# Melksham Church Annual Review 2024 melksham.church ## **The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Melksham, Salisbury** Annual Report & Financial Statements for year ended 31st December 2023 **Charity number:** 1138038 **Principle Address:** The Rectory, Canon Sq, Melksham, SN12 6LX ## **Structure, Governance and Management** The Parochial Church Council (PCC) is a body corporate (PCC Powers Measure 1956, Church Representation Rules 2006) and a registered charity which has the responsibility of working with the incumbent in promoting in the community the whole mission of the Church of England, pastoral, evangelistic and social. The PCC also has the maintenance responsibilities for the fabric of our three churches and their respective church rooms. When planning our activities for the year, the Rector and PCC have considered the guidance of the Charity Commission on public benefit and, in particular, the specific guidance on charities for the advancement of religion. The church's activities are designed to further our vision through our five priorities of evangelism, discipleship, pastoral care, worship, and reaching the next generation. Members of the PCC are each Trustees of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Melksham Charity (1138038). The clergy are appointed by the Bishop of Salisbury. All other elections take place at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting, where the members vote for their representatives, Churchwardens, Secretary, Treasurer and representatives to serve on Bradford Deanery Synod. ## Those who served on the PCC in 2023 were: |Rev Charles Thomson
Peter Maslen|_Chair_
_Churchwarden_|Josephine Paterson|| |---|---|---|---| |Gwen Mclean|_Churchwarden_|Stephen Fivash|| |Rev Francis Moloney|_Team Vicar_|Timothy Just|| |Philip Mcmullen|_Secretary (EO)_|David Flower|| |Julian Parr|_Treasurer_ _(EO)_|Christof Masheder|_From May 2023_| |Stanford Cole|_Assistant Warden_|Hannah Thomson|_From May 2023_| |Pamela Wornham|_Until May 2023_|Matt Verrell|_From May 2023_| |Christine Harvey|_Until May 2023_|Barbara Hewitt|_From May 2023_| |Alistair Banks|_Until May 2023_|Theo Bossom|_From May 2023_| |Margaret Willis|_Until May 2023_|Deanery Synod Rep:|| |Richard Hucknall||Deborah Couzens|_From May 2023_| |Karen Scull|||| The PCC has met five times since the APCM held in May 2023, in May, June and September 2023, and in January and April 2024. The PCC has reviewed the church’s overall finances on a regular basis and received reports from the Local Church Committees. The Treasurer’s formal accounts were received and agreed at the APCM in May 2023. 2 The major risks to which the PCC is exposed have been assessed and appropriate policies and procedures have been put in place to mitigate exposure to those risks. The PCC has sought to underwrite some of these risks through a policy with Ecclesiastical Insurance Ltd. The PCC also has a designated Safeguarding Officer who issues regular reports and maintains updated policies to that effect. Reporting serious safeguarding incidents is now the responsibility of the Diocesan Secretary supported by the Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser (DSA). The Secretary continues to work closely with both the Diocese and the Charity Commission on an ongoing basis. ## _**Philip C.E. McMullen, PCC Secretary**_ |**Contents**|2|PCC Secretary| |---|---|---| ||5|Rector’s Introduction| ||6|Churchwarden’s Report| ||7|Electoral Roll & Weddings| ||8|Treasurer’s Report| ||9|St Barnabas| ||11|St Michael’s Fabric| ||12|Safeguarding| |Priority 1 - Evangelism|16|Alpha| ||17|The Messenger| ||18|Cricket| |Priority 2 - Discipleship|22|Home Groups| ||23|Theology Uncorked| |Priority 3 - Worship|24|Two Services at St Michael’s| ||26|Tuesday Morning Prayer| |||Deeper| |Priority 4 - Pastoral Care|28|Pastoral Care| |Priority 5 - Next Generation|32|Sunday Club| ||34|Youth| ||35|The Manor| ||36|Forest & Sandridge| |37||Bradford Deanery| ||39|Financial Review| 3 www.melkshdmnew4.com NEW PARISHIONERS ARE FLOCKING TO THE CHURCH Sl Michael &AII.An.gelg:: ' 9.am.,o,r l'..0.3'0_am ': www.melkshamneNv%.co.uk Building to serve the community- church launches expansion and renovation project Trwing nccds a huildin Will Sec Lhurch o I'uthd thc proicci. the cxpand fnr coinmunity cliurch ieam need% li) rrll% use SLS %*ell as thc. rn'rti>- £5￿}.1￿￿} ind r¢¢eiiTly.. t vati¢)n of d ncighhoiiring kick off thcir fundiaisin hotsNe, nutnbcr 11 Callon nils%ii?n. 4UaTC.th4t they rerenlly 'PledgL Sunday.. 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R*Tr ChaFIÈ nity and the D¥xi grllLrd- ThtsttL40n Ilannah Lxplailis ihc ehllrih Thomsoll wilh Chu￿h- recioT. charlie ThTrFll4()n. wardt4Jb Pcter M&sle 'The 13uildthg to Scr*C Keiih Kirk frorD tht project is an (>pportuniiy farilitits team. ## **Rector’s Introduction** The Bible is full of reminders that although we do our bit, the outcome is in the Lord’s hands: - ๏[On Mount Carmel, Elijah built the altar, but ] _**[the Lord][sent the fire ]**_[(1 Ki 18) ] - ๏[Solomon warned we labour in vain unless ] _**[the Lord][builds the house ]**_[(Ps 127) ] - ๏[Paul planted and Apollos watered, but ] _**[the Lord][gave the increase ]**_[(1 Cor 3) ] This past year has seen a phenomenal amount of human effort - from vergers to visitors; sidesmen and singers; flower arrangers and powerpoint operators; bakers, babysitters, and bible study leaders - the report below must represent thousands of hours spent ‘ _Making Jesus Known_ ’ in our community, and I would like to say a huge **‘THANK YOU’** to everyone who has played their part! But it would be perfectly possible for all that labour to be ‘in vain’ without the Lord’s blessing - so let’s give thanks to God for the way he has been at work sending the fire, building the house, and giving the increase. However - there is still a tremendous task ahead of us, with thousands in our community who don’t yet know the love of Jesus, so there’s no room for complacency! The church leader Rick Warren observed that each local church has 5 concentric circles of commitment - Community, Crowd, Congregation, Committed and Core. I wonder which circle you’d place yourself in? My sense for the year to come is that God is wanting to mobilise each member of our church to play our part in more effectively serving one another, and our wider community. So as you read this report, can I encourage you to ask the Lord how he might be wanting to use you over the coming year, and be open to serving in new ways? As Jesus said, “ _The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field._ ” ## _**Charlie Thomson**_ ## _**Team Rector**_ 5 ## **Team Churchwardens** Your “Team” Churchwardens are pleased to report to the 2024 APCM, on what has been an eventful year! The good news has been the appointment of Francis Moloney as Team Vicar who has been working with us since July. Amongst his many duties Francis has taken over responsibility for the Pastoral work from Annie Wintour who we thank for training and organising our Lay Pastoral Assistants. Francis is also working with the youth in the parish and is currently running a youth Alpha course. Another highlight was the purchase of No 11 Canon Square for use as a Church Centre. We aim to renovate two flats to rent out, enabling us to fund the ongoing running costs and maintenance of the ground floor for office, children’s/youth work and other meetings. This ‘ **Building to Serve** ’ initiative includes fundraising for both No 11 and for St Michaels reordering. In the autumn, we held several DIY sessions and one part of No 11 is now in regular use for our older children on Sunday mornings. Much restoration work is needed and we are currently assessing several builder’s quotes for the work. Thank you to all our willing volunteers. Our Children's work at St Michael’s has flourished, helped by the move to two Sunday morning services from January; we average over 25 children each week which is fantastic! Thank you to Hannah, the Sunday Club and youth teams. As we reported last year, the PCC, advised by Archdeacon Sue moved St Andrews to the status of “Festival” church for the time being with Easter Sunday 2023 being the last service, apart from funerals. Bishop Andrew, (who is involved with the National Church closures) has visited recently. He came with a Church Buildings Officer who reports back at a national level regarding the building, its state of repair and possible uses for the benefit of the community. We await their report. ## _**Peter Maslen & Gwen Mclean**_ ## _**Churchwardens**_ 6 ## **Electoral Roll** Last year, the numbers on the roll totalled 162; with 9 deletions and 26 new members, the new roll stands at 179. Official Certificates, with the new roll figure will be forwarded to the Deanery and Diocesan Secretaries after the Parish Roll has been formally adopted at the APCM. In 2023 we held 4 weddings in St Michael’s. So far for 2024 we have held one with a further one booked for St Michael’s. Last year we were involved in reading banns for 6 weddings taking place elsewhere, with 6 scheduled for this year so far. ## _**Netty Hucknall Parish Administrator**_ ## **Average St Michael’s Sunday Attendance** (excluding festivals/baptisms) Adults Under 16s **----- Start of picture text -----**
150
100
50
0
2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
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7 ## **Treasurer's report** Thanks to many church members raising their regular giving over the year, and to some new regular givers, we were pleased to be able to pay our Diocesan Share for 2023. 2023 saw some changes in finance personnel – as we continued to miss Chris Harvey, we extend huge thanks to Sue Spurrier for ‘stepping into the breach’ and keeping the finances of St Michael’s church running. More change and reorganisation follows in 2024 - as we move away from dedicated ‘Church Treasurers’ to a single team, headed by Susan Shi, covering all aspects of parish finance. 2023 accounts show a small excess of expenditure over income (£13K) in 'general’ funds - this actually masks two huge achievements: the meeting of the increased parish share burden (up a significant 45% on 2022), and an exceptional spend on St Michael’s heating system (£24K) after a cold winter in 2022! The other significant financial activity was the project to realise investments and use the proceeds to purchase 11 Canon Square – thus buildings value has increased by £330K; “restricted” funds were further boosted by £61K (the excess of proceeds from the investments sale over the cost of the property). A prevailing sense of growth and renewal is felt across the parish as we bring the word of God and the love of Jesus Christ to an ever larger part of the community. ## _**Julian Parr**_ ## _**Treasurer**_ ||**2023**
**2022**
£275,681
£161,550
£234,395
£145,077
£41,286
£16,473| |---|---| |Receipts
Payments
Net receipts/payments|| |**Cash at year end**|**£160,718**
**£119,432**| _See Appendix for statement of receipts & payments, assets & liabilities_ 8 ## **St Barnabas** C of E – Christmas and Easter? Both were well attended at St Barnabas in 2023, an increase from 2022. Apart from those ‘notable dates’ the Fellowship remained in the high teens for 2023. We managed to pay our Share in full, fund the recovering of 30 chairs, update the sound system, and sort major ceiling repairs in the Nave. If the CofE awarded Long Service Medals surely Barry and Jocelyn Scarlett would be at the forefront thanks to doing so much for the church for more than 60 years. We are so grateful for Jocelyn playing the organ and for Barry leading services, and Alpha courses, for that length of time. We maintain the regime of a service every Sunday - the pattern being a Breakfast Conversation on the first Sunday, clergy communion on the second Sunday, and Sara Banks and David Flower taking the third and fourth Sunday’s Morning Worship. It was lovely also to see Marilyn Flower appointed to the Anna Chaplaincy. Sue plays the keyboard on most Sundays, Gwen spends a lot of time looking after the work of the church, Dale keeps the money under control, Ruth manages the flowers and Ian spends an awful lot of time on ‘grounds maintenance’. We enjoy breakfast together on the first Sunday, although struggle a little for volunteers so if anyone fancies supplying breakfast on the odd occasion, please get in touch! We thank all and everyone who works to keep the little church in the lay by a viable, vibrant place of worship. We are in the Community, for the Community - as evidenced by the ‘extra curricular activities’ that happen at St Barnabas: **Cricket -** under the cosh thanks to the rain in 2023 but things can only get better **Boules** - the court being available for anyone to use free of charge at any time **Table Tennis -** with three teams playing in the Schoolroom through the winter 9 And not forgetting T@StB – a chance for a cup of tea, piece of cake and a good old chat putting the world to rights. The 590 trees planted for The Queen’s Green Canopy are growing well. We’ve lost a few trees, moved a few and may plant some more this autumn to fill the odd gap. What is surprising is that at least ten people walk their dogs around the perimeter of the field every day - if only we could entice them through the door - but we’re working on it! Think of us in 2024 – we have two CofE ‘Ennials’ – a Triennial and a Quinquennial, hopefully nothing major comes to light... ## _**Stanford Cole**_ _**Assistant Warden, St Barnabas**_ _Boules at St Barnabas_ 10 ## **St Michael's Fabric** ## **Churchyard** We have recently started a “Facilities Team” co-ordinated via a WhatsApp group, which meets regularly to tackle brambles and undergrowth, hoeing weeds off the gravel path, and clearing ivy from tombs etc. Many thanks and keep up the good work those volunteers we have had. You will all know that we have Steve sleeping under the yew tree - we are attempting to get him to keep the area a bit tidier and we know that Social Services and Police are keeping an eye on his wellbeing, so maybe we should look upon him as a “caretaker” and pray for a peaceful resolution. Both the Canon Square and the Place Road gateposts have now been fully repaired and the collapsed wall between the graveyard and the rectory garden has also been rebuilt. ## **Buildings** Last winter 2022 – 2023 was “not good”, with no heating over the winter period. Thankfully during early Autumn 2023 we were able to engage a specialist company from Bolton (yes – Lancashire) to come and sort it out for us. 13 radiators out of 25 now work and we are now much more comfortable – albeit at a cost of ~£24,000! Funding for refurbishing the clock face is in place, and we await final details from our clock restorer before the Faculty can be granted and work can begin. Since last year, our ringers have been fundraising to augment the bells from 8 to 10, to create a lighter ring that will make it easier to train beginners. This has gone very well, and to their credit, we now have a Faculty, two new bells on order (complete with King Charles cipher), and hope the installation can be carried out later this year. 11 ## **Reordering** The latest plans were displayed at the back of the church for several weeks giving everyone the chance to feedback their views ahead of two “Pledge Sundays.” With around 20% of the funding for the refurbishment of 11 Canon Square and the reordering now covered, grant applications are being worked on. ## _**Keep up to date with progress at melksham.church/build**_ ## **Safeguarding** The Diocese of Salisbury has received a glowing report from an external audit (the first diocese to be audited). Bishop Stephen thanked all parishes and safeguarding teams for “ _their commitment to safeguarding, as the audit reports that safeguarding is embedded in the culture across the diocese_ .” This is certainly true of our parish. We have created a new safeguarding team which includes Charlie, Francis, Hannah and myself—a formidable team to ensure that St Michaels and St Barnabas are “Safer Churches”. Notice boards in both churches and church rooms have been updated with photographs of the team, information about what to do if you have any concerns, who to approach and a list with contact details of organisations who can help. With the growth of the congregation in St Michaels and in particular the children’s work we have had many new volunteers. Most have undergone the relevant safeguarding training and have received DBS clearance. The diocese has also been proactive in adopting the national safeguarding framework They have adopted and published a set of safeguarding standards and quality assurance framework covering the five most important dimensions of 12 the church’s safeguarding work. As a safeguarding team we are working towards these standards to ensure the parish continues to have robust policies, procedures, recruitment and training in place. There is still work to be done but we are delighted with the progress we have made in creating a “Safe church” for all. ## _**Gwen McLean Parish Safeguarding Rep**_ _**If you would like to raise any safeguarding concerns, please contact safeguarding@melksham.church, or safeguarding@salisbury.anglican.org**_ 13 ,1111, ji 111,1,: pi iiifjii Pllk4111 Ilw ,P,:.Ili 'Pt ## 1 - Evangelism ## **Alpha** I was pleased to help out at this year’s Alpha course in the King’s Arms on Tuesday evenings from January through to Holy Week, having attended Alpha at a previous church early on in my faith over 15 years ago. The sessions started with a video introducing a different topic each week, based on an aspect of the Christian faith, setting the scene for smaller group discussions such as “Who is Jesus?” “Why and how should I read the Bible?” and “Why and how do I pray?”. We also heard about the faith journeys of some of the team, sang some worship songs and of course shared fellowship over copious coffee and cake. The two groups, led by Charlie and Francis, with help from Tim, Ruth, Vicky, Susan and Dave, had some varied and thought-provoking discussions. Whilst Alpha is mainly designed for those just discovering Christianity, the 18 guests all had varied backgrounds and experiences, wanting to explore their faith more deeply. Strong friendships were built as we shared stories, laughter and some moving moments, covering many aspects of the Christian faith together. We also enjoyed an away day at the fantastic venue of Spye Park, where we had the chance to pray together and encounter the Holy Spirit – a very moving experience! Overall, guests, leaders and helpers all agreed they enjoyed Alpha and it had inspired many of them to explore further by joining a Bible study home group or helping with our Youth Alpha course. A huge thanks to everyone that made the course possible – Charlie and Francis for leading (with Charlie even returning early from paternity leave!), helpers for 16 facilitating the discussions, our bakers for the delicious cakes each week, and to our hosts at the Kings Arms. Thanks also to Steve, Annie and Jane for looking after us on the away day with some fantastic food, and the owners of Spye Park for generously letting us use their home as the perfect location for discussion, prayer and contemplation. Following hot on the heels of this success, Francis has started our first Youth Alpha course with several of our recent Alpha attendees facilitating as helpers. Nine teenagers, around half of whom are new to our church, are attending weekly sessions held in the Church Room, with a night away residential weekend planned in early June. As always, we thank God for encouraging us to share his message with others and look forward to seeing His plans unfold! ## _**Vicky Just Alpha Helper**_ ## **The Messenger** The parish magazine was published four times this year in both printed and digital format. The Messenger continues to evolve with many contributions from local writers, and the graphics and layout continues under the positive direction of Rebecca Trueman. It is important to monitor the feasibility of any publication. The editor has always felt that unless the Messenger is effectively proclaiming the good news of Jesus, then questions must be asked! 17 The feedback from readers and contributors continues to be very positive. Our advertising support is vital in maintaining the financial sustainability of the publication. Thank you to a great team who continue to work for, and produce the Messenger. ## _**Barry Scarlett**_ ## _**Editor**_ _**Barry has indicated he’d like to hand over the running of the magazine at some stage - would you be up for joining the Messenger team?**_ _Cricket last summer_ ## **Cricket** Our cricket team was started last summer and consisted of a couple of friendly informal games. Both games were a triumphant success and were hugely enjoyable, reminding us that church life is not all about PCC meetings. The games provided an opportunity for newcomers to try something new and assisted in making and developing friendships. 18 Following the positive feedback from those who played and spectated, we are looking to grow the team and host four or five Sunday afternoon games, this summer, down at St Barnabas, Beanacre. We already have fixtures in the diary against neighbouring churches (St James Trowbridge, Corsham Baptist Church, and Emmanuel Chippenham) who are keen to show us their batting and bowling credentials. ## **June 16th** We are always on the lookout for new players and anyone who may be interested in representing our church team and would appreciate some more information about fixture dates, please get in touch. Nick Fisher Trophy vs Corsham CC select XI **July 10th** vs Emmanuel Chippenham As the lyrics of 10cc’s iconic song goes, _‘I don’t like cricket, oh no, I love it!’_ **July 21st** vs St James Trowbridge ## _**Jonny Trueman**_ ## _**Captain**_ **Sept 8th** vs Corsham Baptist Church ## **Special Services** **----- Start of picture text -----**
2021 2022 2023
Midnight Mass Christmas day Good Friday Easter Sunday
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Midnight Mass Christmas day Good Friday
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19 r* ## 2 - Discipleship ## **Home groups** Home groups are groups of people who meet in homes! We have groups that meet in the daytime and in the evening and they are great places to get to know others in church better and to grow in faith. We spend time worshipping, praying and studying the Bible together. They're a good place to try things out that you might not in a main church service, like praying aloud or leading worship. They are safe spaces to share difficulties and support each other and we also have some fun. I asked my group what they liked about home group: ๏[A safe place to explore and ask questions. ] ๏[We dig down deeper. ] ๏[We trust each other. ] ๏[We're comfortable praying together because it's a smaller group. ] ๏[We explore books of the Bible or themes we haven’t in church. ] ๏[We keep a prayer journal and we've had answers to prayer. ] - ๏[The coffee! ] Please speak to Charlie, Francis or Netty if you'd like to join a group. You'd be made very welcome! ## _**Gillian Blackham**_ ## _**Home Group Leader**_ _**There are currently 6 Home Groups meeting across the town, and we’re always after more leaders - could this be you?!**_ 22 ## **Theology Uncorked** The first Theology Uncorked took place in Autumn 2023 at St Barnabas, and seeks to give an introduction to theology for Christians looking to go deeper in their faith. Good theology helps in two ways; firstly it helps us to worship God better, and secondly it helps us to serve him more effectively in mission and ministry. The format is simple; we get together for an extended time of study with input around tables with refreshments - hence “uncorked”. In the first session we studied “Romans: The gospel according to Paul”. In the course of the session we studied the original context and recipients of Paul’s letter to the Romans, we looked at some of the debates in contemporary biblical studies around St Paul’s theology, before digging into what Paul means in Romans 1.16 when he says “ _I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes_ ”. In Holy Week 2024 the second session of Theology Uncorked took place on the theme: “Behold the Lamb of God”, exploring Jesus’ work as a sacrifice for the world. Afterwards there was time for discussion around tables. Looking ahead we hope to run Theology Uncorked at least twice a year at St Barnabas. ## _**Francis Moloney**_ 23 ## 3 - Renewing Worship ## **Two services at St Michael’s** It has been a pleasure to see increasing numbers at the 10.30 morning service at St Michael’s during the last three years. The arrival of many young families has stretched our facilities but has enabled us to grow, creating thriving worship and opportunities for young people to feel part of the church. Some actually travel from other towns and villages in response to _Francis leading worship at the 9am_ what St Michael’s has to offer. Quite how this miracle has happened may be a mystery but we are grateful for the efforts that have been made to allow our church to grow. The 10.30 is lively and exciting, so after two and a half years of successful and popular services it was a brave decision to introduce another Sunday morning service. Would two services divide the congregation and weaken the unity of St Michael’s worshippers? The past three months have shown that this has not been the case. The 9am service starts in the humility of the priest’s stalls: there are service booklets; the priests are robed; the pulpit is used and communion is received in the sanctuary. These are not all crucial in an act of worship but seem to be appreciated along with the fact that the liturgy of the communion is given greater prominence. The organ accompanies the more familiar hymns. 24 Members of our community who felt that the 10.30 service was not for them (but remained committed to St Michael’s) have returned to worship and numbers for both services are increasing. Timing has been important too; the first service is under an hour, allowing plenty of time for coffee and socialising for both groups as the 10.30 families arrive, avoiding the sense of “us and them.” Casual discussion among participants suggests that the 9.00am service has been a great success. True, the different age demographics are reflected to some extent in the two services but there is now a greater sense of inclusivity in the vibrant community of all ages that is St Michael’s Church. ## _**Charlie Adams**_ ## _**9am Congregation Member**_ I would like to thank Margaret for her continued time working alongside me to ensure services run smoothly; we share the laundering of the linens each week, and the occasional altar cloths. Over the last year we have seen a steady increase in the numbers receiving communion, and have experimented with pitta bread at 10.30 once a month. The chalice assistants rota could be bolstered with a few new hands - training can be given to anyone who wishes to serve. ## _**Ruth Fivash**_ ## _**Sacristan**_ I would also like to express a huge debt of gratitude to Alistair and the fantastic verger team for their extraordinary hard work in ensuring the smooth running of Sunday worship, weddings funerals and school visits, and occasional midweek services. Thank you vergers! ## _**Charlie Thomson**_ 25 ## **Tuesday Morning Prayer** This beautifully simple new gathering is so rich in togetherness and fellowship. A small group of around 12 -15 gather in St Michael’s each Tuesday morning at 9am; it feels like the disciples meeting together in the Upper Room! After a welcome and an opportunity to share what’s been happening and what God is doing in our lives, Charlie or Francis lead us in a song which is very special. The fact we sit in a circle makes it very informal and friendly - we praise God together before delving into the daily Bible passage which always helps us fix our eyes on what God is saying or doing. Discussions, thoughts and ideas are shared and I do believe that it helps us each grow in our faith as well as in our friendships. We always end our little gathering with prayers for our church community, individuals and groups. We pray too for local schools, the town of Melksham, other churches around the diocese and the wider world as well as any other people or situations on our hearts. It has been a real joy to join in with these prayer gatherings and although I often arrive a tad late (due to the school run timings) I always come away feeling soaked in this verse from Hebrews 10 v 24: “ _And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching_ .” ## _**Kate Ocock**_ ## _**Tuesday Morning Regular**_ ## **Deeper** In Psalm 63, the Psalmist speaks of seeking God earnestly; thirsting and yearning for Him in a dry and weary land, where there is no water. So, he looks on God in the sanctuary, to see His power and glory and he praises Him and is satisfied. 26 _The 10:30 band. Can you play an instrument? We’d love to hear from you!_ ‘Deeper’ is a weekday, evening service dedicated to seeking God in worship and prayer, which aims to happen about once a term. It is such a blessing to have the opportunity to spend an extended time lifting up the name of Jesus in corporate worship. In our busy lives, it’s easy to become dry and weary without even realising it; spending time in worship, in God’s holy presence is as refreshing as a glass of water to a thirsty soul. At the first ‘Deeper’ we broke into small groups to pray for forthcoming events and our mission to ‘Make Jesus Known.’ In the second, we were encouraged to put into practice the spiritual gifts. We listened to God and shared with each other what He put on our hearts, to build up our faith. God is so good! I sense that as we thirst for Him, spend time with Him in worship and prayer, He will not only satisfy our souls but He will prepare a harvest of souls from the overflow. I encourage everyone to come to the next ‘Deeper’ on 12th June! ## _**Jo Mitchell**_ ## _**Worship Team Member**_ 27 ## 4 - Pastoral Care ## **Lay Pastoral Assistants** Following commissioning of the Lay Pastoral Assistants by Bishop Andrew Rumsey on 9th July 2023 in St Michael’s, the LPA’s under Revd Annie Wintour have developed this role to include visiting parishioners in their homes in hospitals and in Care Homes, offering spiritual care and support. _+Andrew commissioning our pastoral team last July_ ## **Care Home Visits** Regular visits of Holy Communion and Praise and Prayer have been led by Francis and Marilyn. These services have continued in Crown House, Brookside and Alpine Villa. Chair-based exercises have also been included at times. It is hoped that these services can be extended to those in other sheltered housing and care home facilities across Melksham. 28 ## **Anna Chaplaincy** Following a further course of training and mentorship, one of the LPA’s Marilyn Flower, was licensed as an Anna Chaplain – again by Bishop Andrew, on 4th February 2024. Anna Chaplains are named after the widow, Anna who appears with Simeon in St. Luke’s Gospel; both are good role models of older people. Under the umbrella organisation of the Bible Reading Fellowship (BRF), Anna Chaplains are part of a growing network of likeminded chaplains from various Christian denominations who support each other and share ideas. Along with other members of the Pastoral Team, the Anna Chaplain offers emotional and spiritual support to older people, their families and carers, particularly those who live in residential and care settings and sheltered housing complexes. This may include visiting those living with Dementia. ## **Coffee & Conversation** Various groups continue to offer friendship and fellowship to our own regular Church members, those from other churches and those yet to find faith. **Tea@StB** – meets on the 1st Thursday of each month, 2pm at St Barnabas **Coffee in the Park** – 4th Tuesday each month at 10am, Jack’s Kitchen in King George V Park **Crafty Cafe** - every Tuesday during term time in St Michael’s Church Room ## _**Marilyn Flower**_ ## _**LPA & Anna Chaplain**_ _**If you’d like a visit from (or would be interest in joining) the Pastoral Team, please contact francis@melksham.church**_ 29 ## 5 - Reaching the Next Generation ## **Sunday Club** There has been much to celebrate this past year - from the faint whisper of a toddlers’ first prayer, to the inquisitive big questions from our teenagers - we’ve so much to give thanks for in the life of Kids Church. Some particular moments to celebrate - - ๏[Building of a contained kids area in church - not sure if this is more appreciated ] by playful kids or their weary parents in need of a quiet coffee, but kind thanks to Charlie Adams and Peter Maslen for their handy work! - ๏[Launched ‘Loaves and fishes Fund’ - getting the youngest generation involved ] in the Building To Serve project - ๏[Christmas Shoebox appeal - with contributions from across the parish, our kids ] packed over 30 boxes to send to children in need in Serbia, Moldova & Belarus - ๏[Opened church room weekly for fellowship (aka strong coffee + toys!) during ] the summer holidays - a moment to reconnect with the church family and beyond - ๏[We doubled the number of Christingle services, with 500 free tickets ‘selling ] out’ shortly after going live - ๏[Easter morning this year saw a wonderful 60 kids in church munching ] chocolate, hunting for eggs and hearing the good news New families continue to join each week - a recent quote from one when asked how they ended up coming along - “ _I heard this was the place to go for families._ ” After a steep incline in growth during 2022, we have sustained a weekly average of 27 (excluding, festival services) across the past year. This steadiness has borne 32 great fruit - firm friendships amongst the children are flourishing, families are connecting, spiritual roots are deepening. Alongside this, a faithful team who sacrificially serve to enable it all to happen. Whilst our hearts are grateful for all God has done this last year, we feel a sense our kids ministry is not yet at full throttle, and that there is more to come - Little Cherubs is currently on hold, we’re on the cusp of needing an additional Sunday group, and of course long-term leadership is required! Isaiah 43 declares ‘ _Behold, I am doing a new thing_ ’ - and as we watch new things spring up from God’s goodness and provision, we are praying into what the next chapter will be for the life and leadership of our kid’s ministry. Please pray with us as we continue to grow and adapt along this exciting journey! ## _**Hannah Thomson**_ ## _**Children & Families lead**_ 33 ## **Youth** Since April 2023 there has been provision for teenagers at St Michael's on Sunday mornings. We have been able to consistently offer Youth on Sundays during term time - meeting every week except 4th Sundays, when young people are beginning to serve on teams. We normally have between 5-7 each week - for most of 2023 meeting in the former choir vestry in St Michael’s; the purchase of 11 Canon Sq. has allowed the group to move into the new ‘Youth Den’ - we are so grateful to a small team from the congregation, in quickly redecorating and making it a usable space. The Youth Team has 8 members who serve on Sunday mornings, and I am so grateful for their commitment to _**Making Jesus Known**_ to our young people. Looking ahead into 2024 we’re looking forward to exploring the whole story of the bible on Sundays using a resource from Scripture Union. _Getting the ‘Youth Den’ ready to move in_ We’re currently running Alpha Youth with around 10 teenagers, some of whom are wanting to be baptised or confirmed and others just exploring the Christian faith. ## _**Francis Moloney**_ ## _**Youth Lead**_ 34 ## **The Manor C of E Primary School** It’s been another year of significant change for the school, with several members of staff seconded to other schools in the White Horse Federation until next year. Mrs Hembury, the Deputy Headteacher has sadly gone to be Headteacher at Seend, Semington and Broughton Gifford - we miss her but wish her luck in her exciting new role. Before Easter we also said goodbye to Mrs Weatherburn who has retired after being a Teaching Assistant at The Manor for 25 years. Headteacher Mr Park has been hard at work implementing a new Behaviour Curriculum which has improved the children’s behaviour, raised their aspirations and introduced a calm environment that encourages learning. Parents regularly attend the Friday Celebration Worship, and Mark Cheeseman has started leading the Singing Worship on Thursday afternoons, teaching the children some new worship songs, and setting up a choir after school which sang at the Christmas service, a lunchtime concert and a local residential home. A huge thank you to Mark! Toni Mills took over as Chair from September, swapping positions with me as Vice Chair. Mary Seaman joined Charlie and myself as a Foundation Governor, bringing her valuable experience as a teacher at a specialist school to monitor the pupil premium provision for children from low income families. We’ve also welcomed a new parent governor but still have vacancies for another parent governor and two co-opted governors. ## _**Vicky Just**_ ## _**Vice-Chair of Governors**_ 35 ## **Forest & Sandridge C of E Primary School** In September 2023 I began to build relationships in Forest & Sandridge School. I was welcomed with a tour of the school led by the chair of governors and the school’s Principal. I am delighted that 3 times a year a section of the school come to St Michael’s for collective worship, alongside the daily collective worship provided at school. At Christmas I had the privilege of coming into the school whilst the children were doing their Christingle service and was able to teach the children what each element of the Christingle means - that it teaches us that Jesus came into the world that he loves so much. The Christingle service was held in St Michael’s. There was also a whole school Christmas service which was held on the school site. I am very impressed with the engagement with scripture that the staff and prayer council have when putting the services together. I am in the process of becoming a member of the Local Governing Body and look forward to continuing to work with them in 2024. ## _**Francis Moloney**_ In addition to our two C of E schools, we’re excited to be strengthening links with the other primary schools in the parish - I’ve been into Rivermead for a couple of assemblies, Francis has been to Bowerhill, and Aloeric come to St Michael’s every term for a service in Church. It’s been great to see kids coming along on Sundays having heard about Sunday Club at school! ## _**Charlie Thomson**_ _**We’re keen to continue to strengthen links with our schools and would love to hear from you if you’re interested in helping - whether as a co-opted governor, listening to the children read for an hour a week, or coming into school to make Jesus known through “Open the book” - please let Vicky, Francis or Charlie know!**_ 36 ## **Bradford Deanery** I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for being such a huge encouragement as I stepped into this role just over a year ago. Our Deanery is wonderfully varied, from tiny rural sanctuaries to large town centre Churches and creative plants and activities - there is so much to give thanks for! It is easy to get into a mind-set of worry and anxiety about the future, but Jesus loves us and builds His Church. Thank you for the way you all serve Jesus in this place and for the way we have been coming together as a Deanery to ponder what we could do together and how we might best grow our Parishes and share the love God in Bradford on Avon, Trowbridge and Melksham. We have started an important journey on thinking through the new Diocesan vision, _**Making Jesus Known**_ and have been identified as an area which will hopefully have a Missional Pathway plan for the future building on our desire to grow and be released for mission. You have worked hard to pay Share and I know you understand the priority that has to take. As we move into another financial year I pray we will all reflect on our generosity and give what we can. For some that is going to be more scary than others, and so it is also my hope that we may grow in our generosity towards each other. Praying and resourcing each other as a Deanery in the long term could bear much fruit, we are all building the Kingdom together. We should not see our Parish boundaries as barriers to protect but as helpful scaffolding holding sacred spaces, so we can see and grow together releasing what we have and blessing what God is doing. I hope that vision may inspire the next few years ahead, whatever happens have hope. Jesus is Alive! ## _**Jane Palmer**_ ## _**Rural Dean, and Vicar of Shaw, Atworth & Whitley**_ 37 ## **Financial Review** |Statement explaining|Para|The Parish’s Diocesan share was made in full in| |---|---|---| |the policy for holding|1.22|2023.| |reserves stating why||| |they are held||It is the policy of the PCC that unrestricted funds| |||which have not been designated for a specifc use| |||should be maintained at a level equivalent to| |||between three- and six-month’s expenditure. The| |||Council Members consider that reserves at this| |||level will ensure that, in the event of a signifcant| |||drop in funding, they will be able to continue the| |||council’s current activities while consideration is| |||given to ways in which additional funds may be| |||raised.| |Amount of reserves|Para|The charities total funds as of 31 December 2023| |held|1.22|were £ 160,718 (2022: 119,381.37), which were| |||split between funds as follows:| |||Unrestricted: £55,943| |||Restricted: £ 104,774| |Reasons for holding|Para|The charity does not hold zero reserves as at 31| |zero reserves|1.22|December 2023.| |Details of fund|Para|No funds are in defcit as of 31 December 2023.| |materially in defcit|1.24|| |Explanation of any|Para|The trustees assess whether the use of going| |uncertainties about the|1.23|concern is appropriate, i.e. whether there are any| |charity continuing as a||material uncertainties related to events or| |going concern||conditions that may cause signifcant doubt on| |||the ability of the charity to continue as a going| |||concern. The trustees make this assessment in| |||respect of a period of at least one year from the| |||date of authorisation for issue of the accounts| |||and have concluded that the trust has adequate| |||resources to continue in operational existence for| |||the foreseeable future and there are no material| |||uncertainties about the charities ability to| |||continue as a going concern. Thus, they continue| |||to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in| |||preparing the accounts.| 39 ||**The**|**Parochial Church Council of the Melksham Parish**|**No (if any)**|||| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| ||**of**|**the Ecclesiastical Parish of Melksham, Salisbury**|**1138038**|||| |||**Receipts andpayments accounts**|||**CC16a**|| ||**For**|**the period**
**from**
Period start date
**To**
01/01/2023|Period end date
31/12/2023|||| ## **Section A Receipts and payments** |**A1 Receipts**|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**to the nearest £**
**148,509**
**16,460**
**3,195**
**9,933**
**178,097**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**178,097**
**85**
**1,748**
**80,515**
**8,899**
**8,682**
**65,770**
**25,417**
**191,115**
**-**
**191,115**
**- 13,018**
**- 18,266**
**73,060**
**41,776**|**Restricted**
**funds**
**to the nearest £**
**32,265**
**114**
**32,378**
**65,206**
**-**
**65,206**
**97,584**
**24,694**
**3,926**
**28,620**
**14,660**
**14,660**
**43,280**
**54,304**
**18,266**
**46,372**
**118,942**|**Endowment**
**funds**
**to the nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**|**Total funds**
**to the nearest £**
**180,774**
**16,460**
**3,195**
**10,047**
**210,475**
**65,206**
**-**
**65,206**
**275,681**
**85**
**1,748**
**80,515**
**8,899**
**8,682**
**90,463**
**29,343**
**219,735**
**-**
**14,660**
**14,660**
**234,395**
**41,286**|**Total funds**
**to the nearest £**
**180,774**
**16,460**
**3,195**
**10,047**
**210,475**
**65,206**
**-**
**65,206**
**275,681**
**85**
**1,748**
**80,515**
**8,899**
**8,682**
**90,463**
**29,343**
**219,735**
**-**
**14,660**
**14,660**
**234,395**
**41,286**|**Last year**
**to the nearest £**| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |Donations and Legacies|**148,509**|||||**132,712**| |Income from Charitable Activities|**16,460**|||||**12,625**| |Other Trading Activites|**3,195**|||||**4,147**| |Investments|**9,933**|||||**12,066**| |**_Sub total_**_(Gross income for_
_AR)_|**178,097**|||||**161,550**| |||||||| |**A2 Asset and investment sales,**
**(see table).**||||||| |Proceeds from Sales of Investments|**-**|||||| |Proceeds from Sales of Fixed Assets|**-**|||||| |**_Sub total_**|**-**|||||**-**| |**_Total receipts_**
**A3 Payments**||||||| |||||||**161,550**| |||||||| |Fundraising Costs|**85**|||||**227**| |Grants|**1,748**|||||**2,583**| |Deanary Share|**80,515**|||||**55,467**| |Fees|**8,899**|||||**8,979**| |Wages|**8,682**|||||**6,000**| |Property Costs|**65,770**|||||**32,768**| |Other Expenditure|**25,417**|||||**29,139**| |**_Sub total_ **|**191,115**|||||**135,163**| |||||||| |**A4 Asset and investment**
**purchases, (see table)**||||||| |
Investments Purchased||||||**-**| |Fixed Assets Purchased||||||**9,914**| |**_Sub total_ **|**-**|||||**9,914**| |**_Total payments_**
**_Net of receipts/(payments)_**
**A5 Transfers between funds**
**A6 Cash funds last year end**
**_Cash funds this year end_**||||||| |||||||**145,077**| |||||||| ||**- 13,018**|**54,304**|**-**|**41,286**||**16,473**| ||**- 18,266**|**18,266**|**-**|**-**||**-**| ||**73,060**|**46,372**|**-**|**119,432**||**102,959**| ||**41,776**|**118,942**|**-**|**160,718**||**119,432**| 40 |**Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period**|**Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period**|**Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period**|**Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period**|| |---|---|---|---|---| |**Categories**
**B1 Cash funds**
**B2 Other monetary assets**
**B3 Investment assets**
**B4 Assets retained for the**
**charity’s own use**
**B5 Liabilities**|(agree balances with receipts and payments
account(s))
**Details**
Bank Accounts
**_Total cash funds_**
**Details**
**Details**
COIF Investment Fund Shares
**Details**
Land
Church Equipment
Other Equipment
**Details**
Buildings|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**55,943**
**41,776**
OK
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**-**
**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**
Restricted
**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**
Restricted
Restricted
Unrestricted
Restricted
**Fund to which**
**liability relates**|**Restricted**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**104,774**
**118,942**
OK
**Restricted**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**-**
**Cost (optional)**
**-**
**Cost (optional)**
**39,500**
**330,000**
**25,935**
**67,624**
**Amount due**
**(optional)**
**-**|**Endowment**
**funds**
**to nearest £**| |||||**-**| |||||**-**| |||||OK| |||||**Endowment**
**funds**
**to nearest £**| |||||**-**| |||||**Current value**
**(optional)**| |||||**117,098**| |||||**Current value**
**(optional)**| |||||**39,500**| |||||**330,000**| |||||**-**| |||||**31,485**| |||||**When due**
**(optional)**| ||||**-**|| ## **Related party transactions and council members' expenses and remuneration** None of the Council Members received any remuneration for serving as a Trustee. During the year 2023… Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees |Signature|Reverend Charlie Thomson
Print Name
Mr Julian Parr|Date of
approval| |---|---|---| ||Mr Julian Parr|| ||Reverend Charlie Thomson|| 41 CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Trustees, Annual Report for the period From 01 January 2022 To 31 December 2022 Charity name: The Parochial Church Council of the Melksham Parish of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Melksham. Salisbury Charity registration number: 1138038 Objectives and Activities SORP refererr Para 1_17 Summary of the purwjses of the charity as set out in rts goveming d¢xument The PCC has the reSp￿sIblIty of working wtth the incumtent in promoting in the ecdesiastical parish the ole mission of the Church of England, pastoral, evangelistio ecumenical and social. The PCC also has the Maintenan￿ responsibilities for the fabric of our three thurthes arKI their respective church rooms. Summary ofthe main ath"vrties in relatson to those purposes for the public benefit. in particular, the activities, projects or services identified in the accounts. Para 1.17 arvj 1.19 Vthen plannirvJ our activities for the year, the Rector arKJ the PCC have conskdered the guidan￿ of the Charity CcKnmission on public ￿nefit and, in particular, the speafic guidance on charities for the advancement of religion. The church's ac*vrties are designed to further our vision through our five priorities of evangelism, discipleship. pastoral care, N%rrship. and reaching the next general￿n. Charity law requires the trustees of the Assoaation to prepare a receipts and payments account and a statement of assets and liabilitses for each financial year. In addsti'on. the trustees are responsible for keeping proper aC￿Unting records which are suffiaent to show and e>plain the d)aritls transactions and to disdose with rèasonable accuracy at any time the financbal posibon of the Assocsation. They are also reswnsible for safeguarding the assets of the chaiity and hen￿ for taking reasonable steps for the prevents.on and detection of fraud and other L￿egU5ankn"es. The trustees have Pa￿ due regard to guidance issues by the Charity Commission on public benefft in decvJirKJ what ath'vities the charity should uTrJertake. Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit Para 1.18 Additional inforniation (optional) You ma choose to indude fijrther statemènts ￿there relevant atK)ut: SORP relererce Page 1 of 12 Policy on grant making Para 1.38 Policy on sC￿la1 investrnent induding program related investment Pard 1.38 contributs.on made by volunteers PaR 1.38 Other Achievements and Performance SORP rElererKe Sunday services were held each week at all three churches. Monthly mic￿eek communion services were held at St Andrevls & St Michael's, as well as weddings, bapknsms and funernls throughout the year. Summary of the main achievements of the charity, identsfying the differen￿ the chanty's work has made to the circUmstan￿S of rts beneficiaries and any wider benefits to society as a whole. Para 120 SurKlay Club at St Michael's expanded from one group to three age categories. requiring the construction of a new log cabin. Lrttle Cherubs toddler groups met a week in St Michael's Church Room and in the fomRr St Andrevls hall. The Alpha r￿urSe was held n the Kiros Amis pub, Wtih a number of guests coming to faith, and three being ￿nfirned (along with hvo other church members) in November. Two new home groups were fomied, making a totsl of five. The week]y Crafty Café ￿ds launthed to offer communrty and creativity. Additional infomiation (optional) You ma choose to indude further statements ￿1)ere relevant afJ)ut". Achievements against objectives set Pata 1.41 Perforrnan￿ of fundraising activities against c*)jectives set Parn 1.41 Investment perfonnan against objectives Para 1.41 Other Page 2 of 12 Financial Review Review of the charity's financial position at the end of the eriod Stalement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating Ythy they are held Para 1.21 IrFyear activty saw the charity generate a net surplus of £16.473 of ino)me over expenditure. P8A 1.22 The Parish's Diocesan share was made in full in 2022. It is the policy of the PCC that unrestricted funds which have not been designated for a speafic use should be maintained at a level équiva￿ftl to between thre& and six-month's exp*nditure. The Council Membets consMJer that reserves at this level will ensure that. in the event of a sKJnificant drop in fuThJing. they wtll be able to continue Ihe council's current activities b¥hile consideration is given to ways in which additional funds ma be raised. The d)artties total funds as of 31 December 2022 were £119,38212021'. £102.959). which were split befv4een funds as follows.. Amount of reserves held Parn 1.22 Unrestricted: £73,C60 Restncted.. £46.372 The thanty does not hold zero reserves as at 31 December 2022. No furKls are in defictt as of 31 December 2022. Reasons for holding zero reserves Details of fund materially in deficit Explanation of any ￿n￿rtaIntIeS atx)ui the chanty continuing as a going concem Para 122 Para 1.24 Para 123 The trustees assess vthether the use of going concem is approprtate, i.e. whether there are any material un￿rtaIntieS related to events or conditions Ihat may cause significant doubt on the ability of the charity to conts.nue as a going con￿rn. Thè trustees make this assessment in resFect of a period of at least one year from the date of autlK)risation for issue of the accounts and have concluded that the trust has adequate resourc£s to continue in operational e￿Sten￿ for the foreseeable future and there are no material Un￿rtain￿"eS a￿ut the chartlies ability to ￿ntinue as a going concem. Thus, they continue to adopt the goiro con￿rn basis of accx)unting in preparing the accounts. Additional infomiation (optional) You ma choose to indude fijrther statements where relevant atM)Ut". The charity's prinapal sources of furKIs (induding any fundraising) Para 1.47 Investment policy and objectives induding any social investrnent policy adopted Para 1.46 A description of the principal risks facing the charity The Council Members have assessed the major risks to which Ihe counal is exposed and are satisfied that systems are in Pla￿ to mth.gate exposure to the major risks. Pa￿ 1.46 Structure, Governance and Management Page 3 of 12 Descnption of chanty's trusts.. Type of goveming document Para 1.25 The Parochial Churth Cc￿￿til measure (1956) as amended and church representation rules. How is the thanty constttuted? 1.25 The Parochial Churth CC￿ncIl (PCC) is a body corporate (PCC Powers Measure 1956, Church Representakn Rules 20(￿) and is a registered chari The dergy are apponted by Ihe Bishop of Salisbury. All other members are elected by the members of the Electoral Roll at the Annual Parochial Churth Meeting. Ttustee SeleCt￿n methods including details of any constitutional provisions e.g. election to post or name of any person or bc*Jy entitled to appoint one or more tTUStees Para 1.25 Additional inforniation (Optional) You ma choose to include fvrther statements ￿there relevant ab)ut: Policies and procedures adopted for the indudion and training of trustees Para 1.51 The PCC met regularly durirvJ the year. The maiorrisks to vthich the PCC is exposed have been assessed and aF)propriate wlicies and procedures have been put in pla￿ to mitigate exposure to the major risks. The PCC has also S￿Jght to ur¥Jerwrtte some of these risks through a F()licy ￿ryth Ecdesiastical Insurance Ltd. The AThJlican Christian V￿tnesS within Melksham, a small market tOV•n situat&J in West Wltshire, has been organised for many years urKler the aUspi￿S of the Melksham Team Ministy (MTM). The Ecclesiastical Parish of Melksham consists of three churches. St. Michael and All Angels situated in the centre of the Town, St. Andrew situated in the Forest area, and St Bamabas ￿thIch is k)cated in the small village of Beanacre, on the outskirts to the north of the Town. The Parish is part of Bradford Deanery in the Diocese of Saltst)ury in the Church of England. The Parochial Churd) Council (PCC) is the primary administrats.ve tK)dy within the Team and the members Oftt￿ PCC are the Trustees of the Ecdesiastical Parish of Melksham Charity. The Parish Electoral Roll for 2022 is 145 (2021.. 135) ith St Andrews 41 (2021.. 41). St. Barnabas 27 (2021.. 26) and St. Michael and All Angels TI (2021.. 68). The g0Veman￿ of Melksham Parish consists of one Parish Churth Counal and a Local Church Committee (LCC) for eath of its churches: St Andrew, Melksham Forest" St Bamabas, Beanacre and St Michael and All Angels, Melksham Eath of these is elected at Annual Parothial Church Meeting where the members vote for their individual church resentatives with all Page 4of 12 The charitys organisational structure and any wder ne￿)rk with which the charity works Paa 1.51 members voting for the Parish Churchwardens and Assistant Churchwardens. In addition to these the mwnbers also elect Iheir PCC. LCC and representatives to seNe on Bradford Deanery Synts and the Council of the Local Ecumenical Partnership {LEP). Melksham Family of Churches. The method of appointrnent to each of these is set out in the Church RepresentatK)n Rules. All of those who attend our services and are members of our congregations are encouraged to register on the Electofal Roll and stand for eleth'on to Ihe above posts. The individual Church ComMitt￿S are responsible for all roub.ne matters relats.ng to the Christian wthess and upkeep in their respective Churches, including deciding how the funds of the Church are to be spent, but refer any significant matters to the PCC for decisions. The members of the PCC, who are trustees of the Charity. are resp￿Sible for making deosions on all matters of general cl￿￿rn and Importan￿ to Melksham Parish, induding deciding how tt)e funds of the PCC are to be spent. The three Church Ccffimittees elect a member to act as the Church financial representative who accnunts for the funds relating to the respective Church, but in additson. on a monthly basis. passes all of the accwnting infomation to the Honorary Team Treasurer. The Honorary Team Treasurer is elected by the PCC and is responsible for accounting for funds relating to the Team financ£s and consolidating on an orwing basis the papeNork needed to consolidate the annual Parish accounts. Relationship any related parties P8ra 1.51 Other Reference and Administrative details Charity name The Parothial Churth Counal of the Melksham Parish of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Melksham. Salisbu Melksham Team Minis 1138038 The Rectory. Canon Square. Melksham. Wltshire, SN12 6LX Other name the cha . uses Re istered chari number Chari￿$ principal address Page 5 of 12 Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity Name of person {or body) entÈfjed to appoint ifan C)ITtt (If any) Date5 Xted if nc* for whole year Revd Chadie Thomson Revd Alison Sowion Peter Maslen Gwen Mdean Margaret Wllis Phil M¢2nullen Team Rector Team Vicar Until 14" Aug 2022 Churchwarden Churchwarden From 151 May 2022 Until 1° May 2022 Church%￿arden Hon. Secretary Hon. Treasurer Julian Pa From 1" May 2022 Stanford Cole Assistant Vkrden - St B Alistair Banks Assistsnt Warden - St M Chris Harvey Steve Fivash David Flower From 1° May 2022 From 1" May 2022 From 1" May 2022 Marilyn Flower Rich Hucknall Deanery SyTY)d Rep-st B Tim Just From 1st May 2022 Jo Palerson Karen Skull Derek Sowion Deanery Symd Repst A Until 14° Aug 2022 Pam Womham orate trustees- names of the directors at the date the Director name rtwasa roved Name of trustees holding titte to propety belonging to the tharity Trustee name Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others Description of the assets held in this capaaty Name and objects of the charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian chari Details of arrangements for safe cust¢Jdy and segregation of SLth assets from the tharitys own assets Page 6 of 12 Additional inforniation loptional) Names and addresses of advisers (Optional inforniation) Type of Name Address adviser Independent Examiner David Cmen & Co 17 The Market Pkce. DeviTrs, V￿lt$hire, SN10 1 HT Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional inforniation) Exemptions from disclosu Reason for ncxFdisdosure of ke rsonnel details Other o tional infonnation Page7of12 Declarations The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees. report above. Signed on behalf of the charivs Signature(s} Full namels) Position (eg Secretary, Chair, etc) MrJu Reverend Charfie Thomson Hon. Treasurer Team Rector Date 23" May 2023 Page 8 of 12 CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND ANO WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examinevs Report Report to the trusteesl members of The Parochial Church Council of the Melksham Parish of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Melksham. Salisbury On accounts for the year endod 31 De￿mber 2022 Charity no {if any) 1138038 Set out on pages 11and12 I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (Ihe Trust") for the year ended 31 December 2021. Responsibilities and basis of report As the charity's trustees. you are responsible for the preparation of Ihe accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ("the Act"). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under seclion 145 of the 2011 Acl and in carrying out my examinalion. I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5Mb) of the Act. have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my altention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in. any malerial respect: the accounting ￿COrdS V￿re not kept in accordan￿ with section 130 of the Chartties Act. or the accounts did not aco)rd with the accounting records.. or the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements conceming the fomi and c￿ntent of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Rewrts) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a Irue and fair, view which is not a rnatter considered as part of an independent examination. I have no COn￿mS and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Independent examinerfs statement Signed: Date: 26 May 2023 Name: Julian Pocock FCA CTA Relevant professional qualifi¢ation(s) or body (rfany): SnstitLrte of Chartered Accountsnts (England and Wales) Address: 17 The Market Pla Devizes. Wiltshire. SN10 1HT Page 9 of 12 Section B Disclosure Only complete rf the examiner needs to highlight material matters of COn￿M (see CC32. Independent examination of d￿rity accounts. directions and guidan￿ for examiners). Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose. Page 10of12 CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGiANO ANO WALES The paT￿h￿41 Church C(￿￿17 olthe Melksham Payfish ofthe Ecclesias1￿ Parish of Melksh*ry S￿ISb￿ry 1138038 Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For the Fwiod 01KJ1ra)22 fo 31M2f2iJ72 Section A Receipts and payments funds funds fitnds Totsl funds Last A1 Recèipts Donation5 and L 132.712 12,625 4.147 12fv66 99.605 16,7D7 2,773 11,887 12.626 4.147 12,066 OthérTradin Investments AR) 14& 161.SSO 130,772 A2 A55et and investrftent sale (see table). P￿￿eedsfroM Sak5 OfF￿A￿S*S Sub to 148,654 1U96 161,550 130,772 A3 Payrnents FundtaiSiNJ Cosis Giants Dtanary Sharè 227 1.182 7S.887 7,253 5.970 23,764 20.020 13￿14 56N67 8J79 $5,467 E.979 Wages Propetty ¢( Other ExPendI￿re 31.583 27,386 32,76E 29,139 136.163 1.753 Sub tot A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) Investments ￿rGh2 9914 S￿4 688 688 Sub to 9,914 13222S 11152 145,077 135,202 16N29 5T1 18,473 4A30 AS Transfers bet¥Ren ft5nds A6 Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end S71 45.757 46372 57,202 73,060 102,959 119,432 107 389 102.959 P¥11 of12 Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period uetails Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Etkdowment funds Categortes *nÈarÈ*t£ Bl Cash fwbjs 46?72 73W¢ 46.372 a￿S}) fu¥KIs fund5 to t*arÈ*i£ nds Details toneafÈst£ Detall$ 497.026 Details Cost{opti￿lI CurrÈAt value 26J36 67.624 37.628 Details ¥•then due B5 Liabilities Memt*rs.'- A Bankts £78212021". tI,IS5) fr*Vug&s Lll¥ ew*e5 r￿0￿8*1. C H*vey £59212021. £0) for ¢lher exrwtsesreyraxvs P Maskn £012￿21.. £581ts v￿st￿e G McLè8n £197 IZY21." 1511 f(￿ th ew6es re¥rtwed l McLean £XJ12021". £41n for cther exwes rettnt￿￿. M Wthis£O120X: £2791 fuC￿e￿￿e5 Mrs A Hwkr*ll, theiMl8 clacro￿l Th￿. r&*h*J£6,CO) t￿*.. £5970) ￿¥￿a5￿¢ Cbk. £013)21: £14for Vwg*sfÈe8 aNJ £012021.. rewkn￿. by or* ￿t￿tsl￿lees(#) tthaWofalthets￿tees Date of roval tgnabjre Print NarTre Mr Juhan Parr Re¥erend Chartse Thomson P￿12c￿l2 **Independent examiner's report on the accounts** ## **Section A Independent Examiner’s Report** |**Report to the trustees/**
**members of**
**On accounts for the year**
**ended**
**Set out on pages**
**Responsibilities and**
**basis of report**
**Independent**
**examiner's statement**|Charity Name
The Parochial Church Council of the Melksham Parish of the Ecclesiastical
Parish of Melksham, Salisbury|Charity Name
The Parochial Church Council of the Melksham Parish of the Ecclesiastical
Parish of Melksham, Salisbury|Charity Name
The Parochial Church Council of the Melksham Parish of the Ecclesiastical
Parish of Melksham, Salisbury| |---|---|---|---| ||||| ||31 December 2023|**Charity no**
**(if any)**|1138038| ||||| ||40 and 41(remember to include the page numbers of additional sheets)||| ||I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above
charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31 December 2023.
As the charity's trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the
accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011
(“the Act”).
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out
under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I
have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission
under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have
come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me
cause to believe that in, any material respect:||| - the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; or - the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or - the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair’ view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination. |**Signed:**
**Name:**
**Relevant professional**
**qualification(s) or body**
**(if any):**
**Address:**

|I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection
with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in
order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
**Date:**|I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection
with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in
order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
**Date:**| |---|---|---| |||| |||| ||Julian Pocock FCA CTA|| |||| ||Institute of Chartered Accountants (England and Wales)|| |||| ||17 The Market Place|| ||Devizes, Wiltshire,|| ||SN10 1HT|| ## **Section B Disclosure** Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight material matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners). **Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose** .