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← The Parochial Church Council Of The Ecclesiastical Parish Of All Saints', Thelwall

2023-12-31-accounts

ALL SAINTS CHURCH

THELWALL

ANNUAL REPORT

2023-2024

Important

Please bring this report with you to the Annual General Meeting To be read before the meeting

Charity number 1135426

ALL SAINTS’ THELWALL ANNUAL TRUSTEES REPORT 2023/24

ALL SAINTS CHURCH THELWALL

ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING AND MEETING TO ELECT CHURCHWARDENS

24th APRIL 2024

MEETING TO ELECT CHURCHWARDENS

  1. Minutes of the last Meeting

  2. Vote of thanks to the Churchwardens

  3. Election of Churchwardens

  4. Notice of the Archdeacons Visitation

  5. AOB

  6. Close of Meeting

ANNUAL PAROCHIAL MEETING

Minutes of the last Meeting

A.

To receive a report on changes to the Electoral Roll since the last Annual Meeting

To receive a report on the proceedings of the PCC and the activities

of the parish generally

To receive a report on the financial affairs of the Parish

To receive the independently examined accounts of the PCC for the year ended 31[st] December, 2023

To receive a report on the Fabric, Goods and Ornaments of the Church

To receive a report on the proceedings of the Deanery Synod

B.

To elect Representatives to the Deanery Synod

To elect Representatives to the PCC

C.

To appoint an Independent Examiner

D.

Any matters of Parochial or general interest

Chairman’s Report

Other Reports

E. Close of Meeting

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ALL SAINTS’ THELWALL ANNUAL TRUSTEES REPORT 2023/24

MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL MEETING TO ELECT CHURCH WARDENS

26[th] APRIL 2023

1. Minutes of Meeting of to Elect Church Wardens 2022

The Minutes of the April 2022 meeting were agreed. Proposed: Pip Horne,

Seconded: Elaine Whittaker.

2. Vote of thanks to Church Wardens

The Church Wardens have been brilliant and very supportive. Meetings with Douglas at the Little Manor have been enjoyable along with dealing with church matters.

Derek Leather has requested to retire as Church Warden after three years service. We are grateful for Derek’s three years of service to the Church. The Archdeacon has agreed that Julie could continue for a further year as Church Warden as long as the APCM is in agreement. Julie thanked Derek for his support during the last year.

Derek thanked everyone for supporting him during his time as Church Warden. Work and family commitments have put pressure on him so felt it was right to retire. Douglas on behalf of everyone thanked him and wished him all the best.

3. Election of Church Wardens

Julie French

Jon Halliday

Everyone was in favour so Julie and Jon were appointed.

4. Sidespeople

Sidespeople are appointed at the first PCC meeting after the APCM.

5. Notice of the Arch Deacons Visitation

The Archdeacons Visitation Tuesday 13[th] June at St John’s Church, Over, Winsford at 7.30pm. Church Wardens have to attend.

6. AOB

None

The meeting ended with the Grace

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MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING

26[th] April, 2023

1. Minutes of Meeting held at AGM 2023

These were accepted as a true record. Proposed: Helen Speed; Seconded: Pip Horne

2. Report on the Electoral Roll since the last meeting

231 members in April 2023. A complete revision is required in 2025

3. Report on the Financial Affairs

The accounts have been prepared by Chris Monks and audited by Walker Begley We have now got 95% of the funds required for the Church car park.

The work is due to start on 22[nd] May. There will be no more pot holes. The school and neighbours to be contacted to advise that the car park will be out of use during the week.

Our thanks to Chris for all his hard work. Chris has done a remarkable job with the accounts.

4. Election to the Deanery Synod

John Alexander, Kath Mellor, Bob Powell, Mike Horne, Proposed: Jon Halliday, Seconded: Julie French

5. Election of Representatives to the PCC

Thanks to Malcolm, Elaine, Karen and Alison for all their work whilst on the PCC.

New Members to the PCC – Linda Hutchinson, Anne Hague, Nettie Norman, James Gaffney.

6. Appointment of Independent Examiner

Walker Begley

7. Parochial Interest

Director of Music – Felicity stepped down after 24 years. We are looking to recruit for 10 hours work within the Church and 10 hours work within the village schools. The salary will be paid on the scale set down by the Royal School and Church Guidance. The funder asked many questions which have been discussed at PCC Meetings. The position will be a three year contract. We will use Safer Recruitment and People Management guidelines. The funder will pay 75% of the cost. The choir and music group were given a huge thank you for all the work they do

8. Unsung Hero Award

Jean Fisher was awarded this for all the work that she does. Assists the Church Wardens each week. Sorts flowers out for special occasions, does coffee duties, looks after the graveyard gardeners, helps out at services. Verger. There are other jobs that aren’t mentioned as Jean does so much.

Jean thanked everyone.

The meeting closed with prayer

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ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

All Saints Church is situated in Thelwall. It is part of the Diocese of Chester within the Church of England. The correspondence address is the Vicarage, Bell Lane, Thelwall, Warrington, Cheshire.

The PCC is a body corporate (PCC Powers Measure 1956, Church Representation Rules 2011) and registered as a charity on 9[th] April 2010 with the Charity Commission ( Charity number 1135426 ).

