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← The Parochial Church Council Of The Ecclesiastical Parish Of St Peter And St Paul, Kettering

2023-12-31-accounts

The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish Of St Peter And St Paul, Kettering

Trustees Annual Report and Financial Statements

Year ended 31 December 2023

Registered Charity Number: 1135658

CONTENTS

Trustees’ annual report 3
Statement of financial activities 25
Balance sheet 26
Notes to the financial statements 27

TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT for the year ended 31 December 2023

RECTOR’S INTRODUCTION

2023 was a mixed year in the life of the parish, with some remarkable ministry throughout the year, congregations continuing to grow back again after COVID, but financial challenges to address over the summer.

As congregations grew back, our weekly and annual ministries continued to thrive: Teas Up, our weekly social gathering at St Michael’s; the weekly Food Kitchen; Songs and Stories for pre-school children & their families; ‘P & P by the Sea’ for young families in the summer holidays; the Festive Fair on the evening of the switching-on of the Christmas Tree lights; and a magnificent service of celebration the morning after the Coronation, drawing on three choirs, including our own. The P & P choir have been quite magnificent in their commitment during the year.

St Michael’s set up their own music group to accompany worship once a month. And Wild Church has continued.

But in the summer the PCC reluctantly decided to halve the funding available for our two staff posts - Parish Administrator and Director of Music - in order to stop us running out of money. We also encouraged members to review their giving and temporarily halted paying our parish share. Our director of music, Nicolas Moodie, decided to take redundancy.

This was a difficult time. But although long-term challenges remain, our financial situation is now more robust. We still need to increase our income but are not in danger of running out of money. Instead, additional sources of funding have become available, so that in 2024 we plan once again to appoint a Director of Music. We recognised later in the year that our situation was a little better than we had feared as we were not being refunded for electricity being used by operators of the telecom masts in the tower. We’re very grateful to our verger, Ian Greenwood, for his detailed calculations helping us to sort this out. So things are now looking up and we expect in 2024 to start the journey back to paying our full parish share.

Sadly, as every year, we have lost members, former members & friends through death In 2023 that included John Drage, Pam Hall, Grace Brown, Christine Pickford, Alex Grussing, Rosemary Flecknor, Eve Woolmer, June Scouse, Philip Evans, Ralph Howe and Mark Jewers. We are so grateful for our memories of them and all they gave to the parish.

The good news is that new members continue to join us, bringing new gifts and new perspective. We have been especially fortunate to have Angie Milne join us as curate: she is already an invaluable member of the team.

Even after a difficult year we have so much to grateful for and entered 2024 full of hope after memorable Christmas celebrations.

David Walsh Rector

TRUSTEE’S ANNUAL REPORT

Objectives and priorities

The purposes of the charity are the promotion in the ecclesiastical parish of the whole mission of the church: pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical.

The charity provides:

The parish contains two churches: the historic parish church of Kettering, St Peter & St Paul, (originally founded some 800 years ago) located in the town centre of Kettering, and its sister church of St Michael and All Angels, a ‘tin tabernacle’ type church.

St Peter & St Paul

The church of St Peter & St Paul is the oldest building in Kettering. It has stood on the present site for over 500 years and has been at the centre of community life throughout that time. It is a Grade 1 listed building and is a fine example of perpendicular architecture. The tower and spire stand 180 feet in height, and house a peal of 12 bells which were restored and re-dedicated in 2004 and are rung regularly on Sundays and special occasions.

The parish has a population of 18,700, and is the largest of five Anglican parishes in the town. As COVID restrictions were eased, St Peter & St Paul was once again able, as well as holding regular services, to host civic events for the wider community, and available for the sacraments of marriage and baptism to those who live within the parish.

Weekday Morning Prayer has continued for the past two years, but for the time being still on line. Our principal service is at 10.30 am on Sunday mornings, supplemented once a month with a 7.45 am Traditional Language Holy Communion and around once a month by Choral Evensong.

St Michael and All Angels

St Michael and All Angels Church was founded to serve as a mission church in 1908.

Once on the very edge of Kettering the ‘tin tabernacle’ is now at the heart of a thriving community.

Over a decade has passed since the interior was re-ordered and refurbished. The result of this process had a re-energising effect on the congregation. The average age of Sunday worshippers nearly halved and congregation size grew, as it became more of a ‘community for the community’.

The congregation at St Michael’s has a strong, nurturing, relaxed and inclusive attitude to children. Worship at St Michael’s was inevitably hugely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic but St Michael’s responded creatively with a monthly ‘Wild Church’ service and a Prayer Garden.

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Current priorities

Back in 2018, St Peter & St Paul set itself new priorities to shape its ministry and mission over the coming years.

Inspired by the love of God and a vision of new life, the parish committed itself to:

St Michael and All Angels continues to work to build an action plan based around a vision with the following three priorities:

HEART AND SOUL OF KETTERING

Church Buildings

The Wardens have an important role in the care of our buildings and address this in their report on page 16.

Safeguarding Report

Over the last year as a church, we have complied with the duty under section 5 of the Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure 2016 to have due regard to the House of Bishops' guidance on safeguarding children and vulnerable adults. ‘Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults; Policy and Procedure’ was adopted at the PCC meeting held in November 2023.

It is with great pleasure that this year we welcomed two new members to the Safeguarding Team: our Curate, Angie Milne, who joins us with extensive experience in Safeguarding, and Frank Crookenden-Johnson, who has taken on the role of Safeguarding Officer for St Michael’s with All Angels.

We continue to use ‘Parish Dashboard’ to generate our Safeguarding Action Plan, which was approved by the PCC in December 2023. One area that has been prevalent in the Action Plan has been training, and we are fortunate that Angie is qualified to lead Basic and Foundation Level training, enabling us to offer these courses in person, in the Parish. We are pleased that this offer has been taken up by several parishioners in key roles regarding children, young people and vulnerable adults. However, we are not yet in a position where training is up-to-date for all, so this will continue to be a priority over the next year. We continue to make use of ‘ChurchSuite’ to record training undertaken with regards to safeguarding.

Over the year, we have seen an increase in people raising concerns regarding safeguarding, displaying that training results in a greater awareness of safeguarding in the Parish. Fortunately, only one of these incidents was of a level of concern for us to seek guidance from the Diocese Safeguarding Team.

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Carol continues in the role of Lead Recruiter, and we are now happy we have a robust system in place for recruitment of parishioners into new roles. We continue to work on job descriptions and person specifications for the roles within the parish, as well as carrying out and recording risk assessments when planning activities within the parish, particularly those involving children and vulnerable adults, including online activities.

