# Annual Report & Accounts **Annual Report and Accounts 2023** 2021 **Annual Report 2023** ## **Contents** **3. Annual Report for the year ending 31[st] December 2023 4. Structure, Governance and Management** **5. Objectives and Activities 7. Achievements and Performance 8. Trustee's Report** **10. Treasurer's Report 12. Financial Reserves Policy 12. Pensions Statement 13. Financial Accounts for 2023 18. Enfold 18. The Hub 19. Girls' Brigade 21. Sunday School 21. Tiny Treasures 22. Worship Team 22. Hall Usage 23. Hall Hires** 2 ## **Annual Report 2023** ## **Annual Report for the year ending 31[st] December 2023** The Trustees are pleased to present their report together with the independently examined financial statements of the charity for 2023. Pier Avenue Baptist Church registered as an independent charity with the Charity Commission on 4[th] May, 2010. Our Charity Registration number is 1135764. The church is administered by the Diaconate who are the Managing Trustees of the Charity and comprise: Minister and Chairman: vacant Church Secretary: Mrs Karen Rai Church Treasurer: Mrs Heather Baines Deacons: Mr David Baines Mr Antony Meloy Mr Richard Geddes Rev. Pauline Bailey Mr Ian Day Miss Elaine Hoadley Mr Ian Smith (from 26[th] November 2023) The Charity’s bankers are Lloyds plc of 1 West Avenue, Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, CO15 1QP. The Independent Examiner engaged by the Charity is Karen Payne. 3 ## **Annual Report 2023** ## **Structure, Governance and Management** ## **Governing Document** The Church’s governing document is the Constitution for Pier Avenue Baptist Church, Clacton-on-Sea which sets out the objects of the charity. The revised Constitution was approved by the Church meeting on 24[th] March 2010. ## **Recruitment and Appointment of Trustees** Deacons who are the Managing Trustees of the charity are chosen from among existing church members who show the reality of their faith by the consistency of their Christian character and by their loyalty to the cause of Christ. The Diaconate consists of two Church Officers, Secretary and Treasurer, together with up to ten elected Deacons, making a possible twelve in all. Annual elections are held at the Church Members’ meeting by ballot. Nominees must secure a vote of at least 66% of those voting (eligibility is specified in the constitution). The Minister is also a Trustee. ## **Organisational Structure** The Church is governed and regulated by its own members where all aspects of the work of the Church are subject to the approval of the Church Meeting which is normally held bi-monthly. The Minister of the Church is a paid Managing Trustee and together with the Deacons gives leadership to the Church. The Minister and Secretary are responsible for preparing the business for the Church meeting. ## **The Baptist Union of Great Britain and Eastern Baptist Association** The Church is part of the wider Baptist family and is therefore a member church of the Eastern Baptist Association (EBA) and also of the national body, The Baptist Union of Great Britain (BUGB). Both organisations are registered charities. The Church pays an annual subscription to BUGB based upon its membership numbers and also makes a donation to the EBA for the Baptist family in the UK (Home Mission). ## **Relationships between the Charity and related parties** Churches Together in Clacton (CITC) – the Church is a member of the ecumenical partnership of churches in the Clacton-on-Sea area. The Church continues to take part in community activities organised by CITC during 2023. The church has joined with other denominations for a short Christmas and Easter service in the Town Square and also taken part in a Walk of Witness on Good Friday and hosted the service that followed. We also continue to build links with the Baptist Churches at Holland-on-Sea and Thorpe-le-Soken and are meeting with them regularly. The Church also supports a number of connected organisations including the Girls’ Brigade. These connected organisations of the Church exist as part of the work and mission of the Church and are open to the community. Each organisation has its own committee, officers and members but they still fall within the scope of the Church Meeting and the Minister/Trustee is entitled to be Chair of all meetings. 4 **Annual Report 2023** ## **Objectives and Activities** ## **Objectives of the Charity** Established for the purposes of advancement of religion through the spiritual work of the Church, these purposes include the provision and upkeep of the place of worship, the carrying on of religious services and the payment, housing and pensioning of a minister of religion employed for the purposes of a place of worship. ## **Charity’s aims** As a member of the Baptist Union, the Church subscribes to the Union’s Declaration of its Christian responsibilities beyond the local community and seeks to engage in both national and international situations. Principle: The basis of this Union is: 1. That our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh, is the sole and absolute authority in all matters pertaining to faith and practice, as revealed in the Holy Scriptures, and that each Church has liberty, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to interpret and administer His laws. 2. That Christian Baptism is the immersion in water into the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, of those who have professed repentance towards God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ who “died for our sins according to the Scriptures, was buried and rose again on the third day.” 3. That it is the duty of every disciple to bear witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to take part in the evangelisation of the world. ## **Charity’s main objectives for the year** The Church premises are situated in an ideal location in Pier Avenue in Clacton-on-Sea which makes the use of our premises attractive for a wide range of community groups, organisations and other charities. Where able and appropriate, the Church aims to discern the needs of the community and organise activities and support groups to meet these and, this year we have been able to do this again, especially through our Enfold project and by the Warm / Social Hub which continued throughout the year. The community initiative, which commenced in 2012, the Enfold Project (to provide breakfast, an opportunity for a shower and access to support services, one morning a week, for the homeless and vulnerable people of Clacton) is now a well-established part of our church. This is run by our Parish Nurse and a team of volunteers as