## **Trustees Annual Report and Financial Report of**
**The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of The Church of the Holy Cross, Uckfield**
**The Church of the Holy Cross, Church St/Belmont Rd, Uckfield, East Sussex TN22 1BP** Registered Charity no. 1137746
## **For the year ended 31 December 2021**
|**CONTENTS**|**_Page_**|
|---|---|
|Trustees Annual Report|**3**|
|Safeguarding Report|**26**|
|Property Maintenance Report|**27**|
|Financial Review|**29**|
|Statement of Financial Activities|**32**|
|Balance Sheet|**33**|
|Notes to the Accounts|**34**|
|Report of the Independent Examiner|
**43**|
## **Administrative information**
Incumbent: The Revd John Wall, The Rectory, 1 Sand Ridge, Ridgewood, Uckfield TN22 5ET Independent examiner: Mr J Carvey, 23 Farriers Way, Uckfield TN22 5BY (appointed 2020) Bankers: National Westminster Bank, 49 High Street, Uckfield TN22 1AN Parish Office: holycrossuckfield@gmail.com
Website: Churchoftheholycrossuckfield.co.uk
## **Advisers to the PCC**
Mrs AD Johnson – Churchwarden Mr J Pontefract – Churchwarden and Health & Safety Officer
Mr P Ireland – PCC Treasurer
Mrs G Youngman – PCC Secretary Mrs L Ireland – Parish Administrator Mr P Kennedy – Major Works Project Manager
Thank you to the following people for permission to use their photos: Sarah Widdowson, Gillian Youngman, Amy Fieldhouse (Community Fridge Director), Lisa Williamson (Diocesan Communications and Engagement Officer) and Mike Skinner.
_**This rest of this page is intentionally left blank**_
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## **INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND**
2021 was another roller coaster year with COVID-19 restrictions largely dictating everyone’s lives and therefore the life of Holy Cross Church. Having decided locally to close the Church from just before Christmas 2021, in mid-January the Diocese passed on a request from the Head of Environmental Health for Rother and Wealden Councils, that places of public worship voluntarily close until cases are in decline across all East Sussex districts. The Church Times reported on 20[th] January 2021 that “more than half the 12,500 Anglican parishes in England have closed their churches to public worship, despite permission to remain open under current COVID-19 lockdown rules.”
From 1st February, in response to reaching the milestone of 100,000 deaths from COVID-19, the three Archbishops invited people to call on God in Prayer by praying for the nation. The pandemic had had, and continued to have, a huge effect on communities including here in Uckfield with sometimes the loss of life. In the April 2021 edition of the Parish Magazine, the Rector, Fr. John, wrote: _‘I have, looking back, done some 40 funerals since Coronavirus started, about a third being due to the virus. In church, in crematoria, by the graveside’_ .
This voluntary closure of churches remained in place until 14[th] February but Holy Cross Church chose to stay closed until Easter Day (4[th] April) and, for that first service, bookings were taken. The Church then remained open for services for the rest of the year, following the relevant Government and Diocesan guidelines as well as local precautions as appropriate (the Church of England gradually introduced the onus on clergy saying that “the responsibility for making decisions about how to proceed lies with the incumbent”).
In June the Wednesday morning 11am Eucharist service was reinstated and from the end of November the Sunday 8am Holy Communion service started again as well as Sunday evening worship.
With regards combatting COVID-19, throughout the year a first and second vaccination was offered to adults (initially), followed by a booster vaccination. These were rolled out according to age/vulnerability and took place at local surgeries or mass vaccine centres.
Lateral flow tests were introduced and encouraged to try and control the spread of the virus, especially as some people did not display symptoms. Employers required staff to take them regularly and anyone else could take them (twice a week was suggested) and report the result so that the bigger picture could be captured. The tests were freely available from pharmacies or could be ordered online or by phone.
With the vaccine and tests gathering pace, the COVID-19 situation began to look more hopeful and following an easing up of some restrictions nationally from 19[th] July, from the following week Holy Cross Church reduced the distance between pews from two metres to just one
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metre, communal singing returned (through masks) and hymn books were used again. Meanwhile, although no longer compulsory, the wearing of masks and sanitising continued to be encouraged. However, Omicron, a new variant of COVID-19, (first announced by South Africa on November 24), took a grip around the world in the run up to Christmas and it became law to wear masks again in certain settings from 10[th] December. In church alternate pews were taped off again and for the Christmas Eve Crib Service (the busiest service of the year) bookings were taken and also from, then, although not mandatory, people attending services were invited to take a lateral flow test before attending a church service in order to protect themselves and others.
By November, Coronavirus infections in Uckfield reached a new recorded high. The big difference between the spike in cases this winter from the previous one was that a high proportion of the population has been vaccinated, testing had become widespread and those who had COVID-19 found the symptoms were often less severe.
The increase throughout the year of the rate of infection per 100,000 population was as follows:
||**Uckfield Town**
**and North**|**Uckfield South**
**(New Town and Ridgewood)**|
|---|---|---|
|January|509.1|757.8|
|June|46.3|108.3|
|August|117.7|170.1|
|November|1010.10|770.2|
|December|1184.30|1956.30|
_The boundary between the two Uckfield areas is roughly the River Uck. Each of these areas has a population of roughly 7,200._
In June the rate of infection for England as a whole was 532.1 cases per 100,000 people.
By December, the following vaccinations had taken place to those over 12 years of age:
|||**Uckfield Town**
**and North**|**Uckfield South**
**(New Town and Ridgewood)**||
|---|---|---|---|---|
||First|88.9%|89.2%||
||Second|83.4%|83.6%||
||Booster|65.8%|65.8%||
||||||
This compares nationally to 89.9% of UK population aged 12+ having received their first dose vaccination, 82.2% their second dose vaccination and 56.1% their booster (third) vaccination by 26[th] December.
To set the scene at the close of the year, the Office for National Statistics data showed an estimated 2.3million people in the UK had COVID-19 in the week ending December 23rd. This was up from 1.4million in the week to December 16[th] and the highest number since comparable
P a g e | **4**
figures began in autumn 2020. The estimated percentage of people in private residences in England that had COVID-19 at this time was 3.71% in England (1 in 25 people). The number of COVID-19 patients in hospital in England had climbed to 11,452 on 29th December (the highest since February 26).
A total of 174,000 deaths were registered in the UK in 2020 and 2021 where COVID-19 was mentioned on the death certificate. Putting this in perspective for Uckfield, at the end of the year there were more than 200 people in Sussex hospitals with COVID-19 and the total deaths in Sussex for 2021 where there was any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate was 296.
However, despite fears over the rapidly spreading Omicron variant, England escaped lockdown measures over the Christmas and New Year period (while Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland all imposed restrictions after Christmas Day). An estimate by NHS England said that between 600,000 and 750,000 Britons spent Christmas Day self-isolating.
Increasingly throughout the year with the effects on the economy, mental health etc, it became apparent to the nation that to a certain extent we needed to get on with our lives. Holy Cross Church gradually introduced some social/fundraising events, all following the appropriate restrictions at the time and with numerous Risk Assessments being written as the need arose or when there were any changes in circumstances. The Health Secretary, Sajid Javid, said further restrictions in England must be a “last resort” and that the UK must prepare to “live alongside” coronavirus in 2022.
Throughout the year the following main health precautions continued to be in place/encouraged in Holy Cross Church:
- The wearing of masks and sanitising of hands even when not mandatory.
- Communion in one kind only, with the host not being touched by hand by the priest.
- The Peace taking place in a socially distanced manner.
- The church was fogged (professionally sanitised) at least once a week.
The report which follows needs to be read bearing the above background in mind. Whilst there were nothing like the usual number of social and fundraising events pre the pandemic, a good number did go ahead in 2021 which played an important part in the life of the church from the perspective of giving both the congregation and community a sense of purpose, opportunities to socialise as well as helping raise much needed income. The Financial Review (from page 29) addresses how the year panned out with regards income and expenditure.
_Sources include: Uckfield News, Sussex Live, Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday, The Guardian._
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Here is a brief oversight to how the year looked at Holy Cross Church showing various milestones.
|**2021**|**Summary of theyear**|
|---|---|
|6thJan|3rdtotal lockdown imposed but Churches allowed to remain open.HolyCross remained closed|
|17thFeb|Ash Wednesdayservice held via Zoom|
|25thFeb|Diocesan Lent course “Cracked Wide Open” started(via Zoom)|
|7thMarch|PoppyWiddowson took on a10K challenge. Raised£2082|
|13thMarch|180 MotheringSunday posies were delivered to ladies in the Plurality|
|29thMarch|Some Covid measures lifted including‘stayat home’|
|4thApril|Easter Day– Church open again for services(bookings taken)|
|9thApril|Prince Philipdied. Church open forprivateprayer Friday5-7pm and 2-3 hours Saturday|
|11thApril|Church bell tolled 99 times followingthe death of Prince Philip|
|18thApril|Annual Parochial Church Meetingoriginally planned for this date thenpostponed to 23rdMay|
|22ndApril|Children's Choir weeklysessions returned|
|June|The Reverend Martha Mutikanijoined the Pluralityas Associate Vicar.|
|9thJune|First Wednesday11am Communion Service since first lockdown|
|13thJune|Open Doors held outside – first familyservice since thepandemic started|
|21stJune|Weddingand funeral numbers can increase to capacityof church|
|22ndJune|HolidayClub cancelled|
|10thJuly|HolyCross Church had a stall at the annual town ‘BigDay’ event|
|18thJuly|The Children’s Choir tookpart in the annual town event 'Proms on the Pitch'|
|19thJuly|The Government relaxed some rules including: No limits on how many people can meet,
1m-plus guidance removed , face coverings no longer required by law, although the government
still "expects and recommends" them in crowded and enclosed spaces, no limits on guests at
weddings and funerals,No restrictions on communal worship|
|25thJuly|Social distancingin church went from 2 metres to 1. Singingin church allowed(with masks on)|
|4thAug|CommunityLeader’s Lunches at the Rectoryrestarted|
|7thAug|CraftyLadies Coffee morning|
|8thAug|Open Doors back in church for first time|
|22ndAug|The Mass setting (Gloria/Benedictus/Agnus Dei)reinstated|
|2ndSept|The StandingCommittee cleaned the church andput thepew cushions and kneelers back|
|5thSept|The Parish Eucharist service reverted back to 9.30am (from 10am since COVID-19 started)
Coffee available in The Belmont Centre for the first time sincepre Covid(in disposable cups)|
|11thSept|Jumble sale on Dee’s drivewayraised £242|
|10thOct|Harvest Lunch held in The Belmont Centre|
|13thOct|Bible Studystarted again at St Saviour’s led byCanon Hugh|
|14thNov|Remembrance Sunday- the 9.30am service was live streamed – first service to be streamed|
|20thNov|Christmas Bazaar in The Belmont Centre|
|21stNov|First eveningservice since thepandemic started - Churches Together eveningservice|
|28thNov|8am service started again (first time since lockdown) and evening services
Hymnbooks again,meters andgreeters,no signingin, gospelprocessed|
|3-5thDec|Festival of Christmas Trees held in the Church and The Belmont Centre again|
|10thDec|The Government’s Plan B – ‘face coverings will become compulsoryin …. andplaces of worship’|
|11thDec|Carols byCandlelight with Uckfield Concert Brass tookplace and was live streamed|
|12thDec|Open Doors Christingle Service and the Bonfire SocietyCarol Service tookplace|
|19thDec|Nine Lessons and Carols tookplace and was live streamed|
|24thDec|Crib Service tookplace and was live streamed(bookings taken). Midnight Mass tookplace.|
|25thDec|Christmas DayEucharist tookplace|
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## **OUR AIMS AND PURPOSES AS A CHARITY**
‘The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of the Church of the Holy Cross, Uckfield’ is a Charity registered with the Charity Commission in England and Wales as charity number 1137746. It is commonly known by its working name of ‘Holy Cross Church, Uckfield’.