Pauline Dixon Parish Safeguarding Officer

Bellringers’ Report

We are very fortunate to have an incredible band of loyal ringers, helping us to “keep the bells ringing.”

2023 was a quiet year compared with the highs & lows of 2022; however, we did ring for the Coronation of King Charles III on Saturday, 6th May and accommodated a request from the Grafton Underwood WW2 Memories Group to see the inscription on Bell No 2, donated by the American servicemen who served in the Second World War, also forwarding a photograph clearly showing the inscription. They were delighted, and the photos winged their way to America and were posted on their Facebook page!

As part of “Kettering by the Sea,” and following discussion with the Hawk & Owl Trust, we held a successful Teddy Bear Abseil & rang for all services and special events, including “ringing in the New Year” with a band of local ringers.

Pat Edkins Tower Captain

Festive Fair

2023 saw the return of the Festive Fair for the third year in the church. The event was brilliantly attended both by stallholders and the people of Kettering. All of the stalls were filled by either local businesses or church members. Local businesses paid for their stalls, while church members donated their takings to P&P. There was a specific children’s area with games as well as additional games outside. Other local businesses also paid to have their food vans on the church driveway.

Hosting the fair in the church at the same time as the Kettering Lights Switch On, enabled us to be part of the heart and soul of Kettering. It was a fabulous night for the local community to understand that they are most welcome in our church. It offered an opportunity for people to talk with our church members, sharing comments such as “I’ve not been in the church since l got married here 20 years ago!” and “I didn’t know l was allowed in here because I’m not. Christian.”

The fair raised over £2000 for P&P - an increase in the amount raised last year. We were delighted to obtain a licence allowing us to sell raffle tickets in advance of the event this year. We had a winning prize of £100 and a wonderful array of other prizes donated by local businesses and church members. We are hopeful that an awareness of what is on offer will help us to raise more money in the future.

The core team of organisers are very grateful to everyone who has supported this venture but are keen for the team to grow. Please contact Rowena or Linda if you can help in any way.

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Choir Report

2023 has been a year of contrasts for the choir.

P&P Young Voices continued to grow in their musical knowledge and performing ability, and they have played a major part in our all-age services, as well as contributing solos and the treble line to our Choral Evensongs. There are currently four dedicated and enthusiastic members who meet on Tuesday evenings in term time to sing together, and to work on their RSCM medals and music theory. We had to say farewell to Sophie and Evie, but thank them, and Anya, Jake, Juno and Thomas for their amazing contribution.

The choir had some major musical highs this year. We were joined by external singers to celebrate the King’s coronation, with memorable performances of Handel’s Zadok the Priest and Parry’s I Was Glad. We also had extra singers to help us with Fauré’s Requiem for All Souls, another highlight.

Zadok, which was a firm favourite of Young Voices, appeared again in the Choir Showcase in July. This was the second showcase the choir have done, and it showed what a wide range of musical talent the choir has, ranging from Jake and his electric guitar to Rosanne singing folk, Juno on the piano and Odell singing show tunes, as well as pieces from the choir.

The choir has continued to learn and develop new repertoire, with particular high points being Bainton’s And I Saw a New Heaven.

Evensong highlights included the Howells Collegium Regale Canticles, and we are grateful to the many external singers who joined us and made the music even better.

The major event that affected us this year was saying goodbye to Nicolas Moodie, our Director of Music since 2019, when the church’s financial crisis meant difficult decisions had to be taken on staffing. Nicolas took redundancy, though rejoined us on a freelance basis to continue the work with Young Voices, and to ensure evensong continued.

Nicolas has taken the choir to places we never thought we could reach, and has been an amazing source of musical inspiration, as well as his ability to make tech work for the choir and, indeed, the wider church. We will never forget our Zoom choir practices and all the work Nicolas continued to do right through Covid and beyond in making sure there was a musical offering for the church.

Having no Director of Music from July was, as you might imagine, a blow, but we still turned up every week and led the singing. Anthems have fallen by the wayside for the moment, although we did manage to contribute two to Midnight Mass. Another highlight was our contribution to the P&P Festive Fair in November, when we sang our way through our Christmas carol repertoire, accompanied by the indefatigable Ian and joined too by David, Carol and Kay. It was important for us - Ann, Jane, Ian, Margaret Nick, and Rosanne - to feel that we can still contribute, even though we may have to find new ways to do so.

We have been supported brilliantly, as ever, by Mark Pescott, our wonderful organist, and by Ian Greenwood, who among his many other talents plays for us too. It was good too to have William as our organ scholar for a few months, and we wish him well now that he has joined All Saints, Northampton.

We start 2024 grateful that new sources of funding have been found for the next three years, and looking forward to working with a Director of Music again.

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TACKLING LONELINESS AND ISOLATION Pastoral Care Team

In 2023, the Pastoral Care Team continued to reach out to those members of the congregations of St. Peter and St. Paul and St. Michael and All Angels who were not able to attend church regularly.

In past years, the full team came together for meetings several times during the year. 2023 was unusual because there were only two meetings of the full team: one for the general business and one led by John Smith, aimed at dealing with bereavement. Having only two meetings with the full team was not ideal since meetings are useful for communication and education, but time constraints meant that the focus had to be on delivering pastoral care. The team leaders, Pat Edkins, Kay Short, and Debby Edgeworth met several times to plan events and to discuss the coverage of care.

Our team’s main job is to keep in contact with people who usually are not able to come to church. We telephone them regularly and visit them if possible. We do our best to bring them Holy Communion at home if this requested.

As in past years, members of the Pastoral Care Team have assisted the clergy with a monthly Eucharist at Elm Bank, and team members Jo Pearce and Kay Short have helped to organise the Acorn Group at Oak Tree Court once a month.

In addition to this, the team leaders have begun to make monthly visits to two more care homes, Olive Row and Gabriel Court. At each of these homes we conduct a short worship service at which Holy Communion is offered. It has been a privilege getting to know the residents at these homes, and it has been rewarding to be able to offer them the opportunity for group worship.

During 2023, the team hosted three Afternoon Teas where we offered sandwiches and cake in the parish hall on a Sunday afternoon. These events have proved popular, and our main challenge has been to provide transportation to those who would like to attend.

Our team has started another social event in 2023. It is called ‘The Friendship Group’ and it is held at a café in the town once a month. This is aimed at people who would like to go out for a coffee but, perhaps, would rather not go to a café by themselves. However, anyone is welcome at the Friendship Group; it is not restricted to those who live on their own.

