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← The Parochial Church Council Of The Ecclesiastical Parish Of The Church Of The Holy Cross, Uckfield

2024-12-31-accounts

Trustees Annual Report and Financial Report of

The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesias�cal Parish of The Church of the Holy Cross, Uckfield

Registered Charity no. 1137746

For the year ended 31 December 2024

Table of Contents
Page
The Trustees Annual Report .................................................. 3
Safeguarding Report .............................................................. 20
Fabric and Maintenance Report ............................................ 22
Financial Review .................................................................... 24
Statement of Financial Ac�vi�es ........................................... 26
Balance Sheet ........................................................................ 27
Notes to the Financial Report ................................................ 28
Independent Examiner’s Report ............................................ 37

Administra�ve informa�on

Incumbent : Independent examiner : Mr B Jacobs, 12 Silverdale, Keymer BN6 8RD (appointed 2022)

Bankers : Na�onal Westminster Bank, 1 Muster Green, Haywards Heath RH16 4AP : Parish Office holycrossuckfield@gmail.com Website : www.churcho�heholycrossuckfeld.co.uk Social Media: Facebook - holycrosschurchuckfield

Advisers to the P.C.C.

Mrs AD Johnson Churchwarden Mr J Pontefract Churchwarden and Health & Safety Officer Mr P Ireland P.C.C. Treasurer Mrs G Youngman P.C.C. 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 and Rhian Cotrell.

This rest of this page is intentionally left blank.

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THE TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT

OUR AIMS AND PURPOSES AS A CHARITY

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’.

is part of a Plurality with St Michael and All Angels at Litle Horsted and St Margaret of An�och at Isfield, overseen by the Rector, the Reverend John Wall (Father John). The Parochial Church Council (P.C.C.) is a corporate body established by the Church of England and operates under the Parochial Church Council (Powers) Measure 1956, Church Representa�on Rules 2006 which states that its principal func�on is “promo�ng in the parish the whole mission of the Church”.

The P.C.C. has the responsibility of co-opera�ng with the incumbent in:

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

When planning our ac�vi�es for the year the P.C.C. and clergy have considered the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit and, in par�cular, the specific guidance on ‘chari�es for the advancement of religion’.

We enable as many people as possible to worship at our church:

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We engage in evangelism and outreach to the parish in various ways:

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, including keeping it open for all during daylight hours; also maintaining the fabric of The Belmont Centre (Church hall).

We consider protec�ng 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.

We spend money as wisely and responsibly as possible:

We consider the needs of people served by other chari�es and overseas:

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WHAT WE PLANNED TO DO TO ACHIEVE OUR CHARITABLE OBJECTIVES

PERFORMANCE REVIEW OF ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE YEAR

Worship and Prayer

All are welcome to atend our services and the church family welcomes visitors from within as well as outside the parish boundary.

The regular services are:

The number of adults atending a Sunday morning service in 2024 averaged 77 (this includes the Open Doors service when Junior Church and families par�cipate in the service) and is an increase of two from last year.

Each year the Diocese asks parishes to monitor atendance during Sundays in October. In 2024 the average adult atendance in Church for the morning services in October (including the Harvest Open Doors service) was 82 (one more than last year).

The average number atending the Open Doors service was 91 adults (an increase of three from last year) and 15 children. There were by far most children (38) at the Harvest Open Doors service.

The highest atendance for a Sunday morning was Easter Day (like last year) which was a Family Service with 135 adults and 28 children atending (13 adults less and one child more than last year but s�ll a very pleasing turn out).

our worshipping community and this year the congrega�on were asked to help with this making it possibly more accurate maybe than previous years. Dee reported that our demographic profile is roughly 50% over 70, 25% 18-69, 25% under 18 with the biggest growth sec�on being 11-17 year olds who we have managed to hold on to thanks to the dedica�on of those involved. This is illustrated in the chart to the right. She also pointed out that unfortunately there is nowhere in the sta�s�cs to put the number of Very Chaty Café atendees which is our biggest outreach work [see Page 11].

----- Start of picture text -----
Holy Cross Church Age Profile 2024
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Children 0-10 Young people Adults 18-69 Adults 70+
11-17
----- End of picture text -----

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Numbers at the weekly 8am Holy Communion service remained low, ranging from 4 to 14 (the highest atendance being Easter Day) with an average of seven people atending throughout the year. Similarly, atendance at the weekly Wednesday 11am Holy Communion service varies from 5 to 15 (the highest atendance being Ash Wednesday) with an average of eight during the year.

A Pet Service was also held this year which atracted 77 adults and 16 children along with 17 dogs and two tortoises. The Holiday Club helpers came dressed as buterflies which they had worn for the Uckfield Carnival Children’s Procession.

Evensong Service but with

lines in 2024:

As can be seen below, numbers varied depending to the type of service:

Evening Prayer Choral Evensong Evensong
10-12 (average 11) 24-46 (average 30) 7-20 (average 15)

There were also some special evening services which included:

Evensong combined with a BBQ at The Rectory garden in August with 55 atending (38 last year).

{~ Two special evening services were led by the younger members of the congregation. One was on Palm Sunday led

Concert in September by the Youth Choir (supported by our Children’s Choir) atended by 65 adults and six children and

Children’s Choir stayed steady at around 11 children.

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Besides the regular Sunday services, other services also took place in Holy Cross Church which bring in the

There was no St George’s Day service this year as the Scouts held it in their Scout Hut.

The Church is also used as a suitable venue by others for special events like the Rocks Park School Harvest Service and Uckfield College Carol Concert.

Christmas services were well atended with the

Crib ‘unrehearsed nativity’ Service continuing to be the most popular service of all where children were invited to take part. The galleries come into their own at this service (as photo on right).

The estimated attendance figures for the Crib Service were back up to pre Covid levels [see table below] which is encouraging:

Year Adults Children under
16		 Total Notes
2019 490 127 617
2020 - - - Could not be held due to Covid
2021 200 50 250 Spaces limited and bookings taken
2022 350 150 500
2023 325 125 450
2024 500 100 600

Compline (an Order for Night Prayer) continued at 4.30pm on the 1 st, 3rd and 5th Tuesday of the month at St Saviour’s (following private prayer from 4pm) with an average of five people atending.

From October Fr. John has continued to visit Millington Court monthly basis to take a Eucharist service in the communal room and since August a similar service started at Portman Court (Grange Road), atended by c13 people. An occasional service has begun at Margaret House with c10-12 atendees. It is yet to get into a regular rhythm.

Children’s work and atendance

Junior Church

showing what they have been doing which is always a joy to see and hear.

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Numbers vary considerably with an average of 17 children and as many as 28 children when they made

many of whom are parents and can vary from eight to as many as 22 per week.

