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2021-12-31-accounts

The Parochial Church Council

St James the Less Westminster

Annual Report & Financial Statements

For the year ended 31[st] December 2021

The Parochial Church Council St James the Less Westminster Annual Report for the year ended 31[st] December 2021

Contents

Charity Information 1
Annual report 2- 16
Independent Examiner’s report 17
Statement of financial activities 18
Balance sheet 19
Notes to the financial statements 20 - 24

Charity information

Incumbent

Church address

Independent examiner

Bankers

The Revd. Elisabeth (Lis) Goddard

St. James the Less Westminster Thorndike Street London SW1V 2PS

Heather Cheesman since 2013 Chichester Accounting 104 Stockbridge Road Chichester West Sussex PO19 8QP

The Co-operative Bank 62/64 Southampton Row London WC1B 4ND

Lloyds TSB 98 Victoria Street London SW1E 5JL

CAF (Charities Aid Foundation) 25 Kings Hill Avenue Kings Hill West Malling Kent ME19 4TA

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Annual report of the Parochial Church Council For the year ended 31st December 2021

The Parochial Church Council (PCC) of St James the Less, Westminster, the members of which act as trustees to the charity, presents its report and the financial statements of St James the Less for the year ended 31st December 2021, which have been prepared in accordance with the Church Accounting Regulations 1997 as amended by the Church Accounting Regulations 2006 together with the applicable accounting standards and the Charities SORP 2019.

Responsibilities of the PCC

Charity law requires the PCC 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 results for that period. In preparing those financial statements, the PCC is required to:

The PCC is responsible for maintaining proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity, and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 1993. 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. In addition, they are responsible for ensuring that the accounts comply with statutory requirements, the requirements of the charity’s governing instruments and including any other additional information required by law.

PCC Administrative information

St. James the Less is situated on Vauxhall Bridge Road, Pimlico. It is part of the Diocese of London, Two Cities Area, within the Church of England. The correspondence address is St James the Less Centre, Thorndike Street, Off Moreton Street, London, SW1V 2PS.

The Parochial Church Council (PCC) is a registered charity (No. 1135075)

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PCC Administrative information

PCC members who have served from 23[rd] May 2021 (Annual Parochial Church Meeting) are:

Incumbent: The Revd. Elisabeth Goddard Chair Church Wardens: Dorothea Gopaul from April 2016 Representatives on the Deanery Synod: Veronica Garbutt from October 2020 Elected members: Anthony Metcalfe-Gibson from April 2019 Lay Chair Ben Ealovega from May 2021 Margaret Jellis from October 2020 Secretary until November 2021 Estelle King from October 2020 Helen Mealins from October 2020 Treasurer Co-opted Members : Paul Hamley from June 2021 Chair of Buildings Committee Irene Hearn from September 2021 Safeguarding Officer Eunice Komakech from January 2022 Curate, Ex-Officio: The Revd. Andrew Goddard from September 2013 Curate, SSM: The Revd. Fung Lau from July 2016 Sidesman : Jeremy Pinkney Staff of St James the Less, employed by the PCC: Florentina Augusto from August 2018 Administrator/Centre until December 2021 Manager Jeremy Pinkney Verger

Structure, governance and management of the PCC

The method of appointing PCC members is set out in the Church Representation Rules. All baptised Church attendees are encouraged to register on the Electoral Roll and are eligible to stand for election to the PCC within certain restrictions laid down by the Charity Commissioners.

Committees

The PCC operates through the following committees, which meet from time to time between full meetings of the PCC.

2021 has seen continued disruption of the normal operation of the sub committees due to the COVID-19 lockdown and subsequent restrictions in place from mid-March 2020. Therefore, several of these subcommittees have not functioned normally since the beginning of the pandemic and temporary structures were necessary.

Under normal circumstances the following committees have been in place:

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Standing Committee

This is a statutory committee and has the power to transact business of the PCC between its meetings, subject to any directions given by the Council. It meets six times a year. It consists of:

The Vicar

The Warden/s The PCC Treasurer The PCC Secretary

Another member of the PCC

At the request of the PCC the Lay Chair has agreed to serve as the extra PCC member of the Standing Committee, particularly in the absence of a second Church Warden. The Standing Committee continued to meet throughout the Pandemic on Zoom.

Ministry Leadership Team

This committee was set up by the PCC to have oversight of all things relating to Pastoral Care, Ministry and Mission within the church, including oversight of the implementation of the Mission Action Plan. The membership consists of:

The Revd. Lis Goddard (Chair) The Revd. Fung Lau Sr Theresa Pountney The Revd. Andrew Goddard

Ben and Amabel Ealovega join the MLT occasionally in their capacity as co-ordinators of all our Prayer Ministry, to enable strategic work in this area to progress. The MLT has not met during the Coronavirus Pandemic and its work in relation to pastoral oversight has been picked up by the creation of the Pastoral Team. The work in relation to Ministry and Leadership has been picked up by a combination of the Leadership Team, the IT team and the PCC.

Partners in Mission

This committee has delegated authority on behalf of the PCC to apportion our 10% tithe among the mission partners we support and other mission activities which fulfil published criteria. However, the committee has not met since 2018, and needs to either be reconstituted or its functions reviewed. This is being done as part of the Governance Review.