In the summer of 2023, our Parish Administrator’s hours were cut for financial reasons. As a result, the Pastoral Care Team, with the help of the administrator, has taken on the printing and distribution of the weekly pew sheets and newsletters to those who cannot attend church regularly. Many thanks to John and Ann Smith, Mel Bale, Hazel Goodman, and our curate, Angie Milne, for helping with this new task. We are not able to deliver this printed material to as many people as we would like, so we will continue to try to recruit more volunteers to help with this ministry.

It has been an honour for our team to share God’s love with our church community in 2023. We look forward to doing the same in 2024.

Pastoral Care Team Leaders Kay Short, Pat Edkins, and Debby Edgeworth

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Tea’s Up at St Michael’s

We have had a good year at Teas Up, starting with a Coronation Afternoon tea with family and friends. Thanks to all the volunteers who made this possible. We have also enjoyed bingo, singalongs (courtesy of Kaleidoscope Karaoke) and held a MacMillan coffee morning. Our Christmas party was a ‘bring and share’ lunch with Pass the Parcel and Name that Tune. We even had a theatre trip to Wellingborough to see a tribute to Queen (the band, not the Monarch)!

We have had sadness this year too. Two of our long-term members, Christine and Heather, passed away this year and are sorely missed. One of our members has also had to move to a care home in Wellingborough, and so can no longer join us. This has led to us starting to make a memory book for Teas Up.

Other news is that we have a grant which allows us to help members with reduced mobility to attend Teas Up by taxi. We have also received extra help this year from Mike and Angie. We are very grateful for the extra help and support.

We are an ever-evolving group, and this year have solidified our training to ensure we look after our members effectively. Risk assessments, safeguarding training and renewing our DBS led to us understand we needed more volunteers and better records. In the future, we hope to make use of ChurchSuite to improve record keeping and communication. We will continue to encourage connections between people, celebrating our members’ interests and look to expand the community. We hope to improve communication and our social media presence.

Melanie Bale

NURTURING CHRISTIAN FAITH AND DISCIPLESHIP

Mothers’ Union

Mothers’ Union is a worldwide faith-based organisation supporting marriage in all its many forms, family life and empowering women and girls. We are an inclusive organisation which includes men and those who are not mothers. You don’t even have to come to all meetings to join.

We have had a busy year, starting with our AGM. In January which was chaired by Revd. David, who followed this with an illustrated talk about his Sabbatical South Korea.

February, our meeting was held on Shrove Tuesday, and Kay Short led us with reflections and music for Lent. We enjoyed pancakes afterwards.

March was our Lent Corporate Communion held at St Michael’s.

April, we all brought items which held special significance. This was very enjoyable and it was interesting to learn more about one another.

May, Kay talked about her long overdue visit to Oberammergau.

June, Andy Chatwin came to talk about Search and Rescue in Northamptonshire, and I must admit that I did not know much about the work which this organisation does.

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July was a social meeting with a couple of games of Bug Bingo which was invigorating to say the least.

August 9th, Saints and Angels MU hosted the Deanery Service in celebration of our Founder, Mary Sumner, a woman of vision whose aim was to make the voice of women heard, a challenge in the time in which she lived.

September, we held our Wave of Prayer service, which is when we join with MU members in worship worldwide. It was also our Annual Gathering in York followed by Evensong in the Minster. Archbishop Stephen Cotterill preached. Raymond and I attended. Yorkshire certainly showed how it could rain.

October, some of us enjoyed lunch at the Stirrup Cup in Barton Seagrave. November, Mary Randall showed us how to make a Christmas tree using paper folding which was fun and definitely stretched the brain.

December, we held our Advent service at St. Michael’s. Revd. David presided with Revd. Angie and we were joined by the Travelling Crib.

The 16 days of Activism was reinforced with our new campaign “Rise Up” which is intended to ensure that Domestic Violence is at the forefront of minds all year. 2023 was the start of a new Diocesan project working with the Pastoral team at Five Wells prison in Wellingborough. Kay and I are part of the group which meets virtually with our friends in South Korea and we are hoping to strengthen the link between Kettering and South Korean MU.

Once again, this year was not without sadness as two of our members died and they will be missed.

MU members are working with our Church in the Community, helping with the Food Kitchen, being members of the Pastoral Care team, Baptism preparation - all new members of our Church receive a card and small embroidered cross on the day of their Baptism and names are displayed on the Baptism tree - cleaning, stewarding and taking roles during services.

I am very grateful for the continued support of the Committee and the friends we all have in Saints and Angels. I am hopeful that members of our congregation will be able to see beyond the rather antiquated view of MU and realise that we are very active and my vision is that we will be working more closely with our Church and Community.

Amazingly this is the fourth year of our MU Deanery Zoom Midday prayers. There are many who need prayers and, as this together with Faith underpins MU, we will continue to support in this way.

We are blessed that we have the support of our Clergy and of course Ian Greenwood who plays at our services. Thank you from us all.

Hazel Goodman

Branch Leader, Saints & Angels Mothers’ Union

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BEING WELCOMING, HOSPITABLE AND INCLUSIVE Food Kitchen

In early December, the PCC agreed to rename the Soup Kitchen as the Food Kitchen, recognising that soup has not been served for several years and that the emphasis is now on meals with guests able to have, if they want, a hot vegetarian meal, a pudding and a packed lunch.

Alongside the food, we also offer surplus fruit, vegetables and baked items kindly donated weekly by Morrisons, Tesco and, from late December, Bookers. We also continue to offer toiletries and second-hand clothes. Following several substantial donations of surplus food by one donor and the various Harvest and Christmas donations, we have been able to restart providing small food parcels. These had had to be discontinued earlier in 2023 due to a lack of donations of non-perishable food.

During 2023, we hosted two NHS mobile clinics which provided our guests with access to specific health care and support. We hope to continue and extend these contacts.

December was a month of change as it was also decided then to see if we could move back to serving inside the hall. The first week was very successful and much appreciated both by guests and volunteers. The weather since has only reinforced that it was sensible to move back inside so that no-one has to stand around in the cold and rain. A sort of hybrid eatin/takeaway style has evolved with the hall divided so that food preparation can continue around the hatch area but guests can also sit at tables to eat and chat.

In terms of numbers, the average service continues to be around 100 hot meals, 65 puddings and 110 packed lunches, but it does vary from week to week.

