs and annual equipment servicing were maintained. Other than a repair to the church organ blower, costing £945, no major work was undertaken within the church.

The churchyard in general was maintained to a good standard by the usual small team of volunteers. This year, however, we were fortunate to be offered help from an individual who, managing his own small team, removed a large quantity of green waste from the churchyard, with impressive results.

During the growing season a paid contractor was used to mow the grass and volunteers maintained the lawns and shrubs in the Garden of Remembrance. A few lavenders and other small plants were introduced to attract bees.

The flagged entrance area has been kept free from weeds and algae, and a poor drainage issue at the entrance gates has become less of a problem following the resurfacing and camber adjustment of the main road adjacent to the church boundary. Improvements were made to outside lighting for the benefit of people using the side entrance to the building.

Volunteers with DIY skills were able to repair noticeboard posts, restore and repaint the wooden doors of the boiler room and gas house, and replace torn felt on the boiler house roof.

There have been no incidents to report in the building or churchyard.

There has been a notable increase in the number of organisations interested in hiring the church’s community space. Easy access to the building and good facilities have been key factors in attracting bookings for the use of the community facilities to organisations, including the NHS, which have offered services covering different aspects of mental and physical wellbeing. These activities enable us to use the building more effectively, and the income generated helps to offset maintenance costs.

Monthly coffee mornings, raising funds for charity, have been enjoyed by visitors, regular and new, and we continued to host weekly English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) classes for Ukrainians early in the year. The Pillar Room was also used as a polling station.

We have continued to operate the highly successful Sunday service pattern which allows for two services with time for refreshments and fellowship between. Throughout the year the

17

worship team worked hard to develop a variety of ways to improve the worshipping experience of visitors, making them feel welcome, valued, and involved.

The first service, developed by our Children’s & Families Missioner has achieved its aim of attracting a younger generation to the church, with high numbers of attendees every week. It has been agreed by the PCC that some pews will be removed to improve the space available for our children’s work; this is a project in progress.

The second service, which follows a traditional style of worship, remains popular with regular members.

The church has had very good social media and visitor reviews for being welcoming and friendly.

6.5 ST PETER’S CHURCH

Regarding goods and ornaments, no new articles have been introduced to the church apart from a portable credit/debit card reader for cash donations. No articles have been permanently removed.

Regarding the fabric of the building Walton Access Ltd were contracted to remove the blockage in the south side mid-wall downspout. At the same time, they repaired a roof tile that had cracked and slipped. It was decided not to replace the radiator at the entrance to the south gallery whilst discussions are ongoing regarding new heating systems. It remains isolated and is no longer leaking.

Remaining required quinquennial work has been incorporated into the St Peter’s building project. List A works include restoration or replacement of the gallery ceilings and repairs to the gallery windows. The next Quinquennial inspection is due early in 2024.

An attempted break in via the West door in which the left-hand door was badly damaged was followed a few months later by a successful break in via the same route despite efforts to make the doors more secure. The left-hand door was damaged again. Repairs have been made and more security put in place. Nothing was damaged inside the church. The PCC is considering the installation of CCTV and security lights.

After sustaining damage caused by ingress of water the power supply cabling to the organ blower has been replaced thus keeping the organ functional. Repairs have been made to the boiler room roof to make it watertight and the boiler frost thermostat has been replaced.

With respect to the replacement of the stone ball on one of the Grade 2 listed gate pillars and other churchyard boundary issues, Cheshire East Council (CEC) have been contacted given that the Local Authority has responsibility for maintaining the boundaries of the Georgian churchyard. We are awaiting their response.

6.5.1 ST PETER’S PROJECT GROUP

The Project Group began the year resolving issues in the draft plans relating to the new kitchen, toilets, lift, extension size, platform, heating and use of solar energy. This decisionmaking paved the way for writing a key document – ‘Transformational Change: Relevance and Resilience’ (TCRR). The TCRR takes the vision for the project and relates it to current use

18

and the restrictions of the building. Then shows how resolving the issues raised can be combined with the need for restoring significant parts of the fabric of the building. The TCRR also provides justifications for the changes being sought and mitigations where the changes affect significant heritage features.

The plans and proposed changes enabled consultations with stakeholders. Presentations to the PCC, the congregation and the Diocesan Advisory Committee (DAC) were followed by meetings with organisations in the town and wider community. Individual organisations have suggested how the developed interior would benefit their activities by providing more useful space(s) and better facilities. The document also describes how the changes will make the use of the building sustainable, and more environmentally friendly. The proposals show that a significant heritage building can be a relevant part of community life both for the congregation and organisations in the town.

The plans have been refined by advice from the Diocesan Buildings Missioner and her colleague - the Diocesan Officer for Inclusion and Engagement. Professional advice has come from a newly-appointed Mechanical and Electrical Engineer, a Quantity Surveyor, an Archaeologist and an Acoustic Engineer. The Project Group are working with the architects to provide a programme for next stage with detailed proposals, plans and costings; this was scheduled for the end of March 2024.