Two Saturday morning sessions of Messy Church were held (Messy Easter and Messy Harvest) each with an atendance of around 50 children. Priority booking is given to Junior Church children with the remaining spaces open to the wider community.

In summer the Holiday Club returned with a funpacked ‘Animal Kingdom’ theme. Over 50 children were welcomed throughout the three

| music and craft based on a story from the Bible. The following Sunday the usual Holiday Club service was held when children shared with the congregation and families what they had done the previous week. Children and helpers also took part in the Uckfield Carnival Children’s Procession as part of the Animal Kingdom.

During 2024 the Youth Club met for a number of sessions including a BBQ, A MacDonald’s trip and a hugely well supported Palm Sunday Service. Since the summer, owing to the volume of the young people’s

It was pointed out that when you entered Holy Cross Church, there is no evidence of children being part of the church, which is far from correct. A sub group of the P.C.C. therefore created a new Children’s area in the Christ Church Chapel which was blessed at the Harvest Open Doors Service as a six month trial.

Sarah promoted it on Facebook:

‘If you have young children and would like to join us at a church service, but worry about keeping the litle one's entertained, please don't worry - we have introduced a new area in the church especially for young children! Obviously we always welcome children to join us in our Junior Church sessions which run on 1st, 3rd & 5th Sundays, but if you wish to keep them in church with you, this will hopefully

give you a welcome alternative. Please also know that we fully understand that children make noise! This will never be frowned upon at Holy Cross - children of all ages are always welcome!’ This new area has been very well received.

. Report containing activities of the church family

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Life Events

Our Church con�nued to be appreciated by our parishioners and many others as a space where life events are celebrated with joy and thanksgiving. There were six Bap�sms (five under the age of one and one adult) and one Wedding held during the year. There were 17 Funerals in Holy Cross Church and members of clergy took another five funeral services at non-church loca�ons.

service taken by Bishop Will (the Bishop of Lewes) at Newick in June included two adults from Holy Cross Church being confirmed.

Pastoral ministry/care

We greatly appreciate those who lead services at Holy Cross Church and in the plurality. Namely our Rector, Fr John, the Revd. Canon Martha Mu�kani (Associate-Vicar of Isfield, Uckfield and Litle Horsted), our Honorary Assistant Curates; the Revd. David Ashton and the Revd. Canon Hugh Moseley and our Reader Sheila. Unfortunately, in December Canon Moseley had to withdraw from his ministerial du�es (for personal reasons) and will be greatly missed. Also in December, following a long and difficult illness, Penny Blanch sadly died and we welcomed back to the ministerial team plurality the Revd Dr Mike Blanch.

Clergy con�nued to visit the sick at home and in hospital and Pat Hall her dedicated work taking communion to those in Copper Beech Care Home and from December also to residents in Thornbury Residen�al Home.

Sandie Boniface, Rhian Cotrell and Ray Pilson. Sue Lannaghan stood down having been a Minister for a considerable number of years; we are very grateful for her period of faithful service.

Late November Will Hier joined us for six months as a Pastoral Assistant spending most Sundays and a weekday with us. This post had first been proposed in 2021 but for various reasons the appointment was delayed.

In the autumn a second Bereavement Group course ran for 5 weeks, led by Canon Martha and Fr David, with the help of Carol Ashton.

Communica�on

year our Facebook page followers numbered 1,900 (an increase of 11.7% on the previous year.) We are indebted to Sarah Widdowson for this as she con�nually posts things to inform people both within and beyond our congrega�on of the ac�vi�es and work of our Church. During the year Sarah also took on the role of maintaining The Holy Cross Church website; we are grateful to John Pontefract for his work on it over the past few years.

Social events and fundraising

Wednesday service which is a good way for new members to mix as well as an opportunity for a catch up

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Diocese Children’s and Families Work (FSW) and Goodwill Children's Homes.

as those atending. We are pleased to say that the family of Holy Cross are good at both volunteering and

homemade goodies (e.g. homemade cakes, bread, jam,

marmalade) on Sundays and Sarah then created Easter Treat boxes raising £360.

The on the first May bank holiday which was due to take place on Luxford Field had to change at Spring Festival the last minute due to the inclement weather. Stalls were instead set up in The Belmont Centre and it became a

was amazing.

] bracelet making, craft ladies, face painting and a rainbow raffle and as a result an impressive £2,000 was raised for the church.

In June Esther and Poppy held a cake sale towards their Walsingham Youth Pilgrimage Fund , raising £240.

A jumble sale held in July raised over £500 and another in

Harvest Lunch in The Belmont Centre was enjoyed by 90 including young families; thank you to Dee and

Doors service.

The annual Christmas Fair , held in the Belmont Centre raised just over £1,700, which was very good, especially as numbers seemed down, possibly due to a large Christmas event taking place elsewhere.

The annual Festival of Christmas Trees was as excellent as ever breaking records for the number of trees (112), the number of visitors (6500) and the money raised (£17,000) with The Grand Prize Draw raising

many volunteers from both the church and wider community led by Sarah Widdowson’s enthusiasm and vision.

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Report containing activities of the

church family .

The now well established (Very) Chaty Cafe PURE 61/9 @ > ey CONtinued to thrive, thanks to a dedicated team of organisers and helpers. New people £ Va happy, friendly twice monthly event and we are eg ous Wi -efizg <CONtinually attend as word has spread about this pleased to welcome people with or without a

averaged 60-70 each session with a varied and enjoyable programme and menus. It transpired

and so the new name of Holy Cross Very Chaty Café was born. Another successful Summer Garden Party was held (thank you to the hosts Wendy, David and Sheena) with the help from some members of Uckfield

Hall.

One Saturday in September the Very Chaty Café team

This was to raise money to give back to the Church for the free use of The Belmont Centre on Fridays.

For more information on Very Chatty Cafe see the separate . Report containing activities of the church family

In May the Crafty Ladies announced “We have been around now for some 20 years and are moving towards semi-

means we’ll be working at a slower pace. We'll be putting in an appearance at most events and probably fill only a small »), table with our crafty goodies. The alterations to clothing and | Tools with a Mission services will continue. Rhian Cottrell 4 Z and the Very Chaty Café will take over the shoe boxes for Mustard Seed.” In July the Crafty Ladies and Very Chatty

between the Church and transport costs of the Mustard Seed Relief Mission ‘Love in a Box’ for children which following appeals were made up at Very Chaty Café

years making and selling produce as well as taking on repairs and a selection of specific requests and have raised significant amounts of money.

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Throughout the summer Fr. John hosted several BBQ’s at The Rectory which were very successful and a

singers, Evensong and a Youth Club BBQ.

organ will need some expensive maintenance work doing to it hence ongoing fundraising:

  1. Pedal Coupler Renovation - £1,000 2. Cleaning & overhaul - £20,000

  2. . .

