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← The Parochial Church Council Of The Ecclesiastical Parish Of St Austell

2023-12-31-accounts

St Austell Parish

Annual Report & Financial Statements for the year ending 31/12/2023

Holy Trinity Church Church Street St Austell Cornwall PL25 4FZ

Incumbent:

Rev Howard Flint (to 31 August 2023)

Principal Bankers:

CAF Bank Ltd Barclays Bank 25 Kings Hill Avenue 10 Church Street Kings Hill St Austell West Malling PL25 4AS Kent ME19 4JQ

Independent Examiner:

Tina Kelly Cuckoo House Nanstallon PL30 5LD

Registered Charity No. 1135008

St Austell Parochial Church Council (PCC) 1.1.2023-31.12.2023

Revd Howard Flint (to 31.8.2023) - ex officio, Incumbent Sara Moult ex officio, churchwarden Keith Palmer (to 26.3.2023) ex officio, churchwarden Bonnie Zaphiriou (from 26.3.2023) ex officio, churchwarden Revd Carol Edleston - ex officio, clergy Richard Rashleigh (Treasurer) Katrina Hurst (PCC Secretary) Clive Nichols Jane Wingrove Steve White Ralph Curr (to 26.3.2023) Georgia Jenkins (from 8.5.2023) Heather Batho ex officio, Deanery Synod Alan Gilbert ex officio, Deanery Synod Jonny Dant (from 8.5.2023) ex officio, Deanery Synod Jamie Moore (from 8.5.2023) ex officio, Deanery Synod Chris Edleston - ex officio, Diocesan Synod Revd Paul Zaphiriou (from 8.5.2023) ex officio, Diocesan Synod (Rural Dean from 14.9.2023)

Safeguarding

We continue to highlight the importance of good safeguarding. We know it’s paramount to ensure a good safeguarding culture and it’s something we positively promote. Our safeguarding compliance is now managed via a Safeguarding Dashboard; an online database system that keeps a check on everything. Of course, it’s only as good as the information input into it so I keep a regular check and it’s great for reminding me when things need checking or renewing. This is reported to the PCC regularly. There were no safeguarding issues arising in the parish in 2023.

[Update 2024: We now also have a Safeguarding Hub which I have been working on over the last few weeks. It’s another database, structured by the Diocese, which holds all the different volunteer roles and the requirements for DBS and safeguarding training. It will also tell me when dates are due to expire which is very helpful! I’m still in the process of putting all the information in but it will be a helpful system once up to date. These databases are being rolled out nationwide as the wider Church of England seeks to robustly manage the different areas of safeguarding.]

As always, if anyone has a concern or a question please talk to me or either of the Churchwardens. Lesley Lawther

Churchwardens

On 26th March 2023 Howard Flint announced at the APCM that he would be leaving at the end of August 2023. We are enormously grateful to Howard for the foundations he laid in the Parish over six and a half years, ready for the next incumbent to build on; he and Kay are missed, they went with our love and blessings and are now very happily ensconced in Hampshire (where hurricanes hardly ever happen).

Work began on the Parish Profile even before Howard’s departure and the first draft was with the PCC in May. The churchwardens acknowledge the invaluable support of the Rural Dean whose wisdom, experience and energy enabled us to produce a profile now being shared as an exemplar within the diocese. The transition team (comprising the Churchwardens and the Rural Dean) was active in finding a new vicarage and in liaising with the Diocese and the Crown Representative.

[Update in 2024: the transition team oversaw the wording and placement of the advertisement for the new Vicar, participated in both the short-listing of applicants and the visit, interview and selection of the successful candidate. At the last APCM, Howard said, “I believe God is preparing that person even as we gather at this meeting today” and so it proved. This was in no small way, supported by the prayers of so many of you and the No Plan B prayer initiative. This was accomplished in 7 months and 6 days which is amazing in the current climate, and we are so grateful to God for His provision in this and so many other ways; truly, “His faithfulness endures forever.” ….. Howard was not our only loss; Carol Edleston became the Priest for Fowey on March 11 2024 and she, together with Chris and Teddy are missed as well.]

During the vacancy, the Churchwardens and Rural Dean have been wonderfully supported by the PCC, the congregations in the Parish and the Team at Trinity Centre who have been working hard, ensuring that our momentum and more importantly, our Parish vision, was maintained. More than once, we were told, “this does not look like a church in transition” so, thank you – all of you!

Our numbers during the vacancy were broadly steady and we continued to see people coming forward for baptism [ to note that 6 candidates were confirmed by Bishop Hugh in April 2024; when the Bishop also commissioned Jane Wingrove as our Anna Chaplain. ] Our outreach to Mums and

toddlers, to those needing debt counselling, to other churches in our deanery needing our support from our TM team, visiting the elderly in care homes and the local hospice, has continued. We continue to rely heavily on volunteers, and we are so grateful for your commitment of your time. We also managed during the transition to open the Trinity Café in November, which is doing very well indeed. Birthed in our vision and accomplished through prayer, your generosity and the hard work of so many, in particular, Heather Batho, Keith Palmer and Richard Rashleigh.

Our buildings, while very old, have no major structural issues although they have required minor repairs, some of them needed due to occasions of anti-social behaviour; a break-in where the collection box was stolen, a window smashed, and graffiti sprayed on the South wall. The crumbling top wall of the Stables in the carpark required stabilization [ which has been done in 2024 ]. We are grateful to Clive Nichols who Chairs the Building Committee, a sub-committee of the PCC and who has done an enormous amount of work on ensuring our buildings remain safe.

We organised staff events such as a Learning Day, Christmas meal and Fun Day.

Bonnie’s HR skills and experience are being generously and effectively deployed in the clarification of staff contracts and the preparation of a staff handbook, bringing us into line with best practice and enabling us to hand over an efficient and up-to-date organisation to our new incumbent.

