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2022-12-31-accounts

Parish of Luton, St Francis FORMAL DOCUMENTS FOR 2023

ANNUAL CHURCH MEETINGS

Sunday 23[rd] April 2023

Contents Page Number Introduction – Vicar’s Report……………………………………………………………………………………………1 -2 Agendas for Parishioners’ Meetings and APCM ……………………………………………………………….3 Background Information………………………………………………………………………………………………… 4-5 Minutes of last years’ meetings……………………………………………………………………………………… 6-9 Annual Report and Accounts………………………………………………………………………………………… 10-21 Official Reports……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….22-25 General Reports………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

St Francis, Luton: Vicar’s Report 2023

First things first: ‘Thank you!’

I want to say ‘thank you’ to everyone who has contributed to the life of our church this year. Some of you have official positions; some work quietly behind the scenes. But all of you together make our church the special place it is. Thank you!

I am delighted to be able to report on the activities of St Francis Church over the past year. We Started 2022 involving the whole church in a 40-day prayer campaign, praying for the whole parish, every mission-partner and all the ministerial areas of the church.

As many of you know, last March we celebrated our 62nd anniversary with great joy, with the attendance of former Vicars, Curates and members of the congregation, as well as old and new friends who have become part of this family.

Prior to the Sunday celebrations, we held our first Vision Day, with the participation of most of the leadership of the church, as well as those who are actively involved in the life of St Francis Church. Together, we started building St Francis Mission Action Plan 2022 with 3 priorities: Pastoral, Children & Youth, and Worship . We identified that we should follow 5 main purposes: Worship, Fellowship, Community, Outreach and Discipleship . The day was a success, and we came out of it with the Mission Statement: "We are followers of Jesus, worshipping God by building a faithful community and sharing the power of the Holy Spirit. We seek to serve our neighbours with love and justice."

Over the past year, we have been fulfilling our priorities through a range of activities, including: Pastoral, Children, Youth, and Worship:

We have been conducting visits to members of the congregation who have been unable to return to church and to some new members who are not very mobile. We also held a breakfast for those involved in the pastoral ministry, including clergy and readers, leaders of House groups, Hope group, Ladies Club, Community Café, Social Committee and Safeguarding Team.

Housegroups are a vital part of life at St Francis, so I'd like to thank Joy Daniels, Sue Heathcote, Liz Cooper, Joan Moore, and Jacky Wilson for leading the groups throughout 2022, as well as Hilary Sellers and Hazel Line during the 40 days of prayer. We have highly dedicated Housegroups that meet every two weeks. We completed 40 days of prayer as a church last year, which was really gratifying and joyful. In the interim, because Covid prohibited groups from meeting in person, most groups met via Zoom until it was safe to meet in each other's homes. While not studying as a group, each Housegroup chooses from the Bible what they wish to go into further, whether in the New

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or Old Testament. Housegroups are highly regarded in the Church because they provide a support network for one another in praying through health concerns, trials, and anything else that comes our way at some point. We hope to increase the number of Housegroups in the future.

We have been offering various activities, such as the Youth Drop- In in partnership with YWAM Luton Team for secondary school age after school, Summer Holiday Club for primary school age under the leadership of Phil and Hazel Line, and a Starship Discovery Christmas Party just before Christmas. We have also been running the Community Café , which has extended into a Conversation Club every Tuesday, serving soup, tea, and coffee, and providing a warm space for people to spend their afternoons. We have also had several special events, such as the Jubilee Tea Party , a breakfast morning with children and youth volunteers building the vision for this ministry, Sports Day/BBQ , and a Jumble and Handmade Sale, Christmas market with Christmas tree competition and carols at the Airport.

A curry evening was held for those in the worship team, including all those on the welcome team, involved in music and audio-visual, the project team, those who read the Bible and lead the intersessions, sidesmen, flowers and cleaning teams. The social committee who will also be organising various events for the church family to enjoy. Mission Partners: We have increased the numbers of partners, some we support financially and some others in prayers or loose contributions and activities. They are: Nansambo School, Azalea, Youthscape, YWAM, Hands of Mercy, CPAS and Wycliffe Bible translators.

I have spent some time helping Cockernhoe Endowed Primary School with Collective Worship, RE, Services, governance and other dimensions of their life. A number of church members are governors there or volunteers. Finally, various other things also occur as part of regular church life, such as the gardening at St Hugh’s and St Francis.

This is just a flavour of what’s been going on – I know I haven’t mentioned everything. So please forgive me if I’ve missed something I shouldn’t.

I want to pay tribute to the amazing team we have at St Francis who are weekly giving their best and extra for this church to function – Becca, Jacky, Jo and Graham. You really are the best, and I am so grateful!

Overall, we have had a busy and productive year, and I want to thank everyone who has contributed to the success of our activities. I look forward to continuing to work together to achieve our mission and to serve our community with love and justice.

Yours sincerely, Josias de Souza Vicar of St Francis Church

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Parish of Luton, St Francis

Agenda for the Parishioners and Annual Parochial Church Meetings on Sunday 23rd April 2023 at 12pm Meeting of the Parishioners

  1. Chairman’s Introduction

  2. Apologies for Absence

  3. Minutes of the Meeting of 24[th] April 2022

  4. Appointment of two scrutineers for vote counting (if required)

  5. Election of two Church Wardens

  6. Blessing for the new Church Wardens

Annual Parochial Church Meeting

  1. Apologies for Absence

  2. Minutes of the Meeting of 24[th] April 2022

  3. Matters arising from last year’s minutes

  4. Appointment of two scrutineers for vote counting (if required)

  5. Electoral Roll Report

  6. Treasurer’s Report for 2022

  7. Appointment of an Independent Examiner

  8. Churchwarden’s Report on Fabric, Goods and Ornaments

  9. Report on proceedings of the Deanery Synod

  10. Safeguarding Report

  11. Election of 5 Church Council Representatives

    • 4 x PCC members for 3 years

    • 2 x Churchwardens for 1 year

  12. Election of 2 Deanery Synod Members

  13. Q&A on Annual Report 20222

  14. Closing report

  15. Any other business

  16. Closing Prayers

NOTE: The new PCC meets briefly after this meeting on 23rd April 2023 to elect officers and carry out other essential initial tasks.

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Background Information for the APCM

Elections will take place for the following posts

Candidacy Rules

Candidates for all posts must be

Churchwardens: 21 years or over PCC: 16 years or over

Luton Deanery Synod: 18 years or over

Voting Rules

Anyone in the Parish is eligible to vote for Churchwardens.