    • Up to £22,200 Tonal Alterations — Some nice to do’s but some may be done

- Up to £22,200

Costs, depending on what is done ranges from the minimum work £37,000 to the maximum of £67,700 and to have some work done at a later stage would incur extra costs taking the organ apart again.

We are very grateful to those from outside the church who have put on social and fundraising events,

In March the Ashdown Singers and Fletching Singers presented a Spring Concert in Church in aid of the Holy Cross Church Organ Fund.

In October - Two Become One concert CPJ Field, raised £1,291.27 for the Organ Fund.

‘Dawn, Wisdom’ a free World Premiere which raised £250 for Holy Cross Church.

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In December the church hosted “A Thousand Years of Christmas”, an evening of Christmas songs and readings though distinguished the ages. It featured soprano Sally Bradshaw, Julian Broughton playing the piano and other instruments and Dr Rowan Williams singing as well as reading a range of characters. It was a very

(this show has been performed in other places in the UK and abroad).

Dr Williams was a former Archbishop of Canterbury and whoever holds that post

Archbishop had set foot in our church. Holy Cross Church was given half of the proceeds (£537).

Our witness to the community

In September Fr. John said prayers for the town in the High Street on Carnival night - this event is a part of the Sussex Bonfire season and is atended by thousands of people from Uckfield and further afield.

On 6[th] June Uckfield Town Council invited all local residents to be present for a special 80th-anniversary commemoration of the D-Day landings. The day culminated with the D-Day 80 Beacon Lighting (part of a

Holy Cross Church gives ongoing support to the town’s Foodbank

Holy Cross Church donates about twelve shopping bags a month which are always gratefully received. Dee

Foodbank and can also issue food vouchers on behalf of the Church. She told us this year that the food

donor. In September Dee cooked a curry meal for all the Foodbank volunteers as a thank you.

Foodbank

fresh produce for the Community Fridge , and a retiring collection raised £180 for Toby Illingworth’s Yashchenko Foundation , which distributes aid in Ukraine. Toby is the son of Robin and Fiona (who is a

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wrote more about its work in the Link magazine.

Holy Cross Church is a member of the and the .

impinges on the Business Community as part of its Community Involvement.

Very sadly Holy Cross Church of England Primary School closed on 31st

170 years of being the Parochial School (now The Belmont Centre) then a new building from the 1960’s. A

history of the Schools was This exhibition aims to portray aspects of Holy Cross School over its ‘ = a Ue < ‘ organised and hosted by Bridge Cotage which saw Holy Cross School Thanksgiving Service to be held Saturday 2™ March 2024 11am at Holy Cross Church-all welcome. : = : > — =< 590 people visit. On the last ecmingbslageomtogmoehicnlBridge Cottage, High Street, ceiUckfield,orca TN22016261AZ T007DA i yeOSsa1 aS » : day there was a 2 Thanksgiving Service in Holy Cross Church atended by 280. Various people from the two Schools spoke

Community Leaders

Lunches

Mission, outreach and evangelism

recipients of this money are detailed in the Financial report [see page 24].

separate Christmas appeal as in the past, we supported Family2Family in their Christmas appeal to support local children.

The Churchwardens are also trustees of the “Edward Holmes Baldock Charity”

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she le� enabled 12 fourpenny loaves to be provided to 12 poor families at Holy Cross Church every Sunday. In 1846 Edward Holmes Baldock bequeathed the sum of £750 to be invested and distributed each year amongst poor persons of the parish. These combined investments are held with the COIF Chari�es Investment Fund which provides a quarterly income used to fund an annual dona�on to three families selected by a sub-commitee each year. This is normally made up to £25 per recipient by the P.C.C. As no dona�ons were made in 2023, £50 was given to three recipients in 2024.

Some of the congrega�on belong to Caring and Sharing , a scheme (started in Eastbourne in 1982) 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 compara�ve wealth by sending the savings from this small sacrifice to projects in poorer countries to provide the basic needs of life. By making a small change in lifestyles this year £1,652 was raised. Barbara Cooper faithfully oversaw this for Holy Cross Church over many years and the congrega�on and town were devastated when in December she died in a tragic accident.

In summer 2023, 100 handheld crosses from Jerusalem were blessed and distributed. These have proved a great source of comfort for people and con�nue to be available. O�en the recipient has given theirs away and needs another. The take up and impact of the crosses has been amazing and in all about 800 have now been purchased.

Ecumenical Rela�onships

par�cipate in the Good Friday Walk of witness from Cornerstone Church up the High Street to Har�ields café where a short service took place.

PROPERTY

The Belmont Centre

A very short walk from the church is The Belmont Centre which the church owns. The P.C.C. is responsible for the upkeep of the building overseen by the Churchwardens, and the Major Works Project Manager who report back to the P.C.C. The Parish Administrator manages bookings and other day to day ac�vi�es of the Belmont Centre. The building houses the Parish Office and has a hall and small mee�ng room and also a good well stocked kitchen and toilets, including a disabled toilet with a nappy changing mat. An addi�onal part of the Belmont Centre is on permanent loan to a Pre-school Group. This wonderful facility is used for Church fundraising and social events and is also an asset for use by the wider community and brings in an income for the Church. Bookings this year went very well with regular bookings on most days of the week as well as par�es, wakes and bap�sm celebra�ons. In November the Belmont Centre was inspected by the Food Standards Agency and retained its five star food hygiene ra�ng which is the highest level, showing that standards are very good.

St Saviour’s

worship area with sea�ng which also doubles up as a community space for events. It is managed by

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Compline takes place on the 1st, 3rd and 5th Tuesdays as detailed earlier. More details about St Saviour’s can be found in the Report containing activities of the church family.

VOLUNTEERS

We con�nue to extend the opportuni�es for the exercise of ministry and gi�s within the life of the community. We are grateful to have the dedica�on and support of Dee Johnson and John Pontefract as our churchwardens and a full complement of P.C.C. and Deanery Synod members. This was highlighted when in March “The Church Times” published an ar�cle “No churchwardens and vacant P.C.C. posts: an inves�ga�on into the church volunteering crisis”. The weekly Church of England newspaper had writen to every diocese the previous month in an atempt to quan�fy the extent of the recruitment challenge. Those that replied reported that between one quarter and 40 per cent of parishes had only one churchwarden, while between five and 21 per cent had none. One reported that 22 per cent of its parishes were missing one or more people in key posi�ons this January.