The next steps will include providing feedback to these proposals, appointing a Structural Engineer, consulting with Cheshire East Council, identifying and contacting potential grant makers, and preparing documentation for a faculty application.

6.6 ST PETER’S PARISH ROOMS AND THE PARISH OFFICE

Repairs to the brickwork under the gutter that were allowing water ingress into the building were undertaken by Walton Access at a cost of £500.

In October, a problem with the boundary wall to the Parish Rooms and a neighbouring property, was identified as needing an inspection from a structural engineer. Since then, the wall has collapsed and this work remains in progress. The area has been cordoned off.

7.ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE

As can be seen from Section 4, the parish has provided a range of different activities across its entire geographical area serving all ages. These activities have been both religious and secular. The toddler group, Shine, continues to attract new members including people from outside the parish and it is encouraging that some attendees are coming to worship services. Our fresh expressions of worship, Space & Time and Tea Church, the luncheon club and parish breakfast are also attracting new members. All these activities are helping to combat social isolation that can have an impact on the wellbeing of families and older people. We continue to offer the GraveTalk sessions to provide an opportunity to consider a sensitive life stage and a difficult topic and are looking to develop our support for people experiencing bereavement in 2024. We have also continued to offer wellbeing courses.

19

We have supported civic life through the use of our buildings for public worship and private prayer and reflection alongside local events – inauguration of the Town Mayor, and Town Carols. Our services and our community centres have been able to open for services and activities against a difficult national economic background. The Chappell Centre operated as a Warm Space and was able to offer free hot drinks. The Community Centres have successfully applied for grants from Cheshire East.

The adoption of the new identity as the single parish, All Saints Congleton, is beginning to gain traction. The most visible use of the logo is the branded clothing used by teams at SHINE, Messy Church events and the One Service.

The St Peter’s Project Group have made some progress. They have received some useful advice and support from Diocesan advisors and have consulted widely with the PCC, the congregations and the wider town and community. They continue to work with the architects.

Unfortunately, the parish outgoings have exceeded its income and this is an area that will need to be addressed and more closely monitored in 2024. The PCC understands the need to address its budgeting processes in 2024 to ensure that items related to development have a budget, or an approach to fundraising, before the costs are incurred.

8. FINANCIAL REVIEW

8.1 SUMMARY

The Accounts cover two Parish Churches (St Peter’s and St Stephen’s), two Chapels of Ease (St John’s and Holy Trinity), Mossley Village Hall and St John’s Community Centre. As in previous years, CTP Networking Ltd, which manages the operations in the Chappell Centre, is not included, being a separate legal entity.

The attached Financial Statements show:

Total Income for 2023 was £248,663 (2022 - £255,415) consisting of:

Restricted Funds £75,338 (2022 - £55,584) Unrestricted (Designated) £37,799 (2022- £54,358) Unrestricted (General) £135,525 (2022 - £145,473)

Total Expenditure for 2023 was £248,138 (2022- £202,893) consisting of:

Restricted Funds £55,615 (2022 - £34,812)
Unrestricted (Designated) £44,934 (2022 - £35,076)
Unrestricted (General) £147,588 (2022 - £133,006)

20

8.2 RESTRICTED FUNDS

In 2019 a generous legacy was received and was invested with CCLA until needed for major building work, which is the subject of a project still in the planning phase.

The portfolio of investments held in shares increased in value by £107,953 during 2023, and this is shown in the SOFA under Gains/losses on investment assets.

Total of Restricted funds at 31/12/23 = £1,520,706. For the detailed list see the Balance Sheet.

8.3 DESIGNATED FUNDS

The monies for Mossley Village Hall Premises and the St John’s Community Centre are ringfenced to keep separate from other Unrestricted monies. For these, only their total income, total expenditure and bank balances are included in these Accounts

There is also a fund for major repairs to church buildings, and several other small funds which the PCC wishes to ring-fence.

Total Designated funds at 31/12/23 = £89,211. For the detailed list see the Balance Sheet.

8.4 GENERAL FUNDS

The total income was £135,525 (2022: £145,473). This represented a £10000 drop in income to General Funds. Congregational giving (excluding tax recovered) accounted for 63 % of income (2022 58%). It mainly comes from bank standing orders (2023 83%). Unfortunately, there continues to be a gradual decline in the giving due to the age profile of the congregation.

The major expenditure (49%) was, as usual, the Parish Share, £71,757, paid to the Diocese. Other significant expenditure was for the running costs of four churches and graveyards, and the Parish Office. The rise in energy costs for the 4 churches and the parish office is significant, rising by over £6000 - from £7734 in 2022 to £14456 in 2023.

Investment in shares increased in value by £2,259 during 2023, and this is shown in the SOFA under gains/losses on investment assets.