Partners in Mission members were:

Jeremy Pinkney Angela King The Revd. Andrew Goddard (Chair) from January 2013

ODM Leadership Team

The Open Door Meal Leadership Team has responsibility for the safe and effective running of the ODM and for ensuring ongoing financial provision. They are also responsible, with the PCC, for developing the PCC’s vision for the ODM. There is a need to expand the current team. There has been an ongoing pressure to adapt the ODM to the changing COVID regulations. The current team are:

The Revd. Andrew Goddard (Chair) Jamie Lobban The Revd. Fung Lau The Revd. Lis Goddard

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Finance Sub-committee

The Finance Sub-Committee has met once in 2021, to advise on the formulation of the budget. The following people are part of the committee:

The Revd. Lis Goddard (Chair)

Florentina Augusto – Administrator/Centre Manager until December 2021

The Revd. Andrew Goddard

Heather Cheesman – Independent Examiner Helen Mealins – Treasurer from October 2020 Alice Chan – Bookkeeper

Bookings Review Committee

This Committee exists to apply our terms and conditions and to help the Centre Manager in making difficult decisions about lettings. Business is mainly conducted by email and on an ad hoc basis. It consists of:

The Revd. Lis Goddard (Vicar)

The Revd. Andrew Goddard

Dorothea Gopaul (Warden)

Dr Paul Hamley (Chair of the Buildings Committee)

Staffing Committee

This committee was set up by the PCC to help the Trustees to review staffing, job descriptions and the effective running of the office. The current members of this committee are:

The Revd. Andrew Goddard (Chair) Dorothea Gopaul Amabel Ealovega until May 2021 Margaret Jellis until November 2021 The Revd. Lis Goddard

Buildings Committee

The Buildings Committee is responsible for overseeing the maintenance, repairs and any possible building or conservation/restoration work on our significant buildings, always in consultation with the PCC. It consists of:

Dr Paul Hamley (chair)

The Revd. Lis Goddard

Dorothea Gopaul

Florentina Augusto (Administrator/Centre Manager) until December 2021

Pastoral Team

During COVID-19 when pastoral follow up, particularly of those who are isolated and unable to join online church became so important, we established a pastoral team. The Team meets fortnightly for an hour and reviews the ongoing pastoral care of the congregation. It consists of:

The Revd. Lis Goddard The Revd. Andrew Goddard The Revd Fung Lau Ben Ealovega Estelle King Mary Willard

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The IT Committee

When lockdown started in March 2020 it rapidly became clear that we needed to develop our IT capability if we were to move online. We therefore established an ad-hoc IT Committee. This committee has not met during 2021. This consisted of the following people:

The Revd. Lis Goddard

The Revd. Andrew Goddard Jonny Cox Chris Took Ben Ealovega

The Website Group

During Lockdown one of the projects that became pressing was the re-design of the website. Jonny Cox committed professional resources towards this and a group was formed to take it forward. This piece of work stalled during 2021, due to a variety of factors, particularly successive lockdowns and the need to meet in person to get to the next level. However this needs to be taken forward urgently in 2022. The members of the group are:

Jonny Cox The Revd. Lis Goddard The Revd. Andrew Goddard Ben Ealovega Amabel Ealovega Veronica Garbutt

Vision and Mission Statement Sub-committees:

As a result of the work being done on the website it was agreed vital work needed to be done to review the church’s vision and mission statements. This initial work was carried out and taken to the APCM in 2021 by an ad-hoc subcommittee of the PCC comprising:

The Revd. Lis Goddard Helen Mealins Estelle King Chris Took

Amabel Ealovega

Because it was agreed to radically shorten the vision and mission statements and to separate out the theological language, a second working group was established to work on this, the ‘Who we are and what shapes us/what we believe’ group:

The Revd. Andrew Goddard

Suna Gurkhan

Ben Ealovega

As the work on the website and on our priorities are taken forward more work will be needed to hone vision and mission into clear objectives.

Safeguarding Committee

This Committee met for the first time this year, following the appointment of Irene Hearn as Parish Safeguarding Officer, the aim is that going forward it should oversee the safeguarding work of the church. It comprised:

Irene Hearn – PSO

The Revd. Lis Goddard Florentina Augusto – Evidence Checker Suna Gurkan – Children’s Champion

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Objectives and Activities of the PCC

St James the Less PCC has the responsibility of co-operating with an incumbent in promoting in the ecclesiastical parish the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. It also has maintenance responsibilities for the church centre complex of St James the Less, Pimlico.

PCC Overview

Church attendance

There were 67 parishioners on the Church Electoral Roll for 2021. Given that a third of the year was online wholly or partially it is not possible to give an accurate analysis of attendance numbers for the year.

Risk Assessment

The PCC, through the staff, continues to give consideration to the major risks that the church is exposed to, to assess the likelihood of the risks occurring and the likely level of impact the risks pose, in conjunction with new diocesan guidelines. They have also considered the controls that are in place for these risks and have identified any necessary areas for action. This is an ongoing process that the PCC undertakes to ensure that the operations of the church are adequately protected against the risks it faces in achieving its strategic objectives. In 2021 there was a rolling process of updating the COVID risk assessments to ensure compliance. The PCC has a current Safeguarding Policy in place and requires all bookers of the Centre and Church to agree to it.

Safeguarding

Safeguarding in this and preceding years has taken prominence as a priority in this and the wider Church. It is one of the most important aspects of church life because it ensures that those who form part of the church are safe to participate within it.

Safeguarding is a collective – whole church – responsibility. Jesus’ command to love means that we are commanded to demonstrate a commitment to ensuring the safety of children, young people and adults at risk as they worship and take part in activities in our church.

The Clergy and the PCC all work to ensure that we have the proper systems and policies in place in line with the diocesan guidelines. We continue to strive to ensure that we respond without delay to any safeguarding issues and have placed safeguarding as a standing priority issue for the PCC.

Thanks must go to Florentina Augusto who has acted as our Evidence Checker, Irene Hearn as Church Safeguarding Officer and to Suna Gurkhan who is Children’s Champion. It was good to be able to have the first of our Safeguarding Team meetings. With the appointment of Flo’s successor and a new CSO we anticipate this Safeguarding Team going forward strongly, providing valuable oversight to the growing safeguarding demands of Messy Church, Pause, J.A.M. and Open Door Meal.

PCC Review of the year for 2020

The PCC met eight times during the year with an average attendance of 98%.

1. Introduction to the year – overview

Another ‘year like no other’

As we drew to the end of 2020 we said that it was a year like no other and yet 2021 proved a match for it. We constantly had to adapt and change the way we did things and yet at St James the Less, whilst it was a year of coping with successive lockdowns, of changing regulations, of sickness and uncertainty, it was also a year of creativity, of deepening community and of blessing.