PCC members during 2021/2022 were as follows

Rev Douglas Black Julie French (Churchwarden) Derek Leather (Churchwarden) Pip Horne (Lay Reader) Colin Horrabin (Lay Reader)

PCC Elected Members

2020

John Alexander Malcolm Hague Karen Tipping Elaine Whittaker

2021

Caroline Johnstone Chris Monks

2022

Suzanne Williams Ingrid Halliday

Helen Speed(coopted)

PCC Members 2023

Rev Douglas Black Julie French (Churchwarden) Jon Halliday (Churchwarden) Pip Horne (Lay Reader) Colin Horrabin (Lay Reader)

Deanery Synod Members

Kath Mellor Bob Powell Mike Horne John Alexander

PCC Members

Derek Leather Chris Monks (Treasurer) Caroline Johnstone (Safeguarding Officer)

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Ingrid Halliday Suzanne Hopkins Anne Hague Linda Hutchinson James Gaffney Nettie Norman

Church Architect

Tony Barton, RIBA Donald Insall Architects, 5 Bridge Place, Chester

Bank

NatWest, Warrington Branch, 23 Sankey Street, Warrington, Cheshire, WA1 1XH

Independent Examiner

Walker Begley, Knutsford Road, Grappenhall

AIMS and PURPOSES

All Saints' Church, Thelwall Parochial Church Council (PCC) has the responsibility of co-operating with the incumbent, the Reverend Douglas Black, in promoting in the ecclesiastical parish, the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. The PCC is also responsible for the Parish Hall on Bell Lane Thelwall.

Our mission statement is:-

Growing Up, in our faith by engaging with the bible, prayer & worship.

Growing Together, through team work, encouragement, fellowship & fun!

Growing Out, to our local and global community with practical service and generosity.

Growing More, by sharing our faith & drawing people into the life of the church.

We aim to fulfil this in all aspects of church life.

OBJECTIVES and ACTIVITIES

The PCC is committed to enabling as many people as possible to worship at our church and to become part of our parish community at All Saints. The PCC maintains an overview of worship throughout the parish and makes suggestions on how our services can involve the many groups that live within our parish. Our services and worship put faith into practice through prayer and scripture, music and sacrament.

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

To facilitate this work it is important that we maintain the fabric of the Church and the Parish Hall.

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STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE and MANAGEMENT

All Saints’ Annual Parochial Meeting is held on the last Wednesday of April and it is at this meeting that church wardens and PCC members are elected. The method of appointment of PCC members is set out in the Church Representation Rules 2022. At All Saints the membership of the PCC consists of the incumbent (our vicar), churchwardens, lay readers and members elected by those members of the congregation who are on the electoral roll of the church. All those who attend our services/members of the congregation are encouraged to register on the Electoral Roll and stand for election to the PCC.

The PCC members are responsible for making decisions on all matters of general concern and importance to the parish including on how the funds of the PCC are to be spent. New members receive initial training into the workings of the PCC.

Given its wide responsibilities the PCC has appointed six permanent action groups, each dealing with a particular aspect of parish life:

Employment Matters 2024

The parishes of the Chester diocese are committed to a policy adopted by the Dioceses of NW England entitled: “Just Employment – Employing Staff in Faith Based Projects”. It contains information on recruitment, documentation, pay and reward, dismissal and redundancy, volunteers and health & safety. Even though we only have a few part time and occasional employees, we are still subject to all the demands of Employment law, including the National Living Wage. In some instances – like paid church choir directors and musicians – employment is also governed by Canon (church) Law. We are grateful that the Diocesan HR Advisor – Liz Geddes - is always on hand to guide us. Also, employers must notify the HMRC on each occasion that payment is made to an employee. This includes single payments to vergers, organists & gravediggers, as well as the earnings of our part time employees. Pensions: at the moment, none of our employees are eligible for autoenrolment on a pension scheme because their earnings are below the required threshold. National Insurance: this becomes payable when our workers earn £242 per week (2024).

Safeguarding is an ever increasing responsibility for churches. ‘Safer recruitment’ requires vetting of anyone who works with children, young people and vulnerable adults. This is particularly the case for paid workers in any parish. They must be screened, trained & appointed every 3 years. Also, those involved in recruiting employees (and volunteers) must undergo the C of E’s ‘safer recruitment’ training course.

Village Green

The ‘Village Green’ on Thelwall New Road (o/s Gigg Lane) is the property of the church (the diocese & PCC are joint trustees). The vicar and wardens are responsible for the oversight of the land, reporting to PCC when any issues arise. We are grateful to the Grappenhall & Thelwall Parish Council (G&TPC) for including the land in their local grounds maintenance programme, which means that they are paying for the grass to be cut. Every 5 years, we are required by our insurers to employ an arborist to inspect the land, especially the trees, and produce a report for our attention and action.

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Safeguarding Report 2023/24 - Parish Safeguarding Officer (PSO) Caroline Johnstone

Our aim at All Saints is to safeguard the wellbeing of everyone who attends our church and prevent situations arising which may compromise this.

What does safeguarding look like at All Saints?

What if you have a concern for yourself or someone else?

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Keeping yourself safe … safeguarding awareness …

If you want to know more, please read the Parish Safeguarding Leaflet on the noticeboard in the porch

Vicar’s Report

This is my 22[nd] year as vicar of All Saints. My ‘copper’ anniversary apparently!

1. GROWING UP in our faith by engaging with the bible, prayer and worship. We continue to search for a new ‘Director of Music’ to work with adults and children in the church,

community and primary schools. A job description has been agreed by PCC and advertising has begun. No takers yet. Meanwhile, I’m indebted to our musicians and singers for planning and delivering the music in our services. They’re amazing! Our Bible groups continue to meet for mutual support and encouragement. We also continue to look for accessible ways to help people pray and read the Bible. Over the past year, we’ve been using seasonal ‘prayer project’ leaflets, to supplement the prayer cards we hand out at major festivals. The diocesan vision encourages all of us to “grow braver, fuller faith”. In 2024, could you help someone to engage with the Bible, prayer and worship - to grow up in faith?

2. GROWING TOGETHER through teamwork, encouragement, fellowship and fun! The social events, outreach activities, the bonfire, fundraisers, heritage events etc hand us wonderful opportunities for teamwork, encouragement, fellowship and fun. As I mentioned last year, social inclusion has become an important goal for charitable funders as they seek to combat loneliness and mental health issues. Our applications for grants are often successful because we address the need for inclusion in an ageing village. Also, we are often informed by researchers that ‘belonging’ can lead to ‘believing’. In the coming year, could you invite someone to be involved in our ‘growing together’? Help them belong and they may just believe, too. The diocesan vision strapline is: “Together in Christ, sharing hope”. Let’s grow together and share hope.