The balance of General funds at the end of 2023 was £46,590 (£61,241 at end 2022), a decrease of £14,651.

8.5 SUMMARY OF FUNDS

The total value of Parish funds at 31 December 2023 is shown below, with comparison to 2022.

At 31/12/23 At 31/12/22
Restricted £1,520,706 £1,393,183
Designated £89,211 £91,346
General £46,590 £61,241
TOTALS £1,656,507 1,545,770

21

8.6 RESERVES POLICY The PCC aims to cover major or unexpected events are covered as follows:

8.7 FUTURE FINANCIAL PLANS

It is now 4 years since the Parish was re-established by the introduction of the Pastoral Scheme and 3 years since the appointment of the current incumbent. There is a lot of work to be done implementing the Pastoral Scheme and the PCC understands it will need to review its financial process to ensure that budget is made available for development work.

The PCC accepts that the decline in income and increasing expenditure makes the financial position precarious and that it needs to closely monitor the financial situation. The balance sheet is deceptive. Monies for actual running costs, held in the General Reserves, are decreasing. However, the Parish appears to be well-endowed on the surface because of the Restricted Funds. It has been agreed that action needs to be taken to raise the congregation’s awareness of the actual cost of running the parish. It also accepts that action to raise the income will be insufficient and steps will need to be taken to drastically reduce the expenditure as well.

9. STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

The parish is governed by the Church Representation Rules and is structured as a single benefice with two parish churches. The remaining two churches are chapels of ease. This structure has been in place since 1[st] August 2019 when the new pastoral scheme was introduced that dissolved the previous structure of PCCs and DCCs.

There were 185 people on the Electoral Roll at the APCM. The Parish Administrator acts as the Electoral Roll Officer.

The main governance body is the Parochial Church Council (PCC) which consists of the incumbent, the churchwardens, deanery synod representatives and lay representatives.

22

There are four Churchwardens for the parish with responsibility for the two Parish Churches and the two chapels of ease.

The number of deanery synod representatives is set by the diocese of Chester based on the current electoral roll of the parish. We are currently allocated four representatives who are elected on a 3-year term. Two representatives were elected at the annual meeting.

The number of lay representatives is set by the church representation rules based on the current electoral roll of the parish. The allocation is 9 representatives. Lay representatives are elected on a rolling 3-year term with 3 people standing for re-election each year. There is currently 1 vacancy.

The Licensed Pastoral Worker is a member of the PCC as a result of the role.

The PCC is chaired by the Incumbent or the Vice Chair at the Incumbent’s request. The Vice Chair also acts as chair if the incumbent is absent. The other defined role is PCC Secretary. One PCC member has been designated to provide a specific liaison point with the parish safeguarding officer. Others have been designated to provide liaison with “CTP Networking Ltd” (the company which manages the Chappell Centre on behalf of the PCC), Mossley Village Hall Premises committee and the All Saints Community Centre committee.

The PCC meets in full about every 6 weeks. In 2023 there were 2 extra meetings – one to provide an opportunity for forward planning with the Mission Strategy Group and one for feedback from the Buildings Usage Strategy Group. The PCC dealt with a number of additional items, usually related to repairs, outside the meetings via correspondence (email). The PCC is charged with running the parish as its trustees and having due regard for the requirement to provide public benefit.

The Standing Committee constituted under rule M31(1) of the Church Representation Rules consists of the incumbent, 2 churchwardens and 2 lay members of the PCC. This is the only committee required by law; it has the power to transact the business of the PCC between its meetings, subject to any directions given by Council.

There are 6 PCC approved working groups:

In addition, there is a team specifically charged with managing the restoration and development projects in St. Peter’s church – St Peter’s Project Group; and operating committees for Mossley Village Hall Premises and All Saints Community Centre.

23

There are 3 paid posts within the Parish: The Rector (employed by the Diocese) and the Parish Administrator and the Children and Families Missioner (who are employed by the parish).

There are 6 voluntary posts - three Readers and one Reader with permission to officiate, a licensed Pastoral Worker and a Parish Evangelist.

There are also lay people taking a leadership role in services, life groups and groups actively involved in pastoral care, fund raising, and church music. It is worth noting that one of the parish music leaders has posted a song on our Facebook page every day since the start of the first national lockdown to help us on our faith journey.

Day-to-day activities are directed by the incumbent, but when this post is vacant the responsibility falls upon the PCC Vice Chair (Church representation rules M19(2)(a)). The PCC Vice Chair is Chris Downes-Ward.

9.1 PCC ACTIVITIES

The PCC is a body corporate established by the Church of England. The PCC operates under the Parochial Church Councils (Powers) Measure 1956 and the Church Representation Rules 2020 to cooperate with the minister in promoting in the Parish the whole mission of the Church – pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical.