So where are we today? We gather in three beautiful churches in the glorious Duchy of Cornwall: our future secure not in our works but in knowing that the Church belongs to Jesus; we continue to welcome, to love, to be passionate for God; we are a prayerful, worshipping and prophetic people, our presence announcing to this struggling town, that Jesus is Lord! We are excited about what God has in store for us; we have dreams – we have plans, but we leave these in His hands. May God bless you and our Parish and all those who walk through our doors. Sara Moult & Bonnie Zaphiriou

Church Gatherings Thursdays at 11

This gathering continued throughout 2023, led by Revd Carol Edleston. [ 2024 update: Since Carol left we have continued to worship at this time every week. With the help of Jamie we have learnt new skills and are able to use iSing and project the same slides as on a Sunday so that the congregation are kept up to date with what is happening in the parish. We also use Peter on the organ once a month and Benjamin on the piano. The live music has definitely been well received and definitely enhances our worship. We have a variety of leaders and speakers. The talks are in line with those given on a Sunday. We also have a list of readers now so that they can prepare before the gathering (and a welcomer on the door!). As part of the pastoral role we start each gathering with a welcome and news so that we can keep up with those who are not well. Numbers range between 12 and 25! All are welcome .] Jane Wingrove

Sundays at HT

In 2023 the pattern of 9:15 and 11:00 was maintained both before and after Howard Flint’s departure, together with regular eucharistic gatherings. We were encouraged by generally sustained attendance. Organizing a rota for the period of transition proved quite straightforward and I am very grateful to all who have led gatherings or preached – and of course to all the many volunteers in numerous teams who together help make church, humanly speaking, an uplifting experience of encounter with God. We had Bishop Philip with us in late summer on one of his final Sundays in the Diocese (with baptisms!) and Bishop Hugh came in November.

Our Christmas gatherings were particularly well received; attendance at our Carols by Candlelight exceeded our expectations. We are so grateful to God for his sustaining provision! Paul Zaphiriou

Sundays at Porthpean

The congregation of St Levan’s has had a year of growth and favour with worship numbers increasing and participation in the wider life of the parish strengthening. Attendance is usually in the mid 20s to 30 range and much higher for the major celebrations. At joint gatherings for Parish events, more than half our regular worshippers typically attend and our team of volunteers for grounds has grown and been active under the leadership of Alan Coode. More and more of us are stepping up to read, lead, preach and assist at gatherings and we have welcomed a wider range of music, particularly from TM Worship Minister Jamie Moore and volunteer organist Martin Petherick, and of participation in open prayer while holding to our more traditional preferences. We acknowledge the contribution of Rev Andrew Wade, who is retired with permission to officiate, whose generosity enables us to gather frequently for Holy Communion.

Our Thursday afternoon group “Homegrown” has continued and participated in the parish-wide renewal of life groups and we are now some twelve strong with new members drawn from the wider parish, though we mourn the recent loss of Roger Venn from among our number. On a practical level we expect the installation of our bespoke kitchenette, funded by Howard Rosevear’s generous legacy and masterminded by Alan Coode who has donated timber for the worktop and sourced labour and elements of the construction, to be completed within the next month. Ian Gilbert produced the original design and organised the water supply to the building. The kitchenette will make a huge difference to the serving of refreshments and be of benefit to the village community whenever they make use of the venue.

St Levan’s is in good heart under the dedicated leadership of Assistant Minister Alan Gilbert who is our rock and example of loving Christian leadership and service. Sara Moult

Sundays at Pentewan

The last year has been quieter for All Saints. Attendance has been lower except for special services such as Easter when we had 37 including 2 children. We are currently creating a bank of wellknown hymns as there have been comments that many are unfamiliar.

We remain concerned that no planned maintenance has been done for the last 5 years. There is a crack in the North wall that abuts the house next door. We do understand that funds are tight but hope they may ease now that the Trinity Center is complete. We do have a petty cash account and use this for minor repairs and refreshments. However, our own budget would be a bonus. The Church is 202 years old and maintenance costs will only grow if no action is taken.

We look forward to the arrival of Rev Huff and eagerly anticipate his first visit to All Saints, Pentewan where he will be made most welcome. Ralph Curr

Children, Youth and families

Sunday Mornings:

We continue to run Trinity Tinies for toddlers, Trinity Kids for 4-11s and Trinity Youth for 11+. We’ve enjoyed some growth in numbers and this has resulted in us splitting the children’s group further and having two smaller groups for the input time. We’ve looked at a whole variety of subjects and themes and love spending time with our children and youth each week. They are growing in their understanding and also in confidence and their relationships with one another. We have regularly been taking the youth out after church on Sundays and have been bowling, had an Easter egg hunt and picnic and joined in an intergenerational lunch with Inspire.

Sundays @ The Loft:

This group meets on alternate Sunday evenings to hang out, make food, play games and chat about life. It’s a great place for our young people to connect and invite their friends. We recently changed the age range from 15-18 to 11-18 as a few of our younger youth were keen to get involved!

Soul Life:

We took the decision to rest Soul Life youth club for a season and to see what we felt might be next in terms of reaching young people. We’ve decided to launch the Youth Café, starting in early June 2024, where we will open the church on a Wednesday afternoon between 3.30 and 5pm and invite secondary school aged children to come and enjoy a milkshake, tuck shop, play some games or sit and do homework. Please pray that this initiative will prove to be a great space for young people to safely congregate and that we can build good relationships and share faith as those opportunities arise.

Woven:

Our teenage girls group meets on a Monday evening fortnightly and sees around 6 girls meeting to explore faith, life and identity in a fun and supportive environment. There is usually cake and craft involved and plenty of glitter!

Sunshine Toddlers:

Sunshine continues to thrive and we see new parents and little ones coming along each week. We are grateful for a fab team that enables this valuable ministry to go ahead. We tend to count in ‘snack plates’ and it’s not unusual for the team to making up to 30 snack plates for the children to enjoy. We play, sing songs and listen to stories and are also a listening ear to the many parents who come along. Relationships continue to deepen and this has led to parents attending our parenting course, supporting other events and bringing their children along for baptism.

Kids Matter:

We ran a Kids Matter parenting course in summer 2023 and it was great to engage more deeply around parenting issues with some of our mums from toddlers. Unfortunately, we’ve not been able to run a course since due to lack of numbers although we’ve tried hard to recruit parents. We hope that we will be able to run one again in the future.

Schools:

We continue to visit schools when invited, for either assemblies or lessons. We were delighted to host An Easter Experience last term, where we hosted approx. 170 children from 3 different schools to explore the Easter story here at the church. It was a busy but very enjoyable time and each child got to hear the gospel message and take home a reminder booklet with games and quizzes to help engage further.

Community Events:

We have hosted Light Fest, Winter Wonderland and the Easter Fun Day, all of which have been great opportunities to invite families to come into the church for lots of fun and to see that the church isn’t dull! They have all been very well attended and we’ve had some very positive feedback, especially from those who have never entered a church before! For the Easter Fun day, families were queueing down the road and we counted 97 people through the door in the first seven minutes! These are great days to offer something to families for free, and to break down barriers around their concepts of what happens in a church!