3. GROWING OUT to our local and global community with practical service and generosity. The ‘cost of living’ crisis continues to make daily life challenging for people - locally and globally. Hence, I’m really encouraged by the initiatives and generosity that our church generates. Food and Friendship in church on Mondays has grown into a valuable meeting place for senior citizens. And, yet again, we’ve seen amazing responses to appeals for Christian Aid, Foodbank, Children’s Society, Operation Christmas Child, FairTrade, Get Warrington Talking, Macmillan, Papyrus, Myaware and Prison Fellowship. The list gets longer every year! As ever, our organised appeals and initiatives are paralleled by wonderful individual acts of kindness and generosity to people near and far. The diocesan vision talks about: “transformative loving service” and “engaging locally, working together in loving generosity”. We’re on it’!

4. GROWING MORE by sharing our faith and drawing people into the life of the church. Open the Book (OtB) is still enthusiastically received in the local primary schools. We are currently praying for more people to join the OtB team. Also, recent research is showing the ever increasing effectiveness of one-to-one ‘faith sharing’ in bringing people to faith and church. This is mirrored in one of the priorities of the diocesan vision: “Reaching out and blessing the 1.5 million (in the diocese) one life at a time”. Is there non-churchgoer you could reach out and bless? Possibly invite them to a social event or service? Moreover, The C of E’s ‘Growing Faith’ campaign

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encourages Christians to share their faith in word and action during the week. Thus, in Lent, we will use the “On Purpose” course recommended by the Diocesan Evangelism Dept. These studies aim to help us see God given purpose in everything we do. The aim of all of the above is about developing and growing ‘missionary disciples’, which is the model the C of E, the diocese and the New Testament are encouraging us to adopt.

The C of E has set the parishes a target of ‘carbon net zero’ by 2030. An online ‘carbon footprint’ tool is available, along with advice and guidance on reducing our footprint. PCCs are being encouraged to appoint a ‘net zero’ officer to keep the church on track. We will do so at the first meeting of the new PCC in May.

We are delighted with the new car park surface at the church. We are very grateful to the funders and the fundraising that made it possible.

So much worthwhile work is undertaken by so many folk at All Saints, which makes it extra difficult to thank everyone by name. But notably, I would like to say thank you to Julie and Jon (wardens), Chris (treasurer), Kath (secretary), Pip, Colin and Bob (Readers), the two Mikes for the church car park, and all the action groups for continuing to adapt to the challenges with such energy and enthusiasm. And, as always, I say to you all: ‘thank you and well done good and faithful servants’. Keep growing up, growing together, growing out and growing more.

PARISH REPORTS – Achievements and Performance

Electoral Roll Report – Jon Halliday

At the time of writing this on 9[th] April 2024, the Electoral Roll had been updated and at that stage the numbers are 236 compared to the previous years declaration of 231 on 15[th] March 2023

Of these 236 names, 164 live in the parish of Thelwall and 72 outside. There were 10 new names added to the Electoral Roll with 5 names being recorded as deceased and therefore removed from the Electoral Roll.

Of new congregation members seven (7) registering on the Electoral Roll are classed as living outside of the parish and this may possibly be attributed to either the closure of local churches or family and friend relationships attracting new congregation members.

We have therefore, in the period from 15[th] March 2023, seen an increase of five (5) members on the Electoral Roll equating to a 2.2% increase in members. In order to simplify and normalise the current period declaration the next period will be set to start on 7[th] April 2024 and continue until the date of the next declaration in 2025. Previous periods have seen new amendments falling between periods and this normalisation will mitigate this in the future.

I will be able to state the current numbers for the coming year at the Annual Meeting as 236 electoral roll members.

Historical Reports and Future Predictions

For transparency I have included numbers for the past few years are below and this does show a trending increase in Electoral Roll numbers where this was expected to be countered by a decrease over the last couple of years this has not been realised and it is expected that the trend will continue. We may however see, as in previous years, a decrease in numbers at the next full revision which is due in 2025.

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Total at AGM in 2007 = 155 (Full Revision) 300 Total at AGM in 2008 = 175 250 Total at AGM in 2009 = 177 200 150 Total at AGM in 2010 = 184 100 Total at AGM in 2011 = 193 Total at AGM in 2012 = 199 Total at AGM in 2013 = 204 (Full ReviTotal on Roll at each AGM Linear (Total on Roll at each AGM) sion) Linear (Total on Roll at each AGM) Total at AGM in 2014 = 221 Total at AGM in 2015 = 237 Total at AGM in 2016 = 248 fig a. Visual representation of the electoral roll numbers declared at each AGM Total at AGM in 2017 = 256 Total at AGM in 2018 = 264 Total at AGM in 2019 = 244 (Full Revision) Total at AGM in 2020 = 246 Total at AGM in 2021 = 241 Total at AGM in 2022 = 237 Total at AGM in 2023 = 231 Total at AGM in 2024 = 235

A significant drop in 2019 can be attributed to a full revision of the Electoral Roll taking place and a number of records being removed due to members not re-registering.

For the years 2021 and 2022 a decrease in numbers can, as was previously reported, be attributed to the COVID pandemic and a combination of deaths within the congregation and severe reduction in regular services.

It is anticipated, based on the last 5 years, that the number of members of the Electoral Roll will increase over the next 2 years. Whilst it was anticipated that an increase to pre-pandemic levels would be expected before the end of 2024 (targeted at 244 members) a revised estimate for the end of 2024 is likely to be approximately 240 although this does not take into account the number of new families moving into the area.

In the recent months the energy and economic concerns have led to major changes within the country particularly with house prices. Thelwall as a parish has seen a large number of property sales and is classed as a desirable area within the Warrington area and therefore is seeing an increase in the number of new families moving to the parish. This change in demographics across the parish has resulted in the introduction of new families, lowering the average age in the parish, and an increase in population density (resulting from an increase in the average number of occupants within a home) and it Is hoped that we may realise an increase in congregation members as some of these families look to attend a local church on a regular basis.