The PCC recognises that in relation to ‘Risk Assessment’, risk is defined as ‘the threat of any action or event that will adversely affect the organisation’s ability to achieve its objectives and execute its strategies.’ It also accepts that the term ‘risk’ can include any circumstances that may, or do, have an adverse effect and is wider than financial matters. ‘Risks’ relate not only to the negative consequences of a threat, but also to the impact of not taking advantage of opportunities.

The PCC recognises that it requires a practical Health and Safety Policy covering activities for each of the four churches, its community buildings and church halls, and that it is regularly reviewed. An Accident Book is maintained in all premises.

The contents and obligations of the Equality Act 2010 and the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) 2018 are known and complied with to the best of the PCC’s ability through the Parish Administrator. The Diversity Policy is reviewed annually.

The PCC is aware of its responsibilities in respect of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) order 2005 in its requirement to carry out fire assessments in each of its premises to identify any possible dangers and risks, to take action to minimise the risks and to create a plan to deal with any emergencies, and also to write up and keep a record of its findings and to review its assessment annually. The PCC has appointed the churchwardens for each church and its associated premises, and the chairpersons of the management committees to be the responsible persons to put these things in place.

24

The PCC has had a busy year. Outside of the usual six-weekly meetings, there have been a number of proposals for consideration due to unexpected repairs to the buildings. These have all incurred additional expense. The PCC held a morning event to plan its mission strategy for 2024 followed by a time of fellowship.

The business of the PCC is informed by the work of the PCC approved groups and ensures effective oversight. Unfortunately, as can be seen from the accounts, the parish has overspent its designated budget by £14,000 and the PCC clearly needs to maintain a more stringent oversight in 2024 and to be aware of which cost code is covering the required expenditure. Some of the overspend was incurred by unexpected repairs to the buildings and the increase in energy costs but some were incurred through unbudgeted costs and this clearly cannot continue.

The Business and Finance Committee continued to monitor quarterly financial figures for approval by the PCC. In 2024 there will need to be a detailed focus on the expenditure against the agreed budget.

The Buildings’ Usage Strategy Group was established to help inform the PCC on the use of parish buildings and the financial resources required to operate each building. The group reported back to the PCC in November 2023 and an action plan was agreed. It highlighted that the way forward for the parish is by no means straightforward and the PCC will need to make some difficult decisions in order to significantly reduce its overall expenditure.

The Children & Families Group have been working with and supporting the Children and Families Missioner to maximise the opportunities for outreach, improve our opportunities for mission alongside the Mission Strategy Group.

The Climate Change group has been working on the A Rocha Awards for the parish. This is complex because of the number of buildings and sites incorporated into the parish.

The Communications Group has been working hard to raise the parish profile. They have been working with professional support to develop the website. This has incurred an unbudgeted cost of £8000 which has contributed to our overspend. They have explored the options for refreshing the physical signage and will be looking to seek the necessary permissions to proceed; it should be noted that this cost is not included in the 2024 budget.

The Mission Strategy Group continues to review the strategy for developing mission across the parish; to maintain an oversight of current activities and their relevance; to understand our strengths and weaknesses as a parish and any gaps; and to identify models for development for recommendation to the PCC.

There is a Safeguarding Policy in place in respect of children and vulnerable adults. Posters are displayed in each of the premises advising the relevant person to contact both within the

25

Parish and the Diocese. It is reviewed annually at the first PCC meeting following the churchwarden’s formal appointment at the Archdeacon’s Visitation.

There have been no safeguarding incidents reported. The Safeguarding Officer is very proactive in working to ensure the parish adheres to Diocesan guidelines across all its activities and that volunteers are checked and complete the appropriate training. The PCC trustees are required to complete DBS checks and safeguarding training as specified by the Diocese.

10. DECLARATION

Signature

==> picture [158 x 60] intentionally omitted <==

Full Name(s)

Revd Ian Peter Enticott

Position Rector

Date 19[th] April 2024

26

11.TRUSTEES' RESPONSIBILITIES STATEMENTS

The trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

The law applicable to charities in England & Wales requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources of the charity for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of the trust deed. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

27

12. EXAMINER’S REPORT

Independent Examiner’s unqualified report to the members of the P.C.C. of All Saints Church, Congleton, Diocese of Chester in respect of the Financial Statements for the year ended 31[st] . December 2023 as set out on pages 29 to 30 of this report.

Respective responsibilities of the P.C.C. and the examiner.

The P.C.C. members acting as the charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for the year under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 (the Charities Act) and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to:

examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act

to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity

Commission (under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act, and to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.

Basis of the Independent Examiner’s statement.

My examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the Charity Commission and the guidance published in PCC Accountability (The Charities Act 2011 and the P.C.C.), 5[th] edition). An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with these records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required for 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 material matter has come to my attention which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:

accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act, or the accounts do not accord to the accounting records.

I have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts is reached.