well as accessing support services such as Peabody. One of the ways in which the Church seeks to engage with others is not only the use of our premises by many varied groups but to use our kitchen facility for the benefit of the community in as many ways as possible. This facility is used weekly by FoodCycle who obtain excess food from supermarkets in the area and cook a meal for anyone in the community who needs it, one day a week. 5 ## **Annual Report 2023** Another way we have begun to support our community this year is by providing a space for RAMA and Calais Light to provide support and Language lessons for Asylum seekers who are housed locally. Our Coffee Morning and Tiny Treasures Parent and Toddler Group, are also regular opportunities for us to bring our objectives to life. The Church continued to offer public worship on Sundays at 10.30a.m. whether in person or on-line through our Livestream facility. See the Minister’s/Trustees report for further details. Conversations continue, where possible, with those who are interested in discussing their faith and the possibility of Baptism and Church Membership. The Church aims also to develop and grow as a fellowship through both study and social activities: - a. **Nationally** – to assist in the development of denominational and inter-denominational churches and discover the experience of the church in Great Britain. - b. **Internationally** – to discover more, the work of the Christian Church overseas and support that work wherever possible. ## **Charity’s Strategies** - a. **Worship** – to seek to provide appropriate worship to God and review our act of worship on a regular basis. - b. **Ecumenical** – to actively encourage, promote and participate in ecumenical activities. - c. **Premises** – to maintain the premises to good standard, to promote and provide community activities. - d. **Community needs** – to review the work of the Church and discern the needs of the community and then develop strategies and actions to support as appropriate. - e. **Fellowship** – to develop a programme to promote Christian knowledge and understanding and to enhance the social awareness of the Church. Such a programme to include educating the Church members and congregation about the Baptist denomination regionally and nationally and its links to international Christian activity through the Baptist Missionary Society – World Mission and other Christian organisations. 6 **Annual Report 2023** ## **Achievements and Performance** ## **Easter, Harvest and Christmas** Special services took place during the time of Easter, Christmas and at Harvest. ## **AGM and Membership** The Annual General Meeting of the church could finally take place in the usual way again this year. The Annual Report and Accounts were accepted and passed there. Our membership stood at 45 on 1[st] January 2023 and had decreased to 43 by 31[st] December due to the passing of some of our members. Our Sunday school continues and this area of our work has seen a significant growth in numbers during this year due to new families attending our church. ## **Housekeeping, Hall Hire and Fabric** Looking after pre-war buildings remains a challenge so we are especially grateful to those church members and friends who oversee and help to maintain the building in good order. The use of our premises by community groups is now busier than ever (see report on use of halls for details). 7 ## **Annual Report 2023** ## **Trustees Report** This report takes the place of what is usually the Minister’s report. This is because, at the time of writing, there is no Minister here at Pier Avenue Baptist Church. We are in a ‘Pastoral vacancy’. Our previous Minister moved on to a new Ministry at the end of July 2022 after almost 15 years of service here. I am writing this from the Trustees/Deacons in the place of a Minister. As a church we are following the process (called Settlement) of searching for a new Minister which, in the Baptist system, can take some time. The Church Profile has been written and the process is ongoing and in the meantime, our services are being led by various visiting speakers and by some of our own members, to whom we are very grateful. Tony Crawford has taken the role of moderator for our church during the Settlement process and we are very grateful for his support too. As we approached our time of ‘Pastoral vacancy’ we decided to adopt an approach of ‘Patience, Prayer and Positivity’ and so far things are going well for us and there are many signs of encouragement. Our Housegroups continued with people meeting in homes and one group meeting at the church during the day so that people can study the Bible together. We continue to hold a monthly prayer meeting and have also started to meet together every few months when Housegroup members attend a joint prayer meeting at church. Our Enfold project is running well again with as many as 35 visitors coming in for breakfast on a Thursday morning where they not only find food, but a caring environment and listening ears. Our Parish Nurse and her team are working hard to respond to the needs of all our visitors. We also have Peabody (supporting people in the community) coming each week to help our visitors fill in forms, find places to live etc. Along with this we have a Warm Hub one afternoon a week, to provide a warm place for whoever wants it, in these difficult, and expensive, times! This became a Social Hub during the summer months, at the request of the attendees who didn’t want it to stop because ‘warm’ wasn’t needed. Our toddler group, Tiny Treasures, is continuing to meet each week with as many as 20 babies and toddlers coming along with a parent, grandparent or child minder, to take part in the activities, learn how to play together (most of the time!), do craft, sing songs and generally have a good time together. Our Girls’ Brigade continues to be strong. We must pay tribute to the hard work undertaken by the leaders. The Girls’ Brigade offer an excellent range of activities for different age groups and the dedication of the leaders is evident in all they do. Our Sunday School activities for children has continued throughout the year providing a variety of activities on Sundays during the morning service. During the year the number of children attending has grown massively so instead of 3-4 each week we now have 12-15 children. We have held some special services during the year. We were also able to hold the Churches Together in Clacton service on Good Friday, here at PABC. This was led by the leaders of the Salvation Army and was a fantastic occasion with the church building filled to capacity. Christmas was also a special time. We had a Family Nativity service/Christingle, ably led by our Sunday School leaders and children and a Carols by Candlelight service. Along with this we held a Quiet reflection and Remembrance afternoon and we held a small Christmas Tree festival where 15 different church and community groups decorated a tree to represent what they do. Our Saturday Coffee Morning also held an enjoyable sing-a-long event the last Saturday before Christmas and we held a Christmas morning service. We were also privileged to host the SANDS Lights of Love service. We have had special meals together such as a Coronation Lunch to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles 3[rd] and a Harvest lunch following the Harvest Festival service. We have continued to have our Church Member’s meetings, which are bi-monthly, on Sunday afternoons. 