Jon Halliday

Electoral Roll Officer

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Secretary’s Report

The PCC meets six times a year plus the Annual General Meeting. All meetings start with a short time of devotion. We follow an Agenda each meeting. One of the main items this year has been to discuss the advertising for a new Music Director. We also spent time discussing the car park which was done in May last year and we also discussed the need for white lines. We have also discussed the Church Yard and the need for making certain headstones solid again. The PCC agreed to pay for repairs. We have discussed the Quinquennial inspection which took place in 2023 which went well with only a few jobs that need doing. We are so grateful for members of the congregation who spend so much time keeping our church in good order. We also spend a lot of time discussing our finances.

Deanery Synod Report 2023-24

Most Deanery Synod meetings were taken up with discussions about, and plans for, the Diocesan Vision: Together in Christ, Sharing Hope. Following, a nine month period of consultation around the deanery synods of Chester diocese, the following key themes came to the surface:

And the vision involves these four priorities:

In 2024, deanery synod will discuss the implementation of the vision. Watch this space!

Report on the Fabric, Goods and Ornaments of the Church (Churchwardens)

This Church year has a been but productive one, we have now got the new and much needed car park thanks to all the hard work, sweat and tears put in by Mike Brewer and Mike Horne, what would we do without you guys! Thankyou both.

We also had our Quinquennial Inspection in May which we passed with flying colours and received a glowing report from the Archdeacon, if you haven’t already seen it then please do.

January this year has seen the installation of a sump pump in the boiler house to stop the ever increasing flooding due to heavy rains. Philip and his team at Countrywide have done an excellent job. Thank you Philip we now won’t have to pray for good weather or don our wellies to physically bail the water out.

Our next challenge will be to have the repairs carried out to the main church door, the wood at the bottom has rotted and this will probably entail removing the door (the biggest single door in Cheshire) and at the same time replacing the hinge at the top. We are looking for a specialist to carry out this work and would ideally like it done over the summer.

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We continue to reach out to the people in our parish with all the activities we offer and a big thanks to all involved in these from Soup and a roll, Open the Book, Craft club etc.

On behalf of Jon and I, we wish you all a happy healthy and peaceful New Church Year.

God Bless, Julie & Jon

Worship Action Group (Action Group Chair, Douglas Black)

The brief of the WAGs is to develop worship, nurture and prayer in line with the church’s mission statement: growing up, growing together, growing out, growing more.

Public worship is almost back to ‘normal’ or, maybe we should say, ‘new normal’. Most Covid restrictions have been lifted and we now offer Holy Communion using the chalice and wafers with a drop of wine on it. Communicants can then choose, depending on their personal circumstances.

We are always thinking of imaginative and flexible ways to help people engage with prayer. The prayer booklets from the Prayer Trust have been well received at Christmas and Easter. Also, we have been compiling home-made prayer project leaflets for Advent, Lent and Harvest, which contain some seasonal prayers and a list of items needing prayer.

This applies to personal Bible reading, too. On certain occasions in the year, we introduce the congregation to personal daily Bible reading notes. For example, we distributed a booklet on New Year’s Eve entitled “First Steps – Walking with Jesus”. It’s an introduction to personal daily bible reading & reflection.

Every year, we sign up for the Archbishops’ Ascension-tide initiative: Thy Kingdom Come

(TKC). TKC encourages Christian to pray for - and share their faith with – family, friends and neighbours. They provide prayer journals and other resources, which should arrive in April.

Our Bible study and Lent groups continue to uplift the people who attend and they, in turn, uplift others. Last year’s Lent Course was entitled “Fruitfulness on the Frontline” - reflections on how God can and does work through our daily lives. This year, in line with the diocesan vision, the Lent studies are entitled: “On Purpose - discover God given purpose in everything you do.” With Jesus, our work, family life, friendships, and interests all serve a higher purpose.

The PCC has agreed a job description for a new Director of Music to work with children and adults in the church and with the two schools in the village. Advertising has been ongoing since the summer. As yet, we haven’t received any enquiries but our advisors inform us that it sometimes takes two (or more!) years to catch the interest of a potential candidate. In the meantime, the WAGs are very grateful to the singers and musicians for the zest and commitment they invest in the provision of music for our public worship.

Parish Hall Action Group - Philip Young

During the year Helen Speed after many years of service on the committee resigned and was replaced by Philip Young. Richard Speed and John Halliday also joined the committee during the year.

At the start of the year Alan Marsh resigned and was replaced by a new caretaker for three months. However the role was unfilled and the hall has split the role up giving the hall management greater control at improving outcomes.

The hall is now passed pre pandemic levels of income and is seeking to grow yet further. Our bookings secretary Carolina Curbelo has brought in a wide range of in particular regular weekend bookings adding to the growth.

A £5,000 grant was made by the hall to the church for the car park at church. A surplus on top of the grant to church will still be made enabling the hall to continue its programme of improvements

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The sceptic tank has been safely enclosed with access no longer possible to the general public.

The play area at the rear of the hall was improved with new surfaces and the removal of untidy vegetation, The NEST control system and some very good buying by the treasurer resulted in below budget heating costs. Minor works have been carried out on the decorating front. The outdoor landscape will be awash with colour in the spring with over 400 daffodils and tulips planted. Drainage at the back of the hall was recently excavated and replaced. The old bike shelter was replaced with a bike rack closer to the hall.

Imminently we expect the fire alarm call points to be installed after references have been taken up on the appointed contractor. Also the toilets are due for major refurbishment but we have been unable to secure any grant funding. Increased resource has been applied to the application process and this is now the focus for the next 3-6 months.

During the year Jean and Ray Fisher have continued their long relationship with the running of the hall in particular their close working relationship with the daily cleaning team which ensures the smooth running of the hall.

Pastoral Care and Community Outreach

During 2023 there were 7 baptisms, 15 funerals at All Saints and 6 funerals at the crematorium only, 4 burials and 10 burials of ashes, and 3 weddings.