We have continued throughout 2021 to hold onto the verse from 2 Chronicles 20:12

“We do not know what to do, but our eyes are fixed on you” constantly reminding ourselves, that God’s response to this is to say: “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s” ( 2 Chronicles 20:15 ).

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Prayer – Throughout this year the church has continued to come together and pray for each other, our

community and the wider world both online and in person where that has been possible. The Prayer Chain has continued to be widely used throughout the year. Zoom Leadership Prayers has taken place every Sunday evening in place of the time that would be spent after the evening service praying for the events of the day, specific people and each other. As ever this time always ends with the Aaronic blessing which we pray over each other and again for the community.

Men’s Prayers and Women’s Prayers have continued regularly (once every month) through the year and have been a time of fellowship, deepening relationships and real blessing and support as we pray mainly for our

church life and each other.

While we were not able to have our usual in-person Day of Prayer as part of Thy Kingdom Come we had 24 hours of prayer where members of the congregation took time slots and prayed for the church, the community, their ‘pray for five’ friends and spent time listening. This ended with a service on the evening of 16th May where people shared prophetic words and pictures. In addition during the time of Thy Kingdom Come prayer stations were set up in

the church using enlarged photos from the 100 days of lockdown cards (from 2020) and the Lent cards to help people focus as they prayed. Amabel Ealovega

Amabel Ealovega

Worship – Our sung worship was a mixture of online and in person through this year. It was a great joy to be finally able to regularly get back into church and lead worship from the front. While sung worship over Zoom has been a very good alternative, getting back to singing together has been very special and much easier practically! The live sung worship is now in the morning service led very simply with solo voice and guitar and includes a mixture of hymns and modern songs . Ben Ealovega

AV/IT - It is great to be settled back in the church building for services after so much disruption due to Covid but we are aware of those who, for various reasons, cannot be with us. We have therefore continued to connect our morning service into Zoom and often also on Facebook. It is lovely to have involvement in readings, prayers and sharing words and pictures from those on Zoom as part of our worship, keeping us connected with one another as best as possible even when not physically together. We have also continued with Compline on Zoom for 2 or 3 nights a week, our Wednesday study and our Revive prayer meetings. Having made major progress with redesigning our website thanks especially to the expertise of Jonny Cox and his staff this then stalled due to Covid but we hope to have it up and running soon. Andrew Goddard

Governance online and developing new structures – Throughout 2021 we continued to hold all of our governance meetings online, thanking God for the gift of Zoom. The PCC also agreed to a review of our committee structures which is ongoing, in an attempt to ensure that we use our limited human resources as effectively as possible. Lis Goddard

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Sermon Series – We began 2021, continuing the preaching series ‘Faith in a Pandemic’ which we had begun in Advent and were carrying over into Epiphany, allowing the themes of that The Holy Spirit season to speak to us, to build our faith and to help us to grow. Over Easter we looked at all the different accounts of the resurrection appearances. Rather than looking at just one gospel, we ranged across them all, and the epistles to get as broad a vision as possible of what those 40 days were like between Easter and the Ascension. In June we started a series looking at the Holy Spirit

through the Bible, beginning at Genesis and working our way through the Old Testament and then into the New Testament, aiming to get as clear a sense as possible of who the Holy Spirit is and what the Holy Spirit does. By the end of November we had come to the end of Acts so paused for Advent, when we engaged with the traditional Advent themes of death, grief, the afterlife, judgement, heaven and hell, and hope. It was a good year and a year of growth and, despite everything, hope. Lis Goddard

Ash Wednesday 0nline - Our Ash Wednesday service took the form of a Revive Prayer meeting on Zoom with the theme centred around the words we had heard so much in lockdown - Hands, Face, Space and Replace - and we also added Grace. We used these words as starting points to pray together in five sections in various creative ways for the church, each other and our community. Amabel Ealovega

Easter Sunday – After the long period from Christmas to April in lockdown, we opened our doors once more on Easter Sunday. We began the day with a Dawn Service via Zoom from the Vicarage Garden and then at 10am we were back in the church building for our first inperson (and Zoom/Facebook Live) service for 3 months. It was wonderful to be able to celebrate together again, even though we were keeping our distance and fully masked! The day ended with a service of Holy Communion. Lis Goddard

Carols by Candlelight and on the Move – In Christmas 2020 we weren’t able to have a live Carol Service at all. In 2021 we managed Carols by Candlelight, ably supported by the South Westminster Community Choir with the church beautifully decorated and delicious mulled wine and mince pies served at the end. Added to that we introduced an innovation of Carols on the Move – a mobile Carol Service – everyone who got our Christmas Card also got a copy of a Carol Sheet and a timetable of where we would be when on that Sunday evening. Again we were supported

by the South Westminster Community Choir and along the way by lots of our community. It was a really special evening, with singing and prayer at each stop. Lis Goddard

Compline was one of the new online initiatives right at the start of the first lockdown in 2020. When everyone was at home with nothing else to do, having a gentle evening service every day was popular and helped to develop and maintain a powerful sense of community at a challenging time. As lockdown eased, daily services weren’t sustainable either for audiences or the resources required to put them on. We settled into a pattern of Compline two or three times a week, usually on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. We have a number of regulars for each of these, while other people turn up as and when they can. Wednesday Compline follows on from the weekly study group and this combination of study and worship seems to work well. On Fridays we began to

mix things up a little with a music video instead of the Evening Hymn and Psalm, as well as varying the way we pray together.

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It seems Compline is now a fixed part of our worship at St James the Less, and we would encourage everyone to join us occasionally (at least!). What better way to end the day but in quiet reflection and praying together? Christopher Took

Tuesday Holy Communion – when the lockdown lifted in Summer 2020 we initially opened the church for private prayer and then began a weekly said service of Holy Communion on a Tuesday. This has become a fixed part of our weekly pattern of prayer and worship feeling always like a privilege to meet together in a meditative service midweek around the Lord’s Table. Lis Goddard

• Study groups through 2021

Our Wednesday Study Groups continued on Zoom throughout 2021. We looked at various themes including faith during the pandemic, passages from Luke’s gospel, and following our Sunday sermon topics. Often we have a video to introduce the passage we are looking at, which after one or two starter questions is usually followed by a very wide ranging discussion! Everyone is encouraged to take part and ask questions, although it’s fine for people to observe if that’s more comfortable for them. It’s been fascinating to see the different ways people react to the same passage, and this helps everyone to enrich their understanding of the Bible and how it’s relevant for us today.