There are over 40 roles of individuals and teams which enable Holy Cross Church to run as well as it does. There are so many volunteers giving their �me and talent, in some cases to more than one area or role. Fr John acknowledges them all in his annual report. In addi�on there are those who help at our fundraising events and the many people from the local community (and further afield) who help in various ways with the Fes�val of Christmas Trees, enabling this annual spectacle to take place. 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.

The Report containing activities of the church family covers the work of some of these groups and individual volunteers in more detail.

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

The appointment of Parochial Church Council members is governed by and set out in the Church Representa�on Rules. The P.C.C. members are responsible for making decisions on all maters pertaining to the parish including how funds are to be spent.

It is made up of the following 19 people:

Elected members (3 year term)

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All those who atend our services are encouraged to apply to be on the Electoral Roll and if appropriate, to stand for elec�on to the P.C.C.. The number of people on the Electoral Roll as of 27 April 2025 was 162 which is a decrease of 27 from last year. There are 19 (just over 10%) people who are not resident in the parish (which is an increase of 1 from last year).

The full Parochial Church Council held four mee�ngs during the year at St Saviour’s. The average atendance of P.C.C. members at these mee�ngs was 15 (79%) which is the same as last year. A mee�ng is usually held solely to approve the Trustees Report (including the Financial Review) but this year that was done via email. The Holy Cross Parochial Church Council has complied with the duty under sec�on 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 con�nue to work within the guidelines in the most recently published Parish Safeguarding Handbook (approved by the House of Bishops).

The P.C.C. Standing Commitee comprises the Rector, Dee Johnson and John Pontefract (Churchwardens), Paul Ireland (P.C.C. Treasurer), Gillian Youngman (P.C.C. Secretary), Angela Noel (P.C.C. representa�ve) and Lynne Ireland (Parish Administrator). The purpose of the Standing Commitee is to conduct P.C.C. business in between mee�ngs or in an emergency, including addressing day to day maters and ensuring the smooth running of the church and the Belmont Centre. They only met once (via Zoom) during the year. O�en decisions are now instead made via emails or a WhatsApp group which is easier and means they can be dealt with quickly.

With a building the size and age of Holy Cross Church and heavy use of The Belmont Centre, there is a lot of ongoing maintenance required plus we are con�nually trying to improve the building to make it safe, welcoming and inclusive. Obviously what can be done and when depends on a number of factors like money, some�mes planning permission and approval by the Chichester DAC (Diocesan Advisory Commitee for the Care of Churches) which is a statutory body, providing advice and guidance on the care of churches. We are very grateful to Paul Kennedy our Major Works Project Manager who deals with these applica�ons which entail detailed and �me consuming form filling.

As part of our Mission Ac�on Plan , during 2024 the P.C.C. agreed on the following major work to be done over the next three years:

2024 South door ramp Automa�c internal doors Choir vestry window

2025 Carpet(s) North stairwell walls

2026 Organ restora�on [see page 12 for breakdown of costs]

Updates on the work for 2024 can be seen in the Fabric and Maintenance Report [see page 22]

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Deanery Synod

The Deanery Synod considers maters 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, evangelis�c, social and ecumenical. The Deanery Synod elects clergy and laity Diocesan Synod representa�ves and has an allocated General Synod representa�ve. Holy Cross Church currently has four representa�ves on the Uckfield Deanery Synod (which met 3 �mes in 2024) who report back to the P.C.C. via a writen report from Francis Wallace who is Secretary of the Deanery Synod and a P.C.C. member. A more detailed report of 2024 can be seen in the separate Report containing activities of the church family .

SAFEGUARDING

Following the publica�on of an independent review by Keith Makin into the Church of England's handling of allega�ons of serious abuse by the late John Smyth, on 12[th] November Jus�n Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury and patron of our Church resigned: The Archbishop of Canterbury said:

“Having sought the gracious permission of His Majesty The King, I have decided to resign as Archbishop of Canterbury.

The Makin Review has exposed the long-maintained conspiracy of silence about the heinous abuses of John Smyth.

resolu�on would follow.

It is very clear that I must take personal and ins�tu�onal responsibility for the long and retrauma�sing period between 2013 and 2024.”

The above is an extract from the Church of England website. The following message from the Bishop of Chichester was communicated to the congrega�on the following Sunday:

Dear brothers and sisters,

who abused his claim to be an exponent of the Chris�an faith.

The consequent resigna�on of Jus�n Welby as Archbishop of Canterbury is an indica�on of the gravity that we must atach to the crimes that are outlined in that report and the seriousness with which the Church of England takes its safeguarding responsibili�es. Those responsibili�es represent a sacred trust, and it is certain that God will ask us to account for our aten�on to this when we meet him on the day of resurrec�on and judgement.

This report graphically reminds us that abuse has been perpetrated within the name of the Church and it has o�en been covered up. Survivors of that abuse have taught us many important lessons about confron�ng, with truth and humility, the ins�tu�onal shame of knowing that people in posi�ons of trust in the Church have sexually abused young, vulnerable and impressionable people in their care. And let us remember that cover-up and poor response can inflict addi�onal damage.

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It is essen�al that the Church of England na�onally, and we in the diocese of Chichester, con�nue to do all we can to ensure that our churches and organisa�ons are safe places, where disclosures of abuse are effec�vely and appropriately acted upon. These should be places where it can never feel safe to abuse, or to encourage or conceal abuse.

Evil deeds were commited by John Smyth who was an evil man. Evil can have a long trajectory. It has to be named and brought to account: that is o�en a batle and it can be costly. We are seeing the effect of that trajectory now and it must not be permited to do further harm.

Please pray for the vic�ms of John Smyth and their families, and please hold Jus�n Welby in your prayers.

Please pray also for the Church: for wisdom, courage and humility to face the challenges of evil. Please pray for all engaged in safeguarding - our parish safeguarding officers, those who ensure the safety of our schools and youth work, our diocesan safeguarding team and all who deliver training for lay and ordained ministers. Thank you for the vigilance you make possible and for helping us to confront evil, protect the vulnerable and bring to account those who seek to do us harm.

Yours in Christ, our Judge and our Redeemer,

+Mar�n

In his sermon that same Sunday, Fr John spoke with emo�on on behalf of himself and his fellow clergy about this dreadful business and had hugely suppor�ve feedback. He said “We carry on in our own parish, faithfully and with conscien�ous commitment in caring for our communi�es of church and town.”

On the next page is the Safeguarding Report for Holy Cross Church for the last twelve months. Safeguarding is a standing item on our P.C.C. mee�ng agendas in order to keep our responsibili�es high profile.

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Safeguarding Report

aspects, needs, and requirements effec�vely.

As you are all aware, strict guidelines are now in place. We must adhere to these guidelines under the Diocese of Chichester, as we do with all safeguarding requirements.

