2024-12-31-accounts - The Parochial Church Council Of The Ecclesiastical Parish Of St Thomas, Brampton, Chesterfield.

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2024 Annual Report and Accounts for the Parochial Church Council of

Brampton St Thomas and St Mark.

Registered Charity Number: 1138026

Introduction

In this document, the Parochial Church Council (PCC) presents its annual report with the financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. The PCC is an unincorporated charity registered with the Charity Commission (charity number 1138026).

Aim and Purposes

St Thomas and St Mark Parochial Church Council (PCC) has the responsibility of cooperating with the incumbent, in promoting in the ecclesiastical parish, the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. The PCC is also specifically responsible for the maintenance of the Church building and the St Thomas’ Church Centre in conjunction with STB (Chesterfield) Ltd (STB) as laid out in the management agreement between the PCC and STB.

From the April 2024 the Parish of Brampton St Thomas and St Mark was formed through a Church of England Pastoral Measure which came into effect on 1 April 2024 with Brampton St Mark designated as a Chapel of Ease. STB (Chesterfield) Ltd currently oversee the building of St Mark on behalf of the PCC.

Objectives and Activities

The PCC is committed to enabling as many people as possible to worship in our Parish and to become part of our church community. The PCC, alongside the incumbent, maintains an overview of worship in the parish. Our services and worship reflect who we are as the gathered people of God, as we look to put faith into practice.

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

Worship and prayer; learning about the Gospel; and developing their knowledge and trust in Jesus.
Provision of pastoral care for people living in the parish.
Missionary and outreach work.

To enable this work it is important that we maintain the fabric of St Thomas’ Church, the Church Centre. And St Mark’s Church.

Achievements and Performance

Worship and prayer

We continue to offer a range of services on Sunday’s and over the course of the year that our community find both beneficial and spiritually fulfilling. Our current regular

pattern is of three services most Sunday’s, a traditional liturgically based service at 9:15am and a more contemporary and less formal service at 10:45am which includes specific groups for children and a smaller informal gathering at 6pm. We also hold a monthly mid-week service of Morning Prayer at St Mark’s and in September 2024 began holding a mid week said Communion Service at St Thomas.

In addition to these we hold a number of one-off services at Easter, for Remembrance Sunday and at Christmas, which are attended in greater numbers by those in our community, in 2024 we held some new events in the community during the month of December which where received well.

Over the last year we have seen an increase in numbers of those who are part of St Thomas’ with 27 new people joining over the year, this has resulted in a small increase average weekly Sunday attendance.

As well as our regular services, we enable our community to celebrate and thank God at the milestones of the journey through life. Through baptisms and dedications we thank God for the gift of life, in marriage public vows are exchanged with God’s blessing and through funeral services friends and family express their grief and give thanks for the life which is now complete in this world and to commend the person into God's keeping.

We have celebrated 11 baptisms, 4 dedications, 1 wedding and held 26 funerals in the year.

Electoral Roll

The Parish Electoral Roll, stands at 158. We are required to prepare a new Electoral Roll for APCM in April 2025 and therefore expect the number on the roll to change.

Church groups & activities

Throughout the year we have run several regular activities. A number of these are focused on families and those under 18 and include Tots’ Time, Kids’ Club and a Family Café all of which have seen growth over the year.

We also hold one off activities through the year, which this year have included a Fun Day, a Light Trail as an alternative for Halloween, as well as a number of community events held in the centre.

We also hold regular groups which connect with adults in the Church and across our community. Our Knit & Natter group meets weekly in the Church Centre and our Men’s Football group plays weekly at the local sports centre. Thom’s Blokes is a group for men that meets monthly for talks, outings and social gatherings and Thom’s Golden Folks meets twice a month for talks and social gatherings or a meal.

A number of Church House Groups have also continued to meet through the year for bible study, prayer and support.

Mission and evangelism

Mission and evangelism are significant parts of our calling as a Church. We encourage every member of the Church to live in a way which demonstrates God’s love for those they meet on a daily basis. Alongside this we hold a number of events throughout the year which focus on sharing the good news of Jesus, these include our Christmas and Easter services as well as one off events such as the Pancake Party held in February.

We continue to support local, national and international organisations who demonstrate the love of God to people either in word or action. The PCC continues to follow the biblical ethos of tithing with 10% of St Thomas’ unrestricted donations being transferred into the World Mission Fund each year. The distribution of this fund is administered by the Mission Support Committee.

During 2024 our main partnerships where with Tearfund, Open Doors, New Wine, Home For Good, Hope House and the Gates Arts Group.

The main beneficiaries, with donations of £1,000 or more, during 2024 were:

Gates Art Group
Hope House
New Wine
Open Doors
Tearfund

Our parish magazine, Ploughshare, is published six times a year and is available on the Church website. Subscribers can also pay a small fee to receive a hard copy.

St Thomas’ Church Centre

Our Centre continues to be a vital part of our mission and ministry with many of our church ministries using the building to hold activities on a weekly basis. The Centre is also used widely by a variety of community groups and organisations.

The Coffee Shop continues to remain a popular meeting place for those within the community, with many regulars who appreciate the warm welcome they receive. It is also well used by many of our Church members using the Coffee Bar as a place to connect with family and friends.

The Centre is managed by STB (Chesterfield) Ltd, a subsidiary company of the PCC, and is overseen by a Board of Directors who are Mark Hoare, Phil Bird, Alex Quinton, Ingrid Raby and Gary Weston with Beth Robson-Smith and Becky Botham also attending meetings. We thank them for all the hard work and dedication they put into the Centre and its running. We are also grateful to all the staff, volunteers and paid, who work hard to make the centre run smoothly.

Over the past 12 months the Centre Staff and volunteers have worked hard to hold several well received events such as the Advent Market. It has provided a fantastic space for many of our church groups.

In terms of the finances, the accountants are currently working on the year end accounts and will be updated during March 2025. However the Board members are aware that the next few years will be challenging for the Centre due to the impact of the rise in minimum wage.