It is nearly nine years now since the Food Kitchen was started and the need is increasing. During this time, we have seen a huge number of people giving up their time to volunteer for a few hours. For some volunteers, this means working at the Food Kitchen on a Thursday afternoon preparing food, cooking, serving, interacting with guests, or cleaning up. Other volunteers are unable to offer this time, but are happy to provide food preparation at home, cooked meals to reheat, cakes or donations of food or money. Students from Bishop Stopford have helped us during the year by sorting donated food and clothes and generally tidying up our store cupboard areas. We are especially grateful to all our volunteers in these uncertain times.

This year, we have continued to provide support for several families, some of whom have very young children. We were also able to continue to offer some help to the refugees housed in the Royal Hotel and were grateful to one of the refugees who came to volunteer at Food Kitchen most Thursdays until they were relocated.

Our guests come from all walks of life – some are homeless and living in tents, others have accommodation but have limited finances or have mental health issues. All need a hot meal and somewhere to meet a few friendly faces. In these troubling times we have had definite impacts on people’s mental health for both our guests and our volunteers. A friendly face each week, support for guests and each other, the ability to give back to the community goes a long way.

As ever, we are thankful that we can continue to provide a hot meal, packed lunch, and food parcels for these guests. We would like to express our thanks to Tesco, Morrisons, Bookers, Linnetts, Casa di Roma, and the Broughton, Cransley and Mawsley group of churches whose congregations continue to regularly donate food. Thanks also to St Edward’s for allowing us to use their hall when the Parish Hall was out of use. We also receive donations

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from the St Peter & St Paul congregation and from others, some of whom wish to remain anonymous. We continue to give out Christmas presents each year to our guests; this year, through the generosity of one family, we were able to give each guest a bag containing five or six sweets and chocolate items.

Again, this year, we have been lucky enough to have received cash donations from various individuals, some of whom are happy to remain anonymous, and also from local organisations including Kettering Huxloe Inner Wheel; a number of their members also continue to help the Food Kitchen individually. Other donations have been received from the Kettering Inner Wheel, Kettering Quakers, All Saints Church and Kettering & District Lions Club. Cranford WI also supported us by collecting toiletries instead of their usual Secret Santa. We received Harvest gifts from several churches and Christmas hampers from Bishop Stopford School, and Kettering Huxloe Rotary kindly donated money for the purchase of a much-needed new freezer. We are grateful to everyone who helps us to help our guests.

Towards the end of 2023, we applied for grants from the Household Support Fund 4 which is administered locally by North Northamptonshire Council with funding from the Department for Work and Pensions. Food Kitchen was awarded four grants with the money being received in early 2024. The first for £500 was specifically to spend for Christmas 2023; the second for £3,160 is to provide meals over the 2023/24 winter and to buy two stainless steel units to upgrade the kitchen facilities; the third is to replenish our stock of tents, sleeping bags and space blankets; and the fourth has enabled us to buy additional shelving for the store cupboard which will revolutionise the storage of our food stocks.

It is a cause of great sadness that, in a country as wealthy as the UK, many people still require the use of soup kitchens and food banks. The ever-growing economic crises and the continued conflict in Ukraine means that this will only continue, and many of us have already seen our living costs rising vastly. We will continue to try and support anyone who finds themselves in a situation where they are unable to put food on their table or must choose between keeping warm or going hungry.

In Kettering, we are lucky that there are several organisations offering various facilities across the week to support the homeless and vulnerable. We continue to develop closer relationships with a number of local organisations, including: NNC, the Kettering Food Bank, Frank and Hilary from the St Edward’s Food Kitchen, Bishop Stopford School and Accommodation Concern. We hope to strengthen these ties in 2024 and also develop ways of working with MIND and the Royal British Legion.

I wish to express my sincere thanks to all our volunteers who give so much of their time – without them we simply would not be able to run – and to all the many others who donate generously through other means. I hope that the Food Kitchen community continues from strength to strength.

Claire Campbell Food Kitchen Co-ordinator

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PROVIDING A SPIRITUAL HOME FOR YOUNG FAMILIES Songs and Stories

2023 was another fantastic year for Songs and Stories!

Families attended the group on a weekly basis in the church hall from 10.00am-11:30am. The group is very relaxed and welcomes everyone whenever they feel they can attend. We have many families that join us on a weekly basis, but equally those who will visit on weeks when they are not working or when other commitments allow them time to come back to us. Our average number of children in attendance is around 10-15, enabling a friendly and personal touch. Our WhatsApp group is an effective means of communication, giving our families a way to contact each other for support and friendship outside of our weekly meetings, as well as a platform for sharing children’s accomplishments.

We were excited to receive a family from America - Mum, Nan and three boys who joined us for the duration of their stay in the UK (approx. 6 weeks) while the Dad was over here for work. It was a delight to see some of the older siblings, who previously attended Songs and Stories, come back to visit during the school strike days. We were also lucky enough to have four children from Bishop Stopford School to join us during their ‘Faith in Action’ week.

The weekly sessions continue to follow the format that we feel serves the needs of the group well. The children love the routine of singing familiar songs and engage well with the variety of different activities, stories and new songs that we share with them. Our regular visits to the church, seasonal walks and annual Sports Day were all enjoyed and, needless to say, the parties in the summer and at Christmas were well received!

The team leading the group is well-established, with termly meetings informing and preparing the rota for the whole term. Leading the meetings alternated between Rowena, Linda and Roz, although the sessions would not have been able to run without the fabulous team of helpers. Unfortunately, the end of the year saw the sad goodbye of Roz as her work commitments increased. We would like to take this opportunity to say a huge “Thank You!” to Roz for everything she has given to Songs and Stories - not least the cakes - over her many years with us. Gratefully, in light of the ‘Gifts and Talents’ service at church we are delighted to welcome Ann, Kay and Pat to join the team, supporting with refreshments and craft. Very sadly, we also had to say goodbye to Nanna who is missed, but will always be fondly remembered.

It was fantastic to be able to meet for our annual summer outing to Wicksteed Park where old Songs and Stories members engaged with our current members, enabling a fun and enjoyable time for all.

We look forward to the coming year where we will meet some very little new additions and continue to build and facilitate friendships in a warm and welcoming way.

The Songs and Stories Team

1st Kettering (Parish Church) Scout Group

Over this last year our Group has continued to flourish, being served by very hard- working, dedicated and talented Leaders who put an enormous amount of time and effort into ensuring our young people receive the very best experience that Scouting has to offer. In addition to the hours spent planning and taking meetings, a significant number of our leaders have put in additional time working towards achieving permits which enables all sections to

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carry out supervised activities such as camping, hiking, archery, and a number of waterbased sports.