Applica�on forms are now rou�nely u�lised as the ini�al stage in the recruitment process. The form indicates where a person would like to have a DBS for be it church, youth etc.

We have developed a structured format for formal interviews that is thorough yet manageable for the applicant.

candidate would like to be considered for.

Safeguarding policy document.

This year, the work on DBS has been thoroughly overhauled, rewriten, and trailed. We now feel confident that our DBS safeguarding system is comprehensive and robust, which is essen�al. Diligence is of utmost importance.

We have this year been advising people to sign up for the UPDATING service when they have their DBS it then informs you when your DBS is to be updated.

Please be reminded that this is a mutual process.

This year, we have ini�ated the crea�on of a chart that will outline the necessary updates and required training. This will ensure that everyone is informed about what is needed.

Father John has recently completed training on safer recruitment.

This year, we par�cipated in the Independent Safeguarding Audit conducted by the INEQE Safeguarding Group, which resulted in a highly posi�ve report.

The audit was robust. The INEQE has been commissioned to conduct an audit across all Dioceses in the Church of England, regardless of size. A key result of this audit is the broad acknowledgment that "safeguarding has advanced."

At Holy Cross over the year we have “nagged” for the want of a beter word about safeguarding and we are really making con�nued progress with all the legisla�on that has come our way as safeguarding officers, but over the year we have listened, thought, and consistently acted in the interests of our Holy Cross family from those not yet born to our most vulnerable.

“Vulnerability can exist in any congrega�on, and it’s important to prepare for future risks not just current ones “

Father John has already atended a zoom session on this mater and more training has been earmarked.

P a g e | 20

SQP Simple Quality Control Protects

SQP is an ongoing ini�a�ve, and over the year, the work and ac�vi�es undertaken by our Church have significantly increased. There has been substan�al progress concerning safeguarding measures. We are commited to fulfilling all necessary requirements. Everything we do must priori�ze safeguarding. With that in mind, changes are necessary once again.

We have recently been told that we must use the diocese dashboard.

This will replace SQP which we have been using for the last 8 years.

The aim is to simplify safeguarding by consolida�ng all necessary informa�on in one place. The dashboard will indicate completed and pending tasks, with the goal of achieving consistent progress across all areas.

It is crucial to recognize that issues of abuse are not limited to a single denomina�on or tradi�on but are prevalent across all expressions of the church.

Rhian Cottrell (Safeguarding Officer, Holy Cross Church)

P a g e | 21

Fabric and Maintenance Report

qualified contractors and the process of applying for a Faculty via the Diocese. Projects that have been started include the conversion of the main south door of the church into a disabled access complete with a ramp and electronic door opener. This is going through the faculty stage and will hopefully get signed off shortly (thank you Paul Kennedy).

The Choir Vestry window refurbishment project has been delayed for a couple of years due to not being able to find a viable alterna�ve to a high quote of £10,000. Paul Kennedy has now found a way of doing this with a couple of contractors rather than just the one for £5,400. Unfortunately the state of the windows has got worse due to the delay so this work will be priori�sed for 2025.

Completed Work

Health and Safety

Ongoing Maintenance

In addi�on to the Vestry window, the poin�ng on the South face of the choir vestry needs repairing. This will need to be with lime mortar and the window installer is prepared to do this and a very fair price, c£500, if done at the same �me as the window reinstalla�on.

The P.C.C. should also note that the porch wall is separa�ng from the brick building and needs repoin�ng as there is water ingress. A�er the Quinquennial review, the architect George Esdaile men�oned that the roof trusses of the Choir Vestry entrance porch need tying into the Choir Vestry to solve the porch wall separa�ng problem. This can be done by 4 wood beams bol�ng in from underneath and doesn’t need a

P a g e | 22

complete roof removal. We need to get this quoted. Also, the three windows in the porch are sagging and the woodwork in urgent need of preserving and repain�ng.

Other projects considered by the P.C.C. for reordering and priori�sa�on during 2025 include:

Heath & Safety Updates

John Pontefract Churchwarden and Health & Safety Officer

P a g e | 23

Financial Review

As the Trustees Annual Report details, 2024 has once again been a great year for the church family and its outreach into the local community with fantas�c support for the various ac�vi�es and events throughout the year. On the financial aspects 2024 shows a small surplus which is a welcome return following deficit situa�ons since the global pandemic in 2020.

During the later part of 2023 the P.C.C. decided to allocate £100,000 of the proceeds of the sale of the former curate’s house to generate addi�onal income for the unrestricted P.C.C. funds. Combined with placing funds into a 95 day no�ce bank account this has generated £4,527 income which has helped offset shor�alls in day to day ac�vi�es and contributed towards an overall surplus of £13,908. £10,000 of this surplus can be atributed to a dona�on towards improving the disabled access into the church. This is a restricted fund for the work planned for 2025.

Incoming and outgoing resources

Total receipts on general unrestricted funds, which are detailed in the Financial Statements, were £152,026. This is £12,346 more than 2023, allowing for the £4,527 from the £100,000 investment, this means a net increase of £7,819 from generous support from the regular and cash givers and the various events that have been organised throughout the year.

Our biggest source of income, the regular giving from the Church congrega�on, was slightly up on 2023. The 2024 total (via bank deposits, weekly envelopes and cash collec�ons) was £61,676 up from £59,893 in 2023. This is s�ll around 8% lower than the £67,165 given in 2019 (pre-Covid). The number of regular givers at the end of 2024 was 86 a net change of 0. The generosity of these regular givers has meant that the average amount given per giver per month has increased from £45 in 2023 to £47 in 2024.

Trees, the Christmas Fair, Jumble Sales, Spring Fair and many other smaller events throughout the year, a fantas�c £25,072 of profit was generated in 2024, this is an increase of £5,104 over 2023. A wonderful reflec�on of their hard work and also the support that Holy Cross Church has within the congrega�on and the local community.

Receipts from hiring fees for the Belmont Centre and Church were £28,527 which is an increase of £3,425 showing we have a growing group of regular hirers. Expenditure for the Belmont Centre during 2024 was £15,592 giving a surplus of £12,935 for church funds.

Sharing the ministry costs of the Diocese of Chichester

The largest expenditure of the P.C.C. was the sum of £70,000 paid to the Diocese to cover ministry costs. The parish contribu�on in 2024 was used towards the s�pend, pension and housing costs of the clergy, and a standard sum for diocesan costs, clergy training and a contribu�on to na�onal church funds. For 2024 we agreed to support the Diocese with the same amount as 2023 to help return our accounts to a surplus posi�on.