Signed. Date 24[th] . April 2024. Name Revd. A. A. Clements

Fellow Association of Charity Independent Examiners.

Address 15 Carleton Road, Great Knowley, Chorley PR6 8TQ

ACIE PCC CC32

28

13. STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITY (SOFA)

PARISH OF All SAINTS CONGLETON - 1134829

Statement of Financial Activities

For the period from 01 January 2023 to 31 December 2023

P rio r year
to tal funds
Unrestricted
funds
D esignated
funds
R estricted
funds
Endo wment
funds
T o tal
funds
Other income
Other trading activities
Investments
Donations and legacies
Income from charitable activities
Income and endowments from:		 —
—
—
—
—
—
3,316
37,161
112
—
40,589
56,950
718
—
34,315
—
35,033
34,840
117,626
430
34,390
—
152,445
143,939
13,865
209
6,523
—
20,597
19,686
Other expenditure
Expenditure on:
Raising funds
Expenditure on charitable activities
T o tal inco me		 —
42,534
—
—
42,534
34,887
201
—
—
—
201
178
147,388
2,400
55,615
—
205,403
167,828
135,525
37,800
75,339
—
248,663
255,415
Gains / losses on investment assets
T o tal expenditure		 2,259
—
107,953
—
110,212
(156,295)
147,589
44,934
55,615
—
248,138
202,893
N et inco me / (expenditure) reso urces befo re transfer (9,804)
(7,135)
127,677
—
110,737
(103,773)
Other recognised gains / losses
Gains on revaluation, fixed assets, charity's own use
Transfers
Gross transfers between funds - in
Gross transfers between funds - out		 —
—
—
—
—
—
153
5,000
—
—
5,153
6,497
(5,000)
—
(153)
—
(5,153)
(6,497)
Reconciliation of funds
N et mo vement in funds		 (14,651)
(2,135)
127,524
—
110,737
(103,773)
T o tal funds bro ught fo rward 61,241
91,346
1,393,183
—
1,545,770
1,649,544
T o tal funds carried fo rward 46,590
89,212
1,520,706
—
1,656,508
1,545,770

There may be minor discrepancies in the totals if the pence are not being shown

29

14.BALANCE SHEET (SEPARATE FUNDS)

PARISH OF All SAINTS CONGLETON - 1134829

Balance sheet (Separate funds) As at: 31 December 2023

F ixed assets
Investments		 £
26,272
—
1,255,370
—
1,281,642
1,171,429
General
Fund
Designated
Funds
Restricted
Endowment
A t 31/ 12/ 2023
A t 31/ 12/ 2022
£		 £
26,272
—
1,255,370
—
1,281,642
1,171,429
General
Fund
Designated
Funds
Restricted
Endowment
A t 31/ 12/ 2023
A t 31/ 12/ 2022
£
C urrent assets
Debtors
Cash at bank and in hand
F ixed assets		 912
805
19,406
88,407
26,272
—		 —
—
1,717
1,254

265,337
—
373,149
373,928
1,255,370
—
1,281,642
1,171,429
Restricted - Chappell Legacy
Restricted - Higginbothom Legacy Accum Inc
Restricted - PCC Children & Families M inistry
Restricted - PCC M ission fund
Restricted - St Peter's Building M aintenance
Restricted - St Peter's Adcroft Legacy Devel't &
Restricted - St Peter's Adcroft Legacy Restoration
Restricted - St Peter's Adcroft Legacy Outreach
Restricted - St Peter's ** Bell tower fund
Restricted - St Stephens Thanksgiving fund
Restricted - M iss M atthias Organist Training Fund
Restricted - St Peters organ repairs
Designated - St John's Buglawton Community Centre
R estricted
Restricted - St Peter's Old Development
Designated - St Peter's ** Children's fund
Designated - St Peter's ** Cemetery fund
Designated - M ossley Village Hall Savings
Designated - M ossley village hall premises
Designated - PCC Refreshments fund
Designated - PCC M ajor Repairs Fund
Unrestricted - General fund
D esignated
Designated - "Agency" Fund DF
T o tal net assets less liabilities
R epresented by
Unrestricted
N et current assets less current liabilities
T o tal assets less current liabilities
C urrent assets
Liabilities
Creditors: Amounts falling due in one year		 —
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
26,472
—
—
—
62
—
4,457
—
6,741
—
34,302
—
491
—
16,686
46,590
—
—
—
46,590
89,212
20,318
89,212
46,590
89,212
20,318
89,212
—
—		 70,031
—
70,031
72,757