Our number of young people has stayed consistent, and we were also very pleased to be awarded, for the third consecutive year, the County 100 Award, being one of only five Groups in Northamptonshire having over one hundred members.

We were very pleased to once again hold our Group sleepover event for the November Remembrance Weekend, packed full of activities and culminating in all sections of the Group ‘marching’ on the Sunday morning from the District Scout Centre (Woodcroft) to the Parish Church for the Service, following which a number of Awards were presented to youngsters of all sections by the County Commissioner.

Our fundraising this year also continues to provide much-needed financial support to the Group, mainly by the “59 Club”. This initiative has proved to be a resounding success, and we thank everybody that has contributed and who have promised to continue contributing. In particular, these funds cover the annual cost of the LocBox storage facility where our camping and other equipment is stored in a safe and secure environment. The Scout Post Christmas card delivery took place once again which also brought welcome funds into the Group.

We continue to explore other avenues of fundraising to support the Group, with one particular success being the recovery of Gift Aid from HMRC on the regular subscription payments. A big ‘Thank You’ to our Treasurer who, in addition to the ‘usual’ treasurer duties, has been continuing to work hard to ensure our applications to HMRC ensure the return of significant funds back into the Group.

Our Annual General Meeting was in a different format this year, being held on a Sunday afternoon during the middle of a Country Fayre with various fun activities, games, tombola stalls, and which was a resounding success.

During this last year, our Group has continued to support the local Explorer Unit (the Kraken Unit) with our Scouts, who upon reaching the age of fourteen have to move on from the Troop, although the majority are retaining their link with our Group by returning as Young Leaders to support the adult leaders in each section.

As always we appreciate the ongoing support from all members of the Clergy and congregation, and we look forward to further develop our working together through the following year.

All sections have delivered a variety of programmes with meetings taking place both indoors and outdoors, packed to the brim with activities supporting their badge work. Not to forget the games at the start and end of each meeting with which to let off a bit – or rather a lot - of steam.

We are crossing fingers and praying that our freedom to keep on training and developing both our young people and our leaders continues in 2024 without any pandemic or other hindrance, thereby maintaining our position as one of the most successful Groups in the District and County.

Group Scout Leader; Group Executive Chair; and all Leaders and Members of the Group Executive Committee

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5[th] Kettering St Michael’s Scout Group

We have had yet another busy year, with lots of fundraising being done to help support our young people in their sections. We are averaging 18-20 Scouts, 20-24 Cubs and 17-20 Beavers. We do not currently have a Squirrels section, but this is something we are seriously looking into maybe for September / January if we can find a leader to run it with us.

We had a very hot but busy camp in June for all three sections. They got to do rafting, amongst other activities.

In November, three Beavers plus most of the Cubs and Scouts, hiked back to the hut from Grafton Underwood, followed by a sleepout in tents overnight in St Michael’s church grounds ready for the Remembrance Parade Service.

We held our Annual Plant Sale, which helped with the cost of camp. We made jams and pickles, again raising funds to subsidise our Christmas activities.

Our Beavers raised funds for Highfield Food Bank as part of their badge work, then went shopping to purchase goods, which they presented to Kelly Mercer who runs the foodbank on the Highfield estate.

Angela Haynes

Group Scout Leader / Lead Volunteer 5th Kettering St Michaels Scout Group

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WARDENS’ REPORTS

St Peter & St Paul

This has been a year of consolidation and renewal for our congregation and those whose support their worship. One of our principal achievements as a church has been our role, as part of an extended Team, supporting the continued gradual reintegration of our usual services as well as the continued online production of our weekly services. As with last year, we saw a very well-attended Christmas period and Festive Fair. We are seeing our church recover, with numbers beginning to return to pre-pandemic levels and new faces/families being welcomed into our church.

This year saw the coronation of King Charles III and its role in bringing together our congregation in the celebration of a new monarch. In addition, we are planning to plant trees in the church drive, in celebration of the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and are looking forward to the flood lighting of our spire, the latter event to illuminate our church as being at the “Heart of Kettering.”

The role of our dedicated team of stewards, cleaners and gardeners needs to be acknowledged and recognised. Their commitment and professionalism is greatly appreciated. We cannot emphasise enough what an incredible difference having these volunteers, who step up to give their time and energy, has made to our ability to keep our worship alive. We would both like to formally thank all those volunteers involved.

We have had regular meetings with David and have kept our focus on maintaining what we need now, and looking towards how to move on and achieve our parish objectives. We are confident that, in the future, we will be able, through our roles and responsibilities, to help support our church with our plans.

We are moving forward with the actions from our Quinquennial Inspection Report. Grounds and Buildings have been working hard on the recommendations listed in the

Report and we now have a list of priorities regarding the repairs needed on the building. A number of these actions will require significant funding and will need to be completed in a timely fashion.

As we move on from this year, we are continuing to “build back better” the resumption of our full Church services and welcome everyone to a safe and welcoming Church.

A final huge thank you must go to Carol and Ian who have supported us Wardens throughout the year to help us deliver what we could.

Josephine Pearce & John McLaren Parish Wardens

St Michael & All Angels

This year, we have been delighted to welcome Angie to our church as Curate. Angie joins our skilled and loving ministry team of David, Carys and Jane, whom we thank for their guidance, leadership and devotion.

The past year has also seen the re-start of our Sunday School, which is so important in welcoming young people to our church and nurturing faith. The return of live music to our Sunday Eucharist, performed by our talented ‘music group,’ has enlivened our services and contributed to developing our own musical style.

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Notable events this year have included our regular September Fair, a visit from the Wellingborough Gospel Choir and the singalong Christmas Nativity.

The regular ‘Tea’s Up’ group, which continues to be enormously effective in tackling social isolation amongst our older people has grown in strength.

We have seen a welcome increase in the income received from the hire of our buildings. Through generous donations we have upgraded the lighting within the church and replaced the broken water boiler. Both have made a big difference to the enjoyment of the Church.

We thank everyone who has given their time and energy to make these events and activities possible - the Church Council, the readers, the intercessors, those providing refreshments, and those who look after the Church building and grounds. We thank all who contribute to the life of the Church, and ensure that St Michael and All Angels continues to be a special part of the community for worship and for socialising.

Looking to the future, we will soon be welcoming the return of young people participating in our Sunday Eucharist as acolytes and servers.