To vote for PCC and Luton Deanery Synod Representatives, the person must be on the Electoral Roll.

Nominations - Should be made on the sheet at the back of Church. Nominations require both a proposer and seconder.

Rights and Responsibilities of the PCC

  1. The PCC has the right to be consulted on all matters of importance in the parish, even though the parish priest, the bishop, the Diocesan Pastoral Committee, or the Church Commissioners may make the final decision in certain matters. The PCC has the right to know what is being proposed, and it has the right to express an opinion about it.

  2. (**) It is the duty of the PCC to co-operate with the incumbent in promoting in the parish the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. 3. The PCC and the priest decide jointly how PCC money is to be used. A dispute is referred to the bishop.

  3. It is the responsibility of the PCC to maintain and repair all church buildings, the contents, the churchyard and surrounding walls or hedges. The PCC is responsible for providing adequate insurance cover, particularly for paid and voluntary workers and public liability.

  4. The PCC has the right to be consulted about any proposed sale, demolition, or purchase of a parsonage house, or the building of a new one. The Church Commissioners must consider the views or objections of the PCC (made within 21 days) before they make a decision.

  5. The PCC has the right to be consulted about the appointment of a new incumbent. The PCC can state what kind of priest they would like to have, in view of the particular needs of the parish. (Remember that priests are human, and that angels and saints are not normally available.)

  6. The PCC has the right to receive a copy of the architect's report under the Inspection of Churches Measure (the quinquennial report), which is done every five years. It is the PCC that is responsible for carrying out the recommendations in the report.

  7. The agreement of the PCC is required before any change is made in the existing forms of worship in use every Sunday, e.g. the priest cannot change from 1662 to ASB services, nor from Matins to the Eucharist, without the agreement of the PCC.

  8. The agreement of the PCC is required before any change is made in the priest's vesture in use in the church, e.g. from surplice and stole to chasuble, or vice versa. Disagreements are referred to the bishop. However, the priest can wear a cope on any suitable occasion without reference to the PCC.

  9. The PCC is one of the 'interested parties' and has to be consulted about any pastoral scheme which would affect the parish, e.g. creating a group or team ministry, or altering the boundaries etc. The PCC has the right to meet a representative of the Diocesan Pastoral Committee concerning proposed changes.

  10. The PCC can acquire property, but with the permission of the diocese, which acts as Holding Trustees. The PCC can purchase or receive gifts of stocks and shares.

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  1. The PCC is one of the legal parties in any arrangement for sharing the church with another Christian denomination [the Sharing of Church Buildings Act 1969].

  2. The consent of the PCC is required for an incumbent or team vicar to continue in office beyond the retiring age of 70 years.

() To co-operate with the incumbent** The church lawyers did not include this as some kind of joke! Priest and PCC do co-operate and work together happily in many parishes, and this co-operation releases much energy and power for God's work. Other parishes experience difficulties in co-operating, for one reason or another. So what is needed to enable this process of co-operation to take place?

We will assume that the priest has learned, among other things, the necessary skills of a chairman, and that he or she has a certain understanding of human nature and of how people function in a group situation. People often act completely out of character when in a group - but there is always a reason for. We also assume that that the priest is willing to allow others to share in God's work.

What, then is required of priest and PCC members to enable this process of co-operation to take place? The answer includes a healthy spiritual life, a sense of humour, a willingness to listen to the point of view of others, a willingness to try to find out what God wants in the parish, imagination, foresight, commitment, humility, courage, a willingness to learn. Alertness to prevent the parochial blinkers obscuring the vision. Add to these an ability to see issues from a spiritual point of view; willingness to join in, to take part, and to be a full member; willingness to take responsibility; love and respect for other people.

It is vital to have a clear understanding of the aims of the PCC, which have been discussed and accepted by the PCC and congregation. The church is clearly God's instrument for bringing about his kingdom in the parish, and the PCC is the nucleus of the task force to help in this work. It is clear from the Old and New Testaments, and from the formulas and documents of the Church, that the Church is a community with a message. Those who allow their names to be put forward for election to the PCC need to be aware of the nature of the work to which they are committing themselves

. () Co-operating with the incumbent in promoting in the parish** the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. Some PCC members may be worried by this clause, and even wish that it had not been included in the legislation about church councils. Others will be aware of the potential which exists, because two can achieve far more than one on his own. When twelve or twenty or more are involved, then the possibilities are enormous.

Many vicars work on their own without a curate, but they are not alone if there is a good partnership with the PCC. There is a long tradition of putting responsibility on to one person, so that the rest do not have to bother. This happens most frequently at a subconscious level, and it reminds us of the saying, 'It is expedient for you that one man should die for the people'. There are many implications in that saying.

Mission is not an optional extra for those who like that kind of thing. Mission is part and parcel of the work of every PCC, and it is clearly written into the constitution of the PCC. The local church exists to worship God and to continue Christ's mission in the parish.

Each person has his or her own unique contribution to make in the continuous mission of the Church, bringing their strengths, weaknesses, and possibly some hidden talents. Each person has some special skills from God. But there is only one ministry in the parish - the ministry of Christ himself, carried out through PCC members. Apart from Christ, PCC members can do nothing. Serving on the PCC is a call from God not just to co-operate with the priest, but to co-operate with the Lord Jesus Christ himself. There are no short cuts in mission, and it requires permanent commitment both 'in season and out'.

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St Francis Church Luton

Minutes of the Parishioners’ and Annual Parochial Church Meeting held on Sunday 24[th] April 2022 at 12pm.

Meeting of the Parishioners

Present: Rev Josias De Souza plus 32 adults and 0 children.

  1. Chairman's Introduction by Rev De Souza

  2. Apologies for Absence were received from Mark and Hilary Deacon and Philip Line

  3. Minutes of the Meeting of 25[th] April 2021

  4. The minutes were accepted unanimously after being proposed by Rev Josias De Souza and seconded by Denise Archer. They were duly signed as a correct record .

  5. Appointment of two scrutineers for vote counting was not required.

  6. Election of two Church Wardens – Rev De Souza thanked Graham Hosker and Blyth Latimer for their devotion and tireless work over the past year.

Graham Hosker was proposed by Joan Moore and seconded by Pat Hutchinson for the post of Church Warden and was elected unanimously by those present at this meeting.