SPREE:

We had a great time at SPREE youth camp in the summer. The heat was intense so sleep was at a minimum but all our young people had a fab time. We are readying ourselves for this year’s SPREE which will be later in June. Please pray for our young people attending.

As can be seen, there is plenty going on across the year, plus things like Christingle and all age gatherings. There is lots of planning, conversations and practicalities to all of the above but our heart is that we can engage with more and more families, children and young people and share

the love of Jesus with them. Our team of volunteers is paramount to all of the above happening and we are so grateful to those who give of their time and resources to help all of these things go ahead. However, we are always grateful for anyone new who wants to join a team and would love to hear from you if you are up for it! I (Lesley) personally am incredibly grateful for Rosie and all that she does to support and care for our young people and all that she selflessly does. We have also loved having Talea Zeller this year, our intern from Germany, who has thrown herself into everything that we do and has been a real gift to us all. Talea will leave at the end of July 2024 and Bernadette also from Germany will join us in September 2024. We will need to find a host family so please do pray for this. It could be you! Thanks for your prayers and support Lesley and Rosie

Home Communions

With the completion of the pandemic phase of Covid and the start of the endemic phase, residential homes have revised their visiting constraints and have agreed to allow visits by teams from churches to conduct services holding Holy Communion.

A small team from St. Austell Parish now hold a service of Home Communion once a month at three homes: Penrice, Caprera and Woodland. With new members, it would be possible to cover more homes. As it is said in Matthew 9: 37 “Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Home Communions have also been brought to one person at their home. A services of lessons and carols were held in Penrice, Woodland and Caprera just before Christmas, which was well received. Alan Coode, Co-ordinator

Pastoral and Anna Chaplaincy

The pastoral team continues to meet on a termly basis, with a supporting WhatsApp group which keeps us in touch. We support where needed by home visits, one to one meetings, care home and hospice visits. [ In January 2024 we hosted a Bereavement Awareness Course led by Care for the Family and as a result of that we are now pursuing the possibility of running a ‘Forget me Not’ café. ] As always, these initiatives rely on volunteers! The pastoral group also attended an End of Life Course at the Cornwall Hospice so that we felt more equipped when visiting those people in that position. Thanks to Andrew and Caroline we have a very useful booklet to support us with suitable prayers. If anyone feels called to ministry within pastoral care or are interested in the ‘Forget me Not’ cafe idea please talk to myself or Lesley.

[In April 2024 I was finally commissioned as the Anna Chaplain for the Benefice of St. Austell. The role is about the spiritual well-being of our senior family members. Already we have our Inspire Group which continues to meet about four times a year: activities have included, Harvest Festival Gathering for Food Bank, Christmas Lunch, Intergenerational Lunch and a Quiz and Cream Tea. These are well attended between 20 and 32 people! As the Anna Chaplain I will be visiting care homes on a weekly basis which is in addition to the monthly Home Communions. If you need a chat please contact me]. Jane Wingrove, Anna Chaplain

Lesley Lawther, Minister for Communities/ Pastoral Care/Parish Safeguarding Officer

Alpha

We ran two Alpha courses in 2023. [ Some of our Alpha graduates have been invited to join Life Groups in 2024 ]. We are particularly grateful to Dr Kara Lawman for hosting a number of our Alpha Saturdays. Jonny Dant

Worship

The worship, media and sound team continue to grow in confidence and number over the past year. We have been working on various ways to share leadership more widely around the team. There are some technical upgrades that could be installed in HT to improve the sound on Sundays but the necessary finances have not yet been available.

I have continued to support the Thursday@11 team. [ Since Carol left, Jane Wingrove and I have created a tech team who share the set up and operation of the church iPad each week. More recently they have also been using the iPad to project lyrics and notices on the screens .]

Youth Band has continued to flourish with the help of Talea and there are currently 6 children attending each week. The older ones have now learnt 5 worship songs and are preparing to lead worship at their 3rd all-age gathering in June 2024.

I led Radiant prayer and worship evenings throughout 2023. [ These were paused in January 2024 because of three large worship events hosted at HT in the first half of 2024 - the third being Love South West on May 19th - please come! I am prayerfully considering if, and in what format, Radiant should return in the Autumn .]

I and Rich Baldwin-Lee have provided live worship at St Levans every 6 weeks since September. [ I also recently helped them to upgrade to a larger speaker with a microphone and reinstated their hearing loop .]

I and a few of the worship team continued to provide live worship for Grain, our Young Adults community, once a month in HT.

I helped steer the activity of Christians Together in St Austell over the past year [ and coordinated the ecumenical Walk with the Cross and Church in the Square events on Good Friday 2024 again ].

Beyond the parish as part of the T M team I have provided live worship for St Luke’s Boscoppa; supported St Peter’s Mevagissey with Christmas services; co-led the intergenerational worship part of the Deanery plan; continued to work with Mevagissey and Gorran on upgrading their AV systems; and supported TDEF (Truro Diocese Evangelical Fellowship) to host bi-annual gatherings at HT. Jamie Moore

Transforming Mission

As well as working within St Austell Parish in our various different individual areas of responsibility, the team have been working to build relationships with other churches in the deanery. By being part of the Deanery Synod and Deanery Implementation Team, (DIT) we are getting to be known in the wider area, and we have hosted meetings in different churches as well as here in the Cafe and Trinity Centre. In this way we are attempting to break down some of the historic barriers that have existed between the more rural churches and St Austell itself. We hope that this will lead to T M being able to help resource some of the new plans that are being developed in different places. One positive result has come from our input at Tywardreath which has led to the setting up of a new Toddler Group in the village.

Our team members have also spent time at St Stephen, Mevagissey and Goran helping with specific projects, but through the DIT Poverty Group we are also exploring the possibility of obtaining funding for a parish nurse in the St Austell/Clays area.

We are attending Sunday services in different churches throughout the deanery as and when we can, so that we can better understand the dynamics of different congregations and offer encouragement as well as more appropriate resourcing.

We work closely with the Diocese, attending training days, sharing best practice and encouragement with other T M projects and DITs throughout Cornwall.

Our team consists of: Heather Batho - Operations Manager; Lesley Lawther - Chidren, Youth and Communities Minister; Jonny Dant - Pioneer Minister (18s - 39s age group); Jamie Moore - Worship Minister; Caroline Allsup-Evans - Media Manager Heather Batho

Mission

Alison Hanson writes: I took over this role from William Hazleton at the end of November 2023, due to William Hazelton moving out of the area. The Missions Group has not met recently.