7,928
—
7,928
6,820

411
—
411
648

1,505
—
1,505
2,305

5,050
—
5,050
5,050

663,421
—
663,421
613,468

515,501
—
515,501
462,185

137,127
—
137,127
123,835

4,035
—
4,035
3,837

5,478
—
5,478
5,428

671
—
671
650

13
—
13
782

—
—
26,472
34,332

109,537
—
109,537
95,417

—
—
62
62

—
—
4,457
4,457

—
—
6,741
6,532

—
—
34,302
31,815

—
—
491
397

—
—
16,686
13,750

—
—
46,590
61,241

—
—
—
—
1,520,706
—
1,656,508
1,545,770
265,337
—
374,866
374,341
1,520,706
—
1,656,508
1,545,770
265,337
—
374,866
375,182

—
—
—
841
F unds o f the church
There may be minor		 46,590
89,212
discrepancies in the totals if the pe		 1,520,706
—
1,656,508
1,545,770
nce are not being shown

Approved by the PCC on Thursday April 18[th] 2024 and signed on their behalf by the Chair, Rev Ian Enticott.

==> picture [78 x 30] intentionally omitted <==

30

15.1 ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Church accounting regulations together with the applicable accounting standards and the Charities SORP. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention except for some investment assets, which are shown at market value

INCOME
PARISH OF ALL SAINTS CONGLETON
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023
NOTES - continued
Unrestricted Funds Restricted TOTAL TOTAL
General Designated Funds 2023 2022
£ £ £ £ £
2. DONATIONS AND LEGACIES
Congregational Regular Giving 85,117 9,704 94,821 92,430
Donations,Appeals etc 10,547 430 22,304 33,280 24,417
Tax recovered(Gift Aid,VAT) 21,962 2,382 24,344 26,106
Grants 986
Legacies
117,626 430 34,390 152,445 143,939
3. CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES
Fees for Weddings,Funerals etc 13,865 13,865 17,355
Bank Interest 209 6,523 6,732 2,331
13,865 209 6,523 20,597 19,686
4. OTHER TRADING ACTIVITIES
Fundraising& Misc. Income 3,316 112 3,428 3,152
Hall & CommunityCentre Income 37,161 37,161 53,799
3,316 37,161 112 40,589 56,950
5. INVESTMENTS
Share dividends 718 34,315 35,033 34,840
718 34,315 35,033 34,840
135,525 37,800 75,339 248,663

31

EXPENDITURE

==> picture [452 x 300] intentionally omitted <==

General funds represent the funds of the PCC that are not subject to any restrictions regarding their use and are available for application on the general purposes of the PCC (labelled ‘Unrestr'd’ in the accounts). These include funds designated for a particular purpose by the PCC e.g. Parish Share

The purpose of restricted funds (labelled ‘Restr'd’ in the accounts) is noted in the accounts. The accounts include transactions, assets and liabilities for which the PCC can be held responsible. They do not include the accounts of church groups that owe an affiliation to another body nor those that are informal gatherings of church members.

Voluntary income and capital sources:

Collections and donations are recognised when made.

Amounts receivable under the gift aid are only recognised when honoured by the donor. Income tax recoverable on gift aid is recognised when claimed.

Grants and legacies to the PCC are accounted for as soon as the PCC is notified of its entitlement and the actual amount.

Any funds raised by fete, garden party and similar events are accounted for gross. Other ordinary income:

Rental income from lettings of church premises

Parochial fees due to the PCC for weddings, funerals etc are accounted for on an event by event basis

Insurance claims are accounted for when settled.

32

Income from Investments:

Dividends and interest are accounted for when due

Investment gains and losses:

Realised gains or losses are recognised when investments are sold Unrealised gains or losses are accounted for on revaluation of investments at 31[st] December

Application of resources:

Missionary and Charities Giving is accounted for when paid

The Diocesan Parish Share is accountable when payable

Fixed Assets

Consecrated and beneficed Property is excluded from the accounts by s.96 (2)(c) of the Charities Act 1993.

No value is placed on moveable church furnishings held by the churchwardens on special trust for the PCC and which requires a faculty for disposal since the PCC considers this to be inalienable property. All expenditure incurred during the year on consecrated or beneficed buildings and moveable church furnishings, whether maintenance or improvement is written off.

Church Halls

The land and buildings held on behalf of the PCC for its own purposes are at nil value.

Other Fixtures & Fittings

Equipment used within the church building is written off at point of purchase and therefore depreciation is not applicable.

Investments:

Investments are administered by CCLA and held in the CBF Church of England Investment fund, on behalf of the PCC, and are valued at the market value on 31[st] December.

Current Assets:

Amounts owing to the PCC at 31[st] December in respect of rents or other income are shown as debtors less any provision for amounts that may prove uncollectible. Short-term deposits include cash held on deposit either with the Central Board of Finance, the Diocesan Board of Finance, the Banks or Building Societies.

Connected Charities:

The accounts of the St Peters School Trust (the Trustees being the Incumbent & Churchwardens) are held separately from the Parish Accounts.