8 ## **Annual Report 2023** Our halls are well used by many groups and individuals. We are especially pleased that they are used by some charities, such as FoodCycle, who provide a cooked meal to anyone who wants to come, from left over food from local Supermarkets, and also by RAMA and Calais Light who provide language lessons and other support to asylum seekers resident in Clacton. Looking after church buildings when funding is tight is always a challenge. This includes the church Manse which is having an extensive refurbishment while we are between Ministers. Thanks go to the volunteers involved in this and to those who organise contractors etc. We are still a part of Churches Together in Clacton. It is good to see the people of the churches in Clacton taking part in more joint activities. We have also met up with Thorpe and Holland Baptist Church members for a social afternoon and tea. We continue to livestream our services each week. This means that those who can no longer get to church are able to join with us. We still put the service on DVD and deliver to a few members who do not have the internet. This facility has also meant that we can livestream funerals if necessary, so that family members who live a long distance away, even overseas, can join in with the service. With all the encouragements, there has been the sadness of Church family life too. We have said goodbye to Ken Clarke, Elaine Paterson, Sheila Pratley, John Englefield, Paul Chittock and Sid Firth during the year, all of whom will be sadly missed. We continue to pray for their families. There are many people who should be thanked as a Church cannot function without many volunteers. Thanks to all those who serve in any way including those who operate the PowerPoint, livestreaming and sound on Sundays. All the stewards, Bible readers, flower arrangers, coffee and tea makers, musicians and prayer team for all they do each Sunday. Thanks also to all those who serve in all the organisations mentioned in this Annual Report and those whose work is largely unseen such as who tidy up, tend the garden, visit those who can no longer attend church etc. It is our prayer that PABC will continue to grow and develop as the Lord would want us to do, as we approach 2024. ## **Karen Rai, Church Secretary, on behalf of the Deacons/Trustees** 9 **Annual Report 2023** ## **Treasurer’s Report** 2023 has been an amazing year for the Church financially and spiritually. For this we must give grateful thanks to God and to ALL His people at Pier Avenue and in the wider community who have responded graciously to His call in so many ways. ## **A quick reflection looking back …** We were left in a very delicate financial position after Covid, but the post-pandemic recovery took far longer than anyone could have envisaged. Many churches and charities continue to struggle even now when we are three years on. We know of churches in the Baptist family and other denominations where there are insufficient funds to pay for a Minister, some Fellowships have been forced to close and, in some cases, much loved Chapels and Churches have had to be sold. By the end of 2022 Pier Avenue appeared financially sound on paper, but most of the funding we had a year ago sat in our Restricted Funds and came from the generosity of charitable grant funders who support us in our community activities. Restricted Funds cannot be used for any other purpose except for which it is given. Despite the Fellowship’s generosity to the General Fund and the (Designated) Premises Fund, the levels of them were low and concerning. It is from the General Fund that we pay in full for our Ministerial costs, copyright/software licences, and all our premises costs, including insurance, repairs, maintenance, heat, and light. The Designated Premises Fund is also the responsibility of the Church and is committed to the loan repayments for the three major H&S and necessary upgrades to our premises in 2020. ## **In the past year, 2023 …** As we came towards the end of 2023 it became clear the financial recovery on the General Fund and Premises (Designated Fund) was well on its way, but alongside that encouragement we knew: - we had to work towards having sufficient funds to invest in a Minister’s salary when God’s timing says it is right for us to appoint one; - major expenditure would be needed to upgrade the Manse (Church house), because beyond changing the boiler five years ago, the house had not had any significant investment in over 17 years and we had completed only a little of this work in 2023; - we must maintain the Church and its premises in good order, not only for our worshipping Fellowship but also to encourage hirers from the local community who generate a valuable income stream through use of our buildings; and - the Baptist Union’s recommendation that our Financial Reserves should stand at £30,000 which would support us in any unanticipated eventuality, such as a significant fall in income or a major expense. (Although our financial reserves were not at that level in 2020, what we did possess then helped us to get through the pandemic when our Sunday cash offerings and premises hires stopped completely and were only partial for many months.) - At the end of 2023, our year end balance of just over £100,939 consisted of: - £41,013 in Restricted Funds & Designated Funds - £59,926 in General Funds* * Taking account of how much we must use to upgrade the Manse (circa £20K) and to keep on Reserve (£30K), we are carrying forward just under £10K of uncommitted General Funds that can support the Church’s 2024 Budget. Hopefully, the Manse upgrade will cost less and we always aim for a sensible balance between value for money, while not cutting corners on quality of goods or workmanship. With inflation coming down slowly, we all likely still experience personal concerns on how we are affected financially at home, and the same inevitably affects us at Church. Please be assured that an important mission of the Deacons is to act responsibly and make the best use that we possibly can on the Fellowship’s behalf with the financial resources we have available. 