Katia Rocks is a missionary with Church Mission Society (CMS). Katia is 46 years old, single mum, with two children, Joanna 13 and Davi 9. She spent time living in Bristol, returning to Florianopolis, Brazil in 2015, with the aim to plant a Vineyard Church. The church serves its community with projects for the homeless, drug addicts, street evangelism and a prison ministry. Katia is currently undergoing preventative chemotherapy as she had a tumour removed from her intestines in January this year. Katia is gifted £100 a month. Holy Trinity is one of 22 churches which supports Katia.

Iain Walker is chaplain with St Austell Running Club and Sports Chaplaincy UK (SCUK) has asked if Holy Trinity could support SCUK financially. [ The Bereavement Course that was run by Care for the Family at HT in January 2024 was initially sourced through SCUK .]

Christians Against Poverty (CAP), which we support, continued to work with local residents – huge thanks to Edwina Sleeman for all her hard work.

[The notice board at the rear of HT now has a missions display and a regular spot in the Church notices will now be given to missions to help raise awareness in the Church.]

Life Groups

Towards the end of 2023 the desire was clear for a Life Group network to re-launch. [ As a result, after two training sessions for Life Group Hosts and Leaders, a total of ten groups had launched/ relaunched by May 2024 with total membership approaching 80 .] Paul Zaphiriou

Grain

Grain, a group for 18-39 year olds, continued to meet on Monday evenings. We experimented for a while with splitting into two groups but eventually joined back together into one. Jonny Dant

Other Connect Groups

Reading : The group agreed to stop meeting towards the end of last year following Kay’s departure and the Transition process involving members in other matters. We therefore decided to put the group on hold. Katrina Hurst

Art : After two and a half years the group closed last July. The numbers had fallen to generally 3 attendees. One member now works in the Market House Art shop on a Monday morning. It was generally agreed that it had been a positive time allowing people to grow in confidence in their personal lives and in their faith. Jane Wingrove

Walking for Health: This mixed group, churchgoers and non-churchgoers, met every Tuesday at the Trinity belltower entrance at 2pm for a 90-minute walk, followed by coffee in the Market House (to November 2023) and thereafter in the Trinity Café. Inclement weather never seemed to deter!

ManMade: We (a group of up to 10 men) continued meeting, mostly at the Queens Head, every Thursday fortnight at 7:30pm. The aim is to make connections and generate conversations. We are now welcome and well known there. One highlight was being invited to organise a Christmas “gig” with carols and songs in December, which was a great success.

Walking group : Connect Walking Group for ladies was set up post-Covid, to help women connect for a leisurely afternoon walk, share their life experiences, and pray together (after a welcome drink in a cafe!) The group included eleven of us, some from Holy Trinity and others linked in some way. We never managed all of us at once though, usually five to seven. We’ve had some great times together, seen many answers to prayer, and enjoyed exploring paths around the wider St Austell area. On one particularly hot afternoon last summer we combined our walk with a dip in the sea for some! The weather has not always been kind, particularly over this past winter, but we have tried to walk every Wednesday. There are now more opportunities for people to connect than when we started, and as other commitments have taken up our time, the decision has been taken to suspend walks for the foreseeable future.

Walking+ group: was started in September for ladies who were keen to walk greater distances and to allow those who work during the week to join. Once a month, usually on a Saturday afternoon, we walk between five and seven miles, depending on the terrain! Currently there are six of us but there is always room for more ladies to join us, so if you are interested, contact me on 07748 521830 or di@dknj.org.uk Diane Palmer

Electoral Roll

The Roll has been amended with the addition of several new members and the deletion of those who have either moved house or churches. We have also said farewell to several precious family members. Every sixth year the preparation of new Church Electoral Rolls takes place, which means that everyone must re-apply to be included on the Electoral Roll of their church. The next occasion for the preparation of new rolls is 2025 . Our Roll currently stands at 150.

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Trinity Cafe only opened on Nov 11th 2023 [ therefore much of this report pertains to 2024. ] Already it has become a most popular feature in the town. The initial aims of employing high calibre staff, establishing an unequalled menu, and creating a welcoming atmosphere was achieved. We are now working on stepping up a level to address the holiday season, which includes extra staff and more exciting products.

We have had a rocky ride with staff, and a moderate success with volunteers, which means it has been a challenge to keep everything running smoothly. We are very grateful to our regular volunteers but are always open to more!

Already we have seen four folk work for us, only to step up to a job elsewhere – something we have been pleased to support. We are establishing links with the Reach Out programme and the college to train younger folk with hospitality skills.

For the cafe itself, we created a micro-bakery across the yard. We fitted out the manager’s office and cupboards to store the significant volume of consumables for in-house and take-away trade. It is a continually evolving landscape, as we discover design deficiencies. Some features you might see are experimental, using whatever is to hand to trial new menu items in a low cost way.

In order to be sustainable, the cafe does have to be profitable. This does mean that sometimes the cafe team is unable to support everything that is requested. This is just as hard for the team, who are really generous with their time, as for the disappointed host.

Since opening, we have processed £44k, 25% in cash. Most common product is an Americano, the most revenue comes from freshly made rolls. Lunch anyone? Keith Palmer & Heather Batho on behalf of Trinity Cafe Trustees

Bellringers

We currently occupy the ground floor of the belltower; our Sunday ringing is limited to 8.309.00am, stopping for the congregation to enter via the west (tower) doors. This means many of our church members have never heard our glorious ring of 8 bells. We have finally re-established a permanent Tuesday evening for teaching and practice. Yet our numbers have suffered and we can now only count on 6 ringers, some of whom have other commitments too. To fill eight slots all year round needs at least 16 ringers to cover holidays, sickness and work duties. Potential ringers have balked at the prospect having leaving home as early as 8.00am to start ringing the bells by 8.25am before ringing properly at 8.30am, we hope to rectify that situation soon.

However, it has been a pleasure to meet new church goers who tell us they first came to church because they heard the bells! A significant number have joined the congregation. We have welcomed Bishops, visiting bands of ringers and will be ringing to welcome our new vicar. From a personal viewpoint, I will have welcomed 3 vicars in my time as Tower Captain.

We held a service for our local Central Branch of the Diocesan Guild of Ringers, many of whom consider these to be amongst the finest bells in Cornwall, and hosted their AGM.

We need more ringers. All ages, men and women! From the safeguarding angle, I am DBS checked and the ringing area is covered by CCTV for your security and mine. I have taught many of my grandchildren but young people tend to leave for further education and jobs. We do need the 2580 age group. Please contact me via Church Suite. Rupert Adkins, Tower Captain

Precept

Precept Bible study groups have continued to meet regularly throughout 2023/24. These groups run successfully online and participants come, not only from St. Austell Parish, but from across the United Kingdom and internationally as well. Participants come from a broad range of denominations and a wealth of faith that enriches our discussions. We have new Christians in our

groups as well as those who have walked with Jesus for a lifetime. Our age range currently is from 30 - 90. Anyone who would like to read and understand God’s word for themselves is welcome.

Precept Bible studies focus on getting to know God deeply and learning to live differently in the light of what we learn. During the 2023/24 period we have held groups who have studied Philippians, Ruth - Kinsman Redeemer, Esther, Luke and Acts. We have also run 2 very successful courses on ‘Lord, Teach me to Study the Bible in 28 Days’ - an introduction to Inductive Bible Study using the life of Josiah, and the books of Jonah and Jude as our study material.

Future studies planned are ‘Key Principles of Biblical Fasting’ - a ‘no-homework’ study and our study of Luke are ongoing.

Some Precept Inductive Bible study methods have been introduced to our young people and postAlpha groups.

If you would like further information on Precept Bible studies and how they could be used by individuals or in small groups please contact me at lydiaminerva@btinternet.com Diana Adams

Buildings and Maintenance

During the last year and into 2024 the PCC has been proactive with caring for our building and land and also looking into future projects. Below is a summary of some of our actions. If you would like more detail please speak to me.

Maintenance….

Parochial Church Council Of St Austell

Statement Of Financial Activities
for the Year ended 31st December 2023
Note
Incoming Resources
Donations and Legacies
2(a)
Charitable Activities
2(b)
Other Trading Activities
Investment Income
2(c)
Total Incoming Resources
Resources Used
Church Activities
3(a)
Net Surplus/Deficit on Ordinary Activities
Other Resources Used Capital Items
Trinity Centre Refurbishment & Café Fitting Out
3(b)
Transforming Mission - Provisioning Exp - Equip. etc.
3(b)
Net Outgoing/Incoming Resources
(Before Other Recognised Gains and Losses)
(Loss)/Gains on Investments ref. mkt value @ 31-12-2023
5(b)
Net Income/(Expenditure)
Transfers Between Funds
Other Recognised Gains/(Losses)
Capitalised Expenditure **
3(b)
Gains and Losses on Revaluation of Property
Other Gains/(losses)
Net Movement In Funds
Reserves - Balances B/Fwd At 1st January 2023
Reserves - Balances C/Fwd At 31st December 2023
Memo - Of Which The Revaluation Reserve is -
Balance Sheet as at 31st December 2023
Note
Fixed Assets
Tangible Fixed Assets
5(a)
Investment Assets
5(b)
Current Assets
Stock (Café Ingredients)
Debtors
6
Cash At Bank & In-Hand
Liabilities; Creditors; Amounts Falling Due Within 1 Year
7(a)
Net Current Assets
Creditors - Amounts falling Due Over 1 year
7(b)
Net Assets
Funds
Endowment
9
Restricted
8
Unrestricted
9
Revaluation Reserve
9		 Unrestricted
Funds
£
213,676
14,055		 Unrestricted
Funds
£
213,676
14,055		 Restricted
Funds
£
52,149
95,126
6,790
154,065
154,065
139,469
14,596
91,944
(77,348)		 Restricted
Funds
£
52,149
95,126
6,790
154,065
154,065
139,469
14,596
91,944
(77,348)		 Endowment
Funds
£
9,017		 Endowment
Funds
£
9,017		 Total Funds
2023
£
265,825
109,181
11,329
11,645		 Total Funds
2022
£
549,847
121,183
177
5,697
Funds
£
213,676
14,055
11,329
4,855
243,915
213,040		 397,980
352,509		 676,904
341,033
30,875 45,471
91,944		 335,871
525,677
19,910
30,875 (46,473)
9,017		 (209,716)
(12,617)
30,875
(28,955)		 (77,348)
28,955
91,944		 9,017 (37,456)
91,944		 (222,333)
545,587
111,651
1,920
224,421		 43,551
1,365,066		 9,017
105,295		 54,488
1,694,782		 434,905
1,259,877
226,341 1,408,617 114,312 1,749,270 1,694,782
46,245 46,245 46,245
2023
£
1,997,223
114,312
2,111,535
2,835
23,800
88,411
115,046
(14,311)
100,735
(463,000)
1,749,270
114,312
1,408,617
180,096
46,245
1,749,270		 2022
£
1,912,313
105,295
2,017,608
55,050
112,427
167,477
(27,303)
140,174
(463,000)
1,694,782
105,295
1,365,066
178,176
46,245
1,694,782
1,749,270 1,694,782

Parochial Church Council Of St Austell

Statement Of Financial Activities for the Year ended 31st December 2023

Notes Con't

2. Incoming Resources
2(a) Voluntary Income
Planned Giving - Covenant
Donations, Appeals Etc
Collections
Contactless Devices
Tax Recoverable
Other Grants Received
Legacies
2(b) Charitable Activities
Missional Grants (Incl. TM Funding)
Fund Raising
Add:-
Income From Other Qualifying Church Activities
Rental incl Wayleaves
Income from Church Hall Site
Fees
Total Income From Charitable Activities
Income from Other Trading Activities
Café
Revenue from Sales of Books, Cards etc.
2(c) Income From Investments
Dividends
Interest
Total Incoming Resources
3(a) Church Activities- Ordinary Expenditure
Missionary and Charitable Giving
Christians Against Poverty (CAP)
Ministry : Diocesan Quota
Clergy Costs
Parish Training & Mission Resources
Other Ministry Costs
Church :- Repairs & Maintenance
Insurance
Utilities
Upkeep Of Services
Depreciation of Equipment
Organist
Trinity Car Park
Children & Youth Expenditure
Church Fabric (Incl. Re-ordering)
Trinity Centre - Consultancy/Costs of Fund raising)
Staff Costs & Honorarium
Telephone & Broadband
Church Office - Property Costs - No.9
Trinity Centre
General Office Expenses
Costs Of Trading
Miscellaneous
Loan Interest
Bank Charges
Other Property Costs - (Trinity Lodge)
Total Ordinary (Operating) Expenditure
Net Surplus/(Deficit) on Ordinary Activities
Transfers Between Funds - Incoming/(Outgoing)
Capital Transfers
TM Funding - Parish Contr'n
3(b) Other Expenditure/Fund Movements- Inc./(Out)
Other Gains/(losses) - Sale of Sch. Rm, P'Pean)
Trinity Centre - Refurbishment Expenditure
Trans. Mission - Provisioning Assets
Net Movement in Funds		 Unrestricted
Funds
2022
Comparitive
124,195
40,491
5,947
2,196
33,423
5,000
6,000		 Unrestricted
Funds
2023
138,632
10,065
5,924
6,290
29,467
8,798
14,500		 Trading
Restricted
Restricted
Income
Funds
Funds
(Café)
Tr'form'g. Miss.
( Tr. Centre)
£
£
£
19,712
7,187
16,966		 Restricted
Funds
(Fabric)
£		 Restricted
Funds
(CAP)
£
8,108
176		 Total Funds
2023
£
138,632
37,885
5,924
6,290
36,830
25,764
14,500		 Total Funds
2022
£
124,195
171,547
5,947
2,196
62,922
148,516
34,524
217,252
809		 213,676 43,865
95,126		 8,284 265,825
95,126		 549,847
105,715
809
809
555
9,392
4,712		 1,516
8,163
4,376		 95,126 95,126
1,516
8,163
4,376		 106,524
555
9,392
4,712
14,659 14,055 14,055 14,659
15,468
177		 14,055
135		 95,126
11,194		 109,181
11,194
135		 121,183
177
177
2,660
278		 135
3,497
1,358		 11,194
1		 6,781 8 11,329
3,497
8,148		 177
2,660
3,037
2,938 4,855 1 6,781 8 11,645 5,697
235,835
42
100,793
1,067
4,221
1,933
3,111
10,209
11,980
5,037
2,286
245
1,409
3,481
741
30,126
194
4,902
17,436
3,762
550
2,760
394
1,655		 232,721
24
62,339
3,589
2,731
4,278
9,680
18,648
5,715
9,647
1,135
1,108
2,324
17
34,967
380
27,107
6,177
700
6,781
381		 11,194
95,126
43,866
35
117,022
470
15,277
7,059		 6,781
2,818
1,107		 8,292
6,183
4,810		 397,980
59
6,183
62,339
3,589
2,731
7,096
9,680
18,648
5,715
9,647
1,135
1,108
2,324
1,107
17
156,799
380
27,577
6,177
22,336
700
6,781
381		 676,904
42
13,573
100,793
1,067
4,221
1,933
4,536
10,209
11,980
5,037
8,922
245
1,409
3,481
1,870
3,000
137,936
194
4,902
16,292
4,032
550
2,760
394
1,655
208,334 197,728 15,312
124,081
470		 3,925 10,993 352,509 341,033
27,501
(254,511)
(28,641)
111,651
19,910		 34,993
(4,118)
(28,955)		 (4,118)
(28,955)
43,396
34,467
(30,349)
28,955
(30,349)
(61,595)		 2,856 (2,701) 45,471
(91,944)		 335,871
111,651
(525,677)
(124,090) 1,920 -
-
(48,548)		 2,856 (2,701) (46,473) (78,155)

Parochial Church Council Of St Austell

Notes Con't

4. Staff Costs
(a) Wages & Salaries
Employers National Insurance
Employers Pension Contributions
Estimate Of Average No. Of Full Time Equivalent Employees		 Amount
£
160,750
10,449
2,460
5.9

(b) Payments to PCC members

The Operations Manager, Worship Minister and Pioneer Minister are members of the PCC and their election has been approved by the PCC on the basis that the best interests of the PCC are being so served.

Their renumeration was £17,111, £31,687, and £28,518 respectively, in the financial year.

5. Fixed Assets

5(a) Tangible
Freehold
Property
Equipment
£
£
Actual Deemed/Cost at 1st January
1,884,412
53,624
Additions During The Year
58,321
36,236
Demolition/Disposals During The Year
Revaluations During The Year
Balance At 1st December 2023
1,942,733
89,860
Depreciation At 1st January
-
(25,723)
Charge For Year
(9,647)
Adjustments Demolition/Disposals/Reval'n During The Year
Balance At 1st December 2023
1,942,733
(35,370)
Net Book Value At 31st December 2023
£0
£1,942,733
£54,490
Memo - Of Which Revaluation of Assets Accounts for -
1,997,223
£46,245
2023		 Freehold
Property
£
1,502,733
524,539
(142,860)		 Equipment
£
25,081
28,543
2022
1,884,412
-		 53,624
(16,801)
(8,922)
- (25,723)
£1,884,412 £27,901
£46,245

The tangible assets consist of the freehold land, buildings and equipment. The freehold land and buildings comprise the former church hall site and car park and the Trinity Centre (formerly Hop & Vine) located in St Austell.

Valuation is based Open Market and these have been carried out within the last 3 years. The Revaluation Reserve gives the uplift in value from the Historic Cost. Equipment is depreciated at 25% reducing balance. Buildings are not depreciated based on assumptions of long life expectancy and high residual value.

5(b) Investments - Deposit and Investment Funds

Market Value 1st January
Unrealised investment (loss)/gain in year
Market value at 31st December 2023
Cost At 31st December 2023
6 Debtors
Income Tax recoverable
Transforming Mission Grants Receivable
Prepayments and Accrued Income
7. Liabilities
7(a) Creditors ; Amounts falling due within one year
General Creditors, Accruals and Deferred income
Outside Giving - Funds held for Distribution
Trinity Centre Construction - Creditors		 2023
£
105,295
9,017
114,312
13,341
3,731
18,389
1,680
23,800
14,053
258
14,311		 2022
£
117,912
(12,617)
105,295
13,341
25,601
26,076
3,373
55,050
17,880
3,258
6,165
27,303

Parochial Church Council Of St Austell

Notes Con't

7(b) Creditors - Amounts falling Due Over 1 year

Truro Diocese TM Loan (5 Year Term Repayment 2/12/26)
Private Loans (Church & Trinity Project)
Repayment terms 3-5 years/variable		 25,000
438,000
463,000		 25,000
438,000
463,000

Loans are interest free. Private loans include loans from members of th PCC (Heather Batho £100,000 and Richard Rashleigh £298,000)