Pastoral care and community support

Some members of our parish are unable to attend church due to sickness or age. We have a pastoral team who either make contact with or visit those who we are aware need pastoral care. Throughout 2024 we have regularly visited Chatsworth Lodge to take communion service. Revd Ian Aldersley (PTO) has also regularly visited both Chatsworth Lodge and Brookholme Care Home to support their residence.

We also continued to support Chesterfield Foodbank and St Thomas' Baby Basics Fund, which is part of the Baby Basics UK initiative, a project that supports vulnerable new mothers by providing a free Moses basket starter pack and other essential items to mothers/families who are struggling to meet the financial and practical burden of looking after a new baby. This fund works on a referral basis from local health and social care professionals.

Our thanks go to Charlotte Baldwin and the wider team for all the work they have put into Baby Basics over the year.

Volunteers

We would like to thank all the volunteers who work so hard in our Church and Centre from those that take on practical tasks from maintenance, washing up or cleaning as well as those who serve on the many teams that enable our worship on a Sunday, our under 18’s ministry or the many groups that meet on a regular basis. Church works best when each of us contribute to its life and ministry and we are hugely grateful to everyone who gives up their valuable time to be involved.

Deanery Synod

Two Deanery Synod representatives sit on the PCC. This provides the PCC with an important link between the parish and the wider structures of the Church and the Diocese. The Reverend Daniel Cooke continues to serve as our Area Dean and has conducted a visit to the Parish during 2024 on behalf of the Archdeacon.

Financial Review

The financial statements show that total income exceeded expenditure by £183,370 in 2024 (2023 £8,225 deficit). Excluding a one-off large legacy of £160,962 there would have been a surplus from normal activities of £22,408. Where possible, expenditure was made from designated and restricted funds to maintain our unrestricted reserves.

£183,744 was spent from unrestricted funds during 2024 (2023 £177,113) to provide the ministry of the parish. The two most significant categories of expenditure are our contribution to the Derby Diocesan Common Fund, which largely provides the stipends and housing for the clergy, and staff costs.

STB (Chesterfield) Ltd has continued to run the Centre and associated Coffee Bar. During the year it has followed the principal, as far as possible, of making a third of the space in the Centre available to St Thomas’ Church, and two thirds available for Community and Commercial lettings. The year end accounts are due by the end of April 2025 and indications are that accounts will balance this year.

Reserves Policy

It is PCC policy to try to maintain a balance of free reserves to cover at least three months’ planned expenditure. It is held to smooth out fluctuations in cash flows and to help cover emergencies. The PCC defines free reserves as unrestricted net current assets excluding any amounts owed by subsidiary companies since this money is not considered to be readily available.

Based on the approved 2025 expenditure budget, the amount required to meet the reserves policy is £44,226. The balance of the free reserves at 31 December 2024 stands at £189,341 (2023 £25,743). This is significantly above the PCC’s target level and is due entirely to the large legacy receivable by the church of £160,962. Without this legacy the free reserves would have been £28,379 which would have been below the PCC’s target level. The legacy gives the PCC the ability to raise free reserves to meet the target of covering three months planned expenditure and to designate the rest for future development projects.

In addition, at 31 December 2024, a total cash balance of £88,597 was held in designated and restricted funds to meet the costs of development, repairs and maintenance of St Thomas’ (£30,000 designated and £38,341 restricted) and the Centre (£20,256).

Structure Governance and Management

The PCC is a corporate body established by the Church of England and operates under the Parochial Church Council (Powers) Measure 1956. The PCC is a registered charity and all members of the PCC are charity trustees.

The method of appointment of PCC members is set out in the Church Representation Rules. PCC members can either be ex-officio through their role or elected. All members of our congregations who are on the electoral rolls of the churches are able to vote and stand for election to the PCC.

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

There are a number of committees in church, each dealing with a particular aspect of parish life, and all are responsible to the PCC.

The PCC met 6 times during the year for scheduled meetings.

Along with their regular review of finances, policies and the order of the buildings and grounds, the PCC has had a strong focus on how we can be more effective missionally as well continuing to look at Discipleship and Community.

Administrative Information

Full name of the PCC

The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St Thomas, Brampton, Chesterfield

Principal and correspondence address

St Thomas’ Church Church Office Chatsworth Road Brampton Chesterfield S40 3AW

Charity registration number

1138026

General contact

Mrs Becky Botham Parish Operations Manager

Independent examiner

Paul Davis CPFA Avocado Accounting 6 Lilac Grove Heath Chesterfield Derbyshire S44 5QZ

Membership of the PCC (see note 1 below)

Clerks in Holy Orders (beneficed or licensed to the Parish) (see note 2 below) Reverend Gary Weston Ex-officio Reverend Josie Chamings Ex-officio

Churchwardens (members of the PCC by virtue of rules M15(1)(e) and M15(1)(g)) (Parish Wardens elected annually, see note 3 below)

Millie Guthrie Parish Warden Tony Witham Parish Warden

Elected Diocesan Synod Members

Joel Botham 2024- 2027 (elected 3 July 2024) Karen Riley 2024-2027 (elected 3 July 2024) Elected Deanery Synod Members Jenny Smedley 2024-2026 (elected 28 April 2024) Karen Riley 2023-2026

Ordinary Elected Members

(a maximum of fourteen members by virtue of rule M15(8)(c)) Mark Hoare 2022-2025 Carla Jackson 2022-2025 Ingrid Raby 2022-2025 Elizabeth Travis 2023-2025 Paul Benson 2023-2026 Ben Widdowson 2023-2026 Sue Ward 2023-2026 Claire Wood 2023-2026 Charlotte Baldwin 2024-2027 (elected 28 April 2024) Sophie Heaton 2024-2027 (elected 28 April 2024) Andy Smith 2024-2027 (elected 28 April 2024)

Co-opted in her capacity as Parish Operations Manager & Safeguarding Officer

Becky Botham (non-voting)

PCC Secretary

Sue Wheeler (non-voting) (until 1 July 2024) Pete Raby (non-voting) (From 1 July 2024)

Notes:

All membership rules are in accordance with the Church Representation Rules 2020. 2. Churchwardens measure 2001 – provision 3, “Disqualification after six periods of office”. A meeting of parishioners (2009) resolved that this section shall not apply in this parish. This resolution may be revoked by a subsequent meeting of the parishioners.