15.1 GOVERNANCE COSTS

AUDITOR’S / INDEPENDENT EXAMINERS REMUNERATION:

The provision made for independent examiner’s remuneration for 2022 was £200. In the event, because the total income was greater than £250,000, the charge was £1,800 (paid in 2023). No provision has been made in the 2023 Accounts, but the charge is expected to be £300

33

15.2 TRUSTEES' AND KEY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL REMUNERATION AND EXPENSES

The trustees neither received nor waived any remuneration during 2023 (2022: £NIL), except for the Children & Families’ Missioner, a full-time employee who was made a Trustee during 2020. This trustee, Mr Nic Blackmore, received a gross salary of £30,231 in 2023 (£28,791 in 2022) and employee benefit for pension of £1,209 in 2023 (2022 £1,152).

He was the only Trustee who received reimbursement for expenses of £448 during 2023 (£547 in 2022).

15.3 STAFF COSTS AND EMPLOYEE BENEFITS

The average monthly number of employees and full time equivalent (FTE) during the year was as follows:

2023 2023 2022 2022
Number FTE Number FTE
Raising funds Nil Nil
Charitable activities 3 2 3 2
Governance Nil Nil
3 2 3 2

The total staff costs and employee benefits were as follows:

2023 2022
Wages and Salaries 47,766 45,567
Social Security NIL NIL
Defined contribution pension
costs		 1,782 1,697
Other employee benefits 445 424
Totals 49,993 47,688

No employees received total employee benefits (excluding employer pension costs) of more than £60,000.

34

15.4 FIXED ASSET INVESTMENTS

2023 2022
Managed fund investments 1,281,642 1,171,429

The fair value of listed investments is determined by reference to valuations provided by the CCLA who manage the funds. Their valuation will be based on the quoted prices for identical assets in an active market at the balance sheet date.

- 15.5 PENSIONS AND OTHER POST RETIREMENT BENEFITS

The charity operates a defined contribution pension plan for its employees. The amount recognised as an expense in the period was £1,782 (2022 - £1,697).

35

15.6 FUND MOVEMENT SUMMARY

PARISH OF All SAINTS CONGLETON - 1134829

Fund movement summary Selected period: 01 January 2023 to 31 December 2023

F und Jo urnal Enties
F und balances
C arried fo rward
F und B alances
bro ught fo rward
Inco ming
Outgo ing
T ransfers
Gains and
R eso urces
R eso urces
Lo sses
Agency - "Agency" Fund
DF
PCCRepairs - PCC Major
Repairs Fund
PCC-Refrsh - PCC
Refreshments fund
SPOldDevlt - St Peter's
Old Development
SPAdcroRes - St Peter's
Adcroft Legacy
Restoration
SPAdcroOut - St Peter's
Adcroft Legacy Outreach
SPBldMaint - St Peter's
Building Maintenance
MVHSavings - Mossley
Village Hall Savings
SPAdcroDev - St Peter's
Adcroft Legacy Devel't &
Reordering
PCC-CFMin - PCC
Children & Families
Ministry
PCCMission - PCC
Mission fund
General - General fund
ChappLeg - Chappell
Legacy
HTHiggAccI -
Higginbothom Legacy
Accum Inc
HTOrgan - Miss Matthias
Organist Training Fund
MVHPremis - Mossley
village hall premises
SPOrgan - St Peters
organ repairs
SPBelltow - St Peter's
Bell tow er fund
SSThanks - St Stephens
Thanksgiving fund
SPChild - St Peter's
Children's fund
SPCemet - St Peter's **
Cemetery fund
Buglaw CC - St John's
Buglaw ton Community
Centre premises		 —
16,686
491
109,537
515,501
137,127
5,050
6,741
663,421
411
1,505
46,590
70,031
7,928
671
34,302
13
4,035
5,478
62
4,457
26,472
4,457
—
—
—
—
—
34,332
24,323
32,183
—
—
—
5,428
50
—
—
—
—
62
—
—
—
—
—
782
—
769
—
—
—
3,837
198
—
—
—
—
650
21
—
—
—
—
31,815
12,838
10,351
—
—
—
72,757
2,274
5,000
—
—
—
6,820
1,107
—
—
—
—
2,305
—
801
—
—
—
61,241
135,525
147,589
(4,847)
2,259
—
613,468
16,029
16,350
(153)
50,427
—
648
32,362
32,600
—
—
—
5,050
—
—
—
—
—
6,532
209
—
—
—
—
462,185
12,975
—
—
40,342
—
123,835
3,206
—
—
10,085
—
397
430
336
—
—
—
95,417
7,117
96
—
7,099
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
13,750
—
2,064
5,000
—
—
T o tals 1,656,508
1,545,770
248,663
248,138
—
110,212
—
There may be minor discrepancies in the totals if the pence are not being shown