8. Funds

Restricted Funds Movement

Balance at 1st January 2023
Incoming Resources
Resources Expended
Transfers To/From General Fund
Balance at 31st December 2023		 Total
1,365,066
154,065		 Church
Fabric
173,911
6,781		 Transforming
Mission
95,126		 Transforming
Mission
95,126		 Trinity
CAP
Centre & Café
1,171,499
19,656
43,866
8,292
1,519,131
(139,469)
28,955		 180,692
(3,925)
-		 95,126
(124,081)
28,955		 1,215,365
27,948
(470)
(10,993)
-
-
£1,408,617
£176,767		 - £1,214,895
£16,955
9 Analysis of net assets by Fund
Fixed Assets - Tangible
Investments
Current Assets
Current Liabilities
Net Current Assets
Creditors - Amounts falling Due Over 1 year
Adj. Re Fixed Asset Revaluations (Trf to Separate Reserve)
Fund Balance
Note Revaluation Reserve Disclosed separately		 Unrestricte
General
Fund
£
339,889		 Unrestricte
General
Fund
£
339,889		 d
Total Funds
Fabric
Endowment
Trinity
Funds
Funds
TM
Centre & Café
CAP
Agency
2023
£
£
£
£
£
1,657,334
1,997,223
125,000
114,312
114,312
<-------------------------------------------Restricted------------------------------------------->		 d
Total Funds
Fabric
Endowment
Trinity
Funds
Funds
TM
Centre & Café
CAP
Agency
2023
£
£
£
£
£
1,657,334
1,997,223
125,000
114,312
114,312
<-------------------------------------------Restricted------------------------------------------->		 d
Total Funds
Fabric
Endowment
Trinity
Funds
Funds
TM
Centre & Café
CAP
Agency
2023
£
£
£
£
£
1,657,334
1,997,223
125,000
114,312
114,312
<-------------------------------------------Restricted------------------------------------------->		 d
Total Funds
Fabric
Endowment
Trinity
Funds
Funds
TM
Centre & Café
CAP
Agency
2023
£
£
£
£
£
1,657,334
1,997,223
125,000
114,312
114,312
<-------------------------------------------Restricted------------------------------------------->
General
Fund
£
339,889		 Endowment
Funds
TM
£
114,312		 Trinity
Centre & Café
CAP
£
1,657,334
(125,000) 125,000
214,889
20,767
(9,315)		 125,000
52,358
(591)		 114,312
25,050
(50)		 1,657,334
250
16,955
(4,689)		 2,111,535
3,757
119,137
(3,757)
(18,402)
11,452
(46,245)		 51,767 25,000
(25,000)		 (4,439)
16,955
(438,000)		 100,735
(463,000)
(46,245)
180,096
46,245		 176,767 114,312 1,214,895
16,955		 1,749,270

10 Audit and Accountancy Fees

2023 2022 £ £ 700 550

Independent Examiners Fee

INDEPENDEKf EXAMINEIVS REpoirr TO THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF sr AusfELL Thi5 report on the finarKial statements of the PCC forthe year ended 31° December 2023. which are set out on Pages I to 4. is in respect of an examinatlon L3fTies out in accordan￿ with the Church Accounting Regulations 2¢￿61'the Regulation￿) and section 43 of the Charities Act 19931'the Acv). RespecU¥e Res1>￿￿1b111leS of the PCCar4d the ENamlner A5 members of the PCC you are respon￿1￿ for the preparation of the fina￿la1 statements. You consrfler that the audit requirements of the Regutations and section 43121 of the h£t do not apply. It is my responsibility to issue this rewrt on those financial ststeff*nts in ￿CordanCe with the temis of the Regulations. Basis of thts rei My examination was carried in acCor(la￿e with the General Directions given ty the Charity commission under section 43 {7llbl of the Act and to be found in the Church Guidance 21XJ6 edttion. issued by the Finance Division of the Archbisho￿ Council. The examination includes a review of accounting records kept by the PCC and a compari50n of the accounts with those records. It also includes considering any unusual Items or disclosures in the financial statements and seeking explanations from you as tmstees con￿mIng any such matter& The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in and audit and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the view given by the Accounts. Independent examinerfs siatemenL In connection with my examinatton. no matter has come to my attention: l. Which gives me reasonable caitse to believe that in any material rewt the requirements To keep accounting records in accordance with settion 41 of the Act; and to prepare financial 5t3temerrts. which accord with the accourrting records and comply with the requirernents of the Act and Regulations have not been met: or 2. To vthich, in my opinion. attention should be drawn in orderto enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. rina Kelty May2024 Cuckoo House. Marshall Road. NanstslEon. Bodmin. Comwall. PL30 5LD

Finance Report for the year ended 31[st] Dec. 2023

The accounts of the PCC are best viewed in two separate parts, namely those activities associated with what are termed Unrestricted Funds (funds that can be spent on any expense, routine or otherwise, that the church incurs in the course of carrying out its work) and those associated with Restricted funds (where money is specifically given and handled according to defined criteria e.g. for the maintenance of the Church’s buildings and fabric).

Overview to the 2023 Accounts

Before proceeding with the detailed section of the report, it is worth briefly commenting on the main events and activities of the past year. Beginning with progress on the Trinity Centre, the building is now fully functional with the opening of the Café in November. The cost of the refurbishment was £1,625,135 and the fitting out of the café was a further £30,349. In terms of meeting that cost I’m pleased to say that the money raised from the church family (including pledges) so far is over £599,263, with a further £256,791 received from grant bodies. Proceeds from disposals have contributed another £398,794 which taken together total £1,254,848. The balance has been funded for the time being by private loans with repayments due within the next few years, however pledges for the Trinity Centre continue to come in towards raising sums towards that.

On another note – the Transforming Mission initiative is being actively and confidently carried out within the benefice and also reaching out into the wider Deanery. On a general note with regard to this, although the early years of this initiative have been mainly funded by the Diocese in partnership with the Central Board of Finance of the Church of England, our contribution has been increasing each year - on the basis that church growth will aim to provide the funding required to support the mission in the longer term. (The accounts show that our contribution to the initiative in 2023 was £28,955 and will rise by 10% in the coming year to providing 35% of the staffing costs).

On a further note with regard to the Trinity Café. As many are aware, it started serving its first customers in November and has got off to a promising start with initial sales and numbers of customers and also positive feedback on the quality and atmosphere there.

Commentary on Unrestricted Funds

The headline result for our principal church activities was a surplus of £34,993 however after deducting out TM contribution (£28,955) and start-

up support for the cafe of (£4,118) that reduced the surplus to £1,920.