Organisation Structure

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----- Start of picture text -----
Brampton St Thomas
and St Mark PCC
STB (Chesterfield) Ltd Standing Commitee
Finance and
Personnel Committee
Mission Support
Committee
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Committees

Standing Committee

Chair: Reverend Gary Weston

Members: Millie Guthrie, Tony Witham, Ben Widdowson, Karen Riley and Carla Jackson and the PCC Secretary (to take minutes).

The committee is empowered to transact the business of the PCC between PCC

meetings subject to any directions given by the PCC.

Finance and Personnel sub-committee

Chair: Reverend Gary Weston

Members: Ben Widdowson, Paul Willis (until December 2024), Tony Witham, Claire Wood, Paul Benson and the PCC Secretary (to take minutes).

To manage the parish accounts and to advise the PCC on all matters relating to the financial activities of the churches. To advise the PCC on all matters relating to

employment issues, including, but not limited to, recruitment, development, terms & conditions and discipline.

Mission Support Committee

Chair: Reverend Gary Weston

Members: Charlotte Baldwin, Robin Dawson, Angela Wright.

To encourage, support, promote and manage St Thomas’ support of the church’s world mission partners and to seek ways to help St Thomas’ engage in world and home mission.

Directors of subsidiary companies

STB (Chesterfield) Ltd (Company Number 08146516)

Phil Bird

Mark Hoare Alex Quinton Ingrid Raby Reverend Gary Weston

The Trustees’ Annual Report was approved by the Parochial Church Council at its meeting on 3 March 2025 and signed on its behalf by Reverend Gary Weston.

Independent Examiner’s Report

To the members of the PCC of Brampton St Thomas and St Mark

I report to the PCC members on my examination of the financial statements of the PCC for the year ended 31 December 2024 as set out in the pages of this report.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As trustees of the charity, the members of the PCC you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).

It is my responsibility to:

Examine the accounts under section 145 of the Act;
Follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners section 145(5)(b) of the Act; and
State whether particular matters have come to my attention

Basis of Independent Examiner's Statement

My examination was carried out in accordance with the 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 management committee concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in a full audit, and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the accounts

Independent Examiner's Statement

In connection with my examination, no matters have come to my attention:

which give me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements
to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Act; or
to prepare accounts which accord with these accounting records have not been met; and comply with the requirements of the Charities Act
to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Date: 28/02/2025

Brampton St Thomas and St Mark

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024

Note	Unrestricted Funds £	Designated Funds £	Restricted Funds £	Total 2024 £	Total 2023 £
INCOME
Voluntary income 2a	341,919	2,826	12,056	356,801	180,122
Activities for generating funds 2b	782	5,300	274	6,356	1,885
Income from church activities 2c	20,701	-	60	20,761	18,103
Investment income	-	338	-	338	-
TOTAL INCOME	363,402	8,464	12,390	384,256	200,110

EXPENDITURE
Missionary & charitable giving3a	1,026	12,750	-	13,776	17,765
Church activities 3b	183,744	5,767	11,934	201,445	190,570
TOTAL EXPENDITURE	184,770	18,517	11,934	215,221	208,335

Net Income / (Expenditure)	178,632	(10,053)	456	169,035	(8,225)
Merger of St. Marks Church at Net Book Value 12	-	14,335	-	14,335	(1)
Net Income/Expenditure after merger	178,632	4,282	456	183,370	(8,226)
Transfer between funds 6	(13,850)	14,545	(695)	-	-
NET MOVEMENT IN FUNDS	164,782	18,827	(239)	183,370	(8,226)

Total funds brought forward10	25,743	48,391	74,944	149,078	157,304
Total funds carried forward	190,525	67,218	74,705	332,448	149,078

ST THOMAS’ BRAMPTON BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2024

	Note	2024 £	2023 £
Fixed Assets:
Tangible fixed assets	7a	12,609	19,044
Investments in wholly-owned subsidiary companies	7b	1	1
Total fixed assets		12,610	19,045

Current Assets:
Debtors	8	167,995	4,848
Short term deposits		10,188	10,188
Cash at bank and in hand		148,852	124,377
Total current assets		327,035	139,413

Current Liabilities:
Amounts falling due within one year	9	(7,197)	(9,380)

Net Current Assets		319,838	130,033

Total Assets less Current Liabilities		332,448	149,078

Amounts falling due after one year		-	-

Net Assets		332,448	149,078

Funds:	10
Unrestricted	10	190,525	25,743
Designated	10,11	67,218	48,391
Restricted	10,11	74,705	74,944
Total		332,448	149,078

Approved by the Parochial Church Council on 3 March 2025 and signed on its behalf by Reverend Gary Weston.

The notes on pages 15 to 23 form part of these financial statements.

ST THOMAS’ BRAMPTON Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024

1: Accounting Policies

The PCC is a public benefit entity within the meaning of Financial Reporting Standard 102. The financial statements have been prepared under the Charities Act 2011 and in accordance with the Church Accounting Regulations 2006 governing the individual accounts of PCCs, and with the Regulations’ “true and fair” provisions, together with applicable accounting standards and the Statement of Recommended Practice, Accounting and Reporting by Charities (SORP(FRS102)). The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention and on a going concern basis as, in the view of the PCC members, the PCC will be able to meet its debts as they fall due over a period of at least 12 months from the date of the signing of these financial statements.

Basis of preparation

The aggregate gross income of the PCC and its wholly-owned subsidiary company, STB (Chesterfield) Ltd, is less than £1 million. The PCC has therefore taken advantage of the exception relating to the requirement to prepare group accounts provided in the Charities Act 2011 and SI 2008/629.

These 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 main affiliation to another body or those that are informal gatherings of Church members.