Baptism Preparation – A church member visits the family before the baptism to get to know the family and explain what’s involved. This person is at the service and the baptised child is given a children’s Bible as a baptism gift from the church.

Bereaved families are visited before and after the funeral by the vicar. We have a ‘Memorial Service’ of remembrance once a year, at all Saints-tide, to which all who have been bereaved during the last year are invited.

Our Counselling Referral service has been able to help a good number of people again this year. We are very grateful to the Diocesan Counselling Service for accepting our referrals. In addition, we are now providing oneto-one help for people struggling with 'officialdom' i.e. form filling, bureaucracy, HMRC, benefits etc.

Mike Brewer kindly runs the “Dealing with Officialdom”. Help and advice is offered on the following topics:

  1. Dealing with deceased persons’ estates e.g. completing probate forms and financial matters

  2. Completing attendance allowance claims

  3. Entitlements to pension credits, housing benefit, council tax support

  4. Problems arising from unmarried couples when one is bereaved and the other is not named on the house deeds.

  5. Private and state pension entitlements, understanding complex paperwork and decisions needed. But not investment advice.

  6. Universal credits entitlements and explaining the complexities of how they are calculated and the consequences of claw back when circumstances change.

  7. Completing Power of attorney when one partner suffers serious illness and their affairs need to be managed by family members. There have been several requests for help.

  8. Personal Independence Payments dealing with appeals to official decisions on entitlement.

  9. Income tax queries and entitlements.

  10. Driving licence notification for ill health. All of the above were resolved.

  11. This free service is regularly advertised in the parish news and conducted in the privacy of peoples’ homes. Contact Douglas Black or Mike Brewer, details can be found in the parish magazine.

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Food Bank Donations are left at the church and then taken to the Warrington Distribution Point by a church member.

Harvest Gifts – the gifts of tinned and packet food are given to the Warrington Food Bank and the gifts of flowers are distributed to the sick, bereaved and elderly of the parish .

Food Bank Donations are left at the church and then taken to the Warrington Distribution Point by a church member.

Harvest Gifts – the gifts of tinned and packet food are given to the Warrington Food Bank and the gifts of flowers are distributed to the sick, bereaved and elderly of the parish .

Outreach Action Group (Action Group Chair, Kath Mellor)

Our Group is very involved with the Monday Friendship Lunches which started from Warm Spaces. Last March we had our lunch with a name change to Food and Friendship. We had around 60 people enjoying a three course lunch. This year will be held on the 28[th] April and we look forward to seeing lots of people.

Our Group helped with the 1100 festivities with the refreshments and was able to meet so many different people which was a really good outreach event.

In October we had our Remembering the Loved Ones and so many people came to the service to remember their loved ones.

Our Monday Friendship Lunch has increased over the last twelve months with around 15 regulars coming week by week. At Christmas we had a party and Father Christmas came along to enjoy lunch and give gifts out.

The Children and Young People Action Group (Action Group Chair, Caroline Johnstone)

Praise and Play sessions are led by Janet Black and Elaine Whittaker with Liz Taylor and Nettie Norman. We continue to advertise in the Parish News plus have a poster in the Parish Hall. Our numbers have increased this past year, varying from about 3 to 7 children and have a mix of mums, grandparents and dad. We continue to follow our topics from a 4 year rolling programme, including the main Christian festivals, with amendments depending on the age mix of our little ones. We hold sessions twice a month on the first and third Thursday from 1.30-2.30pm. We also celebrate children’s birthdays by sending cards and at a session if it’s close to the birthday. We are delighted to hear that our little ones are eager to come into church even when just passing: so encouraging to know that they see church as a great place to be.

Messy Church continues to thrive we generally have around 30 + children and adults at each session, usually 3- 5pm on Sundays in the Parish Hall, and we meet at least once each half term. There are 6 core activity leaders who do a great job, with Kath on catering, and we have been really pleased to welcome new members of the congregation to the team especially our young leader, Jack. At each session there is a mixture of around 6 activities related to a Biblical theme, Christian Festival or season of the church’s year we then draw things together with a story, song, prayers and food related to the theme – the Harvest fruit cones were yummy!

The team also leads the Harvest Festival talk with the children, helps with the Crib service and other services in church throughout the year.

Story Service We restarted our story services this year at 5 -6 pm in church– so far, the attendance has been down on the numbers before the pandemic but the smaller sessions are more intimate and give us chance to talk more to the children and their families. The theme for a service is based on a Christian value and we use a mixture of secular and Bible stories to develop on it. We come together for a final Bible story, song and prayer. The children often come in their onesies and we finish with toast and hot chocolate.

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ALL SAINTS’ THELWALL ANNUAL TRUSTEES REPORT 2023/24

In early July we held our ‘Celebration of our Children and Young People’s Service’ which was really lovely as families from all our groups attended - the church was bustling! The usual Sunday congregation commented on how lovely it was to see them and how many children and families there are who see All Saints as ‘their church’ but attend worship other than on a Sunday morning. But that works the other way too, and we would like to invite you, the wider congregation, to drop in and join us at anything we do – you will be made very welcome by all concerned – it’s a great opportunity to dust off those story telling skills or come and while away a few hours helping folks make and do, as we are all part of God’s big family.

In the year ahead we ask for your prayers as we look to develop our work with the older young people.

Open the Book

A group of around 10-12 people go into the Junior and Infant schools to perform Bible stories for the children. We go fortnightly to the Juniors and twice a term to the Infants. We also do performances at church on special occasions such as Christmas, Easter and Family services. The children enjoy the performances and are eager to participate in the stories being told. The resources we use for ‘Open the Book’ come from “The Lion Storyteller Bible” by Bob Hartman. Peter and Lynda Jaques who have been leading ‘Open the Book’ since 2016 have now stepped down from Leadership, but are still involved with the group. Our heartfelt thanks go out to them for all their dedication and commitment they have shown since bringing ‘Open the Book’ into the schools in Thelwall.