The study groups are suitable for everyone no matter where you are in your

Christian life or how well you know your Bible. We usually have around ten people joining us, but online there’s room for many more! At St James the Less we take the Bible seriously and know people have many questions about what it means and how it applies to them. These Wednesday groups are a great way to explore our faith together in an informal and friendly atmosphere, so come along and join in!

Christopher Took

Coffee and Prayer - Throughout the pandemic Coffee and Prayer was on Zoom, giving us a regular informal hour together in uncertain times, a chance to chat and pray for each other. We now meet in the Centre each week, a time to get to know each other better, have coffee together and pray.

Estelle King

Alpha – continues to be a vital part of the life at St James the Less with two courses running through 2021, one hybrid – part in person and part online and then, at the end of the year we were able to be in fully in-person again. Both were important and led to some important conversations and journeys in faith. Thanks, as always, must go to the wonderful Veronica Garbutt for generously giving up her time to cater for Alpha each week and to Suna Gurkhan and Dorothea Gopaul for all their input throughout the courses.

Lis Goddard

• Pastoral Care

We aim to care for our members and friends and to welcome all who come into our community. We also care for and keep in touch with those who find it inconvenient to come to church. We do our best to meet every two weeks in order to communicate better, to review the needs of those in our community and pray for them.

We care for brothers and sisters by making phone calls, going on pastoral walks and giving practical support when possible, also by giving out prayer books, and providing links to internet resources.

Fung Lau

• Engaging with the Community

During the Pandemic Silver Screen had to stop, so in 2021 we were only able to show four films and the numbers were low as it began to get back to normal and people gained in confidence again.

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2021 has seen the development of the monthly Memory Café in partnership with LondonCare, who provide in the community provision for those in the early stages of dementia. It has been exciting to see how this has grown and meets a real need in our community. The hope is that we will be able to develop it to operate to function weekly.

Theresa Pountney writes: I have always been a sociable person and I think that is why I so appreciate the Memory Cafe . The leaders are friendly and helpful and we have nice refreshments. There's a variety of activities and often a speaker. Recently we had a very interesting talk about the Wallace collection. The best part of all is chatting with regular members and meeting new people from all cultures. A highlight for me was seeing a dear lady I hadn't seen for forty years.

The Open Door Meal - Although we had to close the ODM at various points due to COVID we were among the first meals to reopen and we have kept our positive atmosphere and seen a steady rise in numbers from a small base to around 50 at most meals as people have realised we were open again and felt able to come out. We developed a good COVID-secure format for the meal but have all missed not using the church to serve drinks and fruit as volunteer numbers have also reduced post-COVID and we have kept two rooms in the Centre open to serve the meal. It was wonderful to serve the whole meal in the church for our Christmas meal and to then have our traditional carol service together and we hope to be back to our normal pre-COVID format sometime later in 2022.

Andrew Goddard

Community Payback - We continue to receive support from the one day a week partnership and service of the Community Payback Team. Thomas Francis as the Team Leader is so professional and capable in what he does. We very much appreciate his help, support and guidance that he gives to the young team members. They perform amazing tasks sometimes very heavy and dirty work. They help us keep our buildings i.e., the church and the church centre, clean and tidy. Not forgetting surrounding key areas and grounds. Their willingness to assist us is very evident in the quality of the work they perform. We are very grateful for this help. Dorothea Gopaul

Westminster Council Estate Cleaner and Gardeners - We benefit from the help the Estate workers and Gardeners give us from time to time over the years and sometimes in difficult circumstances.

Some examples as follows: the cleaners help us deliver Christmas cards to residents on the estate. The gardeners spray our weeds when necessary and loan us gardening tools etc. These examples show what a good relationship SJtL has with

people/workers in the community. We really appreciate the willingness of people who are happy to assist and engage with us. Dorothea Gopaul

South West Fest – Like so much in 2021 S W Fest was affected by COVID, there was no Gala Day and events had to be re-thought. At St James the Less, with the help of the indefatigable Roy Stallard, we decided to put on an Open Saturday, with an exhibition about the church and Pimlico inside the church, 3 lectures which people could book for as well as guided tours. We also served drinks and cakes in the courtyard and there was a display about the potential works on the Community Centre… a busy but good day all round. Lis Goddard

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Open House - We first planned to open the church as part of the Open House weekend in 2020. However, COVID regulations decided otherwise. So, our first opening was in 2021. It joined the many buildings in this yearly event showcasing London’s architectural treasures, many not usually open to the public. Others, such as ours, not as well-known as they should be. The latter something our participation was designed, in part, to put right. As well as the church itself we offered visitors an exhibition. Put on display boards it gave visitors an introduction to the church. Telling the building’s history and drawing attention to its points of interest. The exhibition then expanded across the whole parish. Telling something of the history of the area, both its highs and lows. Special attention was given to both the former school and to the Lillington and Longmoore Estates. In 2022 for the first time ever the Open House weekend had been extended. It now covered two consecutive

weekends and the weekdays between. We opened the first Saturday and then the following Wednesday. We did very well for visitor numbers. Very well I understand compared with some other buildings. A success we can build on in future years. Roy Stallard

• Work with Children, Families and Schools:

Outbreak – 2021 had a lot of changes and adapting coming back in from the Pandemic. We maintained our relationships in 3 schools mentoring kids and young people as well as finally relaunching Hot Chocolate Thursdays which has brought 200 people to Churchill Gardens every week in term time. Outbreak also won an award at ‘London Youth Faith and Community awards 2021’ and was Judges choice in the ‘Inspiring Youth’ category. It was a great achievement especially for Mark as he finished with us back in October.