Holy Cross Church is set just off the High Street in Uckfield and is part of the Diocese of Chichester. It is part of a Plurality with St Michael and All Angels at Little Horsted and St Margaret of Antioch at Isfield, overseen by the Rector, Father John. The Parochial Church Council (PCC) is a corporate body established by the Church of England and operates under the Parochial Church Council (Powers) Measure 1956, Church Representation Rules 2006 which states that its principal function is “promoting in the parish the whole mission of the Church”.
The PCC has the responsibility of co-operating with the incumbent, Revd John Wall, in:
- The promotion of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ according to the doctrines and practices of the Church of England.
- Promoting in the parish the whole mission of the church: pastoral, social, evangelistic and ecumenical.
- Getting to know Jesus better and make Him better known.
- Practical support and care for people in the parish, from the youngest to the eldest, irrespective of level of need or ability to pay.
- Providing financial support to those in need and to other organisations with similar objectives.
- Demonstrating that our aims are for the public benefit, including charities advancing education or religion or relieving poverty.
- Following the Chichester Diocese Strategy 2020-2025 ‘Vision for Growth’ (More Open; More Converted to Jesus Christ; More Generous; More Engaged).
## **OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES**
When planning our activities for the year the PCC and clergy have considered the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit and, in particular, the specific guidance on ‘charities for the advancement of religion’.
## **We enable as many people as possible to worship at our church:**
- Enabling as many people as possible to become part of our parish community.
- Teaching, baptising and nurturing new and existing believers.
## **We offer services of worship to God:**
- Maintaining an overview of worship throughout the parish.
- Considering how services can involve the many groups that live within the parish.
- Putting faith into practice, through prayer and scripture, music and sacrament.
- Providing services and opportunities to worship (other than the regular Sunday services) which reach out to the wider community.
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## **We promote the Gospel and pray that the unchurched may find life in Jesus Christ:**
- Assisting people from all walks of life to develop their knowledge of, and trust in, Jesus.
- Holding courses to advance religion and providing educational courses, such as safeguarding.
- Offering worship and prayer, learning about the Gospel, in small group situations.
## **We engage in evangelism and outreach to the parish in various ways:**
- Reaching out to the unchurched through provision of a stall at the ‘Big Day’ fete, a Christmas Bazaar, a Festival of Christmas Trees, Messy Church sessions and a Crib Service.
- • Community Leaders’ Lunches.
- Chaplaincy of Uckfield Bonfire & Carnival Society and the Uckfield Rugby Club.
- Outreach to local schools through assemblies, talks and worship.
## **We provide a building for people to enjoy:**
- Maintaining the fabric of the church building as a historic centre and focus of life in the town: developing its flexibility and wider use; also maintaining the fabric of The Belmont Centre (Church hall).
- Enabling an appreciation of the Church building in the history and archaeology of the area.
## **We provide tangible pastoral and financial support to the poor and needy:**
- Providing pastoral care for people whether part of the Holy Cross Church family or not.
- Providing financial assistance to the poor and needy of the parish.
- Spending the income of our parish trusts according to the wishes of their donors.
## **We consider the needs of people served by other charities and overseas:**
- Giving grants to wider Christian charities.
- Giving grants to missionary organisations.
- Responding to emergencies and crisis by arranging adhoc appeals and retiring collections.
- Providing assistance to the poor and needy of the parish, including the relief of poverty through support to local charities such as Uckfield Foodbank, the Community Fridge and the Edward Holmes Baldock Charity.
## **We consider protecting the needs of those entering our church buildings:**
- Ensuring all members and visitors to the church are kept safe and that all Safeguarding procedure and policy is followed.
- Ensuring all members and visitors to the church are protected as much as possible from COVID-19 by following Government guidelines and having safety procedures in place including doing appropriate Risk Assessments, while respecting people’s own sense of responsibility.
- Supporting the National Church’s initiative “Living in Love and Faith” on sexuality.
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## **WHAT WE PLANNED TO DO TO ACHIEVE OUR CHARITABLE OBJECTIVES**
One of our main objectives was to try and get things back to ‘how they were’ in order to give a sense of normality which so many people were missing and to be able to achieve our responsibilities to the congregation and local community. This meant considering what we could reintroduce, when and how (services, events etc) in order to keep people safe from the pandemic. Any plans had to be made within the Government and Diocesan guidelines which changed throughout the year, as well as using local discretion as many of the congregation were vulnerable. To this end, numerous Risk Assessments were done as well as ongoing evaluations. The gradual return of usual things happening meant a lot not only to church members but to the wider community of the town and meant that we could start relaxing many of the COVID-19 changes and continue to meet our objectives in a more familiar way.
These positive signs of returning to normal helped a lot of people who had been isolated and lonely and it also started to help redress the financial situation of the Church as we had had to resort to using some of our reserves as explained further on. Both the weekly pewsheet and monthly intercessions sheets and the monthly magazine continued to be emailed/posted to over 180 people/households which we knew were appreciated as a way of keeping people in touch, especially those who were not comfortable to return to church services yet. Many also viewed the mini online services which meant they did not feel so isolated and were able to continue putting their faith into practice from home. These publications and video clips kept parishioners informed of important matters affecting our Church and contain Bible readings and articles that help develop our knowledge and trust in Jesus.
Prior to the pandemic, the PCC had been planning the long term vision for Holy Cross Church which all went on hold in 2020 but started to be picked up again this year although in a slightly different way. As part of the Chichester Diocese Strategy 2020-2025 ‘Vision for Growth’ (More Open; More Converted to Jesus Christ; More Generous; More Engaged), each parish was asked to undertake a Parish Audit and develop a Mission Action Plan (MAP) to help continue its mission to the local community post COVID-19. The Revd Canon Rob Dillingham (Parish Development Officer and Deputy Director for Apostolic Life) was invited to a PCC Standing Committee meeting in April and he gave us the background and advice on how to complete the Parish Audit and MAP.
A fuller account of the MAP for Holy Cross Church can be read in the separate report containing Activities of the Church Family. In summary, part of it includes practical improvements which had been previously identified in our Statement of Needs and were being considered before the pandemic. We had been wanting to build on our increased community profile by improving the flexibility of our worship space which would enable more people to use our facilities, therefore giving public benefit. Initial plans included putting a toilet and kitchenette in the church as well as installing retractable screens and upgrading the sound system.
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However it became apparent as church services recommenced with social distancing and the gallery in constant use, that our focus/priorities had changed and improved visual aid resources and a larger loop system area became increasingly more important.
Other priorities in the MAP we drew up included: outreach via a leaflet drop to the new housing estates currently being built in and around Uckfield, addressing the needs of the older children in Junior Church, linking more with people with specific needs in the community, increasing our profile at town events and exploring and revisiting Prayer Workshop Sessions and Quiet Days.
At the end of the year, these were all upper most in our minds; and once other priorities brought about by COVID-19 have subsided we can consider moving forward with them.
There was a problem of reverberation in the main hall of The Belmont Centre (owned by the church) and during 2021 this was addressed by having some panels suspended from the ceiling which has greatly improved the sound/noise issue and made the facilities even more desirable for public benefit. The Mission Action Plan also includes in due course installing a Loop system for the hard of hearing in the building.
We see the above aspects of planning for the future of Church life as part of our response to the themes of More Engaged (A sign of being Apostolic) and More Open (A sign of being one) which are part of the Diocesan Strategy 2020-2025.
## **PERFORMANCE REVIEW OF ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE YEAR**
## **Worship and Prayer**
Holy Cross Church was closed for services at the start of 2021 but was open for worship for 75% of all Sundays as opposed to only 58% the previous year.
All are welcome to attend our regular services. The church family welcomes visitors from within as well as outside the parish boundary and now, via online services, ‘virtual’ visitors from further afield (the Nine Lessons and Carols service had people viewing from Canada, Holland and Sweden). Visitors attend by personal choice (especially while COVID-19 is still prevalent and there are restrictions in place) and we welcome people from all walks of life to take part in the life of the church. We contend that voluntary attendance to worship the Lord Jesus Christ is a major demonstration of the public benefit of our activities.
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Holy Cross Church chose to open again for services from 4th April which was Easter Day. As this was the first opportunity for people to attend a service in person since before Christmas, and being such a significant religious festival, bookings were required to enable effective social distancing to take place and to avoid disappointment for people just turning up. Half the places were taken up within just over a day and soon after bookings were full to a safe capacity of 50. However, the weather was kind and
an additional 55 people worshipped outside (in the church yard) in family groups. There were more children and families present than our older congregation. It is a positive sign of the future of Holy Cross.
A short pre-recorded Sunday service (employing the help of a local company ‘Off The Wall’) had been produced from the start of the pandemic and these podcasts continued until 7[th] November. This year as our buildings were open, the recordings were able to be filmed on rotation in the three Churches in the plurality, reverting to The Rectory for the last four recordings. Accessible via Facebook and YouTube, these weekly services had an average of 425 viewings (fluctuating greatly for no specific reason from 117 to 1004) with numbers generally dropping off once the Church was open again for services from Easter. The average number of viewings from January till then was 713 and after was 295 which is still a very good number (in 2020 the number viewing online services also varied greatly between 120 and over 3000) and far higher than those previously attending Church services. These recordings enabled those unable to come to Church for whatever reason to watch/participate as well as those who were not part of the immediate Church family and we consider this part of our outreach.
The number of adults attending a Sunday morning service in person in 2021 ranged from 90 at the Harvest service to 24 on 26[th] December (when COVID-19 rates were very high) and averaged 56. The Harvest service was the monthly Open Doors service so this number includes adults who on other weeks may be helping in Junior Church. This average attendance compares to 47 in the 18 services held in Church in 2020 (during which no Open Doors services were held).
Traditionally, the Diocese asks parishes to monitor attendance during Sundays in October. In 2020, the average attendance for the four 10am Eucharist services was 48 (bearing in mind the Church could then only accommodate 50 so some people may have stayed away knowing that) while the average online viewing figures that year were 279 for the same period. In October 2021 the average attendance in Church for the 9.30am Eucharist was 68 with 175 views of the mini online service. This included one 10am Open Doors service (unlike last year).
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This graph shows online viewings vs adults at the Sunday services (9.30am Parish Communion and 10am Open Doors services). Note that worship in Church started in April and pre-recorded podcasts finished on 7[th] November and the chart does not include the 55 young family members worshipping outside on Easter Day.
## **Adults in Church vs Online Views**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
In church - adults Online viewings
3rd Jan 17th Jan 31st Jan 14th Feb 28th Feb 14th March 28th March 11th April 25th April 9th May 23rd May 6th June 20th June 4th July 18th July 1st August 15th August 29th Aug 12th Sept 26th Sept 10th Oct 24th Oct 7th Nov 21st Nov 5th Dec 19th Dec
**----- End of picture text -----**
From the last Sunday in November the 8am Sunday Holy Communion service started again with an average attendance of eight compared to about twelve pre the pandemic.
Evening services also recommenced from the end of November although until the end of the year these were mainly special services i.e. an Uckfield Churches Together service, the end of Festival of Christmas Trees Service and Nine Lessons and Carols. There was one Sunday evening (12[th] December) though when Plain Evensong took place and this was attended by 25 adults and three children.
However, these statistics are only a snapshot indication of the size of congregation and various factors must be taken into account. The 22 months of the pandemic have seen various changes in people’s habits of worship. Many of the congregation are vulnerable so have been selfisolating and/or their personal circumstances have changed while others prefer not to come while COVID-19 is still prevalent and restrictions are in place like wearing masks. Others now attend a different service to the one they did previously.
For four weeks in June and July the Children’s Choir returned to feature in the online service, then from July the adult Church Choir sang hymns they had pre-recorded in Church. The Choir also started to sing again at the 9.30am service about this time and from July the congregation were allowed to sing in church but keeping their masks on. Sandie Boniface compiled beautiful and relevant prayers for the online services and also the Open Doors services (where the children read them) which many people appreciated and commented on.
> _‘After the first service when the choir returned, there were people in tears with emotion at having this dimension of our worshipping life again’_
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An Ash Wednesday service was pre-recorded and made available online (and had 418 viewings) while twelve people participated in a live service via Zoom, with ashes (and instructions) being delivered by the Rector beforehand along with a thoughtful spray of flowers. The five week Diocesan Lent Course “Cracked Wide Open” was also held via Zoom with a group of five people participating. Throughout Holy Week Fr. John recorded a daily online message which received an average of 49 viewings.
Early in the year, the Church of England launched a national course, “Living in Love and Faith”, about sexuality, following the heated debate about sexuality in the early 2000s. There was an obligatory Zoom Meeting attended by over 300 clergy in the Chichester Diocese, followed by this course which was obligatory in every Deanery. A small group of people from Holy Cross Church participated in this five week course via Zoom which was a series of testimonies from individuals from a whole range of sexualities and life experiences and included looking at Biblical references. As Fr. John explained _“The whole point is not to change people’s minds, but to take the toxicity out of the situation, to get people to listen to each other, to make us all realise this is not just a theological issue, but a question of real people’s lives, spiritual journeys and what it means to be fully human”._
In October the twice monthly Bible Study group led by Canon Hugh Moseley recommenced at St Saviours.
There are usually many services that take place during the year in Holy Cross Church other than the regular Sunday services. These reach out to the far wider community and this year we were pleased to bring back some of these acts of worship which had not been able to take place last year due to the pandemic, namely: All Souls, Remembrance Day, a closing service at the end of the Festival of Christmas Trees, the Sussex Bonfire Societies Carol Service, Carols by Candlelight and the Christmas Eve Crib Service.
The Christmas Eve Crib Service is the most popular service of the year and usually attracts about 600 people but as COVID-19 rates were on the increase again, numbers were limited and it was necessary to take bookings which were full within four days - 200 adults and 50 children attended. Children were invited to dress up and participate in the Nativity story.
The pre-recorded online services stopped early November because the number of people returning to church services had increased, as well as the ongoing cost and work involved to have them professionally made. The Rector did however ask for feedback from viewers and it was clear that there was a need for an ongoing online presence in some shape or form. It was
P a g e | **13**
therefore decided, going forward, to live stream certain key services which meant people could view an entire service, either at the same time as it took place, meaning they felt part of the service, or later at their convenience.
|The following services were streamed live (with their viewing figures):|The following services were streamed live (with their viewing figures):||
|---|---|---|
|14thNovember|Remembrance Service (9.30am Eucharist)|379|
|11thDecember|Carols and Candlelight with Uckfield Brass|722|
|19thDecember|Nine Lessons and Carols|425|
|24thDecember|Crib Service|574|
All online viewing figures represent one or more people watching the service so the number of people watching will in reality be higher.
This year the annual St Wilfrid's Hospice ‘Lights of Love’ Services were held in the Hospice garden in Eastbourne and made available online (usually these services are held in various venues, including Holy Cross Church).
We see the above aspects of Church life as part of our response to More Converted to Jesus Christ (A sign of being Holy) aspect of the Diocesan Strategy 2020-2025 ‘Vision for Growth’.
## _**Children’s work and attendance**_
Holy Cross Church has a lot to offer young families and outreach activities made a comeback and children’s work continued to thrive. That was evident in the number of young families who came back to church, starting on Easter Sunday when 55 children and parents held an outdoor worship session in the churchyard.
In June the monthly Open Doors family service returned and was held in the churchyard and being outside, singing was allowed for the first time. Fr. John later commented that they were lucky with the weather that day and that there was lots of positive response with some people even in tears at being able to sing again. Whilst the church could only accommodate 50 people safely at the time, there were 84 present (68 adults and 16 children) which included five or six people in the nearby houses who came to listen. Fr. John thought about two thirds of the congregation were there for Open Doors. This was encouraging because at the end of January, the Church of England warned that it may cut the number of paid clergy by up to 20 per cent amid fears that a fifth of worshippers may never return after the coronavirus pandemic.
A couple of Junior Church sessions also took place in the churchyard then they returned to meeting in The Belmont Centre from July, coming into Church at the end of the service for a blessing/communion as before and to share with the congregation what they had been doing.
P a g e | **14**
_‘It is so joyful to see the children coming in and enjoying themselves. We take delight in seeing them take part and wanting to be involved.’_
Those attending Junior Church ranged from babies to 12 years old with the older children seeing their roles as ‘helpers’.
The average number of children attending the six Open Doors services held in 2021 was 20 while the average attendance of children at Junior Church was 17 with an average of 10 Junior Church leaders and parents helping.
Unfortunately the planned Holiday Club had to be cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns, and only one Messy Church session was able to be held in October 2021 with a Harvest theme (numbers were limited to 35 for health and safety reasons).
The Children’s Choir grew with over 20 children participating by the end of the year. Apart from singing for the online services and at Open Doors, they performed again at the annual town event ‘Proms on the Pitch’.
Since Church services recommenced after the pandemic began, they had all started at the later time of 10am. This made it difficult for some families who had other commitments also on a Sunday so from 5[th] September the Parish Eucharist reverted to 9.30am but Open Doors remained at 10am as it always had done.
_‘In recent years Holy Cross has been noticeably more-active in the community, reaching out to a wider variety of community groupings. The work with young children particularly stands out.’_
## **Life Events**
Our church continues to be appreciated by our parishioners and many others, as a space where life events are celebrated with joy and thanksgiving. There were seven Baptisms held during the year and three Weddings (including one blessing).
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There were 10 Funerals in the church, three Memorial Services, six Graveside Services and 29 Crematoria Services. In addition, the interment of ashes of two people took place in the graveyard.
A Confirmation Service led by Bishop Will was held in July at Little Horsted Church, the candidates (six children and two adults) attended classes which were all held in person.
## **Pastoral ministry/care**
We are very grateful for the support and continuing assistance of the Honorary Assistant Curates especially during these difficult times; the Revd. David Ashton, the Revd. Canon Hugh Moseley, Revd. Dr Mike Blanch and Readers Gill Comber and Sheila Fordham. Gill Comber, having been a Reader for 20 years, decided not to renew her Reader’s Licence in September. However, she is continuing her pastoral work and throughout this year she has been invaluable, offering to take people for their vaccinations or to hospital appointments and numerous people gratefully took up her kind offer.
The telephone pastoral system of the congregation being phoned by a small core of people (clergy, PCC members etc) which was set up when the pandemic started, continued to a certain degree though some people did not find this necessary unlike when they had been in lockdown with tighter restrictions. However social media continued to be an important method of communication especially for up to date information and last minute changes which was part of the nature of the pandemic. Our Facebook page followers increased by 16% from last year to 1340 and is maintained by Sarah Widdowson with regular updates of what services/events are coming up and posting photographs after something has happened. The Church website continues to be heavily used with the average number of views per day 290 compared to 215 in the last five months of 2020 since its inception of the new website.
Visits to nursing homes and hospitals remained very limited during 2021 making it hard for family members even to visit. There were a number of home visits by clergy both for those who were sick and bereaved.
In June we were delighted to welcome the Revd Martha Mutikani as Associate-Vicar of St. Margaret’s, Isfield, to serve here and in the wider Uckfield Plurality of St. Michael’s, Little Horsted and Holy Cross, Uckfield on Sundays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Whilst based in Isfield, Revd Martha has participated in leading services and events at Holy Cross Church like Open Doors and she entered into the spirit at the Bonfire Society Carol Service (see photograph of her dressed as Princess Leia from the film Star Wars) and has many ideas and new initiatives such as the six session Bereavement
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Course, running alternate weeks in The Belmont Centre from the end of the year. This course
was led by the Revd David Ashton and the Revd Martha Mutikani with Carol Ashton kindly providing refreshments. A core of about ten people (not only from churches in the Plurality) attended the socially distanced course and found it very beneficial listening to clergy talk about the grieving process as well as an opportunity for those present to share experiences and find some comfort and reassurance.
As the Church was not open for any services before Easter, for Mothering Sunday posies were made up and given out prior to the day by a small band of volunteers delivering over 175 bunches throughout the Plurality to ladies with church connections (normally on Mothering Sunday about 80 would be distributed at Holy Cross Church).
Many people took the trouble to say thank you expressing their gratitude at this gesture saying things like ‘ _it’s made my day_ ’, ‘ _touching_ ’ and ‘ _much appreciated at this difficult time_ ’.
## **Social events and fundraising**
Unfortunately it was not possible to hold events for the first part of the year which is always a good way to communicate with the congregation and community, alleviate loneliness and help mental health which was an increasing concern especially during and after COVID-19 lockdowns. The first social gathering was a Coffee Morning in The Belmont Centre hosted by the Crafty Ladies in August in aid of both ‘Mustard Seed’ and Holy Cross Church and it raised the amazing sum of £577.00. It was a welcome opportunity for people to meet others they had not seen for many months for the first time. In September coffee was served in The Belmont Centre after the morning service which meant people could socialise instead of having to go straight home after worship.
The fundraising events which were able to take place this year also played an important role not only in the life of the parish but in the community as an event
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to go to, a way of meeting others and avoiding loneliness. We welcomed back on the calendar, Uckfield’s ‘’Big Day”, Harvest Lunch, Christmas Bazaar, Festival of Christmas Trees and a Jumble Sale.
We had a food stall on the Luxford Field for the Big Day in July (and the Crafty Ladies also had a stall), a Harvest lunch organised by Dee in which over 90 people and young families participated and she held a Jumble Sale in her driveway (thankfully it was a dry day).
They were also important from the fundraising aspect as hardly anything had been able to take place last year and such events are vital for the church financially. It felt like a bit of normality had come back to church life which was vital for people’s health and wellbeing.
The Christmas Bazaar in The Belmont Centre had stalls adequately spaced, doors open and sanitising stations and was incredibly well received.
People were delighted to be back and the event raised a significant amount of money. The Christmas Tree Festival was also back in its original format but with extra COVID-19 safety precautions in place and received positive and thankful feedback. With just under 100 sponsored trees there was more space between the trees, entry was staggered, a one-way system used and sanitising stations at the entrance
and throughout the church. Other factors were reviewed to ensure volunteers, visitors and organisers were kept safe. The Catering team did brilliantly, as did the Crafty Ladies and left over Bazaar sales.
The Festival of Christmas Trees, now in it’s 12[th] year is a fixture on many people’s calendar and attracts visitors from neighbouring counties as well as all areas of Sussex. Uckfield now arranges the Christmas late night shopping to coincide with the first day of the Festival and for many of the 4000 plus people who visit the Church in its splendour over the weekend, it is the start of Christmas for them.
This year has seen a real transition regarding online giving. A lot of younger people do not carry cash and at the end of 2019 a card machine was purchased to allow us to use contactless and chip and pin cards for donations. The pandemic then encouraged people to not use cash but to use contactless methods so in addition a Giving Station card machine (left) was purchased this year just before the Festival of Christmas Trees where it raised over £300 of donations and has been used at a few services since. A total of £475 was donated in December using it.
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As last year, the December grand draw tickets were available online and this year nearly £900 of the sales were via this method (those unable to pay online had other opportunities to purchase tickets).
One of our Junior Church members, Poppy Widdowson, took it upon herself to do some fundraising and her efforts in March were inspirational and greatly appreciated as evidenced with over 150 people sponsoring her and an amazing £2,072.00 being raised for children’s work at Holy Cross Church.
Further fundraising by individuals took the form of a Sponsored Slim by Fr. John and Churchwarden Dee Johnson with monies raised being shared between Holy Cross Church Window Appeal and Kids for Kids (helping children struggling to survive in remote villages in Darfur, Sudan). The wonderful total of £872.50 was given.
## **Our witness to the community**
Unfortunately it has not been possible to have the Church open throughout the week for private prayer or visitors wishing to look inside the building other than short periods on two days immediately following the death of Prince Philip. Due to COVID-19, the Church was regularly fogged on a Monday then kept closed until the following Sunday in order to keep everyone safe. The Church was however open for special events like weddings and funerals and was fogged after any such service.
However, the community knew the Church was there and its place in the locality is evident in the tolling of a church bell 99 times by Chris and Maureen MacVe on 11[th] April in memory of HRH Prince Philip (along with many other churches throughout the nation) was put online and totalled 3,200 views, by far the most for a single event in this Church year.
The bi-monthly Community Leaders Lunches held at the Rectory had become established and they were able to restart from August with around 30 people attending and networking. After a cooked lunch provided by the Rector and Gillian Youngman, a short talk is given by someone about the group or organisation that they represent. At this first gathering for over a year, people were asked to share how the pandemic had been for them in their official capacity as well as personally and some heartrending experiences were shared. At the October meeting, Fr.
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John addressed those present about the Parish Audit/Mission Action Plan and later sent out a questionnaire asking questions about how Holy Cross Church could serve the local community better. The answers reflected that even if people did not come regularly to the services, they recognised and appreciated the significance of having a parish church in the town and supported the work that they did.
Bishop Will came to the December lunch where a representative from Linden Cottage spoke about their work in the care home.
The following quote is from a community leader commenting after one of the community lunches.
_‘Holy Cross is very much the heart of the Town. Christmas Tree festival, Uckfield college carol service, Bonfire Society service, prayers for carnival, Remembrance service, Churches together celebrations, rectory community lunches, supporting Outreach box service, mens breakfast club, holiday clubs, ladies fellowship and a mixture of traditional and modern services - the ultimate bringing together young and old at the crib service on Christmas Eve. All of these reached all ages of our community, at the heart of which is a church that reaches out to the community and isn’t just there for Christmas, weddings and christenings. It is a church that continually strived to reach a diverse community audience and the challenges that life pre- covid brought.’_
Holy Cross School attended the church occasionally and other schools visited during the year for services and events such as Harvest, Christmas and the Festival of Christmas Trees. Fr. John recorded four School Assemblies for the town’s Primary schools, and he and Revd Martha will restart assemblies in person next year.
In September Fr. John read Carnival prayers for the town even though the event was necessarily scaled down because of COVID-19.
Holy Cross Church continued to support the local Foodbank with a regular appeal in the weekly pewsheet. The produce presented at the Harvest service also went to the Foodbank.
A new town initiative which the Church is keen to support is the Community Fridge which opened in the autumn just off the main town car park. Anyone can donate surplus food which would otherwise go to waste and anyone can take it free of charge during the two hour sessions it is open on three days of the week. Holy Cross Church has supported it financially by giving £2,097 from the Inspire Project Fund
(money donated from a group of Uckfield’s District Nurses to benefit the community).
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## **Mission, outreach and evangelism**
A small group was appointed by the PCC to look at away giving and make recommendations back to them: these are detailed in the accounts. In addition, retiring collections after services raised £365 for Afghan Refugees and £472 for UNICEF’s Give the Work a Shot (vaccination) appeal at our Harvest service.
Donations for coffee after the morning Eucharist go towards the Chichester Diocese Children and Families work and the Goodwill Children's Homes. This charity has been supporting the care and education of destitute and orphaned children in southern India since 1976. It supports three children's homes, a primary school and a Tribal Outreach programme (TORP). In 2021 the coffee mornings were only reinstated towards the end of the year so funds have been carried over to be donated in 2022.
Other regular chartable giving throughout the year has included Action Aid (Sponsoring of Maria Luisa Cucul Yat in Guatemala), Christian Aid, Uckfield Foodbank and The Children’s Society.
The Churchwardens are also trustees of the “Edward Holmes Baldock Charity” which is three charities rolled into one. It incorporates the Henry Gardener and Dorothy Ellis charities, and all three of them were established to relieve poverty in the town of Uckfield. Dorothy Ellis died in 1731 and some of the money she left enabled 12 fourpenny loaves to be provided to 12 poor families at Holy Cross Church every Sunday. This is now invested in the COIF Charities Investment Fund which provides a quarterly income which is used to provide a fund for an annual donation to three families selected by a sub-committee each year. The fund from 2020 was carried forward and as no suitable recipients could be identified in 2021 due to the ongoing COVID-19 restrictions it will be carried forward once again to be allocated in 2022.
Some of the congregation belong to Caring and Sharing which is a scheme which raises money by sacrificial giving by people who try to: ‘Live more simply that others may simply live’. It is based on two ideas: the first is that by making a small sacrifice members can turn away from the material values of the western world; the second is that they can share their comparative wealth by sending the savings from this small sacrifice to projects in poorer countries to provide the basic needs of life. Money saved by making a small change in lifestyles is given to one or more of 14 overseas projects which provide basic necessities for very poor people.
## **Deanery Synod**
Holy Cross Church currently has four representatives on the Uckfield Deanery Synod which met 3 times in 2021 (twice on Zoom and once in person) and who report back to the PCC. The Deanery Synod considers matters concerning the Church of England, brings together the views of member parishes on common problems, fosters a sense of community and interdependence among those parishes, and generally to promote in the deanery the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. The Deanery Synod elects clergy and laity
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Diocesan Synod representatives and has a General Synod representative allocated to it. A report of 2021 can be seen in the separate report containing Activities of the Church Family.
## **Ecumenical Relationships**
The Rector and John Pontefract (churchwarden) represent Holy Cross Church on ‘Churches in Uckfield’ which meets 3-4 times a year and usually organises the Good Friday Walk of Witness and Christian Unity Week and “Sunday Funday” (part of the annual Uckfield Festival) none of which, sadly, took place this year because of COVID-19.
## **Property**
## _**The Belmont Centre**_
A very short walk from the church is the Belmont Centre which the Church owns. The PCC is responsible for this building which has a Maintenance Group overseen by one of the Churchwardens, and the Major Works Project Manager who report back to the PCC. As well as housing the Parish Office, there is a good well stocked kitchen as well as toilet facilities, a hall and a small meeting room. This wonderful facility is used for both Church fundraising and social
events as well as being hired out and bringing in income for the Church. An additional part of The Belmont Centre is on permanent loan to a Pre-school Group.
The maintenance and development of The Belmont Centre is planned to support the needs of the Church but also for it to remain as an asset for use by the wider community. Due to the COVID-19 restrictions bookings were not allowed at the start of 2021 but gradually throughout the year some of the regular groups came back and there were enquiries about new bookings.
## _**St Saviours**_
St Saviour's is in the south of the town: it was formerly a chapel and now comprises 16 flatlets and a worship area with seating which also doubles up as a community space for events. It is now managed by Uckfield & District Housing Association Ltd. Ray Pilson continues to be Deputy Churchwarden there for his second year. It was with great sadness that his predecessor Pam Morris died in September; she is greatly missed. Although regular weekly services at St Saviours have been stopped, it was used this year for the 11am Wednesday morning communion when the Festival of Christmas Trees was being prepared, for Bible Study which restarted fortnightly in mid October (led by Canon Hugh Moseley) and for a PCC meeting. A Carol Service was also held in December, also taken by Canon Hugh.
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## _**Curate’s House**_
As reported last year, the parish had part owned a property, 7 Parkview Road, which was bought as a home for a curate in training in 1989. When we no longer had a curate the Church Commissioners allowed us to rent the house out for a limited period then repay what we owed or sell it. A parish no longer has to provide a house for a training post and therefore the PCC took the decision to sell it. The net proceeds of £183,086 were allocated as a restricted fund for the PCC to decide how best to invest the proceeds for the Church. Due to COVID-19 there was not an opportunity this year to discuss what to use this money for so that will be carried forward to 2022.
## **Volunteers**
We would like to thank the many people who volunteer in any way to make Holy Cross Church so vibrant and at the heart of the community. Special mention should be given to Mike and Doreen Dawson who moved away in April – we thank them for their faith and commitment over the past years with their involvement and following roles: Leader of the Ladies Fellowship, Christian Aid, The Children’s Society and Fairtrade representatives, Intercessor and Lectors.
We continue to seek to extend the opportunities for the exercise of ministry and gifts within the life of the community. A greater number of the church family are involved in the many roles within the Church, lending great encouragement to those involved, as well as the whole congregation. Towards the end of the year when some roles were re-introduced in services, a number of people who had previously fulfilled these positions had to stand down temporarily or permanently and we are very grateful to them for their past faithful service. Appeals were put out and new people have offered their service and time which is most encouraging.
## **STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT**
The appointment of Parochial Church Council members is governed by and set out in the Church Representation Rules. It is made up of the following people:
**PCC members: Ex Officio:** the Revd John Wall (Rector); Gill Comber (Reader), until September, Sheila Fordham (Reader); Dee Johnson, John Pontefract (Churchwardens): Dee Johnson, Jill Thornton, Sandie Boniface, Francis Wallace (Members of Deanery Synod).
**PCC members: Representatives of the Laity:** Paul Cuerden, Jacqueline Davies, Terry Hall, Paul Ireland, Ann Kennedy, Angela Noel, Edna Osborne, Barbara Poole, Sister Sarah, Sister Mary Paul, Sarah Widdowson and Gillian Youngman.
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 number of people on the Electoral Roll as of 14th April 2022 was 187 which is an increase of 3 from last year. There are 18 (just under 10%) people who are not resident in the parish (which is the same number as last year).
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The PCC meetings are chaired by the Rector and Dee Johnson is Vice-Chair. The PCC Secretary is Gillian Youngman and the PCC Treasurer is Paul Ireland.
New PCC members are signposted to the following:
- The Charity Commission Trustee Eligibility Declaration
- The Fit and proper persons’ declaration
- The Charity Commission guidance “The essential trustee: what you need to know, what you
- need to do”
- The Church of England booklet “Trusteeship”
- The Chichester Diocese booklet “Being a PCC member”
- Attending training as appropriate (e.g. Safeguarding)
- Obtaining a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check if appropriate.
The full Parochial Church Council met five times during the year – via Zoom in February and March and “physically” in June, August and November. Two of the physical meetings were held in the Cardale Hall in The Belmont Centre in order for social distancing to be maintained, and the last one at St Saviour’s as the Hall was in use. Face masks were worn at all these meetings. The average attendance of PCC members at these meetings was 75%.
At each PCC meeting the Rector and Churchwardens guide the PCC through work and decisions required on what is needed in order to carry out our ongoing aims and objectives. Standing items on each agenda are approving the minutes of the last meeting, safeguarding, health and safety, finance and Deanery Synod. This year has also included updates on COVID-19 guidelines and relaxing of restrictions in church. Reports are circulated in advance where possible then at each meeting, following discussion a motion is proposed, seconded and a vote taken and minuted.
Paul Kennedy (Major Works Project Manager for Holy Cross Church) oversaw several projects this year (see Property Maintenance report on page 27). Paul Kennedy sent a written report to each PCC meeting and in between liaised with John Pontefract (Health and Safety Officer), the PCC and Standing Committee on projects and issues as required.
One of our Safeguarding Officers, Karen Smith, also sent a report for each PCC meeting and she joined us at the August meeting. The Holy Cross Parochial Church Council has complied with the duty under section 5 of the Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure 2016, fully recognising its duty to have due regard to House of Bishops’ guidance on safeguarding children and vulnerable adults. We continue to work within the guidelines in the most recently published Parish Safeguarding Handbook (approved by the House of Bishops).
The PCC Standing Committee comprises the Rector, Dee Johnson and John Pontefract (Churchwardens), Paul Ireland (PCC Treasurer), Gillian Youngman (PCC Secretary), Angela Noel (PCC representative) and Lynne Ireland (Parish Administrator). During 2021 the Standing
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Committee met 10 times (another meeting in February was cancelled). These were all via Zoom with the exception of one; although physical meetings were permitted at times, an online meeting is more convenient for those working who are able to join in when they otherwise may not have been able to and other than one apology for three meetings, there was a full attendance throughout the year. There were two meetings in July, one being solely to discuss possible changes post the planned COVID-19 ‘Freedom Day’. The physical meeting was in April when a guest speaker was invited, the Revd Canon Rob Dillingham (Parish Development Officer and Deputy Director for Apostolic Life) to give us the background and way forward to completing the Parish Audit which each church had been asked to fill out.
In September the Revd Andrew Smith, the Diocesan Generous Giving Adviser, joined the virtual Standing Committee Meeting to explain what he can do for us and he then came to the November PCC meeting where he gave a presentation about how generosity works. He has been booked for a sermon slot next Spring. We see this aspect of Church life along with a purchase of a Giving Station as part of our response to being More Generous (a sign of being catholic) part of the Diocesan Strategy 2020-2025.
The purpose of the Standing Committee is to conduct PCC business in between meetings or in an emergency, including addressing day to day matters and ensuring the smooth running of the Church and the Belmont Centre, making sure that they were as COVID-19 compliant as could be by keeping to the relevant Government and Church of England guidelines.
Sometimes an urgent matter has cropped up between PCC meetings where a decision is needed and in these instances the PCC Secretary conducts an email/phone vote which is recorded at the next meeting, for example the Harvest Appeal for 2021.
Lynne Ireland, the Parish Administrator, did a combination of working from home and her office in the Belmont Centre during the year in accordance with pandemic guidelines. Her hours are Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 9.15am - 12.15pm but she is very flexible and continues to be a most efficient and valuable asset.
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## **SAFEGUARDING REPORT**
Firstly I would like to welcome Rhian Cottrell as an additional Safeguarding Officer.
**DBS checks** * – I have notified those who need to renew their clearance. People newly volunteering need to be referred to Rhian or me, by those recruiting them, for DBS checks. This covers provision of the application form, validation of documents, induction and information regarding training. We have latterly been able to meet volunteers in person for the validation and induction process.
We have received notification that DBS clearance certificates issued from January 2022 will be valid for 3 years instead of the current 5 years, thus bringing them into line with 3 yearly training updates.
## **SAFEGUARDING** – All procedures were followed as required in line with Covid-19 restrictions.
**SQP** ** – Due to the adjustments needed to comply with ensuring the safety of all the congregation, including those who are more vulnerable, our SQP response has been based on these requirements. As activities have recommenced so, in addition to the above, have the appropriate SQP requirements regarding -: Safer Places; Safer People; Safer Activities; Safer Practice.
**TRAINING** - Many people’s trainings and updated trainings are either due or very overdue. As they can all be done online (and face to face trainings will not be available for a while) it is important, for the needs of the children and to comply with SQP, that we all get ourselves up to date. It is only necessary to redo the highest level of training that you need.
C0, now Basic Training - This online training is actively encouraged and open to all members of the congregation and parents of children who attend Holy Cross Church activities on the basis that -“safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility”. It is a pre-requisite to Foundation Training.
C1, now Foundation Training - This training is required by anyone who has safeguarding responsibilities or has contact in their church role with children or vulnerable adults. It is a prerequisite for Leadership Training.
C2, now Safeguarding Leadership Training/Module - This is a more rigorous, and (at present) online, training required for anyone who has safeguarding leadership responsibilities or for leading activities with children or vulnerable adults.
The Diocese has set this as a model standard for all parishes. We have achieved Level 1 and must maintain standards to that level. Level 2 will follow!
_*DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) A national service to ensure that no one with a criminal background who could present a danger whilst working or volunteering in the area of children and vulnerable adults._
_**SQP (Simple Quality Protects) A national system for the Third (i.e. voluntary) Sector to maintain standards in the area of which they are working._
**Karen Smith, Safeguarding Officer** Email: safeguardingholycrossuckfield@gmail.com
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## **PROPERTY MAINTENANCE REPORT**
After a quiet 2020 in terms of works and maintenance, 2021 has seen many projects undertaken including one major works to improve the sound reverberation in the Belmont Centre. These projects have had an impact on Church funds in a period still affected by the COVID pandemic. There were other projects that have been identified to be undertaken during 2022 and beyond once we have funding. I am indebted to Paul Kennedy for his management of completed and pending projects and for his solid advice. Lists of completed and pending works follows below:-
## **Completed Work**
- Lightning Conductor Testing Done and passed Oct 2021 £165 + VAT. Will need testing again by November 2022.
- Hedley Visick fitted boiler protection valves. Protects against boiler having over pressure water.
- Reverberation reduction panels were fitted on 16[th] March 2021. This has made the use of the Cardale Hall in the Belmont Centre much more pleasant to use as people can hear each other. This year has been the first time we have been able to hear the benefit of it as we have not been able to have meetings previously due to COVID restrictions.
- Belmont Centre Roof issues:- Done by Alex Stenning in December 2021
- Belmont Centre Kitchen Window repair done by Ollie Brown.
- Belmont Centre Spire Preschool Back Door repair done by Ollie Brown.
- Belmont Centre Spire Preschool Internal Doors and locks replaced.
- Belmont Centre Spire Preschool Rear Gatepost. Has been supported by a truss to the building wall.
- Damp was showing in the church upstairs on the North East internal wall. This is thought to be remedied by the removal of accumulated leaves from the roof gutter by contractor Paul James.
## **Pending work/ to do list**
- Belmont Centre Spire area metal window repair. We have delayed getting this done due to the high cost. It can wait till warmer weather as the 2 small opening windows will have to be removed and then boarded up. It may have to wait longer due to funding issues. Two quotes:-
- Steel Window Service:- £9015.98 plus VAT:- £10819.18
- Clifford Durrant:- £5255 plus VAT:- £6303
- Belmont Centre Exterior Repaint after kitchen window repair and back door. The state of the exterior paint needs to be checked; Paul Kennedy has obtained 3 quotes (To be discussed). All three contractors cannot do till Summer 2022.