Following on from our recent ‘away day’ we will be talking more about our priorities as a church over the next 3-5 years, and what is needed to succeed in meeting them. Please listen out for this and consider how you can help.

St Michaels and All Angels Church Wardens

Kettering Deanery Synod

Our mission is to encourage and support the churches of our Deanery to build the Kingdom of God. We do this by building relationships, sharing resources, and praying for each other.

What is Deanery Synod?

Kettering Deanery is one of 12 geographical areas within the Diocese of Peterborough, containing a number of neighbouring churches. The Synod comprises the clergy of the Deanery, along with elected lay members from each parish or benefice. The number from each is linked to a church’s electoral roll. Lay members were elected in April/May 2023 for a three-year term of office.

Who leads and manages Deanery Synod?

The current officers are:

Rural Dean: Revd Nicki Hobbs (St Andrew Broughton with Cransley with Mawsley) Assistant Rural Dean: Revd Tom Houston (St Andrew’s, Kettering) Lay Chair: Peter Jackson Secretary: Steve Atkins Treasurer: Vacancy

These officers are joined by Hazel Goodman and Lyn Ridley to form the Deanery Standing and Pastoral Committee. This group met three times during the year.

What happens at Deanery Synod meetings?

Meetings naturally open with Prayer and Worship. They also briefly consider recurring business items such as: reports from Diocesan and General Synod; Finance, including

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Parish Share; local pastoral matters. Each meeting also has a primary focus. In 2023 these were:

March – a presentation from the Gen2 team, focusing on Youth and /children’s mission and ministry. This was followed by a question-and-answer session.

May – extended prayer and worship centred on Thy Kingdom Come. We were joined by Revd Canon Steve Benoy (Bishop’s Chaplain and Canon Missioner), who was in the middle of his walk around the whole diocese in connection with Thy Kingdom Come.

October – a presentation from the Diocesan Safeguarding Officer and the Safeguarding Learning Development & Case Worker. This covered all aspects of Safeguarding in the church and featured a question-and-answer session.

Am I able to get involved if not an elected member?

Yes!

Speak to one or more of your church’s Deanery Synod representatives about Synod activities. Many meetings are open to all, so why not ask what topics are planned for 2024 and consider coming along?

Steve Atkins

Deanery Synod Secretary - KettDeanSec@virginmedia.com

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REFERENCE & ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

The trustees of the Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St Peter & St Paul, Kettering (‘the charity’, or ‘the PCC’, or ‘the parish’) present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2023.

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the accounts, and comply with the Charities Act 2011 and Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland published on 16 July 2014.

The trustees acknowledge that the charity complies with section 4 of the Charities Act 2006 regarding providing a public benefit and confirm that they have referred to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit when reviewing the charity’s aims and objectives and in planning future activities.

The charity has also complied with the duty to have regard to House of Bishops’ guidance on safeguarding children and vulnerable adults, under section 5 of the Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure 2016.

The Parochial Church Council (PCC) is a registered charity with the Charity Commission in England under the name ‘The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St Peter and St Paul, Kettering’ with registration number 1135658.

The Parish Church of St Peter & St Paul is situated next to the Market Place in Kettering, on Sheep Street. It is part of the Diocese of Peterborough within the Church of England. The correspondence address is The Rectory, Church Walk, Kettering NN16 0DJ.

St Michael and All Angels’ Church is on Garfield Street, Kettering, NN15 6BU.

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PCC members who have served in the year under review, until [ ] , when this report was approved, are:

Name Appointment Term changes Revd. David Walsh Rector (ex officio) Revd. Carys Walsh Assistant Priest (ex officio) Revd. Jane Burns Assistant Priest (ex officio) Revd. Angie Milne Curate (ex officio) Appointed August 2023 John McLaren Warden (ex officio) Josephine Pearce Warden (ex officio) Pat Edkins Licensed Lay Minister Deanery Synod representative (ex officio) Victoria Gascoyne Deanery Synod representative (ex officio) Hazel Goodman Deanery Synod representative (ex officio) Benita Hewitt Deanery Synod representative (ex officio) Kay Short Licensed Lay Minister Deanery Synod representative (ex officio) Jim Balding Elected Ann Buckby Elected Rose Byrne Elected Term finished May 2023 Sam Dearden Elected Debby Edgeworth Elected Martin Hill Elected Linda Noble Elected Lisa Stent Elected Gavin Sylvester Elected Chris Turner Co-opted Resigned October 2023 Kathy Webster Elected

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Structure, Governance & Management

The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St Peter & St Paul, Kettering is the body that oversees the historic parish. Members of the PCC are the trustees of the charity for the purposes of the Charities Act 2006.

The method of appointment of PCC members is set out in the Church Representation Rules. Primarily this is an elected body, with members elected for three year terms, with annual elections taking place as the terms of members expire.

Under the Church Representation Rules, the parish maintains an Electoral Roll, to which amendments can be made at any time as notified to the PCC. A new Roll is created every six years. All Church attendees are encouraged to register on the Electoral Roll subject to certain eligibility requirements, and stand for election to the PCC.

On the date this Report was approved the Electoral Roll had 259 members. This compares with a membership of 268 in 2019, following the creation of the new Roll.

The PCC is represented day-to-day in the parish by the Rector (‘the incumbent’). The Reverend David Walsh is the Rector of the parish, and is appointed by the Bishop of Peterborough.

The PCC then delegates some of its responsibilities to sub-committees and working groups.

The PCC monitors the work of the St Michael’s Church Council, the Grounds & Buildings, Finance and other committees, and aims to make sure that parish life continues to grow and flourish.

Standing Committee

The PCC is required to appoint a Standing Committee, whose role is to transact the PCC’s business between meetings of the PCC. Our Standing Committee also understands its role is to help manage the flow of work through the PCC by planning its agendas, passing comment on draft papers and ensuring any enquiries or requests for further work made by the PCC are followed up. Existing Standing Committee members were re-appointed in 2022. As well as the Rector and the wardens, Sam Dearden, Martin Hill, Benita Hewitt were elected members by the PCC.

Finance Committee

The finance committee is constituted of the Incumbent, the Chair (nominated/co-opted by the PCC), the Treasurer of the parish (appointed by the PCC), the Treasurer of St Michael and All Angels (nominated by the St Michael’s Church Council), the Wardens and other members appointed by the PCC.

Grounds & Buildings

The Grounds and Buildings sub-committee has continued its work to manage any maintenance and repairs to the church buildings during the year.

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Financial review

The parish continues to operate in a highly pressured financial environment, both structurally and as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The parish has run a financial deficit for a number of years. The licensing of our clergy to the nearby parish of All Saints Kettering in December 2019 allowed the setting of a balanced budget in 2020; this has resulted in a significant cut in the Diocesan ‘Parish Share’ assessment.

However, the impact of COVID-19 on our key external sources of income, from users of some of our buildings, hall hiring income and on some regular givers inevitably caused financial challenges which persist in various forms – both in terms of the income we are able to generate, and the costs we incur.

This was exacerbated in 2022 by the “cost of living crisis” (to borrow the phrase from the national media) that saw inflation rates in the wider UK economy mostly outstripping wages. Our income was affected, and at the same time we were significantly affected on the cost side by one of the key drivers of that inflation, energy costs. Our energy costs in 2022 more than doubled, despite being part of the national Church of England “energy basket”.

2023 has seen mixed news with regard to our financial position, but perhaps we are now on the road to becoming sustainable again in the longer term. The budget set for 2023 anticipated a break even position for the parish would only be possible with no parish share paid; cash flow constraints meant that additional cost saving measures were required in the short term.

Also during 2023, a review of energy use revealed that back payments were due from the telecommunications company that has equipment installed within the church. The installation uses parish energy, and usage back to 2019 has been recovered, providing a one-off windfall of £24k, but that will reduce the overall parish cost into the future.

Together with this £24k, P&P has generated a surplus before parish share of £30k, and St Michael’s a surplus of £24k, for a total of £78k as shown in the financial statements. However, no parish share has been paid, and the £54k surplus that is effectively recurring still leaves us some way short of a full payment as a parish. The carried forward surplus should allow us to pay parish share in full for 2024, but further work is required to get the parish towards a position where it can generate a pre-parish share surplus of around £100k, which would represent a sustainable position and allow investment in developing the parish’s activities and facilities.

The PCC continues to be enormously grateful for the continued generosity of donors to the parish. You make the work of the parish possible.

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Reserves policy

It is current PCC policy to maintain a balance on unrestricted funds, which equates to approximately three months’ unrestricted payments excluding Parish Share, to cover emergency situations that may arise from time to time.

The parish now holds some fixed assets, and ignoring these items, the “free reserves” of the parish (being the balance of £114,072 on unrestricted funds at the year-end, less the fixed assets value of £6,409) are £107,663. The target reserves level calculates to £21,000 .

The balance currently held exceeds this target, but these reserves will be used to fund full parish share payments as required; it is expected that this position will be wound down over the next 3 financial years as the parish builds towards a fully sustainable annual position. The current reserves position has been made possible only by paying no parish share – an unsustainable position for the parish to be in.

The PCC will continue to keep the situation and its reserves policy under review; the parish is currently in a deficit position and any excess reserves held are therefore currently being used to support the existing activities of the charity.

Independent examiner

A resolution to re-appoint David Kelland of Meadows & Co as independent examiner for the ensuing year will be proposed at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting.

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INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT

I report to the trustees on my examination of the financial statements of The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish Of St Peter And St Paul, Kettering ('the charity') for the year ended 31 December 2023.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the trustees of the charity you are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).

I report in respect of my examination of the charity's financial statements carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent examiner's statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

  1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or

  2. the financial statements do not accord with those records; or

  3. the financial statements do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair' view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.

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

David Kelland FCA Meadows & Co Limited Headlands House Kings Court Kettering NN15 6WJ

October 2024

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 December 2023

Notes
Income from:
Voluntary income
1
Charitable activities
2
Other trading activities:
3
. Recurring
. One-off
Investment income
4
Other income
Expenditure on:
Charitable activities
5
Net income (expenditure)
Transfers between funds
Net movement in funds
Reconciliation in funds
Total funds brought forward
Total funds carried forward
11		 Unrestricted
funds
£
105,047
2,632		 Restricted
funds
£
11,236
—		 Total
funds
2023
£
116,284
2,632		 Total
funds
2022
£
98,437
1,905
49,731
16,327		 —
—		 49,731
16,327		 21,970
—
66,058 — 66,058 21,970
2,874
278		 —
—		 2,874
278		 2,438
10,156
176,890
97,460		 11,236
12,181		 188,126
109,641		 134,906
144,387
79,430
(1,505)		 (945)
1,505		 78,485
—		 (9,481)
—
79,430
34,643		 560
20,606		 78,485
55,249		 (9,481)
64,730
112,568 21,166 133,734 55,249

There were no other recognised gains and losses in the years other than those shown above.

25

BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 December 2023

Notes
Tangible fixed assets
8
Current assets
Debtors
9
Cash at bank and in hand
Liabilities
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
10
Net current assets
Total assets less current liabilities / total net assets
The funds of the charity:
11
Restricted income funds
Unrestricted funds		 2023
£
6,409
3,675
143,082		 2022
£
7,386
3,197
69,414
146,757
(19,432)		 72,611
(24,748)
127,325 47,863
133,734 55,249
21,166
112,568		 20,606
34,643
133,734 55,249

The financial statements of the charity were approved and authorised for issue by the Council on 7 May 2024 and signed on its behalf by:

Rev. David Walsh Rector

26

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 December 2023

Accounting policies

The principal accounting policies adopted, judgements and key sources of estimation and uncertainty in the preparation of the financial statements are as follows:

Basis of preparation

The charity is a Parochial Church Council as established under the Parochial Church Council (Powers) Measures of 1921 and 1956.

The charity has opted to prepare accruals based accounts, and therefore the financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) 2019.

The charity meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historic cost or transaction value.

As described in the trustees’ report, the trustees consider that the charity has adequate resources available to it to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Accordingly they have adopted the going concern basis in preparing the financial statements.

Fund accounting

Unrestricted funds are general funds that are available for use at the trustees’ discretion in furtherance of the objectives of the charity. Restricted funds are funds that have been donated or granted for a specific use. These funds are expended in accordance with the requirements of the donor or grantor.

Incoming resources

Income is recognised in accordance with the SORP requirements for entitlement, probability and measurement.

Expenditure and irrecoverable VAT

Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis. Expenditure includes VAT which cannot be recovered, which is reported as part of the expenditure to which it relates.

Charitable activities expenditure comprises the costs of the primary activities of the charity.

Allocation of costs

Costs are classed as either directly charitable, or as support costs of the charity. Support costs are those incurred in providing day-to-day administrative support or underpinning the infrastructure of the charity.

Support costs are allocated wholly to charitable activities as there are no other classes of expenditure incurred by the charity.

Tangible fixed assets

The charity capitalises as assets fixtures and fittings costing individually more than £1,000. Fixtures and fittings are depreciated over 10 years.

Consecrated and beneficed property (for example, the church buildings, including parish and community halls) are excluded from the financial statements under the provisions of section 10 of the Charities Act 2011.

Taxation

As a registered charity, the PCC is exempt from taxation on its income and gains falling within chapter 3 of part 11 to the Corporation Taxes Act 2010 and section 256 Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992, to the extent that these are applied to charitable purposes.

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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 December 2023

Operating leases

Rentals under operating leases are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

Financial instruments

Financial assets and financial liabilities are recognised when the charity becomes a party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.

The charity only has financial assets and financial liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments. Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently measured at their settlement value.

Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due after any trade discount offered.

Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid net of any trade discounts due.

Cash at bank and cash in hand includes cash and short-term highly liquid investments with a short maturity of three months or less from the date of acquisition or opening of the deposit or similar account.

Creditors and provisions are recognised where the charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. Creditors and provisions are normally recognised at their settlement amount after allowing for any trade discounts due.

1. Voluntary income

Regular giving
Legacies
Other donations		 2023
Unrestricte
d funds
£
69,237
5,097
30,714		 2023
Restricted
funds
£
—
—
11,236		 2023
Total
funds
£
69,237
5,097
41,950		 2022
Unrestricted
funds
£
2022
Restricted
funds
£
63,598
—
2,000
—
27,416
7,423		 2022
Total funds
£
63,598
2,000
34,839
105,048 11,236 116,284 93,014
7,423		 98,437

2. Charitable activities

2. Charitable activities
PCC fees for weddings and funerals 2023
£
2,632		 2022
£
1,905
2,632 1,905

All charitable activities income relates to unrestricted funds.

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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 December 2023

3. Other trading activities

3. Other trading activities
Recurring:
Buildings hire / rentals
Fundraising events
Electricity recharges:current year
Other
Exceptional:
Electricity recharges: relating to previous years		 2023
£
31,941
500
10,211
7,079		 2022
£
19,426
796
—
1,748
49,731 21,970
16,327 —
66,058 21,970

All other trading activities income relates to unrestricted funds.

4. Investment income

Income from cash and cash deposit funds 2023
£
2,333		 2022
£
2,438
2,333 2,438

All investment income relates to unrestricted funds.

5. Analysis of expenditure on charitable activities

5. Analysis of expenditure on charitable activities
Parish ministry, including Parish Share
Staff costs
Other support costs		 2023
£
26,441
18,973
64,227		 2022
£
73,636
19,169
51,582
109,641 144,387

Parish ministry costs include £ nil (2022: £50,642) paid or payable to the Diocese of Peterborough in Parish Share, which is an assessment on individual parishes based on a number of factors around parish size. This primarily funds the salary and some accommodation costs of parish clergy, who are employed by the Diocese. The parish has paid 0% (2022: 75%) of its Parish Share assessment. The shortfall against the assessment was as a result of the continuing impact of Covid-19 on the parish financial position and the level of regular giving, together with the ongoing impact of increased energy costs.

6. Staff costs

Remuneration and employers NI contributions 2023
£
18,973		 2022
£
19,169
18,973 19,169

The parish has 1 employee (2022: 2), working part time.

No employees had remuneration of over £60,000 in the year.

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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 December 2023

7. Analysis of other support costs

7. Analysis of other support costs
Energy / utilities
Insurance
Maintenance
Administration		 2023
£
35,372
8,738
8,202
11,915		 2022
£
26,535
7,890
7,324
9,833
64,227 51,582

8. Fixed assets

8. Fixed assets
Cost
At 1 January 2023
Additions
At 31 December 2023
Depreciation
At 1 January 2023
Charge for the year
At 31 December 2023
Net book value at 31 December 2023
Net book value at 31 December 2022
9. Debtors
Trade debtors
10. Creditors
Trade creditors and accruals		 Fixtures
and fittings
£
9,767
—		 Total
£
9,767
—
9,767 9,767
2,381
977		 2,381
977
3,358 3,358
6,409 6,409
7,386 7,386
2023
£
3,675		 2022
£
3,197
3,675 3,197
2023
£
19,432		 2022
£
24,748
19,432 24,748

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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 December 2023

11. Analysis of charitable funds

11. Analysis of charitable funds
Roughton Memorial Maintenance Fund
Church Lighting
Fabric Fund
Diocesan fees
Music
Special Collections
Soup Kitchen
St Michael’s Improvement Fund
St Michael’s Garden Fund		 At 1
January
2023
£
1,324
—
8,341
—
1,000
30
9,426
205
280		 Income
£
—
6,019
—
—
—
—
5,217
—
—		 Expenditure
and transfers
£
—
(6,019)
—
—
—
—
(4,657)
—
—		 At 31
December
2023
£
1,324
—
8,341
—
1,000
30
9,986
205
280
20,606 11,236 (10,676) 21,166

12. Taxation

The charity is exempt from tax on income and gains falling within section 505 of the Taxes Act 1988 or section 252 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 to the extent that these are applied to its charitable objects.

13. Analysis of net assets between funds

13. Analysis of net assets between funds
Fixed assets
Debtors
Cash
Creditors – amounts falling due within one year		 Unrestricted
funds
£
6,409
3,675
121,916
(19,432)		 Restricted
funds
£
—
—
21,166
—		 Total
funds
2023
£
6,409
3,675
143,082
(19,432)		 Total
funds
2022
£
7,386
3,197
69,414
(14,483)
65,514
112,568 21,166 133,734

14. Post balance sheet events

There are no post balance sheet events to report.

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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 December 2023

15. Comparative statement of financial activities

Notes
Income from:
Voluntary income
1
Charitable activities
2
Other trading activities
3
Investment income
4
Other income
Expenditure on:
Charitable activities
5
Net income (expenditure)
Transfers between funds
Net movement in funds
Reconciliation in funds
Total funds brought forward
Total funds carried forward
11		 Unrestricted
funds
£
91,014
1,905
21,970
2,438
10,156		 Restricted
funds
£
7,423
—
—
—
—		 Total funds
2022
£
98,437
1,905
21,970
2,438
10,156
127,483
134,667		 7,423
9,720		 134,906
144,387
(7,184)
—		 (2,297)
—		 (9,481)
—
(7,184)
41,827		 (2,297)
22,903		 (9,481)
64,730
34,643 20,606 55,249

There were no other recognised gains and losses in the years other than those shown above.

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