The Social and Communications Action Group

2023 Was a busy and successful year in terms of social events and communications in the parish. Our events included: Quiz nights (January and October), Many coffee mornings in the church for Fairtrade, MacMillan, Foodbank, Christian Aid and Thelwall 1100. The Thelwall 1100 coffee morning included a gallery of photographs of the church and church family at the heart of village life throughout history. The coffee mornings remain very popular and provide a wonderful social occasion for all that attend. We had a bumper Easter Egg Hunt enjoying wonderful weather and input from the wider community in the organising. Wine Tasting was well attended with enthusiastic participation and again members of the community stepping up to support the event. Bonfire Night went off with a bang although this is organised by a separate committee. The Christmas Fayre returned to a single day event and proved popular with a great mix of all the traditional favourite stalls and a sprinkling of new ones that were very well patronised. We were particularly pleased to welcome Thelwall Men’s Shed who showcased their terrific carpentry skills and generated a lot of interest. Warrington Male Voice Choir once again performed a very impressive concert in December which is a staple on many people’s calendars. Our monthly markets have sadly come to an end this year after disappointing attendance and sales through the spring. We will monitor interest in potentially having these less frequently in the future depending on demand. The team formed the backbone of a walking float, representing the church at the Rose Queen. In addition we supported Laskey Farm’s participation in the national open garden scheme by providing tea and cakes and raising funds for church and the foodbank. Laskey Farm also hosted a Cream Tea event for the 1100 project that our team manned. The events continue to generate much needed and appreciated funds, but above and beyond this provide a witness to our church being very much alive and active in the village.

The Parish News continues to be a much needed tool for communicating in the village in particular with our neighbours who don’t ‘do digital’. It is edited by a member of SCAG and is distributed ten months of the year free to every house in Thelwall. We have continued to provide a platform for the legacy work from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Many local organisations and initiatives benefit from the magazine being able to advertise and update the village as a whole such as the Rose Queen, The Scouts Christmas Post, Bridgewater Players and the Thelwall 1100 project and its legacy activities.

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ALL SAINTS’ THELWALL ANNUAL TRUSTEES REPORT 2023/24

Our website is kept up to date and relevant along with our social media platforms. We continue to explore how this can be grown within the capacity of the team.

We are always grateful to receive any volunteers who would like to get involved in ensuring that the church remains at the heart of what we do as a village, welcoming, supporting and enhancing life in the community as a witness to our faith.

Finally a big thank you to everyone who has supported any of our events in any way at all, organising, advertising, baking, cooking, serving, attending, participating whatever role you played we are so very grateful for your support and look forward to seeing you at future events.

Fair Trade

All Saints’ is a fully registered Fairtrade church (our Fairtrade status was renewed in July 2020) and Fairtrade tea and coffee is used whenever refreshments are served. We hold a Fairtrade stall in church after the services every 1st and 3rd Sunday as well as on other ad hoc occasions, including at Thelwall’s annual Rose Queen Festival. On 9th March 2023 our morning service was dedicated to Fairtrade and the popular All Saints’ Wine Tasting event in May 2023 again featured Fairtrade wines. We also hold a very well supported Fairtrade Coffee Morning during Fairtrade Fortnight each year, drawing in around 70 people and raising funds for Transform Trade. Four church members are dedicated volunteers at Warrington’s own Fairtrade shop, Fair 4 All.

Thelwall 1100 Festival

All Saints’ Church provided practical and prayerful support to our village community as it celebrated the combined anniversaries of Thelwall’s 1100 years ‘a cyty’, Chaigeley School’s 75[th] and Thelwall Morris Men’s 50[th] .

Thelwall 1100 is a not-for-profit organisation, set up when no existing Thelwall organisation would take on the project. Thelwall 1100 will operate until 30 October 2025. It has a constitution, management committee and bank account that were required in order to bid for funding. The delivery of a programme of community celebrations that ran from 9 – 24 September 2023, was greatly helped by:

All Saints PCC has also supported, in principle, proposals for two legacy projects: heritage information plaques and an art installation.

Maggie Taylor

Chair, Thelwall 1100

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ALL SAINTS’ THELWALL ANNUAL TRUSTEES REPORT 2023/24

Mission Support

During the year we gave grant support to the following charitable organisations direct from church funds: Church Urban Fund; Papyrus; Prison Fellowship and Get Warrington Talking. We are also giving financial support to Christ Church, an adjacent parish to ours.

Papyrus was our chosen charity for the 2023 Lent Appeal. Through this £443.70 was raised.

In addition the following funds were raised directly for the following.

Transform Trade a March coffee morning in church raised £400

The Christian Aid , a May coffee morning in church raised £354.60

Breast Cancer Fund – an August coffee morning was held in church

MacMillan Cancer Fund – an October coffee morning in church raised £533.50

Samaritan’s Purse was supported through the donation of filled shoes boxes for Operation Christmas Child brought to our “Toy Service” in December.

SureStart was supported through the donation of wrapped gifts given at the Christmas “Toy Service” and taken to SureStart, Halton where the charity distributed them to their local family centres.

The Children’s Society is supported with donations from our Christingle service. This amounted to £600 from our 2032 service.

Warrington Food Bank – we have a collection point in church for donations of food etc. These are taken to the local centre by a volunteer. Food items donated at our Harvest Festival service also go to the food bank.

Ecumenical relationships

All Saints is a member of Lymm and District Churches Together (LDCT ).

Diane and Gordon O’Connor represent All Saints. Kath Mellor attends all meetings and reports on the Sanctuary Café. Simon Fawcett has taken over this year as Chairman. We look forward to events throughout the year.

The Sanctuary Café is a Community Interest Company that began as an idea developed by CTLD and is supported by them.