- Belmont Centre Alarm System issues. We should consider who we should get to maintain this. The annual maintenance cost was high last year and there are issues with the actual system. This should be reviewed before the August maintenance time.
- The state of the internal paintwork of the main church building is in need of some work. The existing paint is peeling as it is not porous and not really suitable for stone. As this would require stripping off the old paint and repainting with a breathable paint suitable for stone, this is very time consuming and consequently expensive. Paul Kennedy has
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suggested that due to this, it would be better to do a section at a time starting with the entrance halls and north balcony wall as a first tranche.
Most of the management of the above work has been done by Paul Kennedy to whom we give our heartfelt thanks, and in consultation with myself.
## **John Pontefract, Churchwarden**
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## **FINANCIAL REVIEW**
As the trustees report details 2021 has been a mixed year with the effects of the pandemic decreasing but still having a fairly significant impact on our work and activities. This is reflected in the finances for the year. After a slow start there have been many areas that have returned to pre-pandemic levels of income but we have also started to see the effect of increase in costs for energy and maintenance activities. The result has been a deficit detailed in the 2021 accounts of £16,386, which would have been closer to £10,000 had it not been for major works required during the year. This compares to a deficit of £23,500 for 2020 so the signs are positive but careful planning of expenditure and creative fund raising must be at the core of our strategy so we can return quickly to generating a surplus.
The firm foundation of our reserves, built up over many years, have meant we have been able to maintain and support our own Church family and our financial commitment to the Diocese and away giving during the 2021 financial year.
## **Incoming and outgoing resources**
Total receipts on general unrestricted funds, which are detailed in the Financial Statements, were £130,228. This is a 21% (£22,991) increase on 2020 but still £26,146 less than 2019. The continuing impact of COVID closure in the first quarter of the year was the main factor in this shortfall against 2019 but the signs for the remainder of the year were positive and largely matched the levels of income seen in 2019.
Thanks to the efforts of the Event Committee and their band of supporters the return to fund raising activities was fantastic and brought much needed income in the second half of the year. Over the year, once expenses were deducted, the Events team generated £14,916 which was a wonderful performance given restrictions were still in place for a significant part of the year.
During 2021 we have maintained a similar level of Planned Giving to 2020. There have been losses due to people passing to higher service but we have also seen some new regular givers and some increases in generosity which have helped to a total Planned Giving figure of £52,123 for 2021. Cash collections for the year totalled £5,398 which is up on 2020 but still 42% down on the £9,351 figure from 2019. This again was due to the Church remaining closed for services until April.
Receipts from hiring fees for the Belmont Centre were £17,870 which is an increase of 25% on 2020 but still short of the 2019 receipts due to on-going COVID restrictions for the first quarter of the year. Post restrictions our Bookings Manager has done a great job in gaining new regular bookings and at the end of 2021 the monthly income had increased significantly showing very positive signs for 2022.
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Expenditure for the Belmont Centre during 2021 was £13,943 which included a number of essential maintenance jobs and cost increases. The energy crisis started to affect the Gas and Electricity pricing towards the end of the year and our long term gas supplier, CNG, ceased trading. This resulted in a near 3 fold increase in Gas costs for the final two months of the year. This is thought to be a long term issue so we are expecting the running costs for 2022 to be significantly higher. The net result was a surplus of £3,927 for Church funds.
## **Sharing the ministry costs of the Diocese of Chichester**
The largest expenditure of the PCC was the sum of £64,500 paid to the Diocese to cover ministry costs. The parish contribution in 2021 was used towards the stipend, pension and housing costs of the clergy, and a standard sum for diocesan costs, clergy training and a contribution to national church funds. As a parish we have the aim to achieve 100% contribution towards the Parish Ministry Costs [PMC] and in 2020, after credits applied, we achieved this aim. For 2021 we agreed an above recommended increase of 5% to maintain this but the appointment of Rev Martha at Isfield has now added additional costs to the Parish so we have dropped below the 100% for 2021.
## **Staff costs**
Since April 2016 a part-time Parish Administrator has been employed to run the Parish Office. From 2020 the Director of Music and Assistant Director of Music payments are now recorded as salary having previously been recorded as upkeep of services. This is following guidance that these roles do not have the autonomy required to be classed as self-employed.
Due to the on-going COVID impacts it was agreed that no salary increases would be made during 2021 so the staff costs remained at the same level as 2020 at £16,153.
## **Missionary and Charitable giving**
The Giving sub-committee were reconvened in 2021 and recommended the following missionary and charitable giving totalling £6,836 to home and overseas which was agreed by the PCC.
## **Overseas**
- Water Aid £ 225
- Kids 4 Kids £ 225
- Tear Fund £ 200
- Medecins san Frontiers £ 225
- UK Afghan Refugees
- £ 365
- UNICEF Give the World a Shot £ 472
- Action Aid £ 234
## **Home**
- Holy Cross School Governors £1,500
- Holy Cross School Other Support £ 750
P a g e | **30**
- Malt House (Kenwood Trust) £ 123
- • Children’s Society £ 295 • Uckfield Community Fridge £2 197
- Sussex Church Bell Restoration £ 25
## **Fixed Assets**
The Belmont Centre remains at the previous valuation of £1,370,000.
## **Reserves Policy**
During 2021 the minimum balance on the general unrestricted funds (excluding property) which equates to approximately 6 month’s worth of unrestricted payments as a contingency against unforeseen situations was maintained despite the need to transfer funds to meet the day to day expenditure.
It is PCC policy to retain any funds not required for day to day transactions on deposit at the bank.
## **Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others**
The PCC acts as a custodian trustee for the assets of the Edward Holmes Baldock Charity which was established in 1845 for the benefit of poor persons in the parish. Its sole asset is 36.38 income units invested in the COIF Charities Investment Fund.
As at 31 August 2021, its latest valuation date, the value of the investment was £693.07. The income in its financial year was £19.24 which is normally topped up by the PCC and distributed to suitable recipients. The charity is administered by the PCC with the Churchwardens acting as trustees of the charity and is segregated from the assets of the PCC.
The normal annual donations to local deserving individuals encountering hardship was once again deferred as confirmation of suitable recipients was not possible given the on-going restrictions. The PCC will ensure the 2022 awards are topped up with the deferred 2020 and 2021 income.
During the 2020 COVID lockdown the PCC supported the Uckfield Coronavirus Volunteers and allowed the use of the online and electronic payment facilities of the Belmont Centre bank account. During the 2021 financial year the carried forward balance of £3,282 held on account was passed to the Ridgewood Village Hall Committee to establish a monthly lunch club to continue the support of the community.
P a g e | **31**
## **Statement of Financial Activities**
The financial effect of our activities during the year can be summarised as follows
||**Unrestricted**
**Fund**|**Restricted**
**Fund/s**|**Restricted**
**Fund/s**|**Endowed**
**Fund/s**|**Endowed**
**Fund/s**|**Total Funds**
**2021**|_Total Funds_
_2020_
**_Notes_**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Income and endowments from:**
Donations and legacies
Charitable activities
Other trading activities
Investments
Other receipts|**£**
95,649
10,867
22,795
-
917||**£**
3,784
-
-
27
-||**£**
-
-
-
-
-|**£**
**99,433**
**10,867**
**22,795**
**27**
**917**|_£_
_80,499_
_8,998_
_17,635_
_188,981_
_2,554_|
|**Total income**|**130,228**||**3,811**||**-**|**134,039**|_298,667_
_2_|
|**Expenditure on:**
Raising funds
Charitable activities
Other trading activities
Other expenditure|4,043
128,417
14,233
-||-
3,733
-
-||-
-
-
-|**-**
**4,043**
**132,150**
**14,233**
**-**|_939_
_126,191_
_(2,193)_
_-_|
|**Total expenditure**|**146,693**||**3,733**||**-**|**150,426**|_124,936_
_3_|
|Net gains (or losses) on
investments|**-**||**-**||**-**|**-**|_-_
_8_|
|**Net income or (net expenditure)**|**(16,465)**||**78**||**-**|**(16,387)**|_173,731_|
|**Transfers between funds**
**Other recognised gains/(losses):**
Gains/(losses) on revaluation of
fixed assets
Other gains/(losses)
_Reconciliation of funds:_|**-**||**-**||**-**|**-**|_-_
_10_|
||(16,465)
-
-||78
-
-||-
-
-|(16,387)
**-**
**-**|_173,731_
_(190,776)_
_11_
_-_|
|**Net movement in funds**|**(16,465)**||**78**||**-**|**(16,387)**|_(17,045)_|
|Total funds brought forward|1,460,012|197,038|||-|**1,657,050**|_1,674,094_|
|**Total funds carried forward**|**1,443,547**|**197,116**|||**-**|**1,640,663**|_1,657,049_|
P a g e | **32**
## **Balance Sheet**
Our financial position and summary of funds at the year end were
||**Total Funds**
**2021**|_Total Funds_
_2020_|**_Notes_**|
|---|---|---|---|
|Intangible assets
Tangible assets
Heritage assets
Endowed investments|**£**
**-**
**1,370,000**
**-**
**-**|_£_
_-_
_1,370,000_
_-_
_-_||
|**Total fixed assets**|**1,370,000**|_1,370,000_|_11_|
|Stocks
Debtors
Investments
Cash at bank and in hand|**-**
**4,034**
**-**
**276,355**|_-_
_4,561_
_-_
_296,066_|_14_|
|**Total current assets**|**280,389**|_300,627_||
|Creditors: Amounts falling due within one year
Correction for Unrealised Debtors in 2020|(4,950)
(4,776)|_(13,577)_|_15_|
|**Net current assets or (liabilities)**|**270,663**|_287,050_||
|**Total assets less current liabilities**
Creditors: Amounts falling due after more than one year
Provisions for liabilities|**1,645,439**
**-**
**-**|_1,657,050_
_-_
_-_|_16_|
|**Total net assets or (liabilities)**|**1,640,663**|_1,657,050_||
|**The funds of the charity:**
Restricted income funds|**197,116**|_197,038_||
|Unrestricted funds
Revaluation reserve|**1,460,012**|_1,460,012_||
|**Total unrestricted funds**|**1,460,012**|_1,460,012_||
|||||
|**Total charity funds**|**1,640,663**|_1,657,050_|18|
This Financial Report for the year ended 31st December 2021, including the notes following, was approved by the PCC and signed on its behalf by Paul Ireland, Treasurer: ……………………………………….……………………….. ········� **·** .\�
Date …………………………………………………………
P a g e | **33**
**Notes to the Financial Report**
## **1 Accounting policies**
## **Basis of preparation**
The PCC is a public benefit entity within the meaning of FRS102. The financial statements have been prepared under the Charities Act 2011 and the Church Accounting Regulations 2006, in accordance with applicable accounting standards and the current Statement of Recommended Practice, Accounting and Reporting by Charities, (SORP (FRS 102)).
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention as modified by the inclusion of investments at market value and the revaluation of fixed assets. The financial statements include all transactions, assets and liabilities for which the PCC is responsible in law. They do not include the accounts of church groups that owe their affiliation to another body, nor those which are informal gatherings of church members
## **Funds accounting**
Funds held by the PCC are:
_Unrestricted funds_ - general funds which can be used for PCC ordinary purposes
_Restricted funds_ - a) income from trusts or endowments which may be expended only on those restricted objects provided in the terms of the trust or bequest; b) donations or grants received for a specific object or invited by the PCC for a specific object. The funds may only be expended on the specific object for which they were given. Any balance remaining unspent at the end of the year is carried forward as a balance on that fund
## **Income and endowments**
All income and endowments, accounted for without deduction for any costs of receivability, are recognised when there is evidence of entitlement, receipt is probable, and the amount can be measured reliably
## **Donations and legacies**
_Collections_ are recognised when received.
_Planned giving receivable_ is recognised when there is evidence of entitlement, receipt is probable, and the amount accords with the Gift Aid declaration or other record of intention to donate
_Gift aid recovered_ is recognised when the income to which it is attached is recognised
_Grants and legacies_ are recognised when the formal offer in writing of the funding, is received by the PCC
## **Charitable activities**
Statutory fees for weddings and funerals are recognised when the office occurs
## **Other trading activities**
Trading activities are where income is receivable in return for selling goods or providing services. Income from trading is recognised either: a - when received, or b - in the case of concerts: for the year in which the event occurs, irrespective of date of receipt. Advance bookings are included in creditors until the concert has taken place
Sales of magazines are recognised when received
Rents from property are recognised in accordance with the rental agreements, when receipt is probable
## **Investment income**
Dividends are accounted for when due and payable. Interest entitlements are accounted for as they accrue
P a g e | **34**
**Notes to the Financial Report**
## **All other income**
All other income is recognised in accordance with the above overall policy
## **Gains and losses on investments**
Realised gains are recognised when the investments are sold
Unrealised gains and losses are accounted for on revaluation at 31 December
## **Expenditure**
Expenditure is recognised when there is evidence of entitlement, payment is probable, and the amount can be measured reliably
## **Grants**
Grants and donations are accounted for when paid over, or when awarded where the award creates a binding obligation on the PCC
## **Church activities**
The diocesan parish contribution is accounted for on an annual basis, reflecting the allocation set by our Deanery. Any parish contribution unpaid at 31 December is provided for in these accounts as an operational (though not a legal) liability and is shown as a creditor in the balance sheet
## **Fixed assets**
## _Tangible fixed assets_
Consecrated and beneficed property of any kind is excluded from the accounts by s.10(2) of the Charities Act 2011.
Movable church furnishing held by the Vicar and Churchwardens on special trust for the PCC and which require a faculty for disposal, are accounted as inalienable property unless consecrated. They are listed in the church's inventory which can be inspected but are not included in the financial statements
All expenditure on consecrated or beneficed buildings and individual items costing under £1,000 are written off in the year they were incurred
## _Depreciation_
Depreciation is calculated to write down the cost of tangible fixed assets, excluding freehold properties, over their expected useful lives. The rates generally applicable are:
|Fixtures and fittings|20%|
|---|---|
|Audio
visual|33%|
|i
Office equipment|25%|
No depreciation is provided on freehold buildings as the useful economic life of these assets exceeds 50 years and residual values so high that potential depreciation would be immaterial. It is the PCC's policy to maintain these assets in a continual state of sound repair. Resulting from regular impairment reviews, provision will be made if there has been any permanent diminution in value
## **Investments**
Investments are stated at market value at the balance sheet date
## **Current Assets**
Amounts owing to the PCC at 31 December in respect of fees, rents or other income are shown a debtors, less provision for amounts that may prove uncollectible
Short-term deposits include cash held on deposit either with the CBF Church of England Funds, or at the bank
P a g e | **35**
**Notes to the Financial Report**
## **2 Analysis of income and endowments**
|||**Restricted**
**Fund/s**|**Restricted**
**Fund/s**|**Endowed**
**Fund/s**|**Endowed**
**Fund/s**|**Total**
**Funds**
**2021**|_Total_
_Funds_
_2020_|**_Notes_**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**Unrestricted**||||||||
||**Fund**||||||||
||£||£
-
-
543
-
623
2,618
-
-
-||£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-|**£**
**44,955**
**7,168**
**5,941**
**8,387**
**5,991**
**14,220**
**12,501**
**-**
**-**|_£_
_44,464_
_6,907_
_3,116_
_2,765_
_2,859_
_7,738_
_11,111_
_-_
_1,539_||
|Planned giving (via standing order)|44,955||||||||
|Planned giving (via weekly envelopes)|7,168||||||||
|Loose cash collections|5,398||||||||
|Christmas Tree Festival|8,387||||||||
|Other Fund Raising Activities|5,638||||||||
|Other donations|11,602||||||||
|Gift Aid recoverable|12,501||||||||
|Legacies|-||||||||
|Grants|-||||||||
||||||||||
|**Donations and legacies**|**£95,649**||**£3,784**||**-**|**£99,433**|_£80,499_||
|Fees for weddings & funerals - PCC
Fees for weddings & funerals - Clergy
Fees for weddings & funerals - DBF
Fees for weddings & funerals - Other
Wedding|3,726
1,226
5,822
93||-||-|**3,726**
**1,226**
**5,822**
**93**|_2,263_
_943_
_5,732_
_60_||
|**Charitable activities**|**£10,867**||**-**||**-**|**£10,867**|_£8,998_||
|Big Day, Xmas Fair & Festival of
Christmas Trees
Other fund raising activities
Parish magazine
Belmont Centre hiring fees|4,257
130
538
17,870||-
-
-
-||-
-
-
-|**4,257**
**130**
**538**
**17,870**|_2,294_
_750_
_221_
_14,370_||
|**Other trading activities**|**£22,795**||**-**||**-**|**£22,795**|_£17,635_||
|Bank deposit interest
Rent from letting of investment
property
Proceeds from Sale of Assets|-
-
-||27
-
-||-
-
-|**27**
**-**
**-**|_106_
_-_
_188,875_||
|**Investments**|**-**||**£27**||**-**|**£27**|_£188,981_||
|Other receipts|917||-||-|**917**|_2,554_||
|**Total income and endowments on all**
**funds**|**£130,228**||**£3,811**||**-**|**£134,039**|_£298,667_||
P a g e | **36**
**Notes to the Financial Report**
## **3 Analysis of expenditure**
|**3 Analysis of expenditure**|||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**Unrestricted**
**Fund**|**Restricted**
**Fund/s**||**Endowed**
**Fund/s**||**Total**
**Funds**
**2021**|_Total_
_Funds_
_2020_|**_Notes_**|
|Uckfield Festival Big Day
Festival of Christmas Trees
Stewardship costs (printing etc)
Other fundraising (non-trading) costs|£
30
3,206
86
721||£
-
-
-
-||£
-
-
-
-|**£**
**30**
**3,206**
**86**
**721**|_£_
_-_
_919_
_-_
_20_||
|**Cost of raising funds**|**£4,043**||**-**||**-**|**£4,043**|_£939_||
|Missionary and charitable giving
Ministry: Diocesan Parish Share
Ministry: Other Clergy costs
Staff: Admin
Upkeep of services
Church running costs
Junior Church and Clubs (e.g. Choir)
Church maintenance and repair
Piano
Holy Cross School Support
Major Works
Miscellaneous
Bank charges
Messy Church/Holiday Club/Outreach
Fees - Paid to Clergy
Fees - Paid to DBF
Fees - Paid for Wedding Extras|3,461
64,500
6,031
16,153
6,470
12,242
-
3,369
916
750
5,652
849
857
201
1,584
5,332
50||2,626
-
-
-
505
-
602
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-||-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-|**6,087**
**64,500**
**6,031**
**16,153**
**6,975**
**12,242**
**602**
**3,369**
**916**
**750**
**5,652**
**849**
**857**
**201**
**1,584**
**5,332**
**50**|_3,978_
_61,500_
_5,699_
_16,142_
_3,668_
_9,610_
_329_
_7,245_
_130_
_225_
_9,238_
_526_
_754_
_328_
_1,721_
_5,097_
_-_|_4_
_6_
_5_
_8_|
|**Cost of charitable activities**|**£128,417**||**£3,733**||**-**|**£132,150**|_£126,190_||
|Uckfield Festival Big Day
Festival of Christmas Trees
Other events
Church Commissioners - 7PVR Equity Loan
and Rent
Belmont Centre running costs
Parish magazine costs
Other trading costs|-
290
-
-
13,943
-
-||-
-
-
-
-
-||-
-
-
-
-
-|**-**
**290**
**-**
**-**
**13,943**
**-**
**-**|_-_
_369_
_-_
_1,894_
_10,655_
_-_
_(13,524)_||
|**Cost of other trading activities**|**£14,233**||**-**||**-**|**£14,233**|_(£2,194)_||
||||||||||
|**Total expended on all funds**|**£146,693**||**£3,733**||**-**|**£150,426**|_£124,936_||
P a g e | **37**
**Notes to the Financial Report**
## **4 Missionary and charitable giving**
||**Unrestricted**
**Fund**|**Restricted**
**Fund/s**|**Restricted**
**Fund/s**|**Endowed**
**Fund/s**|**Endowed**
**Fund/s**|**Total**
**Funds**
**2021**|_Total_
_Funds_
_2020_|**_Notes_**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Overseas:**
_Total_
**Home:**
_Total_
_Accrued amount (HX School Governors)_|£
1,712
248
1,500||£
234
2,392
-||£
-
-
-|**£**
**1,946**
**2,640**
**1,500**|_£_
_734_
_1,244_
_2,000_||
||**3,460**||**2,626**||**-**|**6,086**|_3,978_||
## **5 Staff costs**
|**5 Staff costs**|||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**Unrestricted**
**Fund**|**Restricted**
**Fund/s**||**Endowed**
**Fund/s**||**Total**
**Funds**
**2021**|_Total_
_Funds_
_2020_|**_Notes_**|
|**Remuneration**
_Wages and salaries_|£
16,153||£
-||£
-|**£**
**16,153**|_£_
_16,142_||
||**16,153**||**-**||**-**|**16,153**|_16,142_||
## **6 Payments to PCC members**
## **Trustee payments and expenses**
The PCC support the clergy by paying Council Tax of £3,691, water and environmental charges amounting to £547 for the Rectory plus other costs towards travel, hospitality, telephone, internet and postage totalling £6,031 in 2021.
## **7 Transactions with persons related to PCC members**
Since the appointment of a new Treasurer in June 2019, all payments to the Parish Administrator are connected to the trustees as the Treasurer is married to the Parish Administrator. PCC procedures are in place to ensure at least two others are aware of expenditure, other than regular commitments and pre-agreed works, before payment is made. Financial reporting to the PCC and the PCC Standing Committee contains financial detail to ensure transparency.
No other payments have been made to persons related to or connected to the trustees.
## **8 Transactions with related charities**
The Holy Cross Church of England Primary School is supported by the Clergy and financial assistance is provided in agreement with the PCC. The incumbent is an ex-officio member of the Board of Governors.
Financial support has been given to Holy Cross School during 2021 for a Music tutor for Choir and Assemblies - £750 and Governors - £1,500.
P a g e | **38**
**Notes to the Financial Report**
## **9 Governance**
|**9 Governance**||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**Unrestricted**
**Funds**||**Restricted**
**Fund/s**||**Endowed**
**Fund/s**||**Total**
**Funds**
**2021**|_Total_
_Funds_
_2020_|**_Notes_**|
|_Accounts production_||£
-||£
-||£
-|**£**
**-**|_£_
_-_||
|||**-**||**-**||**-**|**-**|_-_||
## **10 Transfers between funds**
|**10 Transfers between funds**||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**Unrestricted**
**Funds**||**Restricted**
**Fund/s**||**Endowed**
**Fund/s**||**Total**
**Funds**
**2021**|_Total_
_Funds_
_2020_|**_Notes_**|
|||£
-||£
-||£
-|**£**
**-**|_£_
_-_||
|||**-**||**-**||**-**|**-**|_-_||
## **11 Fixed assets**
## **a Investments**
|**a Investments**||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**Unrestricted**
**Fund**|**Restricted**
**Fund/s**||**Endowed**
**Fund/s**||**Total**
**Funds**
**2021**|**_Notes_**|
|Market value 1 January 2021
Disposals at carrying value
Purchases at cost
Net gains and revaluation|£
-
-
-
-||£
-
-
-
-||£
-
-
-
-|**£**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**||
|**Market value 31 December 2021**|**-**||**-**||**-**|**-**||
P a g e | **39**
**Notes to the Financial Report**
## **11 Fixed assets (contd.)**
## **b Tangible fixed assets**
|**b Tangible fixed assets**||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||**Freehold**
**land**
**and**
**buildings**|**Audio visual**
**equipment**||**Office**
**equipment**|**Total fixed**
**assets**|**_Notes_**|
|**Cost or valuation**
At 1 January 2021
Additions
Disposals
Revaluation|£
1,370,000
-
-
-|||£
-
-
-
-|£
-
-
-
-|**£**
**1,370,000**
**-**
**-**
**-**||
|At 31 December 2021|**1,370,000**|||**-**|**-**|**1,370,000**||
|**Charge for impairment**
At 1 January 2021|-|||-|-|**-**||
|At 31 December 2021|**-**|||**-**|**-**|**-**||
|**Net book amounts**
**At 31 December 2021**|**1,370,000**|||**-**|**-**|**1,370,000**||
|_At 31 December 2020_|_1,370,000_|||_-_|_-_|_1,370,000_||
The freehold land and buildings comprise the Belmont Centre, Belmont Road. The Belmont Centre remains valued at £1,370,000 as at 31 Dec 2021.
## **13 Net assets by fund**
|**13 Net assets by fund**||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**Unrestricted**
**Funds**|**Restricted**
**Fund/s**|**Endowed**
**Fund/s**||**Total Funds**
**2021**|_Total Funds_
_2020_|**_Notes_**|
|Fixed assets for church use
Current assets (except cash)
Cash at bank and on deposit
Current liabilities
Long term liabilities|£
1,370,000
4,034
74,462
(4,950)
-|£
-
-
197,116
-
-||£
-
-
-
-
-|**£**
**1,370,000**
**4,034**
**271,578**
**(4,950)**
**-**|_£_
_1,370,00_
_4,472_
_296,066_
_(13,377)_
_-_||
||**£1,443,546**|**£197,116**||**£-**|**£1,640,662**|_£1,656,961_||
P a g e | **40**
## **Notes to the Financial Report**
## **14 Debtors**
|**14 Debtors**||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Income tax recoverable
Prepayments and accrued income
Other debtors|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**||**Restricted**
**Fund/s**||**Endowed**
**Fund/s**||**Total**
**Funds**
**2021**|_Total_
_Funds_
_2020_|**_Notes_**|
|||£
2,926
1,108
-||£
-
-
-||£
-
-
-|**£**
**2,926**
**1,108**
**-**|_£_
_2,822_
_1,650_
_-_||
||**£4,034**|||**-**||**-**|**£4,034**|_£4,472_||
## **15 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year**
||**Unrestricted**
**Funds**|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**|**Restricted**
**Fund/s**|**Restricted**
**Fund/s**|**Endowed**
**Fund/s**|**Endowed**
**Fund/s**|**Total**
**Funds**
**2021**|_Total_
_Funds_
_2020_|**_Notes_**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Deferred income
Accruals for utilities and other costs
Other creditors||£
-
4,630
320||£
-
-
-||£
-
-
-|**£**
**-**
**4,630**
**320**|_£_
_-_
_13,317_
_260_||
||**£4,950**|||**-**||**-**|**£4,950**|_£13,577_||
## **16 Creditors: amounts falling due after one year**
||**Unrestricted**
**Funds**|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**|**Restricted**
**Fund/s**|**Restricted**
**Fund/s**|**Endowed**
**Fund/s**|**Endowed**
**Fund/s**|**Total**
**Funds**
**2021**|_Total_
_Funds_
_2020_|**_Notes_**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Deferred income
Accruals for utilities and other costs
Other creditors||£
-
-
-||£
-
-
-||£
-
-
-|**£**
**-**
**-**
**-**|_£_
_-_
_-_
_-_||
|||**-**||**-**||**-**|**-**|_-_||
P a g e | **41**
**Notes to the Financial Report**
## **17 Statement of funds**
**Restricted Funds -** The purpose of the restricted funds are as follows:
- _**Organ Repair Fund**_ – holds funds for repairing and maintaining the Church Organ.
- _**Sunday Refreshment Fund**_ – holds the proceeds of contributions given at coffee after the 9.30am service and is used for charitable donations to good causes.
- _**Screen and AV Fund**_ – established in 2018 to raise funds for the installation of a permanent display screen and in 2019 the scope was extended to include the sound system.
- _**Youth Club Fund**_ – holds funds for the Youth Club which is currently in recess.
- _**Inspire Project Fund**_ – established in 2015 following the receipt of a donation from Uckfield District Nurses Welfare Committee and was donated to the Uckfield Community Fridge in 2021.
- _**Action Aid Fund**_ – established in 2018 to support, by monthly donation, the education of a child in Guatemala.
- _**Window Appeal Fund**_ – established in 2019 to raise funds to repair and maintain the church windows.
- _**Childrens Work**_ – established during 2021 due to the fund raising and donations specifically supporting the children’s activities and groups in Church.
- _**Clergy Housing**_ – established in 2020 from the proceeds of the sale of the Curate’s house at 7 Parkview Road, Uckfield.
- _**Flower Fund**_ – established in 2021 to maintain the funds relating to floral tributes in Church.
- _**The Children’s Society**_ – used in 2021 to restrict funds from collections not disbursed by the close of the year.
**Unrestricted funds** are not subject to any donor restrictions and can be spent as the PCC decides.
## **18 Summary of all funds**
Fund income and expenditure and final balances are as follows:
||**Balances**
**b/fwd**
**1 Jan 2021**|**Income**|**Expenditure**|**Transfers,**
**other gains**
**and losses**|**Balances**
**c/fwd**
**31 Dec 2021**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Organ Repairs
Sunday Refreshments
AV and Screen Fund
Youth Club
Inspire Project
Action Aid (Guatemala
Child)
Window Appeal Fund
Children’s Work
Clergy Housing
Flower Fund
The Children’s Society|£
4,014
614
4,340
341
2,097
-
1,510
656
183,086
380
-|£
-
623
-
-
-
234
-
2,266
-
352
309|£
-
-
-
-
2,097
234
-
602
-
505
295|£
1
-
1
-
-
-
-
-
25
-
-|**£**
_4,015_
_1,237_
_4,341_
_341_
_-_
_-_
_1,510_
_2,320_
_183,111_
_227_
_14_|
|**Total of all restricted**
**funds**|**197,038**|**3,784**|**(3,733)**|**27**|_197,116_|
|Revaluation of fixed assets
General fund|-
1,460,012|-
130,228|-
(146,693)|-
-|_-_
_1,443,547_|
|**Total of all unrestricted**
**funds**|**1,460,012**|**130,228**|**(146,693)**|**-**|**1,443,547**|
|||||||
|**Total funds**|**£1,657,050**|**£134,012**|**(£150,426)**|**£27**|**£1,640,663**|
P a g e | **42**
## **Independent Examiner’s Report**
## **to the PCC of The Church of the Holy Cross, Uckfield for the Year Ended 31[st] December, 2021**
This is my report to the Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish (PCC) of the Church of the Holy Cross, Uckfield, on the annual report for the year ended 31[st] December 2021 set out on pages 3 to 42.
**Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner**
The PCC members are responsible for the preparation of the annual reports. The PCC members consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Charities Act”) and that an independent examination is needed.
- It is my responsibility to:
1. examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act,
2. to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act, and
3. to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
**Basis of independent examiner’s statement**
My examination was carried out in accordance with general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair’ view and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
**Independent examiner's statement**
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention (other than that disclosed below in Section B *)
1. which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in, any material respect, the requirements:
- a. to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; and
- b. to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Charities Act
- have not been met; or
2. to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
- _Please delete the words in the (brackets) if they do not apply_
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## **Examiner’s signature**
**Relevant professional qualification(s) or body**
_if any_ **Examiner’s address**
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
P a g e | **43**
**Section B**
## **Disclosure**
**Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight material problems** _for example:_
- accounting records have not been kept in accordance with s132 of the Charities’ Act 2011 and those accounts do not comply with the requirements of the 2008 Regulations setting out the form and content of charity accounts;
- any material expenditure or action which appears not to be in accordance with the trusts of the charity;
- any failure to be provided with information and explanations by any past or present trustee, officer or employee; and
- any material inconsistency between the accounts and the trustees’ annual report.
**Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose**
Page | 44