10 ## **Annual Report 2023** As Christians we know that God will uphold us, and we can see the evidence of that both spiritually and financially. We have faith in Him _(“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified … for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6)_ and as Members & Friends of this Fellowship we must trust Him, believing that He will help us find the right balance between looking after and being responsible for the needs at home and for our family, as well as doing likewise for our Church and our Church family. We have an obligation to continue our support to the Baptist Missionary Society’s ‘World Mission’ work abroad, and in the UK to the Baptist Union’s Home Mission fund. In the same way that we are encouraged to tithe our personal income (donate 10% of our income to the Lord’s work) so we as a Church tithe too. To do this we pledge and donate 5% to each of these two Baptist Family charitable causes each year and the 5% is determined by the income received by the Church in the previous financial year. We also do our best to support other charities where we are able. We know that charities receiving our donations, are grateful for the generosity shown to them by our Fellowship, and for which we thank you. When there is no Minister in post, the responsibility laid on the Deacons, Membership and Fellowship is even greater than normal. In 2023 and as we move into 2024, we are grateful to one and all and to God for upholding us as the months without a Minister have gone by. God can only provide for His work at PABC - practical, spiritual, and financial - through the willingness, kindness and grace of His people who serve Him, our Fellowship, and our Community in this place. We have never been let down, and we are humbly grateful. We know that God’s people in this Fellowship do all they can, but on a financial note, as Treasurer, I would just say that we give thanks for: - the Offerings & Donations we regularly receive; - the Inland Revenue who gave us £7,880 on behalf of our tax-paying donors who had signed up to the HMRC Gift Aid scheme; - the hirers who generate income for us by using our premises for their activities; - the legacies and one-off gifts/donations received in the year; - the grant funding we have received that financially supports us as we continue our work for the community; - all the Church activities and events, whether regular or one-off, that serve our community and fellowship, as well as also generating valuable income; and last, but by far the greatest …. - the prayer life that sustains the heart of all we do placing everything in the hands of our loving and sustaining God. ## **Looking forward to 2024 and beyond** Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me in confidence if there is anything I can do to help you in your tithing, gifting, donations and, if you are a taxpayer, claiming the vitally important Gift Aid on your donations. God can only do His work through us together. May we all be richly blessed as we endeavour to keep up the excellent work He has called us to do. Our collective efforts have a positive and major impact on everything we do in His name in this place. _1 Timothy vs 17 & 18_ _Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share._ **Heather Baines, Church Treasurer.** 11 ## **Annual Report 2023** ## **Financial Reserves Policy** ## **Background to the Policy** The Charity Commission are anxious that charities would have sufficient reserves to allow their affairs to wind down in an orderly manner or to consider how long it would take to reduce its expenditure or raise its income to allow it to cope with a significant financial challenge. All the reserves PABC did possess were fully used and more in the eighteen months of the pandemic in 2020-2021 when the Church and all our premises were closed or partially closed and our income was drastically cut. God upheld us through this exceptionally difficult period, and for a further eighteen months thereafter, the Church did not possess the financial ‘safety net’ that should have been in place, but the aim was to do so in time. A financial challenge can come at any point and, aside of pandemics, can be due to any number of things. On expenditure, it could be due to the need for a significant property repair; on income it could be due to losing a significant premises hirer or donor(s), or it could be caused by a failure to secure grant that had been expected or was successfully received in the past. The Charity Commission are particularly anxious though that charities do not hold excessive reserves, which would amount to holding money back that should more properly be used for furthering the charitable/mission objects of the charity/church. ## **The Reserves Policy for Pier Avenue Baptist Church** **The Financial Reserves policy of Pier Avenue Baptist Church is to hold three months of all expenditure plus a further three months staff costs to allow the church to adapt to any changes in the income or expenditure of the Church. The Trustees have committed to the recommendation that £30,000 is retained for this purpose.** The Trustees are pleased to report that by the end of 2023 the Church had managed to meet its Financial Reserves target of £30,000 in a far quicker time span than we could have hoped for. God and His people have been very gracious to us. Unless unforeseen circumstances arise where the Church finds itself unable to fulfil its proper purpose and function without breaking into this sum, this value will be retained on the Church’s Deposit Account, earning bank interest that the Church will be able to use on the General Fund. ## **Pensions Statement** The church is a participating employer within the Defined Benefit section of the Baptist Pension scheme and has been making ongoing deficit payments of £1 per month to cover the costs of past service of its staff within the scheme. The church has committed to remaining in the scheme and has no plan to leave, hence it expects to continue to make payments to the scheme in line with the recovery plan **Heather Baines, Church Treasurer, on behalf of the Deacons/Trustees** . 12 Annual Report 2023 Pier Avenue Baptist Church General Fund & Designated Funds Flnanclal Ststement For th• year •ndod: 31st D￿emb•r, 2023 Note 20231£) 2022 {£1 Ro¢el ts Offerin - Grft aid - Other Gift AidlGASDS Income Tax Reclaim". General FurKI Gift Aid Income Tax Redaim.. Desi nated Funds Church Premises Pro ect naled Fund 8aes and memorial ift$ Grants General Fund ". Tudor Trust Grants Desi naled Funds.. Tud¢rlNAVCAJEALCIC Char es for Hire of mises Minibus Hire Income Coffee Mornin roceed8 Funds raised for other ¢oUWg Other Recei Transfer from Des 24,531 21,827 11.681 7.025 295 2.410 7.880 479 970 230 15 15 27,000 17,247 358 1,895 26.489 628 2.559 732 3.667 .11 nated FuThJ to General Fund Totsl$ £ 136,180 98,828 Paymonts Minist Ministerial Ex Manse u Mission & charita￿e causes of chufch mises Administrab"on rational ex nses Church Premises Pro ect Communit Activ((￿$ & Other Desi Other ents nses ind sti rKJ travel visrtors 24.305 3.$03 9.576 21.245 2.933 1.752 3.300 10.840 10 12 13 14 Totals naled Funds 20.137 79.492 78.300 SURPLUS FOR THE YEAR DEFICIT FOR THE YEAR BALANCE BROUGHT FORWARD BALANCE CARRIED FORWARD 20.528 44,251 £ 100,939 23.723 44.251 ' compl1￿. £59,926 G•n•r•Wnr••trkt•d & £41.013 R••trlctthlgn•t•d Funds H.J. Balnos. Church Treasur¢r120th January 2024} The a¢￿Ints aThJ Statement of assets and lialylities relating lo the year 1st January 2023 to 31st December 2023 as approved by the Church Meeting held on 21st January 2024 13 Annual Report 2023 Pier Avenue Baptist Church NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS rknd ￿P1+Par￿￿>￿￿ luplo £ 2019 2023 2022 1. B••b• ol A¢¢¢unf• These a¢eounts hav* been prepored M • & PaYn￿ts S•¢l*x 130 of the Charities Act 2011 The church Is the bene￿￿81 ct*nef (subject to the relevant Inmlsl ol the lo1￿7￿j asset8. Ihe legal tsllts to h&J by the church's uJstc¥Jwi tmstee, the Bw>tMt UnKffl CThporatKJn Ltd. Churth ises at P*rAvenue C*tonthSea Church mafts* at 36 Tho Rd. Clacttsn4n-Sea F￿Ule$, Fumrture and ui nt I thé abova are shcr•m at insU￿j values 3. Ll•bllltlM- Loan• out8tandlng IWb"st 8uth1i 4. Donatlons. R•c•l •nd M•morlal Gllts Donaltr)nslOther Rec Churth £28038 1 R & OF Q175 5 108.426 275.CrfJO 197.443 S.S80.869 343.750 221728 6.159.204 23,100 2￿23 Fur#J) 8.881 230 30A43 12.249 2023 R•l••d 333 177 2022 S. Fund• rnl••d for ath•r cau••8 BMS Worfd ML8swJn & Bi ra￿Tr BVGB EBA H¢YNt Mi$8 CTIC CL%ton Turk IS ria Ea ns. Chddren's Essex Ambulance Glv•n Glven 4.208 207 210 207 177 192 40 230 n2 7,487 6. Illln mint5t￿5 sti Ern rfs PAYE. Pens￿ contnbukn & BU Pefts￿ Dthil ) fs Nat￿[ InsuratKe Irfc4 GN T•O•*I Mini*¢¢$ P￿1￿31 & General Mile min￿10￿3 Traini Course Fees & Mi ker￿other e 2023 20221£) 12 77 1.754 769 24.305 7. M•M• U Includes counol tax, wator, mUfaWJ. repairn. tele honeibro•Jb•ThJ aTrJ 8. MI￿10￿ Given ¢0 olher causes Connect. 8.162 3,003 8653 301 165 363 8.316 ¢ll• 477 9,578 of Chu￿fv Pr•mi• hea and wat htsn C￿anIn In8urar Gift In MenTh￿￿L arx8.' Qu PrDlessK)nal Fees (Prwnises ￿ted & Mw'ntence of Prwnws 6508 4,773 4.893 Room RefurtglCT 2.011 15.345 31.961 3.528 21.245 14 Annual Report 2023 Pier Avenue Baptist Church continued 10. Admlnlstrallon Pa roll A en ICT software ind **bsite Te hone siatione Phot r rgntsl and 107 714 529 609 2,933 11. 0 ￿￿onal Ex Church co ht li￿n$￿$ anl ranos musi¢ sound and Minibus hire Resource￿5￿b$crl Trainin Course Fees 919 128 616 324 20 2.007 113 370 340 60 1.752 nfJ8undries 12. 0&81 nat•d Fund• Tin Treasuw ParenVTt￿￿f Group Promisgs P BBF Loan R 334 751 3,3C 4.OSI 13. R￿trIcted Funds Icommun A¢tfvities Cancer Su Gfou in 2023 ' C￿)mun Enfdd. Parish Nurse &'22-23 Wann Hub.. Ctynmun Winter Wam Hub 2023-24 (nèw Fundcrealedin 20231.. CA 2022 Shed, ICT & Job CILkn Furknds rjosed & funds to G&)arnl 162 9.180 909 10.089 19.803 14. Oth•r Pa m•nts Book¥EquipmenUFumthrelSupplw {Purtha8e & Repatr) Refreshments & sundries Hiffer relund 552 270 45 $30 208 108 15. Grants ro¢olv RostrktethD￿Vjnaled'. EnfolJlP.Nutst. W8rn Hubs. Can(tr Supwt UnreslnctedlGeswrnl." ￿ W GranL ￿ E8A Sabb#iK "In thg 2022 Annual Rèwt & Accwnls ihii fvduf• 88 £32.CLW) kn •rrtY. it lh￿ have Statement of Consolidated Assets and Liabilities att at 31st Decornbor, 2023 20231£) 2022 (£1 Bank and other cash balances Representing balances on th• followln General Fund & Desi nated Funds Church auxilla fuThJs 121.688 55,337 xcounts:. 100,939 20,749 121.688 44,251 11.086 55,337 Non-mon•ta Held for church's ovm use Liabilttles Loans oulslandi 6.159.204 5.580.869 23,100 26,400 15 Annual Report 2023 Pier Avenue Baptist Church Auxillary Accounts Financial Ststement as at 31st December. 2023 Income Expenditure Boy8. Brlgade: Treasurer. lan Smlth IBB ha• had no a￿1¥￿ty •lnco 2021) Bal b1fv￿ Subscri Other Income IIon8 Unrfomi etc Battalion & s ui ent & Acli Slatione Refreshments & other e 881 cjthl l even18 2.985 2.985 2,985 Glrl8' Brlgade: Tr••$ur•r- L¢)rraln• Adams 881 bff1￿ ' Subscri UnrformlGB Sh DOnat￿n$/FlIr￿1ra￿I Outi 8￿uCk Activrtieslslee Cam Admi￿rainI Station8 Traini IAdmin GBHQ 2.647 ion8 3,458 310 UnrformlGB Sh FurKJraisi Cam AcbVIt*￿Sl other￿ranSfer5 8alc 528 3.195 82 17.746 Interest Cash 9.634 17.746 PABC Fl¢)wor Fund: Trna8ur•r- Vlctorla Oy•kunl• & H•ath•r Baln•• (ln 2023 the tIov*prs dv4pl8yed in Chur¢h have been kn'ndty donated by M&S. Cladon and th&rofow no expendrture has teen necessary in this year.) Bal blfrm 18 FI¢y••Èrsloasislmateiials Donations rxeived B81 cJf¥ 18 18 18 2023 Auxlllary Accounts Summary Balances 11.086 8,112 12 637 20.749 Recei Balances cjfwd 20.749 l Auxi118ry Accounts have teen audrted by the Church Treasurer 27101r2024 16 Annual Report 2023 Pier Avenue Baptist Church CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Ind¢p¢nd¢nt Examin¢r'¥ Report R•port to th• trust•MI j m•m￿rn of I P*r A¥enu8 Ba￿￿$t Churth, CLgcton on Sea, Essax. C015 INJ On account• forth• y••r •nd Chartty no lff onyl 31* C*¢wb¢r 2023 1135764 S•t out on p•9•• 13-17 I report to th• trust*•s on my èxaminatth of the a¢￿Unts ofthe otove th8rity Tr￿1.} for the year ended 31112r2023 RMpon*lbllltl•8 and b￿1¥ of roport As th• tharitys Ift￿, you •r• for Ihtr w¢pwalion of th accounts in aC￿arKe with th8 r•quir•menls Lrfth8 Charlws Ad 2011 llhe Ar￿1. I report in ￿SpeCt of my examinailon of th• Trusvs aecounts ¢aM￿ oul under secb.on 145 of ￿ 2011 Act in ¢arryir¥J out my examination, I have follwd all thts ¥PF4itsbltr ThrwXlo￿ grven by the Chaiity Commi8sion under section 1495llbl olthtr Ad. Independent I have c4Jmpknted my examin8tiM. l eonfim that no m#tsrial matters have •x8minerfs statement ¢om¢ tts my attentK)n in t￿n￿¢tion with the examination gives m$ cause to tel￿e that in, any matèrwl rèsped". the aclounting records not k¢pt In O¢c¢rdon￿ th 8eL*on 130 Of tho Charili93 Acl: or the accotsnt8 did not ¢tynply wrth the awtcable requirements nceming the fo￿ and content of occounts s¥t Out in the Chanti8S (Accounts •nd R¢F4)rtsl Regulations 2CQ8 other than any requiiemtrnl that the ￿COunt$ arKI fairf view whth is not a mattfyr onsklered as part ol an indeperwjent *x￿1￿11￿. I have no c4)rttrrts and have com¢ •cso$8 Th) other malters in connedion vthh thtr examination to ￿ch attentx)n b• drawn in thi¥ report in r to •nat4tr • Fwr underntsndirvj of the acoyjnts to ￿ r•athed. Slgn•d: Nam•: Karen Payn• R•l•v•nt Pr0fM￿1)MI quallficatirf•l or body Ill any): AAT AddY•4•: 25 PatthiTr3 Hall Lano. Cheknth. Essex, CM14BT. 17 ## **Annual Report 2023** ## **Enfold** Enfold is a project run by PABC for the homeless and those leading chaotic lives, for many reasons. On average we have around 30 clients attending Enfold each week. We are pleased to have a dedicated, hardworking, happy team of volunteers, who all gel together really well. We also have many people outside of Enfold coming in to access 'Peabody' for housing and benefit support, mainly due to the cost-of-living crisis. For this reason we thought it best we dedicate a private area for the agencies who work alongside us, to meet with their clients in relative privacy via the aid of privacy screens. We have also initiated a number queuing system, solely for Peabody clients. This appears to be working really well. In addition, we are now joined by a 'Social prescriber' can give wide ranging help, advice and organise activities. An NHS Careers Advisor who is attending in order to encourage those with Learning Difficulties/ Mental Health issues back into work. Then to work closely alongside them for the first three months of their return back to work. They are joined by me the Parish Nurse, employed by the church, who leads Enfold and deals with any medical issues that walk through the door. Most weeks we normally feed our Enfold clients cereals, baked beans with cheese on toast and some weeks sausage and bacon rolls. At Christmas one of our volunteers very kindly donated food so it enabled us to give our clients a full English breakfast and Christmas crackers on nicely decorated tables. We open the doors for Enfold at 9am, the guys are offered a drink and together with the volunteers they watch and listen to a 'Bear Grylls' or Patrick Reagans latest book / bible study / thought and pray. It is encouraging that more and more of our guys are attending earlier. We stop serving food and drink at 10.45am, due to the fact ‘Hope at Trinity’ now opens up for them at 10.30am. Peabody stay until 11am. All the volunteers and staff working within Enfold have a lovely rapport with our guys, and they are forever grateful for the services, friendship, acceptance and support we offer. The aim is to encourage our guys into our church through showing practical support and Christian love. **Amanda Day, Parish Nurse** ## **The Hub** The Hub is growing from strength to strength. Initially we were requested by CVST (Clacton Voluntary Services - Tendring) to open a 'Warm Hub' for our vulnerable/ homeless guys. This initial 'Warm Hub' finished in March 2023, but when we announced its closure we were met with upset from a few of our clients who had seen it as a vital lifeline for warmth / socialising and support. Therefore, we took our thoughts about carrying 'the service' on to the Deacons, who came back with a resounding 'yes'. In 2023 we moved it to the front of the church which we are able to heat really quickly. We serve, soup, toast, cake, biscuits, squash, tea, coffee and hot chocolate. We are not only joined by the vulnerable now, but from all walks of society, which is lovely! We have a social prescriber available and myself, the Parish Nurse. 'The Hub' appears to have become a vital lifeline to everyone who attends, which is on average around 30 people of all ages. We offer a lovely, informal, non-judgemental space, where people can just 'be'. **Amanda Day, Parish Nurse** 18 **Annual Report 2023** ## **Girls’ Brigade** 2023 was another busy year in the life of 1[st] Clacton Girls’ Brigade as we delivered a wide range of activities to the girls and young women that attend our organisation. Our numbers fluctuate around 35 with most attending on a regular basis and it is encouraging that many are coming to church services and Sunday School. We are blessed with a loyal team of 11 Leaders who run the 4 sections of the Company. Much has to be planned to organise badge work and events to suit a wide range of abilities, bearing in mind those with special needs, including them in all we do. For our badge work the following subjects were covered in each group (Sept 22 – July 23). **Explorers** - Outdoors, Winter, Special Places, Weather. **Juniors** - Stewardship, Joy, Forgiveness, Compassion. **Seniors** - Traveller, Communication, Getting Creative, Environment. **Brigaders** - Children, Domestic Goddess, Community. (both double awards). Our Duke of Edinburgh work continues with 5 girls currently working at Bronze level. Each candidate is at various stages in the 3 sections, namely - Skills; Volunteering and Physical having already completed the Expedition. One of our younger adult Leaders has now completed her Gold Award. However, we have been experiencing difficulties in processing these awards with the online system. We continue to send a birthday card and Christian bookmark to each girl and we have celebrated a few 18[th] birthdays. A thought for the week goes out regularly on our Facebook page which is hopefully read by many of our parents and leaders. Two sleepovers were held during the year. Our first in March when the girls went to the pier for a round of crazy golf. Then back to the church to decorate pots and plant them with pansies to give out at the Mother’s Day Parade service the following day, played games and made various craft items. Our second was in November when we took the girls bowling and again played games and did craft activities. This led into our Enrolment Parade where new members were enrolled and existing members recommitting themselves to the Company. We continue to hold Church Parades bi-monthly and they are fairly well attended. It is good to see some of the parents joining with us on these occasions. As we continue to be without a Minister, we have taken on the responsibility of leading these services. The themes have included - Hopes for the New Year, Special Mothers, Crowning a King, Creation, Feasting (for harvest) and finally Flying our Flags. The girls took part in song and readings. In July we held our Display and Awards evening when the girls received the badges they had worked for throughout the year. These were presented by Karen Rai, our church secretary. Each section brought items they had been practicing to the parents and friends who supported us at this event. The following week the girls enjoyed fun and games on the beach which concluded our summer term. For our summer camp we took around 20 girls to Belchamps Scout Camp Site in Hawkwell. They enjoyed a wide range of activities including - pedal karts, assault course, caving simulator, sumo suits, tomahawks, archery, mini crossbows, nerf guns, traversing wall, craft and games. We also had a camp fire during the evening. Our devotional theme was Parables, exploring the stories Jesus told which had a heavenly meaning. 19 ## **Annual Report 2023** As 31[st] October fell on a Tuesday, we organised a Light Party as an alternative to Halloween. We invited parents, friends and those from the church, who joined in craft, making smores round a fire and a devotional time around a lighted floor area. We took part in the Remembrance Parade organised by the Clacton branch of the Royal British Legion, marching down to the War Memorial where a service was held to remember those lives lost in various wars. A good number attended. In December we held our Carol and nativity service, when girls from all sections told the Christmas story with the younger ones dressing up as the main characters. Readings were given by the girls and Carols were sung by all. The Brigaders then served refreshments with mince pies and biscuits. The year concluded with our Christmas parties when girls from all sections enjoyed an evening of games and food. Our Brigaders organised the games for Explorers and Juniors including pass the parcel and pin the star on the Christmas tree. We also asked the girls to come in a Christmas outfit for which a prize was given to the one judged the best. Several girls brought a friend and it was good to see them joining in with the others. Each girl was given a party bag to take home. During the year we held various fund-raising events, including our ever-popular Pancake evening when parents and friends enjoyed pancakes with a selection of fillings and homemade cakes. We organised two quiz nights, one in July and the other in December which took on a Christmas theme. They proved extremely popular and we raised a nice amount of money. We continue to be grateful for those who regularly donate to the work of Brigade. We took the girls to a Pantomime at the Westcliff theatre at the beginning of the year which was enjoyed by all. During the summer holidays we again paid a visit to the theatre with the younger girls to an interactive pantomime session entitled ‘Dame Dolly’. This was conducted by Joe Meloy and thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended. We then took the girls down to the beach to eat their packed lunch and play some games. We were pleased to learn of the safe arrival of baby Alexander, in September, to Caitlin (one of our leaders) and Dylan, wishing them every blessing in their family life. Caitlin is now taking a break from GB for a while. It has been great to welcome Ellie onto our leadership team, having completed her training and fulfils this role in the Explorer section. We recently asked the girls why they like coming to Girls’ Brigade and were greatly encouraged by their positive response. They all appear to enjoy our activities, especially - cooking, games, craft and badge work. They also love the camp and sleepovers. They say they learn in a fun way about the Bible and many life skills. They all said they value meeting and making new friends to keep for life. The older girls enjoy being able to relax and talk with others, having fun and laughter. It was also said that it seems like one big family where everyone is so supportive. As we continue this valuable work amongst girls and young women, we pray that they will progress in their faith journey. With seeds having been sown, we long for them to accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour and to become regular attenders of our church services. It is great to have contact with so many families and as we move into another year hope to be able to welcome new members to come under the sound of the Gospel. **Gill Stennings - Captain** 20 ## **Annual Report 2023** ## **Sunday School** We started the year with just a small group of children, some weeks only having 2 or 3 attend. As the year went on our numbers have grown and grown and we now have 12 children on the register. Through the year we have enjoyed a trip to the zoo and a day at the beach. Over Christmas the children enjoyed making decorations to put on the Sunday school tree for the Christmas Tree Festival and we took the Christmas Eve service on the form of a Christingle service with the children taking parts of the nativity and doing the readings. This was well received by the congregation. We look forward to another year where we can continue to grow in numbers and continue to teach the children. ## **Emma Scott** ## **Tiny Treasures** Tiny Treasures has had a very positive year. The team works together really well. In September we had a full register and a waiting list. Throughout the year, those on the waiting list have been invited to join. Attendance is very varied and unpredictable but all those who attend always have an enjoyable and positive time whether it is 8 or 18. The new government legislation for nursery to be paid for from the age of 2 is likely to have an effect on us in 2024. We are already seeing that the average age of children attending the group is lower. Before the sessions, the volunteers have fellowship and pray for the group. This is the most important part of the morning. We continue to follow the same routine of play, story & craft followed by snack and then singing. Activities are planned to cover all areas of learning and are changed each week. The snack is pre-prepared by Karen, Richard and Maureen, who follow food hygiene practices. In July, we ended the term with a slightly longer session and had a Teddy Bear’s picnic. This included a Bible story and prayer in the Church. In August, we held a ‘Picnic past and present’ on the Greensward near the park for the third year running. This was for anyone who had been involved in Tiny Treasures previously, as well as for the current families. It was a good time for the adults to chat and children to play together. We restarted the term in September and finished the year with our Christmas party. The Nativity story was told in the church, followed by prayer and ‘Away in a Manger.’ After some ring games, Santa arrived, and all received a present. We ended with party food. We thank the team for their commitment. Our thanks go to Georgina, Miriam and Richard for putting out all the tables and chairs and toys each week. Karen, Lynn, Georgina, Maureen, Richard, Sylvia and Trudi make up our usual team with Miriam joining us when able. Thank you to those volunteers for all they are doing. Without them, we would not be able to run this group or have such a friendly and welcoming reputation. We pray each week that God will give us opportunities to offer prayer, or a listening ear, to share the love of Jesus with all who come along to Tiny Treasures and we ask that you join us in that prayer. It would be great to build a greater link between families and the church. We appreciate your prayers **Karen, Lynn & the Tiny Treasures Team** 21 **Annual Report 2023** ## **Worship Team** Thanks and appreciation to the Worship Team for their continued commitment this past year. The Worship Team meet for rehearsal before each Sunday service at 09:45 and twice a month during the week. The Worship Team consists of: Tracey - Piano Karen - Guitar and Vocals Dawn - Vocals Nic - Piano Tony - Guitar and Vocals Alesis - SR18 Drum Machine ! The Worship Team have been liaising with different speakers during this time of having no Minister and are managing many varied styles of worship. The Christmas services involve a lot of work for the team with extra services as well as the Carol Service. At the Carol Service the team along with other singers sang ‘King of Kings’, and the congregation had a special treat on Christmas day when we sang ‘Marys Boy Child’ by Boney M! (thanks for the suggestion, Pauline Bailey!) Our thanks go to the singers, musicians, Heather, Matthew, James and Ian for doing the PowerPoint/Live Feed and Chris for operating the sound, as well as those who decorated the church so beautifully with the candles, lights, tree and flowers. We are still in the process of tweaking the live feed sound to the internet to ensure a quality sound to all people who listen online - please bear with us. Our prayer for the coming year is that we will grow closer together with each other, but more importantly, grow closer to God as we follow His leading and serve Him by serving our fellowship. ## **Tony Meloy** ## **Hall Usage** ## **Church Organisations** ## **Community Users** - Girls Brigade - Sunday School - Tiny Treasures Parent and Toddlers / Baby group - GB Sleepovers & Quiz nights - Prayer Meetings - Fellowship Lunches & Teas - Coffee Mornings - Enfold Project - FoodCycle - Four different Dancing & Fitness groups - Darby & Joan Club - Birthday Parties - 1[st] Clacton Rainbows, Brownies, Rangers & Guides - Escrima (self-defence classes) - Essex University - Thanksgiving (funeral) services - Warm & Social Hubs - NHS (Covid jabs) - Church Members’ meetings - Worship Team practices - Joint event with Holland & Thorpe Baptist - Sport & Social Group - Church House Group - Table top sales - Deacon’s meetings - Street Pastors meetings and as a base - (Churches Together in Clacton) - STEAM Powered Education - Essex Wellbeing Services - Afro-Caribbean drop-in group - EXTRA Support for Families - Bridge 86 - Cancer Support Nurse - MK Childrens magic club - InterAct - Clacton F.C. under 12’s presentation - - Tip Top Education Tours 22 ## **Annual Report 2023** ## **Hall Hires** Over this last year, we have seen God’s provision in the way our hall hires have expanded. For the eight-year period prior to the Covid pandemic, our average hall hire income was £23.5K, peaking at £27K in 2016. Then in 2020, hires were effectively stopped in mid-March due to the lockdown. Apart from FoodCycle (who had a 6-month complete break) most other hirers tentatively returned in the September of 2021, so we only received about 7 months hire income in a 24month period. 2022 was still slow and steady, but good signs of recovery. We lost some hirers due to the pandemic, but we also picked up some new ones too. Hall Hire income started well in 2023, then increased steadily as we took on new hirers, and current hirers increasing their hours, to finish off the year with an amazing £26,489, £8.5k more than what was budgeted (what we thought we would receive at the start of the year). As we now look forward to 2024, the budgeted figure of £28K has been used, which although higher than any year in recent history; if we are able to keep all current regular hirers and pick up the usual one-off hires during the year, will potentially be achievable. It’s great to see our premises busy again, after months of being empty in 2020 / 2021. Our main goal, is for the hire income to cover all the premises costs; so that our congregational giving goes towards the ministry costs. In 2023, 86% of our income was achieved through our regular hirers, like: 1[st] Clacton Guides & Brownies, Ballroom Dancing, FoodCycle, Enfold Project, Warm Hub & Social Hub, Darby & Joan, other various dance classes. The other 14% of income was through many one-off hires, like: children’s parties, training days, wellbeing and support groups as well as Christmas Fayres. Two of these support groups are now regular hirers in 2024, making good use of the Friendship Lounge in particular. We are very pleased to be hosting many community activities: a Cancer support nurse, Family support groups, Afro-Caribbean drop-in group, a group providing English Language learning as a second language to name but a few. We have a wide range of groups and activities that use our halls, some are seeing us as their ‘home’, and reaching out to strengthen links with PABC. The 1[st] Clacton Guides & Brownies have recently fundraised enough money to buy a defibrillator, which they have donated to the church and will be located on the front of the premises, to be made available for the Pier Avenue community in times of medical emergency. We thank them for their kind and generous donation. To help nurture our links with the hirers, we have also encouraged them all to take part in our recent Christmas Tree Festival, where a mixture of hall hirers, some community organisations and our own church groups brought together 15 trees to display at the front of church during the festive period. This gave them an opportunity to celebrate and share with others who they are and what they do during the week, in a fun way through the tree decorations. We thank God for bringing us in direct contact with so many local groups and organisations, who are happy to meet at PABC. A small number (so far) have started to come along to our Sunday morning services. Praise God. We will endeavour to extend these links further, as we work in partnership with our hirers in 2024. **Ian Day** 23