The café is very busy from Tuesday to Saturday. We have volunteers from a lot of the Churches but All Saints has the most volunteers. Anyone who would like to help please contact Kath on 602475 or email kathlmellor@gmail.com. We have held special events including Easter Monday and Transport Day. We have held coffee mornings to support Christian Aid and the week of Christian Unity. We also give a percentage to Fair4all during the fornight. We have a Fair4all stand open and this is becoming more popular. We have a Toddler Café on a Monday morning. On Tuesday we welcome Bumps and Babes. On a Wednesday we provide refreshments for Memory Café twice a month and twice a month we provide drinks for Singing for the Brain, Saturday I work alongside five volunteers who are a great asset to the café turning up each week to help.

The Stewardship Action Group (Action Group Chair Alison London)

We advise on matters referred to us by the PCC and seek to support the treasurer and church wardens. We also seek to encourage giving based on Biblical principles. Since the pandemic we have maintained contact by email in order to discuss stewardship issues and have meet together in person after church services to talk and continue discussions. Documents are shared between group members. This has proved a good way to keep in touch as well as fulfil our function.

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ALL SAINTS’ THELWALL ANNUAL TRUSTEES REPORT 2023/24

Encouraging Stewardship: Our church membership are of considerable importance as they provide the majority of our funding. Those who have committed to regular giving by envelopes or standing order have continued to support us. Valuable volunteer help, particularly with fund raising events, has also helped significantly.

At the annual Stewardship service, in 2023 we acknowledged the pressure some household would be feeing due to high cost of living pressures but urged church members to continue to give as generously as possible, not just with monetary contributions but also with volunteering. Our stewardship secretary, Trish, is responsible for the weekly giving envelopes and is available to give more information on these. Details of the church bank account are available from myself or the treasurer for those who want to give by standing order or to make a one off donation. We urge people who pay tax to sign a gift aid declaration. Standing order forms and gift aid declaration forms are available at the back of church.

Church Budget: A budget for the coming year was prepared and presented to the PCC for approval. The PCC have asked for a regular update on the way the budget is being meet.

“Friends”

This group was set up to accept donations from those who wish to support the maintenance of the church building and churchyard but may not support the church in any other way. There are currently 9 “Friends”. A significant donation was made from the “Friends” funds towards the re-surfacing of the church car park.

FINANCIAL REVIEW (Treasurer)

As a whole, we are doing very well. The main points to take away are:

As a result, this year we have a surplus of nearly £20,000 (not including Gift Aid that we are still to claim) even accounting for the Church car park, which was covered mostly by Grants and other donations. This is a slight reduction from last year, when the surplus was slightly larger.

We have also improved the position on our outstanding liabilities. We have paid off a large portion of the outstanding balance on the Parish Share from 2021, and because we have been paying 100% of our Parish share since the start of 2022, we haven’t accrued any more liabilities there.

However, there are some things we need to be aware of:

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ALL SAINTS’ THELWALL ANNUAL TRUSTEES REPORT 2023/24

In summary, the church and the parish hall are currently in a good position financially, although most of the money is coming from the Parish Hall. Our liabilities are minimal, money does continue to come in and we are able to pay our parish share.

RESERVES POLICY

We now have four reserves policies agreed by PCC. These cover both the church and the Parish Hall. Firstly they set aside a sum of money to enable the church / Parish Hall to continue should income dwindle. Secondly, they reserve monies for larger projects

  1. Allocated reserves policy for the Church

“The Treasurer maintains sufficient funds (agreed as £20,000) in an agreed Investment Fund that would allow the church to continue to function financially for a period of 12-18 months assuming unchanged receipts and expenditure.”

  1. Allocated reserves policy for the Parish Hall

“The Treasurer maintains sufficient funds (£15,000), that would allow the PCC of All Saints Thelwall to continue to manage the Parish Hall for a period of 18 months assuming unchanged receipts and expenditure.”

  1. Unallocated reserves policy for the Parish Hall

A sum of £10,000 should be made available by the PCC of All Saints Thelwall as unallocated reserves for project requirements of the Parish Hall, identified by the Parish Hall Management Committee and agreed by the PCC of All Saints Thelwall.

  1. Unallocated reserves policy for the Church

A sum of £15,000 should be made available by the PCC of All Saints Thelwall as unallocated reserves for larger long-term projects identified as a result of the Quinquennial Inspection.

It was proposed and agreed that the allocated amounts and policies should be reviewed by PCC every 3 years with the next review taking place in May 2023.

The 200 Club acts as a working reserve for the Parish Hall.

INVESTMENT POLICY

We invest the allocated reserves for Church and Parish Hall in COIF funds, a low risk investment that, hopefully, will give a better return than a savings account. Since these funds are unlikely to be required at short notice, the risk is acceptable. The unallocated reserves for the Parish Hall are also in COIF funds, the remainder are in savings or current accounts.”

20

Financial statements for the Year Ended 31st December 2023

Receipts and Payments Accounts

Note
Receipts
Voluntary Receipts:
Planned Giving
Collections at services
Gift Aid recovered
All other giving/voluntary receipts
3a)
Activities for generating funds
3b)
Investment income
Church & Parish Hall activities
3c)
Total receipts
Payments
Church activities:
Diocesan parish contribution (2023)
Diocesan parish contribution (2021 Arrears)
Clergy and staffing costs
Church running costs
3e)
Hall running costs
3e)
Mission giving and donations
3f)
Cost of generating funds
3g)
Total payments
Surplus /(Deficit) before transfers
Transfer between funds
Surplus /(Deficit)after transfers
Cash at bank and in hand at 1st January
Cash at bank and in hand at 31st December		 Unrestricted
Restricted
Total
Total
Funds
Funds
2023
2022
£
£
£
£
50,572
0
50,572
49,642
4,579
0
4,579
4,952
10,984
0
10,984
26,762
7,101
(13,318)
(6,217)
5,026
73,235
(13,318)
59,917
86,383
33,462
500
33,962
31,119
5,131
0
5,131
(3,918)
69,434
0
69,434
40,313
181,263
(12,818)
168,445
153,897
71,757
0
71,757
67,964
851
0
851
2,553
3,372
0
3,372
4,923
20,698
296
20,993
15,343
31,106
0
31,106
27,299
2,755
(670)
2,085
2,638
130,538
(374)
130,164
120,721
18,751
250
19,001
9,508
149,289
(124)
149,165
130,229
31,973
(12,694)
19,280
23,668
(1,500)
1,500
0
0
30,473
(11,194)
19,280
23,668
100,876
16,219
117,095
93,427
131,349
5,026
136,375
117,095

Statement of Assets and Liabilities

Cash Funds
Bank Current Account
Savings Account
Deposit Account
Investments
Deposit Fund
Total
Other Monetary Assets/Liabilities (Note only)
Assets
Gift aid recoverable (estimate)
Debtors incl hall hire
Recoverable VAT
Less liabilities
Conservation Project Creditors
Chester Diocesan Board of Finance
Other sundry Creditors
Net assets /(liabilities)		 Unrestricted
Restricted
Total
Total
Funds
Funds
2023
2022
£
£
£
£
53,635
3,627
57,261
68,622
25,111
0
25,111
0
4,550
0
4,550
326
44,856
0
44,856
41,455
0
0
0
0
128,152
3,627
131,779
110,403
11,500
0
11,500
10,762
3,439
0
3,439
3,839
0
0
0
0
1,520
0
1,520
1,520
1,702
0
1,702
2,553
2,836
0
2,836
1,485
8,881
0
8,881
9,043

Notes

  1. The financial statements of the PCC have been prepared in accordance with the Church Accounting Regulations 2006 using the receipts and payments basis.

  2. The movements in restricted funds during the year were:

Restricted Funds
Friends of All Saints
Youth Work
Church Car Park
Total		 Bal b/fwd
Receipts
Payments
Transfers
Bal c/fwd
£
£
£
£
£
3,127
620
1,500
0
2,247
1,924
28
324
0
1,629
10,706
29,003
42,299
1,500
(1,090)
15,757
29,651
44,123
1,500
2,785

3. Further analysis of Receipts and Payments Accounts

Receipts
a) All other giving/voluntary receipts
Donations church
Donations hall
Grants non recurring
Church Car Park
b) Activities for generating funds:
Parish Magazine Sponsorship & Advertising
Social Committee Fundraising Events Income
200 Club
Friends Member Donations
Miscellaneous church receipts
c) Church & Hall activities
Fees for weddings and funerals
Hall lettings
Payments
e) Church activities
Church running expenses
Utilities
Council tax
Insurance
Deanery / LDCT
Clergy expenses
Cost of Services
Building/Churchyard/Vicarage Repairs and Maintenance
Youth groups and Sunday school
Post Phone Copying and Stationery
Lottery & Copyright Licences
Assigned Fees
Outreach
Major repairs and renovations
Church Equipment Purchases
Total
Additional Accounts
Warm Spaces		 Unrestricted
Restricted
Total
Total
Funds
Funds
2023
2022
£
£
£
£
5,511
0
5,511
1,920
0
0
0
156
1,590
23,500
25,090
150
0
(36,818)
(36,818)
2,801
7,101
(13,318)
(6,217)
5,026
2,545
0
2,545
2,010
28,619
0
28,619
26,358
1,645
0
1,645
1,664
120
500
620
545
533
0
533
542
33,462
500
33,962
31,119
16,051
0
16,051
7,833
53,383
0
53,383
32,480
69,434
0
69,434
40,313
4,746
0
4,746
1,833
3,003
0
3,003
2,856
3,439
0
3,439
3,107
30
0
30
30
1,152
0
1,152
1,152
712
0
712
645
1,122
0
1,122
1,800
0
296
296
17
516
0
516
311
640
0
640
517
4,684
0
4,684
2,766
519
0
519
155
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
155
20,564
296
20,859
15,343
134
0
134
0
20,698
296
20,993
15,343
e) Church activities continued
Hall running expenses
Utilities
Building/grounds maintenance
Staff payments
Insurance
Other running costs
Phone/Internet
New equipment
Miscellaneous
f) Mission giving and donations
Church Urban Fund
Church of England Childrens Society
Warrington Speak Up
Prison Fellowship
Papyrus
Christ Church Latchford
Breast Cancer Now
Fearnhead Food Bank
Macmillan
g) Cost of generating funds
Parish magazine printing
Fund raising events social committee
200 Club prizes and costs		 Unrestricted
Restricted
Total
Total
Funds
Funds
2022
2022
£
£
£
£
4,432
0
4,432
3,512
6,888
0
6,888
8,122
8,872
0
8,872
8,963
1,645
0
1,645
1,542
3,557
0
3,557
2,537
508
0
508
536
203
0
203
2,087
5,000
0
5,000
0
31,106
0
31,106
27,299
570
0
570
570
0
212
212
(212)
570
0
570
570
570
0
570
570
570
0
570
570
475
0
475
570
(373)
(373)
0
0
0
0
0
0
(509)
(509)
0
2,755
(670)
2,085
2,638
2,313
0
2,313
1,931
15,859
250
16,109
7,017
580
0
580
560
18,751
250
19,001
9,508

Independent examiner's report of The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of All Saints, Thelwall. I r8POrt to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of All Saints,. Thelwall.for the year ended 31 December 2023. Responsibilities and basis of report As the charity trustees of the Trust you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Cha17ties Act 20111'the Act.). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under s. 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicabl8 Dirgctions given by the Charity Commission under s. 145(5)(bl of the Act. Independent examlner's statement I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material mallers have come to my attention in connects'on with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect.. {1 } Accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act., or {21 The accounts do not accord wlth those records,. or 131 The accounts do not comply with the applic8bl8 requirements conceming the foTh and content of accounts sel out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulalions 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a 'lrue and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination. I have no concems and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order lo enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reache Name.. Kevin Walker Relevant professional qualification or body.. FCA Address= Walker Begley Limited, 207 Knutsford Road, Grappenhall, Warrington, WA4 2QL Date: 1110612024