Sarah Agnew

Lunches – During February half term and summer we provided hot lunches for families. It was a fun project to do and we are grateful for all the cooks and team that took part. The food was given away in takeaway form adapting to Covid restrictions and met a real need in the community at that time.

Sarah Agnew

Holiday Clubs - Partnering with St James the Less and Emmanuel Church, Outbreak provided 2 holiday clubs in the summer and one at Easter last year. We had 32 kids come to each, went on various trips and also learnt about the miracles of Jesus. Holiday clubs are definitely one of our highlights throughout the year.

Sarah Agnew

Messy Church/Special Messy Church – As Covid restrictions lifted Messy Church came back with full force with a summer BBQ. We also held the annual Light Party and Christmas Messy Church. It was great to be back in person and we have engaged with so many new families. Sarah Agnew

Pause - Playgroup for Under 7’s On Mondays 3.30-5pm, Term Time In last June (2021) Pause re-started steadily with a few families. After the

Summer holidays it has flourished with lots of new families joining in from local mums’ network, Hot chocolate Thursdays and other contacts. Meantime the team has changed. Sadly, we said goodbye to Theresa after so many years of her support. But Deni and Sarah have joined the team. In the last few weeks, we had some funding to buy new toys and had some toys donated which brought a new excitement to the group.

Recently quite a few of Pause families have been joining Messy Church and a few of them to J.A.M., which is very encouraging. Suna Gurkhan

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Trail – Connecting with 2 local primary schools we invited Westminster Cathedral primary and Churchill Gardens primary for our Christmas Trail. We focused on different rooms of the characters from the Christmas story which then led to meeting baby Jesus - was impressed with year 6 boys’ handling of a baby doll. A highlight for all the children was inevitably getting a chocolate coin from the wise men! But it was exciting to be able to share the Christmas story with so many children.

Sarah Agnew

• Celebrating our life together

11 years of the Goddards - We were very happy to have celebrated 11 years of service, dedication and support that our Vicar Rev Lis Goddard (Lis) and her husband Rev Andrew Goddard (Andrew) gave to St James the Less (SJtL). We showed our gratitude and thanks with a huge luncheon party (see pictures). A few of our parishioners highlighted the amount of work Lis has put in to make SJtL a success here in Pimlico. They also expressed our love and appreciation for Lis taking the vision and mission of our church to a whole new level.

SJtL has grown in many ways since the arrival of Lis. The community has hugely benefited from the support SJtL has been able to give, under the leadership of Lis. We now have a high profile in and around the community. There are so many events and projects that have been started and are growing to serve the people in the community. We pray that there will be more progress as we move forward after the pandemic. Dorothea Gopaul

Christmas lunch – Our usual custom has been to share Christmas lunch in the Centre as a Church Family, but in 2021, as 2020, it was not possible, so we once more set to on cooking and delivering full Christmas meals (with all the trimmings) out to all those who wanted them. We had a brilliant team helping, not only with the cooking – thanks to Maria Garbutt $%#" – but also to all those who helped with the packing up and delivery. All meals were delivered and the kitchen clean and tidy by 2pm – it was quite a feat! Lis Goddard

• Creative Church

Lent Cards - During Lent we thought about various spiritual disciplines and associated words. We created slides (photos/artworks/pieces of craft) which, to help us focus, were posted each day during Lent on social media. A number of congregation members contributed with thoughts, favourite prayers, hymns and testimonies and these were posted alongside, or incorporated into, the slides. Thank you so much to all those who contributed. Amabel Ealovega

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Christmas Card – The verse chosen for this year’s Christmas card was Luke 2:10. The background was created

from hundreds of small strips of newspaper each with an individual word. This represented areas in our lives where we might be afraid or simply the context we live in. A London skyline was created that sat in front of the newspaper background and using small holes to make the letters, and some lights, the words “do not be afraid” shone out as if lit by the star. The model was assembled and then lit and photographed (with the set up even including a smoke machine!) in the SJtL Centre to create the photographic elements for the final image for the printed card. We reassembled the model in church to be visible during our Christmas services.

Amabel Ealovega

Prophetic Pioneer – Despite all the many challenges of lockdown (not least having to do the course online, which for a creative is not easy) Amabel, in her usual indomitable fashion, completed the Diocesan Pioneer Course. Through this she learnt about mission and how we reach those who are unreached and had the chance to think about how all her remarkable creative and prophetic gifts might be used by God in new ways. Lis Goddard

Caring for our Buildings - Over the past year, the main projects have been installation of the new sign for the Centre, notice board and post box together with repainting the centre gates, front and rear doors and ironwork surrounding the boiler room steps, with Sean and Paul painting.

Most work done has involved the centre. Small cracks have

opened in the west wall, which have been inspected by a surveyor. We await installation of monitoring equipment and

trial pits to inspect the foundations. The centre boiler has required a replacement part, costed at £850 and not the £8k for a new boiler which we were originally quoted. Various items in the kitchen have received maintenance including a new tap. Our administrators and Dorothea have often found it difficult to find contractors who will attend, but this issue seems to be improving. We hope that a new local carpenter will be able to help with minor repairs and eventually, pew repairs. We have found a friendly local plumber, George. We still await completion of minor roof repairs.

The most significant item has been the launch of Friends of SJTL. The Friends have been formed to support and raise funds for building restoration and include a local historian and professional heritage restoration experts. An early project will be to clean the church floor tiles. Paul Hamley

Although living in Devon I feel part of the St James the Less family and am still on the Electoral Roll! When asked which church I go to, I sometimes have difficulty remembering to say ‘Holy Cross Crediton’ rather than St James the Less, and I often take the opportunity to tell people about SJTL, and the unconditional welcome given to everyone.

Thinking back over the last year, significant events included celebrating Lis and Andrew’s 11 years with us – adhering to Covid restrictions and coming in and out of the rain! A constant cause for thanksgiving was being able to go to the 1 pm Tuesday lunchtime Communion

service, which grew organically over the months.

It’s a joy to be able to ‘join’ with you all via Zoom from time to time and to still be part of the praying community of St James the Less, albeit at a distance. Margaret Jellis

14

My time with Outbreak was amazing and so fulfilling regarding ministry. When I turned up it was just Lis and I, talking through what we could do for our community. When I left there were several projects running, After School club, Holiday Club, Mentoring in Schools, Messy Church, Monday toddlers club (Pause) and last but not least our Famous Hot Chocolate Outreach. God leant into our projects and we saw success.

The success could not have happened without the St James the Less super stars, who consistently showed up to many different projects, and like Aaron and Hur lifted up my arms so we could win every spiritual battle we faced. Thanks to the likes of Evangelist Theresa, Dorothea and Suna and many more from SJTL that had extremely great input to make our projects happen. Thank you all for your help, I was totally moved and inspired to see how help from a local church could change a community. Being part of St James the Less was beautiful, it was a house that accepted everyone. I enjoyed being there and my girls Charis and Malachia still talk about it, we hope to visit in the summer.

I am and always will be, a son of the house, St James the Less will always be home to me. Love you all .

Mark Liburd

Flo Augusto – In December we said goodbye to Flo, who was a much loved member of our team, and to Elijah, both of whom had become an integral part of our church family during her time as our Administrator. Our love and our prayers go with them as they reestablish themselves and forge a new life elsewhere.

2021 Financial Review

Covid-19 restrictions continued to impact our finances in 2021. However, having carefully navigated our way through the shock and ongoing challenges posed by the first and second lockdowns in 2020, when a third (three month) national lockdown was introduced in January 2021 we were arguably more practiced in managing the financial uncertainty posed by the pandemic.

Budget

The budget set by the PCC for 2021 in November 2020 anticipated that both unrestricted income and unrestricted expenditure would be lower than in 2020 and that overall we would achieve a slightly smaller net income deficit before transfers than we had managed in 2020. In the event, with the unwavering and valued support from our regular donors, and close scrutiny of our financial position by the PCC through a Treasurer’s report presented at each meeting during the period, we managed to contain our expenditure and turn the planned deficit on the General Fund into a small surplus. This was all the more remarkable given the reduced income from the hire of premises in 2021 which fell to £25,560 (compared to £41,376 in 2020 and £109,584 in 2019). The Statement of Financial Activities shows the income and expenditure for the period, with further detail given in the notes to the financial statements.

Financial management and decisions taken

Our cash position on the unrestricted General Fund at the start of the year was quite tight. Through close management of our cash outgoings and by successfully reclaiming income tax on past gift aided donations, this had improved considerably by the end of the year.

We introduced a “donate” button on our website, to make it easier for people to gift money electronically to the church and arranged for cash donations for the church and to the Renewal Fund to be placed in boxes by the Church entrance while open plate collections in church were suspended.

To help manage the shortfall in our income we applied for and received grant funding of £4,404 from the government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to cover the wages of staff placed on temporary leave ('furlough') due to COVID-19.

We sought to fundraise to help realise our plans to hire a Community Outreach Worker to support children and families and bolster our services for vulnerable adults. While these were unsuccessful, the PCC demonstrated its commitment to this cause by transferring £2,000 from the surplus on the General Fund to the Community Worker Fund at the end of the year.

15

We continued to honour our commitment to the Diocesan Common Fund and during the year contributed £30,000 towards the costs of the church’s mission and ministry across the Diocese of London and the placement of a vicar in nearly every Parish. Increasing our contribution to the Common Fund remains a priority for the PCC, and although we are planning for a net income deficit in 2022, we have committed to increase our contribution to the Common Fund by 10% (to £33,000 in 2022).

We prioritised spending from the VDF Restricted Fund, reducing the balance on this by the end of the year to zero, and on the VDF Designated Fund to £11,720. We also paid over the balance of £1,320 on the Other Restricted Fund owed to Pimlico Foundation, returning that fund to a zero balance also.

The PCC is focussed on how we manage our mission giving through the Partners in Mission Fund, recognising that our tithing arrangements are not keeping pace with our commitments to other organisations, and that we will need to find a way of balancing these in 2022.

The underlying investments in our Ministry Housing Fund performed well, increasing the value of this fund by £53,033 in 2021. We continue to owe £300,000 to the Ministry Housing Fund that we borrowed in 2014 in order to complete works on refurbishment of the Centre. This will be repaid as funds allow and will be used to purchase a property for a minister. Reserves Policy

It is the policy of the PCC (agreed with church members at the APCM) to maintain unrestricted funds, which are the free reserves of the Church, at a level which will provide sufficient funds to cover the normal ministry, management and administration costs of the Church for a minimum of one month (but, ideally three months) and any emergency expenditure as it should arise. Additional reserves are set aside where, in the view of the Council, it is prudent to allow for future expenditure plans. The level of free (unrestricted and designated fund) reserves at 31 December 2021 stood at £107,818 (2020: £112,733).

Looking Forward

In budgeting for 2022 the PCC continued to be aware the financial challenges facing us were not yet over, however the bookings in the Centre are picking up and there is a clear desire to plan for growth. The PCC has been doing serious work around its priorities and how best to use its, limited, resources for growth, especially with changes around staffing. They have also, as previously mentioned, been looking at the simplification of the committee structure, in order to streamline functioning as much as possible. Alongside this there is a real concern to ensure that all our processes are as good as they can be, so we are reviewing all the external contracts to ensure that they not only provide value for money but a high quality of service.

Approved by the PCC on 21[st] April 2022

And signed on its behalf by

Elisabeth Goddard Vicar

16

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES

ON THE UNAUDITED ACCOUNTS OF

PCC OF SAINT JAMES THE LESS

For the purposes of those charity funds on pages 17 to 23 for the year ended 31 December 2021 which require an independent examiner's report, we confirm the following:-

Respective Responsibilitiesof Trustees and Examiner

The charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements. The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed.

It is my responsibility to:

• examine the financial statements (under section 145 of the 2011 Act);

• to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act);

• state whether particular matters have come to my attention.

Basis of Independent Examiner's Report

My examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the financial statements presented with those records. It also includes considerations of any unusual items or disclosures in the financial statements, and the seeking of explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and, consequently no opinion is given as to whether the financial statements present a "true and fair view" and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statements below.

Independent Examiner's Statement

In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention

1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that, in any material respect, the trustees have not met the requirements:

• to keep accounting records in accordance with s130 of the 2011 Act; and

• to prepare financial statements which agree with the accounting records and to comply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act; or

2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the financial statements to be reached.

H Cheesman FCA Chichester Accounting 104 Stockbridge Road Chichester West Sussex PO19 8QP

20th April 2022

Page 17

Statement of Financial Activities For the year ended 31 December 2021

PCC of St James the Less

notes
Incoming resources from generated funds
Voluntary income
9
Activities for generating funds
10
Investment income
11
Income for charitable activities
12
Total income
Costs of generating funds
Cost of generating voluntary income
13
Charitable activities
14
Total expenditure
Income / (expenditure) before transfers
Transfers between funds
15
Gains / (losses) on investment assets
TOTAL INCOME / (EXPENDITURE)
FOR THE YEAR
Balances brought forward
Balances carried forward
Net incoming/(outgoing) resources before other
gains/(losses)		 Unrestricted
Designated
Restricted
funds
funds
funds
69,307
-
17,086
294
-
-
-
3
3,303
26,004
15,040
-
95,605
15,043
20,389
-
-
-
89,770
22,177
4,139
89,770
22,177
4,139
5,835
(7,134)
16,250
(3,494)
(122)
3,616
2,341
(7,256)
19,866
-
-
49,731
2,341
(7,256)
69,597
61,052
51,681
375,764
63,393
44,425
445,361		 2021
Total
£
86,393
294
3,306
41,044
131,037
-
116,086
116,086
14,951
-
14,951
49,731
64,682
488,497
553,179		 2020
Total
£
69,118
5,026
52
56,923
131,119
46
138,186
138,232
(7,113)
-
(7,113)
(3,786)
(10,899)
499,396
488,497

Page 18

Balance Sheet As at 31 December 2021

PCC of St James the Less

notes
Fixed Assets
5
Investments
8
Current Assets
Debtors
6
Cash at Bank - Current Account
Total current assets
Liabilities
Creditors due within one year
7
Net current assets
Creditors
Amounts falling due after
more than one year
Total Net Assets
Parish Funds
15
Unrestricted
Designated
Restricted		 Unrestricted
Designated
Restricted
£
£
-
715
-
-
342,825		 2021
Total
£
715
342,825
343,540
8,793
230,889
239,682
(30,043)
209,639
-
553,179
63,393
44,425
445,361
553,179		 2020
Total
£
1,073
289,792
-
715
342,825
8,793
-
-
69,603
58,750
102,536
78,396
58,750
102,536
(15,003)
(15,040)
-
63,393
43,710
102,536
-
-
-
63,393
44,425
445,361
63,393
-
-
-
44,425
-
-
-
445,361
63,393
44,425
445,361		 290,865
37,423
189,469
226,892
(29,260)
197,632
-
488,497
61,052
51,681
375,764
488,497

Approved by the Parochial Church Council on 21st April 2022 and signed on its behalf by:

L Goddard

The attached notes (1 - 15) form part of this statement.

Page 19

Notes to the financial statements

PCC of St James the Less

1 Accounting polices

Accounting convention

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Church Accounting Regulations 2006 together with applicable accounting standards and in accordance with the Charities SORP 2019. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention, and in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standards FRS102 and the Charities Act 2011.

Incoming resources

All incoming resources are included on the Statement of Financial Activities when the charity is legally entitled to the income and the amount can be quantified with reasonable accuracy.

Resources expended

Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all cost related to the category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources.

Fixed Assets

Fixed assets are held at historic cost less depreciation. Included within tangible fixed assets is Leasehold property and no depreciation is charged on the property as it is the trustees' policy to maintain the buildings in a continual state of sound repair so any depreciation would not be material. The Council considers that the lives of these assets are so long and the residual values so high that their depreciation is insignificant. Depreciation is calculated on a straight line basis and written off over the life of the asset according to the class of asset as follows:

Office, centre and church equipment 20% on cost Leased assets Over the remaining period of the lease Leasehold property 1% per annum straight line

Taxation

The charity is exempt from tax on its charitable activities.

Investments

Investments are included at closing mid-market value at the balance sheet date. Any gain or loss on revaluation is taken to the SOFA.

Finance leases

Assets held under finance leases and the related lease obligations are included at the fair value at the inception of the lease. Depreciation on leased assets is calculated to write off this amount on a straightline over the shorter of the lease term and the useful life of the asset.

2 Trustees' expenses and remuneration

There was no trustees' remuneration for the year ended 31st December 2021 nor for the year ended 31st December 2020.

Trustees Expenses

In the year to 31st December 2021, no Trustees were paid for expenses (2020: £nil).

3 Related parties

The charity is controlled by the trustees.

Page 20

Notes to the financial statements

PCC of St James the Less

4 Common Fund

The PCC makes payments to the Common Fund of the London Diocesan Fund to help meet the cost of providing a full time stipendiary priest including their housing and pensions. The agreed Common Fund contribution from Saint James the Less during 2021 was £30,000 (2020: £42,500).