Assets

Consecrated and benefice property

In so far as consecrated and benefice property of any kind is excluded from the statutory definition of ‘charity’ by Section 10(2) (a) and (c) of the Charities Act 2011, such assets are not capitalised in these financial statements.

In simpler terms, these financial statements only include property that is owned by the PCC.

Clergy housing is owned by Derby Diocese and is capitalised in their financial statements. The freehold of the Church buildings, the churchyards and St Thomas’ Church centre vests in the incumbent (who is the temporary custodian), rather than the PCC, so their values are not included in these accounts. However, it is the responsibility of the PCC to maintain these properties and any expenditure on maintenance is written off as incurred.

Moveable church furnishings

Moveable church furnishings held by the incumbent (the holder of the Church of England parochial charge or benefice) and Churchwardens on special trust for the PCC,

and which require a faculty for disposal, are accounted for as inalienable property unless consecrated. In this case, the items are not capitalised, but they are listed in the Church’s inventory which can be inspected at any reasonable time. All expenditure incurred on these items at any time has been written off.

Tangible fixed assets for use by the charity

These items are capitalised if they can be used for more than one year, and cost at least £500. They are valued at cost or else, for gifts in kind, at a reasonable estimate of their open market value on receipt.

Depreciation is calculated to write off the capitalised cost of other fixed assets, less

their currently anticipated residual fair value, over their estimated useful lives as follows: Fixtures and fittings 20 years

Computers / technology 3 years

Depreciation on fixed assets of £7,652 has been charged in these financial statements (2023 £3,809).

Investments

The shares held by the PCC in its wholly-owned subsidiary companies are shown at their nominal value.

Short term deposits

These are cash deposits held at the Chesterfield and North Derbyshire Credit Union.

Funds

Unrestricted funds

These represent the funds of the PCC that are not subject to any restrictions regarding their use and are available for application on the general purposes of the PCC. Funds designated for a particular purpose by the PCC are also unrestricted. particular purpose by the PCC are also unrestricted.

Restricted funds

These are income funds that must be spent on restricted purposes and details of the funds held are shown in the notes to the accounts.

Income

Voluntary donations

Gift Aid donations, other planned giving, gifts on plate and sundry donations are recognised when received by or on behalf of the PCC.

Income tax recoverable on Gift Aid donations is recognised when the income is received. Legacies to the PCC are accounted for as soon as the PCC is notified of its legal entitlement, the amount is quantifiable and its ultimate receipt by the PCC is reasonably certain.

Other Income

2a: Voluntary income

	Unrestricted Funds £	Designated Funds £	Restricted Funds £	Total Funds 2024 £	Total Funds 2023 £
Planned giving	140,639	686	11,041	152,366	143,054
Sundry donations	974	-	202	1,176	48
Open plate donations	5,017	2,140	34	7,191	2,783
Tax recoverable	34,327	-	(21)	34,306	29,407
Grant	-	-	800	800	4,830
Legacies	160,962	-	-	-	-
TOTAL	341,919	2,826	12,056	356,801	180,122

Restricted grant income of £800 was received during the year, being £800 for the work of Baby Basics (2023 £3,000 for the work of Baby Basics, £1,030 for the incremental cost of providing Warm Spaces and £800 for a replacement piano). An unrestricted legacy of £160,962 was receivable in the year (2023 £nil).

2b: Activities for generating funds

	Unrestricted Funds £	Designated Funds £	Restricted Funds £	Total Funds 2024	Total Funds 2023 £
Fund raising events	312	-	274	586	565
Letting of rooms	470	5,300	-	5,770	1,320
TOTAL	782	5,300	274	6,356	1,885

2c: Income from Church activities

	Unrestricted Funds £	Designated Funds £	Restricted Funds £	Total Funds 2024 £	Total Funds 2023 £
Fees for weddings /funerals	5,151	-	-	5,151	3,422
Book and magazine sales	236	-	60	296	287
Income from other church group activities	15,314	-	-	15,314	14,394

TOTAL 20,701 - 60 20,761 18,103

3a: Missionary and charitable giving

	Unrestricted Funds £	Designated Funds £	Restricted Funds £	Total Funds 2024 £	Total Funds 2023 £
Overseas missionary societies:
Open Doors	-	1,500	-	1,500	850
- CSW	-	-	-	-	1,525
- CMS	-	-	-	-	1,645
Overseas relief / development agencies:
- Tearfund	-	3,000	-	3,000	3,478
Other overseas giving	-	250	-	250	500
Home missions and others:
- Gates Arts Group	-	1,500	-	1,500	1,100
- Hope House	50	2,000	-	2,050	1,500
- New Wine	-	1,500	-	1,500	850
- Home for Good	-	1,500	-	1,500	850
- Embers	-	500	-	500	250
- North Derbyshire Refugee Support	-	500	-	500	250
- CVM	-	-	-	-	2,375
- Other home giving	976	500	-	1,476	4,032
TOTAL	1,026	12,750	-	13,776	17,765

3b: Expenditure on Church activities

	Unrestricted Funds £	Designated Funds £	Restricted Funds £	Total Funds 2024 £	Total Funds 2023 £
Common Fund	65,475	-	-	65,475	65,475
Ministry expenses	6,751	-	803	7,554	4,215
Children / Youth work	33,744	-	-	33,744	32,787

Cost of running other Church group activities	13,968	-	-	13,968	14,541
Parish training & mission	170	-	2,798	2,968	3,170
Church running expenses	20,633	5,134	-	25,767	22,931
Church maintenance	950	114	-	1,064	2,184
Upkeep of services	4,751	72	7,645	12,468	9,222
Upkeep of churchyard	4,062	316	-	4,378	4,892
Church administration	32,598	131	-	32,729	29,327
Parish magazine / books	354	-	-	354	403
Upkeep of Church centre	288	-	688	976	1,423
TOTAL	183,744	5,767	11,934	201,445	190,570

Included in the costs of Church administration is the fee of £350 (2023 £1,350) payable to the PCC’s Independent Examiner for the examination of the financial statements.