Jacky Wilson was proposed by Blyth Latimer and seconded by Denise Archer for the post of Church Warden and was elected unanimously by those present at this meeting.

  1. Josias blessed both Church Wardens and closed the meeting.

Chairman

Secretary

St Francis Church Luton

Annual Parochial Church Meeting

Present: Rev Josias De Souza plus 32 adults and 0 children.

  1. Apologies for Absence were received from Mark and Hilary Deacon and Philip Line

  2. Minutes of the Meeting of 25th April 2021. The minutes were accepted unanimously by those allowed to vote at this meeting, after being proposed by Barbara McIntosh and seconded by Elizabeth Cooper. They were duly signed as a correct record.

  3. Matters arising from last year’s minutes - None

  4. Appointment of two scrutineers for vote counting was not required.

  5. Electoral Roll Report – Josias reported that there were 90 people on the Electoral Roll.

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  1. Treasurers Report for 2021 – Phil Heathcote gave the following report to supplement the one in the APCM pack. Phil said that if anyone had any questions about the figures to contact him.

Phil said that the figures show the different funds making up the total assets.

The General Fund for last year comprised mainly planned giving through the parish scheme, standing order and the envelope scheme. The payments comprise the Parish Share which is 2/3[rd] of the outgoings and the remaining third is staff costs, church running costs and annual donations to charity. If this was our only fund we would be running at a loss of £18,000 but we do have other funds.

Hall Fund - this shows a deficit of £8,000 because the hall was unable to open for the whole year because of covid restrictions. This fund usually shows a surplus to offset the General Fund.

Fabric Fund which deals with the repairs and maintenance of the buildings showed a deficit of £8,500 for repairs. This included preparatory work for the buttresses and architect fees but the main bulk of funds for this work have been paid early this year (2022).

The Alban Window frame was repaired and other glazing and a safety survey contributed to the deficit.

St Hugh’s did not have any income but there were expenses of £385 .

Capital Fund is the amount of money held in shares and a deposit account and the revaluation of the shares and interest on these generated a surplus of nearly £20,000.

Lancing Road while we do not have a curate the rent from this property generated a surplus of £8,000.

Offley Gatty Fund shows money in this account and it increased by £1,000 but the bequest imposed restrictions on what it can be used for, eg visiting clergy.

So overall the total funds show there is available £139,000 an increase of £165 over the previous year. We look well off, but certain things need to be taken into consideration.

From this amount £9,000 held on the current account is pending payment of bills and £9000 in the Offley Gatty Fund cannot be used so this has decreased the amount to £122,000. Payment for the buttresses and repairs completed from the Quinquennial Report total £40,000, leaving £82,0000.

A reserve of £50,000 is tried to be retained for any emergency that may occur so total assets are £32,000 for new projects and repairs. It is also worth remembering that although there was an increase in the share value last year of £20,000, it is subject to fluctuations so they can go down as well as up.

The staff housing shows a big surplus but so far this year money has been spent on a repair for a gas leak, replacing the cooker, new fencing and shower. Hopefully there will be a surplus at the end of the year.

Phil concluded that there is money available for new projects but we need to be prudent in our spending.

Hazel and Ray congratulated Phil on a job well done explaining the funds available. Ray asked about the Offley Gatty Fund and if it can be amended to provide access to the funds. Phil replied that he is trying to ascertain the whereabouts of the original will to see what the clause states. Jane is going to talk to Reverend Bell, from Offley and Moira asked if the fund was invested and Phil replied that it was just getting interest.

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Alan said that some shares were also sold two years ago so the interest being received is reducing and that the pot from which the accruals occur is also reducing and that something to consider is that the congregation should be asked to contribute to any future expenditure, as in the past for the heaters, lighting and new chairs.

  1. Appointment of Independent Examiner Phil will ask Andrew Rodell if he will continue to act as Independent Examiner for the coming year.

  2. Churchwarden’s Report on Fabric, Goods and Ornaments Graham went through the report and Blyth added that maintenance of the church is based on the Quinquennial Report and that ninety per cent of the work has been completed with the next inspection not due until 2025.

The outstanding items are:-

Other items under consideration are:-

These jobs would need to be prioritised. Jacky thanked the members of the MAC team and Ray said that we should remember with gratitude that it was Edward Newman who built up the reserve fund to pay for repairs and improvements.

9. Report on proceedings of the Deanery Synod

In addition to the written report in the APCM pack, Jacky said that the Deanery Synod has had a difficult time with vacancies and infills as a result of the death of the Deanery Synod Secretary. Winnie added that the financial aspect should be considered with a lot of churches in the Deanery struggling with finances, in contrast to our own experience and that we should encourage people to return to church. The support of the Deanery is available to our church as well as support from other churches and that we should reciprocate and show our support to other churches, that will then encourage the vision in the wider church.

10. Safeguarding Report

Sarah was pleased to report that there is now a Safeguarding Team of Sarah, Becca and Phil Line and Jane, both from the PCC, which ensured easier transfer of information.

11. Election of Church Council Representatives (3 PCC Posts for 3 years)

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Candidate Proposer Seconder Joanne Beaumont Elaine Cleaver Jane Borritt Philip Heathcote Susan Heathcote Denise Archer Raymond Cooper Elizabeth Cooper Philip Heathcote All candidates were duly elected unanimously by those present at this meeting to serve for a term of three years.

12. Q&A on Annual Report for 2020

Josias asked if there any questions regarding the Annual Report or any of the other reports. There were none.

13. Closing Report

Josias wanted to encourage people to participate in the work of the church in areas such as the PCC and to not think of being in a team as just meetings and reading documents but to look forward to joining in.

14. Any Other Business – None

15. Closing Prayers Josias said a closing prayer and then closed the meeting.

Chairman

Secretary

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Luton St Francis’ Parish Church Annual Report 2022

Aim and Purposes

The St. Francis Parochial Church Council (PCC) has the responsibility of co-operating with the incumbent, Revd Josias De Souza, in promoting in the ecclesiastical parish, the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. The PCC is also specifically responsible for the maintenance of the Church Complex of St Francis, Carteret Road, Luton, the Church of St Hugh, Cockernhoe and 15 Lancing Road, Luton, Beds and to work in partnership with the incumbent to agree on how PCC money is spent, the form of Sunday worship and the priest’s vesture in use in the Church.