5 Fixed Assets

Cost
Brought forward
Additions
Carried forward
Depreciation
Brought forward
Charge in the year
Carried forward
Net Book Value
At 31 December 2021
At 31 December 2020
6 Debtors
Income tax recoverable
Other Debtors
Total
7 Creditors due within one year
Accrual
Income in advance
Total		 Office fittings
and
equipment
Centre
fittings and
equipment
4,458
24,971		 Church
fittings and
equipment
28,289
28,289
28,289
-
28,289
-
-
2021
£
8,059
734
8,793
2021
£
15,003
15,040
30,043		 Total
57,718
-
4,458
24,971
4,458
23,898
-
358		 57,718
56,645
358
4,458
24,256
-
715		 57,003
715
-
1,073		 1,073
2020
£
37,423
-
37,423
2020
£
14,220
15,040
29,260

Page 21

Notes to the financial statements

PCC of St James the Less

8 Investments

Movements in the year
Market value at 1st January 2021
Additions
Disposal
Revaluation
Market value at 31 December 2021		 £
289,792
3,302
-
49,731
342,825

Holdings at 31 December 2021

£95,000 with CCLA split with £80,000 in the Investment Fund and £15,000 in the Property Fund £92,260 with M & G Charifund

9
Voluntary Income
Unrestricted Designated
Restricted
Total
2021
£
Gift aid donations
33,061
-
742
33,803
Gift aid recovered
8,277
-
-
8,277
Other planned giving
10,950
-
40
10,990
Open plate collections
1,869
-
64
1,933
Sundry donations
3,246
-
16,016
19,262
Grants received
11,904
-
224
12,128
Total
69,307
-
17,086
86,393
10 Activities for Generating Funds
Unrestricted Designated
Restricted
Total
2021
£
Sales
294
-
-
294
11 Investment Income
Unrestricted Designated
Restricted
Total
2021
£
Interest and dividends
-
3
3,303
3,306
Total
-
3
3,303
3,306
12 Income for Charitable Activities
Unrestricted Designated
Restricted
Total
2021
£
Parochial fees
444
-
-
444
Hire of Premises
25,560
15,040
-
40,600
Total
26,004
15,040
-
41,044		 Total
2020
£
27,157
7,712
17,605
1,400
3,119
12,125
69,118
Total
2020
£
5,026
Total
2020
£
52
52
Total
2020
£
507
56,416
56,923

Page 22

Notes to the financial statements

PCC of St James the Less

13 Costs of Generating Voluntary Income

Unrestricted Designated
Restricted
Total
2021
£
Costs of sales
-
-
Total
-
-
-
-
14 Charitable Activities
Unrestricted Designated
Restricted
Total
2021
£
Mission giving
-
7,840
-
7,840
Vicar's discretionary giving
-
16
1,865
1,881
Centre costs
333
-
-
333
Common fund
30,000
-
-
30,000
Administrative costs
37,824
-
-
37,824
Activities
1,313
-
-
1,313
Bank charges
122
-
-
122
Church/ Centre running costs
13,117
1,948
-
15,065
Church maintenance
-
-
-
-
Open Door Meal
-
-
2,274
2,274
Service costs
1,290
-
-
1,290
Schoolroom costs
4,125
-
-
4,125
Building maintenance
646
12,015
-
12,661
Vicarage costs
-
-
-
-
Depreciation
-
358
-
358
Governance costs
1,000
-
-
1,000
89,770
22,177
4,139
116,086		 Unrestricted Designated
Restricted
Total
2021
£
Costs of sales
-
-
Total
-
-
-
-
14 Charitable Activities
Unrestricted Designated
Restricted
Total
2021
£
Mission giving
-
7,840
-
7,840
Vicar's discretionary giving
-
16
1,865
1,881
Centre costs
333
-
-
333
Common fund
30,000
-
-
30,000
Administrative costs
37,824
-
-
37,824
Activities
1,313
-
-
1,313
Bank charges
122
-
-
122
Church/ Centre running costs
13,117
1,948
-
15,065
Church maintenance
-
-
-
-
Open Door Meal
-
-
2,274
2,274
Service costs
1,290
-
-
1,290
Schoolroom costs
4,125
-
-
4,125
Building maintenance
646
12,015
-
12,661
Vicarage costs
-
-
-
-
Depreciation
-
358
-
358
Governance costs
1,000
-
-
1,000
89,770
22,177
4,139
116,086		 Total
2020
£
46
-
-
-
-		 46
Total
2020
£
10,423
2,820
920
42,500
37,872
1,846
65
25,333
431
2,747
3,052
4,771
-
570
3,836
1,000
138,186

Page 23


originally specified by donors to that fund.		 In 2021, the Other restricted fund was closed after the balance on the fund was transferred to the Pimlico Foundation in line with the purpose which will be repaid when funds allow. the proceeds were lent to the Renewal Fund to pay for centre renovation work. There is currently about £300,000 outstanding on this loan The Ministry Housing fund is set aside for the purchase a property for a minister. When a previously owned property was sold in 2014, part of premises. The Education, Community Worker and Open Door Meal funds are used to fund different outreach activities. Donations to the restricted VDF are used to relieve financial hardship. The Renewal fund is for the renewal and restoration of the church Restricted funds are for specific purposes and cannot be used for anything other than their specified purpose. Restricted funds set aside by the PCC to relieve financial hardship. general fund income and is set aside to be given away to other organisations to fund their mission work. The Vicar's Discretionary Fund (VDF) is The Monk fund is set aside for maintenance work to the church building and centre. The Partner’s in Mission fund comprises 10% of relevant Unrestricted and designated funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity. Unrestricted and Designated Funds: 488,497
131,037
(116,086)
14,951
-
49,731
553,179		 Open Door Meal
6,868
419
(2,274)
(1,855)
-
-
5,013		 Community worker
33,868
374
-
374
2,000
-
36,242		 Ministry housing
325,121
3,302
-
3,302
-
49,731
378,154		 Renewal
(3,755)
15,858
-
15,858
1,679
-
13,782		 Education
12,170
-
-
-
-
-
12,170		 Other
1,320
-
-
-
(1,320)
-
-		 Vicar's
172
436
(1,865)
(1,429)
1,257
-
-		 Restricted Vicar's
12,993
-
(16)
(16)
(1,257)
-
11,720		 Partners in Mission
12,385
-
(7,840)
(7,840)
2,814
-
7,359		 Monk
26,303
15,043
(14,321)
722
(1,679)
-
25,346		 Designated funds General fund
61,052
95,605
(89,770)
5,835
(3,494)
-
63,393		 Unrestricted brought forward
resources
resources
resources
Transfers
losses
carried forward		 Fund balances
Incoming
Outgoing
outgoing
Gains and
Fund balances		 Net incoming/