4: Staff costs

The PCC employs a number of people to support the ministry and administration of the parish. Details of the costs of these employees is shown below. The PCC also pays for the services of a Church cleaner and a gardener.

The PCC does not pay the salaries of the clergy directly but pays towards these costs through the contribution to the Common Fund.

	2024 £	2023 £
Wages and salaries	55,785	52,111
Pension costs	1,479	1,775
TOTAL	57,264	53,886
	Number	Number
Average number of employees	3	3

During the year the PCC employed individuals in the following roles, with all

employment contracts being part-time with the exception of the 0-18 Director:

Parish Operations Manager

Parish Administration Assistant
0-18 Director

No employee was paid in excess of £60,000 in either year.

Relief from £4,169 of employer’s national insurance contributions was provided under the HMRC Employment Allowance Scheme (2023 £3,613).

5: Related party transactions

Brams Landscapes, a business owned by the husband of Mrs Jenny Smedley who is a member of the PCC, was paid £3,600 for the maintenance of the churchyard at St Thomas’ (2023 £2,900).

No payments or expenses were paid to any other PCC member, persons closely connected or related parties.

6: Analysis of transfer between funds

In line with the biblical ethos of tithing, the PCC has maintained its tradition of transferring 10% of the amount received by St Thomas’ from unrestricted giving to the Mission Support designated fund for missionary and charitable giving during the following year. Having considered its reserves position at 31 December 2024, the PCC has not transferred the associated Gift Aid on the tithe for 2024. Other transfers were made from restricted funds to unrestricted funds covering costs borne by the latter £25 Baby Basics and £670 Children’s works transferred to the respective restricted funds

	Unrestricted Funds £	Designated Funds £	Restricted Funds £	Total £
Missionary and charitable giving	(14,545)	14,545	-	-
Baby Basics	25	-	(25)	-
Children’s wok	670	-	(670)	-
TOTAL	(13,850)	14,545	(695)	-

7a: Tangible fixed assets – church equipment

7a: Tangible fixed assets – church equipment
	Sound technology £
Cost
At 1 January2024	22,853
Additions at cost	1,217
At 31 December 2024	24,070

Depreciation
At 1 January2024	3,809
Charge for the year	7,652
At 31 December 2024	11,461

Net book value
At 31 December 2024	12,609
At 31 December 2023	19,044

A new sound / visual system was purchased for the Church in July 2023. The cost of this fixed asset will be depreciated over 3 years. In 2024 further additions were made with an electric drum kit and outdoor PA system.

7b: Investments

	2024	2023
STB (Chesterfield) Ltd – one ordinary share	1	1
TOTAL	1	1

STB (Chesterfield) Ltd is the company that runs the St Thomas’ coffee shop and manages room bookings on behalf of the PCC.

8: Debtors

	2024 £	2023 £
Income tax recoverable	1,946	582
Other debtors	161,053	-
Prepayments	4,996	4,266
TOTAL	167,995	4,848

9: Liabilities

	2024 £	2023 £
Accruals	5,434	6,984

Creditors for goods and services	1,763	2,396
TOTAL	7,197	9,380

10: Analysis of net assets by fund

	Unrestricted Funds £	Designated Funds £	Restricted Funds £	Total Funds 2024 £	Total Funds 2023 £
Fixed assets	1,184	-	11,426	12,610	19,045
Current assets	195,922	67,332	63,781	327,035	139,413
Current liabilities	(6,581)	(114)	(502)	(7,197)	(9,380)
Long term liabilities	-	-	-	-	-
TOTAL	190,525	67,218	74,705	332,448	149,078

11: Fund details

Unrestricted funds

These comprise the general funds of the Church and include the nominal value of its investments in a subsidiary company.

Designated funds

These are funds set aside from the general funds by the PCC for a specific purpose. During 2024 there were three funds designated by the PCC.

The Mission Support Fund, previously known as the World Mission Fund, is used to hold

and administer the 10% of St Thomas’ unrestricted income from donors set aside by the PCC for its own missionary and charitable donations.

The Maintenance Fund was created by the PCC in 2023 to hold money set aside to cover the costs of undertaking required repairs and maintenance to the Church premises, including items identified in the 2023 Quinquennial Report.

In 2024 following the merger of St. Thomas, Brampton and St. Marks, Brampton the PCC created a designated fund for the St. Marks income, expenditure and net assets in order to keep track of the costs of St. Mark's post merger.

	Balance 1 January £	Merged Assets	Incoming resources1 £	Resources used	Balance 31 December £
St Thomas’ Mission Support Fund	18,391	-	14,545	(12,000)	20,936
St Thomas’ Maintenance Fund	30,000	-	-	-	30,000
St Mark's, Brampton	-	14,335	8,464	(6,517)	16,282

48,391 14,335 23,009 (18,517) 67,218

1. For amounts transferred from unrestricted funds, see note 6 for details.

Restricted funds

These hold monies given, collected or donated for a specific purpose and the value of any fixed assets purchased with those monies.

	Balance 1 January £	Incoming resources £	Resources used £	Balance 31 December £
St Thomas’ Restricted Funds
Church Centre Fund	20,704	240	(688)	20,256
Development Fund	37,809	8,150	(7,618)	38,341
Children’s Work Fund	20	1,850	(1,473)	397
Organ Fund	1,070	20	-	1,090
Sound Fund	850	-	(27)	823
Community Fund	773	150	(127)	796
Intern Fund	11,131	-	-	11,131
Baby Basics Fund	2,350	2,063	(2,779)	1,634
Missional Activity Fund	237	-	-	237
Total	74,944	12,473	(12,712)	74,705

12: Merger of St. Mark's, Brampton with St. Thomas, Brampton

On the 27th March 2024, the Church Commissioners agreed to a union of Benefices and Parishes between St. Thomas, Brampton and St. Mark, Brampton effective on 1st April 2024. According to the documentation, the new parish name is the "Parish of Brampton St. Thomas and St. Mark" and the new Benefice name is the "Benefice of Brampton St Thomas and St. Mark". The accounts of St. Mark, Brampton have been merged into these 2024 accounts at the operational date of 1st April 2024 at a Net Book Value of £14,335.

2024 Annual Report and Accounts for the Parochial Church Council of

Brampton St Thomas and St Mark.

Registered Charity Number: 1138026

Introduction

Aim and Purposes

Objectives and Activities

Worship and prayer; learning about the Gospel; and developing their knowledge and trust in Jesus.
Provision of pastoral care for people living in the parish.
Missionary and outreach work.

To enable this work it is important that we maintain the fabric of St Thomas’ Church, the Church Centre. And St Mark’s Church.

Achievements and Performance

Worship and prayer

We continue to offer a range of services on Sunday’s and over the course of the year that our community find both beneficial and spiritually fulfilling. Our current regular

We have celebrated 11 baptisms, 4 dedications, 1 wedding and held 26 funerals in the year.

Electoral Roll

The Parish Electoral Roll, stands at 158. We are required to prepare a new Electoral Roll for APCM in April 2025 and therefore expect the number on the roll to change.

Church groups & activities

We also hold one off activities through the year, which this year have included a Fun Day, a Light Trail as an alternative for Halloween, as well as a number of community events held in the centre.

A number of Church House Groups have also continued to meet through the year for bible study, prayer and support.

Mission and evangelism

During 2024 our main partnerships where with Tearfund, Open Doors, New Wine, Home For Good, Hope House and the Gates Arts Group.

The main beneficiaries, with donations of £1,000 or more, during 2024 were:

Gates Art Group
Hope House
New Wine
Open Doors
Tearfund

Our parish magazine, Ploughshare, is published six times a year and is available on the Church website. Subscribers can also pay a small fee to receive a hard copy.

St Thomas’ Church Centre

Pastoral care and community support

Our thanks go to Charlotte Baldwin and the wider team for all the work they have put into Baby Basics over the year.

Volunteers

Deanery Synod

Financial Review

Reserves Policy

Structure Governance and Management

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

There are a number of committees in church, each dealing with a particular aspect of parish life, and all are responsible to the PCC.

The PCC met 6 times during the year for scheduled meetings.

Administrative Information

Full name of the PCC

The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St Thomas, Brampton, Chesterfield

Principal and correspondence address

St Thomas’ Church Church Office Chatsworth Road Brampton Chesterfield S40 3AW

Charity registration number

1138026

General contact

Mrs Becky Botham Parish Operations Manager

Independent examiner

Paul Davis CPFA Avocado Accounting 6 Lilac Grove Heath Chesterfield Derbyshire S44 5QZ

Membership of the PCC (see note 1 below)

Clerks in Holy Orders (beneficed or licensed to the Parish) (see note 2 below) Reverend Gary Weston Ex-officio Reverend Josie Chamings Ex-officio

Churchwardens (members of the PCC by virtue of rules M15(1)(e) and M15(1)(g)) (Parish Wardens elected annually, see note 3 below)

Millie Guthrie Parish Warden Tony Witham Parish Warden

Elected Diocesan Synod Members

Joel Botham 2024- 2027 (elected 3 July 2024) Karen Riley 2024-2027 (elected 3 July 2024) Elected Deanery Synod Members Jenny Smedley 2024-2026 (elected 28 April 2024) Karen Riley 2023-2026

Ordinary Elected Members

Co-opted in her capacity as Parish Operations Manager & Safeguarding Officer

Becky Botham (non-voting)

PCC Secretary

Sue Wheeler (non-voting) (until 1 July 2024) Pete Raby (non-voting) (From 1 July 2024)

Notes:

All membership rules are in accordance with the Church Representation Rules 2020. 2. Churchwardens measure 2001 – provision 3, “Disqualification after six periods of office”. A meeting of parishioners (2009) resolved that this section shall not apply in this parish. This resolution may be revoked by a subsequent meeting of the parishioners.

Organisation Structure

==> picture [596 x 254] intentionally omitted <==

Committees

Standing Committee

Chair: Reverend Gary Weston

Members: Millie Guthrie, Tony Witham, Ben Widdowson, Karen Riley and Carla Jackson and the PCC Secretary (to take minutes).

The committee is empowered to transact the business of the PCC between PCC

meetings subject to any directions given by the PCC.

Finance and Personnel sub-committee

Chair: Reverend Gary Weston

Members: Ben Widdowson, Paul Willis (until December 2024), Tony Witham, Claire Wood, Paul Benson and the PCC Secretary (to take minutes).

To manage the parish accounts and to advise the PCC on all matters relating to the financial activities of the churches. To advise the PCC on all matters relating to

employment issues, including, but not limited to, recruitment, development, terms & conditions and discipline.

Mission Support Committee

Chair: Reverend Gary Weston

Members: Charlotte Baldwin, Robin Dawson, Angela Wright.

To encourage, support, promote and manage St Thomas’ support of the church’s world mission partners and to seek ways to help St Thomas’ engage in world and home mission.

Directors of subsidiary companies

STB (Chesterfield) Ltd (Company Number 08146516)

Phil Bird

Mark Hoare Alex Quinton Ingrid Raby Reverend Gary Weston

The Trustees’ Annual Report was approved by the Parochial Church Council at its meeting on 3 March 2025 and signed on its behalf by Reverend Gary Weston.

Independent Examiner’s Report

To the members of the PCC of Brampton St Thomas and St Mark

I report to the PCC members on my examination of the financial statements of the PCC for the year ended 31 December 2024 as set out in the pages of this report.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As trustees of the charity, the members of the PCC you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).

It is my responsibility to:

Examine the accounts under section 145 of the Act;
Follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners section 145(5)(b) of the Act; and
State whether particular matters have come to my attention

Basis of Independent Examiner's Statement

My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commission.

Independent Examiner's Statement

In connection with my examination, no matters have come to my attention:

which give me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements
to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Act; or
to prepare accounts which accord with these accounting records have not been met; and comply with the requirements of the Charities Act
to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Date: 28/02/2025

Brampton St Thomas and St Mark

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024

Note	Unrestricted Funds £	Designated Funds £	Restricted Funds £	Total 2024 £	Total 2023 £
INCOME
Voluntary income 2a	341,919	2,826	12,056	356,801	180,122
Activities for generating funds 2b	782	5,300	274	6,356	1,885
Income from church activities 2c	20,701	-	60	20,761	18,103
Investment income	-	338	-	338	-
TOTAL INCOME	363,402	8,464	12,390	384,256	200,110

EXPENDITURE
Missionary & charitable giving3a	1,026	12,750	-	13,776	17,765
Church activities 3b	183,744	5,767	11,934	201,445	190,570
TOTAL EXPENDITURE	184,770	18,517	11,934	215,221	208,335

Net Income / (Expenditure)	178,632	(10,053)	456	169,035	(8,225)
Merger of St. Marks Church at Net Book Value 12	-	14,335	-	14,335	(1)
Net Income/Expenditure after merger	178,632	4,282	456	183,370	(8,226)
Transfer between funds 6	(13,850)	14,545	(695)	-	-
NET MOVEMENT IN FUNDS	164,782	18,827	(239)	183,370	(8,226)

Total funds brought forward10	25,743	48,391	74,944	149,078	157,304
Total funds carried forward	190,525	67,218	74,705	332,448	149,078

ST THOMAS’ BRAMPTON BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2024

	Note	2024 £	2023 £
Fixed Assets:
Tangible fixed assets	7a	12,609	19,044
Investments in wholly-owned subsidiary companies	7b	1	1
Total fixed assets		12,610	19,045

Current Assets:
Debtors	8	167,995	4,848
Short term deposits		10,188	10,188
Cash at bank and in hand		148,852	124,377
Total current assets		327,035	139,413

Current Liabilities:
Amounts falling due within one year	9	(7,197)	(9,380)

Net Current Assets		319,838	130,033

Total Assets less Current Liabilities		332,448	149,078

Amounts falling due after one year		-	-

Net Assets		332,448	149,078

Funds:	10
Unrestricted	10	190,525	25,743
Designated	10,11	67,218	48,391
Restricted	10,11	74,705	74,944
Total		332,448	149,078

Approved by the Parochial Church Council on 3 March 2025 and signed on its behalf by Reverend Gary Weston.

The notes on pages 15 to 23 form part of these financial statements.

ST THOMAS’ BRAMPTON Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024

1: Accounting Policies

Basis of preparation

Assets

Consecrated and benefice property

In simpler terms, these financial statements only include property that is owned by the PCC.

Moveable church furnishings

Moveable church furnishings held by the incumbent (the holder of the Church of England parochial charge or benefice) and Churchwardens on special trust for the PCC,

Tangible fixed assets for use by the charity

Depreciation is calculated to write off the capitalised cost of other fixed assets, less

their currently anticipated residual fair value, over their estimated useful lives as follows: Fixtures and fittings 20 years

Computers / technology 3 years

Depreciation on fixed assets of £7,652 has been charged in these financial statements (2023 £3,809).

Investments

The shares held by the PCC in its wholly-owned subsidiary companies are shown at their nominal value.

Short term deposits

These are cash deposits held at the Chesterfield and North Derbyshire Credit Union.

Funds

Unrestricted funds

Restricted funds

These are income funds that must be spent on restricted purposes and details of the funds held are shown in the notes to the accounts.

Income

Voluntary donations

Gift Aid donations, other planned giving, gifts on plate and sundry donations are recognised when received by or on behalf of the PCC.

Other Income

2a: Voluntary income

	Unrestricted Funds £	Designated Funds £	Restricted Funds £	Total Funds 2024 £	Total Funds 2023 £
Planned giving	140,639	686	11,041	152,366	143,054
Sundry donations	974	-	202	1,176	48
Open plate donations	5,017	2,140	34	7,191	2,783
Tax recoverable	34,327	-	(21)	34,306	29,407
Grant	-	-	800	800	4,830
Legacies	160,962	-	-	-	-
TOTAL	341,919	2,826	12,056	356,801	180,122

2b: Activities for generating funds

	Unrestricted Funds £	Designated Funds £	Restricted Funds £	Total Funds 2024	Total Funds 2023 £
Fund raising events	312	-	274	586	565
Letting of rooms	470	5,300	-	5,770	1,320
TOTAL	782	5,300	274	6,356	1,885

2c: Income from Church activities

	Unrestricted Funds £	Designated Funds £	Restricted Funds £	Total Funds 2024 £	Total Funds 2023 £
Fees for weddings /funerals	5,151	-	-	5,151	3,422
Book and magazine sales	236	-	60	296	287
Income from other church group activities	15,314	-	-	15,314	14,394

TOTAL 20,701 - 60 20,761 18,103

3a: Missionary and charitable giving

	Unrestricted Funds £	Designated Funds £	Restricted Funds £	Total Funds 2024 £	Total Funds 2023 £
Overseas missionary societies:
Open Doors	-	1,500	-	1,500	850
- CSW	-	-	-	-	1,525
- CMS	-	-	-	-	1,645
Overseas relief / development agencies:
- Tearfund	-	3,000	-	3,000	3,478
Other overseas giving	-	250	-	250	500
Home missions and others:
- Gates Arts Group	-	1,500	-	1,500	1,100
- Hope House	50	2,000	-	2,050	1,500
- New Wine	-	1,500	-	1,500	850
- Home for Good	-	1,500	-	1,500	850
- Embers	-	500	-	500	250
- North Derbyshire Refugee Support	-	500	-	500	250
- CVM	-	-	-	-	2,375
- Other home giving	976	500	-	1,476	4,032
TOTAL	1,026	12,750	-	13,776	17,765

3b: Expenditure on Church activities

	Unrestricted Funds £	Designated Funds £	Restricted Funds £	Total Funds 2024 £	Total Funds 2023 £
Common Fund	65,475	-	-	65,475	65,475
Ministry expenses	6,751	-	803	7,554	4,215
Children / Youth work	33,744	-	-	33,744	32,787

Cost of running other Church group activities	13,968	-	-	13,968	14,541
Parish training & mission	170	-	2,798	2,968	3,170
Church running expenses	20,633	5,134	-	25,767	22,931
Church maintenance	950	114	-	1,064	2,184
Upkeep of services	4,751	72	7,645	12,468	9,222
Upkeep of churchyard	4,062	316	-	4,378	4,892
Church administration	32,598	131	-	32,729	29,327
Parish magazine / books	354	-	-	354	403
Upkeep of Church centre	288	-	688	976	1,423
TOTAL	183,744	5,767	11,934	201,445	190,570

Included in the costs of Church administration is the fee of £350 (2023 £1,350) payable to the PCC’s Independent Examiner for the examination of the financial statements.

4: Staff costs

The PCC does not pay the salaries of the clergy directly but pays towards these costs through the contribution to the Common Fund.

	2024 £	2023 £
Wages and salaries	55,785	52,111
Pension costs	1,479	1,775
TOTAL	57,264	53,886
	Number	Number
Average number of employees	3	3

During the year the PCC employed individuals in the following roles, with all

employment contracts being part-time with the exception of the 0-18 Director:

Parish Operations Manager

Parish Administration Assistant
0-18 Director

No employee was paid in excess of £60,000 in either year.

Relief from £4,169 of employer’s national insurance contributions was provided under the HMRC Employment Allowance Scheme (2023 £3,613).

5: Related party transactions

Brams Landscapes, a business owned by the husband of Mrs Jenny Smedley who is a member of the PCC, was paid £3,600 for the maintenance of the churchyard at St Thomas’ (2023 £2,900).

No payments or expenses were paid to any other PCC member, persons closely connected or related parties.

6: Analysis of transfer between funds

	Unrestricted Funds £	Designated Funds £	Restricted Funds £	Total £
Missionary and charitable giving	(14,545)	14,545	-	-
Baby Basics	25	-	(25)	-
Children’s wok	670	-	(670)	-
TOTAL	(13,850)	14,545	(695)	-

7a: Tangible fixed assets – church equipment

7a: Tangible fixed assets – church equipment
	Sound technology £
Cost
At 1 January2024	22,853
Additions at cost	1,217
At 31 December 2024	24,070

Depreciation
At 1 January2024	3,809
Charge for the year	7,652
At 31 December 2024	11,461

Net book value
At 31 December 2024	12,609
At 31 December 2023	19,044

7b: Investments

	2024	2023
STB (Chesterfield) Ltd – one ordinary share	1	1
TOTAL	1	1

STB (Chesterfield) Ltd is the company that runs the St Thomas’ coffee shop and manages room bookings on behalf of the PCC.

8: Debtors

	2024 £	2023 £
Income tax recoverable	1,946	582
Other debtors	161,053	-
Prepayments	4,996	4,266
TOTAL	167,995	4,848

9: Liabilities

	2024 £	2023 £
Accruals	5,434	6,984

Creditors for goods and services	1,763	2,396
TOTAL	7,197	9,380

10: Analysis of net assets by fund

	Unrestricted Funds £	Designated Funds £	Restricted Funds £	Total Funds 2024 £	Total Funds 2023 £
Fixed assets	1,184	-	11,426	12,610	19,045
Current assets	195,922	67,332	63,781	327,035	139,413
Current liabilities	(6,581)	(114)	(502)	(7,197)	(9,380)
Long term liabilities	-	-	-	-	-
TOTAL	190,525	67,218	74,705	332,448	149,078

11: Fund details

Unrestricted funds

These comprise the general funds of the Church and include the nominal value of its investments in a subsidiary company.

Designated funds

These are funds set aside from the general funds by the PCC for a specific purpose. During 2024 there were three funds designated by the PCC.

The Mission Support Fund, previously known as the World Mission Fund, is used to hold

and administer the 10% of St Thomas’ unrestricted income from donors set aside by the PCC for its own missionary and charitable donations.

	Balance 1 January £	Merged Assets	Incoming resources1 £	Resources used	Balance 31 December £
St Thomas’ Mission Support Fund	18,391	-	14,545	(12,000)	20,936
St Thomas’ Maintenance Fund	30,000	-	-	-	30,000
St Mark's, Brampton	-	14,335	8,464	(6,517)	16,282

48,391 14,335 23,009 (18,517) 67,218

1. For amounts transferred from unrestricted funds, see note 6 for details.

Restricted funds

These hold monies given, collected or donated for a specific purpose and the value of any fixed assets purchased with those monies.

	Balance 1 January £	Incoming resources £	Resources used £	Balance 31 December £
St Thomas’ Restricted Funds
Church Centre Fund	20,704	240	(688)	20,256
Development Fund	37,809	8,150	(7,618)	38,341
Children’s Work Fund	20	1,850	(1,473)	397
Organ Fund	1,070	20	-	1,090
Sound Fund	850	-	(27)	823
Community Fund	773	150	(127)	796
Intern Fund	11,131	-	-	11,131
Baby Basics Fund	2,350	2,063	(2,779)	1,634
Missional Activity Fund	237	-	-	237
Total	74,944	12,473	(12,712)	74,705

12: Merger of St. Mark's, Brampton with St. Thomas, Brampton

Independent Examiner’s Report

To the members of the PCC of Brampton St Thomas and St Mark

I report to the PCC members on my examination of the financial statements of the PCC for the year ended 31 December 2024 as set out in the pages of this report.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As trustees of the charity, the members of the PCC you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).

It is my responsibility to:

Examine the accounts under section 145 of the Act;
Follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners section 145(5)(b) of the Act; and
State whether particular matters have come to my attention

Basis of Independent Examiner's Statement

My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commission.

Independent Examiner's Statement

In connection with my examination, no matters have come to my attention:

which give me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements
to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Act; or
to prepare accounts which accord with these accounting records have not been met; and comply with the requirements of the Charities Act
to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Date: 28/02/2025