Objectives and Activities

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

The purpose of St Francis church states “The Lord Jesus left us with a great commandment and a great commission and on this we base our purposes” To this end we have identified five values, after the Mission Action Day in February 2022, which we define under the headings of Worship, Outreach, Fellowship, Community and Discipleship.

When planning our activities for the year, we have considered the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit and particularly the supplementary guidance on charities for the advancement of religion. Specifically, we try to enable ordinary people to live out their faith in Jesus Christ as part of our parish community through:

In support of our ministry, it is important that we maintain the fabric of the Churches of St. Francis Luton and St. Hugh at Cockernhoe, the Church Centre Complex and 15 Lancing Road, Luton, Beds

Achievements and Performance

Worship and Prayer

Church services whom all are welcome to attend our regular services which are held at 9:15 am (Parish Communion) and 11am (Morning Worship). At present, there are 89parishioners on the Electoral Roll, and from that number 23 are not resident within the Parish. The total number shows a reduction of one on the previous year. The average weekly attendances over the two services on a Sunday was 57.

Prayer Ministry is held after both services and on a Wednesday morning from 10:30am the time for Private Prayer. Regular prayer meetings are also held.

The church additionally held services on Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday and Mothering Sunday with services on Good Friday and Easter Sunday and for Ascension Day. Harvest Festival, Remembrance Sunday, the Memorial Service for Funeral Contacts, Toy Service, Christingle, Nativity and Crib services, Midnight Holy Communion and the Christmas Day Services

The PCC are keen for our church to offer an appropriate range of opportunities whereby people can engage with The Lord and grow as disciples of Jesus. At the 11.00am Sunday services there are groups most weeks for young people and one week a month is given over to an all-age service. We welcome new individuals and families to the distinctive styles of Worship our Church offers, including All-Age Services. During midweek there are activities such as Wednesday Morning Prayer, home-groups, and The PCC were also informed of the transfer of Wenlock School from

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the Deanery to the St Alban’s Diocese Academy Trust which has resulted in a small reduction to our budget as the Deanery no longer ask us to contribute to the school’s funding. HOPE group.

St. Hugh’s Church in Cockernhoe held services for Easter Day and Remembrance Day.

As well as our regular and special services, we enable our community to celebrate and thank God at the milestones of the journey through life. Through Baptisms and Thanksgivings, we thank God for the gift of life, in marriage public vows are exchanged with God’s blessing and through funeral services friends and families express their grief and give thanks for the life which is now complete in this world and commend the person into God’s keeping. This year there have been no church weddings, five church funeral and five baptisms. There were no Confirmations. Four funerals were officiated by Staff members at Luton Crematorium.

Deanery Synod

Along with staff members, two lay members of our PCC sit on the Deanery Synod. This provides the PCC with an important link between the parish and the wider structures of church. Some of the topics discussed and then related back to the PCC this year were, engaging everyone in mission and climate change and how churches could become more energy efficient.

The PCC were also informed of the transfer of Wenlock School from the Deanery to the St Alban’s Diocese Academy Trust which has resulted in a small reduction to our budget as the Deanery no longer ask us to contribute to the school’s funding.

The Church Centre Complex

During the week, the hall and adjacent rooms were used by the Ladies Club, the HOPE Group and In addition to these, - Jolly Beans, a singing group for preschool children and their carers. A Conversation Club, as part of the Luton Borough Warm Spaces initiative was held on a Tuesday from 15[th] November and will continue until April 2023, for which the church received a grant.

Several other groups use, or have used, our facilities during the evening and at the weekend. These include Brownies, a line dance group, two Taekwondo Clubs, Vauxhall Pensioners Group and an African Apostolic Church worship group and the Community Café. The hall and adjacent rooms are also hired when required for elections and on a casual basis for church members, for events such as birthday parties.

Pastoral Care

Several members of our parish are unable to attend church due to sickness or age. They were visited by the vicar and other members of the church family, to keep them in touch with Church life. Others are visited where need arises to give spiritual, moral and practical support. We now also offer Prayer Ministry at church on most Sundays and on a Wednesday morning from 10:30 -11:30.

Mission and Evangelism

Helping those in need is a demonstration of our partnership in the Gospel. We have made regular donations to our four Mission Partners, namely Wycliffe Bible Translators (Sarah Casson), Hands of Mercy, Youthscape and CPAS and also included a new mission partner, YWAM (Harpenden). Additionally, we made one-off donations to The British Legion and Nansambo School. We also support Azalea, a local charity with donations of food and toiletries.

We seek to organise activities that engage with people at various stages in a journey of faith. Some will be purely social to establish contact and confidence; some will introduce testimony and questions and some [e.g. Alpha Course] will invite people to look more deeply and decide to follow Jesus.

A Vision Day was held on February 5[th] to create the Mission Action Plan.

Social events that were held over the year were a Fish and Chip supper/quiz, St Francis Anniversary celebrations, Mothering Sunday refreshments, Maundy Thursday supper, Hot Cross Bun refreshments, Queen’s Jubilee

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celebrations, Summer Sports/games event, Jumble and craft sale, jacket potato lunch, Bonfire night, Christmas crafts (Christmas Tree Festival), Christmas lunch and Carol Service refreshments.

A Summer Club for children of up to 11 years of age was held for one week in the school summer holidays and also a Christmas party as a follow-up.

Ecumenical Relationships

Throughout the year, St. Francis Church has continued to be involved with the work of Luton Town Centre Chaplaincy with one member of the congregation working as a chaplain at the court, and one as a chaplain at Asda. In addition, we collaborate with other local churches most obviously in the Good Friday Walk of Witness which took place this year.

Financial Review

The Charity Commission has set the threshold for preparing accrual accounts at £250,000 so we can continue to do simple receipts and payments accounts instead.

Many of our members give very generously to support the work of the Church. Some are less able to contribute in this way, but we recognise that financial giving is not a measure of a person’s commitment to the church. Only four people know how much money each person gives: God; the person themselves; the independent examiner (he does not know anyone, so they are just names to him) and the treasurer.

The Giving Review in 2021 resulted in a total pledge for 2022 of £41,700 and £39,808 was given. Loose collections were £5,241, compared to £1,618 in 2021. This was substantially higher than in recent years due to the removal of restrictions imposed during the covid-19 pandemic and the return to normal life. From donations made through planned giving, i.e. the Parish Giving Scheme, standing order or envelopes, and from loose collections, we were able to claim a total of £10,038 in gift aid from HMRC for members of the congregation who are taxpayers and had authorised us to claim this.

We were asked to pay £54,734 for the Parish Share and the diocese thanked us for paying that in full.

Church expenses exceeded the budget.

We made donations totalling £3,062.

Our Harvest Offerings raised £37.50, which was given to Nansambo School and our Remembrance Day Offerings of £36 was given to The Royal British Legion.

We had predicted a deficit for the general fund, but this was covered by transfers from the Capital Fund.

The hall income for 2022 totalled £10,486 but payments of £13,686 resulted in a deficit of £3,200. The majority of the deficit was made up of costs involved in replacing the strip lighting with LED units and repairs to the ladies and gents toilets.

15 Lancing Road was rented out privately through Penrose Estate Agents for the whole of 2022 which, after paying for repairs, insurance and management fees, resulted in a surplus of £7,360.

There were no payments made from the capital account during 2022.

There was no income from St. Hugh’s Cockernhoe in 2022. The PCC is responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of St. Hugh’s hence the cost of a fire risk assessment, some minor repairs that were carried out in addition to regular payments for electricity and insurance meant a deficit for the year of £199 which was covered by a transfer from the Staff Housing Fund.

The Social Committee receipts and payments are recorded in the General Fund.

The Flower Fund, Hope and Ladies Club accounts are recorded separately by other members of the Church and were checked by the treasurer. The Stay and Play account has been absorbed into the main accounts.

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Andrew Rodell examined the PCC accounts and although he does not charge for his services, we gave him a gift of £200 to compensate him for his efforts.

In 2022 our total income was £88,953. This does not include the Endowment fund for Offley Gatty Bequest which has a value of £7,763 but has specific instructions how the money can be spent and cannot be used for general purposes.

Our total funds decreased by £69,801 from £138,636 in 2021 to £68,835 in 2022, however if the Offley Gatty Bequest is not included they decreased by £68,771 from £129,843 in 2021 to £61,072 in 2022. We sold £47,500 in shares from the funds we invested with the Central Board of Finance, and the market share value decreased over the year by £11,698 giving an overall decrease in fund value of £59,198. The sale of shares was mainly to cover repairs and maintenance of the buildings.

HM Revenue and Customs still did not wish to conduct an audit of our financial records which we must keep for seven years.

We have been asked to pay £56,480 as the Parish Share for 2023.

Many years ago, the PCC decided to donate to charities 10% of our income from stewardship, tax refunds and loose collections. If possible, we propose to donate 10% of this income again this year.

St. Francis’ PCC is a registered charity number 1136430, and the PCC are the trustees.

Reserves Policy

It is PCC policy to try to maintain a balance of £50K on unrestricted funds, which equates to approximately three months unrestricted payments and fund any emergency situations which may arise from time to time. The balance satisfies this policy. It is also PCC policy to invest our funds with the Church of England Central Board of Finance Deposit Fund and Investment Fund.

Volunteers

We would like to thank all the volunteers who work so hard to make our church the lively and vibrant Community it is. Specifically, we want to mention our churchwardens Mrs Jacky Wilson, who succeeded Mr Blyth Latimer after the 2022 APCM, and Mr Graham Hosker who work so tirelessly on our behalf, our Treasurer Mr Philip Heathcote who helps us all to understand the church's accounts and its finances, the Maintenance Action Committee who oversee the maintenance of the Church buildings, the Projects Management Team who oversee major project work, the Social Committee who play a vital role in outreach to the community, the Mission Team who seek to energise the outreach of the church and all the other members of the PCC for their valuable contribution to our ministry and for keeping the church running.

Safeguarding

The Safeguarding Team meet regularly and produce and submit a written report twice a year to the PCC and the PCC has complied with the duty under section 5 of the Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure 2016.

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Structure, governance and management

The method of appointment of PCC members is set out in the Church Representation Rules. At St. Francis’ the membership of the PCC consists of the incumbent, other members of staff; churchwardens, readers, members of our congregation, who are members of the deanery synod and members elected by those members of the congregation who are on the electoral roll of the church. All those who attend our services / members of the congregation are encouraged to register on the Electoral Roll and stand for election to the PCC.

The PCC members are responsible for making decisions on all matters of general concern and importance to the parish including deciding on how the funds of the PCC are to be spent.

The full PCC met seven times during the year with an average level of attendance of 70.8%. The Finance, Mission, Buildings Working Group and Maintenance Action Committees are responsible to the PCC, and they continued to meet regularly. All Committees reported back to the full PCC and matters arising were discussed as necessary.

Administrative Information

St. Francis Church is situated in Carteret Rd. Luton. It is part of the Diocese of St. Albans within the Church of England. The correspondence address is St Francis’ Church, Carteret Road, Luton, LU2 9JZ

The PCC is a body corporate (PCC Powers Measure 1956, Church Representation Rules 2006) and a registered charity, number 1136430. The PCC are the Trustees.

Parish Administrator

Our Parish Administrator Rebecca Potter has c o n t i n u e d t o perform a sterling job running the office and dealing with day to day and parish enquiries. The main responsibilities of the Parish Administrator include but are not restricted to:-

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PCC Decision Making

Over the course of the year, the PCC take decisions on a variety of matters, many of which involve expending money. Below is a list showing just some, but by no means all, of those items:

What this list doesn’t show is the enormous amount of work undertaken by the Church Officers and staff, the various sub-committees (Finance, Maintenance, Buildings Working Group, Mission etc.) and various individuals throughout the year, to keep the Church estate in a fit state to allow our congregation to worship God and for us to offer our buildings to the community to allow them to pursue their many and varied activities.

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PCC Membership

PCC members who have served from 1st January 2022 until the date this report was approved are: Ex Officio members:

Elected Members:

There was one vacancy on the PCC from the APCM, 24[th] April 2022.

2022 Report approved by the PCC on 28[th] March 2023 and signed on their behalf by Revd Josias De Souza (PCC Chairman)

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Financial Statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2022

General, Unrestricted, Fund Receipts and Payments Account
Actual
Budget

Receipts
2021
2022
£
£
Planned giving
40546
41700
Tax refunds
9968
10518
Loose collections
1618
3500
Fees
1181
750
Offley Gatty Fund
223
200
Donations
1622
400
Refreshments
77
450
Church Fee Payments
Miscellaneous Payments
Youth Drop-in
-
-
Holiday Club
-
-
Stay and Play
-
-
Crisis Fund
-
-
Miscellaneous sundries
-
-
Social
690
1000
From Social Committee Fund
-
-
From Staff Housing Fund
7740
-
From Church of England Newspaper
-
-
From Capital Fund
10069
-
73734
58518
Payments
Parish Share
48800
54734
Staff expenses
1296
1260
Church expenses
9778
4873
Utilities
-
2300
Donations
5470
4220
Education
178
850
Photocopying and Stationery
836
1298
Administrator
7376
10169
Church Fee Payments
Miscellaneous Payments
Ministry/Outreach
-
1295
To Fabric Fund
-
-
73734
80999
Deficit for the year
-22481		 Actual
2022
£
39808
10038
5241
1312
231
1737
347
2281
1119
250
689
146
197
24
1648
-
-
-
20233
85301
54734
1258
6327
3201
3062
1271
1189
8219
1716
554
3770
-
85301

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Hall Receipts and Payments Account – Designated Fund

Receipts
£ Payments

Casual
1310
Administrator
Next Generation Youth Theatre
1950
Cleaner
African Apostolic Church
1248
Cleaning supplies
Luton Town Taekwondo
1612
Keys
BOUNCE
425
Kitchen Supplies
Brownies
336
Repairs etc.
Line Dancing
1300
Water
Tuesday Conversation Club
32
Gas
UK ITF Taekwondo
804
Window Cleaning
Jolly Beans
617
Sundries
Vauxhall Pensioners
255
Water refund
597
To Fabric Fund
Sub-total
10486
Deficit for the year
18200
28686
Fabric Fund Receipts and Payments Account – Designated Fund
Receipts
£
Payments
From Staff Housing Fund
10620
Church maintenance & repairs
From Hall Fund
15000
Major Work to Fabric of Church
From Capital Fund
10000
Deficit for the year
_6827

42447
Capital Fund Receipts and Payments Account – Designated Fund
Receipts
£
Payments
Interest
2229
To General Fund
To Fabric Fund
Deficit for the year
39702
Revaluation of shares
41931
Staff Housing Fund Receipts and Payments Account – Designated Fund
Receipts
£Payments

Rental Income less fees and repairs
8261
House Insurance
Repairs
To St Hugh’s Church Fund
Deficit for the year
3459
To Fabric Fund
11720		 £
1919
3261
304
12
284
3599
1195
3040
64
8
15000
_
28686
£
4280
38167
__
42447
£
20233
10000
11698
41931
£
167
734
199
10620
11720

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St. Hugh’s Church and Churchyard Fund Receipts and Payments Account – Restricted Fund St. Hugh’s Church and Churchyard Fund Receipts and Payments Account – Restricted Fund St. Hugh’s Church and Churchyard Fund Receipts and Payments Account – Restricted Fund St. Hugh’s Church and Churchyard Fund Receipts and Payments Account – Restricted Fund St. Hugh’s Church and Churchyard Fund Receipts and Payments Account – Restricted Fund St. Hugh’s Church and Churchyard Fund Receipts and Payments Account – Restricted Fund
Receipts £ Payments £
Opening Balance 585 Electricity 200
From Staff Housing Fund 199 Insurance 182
Fire Servicing 376
Church at 4 -
Misc. -
----- Repairs 26
784 784
Offley Gatty Bequest – Endowment Fund
Receipts £ Payments £
Revaluation of shares -1030 Deficit for the year -1030
-1030 -1030
FUNDS AND CURRENT ASSETS AS AT 31stDECEMBER 2022
FUNDS 2020 2021 2022
£ £ £
Hall – Designated Fund 30761 28504 10305
Fabric – Designated Fund 30370 21826 15000
Capital – Designated Fund 55869 65626 25924
Staff Housing – Designated Fund 13302 13302 9843
St. Hugh’s Church and Churchyard – Restricted Fund 483 585 0
Offley Gatty Bequest – Endowment Fund 7688 8793 7763
138473 138636 68835
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash 60 - -
Bank 1261 6999 1884
CBF Deposit Fund 7488 6088 952
CBF Investment Fund 122558 117434 58236
Offley Gatty Fund 7688 8793 7763
139055 139314 68835
plus DEBTORS - - -
less CREDITORS 582 3380 -
138473 138636 68835

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Financial Statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2022. Receipts and Payments Accounts

Flower Fund – Restricted Fund

Receipts
Balance B/F
Donations
Hope Group– Restricted Fund
Receipts
Balance B/F
Refreshment donations
Saints Alive Refund

Ladies Club – Restricted Fund
Receipts
Balance B/F
Outings & meals
Flower fund
Raffle fund
Donations
Bring and Buy
Charity collections
Subscriptions
Donations
CPAS
Hands of Mercy
Churches Together in Luton
Wycliffe Bible Translators
Soul Survivor
YWAM
Youthscape
Parish Share
Stipend contribution
Ministry support contribution		 £
24
322
346
£
29
160
29

218
£
1273
1554
4
231
131
174
8
566
3941		 Payments
Flowers and oasis
Balance C/F
Payments
Refreshments
Prizes
Saints Alive Course Materials
Craft Materials
Balance C/F
Payments
Speakers
Outings & meals
Flowers
Gifts
Phone
Miscellaneous
Coach Fares Refund
Balance C/F
2021
2022
£
£
30057
35054
18743
19680
*48800
54734		 £
344
2
346
£
84
3
29
2
100
218
£
315
2221
4
15
19
111
110
1146
3941
£
400
400
40
400
122
1300
400
3062
2023
£
36111
20369
56480

Notes:

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

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2, Unrestrltted funds may be used by the PCC for any of Its ordlnary pul￿Se5. Designated funds are funds set aside for spedfic purposes. whlch can be tran5fErred to another fund at any time. Restrlcted funds can only be spent on the specific purF¥JSe for which they were given. 3. Fixed assets retained for Church use is the freehold house at 15 Lanclng R¢>ad, whlch Ss Ilved In ￿ our curate when one is in post and rented prlvately when Th)t. Assets recognlsed but not valued in the Statement of Assets ènd ￿abIlitieS include moveabk church fumlshln8s held by the Churchwarden5 on special trust for the PCC and whlch requSre a faculty for dlsposal. 4. No payments were pald to PCC members. 5. Investment shares on 315t December 2022 totsl 2820 6. Endowment tha￿$ on 31. De￿rnber 2022 totsl 376 Approved by the PCC of SL Fr•nd< Churth o -. 2023 and swled on thtir behalf by: Independent Examlnerfs report to the Parothlal Churth Coundl of St. Frandrf Luton This Yeport on the accounts of the PCC for the year ertded 31 December 2022, whlch are Set out on pages 14 Is In respect of an e¥amination carrted out in accordance with Chufch Account5ng Regulations 2{￿("the RegUl￿10n5"j and s.145 of the CtharEtfjes ￿ 20111.the Acff). Rw•tti¥e rnspwtslblwes ￿lhe PCC and th• exjmlner As members of the PCC YOLF are responslble lor the preparation of the •cwunts; you con5Kler that the audit requlrement of the Re8ulation5 and 5.144121 of the Att does mt appty. It is my ￿￿nsIbIlIty to Issue thLs report on those atcounts In accordance with the te￿5 of the Regulations. 8•5is ofthL% report My examination was carried out In attordènce wth the Ger￿rA1 DlrertK)n$ given by the Charity Commlssion under s.14515llbl of the Art and to be found In the Churth Guidance, 2(￿￿ edIt￿Tr. That examina￿0Th Ind￿je$ revlew of accountlng records kept by thè PCC and a compar150n of the accounts with those records. It also includes consldering any unusual iterns or disclosure5 in the accounts and seeking explanatlons from you a$ tnJstees conceming any such ffjatte￿. The procedures undertaken do not pro￿dE all the evidence that woukl be required In an authL and consequently I do not express an audit oplnbon on the vbew £i￿n by accounts. In connecdon wlth my examlnation. no matter has come to my attent¢on: whlch 8lves me reasonable ouse to believe that In any material respect the require￿nts to keep accounting records In accordance wlth sectlon 130 of the 2011 A£t; and to P￿pare accounts which accord wlth the accountlng records and comply wlth the requlrements of the 2011 Art and the Regulatlons have not been met.. Of to whlch, In my opinion. attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understandlng of the accounts to be reached. Mr Andrvw Rodell Inth￿dertt Ex•mlner- 7 c￿rne. iutL*). Bed5 LU2 8RL 21

GENERAL REPORTS

A Churchwarden’s report is also known as a Fabric Report - an explanation of all repairs and alterations that have been carried out this year, and what changes have been made to the content within the buildings. Well, the important detail to remember here is that, during the Covid Pandemic, our Church building passed its sixtieth year. This could not be celebrated at the time, so there was a delayed celebration - for the 62nd Anniversary on the 19th March, 2022. Why mention this? Well, it is important to understand the age of the building and when it was constructed in order to put the rest of this Report in context. As one ex - Churchwarden explained in the run-up to this Anniversary, the Church was a plant of St. Mary’s Parish Church in the town centre, and the building was erected on the edge of Town as a temporary structure, to last 40 years, and then be rebuilt further out in the expected expanded town boundary. As you can see, this did not happen, and after over sixty years, it is to be expected that there will be some “wear and tear”.

The start of the year carried on in the same vein as the end of 2021, with the focus of attention being the continued work to replace sections of each of the four wooden roof supports. This major project was not fully completed until March. The cause of the rotting beams was deemed to be due in part to age and also a poor design, which allowed dampness to ingress from above and below.

Through the rest of the year, we have been involved in numerous repairs and standard maintenance work, as well as addressing some of the areas that needed to be improved in order to support the Mission Action Plan of the P.P.C

There is a list of these tasks attached to this Report. As you walk around the Church and Hall, you will see the evidence - the Porch has been stripped of the old Bookshelf and the Noticeboard has been improved, (it will be redecorated in the Spring of 2023), the lighting in the Hall, Stage and Meeting Rooms has been improved, the Lower Corridor, Stairwell and Toilets have had a new coat of paint, as has the Church Balcony. A previous Churchwarden was often complaining at the various meetings that he was forever waiting on Contractors and Repairers to get back in touch with quotes or dates… this is still very true, and we do have several tasks outstanding as a result of these delays.

Much of what we do as Churchwardens is “behind the scenes”, hidden away from public view, yet essential for the smooth running and maintenance of the Church. As well as our duties within the Church during services, we often act as Site Agents, mopping up leaks, attending to boiler issues, and the like. This was very much the case over 2022: there were on-going issues in both toilets in the lower corridor, which required a re-plumbing or cistern replacements, and then…

there was the old Boiler Room. This has been a major concern in the Autumn months, and is still also ongoing. There is an old, disused boiler room off the lower corridor, where the original oil-fired boilers are the very lowest section of the complex. They have not been used for many years, but cannot be dismantled. From time to time the room will flood, but no-one knew where the water was coming from. Over several years, this has only been a minor issue, and there has been a submersible electric pump which controlled this problem very well, with just one occasion some years back, when the Fire Brigade were called to pump out the water. You will be aware that in these years of climate change, we have been prone to some heavy storms, and on one Sunday in the Autumn we experienced two very heavy storms on the same day. This was the day, when the ingress of water was very clear, and the room seriously flooded. There was a pipe in the wall which water gushed out from. So now we knew how the water was getting in, but still had no idea where the water was coming from, except that it was connected to the heavy rain. For

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the remainder of the year, and beyond, it was a matter of spending an hour or two with buckets, taking out the flood water, only for the level to rise again on the next heavy rain. Suffice to say, as this Report was being written in early 2023, the precise reason for the ingress of water has now been identified and will be remedied - but that is for the Churchwardens Report in 2023.

Although not specifically a concern with the fabric of the Church, we would like to just mention the continuing health and safety regime that we are following. Apart from the continuing monitoring and checking that goes on throughout the year on a regular basis, such as the Fire and Safety Risk Assessments, fire-extinguishers checks, alarm checks, along with the P.A.T testing on a regular basis, there are two areas which need particular mention.

Firstly, since the Covid Pandemic, we have continued to have Sanitising Gel available at various points in the Church and Hall, with Gel also being available for those in the Congregation coming forward for Communion, as well as Communion tincture: the current expectation is that this will continue into the next year.

Secondly, P.C.C agreed that we should continue to maintain a signing-in Book for all Visitors entering the Church, with the exception during Services and for Hall-Hirers, who are expected to regulate their own attendance routine. This requirement is a Health and Safety issue, so that, should the worse happen, and there is some sort of incident, we will have information about exactly who is in the building at any given time. This procedure is not being followed by many people currently. Everyone who enters for Meetings, rehearsals, cleaning, or for any other reason, except a service MUST sign in and out. The only exception is when there is a full register taken by those organising the Meeting, for example for a Deanery Synod Meeting.

A new development in 2022 has been the introduction of the Church Assistant Team, who are available to cover our duties during times of absence due to illness or other issues, they help to take some of the burden off of us with meeting Contractors during the week. We both really appreciate this additional support. At the same time, a little “heads up”: under Churchwardens Measurers 2001, a Churchwarden is disqualified from holding the Office after 6 years, and cannot return to these duties for a period of two years. This can be extended by seeking the Bishop’s permission, as this is the case for me (GH): I am now starting my eighth year. For the first four years of being a Churchwarden, I was still in full-time employment, and only retired in the Summer of 2019. I have agreed to extend my tenure as a Churchwarden for one more year, to continue supporting the change over from the Interregnum to Josias’s Instalment, but from hereon, I would like everyone to prayerfully consider if you could be a Churchwarden next year, and I would very much welcome someone to come alongside me and see what is involved. Yes, the Duties have changed, even in the past seven years, and there is now as I mentioned earlier, a good Team of Assistant Churchwardens, and no, you do not need to be very practically-minded (after all - I’m not) – that’s why there’s a MAC Team.

In finishing, in addition to thanking the Team of Church Assistant for being there when we needed a helping hand, we want also to thank everyone who volunteers in both the MAC Team, who continue to give support and advice with the day-to-day repair and maintenance of the Church complex, and to the Cleaning Team who ensure that the Church is always clean and ready for use. Without all that support “behind the scenes” we would find our duties overwhelming at times. THANK YOU

Graham Hosker and Jacky Wilson April 2023

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Work
Ref		 Work/Tasks Completed (since last APCM report)
1 Schedule of work to cover several of the required repairs and maintenance for the last Quinquennial
completed (external drains repainted, brickwork pointed, windows in lower corridor, stage room, and
stairwell replaced,hall extension and meetingroom re-decorated)
2 Lawnmower serviced and repaired
3 Cabling issues with the microphones at the front of church have been rectified by some tidying, redirecting
more use of radio mics
4 Fire Alarm in hall and office checked
5 One outside floodlight,eight hall lights,office and creche have been replaced with LED equivalents
6 Emergencylight in the hall extension over the connectingdoor into theporch replaced
7 Purchased tripod stand toplace TV in theporch
8 Bookcases and shelves removed from theporch
9 Organ has been tuned and maintained back into workingorder
10 Light fittings inporch,stage area and stage room have been replaced with LED equivalents
11 Mower repaired for a second time
12 A schedule of garden tidying for St Francis and St Hugh’s on an alternate monthly basis was continued from
Mayto October
13 An external fire risk assessment for St Francis and St Hugh’s was conducted
14 Thepanels of the balconywere repainted
15 Fire extinguishers in St Francis and St Hugh’s were checked and replaced where necessary
16 Faultythermostat in Hall MeetingRoom replaced
17 A smoke alarm was fitted in the middle room of St Hugh’s in the vicinityof the fuse box
18 The external Emergencylight over the lower corridor fire door was replaced and re-wired
19 All CCLI licences renewed
20
21
22
23
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Prayer ministry team report for 2022

The Prayer Ministry Team has 5 members. They are available anytime to people who would like prayer for themselves and for others. Throughout the year, the team has been present between the Sunday services and on Wednesday mornings when the church is open for private prayer. We have been privileged to pray with people, in the name of Jesus and in the power of the Holy Spirit, and to see God working in their lives. The Team also meets for prayer on the first Wednesday morning of every month, to pray for the Ministry and for the church.

Jacky Wilson and Hilary Sellers

– Ladies club report Rose Harber & Margaret Pritchard

Sally recently gave up the position of chairperson after many years of faithful service and we will miss her organisational skills. We are also grateful to Blyth who sorts out the finances and setting up the hall for us, and thanks to Graham who sets up if Blyth is unavailable and sorts the video’s out when needed. At the present time we have 24 paid up members with the membership having fallen off since COVID and the fact that the average age of our membership is late 70’s with members having mobility problems etc. We try to vary our activities and have speaker, quizzes, special event teas (who really needs an excuse to have cake?!) the occasional DVD showing with an ice cream interval and a regular raffle to supplement the funds raised from subscriptions.

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We are currently looking forward to a trip to a garden centre. We used to subsidise more trips to the theatre or the coast in the summer months, but the cost of a coach has risen significantly so this may not happen this year.

Our speakers are varied, ranging from a Lib/Dem Councillor to various charities including Keech and the Willow foundation. Sight concern were very interesting and have subsequently offered assistance to some of our membership. We also have planned a lady to show us how and to encourage us to join her in circle dancing – which is very sedate and civilized (I’ve tried it) We are hoping to arrange a speaker from RNLI and U3A in the future, and occasionally we have a game’s afternoon – snakes and ladders was hilarious. We always have a cup of tea and biscuit to end our sessions and are grateful to our tea ladies for this. In short we are quite a friendly group who would welcome new members at any time.

Hope Group – Barbara McIntosh

Hope group was able to recommence meetings from late February 2022. We have 20 members who all attend church and contribute to the life of the community. During the year, we did various Bible study courses, including one on 'Heaven', which was very well received. We print the studies for each member which enables us to deliver to two of our older members who can no longer attend regularly although they do join us for special occasions. One such event was a party with guests to celebrate so many members having a 'milestone' birthday last year. Sadly, our craft sessions were curtailed because of social distancing, but we did manage to make some lovely wooden Christmas decorations and join the Ladies Club for tea. We look forward to another year of fellowship together.

All Age, Holiday Club – Phil Line

In August 2022 we ran a holiday club called Starship Discovery. The club was aimed at 5 to 11 year olds from the community. At the end of each session we also provided lunch for the children and their families. As the week went by numbers grew from just over 20 children to just below 40. Sessions included games, craft, challenges, songs and teaching as well as possibly the worst acted drama ever. Feedback was very positive from both children and families. Without the great group of committed volunteers, including our teenage helpers, who quite often ended up covered in gunge, this group would never have been possible, they put so much in. We followed this up with a Christmas party for the group and had about 35 children attended, again a good time was had by all. We are planning on running a similar club again in 2023. All age services have continued on a monthly basis. The aim of these is to engage all in a service that caters to all.

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