P a g e | 24

Staf costs

2020 the Director of Music and Assistant Director of Music (when post filled) payments are 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. During 2024, the three posi�ons did not meet the HMRC thresholds for tax purposes or for the pension auto-enrolment scheme. From 1 Jan 2024 a 3.5% salary increase was applied to the Director of Music and the Administrator and from July 2024 there was no further payments made to the Organist Emeritus, making the staff costs for 2024 £16,904, £204 less than 2023. In the later part of 2024 a Pastoral Assistant has been appointed for a fixed term of six months at £100 per month.

Missionary and Charitable giving

For 2024 the Giving to Other Chari�es sub-commitee were allocated £2,300 of missionary and charitable giving but by the close of the year the recipients had not been agreed so the funds have been accrued. In addi�on, further giving and dona�ons were made during the year totalling a further £3,768 to give a total missionary and charitable giving for 2024 of £6,068.

Fixed Assets

The Belmont Centre remains at the previous valua�on of £1,370,000.

Reserves Policy

During 2024 the minimum balance on the general unrestricted funds (excluding property) equated to approximately 6 month’s of unrestricted payments. The financial situa�on and unrestricted reserves held at the end of 2024 have been reviewed and, with the 2025 budget approved by the P.C.C., show that the Uckfield Parochial Church Council is expected to con�nue as a going concern for the 2025 financial year.

It is P.C.C. policy to retain any funds not required for day to day transac�ons on deposit at the bank. During 2023 a 95 day no�ce account was opened to take advantage of higher interest rates to hold around 90% of the funds on deposit.

Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others

The P.C.C. 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 Chari�es Investment Fund.

As at 31 August 2024, its latest valua�on date, the value of the investment was valued at £741.73 an increase over 2023 which was £ 686.49. The income in its financial year was £20.08 which is topped up by the P.C.C. and distributed to suitable recipients. The charity is administered by the P.C.C. with the Churchwardens ac�ng as trustees of the charity and is segregated from the assets of the P.C.C.. In July 2024 gi�s totalling £75 were made to worthy recipients.

have been no movement of funds during 2024 so the funds held remain at £429.

P a g e | 25

Statement of Financial Ac�vi�es

Unrestricted
Fund		 Restricted
Fund/s		 Endowed
Fund/s		 Total Funds
2024		 Total Funds
2023
Notes
Income and endowments from:
Dona�ons and legacies
Charitable ac�vi�es
Other trading ac�vi�es
Investments
Other receipts		 £
104,966
5,608
33,148
4,527
3,777		 £
10,974
-
-
5,105
10,000		 £
-
-
-
-
-		 £
115,940
5,608
33,148
9,632
13,777		 £
108,599
5,750
30,248
3,180
290
Total income 152,026 26,079 - 178,105 148,067
2
Expenditure on:
Raising funds
Charitable ac�vi�es
Other trading ac�vi�es
Other expenditure		 6,643
137,956
16,006
-		 -
2,393
-
1,199		 -
-
-
-		 6,643
140,349
16,006
1,199		 5,903
130,149
19,060
3,344
Total expenditure 160,605 3,592 - 164,197 158,456
3
Net gains (or losses) on investments - - - - -
Net income or (net expenditure) (8,579) 22,487 - 13,908 (10,389)
Transfers between funds
Other recognised gains/(losses):
Gains/(losses) on revalua�on of
fxed assets
Other gains/(losses)
Reconciliaton of funds:		 - - - - -
10
(8,579)
-
-		 22,487
-
-		 -
-
-		 13,908
-
-		 (10,389)
-
11
-
Net movement in funds (8,579) 22,487 - 13,908 (10,389)
Total funds brought forward 1,427,877 206,005 - 1,633,882 1,644,271
Total funds carried forward 1,419,298 228,492 - 1,647,790 1,633,882

P a g e | 26

Balance Sheet

Total Funds
2024		 Total Funds
2023		 Notes
Intangible assets
Tangible assets
Heritage assets
Endowed investments		 £
-
1,370,000
-
-		 £
-
1,370,000
-
-		 12
11
Total fixed assets 1,370,000 1,370,000
Stocks
Debtors
Investments
Cash at bank and in hand		 -
4,374
-
281,300		 -
3,850
-
266,611		 14
Total current assets 285,674 270,461
Creditors: Amounts falling due within one year
CorrectionforUnrealisedDebtorsin2020
~~a~~
~~Netcurrentassetsor(liabilities)~~
~~Po~~		 (7,884)
-
~~a~~
~~Po~~		 (6,579)
-
~~Po~~		 15
~~Netcurrentassetsor(liabilities)~~
~~Po~~		 277,790
~~Po~~		 263,882
~~Po~~
~~Net current assets or (liabilities)~~
~~Po~~
Total assets less current liabilities
Creditors: Amounts falling due after more than one year
Provisions for liabilities		 1,647,790
-
-
~~Po~~		 1,633,882
-
-
~~Po~~		 16
1,647,790 1,633,882
The funds of the charity:
Restricted income funds		 228,492 206,005
Unrestricted funds
Revaluationreserve
~~a~~		 1,419,298
-
~~a~~		 1,427,877
-
Total unrestricted funds 1,419,298 1,427,877
Total charity funds 1,647,790 1,633,882 18

This Financial Report for the year ended 31st December 2024, including the notes following, was approved by the P.C.C. and signed on its behalf by The Revd. John Wall, P.C.C. Chairman: ……………………………………….……………………….. Date …27 April 2025……………………… Koll

P a g e | 27

Notes to the Financial Report

1 Accoun�ng policies

Basis of prepara�on

the Chari�es Act 2011 and the Church Accoun�ng Regula�ons 2006, in accordance with applicable accoun�ng standards and the current Statement of Recommended Prac�ce, Accoun�ng and Repor�ng by Chari�es, (SORP (FRS 102)).

investments at market value and the revalua�on of fixed assets. The financial statements include all transac�ons, assets and liabili�es for which the P.C.C. is responsible in law. They do not include the accounts of church groups that owe their affilia�on to another body, nor those which are informal gatherings of church members.

Funds accoun�ng

Funds held by the P.C.C. are:

Unrestricted funds - general funds which can be used for P.C.C. 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) dona�ons or grants received for a specific object or invited by the P.C.C. 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 deduc�on for any costs of receivability, are recognised when there is evidence of en�tlement, receipt is probable, and the amount can be measured reliably.

Dona�ons and legacies

Collections are recognised when received.

Planned giving receivable is recognised when there is evidence of en�tlement, receipt is probable, and the amount accords with the Gi� Aid declara�on or other record of inten�on to donate.

Gift aid recovered is recognised when the income to which it is atached is recognised.

Grants and legacies

Charitable ac�vi�es

Other trading ac�vi�es

Trading ac�vi�es 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, irrespec�ve of date of receipt. Advance bookings are included in creditors un�l 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 en�tlements are accounted for as they accrue.