Income. (Please also refer to the expanded income statement in the notes and commentary section of the accounts)

Total income for Unrestricted Funds was £232,721 which is slightly down on 2022 (£3,114). Commenting on particular items, Planned Giving was £138,632 (up £14,437). Contactless donations have risen nearly threefold (to £6,290) and have become an important component in attracting offerings. General one-off donations were much lower at £9,853 (from £40,491 in 2022) but are clearly unpredictable in nature. We have also benefitted from grants (towards increased energy bills) of £8,798 and legacies of £14,500. Total Voluntary giving by church members including tax recovered through Gift Aid came to £213,676 (slightly down on 2022 by £3,576). Other income (including dividends, the car park and fees) came to £14,055 against £14,659 in the previous year. The Café’s turnover for the short period after it opened until 31[st] December was £11,194. Expenditure . Total expenditure on Unrestricted funds was £197,728 – a decrease of £10,606 on 2021. This was almost entirely due to a reduction in the MMF charge from the Diocese (of £38,454) from 2022, which absorbed much of the increase in running costs elsewhere - which have risen significantly over the same period. In particular church heating and electricity increased by £6,668, office staff costs by £4,841, office running costs by £7,370 (again principally soaring utility bills). In terms of the church’s Missional support our TM contribution (shown below expenditure in the table (in Transfers) is mission orientated albeit more locally focussed and came to £28,955.

Also, our mission partner Katia Rocks in Brazil is also receiving help from our mission reserve fund £1,200 p.a. as does CAP (£1,800 p.a.). Property Costs The freehold land and buildings comprise Trinity Centre (formerly the Hop & Vine) together with the Church Car Park located in St Austell. Valuation is based Open Market valuations, as reviewed within the last 3 years. The Revaluation Reserve gives the uplift in value from the Historic Cost .

Restricted Funds

For Restricted Funds, income normally comes from specifically designated grants, appeals and legacies. The total income came to £154,065 in 2023 of which £43,865 was money received towards the Trinity Centre and £96,126 was funding received towards Transforming Mission by the Diocese, and £8,292 towards CAP (Christians Against Poverty), which is administered by our church with the funds

raised principally from the local churches (St Austell Churches Together) and other sponsors, and is ringfenced for use in local debt relief. Total expenditure on Restricted Funds was £139,469 with an additional £91,944 expenditure on the Trinity Centre refurbishment and Café fitting out. £124,081 related to Transforming Mission (staffing and resourcing).

Reserves Policy

Your PCC has agreed a Reserves policy (on the Free Reserves) of holding up to £50,000 as a Critical Reserve, and up to a further £50,000 as Discretionary Reserves (to maintain Children’s & Youth work, seed fund initiatives, provide money for new or replacement office equipment and as general contingency).

At the year end the net current assets (Free Reserves) stood at £11,452 as against £24,971 at the end of 2022. Restricted Reserves which relate to the Church Fabric, Trinity Centre and CAP Funds) stood at £1,408,617. However, of this £125,000 is held as an internal investment loan to the General Fund which supported the initial purchase of the Trinity Centre.

Investments Policy

Your PCC has approved an investment policy that enables program related investments where the risk has been assessed as acceptable and provided a prudent level of cash reserves are retained to cover anticipated expenditure as well as possible contingencies that may arise. A more detailed policy statement is available for inspection. This policy has allowed for the loan arrangement set in place as described in the Reserves section above.

2024 Action

As a general objective - your PCC will continue to aim to achieve equilibrium between its income and expenditure, and maintain adequate free reserves to ensure the smooth running of the church’s financial affairs. With rising costs and the increase in the PCC’s share of the support costs to maintain the TM mission, it remains to be said that the continuing and generous support and commitment of the PCC and congregation will be essential in meeting the challenges that face us and making the most of the exciting opportunities that lie ahead.

Richard Rashleigh Treasurer St Austell PCC

Governance

PCC

The PCC has been very busy this year and met every month, except August, so over and above the required frequency. Katrina Hurst – PCC Secretary

Deanery Synod

We held 3 Deanery Synod meetings during the past year. The first meeting held at Luxulyan Church, was the first for the new triennium at which we elected the Deanery officers, Chair-Mike Rowe, Secretary-Anji Screech and Treasurer-Richard Rashleigh. We said goodbye to Howard Flint as Rural Dean and welcomed Paul Zaphiriou. The main topic of the evening was a presentation by Julia Keep and Roger Paine An Update on the Deanery Plan and its Implementation. Our next meeting held at St Stephen-in-Brannel our focus was on Local/Focal Lay Leadership and Oversight Ministry, led by Sally Piper the Diocesan Head of Ministry. [ At the most recent meeting in February 2024, we received a presentation from the Chair on the proposed changes to the alignment of Parish Groupings to enhance ministry effectiveness across the Deanery. The proposal also sought to enhance the appeal of vacant clergy posts which had proved challenging to fill during the past year. This proposal was accepted 29 voting for, 2 against and 6 abstentions .] Mike Rowe

Diocesan Synod

Truro Diocesan Synod met 3 times in the last 12 months. During that time, it looked at:

The role of the Chaplains at RNAS Culdrose. What the Navy requires in the way of Pastoral Care, Religious Leadership, Unit Cohesion, Defense Engagement and Ethical Advice. With that remit the Chaplain’s seek to bring the Love of Christ to all.

We have gone Back to School – how we teach RE. Synod members divided into three groups, and teachers Beth Horwell, Nicola Bonell and Catherine Coles, using slides and various resources, led each group in turn through three separate examples of RE primary school teaching in Christianity, Hinduism and Islam. Lee Moscato then introduced himself as the interim Director of Diocesan Board of Education and outlined his aims and perspectives. He wishes to shine a light on our own schools so that they, in turn, can shine their light on all schools in Cornwall. Lee stressed that the vision for education is for all schools not just church schools.

A report on the diocesan strategy and plan to “Cherish Creation, Cut Carbon, and Speak Up, by Ben Lillie and Dr Annabel South. Responding to climate breakdown is an act of mission. The third mark of the Anglican Communion’s Five Marks of Mission is to respond to human need by loving service. The fourth mark is to transform unjust structures of society and the fifth is to strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and to sustain and renew the life of the earth.

From September 2023 Synod has received a report on the Vacancy in See committee, re the appointment of a new Bishop of Truro. We have also received a financial report at each Synod. At the November Synod we received the accounts for year end and approved the budget for 2024 after much discussion. Mike Rowe

Further background on Diocesan Synod and Truro Diocesan Board of Finance activities

2023 saw the furtherance of strategic work done in the recent past with the four key headlines being:

The Diocesan Plan for Change and Renewal adopted 3 main priorities emerging from deanery plans:

In addition to those 3 headline themes 5 other significant priorities emerged from deanery plans and therefore were included in diocesan planning:

Paul Zaphiriou