36

15.7 FUND MOVEMENT OF CHANGE

PARISH OF All SAINTS CONGLETON - 1134829

Fund statement of change 01/01/2023 to 31/12/2023

==> picture [691 x 293] intentionally omitted <==

----- Start of picture text -----
Brought forward Movement Carried forward
Fund Unrestricted D esignated R estricted Endo wment Unrestricted D esignated R estricted Endo wment Unrestricted D esignated R estricted Endo wment
Agency — — — — — — — — — — — —
PCC-Refrsh — 397 — — — 94 — — — 491 — —
PCCRepairs — 13,750 — — — 2,936 — — — 16,686 — —
SPOldDevlt — — 95,417 — — — 14,120 — — — 109,537 —
SPAdcroRes — — 462,185 — — — 53,316 — — — 515,501 —
SPAdcroOut — — 123,835 — — — 13,291 — — — 137,127 —
SPBldMaint — — 5,050 — — — — — — — 5,050 —
MVHSavings — 6,532 — — — 209 — — — 6,741 — —
SPAdcroDev — — 613,468 — — — 49,953 — — — 663,421 —
PCC-CFMin — — 648 — — — (237) — — — 411 —
PCCMission — — 2,305 — — — (801) — — — 1,505 —
General 61,241 — — — (14,651) — — — 46,590 — — —
ChappLeg — — 72,757 — — — (2,726) — — — 70,031 —
HTHiggAccI — — 6,820 — — — 1,107 — — — 7,928 —
HTOrgan — — 650 — — — 21 — — — 671 —
MVHPremis — 31,815 — — — 2,487 — — — 34,302 — —
SPOrgan — — 782 — — — (769) — — — 13 —
SPOldReord — — — — — — — — — — — —
SPOldRestn — — — — — — — — — — — —
SPBelltow — — 3,837 — — — 198 — — — 4,035 —
SSThanks — — 5,428 — — — 50 — — — 5,478 —
SPOldMaint — — — — — — — — — — — —
SPChild — 62 — — — — — — — 62 — —
SPCemet — 4,457 — — — — — — — 4,457 — —
Buglaw CC — 34,332 — — — (7,860) — — — 26,472 — —
Totals 61,241 91,346 1,393,183 — (14,651) (2,135) 127,524 — 46,590 89,212 1,520,706 —
----- End of picture text -----

37

15.8 LISTING OF FUNDS

GENERAL fund. Monies for which there are no restrictions on how used.

DESIGNATED FUNDS

The charity operated 7 Designated funds (i.e. Unrestricted but “ring-fenced”) as follows:

Mossley Village Hall Savings fund . Used to keep savings separate from its day-to-day monies.

Mossley Village Hall Premises fund . Used to keep day-to-day operation of the Hall separate from other Parish monies. (Total figures only are consolidated into the final Parish Accounts.)

St Peter’s Children’s fund . Consists of donations to provide facilities for very young children (“Mum’s & Tots”).

St Peter’s Cemetery fund . Used to set aside fees from burials for future major expenditure in the cemetery.

St John’s Community Centre Premises fund . Used to keep the operation of the Centre separate from other Parish monies. (Total figures only are consolidated into the final Parish Accounts.)

PCC Major Repairs fund . (Previously Churches’ Contingency fund) Set aside for major repairs or other unexpected expenses for St Stephen’s, St John’s and Holy Trinity.

PCC Refreshments fund . Monies from teas, coffees, etc., between services in church to be used for refreshments at the APCM or similar events.

38

RESTRICTED FUNDS

The charity operates 13 Restricted funds, as follows:

PCC Children & Families Ministry fund. (Previously PCC Youth fund). Grants and donations for the employment of a Children & Families Missioner.

PCC Mission fund . Monies retained from Parish Giving for Mission activities.

Chappell Legacy fund . The residue of a legacy for the Chappell Centre/Mossley Village Hall site.

Higginbottom Legacy Accum. Income fund . A legacy and donations for expenses to the interior of Holy Trinity church.

Miss Matthias’ Organist Training fund . A legacy for organist training.

St Stephen’s Thanksgiving fund . A legacy and donations for use on the church building.

St Peter’s Old Development fund . Historical legacies, donations and grants for repairs and alterations to the fabric of the church.

St Peter’s Bell Tower fund . Donations for maintenance of the church bells and ringing equipment.

St Peter’s Adcroft Legacy Development Reordering fund . Part (50%) of the 2019 legacy, to be used for reordering the interior of the church and further development of the site.

St Peter’s Adcroft Legacy Restoration fund . Part (40%) of the 2019 legacy, to be used to restore the fabric of the church.

St Peter’s Adcroft Legacy Outreach fund . Part (10%) of the 2019 legacy, to be used for outreach to the local community.

St Peter’s Building Maintenance fund . Required by Heritage England to show that, at the start of each year, an agreed amount has been set aside for maintenance of the fabric of the church. (Replaced a Designated fund at the end of 2019.)

St Peter’s Organ Repairs fund . A legacy for major repairs to the church organ.

39