P a g e | 28

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 revalua�on at 31 December.

Expenditure

Expenditure is recognised when there is evidence of en�tlement, payment is probable, and the amount can be measured reliably.

Grants

Grants and dona�ons are accounted for when paid over, or when awarded where the award creates a binding obliga�on on the P.C.C.

Church ac�vi�es

parish contribu�on unpaid at 31 December is provided for in these accounts as an opera�onal (though not a legal) liability and is shown as a creditor in the balance sheet.

Fixed assets

Movable church furnishing held by the Vicar and Churchwardens on special trust for the P.C.C. 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.

year they were incurred.

Depreciation

expected useful lives. The rates generally applicable are:

Fixtures and f�ngs 20%
Audiovisual equipment 33%
Ofce equipment 25%

No deprecia�on is provided on freehold buildings as the useful economic life of these assets exceeds 50 years and residual values so high that poten�al deprecia�on would be immaterial. It is the P.C.C.'s policy to maintain these assets in a con�nual state of sound repair. Resul�ng from regular impairment reviews, provision will be made if there has been any permanent diminu�on in value.

Investments

Investments are stated at market value at the balance sheet date.

Current Assets

Amounts owing to the P.C.C. at 31 December in respect of fees, rents or other income are shown a debtors, less provision for amounts that may prove uncollec�ble.

Short-term deposits include cash held on deposit either with the CBF Church of England Funds, or at the bank.

P a g e | 29

Notes to the Financial Report

2 Analysis of income and endowments

Unrestricted
Fund		 Restricted
Fund/s		 Endowed
Fund/s		 Total
Funds
2024		 Total Funds
2023		 Notes
Planned giving (via standing order)
Planned giving (via weekly envelopes)
Loose cash collec�ons
Christmas Tree Fes�val
Other Fund Raising Ac�vi�es
Other dona�ons
Gi� Aid recoverable
Legacies
Grants		 £
49,211
960
11,271
17,345
10,391
2,285
12,503
1,000
-		 £
-
-
234
-
-
10,740
-
-
-		 £
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-		 £
49,211
960
11,505
17,345
10,391
13,025
12,503
1,000
-		 £
45,415
719
13,759
8,016
13,285
15,767
11,638
-
-
Dona�ons and legacies £104,966 £10,974 - £115,940 £108,599
Fees for weddings & funerals - P.C.C.
Fees for weddings & funerals - Clergy
Fees for weddings & funerals - DBF
Fees for weddings & funerals - Other
Wedding		 1,455
664
2,884
605		 - - 1,455
664
2,884
605		 2,662
306
2,547
235
Charitable ac�vi�es £5,608 - - £5,608 £5,750
Big Day, Xmas Fair & Fes�val of
Christmas Trees
Other fund raising ac�vi�es
Parish magazine
Belmont Centre hiring fees		 4,393
-
228
28,527		 -
-
-
-		 -
-
-
-		 4,393
-
228
28,527
4,885
-
261
25,102
Other trading ac�vi�es £33,148 - - £33,148 £30,248
Bank deposit interest
Rent from le�ng of investment
property
Proceeds from Sale of Assets		 4,527
-
-		 5,105
-
-		 -
-
-		 9,632
-
-
3,180
-
-
Investments £4,527 £5,105 - £9,632 £3,180
Other receipts 3,777 10,000 - 13,777
290
Total income and endowments on all
funds		 £152,026 £26,079 - £178,105 £148,067

P a g e | 30

Notes to the Financial Report

3 Analysis of expenditure

3 Analysis of expenditure
Unrestricted
Fund		 Restricted
Fund/s		 Endowed
Fund/s		 Total
Funds
2024		 Total
Funds
2023		 Notes
Uckfeld Fes�val Big Day
Fes�val of Christmas Trees
Stewardship costs (prin�ng etc)
Other fundraising (non-trading) costs		 £
-
4,981
-
1,662		 £
-
-
-
-		 £
-
-
-
-		 £
-
4,981
-
1,662		 £
-
4,349
-
1,554
Cost of raising funds £6,643 - - £6,643 £5,903
Missionary and charitable giving
Ministry: Diocesan Parish Share
Ministry: Other Clergy costs
Staf: Admin
Upkeep of services
Church running costs
Junior Church and Clubs (e.g. Choir)
Church maintenance and repair
Piano / Organ maintenance and repair
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		 4,834
70,000
8,138
16,904
3,108
12,759
-
12,932
351
-
-
2,536
894
1,256
374
3,125
745		 1,234
-
-
-
-
-
1,159
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-		 -
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-		 6,068
70,000
8,138
16,904
3,108
12,759
1,159
12,932
351
-
-
2,536
894
1,256
374
3,125
745
5,543
70,000
7,417
17,108
2,990
17,114
1,764
327
280
250
-
2,125
907
1,260
334
2,545
185
 4
6
5
8
Cost of charitable ac�vi�es £137,956 £2,393 - £140,349 £130,149
Uckfeld Fes�val Big Day
Fes�val of Christmas Trees
Other events
Belmont Centre running costs
Parish magazine costs
Other trading costs		 -
414
-
15,592
-
-		 -
-
-
-
-
-		 -
-
-
-
-
-		 -
414
-
15,592
-
-
-
400
-
18,660
-
-
Cost of other trading ac�vi�es £16,006 - - £16,006 £19,060
Other Expenditure - 1,199 - 1,199 3,344
Total expended on all funds £160,605 £3,592 - £164,197 £158,456

P a g e | 31

Notes to the Financial Report

4 Missionary and charitable giving

Unrestricted
Fund		 Restricted
Fund/s		 Endowed
Fund/s		 Total
Funds
2024		 Total
Funds
2023		 Notes
Overseas:
Total
Home:
Total		 £
1,539
3,295		 £
734
500		 £
-
-		 £
2,273
3,795		 £
2,540
3,003
4,834 1,234 - 6,068 5,543

5 Staf costs
Unrestricted
Fund		 Restricted
Fund/s		 Endowed
Fund/s		 Total
Funds
2024		 Total
Funds
2023		 Notes
Remunera�on
Wages and salaries		 £
16,904		 £
-		 £
-		 £
16,904		 £
17,108
16,904 - - 16,904 17,108

6 Payments to P.C.C. members

Trustee payments and expenses

The P.C.C. support the Rector, Chair of the P.C.C., by paying Council Tax of £4,219, water and environmental charges amoun�ng to £803 for the Rectory, plus other costs towards travel, hospitality, telephone, internet and postage totalling £3,115 in 2024.

7 Transac�ons with persons related to P.C.C. 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. P.C.C. 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 repor�ng to the P.C.C. and the P.C.C. Standing Commitee contains financial detail to ensure transparency. No other payments have been made to persons related to or connected to the trustees.

8 Transac�ons with related chari�es

Since the closure of the Holy Cross Church of England Primary School on 31[st] December 2023 there are no transac�ons with related chari�es.

P a g e | 32

Notes to the Financial Report

9 Governance

9 Governance
Unrestricted
Funds		 Restricted
Fund/s		 Endowed
Fund/s		 Total
Funds
2024		 Total
Funds
2023		 Notes
Accounts producton £
-		 £
-		 £
-		 £
-		 £
-
- - - - -

10 Transfers between funds

10 Transfers between funds
Unrestricted
Funds		 Restricted
Fund/s		 Endowed
Fund/s		 Total
Funds
2024		 Total
Funds
2023		 Notes
£
-		 £
-		 £
-		 £
-		 £
-
- - - - -

11 Fixed assets

a Investments

a Investments
Unrestricted
Fund		 Restricted
Fund/s		 Endowed
Fund/s		 Total
Funds
2024		 Notes
Market value 1 January 2024
Disposals at carrying value
Purchases at cost
Net gains and revalua�on		 £
-
-
-
-		 £
-
-
-
-		 £
-
-
-
-		 £
-
-
-
-
Market value 31 December 2024 - - - -

P a g e | 33

Notes to the Financial Report

12 Fixed assets

Tangible fxed assets
Freehold
land
and
**buildings **		 Audio visual
equipment		 Ofce
equipment		 Total fxed
assets		 Notes
Cost or valua�on
At 1 January 2024
Addi�ons
Disposals
Revalua�on		 £
1,370,000
-
-
-		 £
-
-
-
-		 £
-
-
-
-		 £

1,370,000
-
-
-
At 31 December 2024 1,370,000 - - 1,370,000
Charge for impairment
At 1 January 2024		 - - -
-
At 31 December 2024 - - - -
Net book amounts
At 31 December 2024		 1,370,000 - -
1,370,000
At 31 December 2023 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 2024.

13 Net assets by fund

13 Net assets by fund
Unrestricted
Funds		 Restricted
Fund/s		 Endowed
Fund/s		 Total Funds
2024		 Total Funds
2023		 Notes
Fixed assets for church use
Current assets (except cash)
Cash at bank and on deposit
Current liabili�es
Long term liabili�es		 £
1,370,000
4,374
52,808
(7,884)
-		 £
-
-
228,492
-
-		 £
-
-
-
-
-		 £
1,370,000
4,374
281,300
(7,884)
-		 £
1,370,00
3,850
266,611
(6,579)
-
£1,419,298 £228,492 £- £1,647,790 £1,633,882

P a g e | 34

Notes to the Financial Report

14 Debtors

14 Debtors
Unrestricted
Funds		 Restricted
Fund/s		 Endowed
Fund/s		 Total
Funds
2024		 Total
Funds
2023		 Notes
Income tax recoverable
Prepayments and accrued income
Other debtors		 £
2,624
1,750
-		 £
-
-
-		 £
-
-
-		 £
2,624
1,750
-		 £
2,518
1,332
-
£4,374 - - £4,374 £3,850

15 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year

Unrestricted
Funds		 Restricted
Fund/s		 Endowed
Fund/s		 Total
Funds
2024		 Total
Funds
2023		 Notes
Deferred income
Accruals for u�li�es and other costs
Other creditors		 £
-
7,204
680		 £
-
-
-		 £
-
-
-		 £
-
7,204
680		 £
-
5,899
680
£7,884 - - £7,884 £6,579

16 Creditors: amounts falling due a�er one year

Unrestricted
Funds		 Restricted
Fund/s		 Endowed
Fund/s		 Total
Funds
2024		 Total Funds
2023		 Note
s
Deferred income
Accruals for u�li�es and other costs
Other creditors		 £
-
-
-		 £
-
-
-		 £
-
-
-		 £
-
-
-		 £
-
-
-
- - - - -

P a g e | 35

Notes to the Financial Report

17 Statement of funds

Restricted Funds - The purpose of the restricted funds are as follows:

Unrestricted funds are not subject to any donor restric�ons and can be spent as the P.C.C. decides.

18 Summary of all funds

Balances
b/fwd
1 Jan 2024		 Income Expenditure Transfers,
other gains
and losses		 Balances
c/fwd
31 Dec 2024
Organ Repairs
Sunday Refreshments
AV and Screen Fund
Youth Club
Ukraine Dona�ons
Ac�on Aid
Window Appeal Fund
Children’s Work
7 Park View Road Proceeds
Flower Fund
Children’s Society
In Mem. D Youngman
P.C.C. Investment
Disabled Access		 £
5,288
2,149
2,348
346
11
-
1,536
3,941
185,613
705
14
4,054
-
-
 £
6,243
946
-
-
-
234
-
763
-
2,788
-
-
-
10,000		 £
-
1,000
-
-
-
234
-
1,159
-
1,199
-
-
-		 £
377
95
96
16
-
-
69
168
(96,159)
67
1
182
100,000
193		 £
11,908
2,190
2,444
362
11
-
1,605
3,713
89,454
2,361
15
4,236
100,000
10,193
Total of all restricted
funds
 206,005 20,974 (3,592) 5,105 228,492
Revalua�on of fxed assets
General fund		 -
1,427,877		 -
152,026		 -
(160,605)		 -
-		 -
1,419,298
Total of all unrestricted
funds		 1,427,877 152,026 (160,605) - 1,419,298
Total funds £1,633,882 £173,000 (£164,197) £5,105 £1,647,790

P a g e | 36

Independent Examiner's Report to the P.C.C. of The Church of the Holy Cross, Uckfield for the Year Ended 31st December, 2024 This is my report to the Parochial Church Cou ncil of the Ecclesiastical Pa rish IP.C.C.l of the Church of the Holy Cross. Uckfield, on the annual report for the year ended 31, December 2024 set out within this document. Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner The P.C.C. members are responsible for the preparation of the annual reports. The P.C.C. members consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 1"the Charities Act'l and that an independent exarnination is needed. It is my responsibility to: examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act, to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission lunder section 14515llbl of the Charities Act, and 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 account5 presented with those records. It a Iso includes consideration of any u nusual items or disclosu res 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 whetherthe 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 ' I which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in, any material respect, the requirements: to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Charitie5 Act,. and to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements ofthe 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 (brocket5) if they do not apply Examiner's signature /?.ty, Examiner's name CAPITALS Date Relevant professional qualification(sl or body if any Examiner's address BRIAN DAVID JACOBS Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales 12 Silverdale Keymer Hassocks, BN6 8RD

Sec�on B Disclosure

Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight material problems for example:

Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose