2025-12-31-accounts

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Annual Parochial Church Meeting Report

Sunday 31[st] May 2026 St Thomas’ Church

Minutes of the Meeting of Parishioners .......................................................................................... 5 Minutes of the Meeting of the Annual Parochial Church Meeting .................................................... 5 Parochial Church Council Report ................................................................................................... 9 Electoral Roll Report .................................................................................................................... 10 Safeguarding Report .................................................................................................................... 11 Deanery Synod Report ................................................................................................................ 12 Deanery Partnership Report ........................................................................................................ 13 The Rector’s Report ..................................................................................................................... 15 St Thomas’ Church & Hall Report ................................................................................................ 19 St Botolph’s Church Report .......................................................................................................... 20 Director of Music Report .............................................................................................................. 28 Building Projects and Fabric Report ............................................................................................. 35 Boston Foodbank Report ............................................................................................................. 36 Tower Captain’s Report 2025 ...................................................................................................... 38 St Botolph’s Church Sanctuary Guild Report ................................................................................ 39 Community Garden Report .......................................................................................................... 40 5[th] Boston (St Botolph’s) Scout Group Report .............................................................................. 41

Minutes of the Meeting of Parishioners

18[th] May 2025, 1pm, St Botolph’s Church

Fr David Stephenson, Rector of the Parish of Boston, welcomed everyone to the meeting and led the opening prayers.

Election of the Parish Churchwardens

Three nominations had been received: Andrew Elms, Paula Tamberlin and Graham StewartSmith. It was proposed by J Stewart-Smith and seconded by R Paul that all three be appointed. It was agreed unanimously.

Fr D Stephenson thanked our Churchwardens for being willing to undertake this important role in the life of our Church. He also thanked Rod Paul and Bob Tamberlin who were stepping down after 6yrs.

The meeting of the Parishioners was then closed.

Minutes of the Meeting of the Annual Parochial Church Meeting

18[th] May 2025, 1pm, St Botolph’s Church

Fr David Stephenson welcomed everyone to the Annual Parish Church Meeting.

Present: Fr D Stephenson (Rector, Chair), A Kelk, W Green, V Epton, B Charity, G Stewart-Smith, J Stewart-Smith, C Ladner, T Atkinson, S Chant, J Maddy D Williams, P Tamberlin, B Tamberlin, J Mitra, L Anso, J Lyon, C Bartlett M Forstert-Parish, K Davey, T Leyland, P Leyland, C Horner, P Kay, M Broadhurst, K Hines, F Taylor, G Atkinson, D Scoot, A Elms, I Thomas, C Davis, B Davis, M Haynes, S Cook, M Cook, R Paul, B Rathbourne, J Degg, G Cooper, A Cooper, T Baily

1. Apologies for absence

K Lawson, P Lawson, T Scoot, S Kirk

2. Minutes of the last APCM meeting held on 28[th] April 2024

Proposed: D Scoot Seconded: B Tamberlin

Unanimously Agreed

3. Matters Arising

No matters arising

4. Electoral Roll Report

Fr D Stephenson gave thanks on behalf of the Parish for the work of J Maddy in her duty as our Electoral Officer. The electoral roll stands at 104 with 2 further applications to be added at our PCC in June. The Electoral Roll Report can be found in the report pack.

5. PCC Membership

There are 6 vacancies this year. 4 completed applications have been received in advance of the meeting; Marion Forster-Parish, Christopher Ladner, Adam Kelk and John Lyon.

During the meeting Jean Stewart-Smith and Bob Tamberlin were elected to the remaining 2 spaces.

Membership of the PCC for 2025; Fr David Stephenson, Ashley Cooper, Kathleen Davey, David Scoot

Trevor Baily, David Williams, Jayne Morris, Adam Kelk, Marion Forster-Parish, John Lyon Christopher Ladner, Jean Stewart-Smith, Robert Tamberlin, Graham Stewart-Smith Paula Tamberlin, Andrew Elms

6. The Rectors Report

These annual reports come in different guises. I’ve always delivered mine verbally, as I do today, so apologies if you were hoping to have read it in advance. This is much less a report on what happened in 2024 – you can read much of that in the reports written by colleagues in leadership roles in the parish and in my introduction to the financial report – but this is more a reflection on where we are, what we do, what we might do and why. I’m going to begin this report with thanking some people.

I want to thank the people who come in to our church buildings with absolutely no idea what happens inside them, about God, how to do church or what it means to be a Christian. These people help us remember not to take anything for granted, not to assume knowledge and that our task as Christians is to engage and to show Jesus’ love to whoever we encounter.

I want to thank the people who invite the Church to be with them at highs and lows of their lives. It is a privilege to be invited in and to be asked to speak words of healing, hope and consolation. It reminds us that the Church continues to have a vital role to play, in offering an alternative, a better path, paved with hope and more to come.

I want to champion the people who come and ask us for baptism, for themselves as adults or for their young children. These are people who know that something happens at the font, with the water, something even if they’re not sure what. We are reminded of the need for the Church to be there to sow seeds and water them. We don’t necessarily need to worry about whether or not we see the fruit.

This is a huge part of why we are here. We are here to worship Almighty God and live in the power of the Holy Spirit. We are here to trust in God and in gift of eternal life in Jesus. We are here to be as Christ in our parish and to show God’s love.

In our reports this afternoon we have heard some amazing stories of how this is being tackled and achieved. Amazing stories written and recorded by some amazing people – the people of the Parish of Boston.

We have heard, for example, of work with children which really will affect them for the rest of their lives, gently teaching the faith and engaging them in the leadership of the church through their ministry as choristers. We have heard of outreach to those in isolation, feeding and offering hospitality at community lunches and warm spaces. We have heard of support and hope offered as people come, albeit in desperation, asking for food and guidance to make a change in their lives through the Boston Foodbank and our vital partners at Centrepoint and Citizens Advice. We have heard of the role of this church building as a civic and community centre at the heart of a town where there is so much to celebrate and promote – both in its places and in its people and their stories.

As you can imagine, and are probably dreading, I could continue for several more minutes about the breadth and diversity of what happens in the Parish of Boston, but you know

some of this as well as I do. I will, though, highlight the unseen, often unnoticed, unspoken and easily passed-over. This is what’s done by a relatively small hard core of folk week-byweek in and around our two church buildings. You will know who you are and some of you I do know, would not thank me for naming you. I would like to thank you for the countless little jobs, a few big jobs, the first to arrive, the last to leave, the ones we call and ask for help from, the ones who just do. Thank you.

I also want to pay particular thanks to my colleagues, Adam, Chris and John with whom I work so closely and who, with me, have the most aspirational vision for what we can, together, achieve. I offer a heartfelt thank you to other staff colleagues, Anthony, Polly, Jayne, Alan, Bob, Caz and William who underpin so much of our work and who, each, never fails to go beyond what we expect from them. The Church, though, is built on the laity, so thank you to our many volunteers – I think we’re claiming 111 this year, across both churches, including Churchwardens and PCC members, and all who continue to give in so many ways.

My final thanks to those people who, in my first year, went out of their way to make sure that I was ok, who noticed when I wasn’t, who thanked me for what I’d done, who forgave errors of judgement, and who recognised that I have been working for the greater good in all things. I appreciate that I am, perhaps, not what many have been used to and, well, I can’t help that. I find absolute joy and emotion in the liturgy and worship of the Church. For me, as many of you now know, nothing comes before that. I like to joke and to laugh. I have absolute confidence in the providence and power of God, in the prayers of the Saints and the mystery of the Sacraments of the Church. I am transported in worship by the beauty of holiness wrought in music, metaphor and the Arts. None of this, by now, should come as a surprise.

What, then, of our future together. I pray for God to continue to raise up leaders in the parish – for people to dig deep and realise their potential and so unlock more of the potential in our churches. I pray for generosity in all ways in response to the generosity of a loving and caring God who held nothing back so that we could be here now and with God in our future. I pray for buildings filled with people who love God and only seek to serve, regardless of which building we meet in. I pray for Churchwardens and PCC members – for people to work collaboratively to bring about growth in all ways . I pray for volunteers. I pray for financial stability which, I know, we are more than able to achieve.

I pray for God’s blessing on us and what we do so that in 12 months’ time our joy will be greater, and God’s name will be glorified in it.

7. Presentation of the Annual Report

As the APCM Report had been circulated prior to the meeting, Fr D Stephenson went through the report, highlighting key points.

St Botolph’s Report

Fr D Stephenson commended the team for the huge amount of work it takes to keep the building open with particular thanks to Adam Kelk for his work.

Director of Music Report Fr D Stephenson thanked John Lyon, Anthony Baldery, our singers and volunteers. He said the Parish should be hugely grateful that we are able to maintain our Choral Tradition when other churches are struggling to, with a great number not able to.

Fabric St Christopher’s Church is now on the market for sale. The building was blessed, not consecrated, and belongs to the Parish. Boston Foodbank Report Numbers of people needing to use the Foodbank are increasing with the donations being received falling. Our Foodbank Donation points in our churches have been empty since Easter, so please do make every effort to support our Foodbank. St Botolph’s Sanctuary Fr D Stephenson thanked the Sanctuary Guild who faithfully turn Guild Report up each week. St Botolph’s Community Fr D Stephenson thanked Jayne Maddy and Fay Huggins for Garden their work in maintaining and developing the community garden.

8. Presentation of the Annual Accounts

C Ladner presented the fully audited accounts.

The accounts have shown a -£26,000 deficit for the year, down from -£59,000 in 2023. This means we are going in the right direction, but more work is needed. The parish is solvent due to its reserves, but this cannot continue. With the hope of more activity generating income and continued good management of utilities, this number should be lower again next year.

Unfortunately, the Parish Giving Scheme is still not having the uptake it should. We have had a few people pull out of the scheme which is disappointing. This method of giving is the best way to give your gift to the church. The scheme enables us to budget against the money we are expecting in and avoids long gift aid claims as they do that on behalf of the Parish. Please do pick up an application form or speak with C Ladner to sign up or to find out more information.

The meeting thanked C Ladner for his time and effort in getting the accounts together.

9. Appointment of Auditors

C Ladner proposed the Parish continues to use the services of Moore-Thompson as our Parish Auditors. This was seconded by G Stewart-Smith and unanimously agreed by the meeting.

10. Any other business

There was no other business

11. Date of the next PCC Meeting: 16[th] June 2025

The meeting was then closed in prayer.

Signed…………………………………………. Date………………………. Rector of The Parish of Boston

Parochial Church Council Report

Members of PCC include: Fr David Stephenson, Ashley Cooper, Kathleen Davey, David Scoot Trevor Baily, David Williams, Jayne Morris, Adam Kelk, Marion Forster-Parish, John Lyon Christopher Ladner, Jean Stewart-Smith, Robert Tamberlin, Graham Stewart-Smith Paula Tamberlin, Andrew Elms

The PCC met in February, May, June, July, September and November.

At our first PCC meeting, Mr Graham Stewart-Smith was re-elected Lay Chair, Mr. Chris Ladner was re-elected Treasurer and Mr. Adam Kelk was re-elected Secretary & Safeguarding Officer.

As per Church Representation rules, one third of the PCC will retire at the 2026 APCM. There will be 4 vacancies. Nomination papers can be obtained from the Parish Office.

Aim and Purpose

The Parochial Church Council (the PCC) of the Parish of Boston has the responsibility of cooperating with the Incumbent, Fr David Stephenson, in promoting in the ecclesiastical parish, the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. As well as the church buildings, the churches of St Botolph (Grade I listed) and St Thomas (Grade II listed), the PCC is also responsible for maintaining St Thomas’ Church Hall, the Blenkin Memorial Hall and the Old Rectory used as Boston Food Bank.

Objectives and Activities

The PCC seeks to offer opportunities for as many people as possible to share the worship of the Church within the traditions of the Church of England. As part of the Inclusive Church network of churches, the Anglican Society for the Welfare of Animals, the Prayer Book Society, and the Major Churches Network, the rich inclusivity and breadth of the Gospel is recognised, honoured and promoted through the priorities of welcome and hospitality. Worship is largely traditional in style, embracing the choral tradition of the Church of England, but includes also services of the Word. The parish recognises, promotes and embraces the ministry and witness of authorised lay ministers who lead God’s people in worship and prayer and who lead, as part of the Ministry Team, services of the Word and undertake share in the parish’s funeral ministry. The PCC promotes an inclusive and accessible baptism policy welcoming families of all kinds, from all kinds of backgrounds, heritage and traditions. The worship of the Church is embedded in prayer, reflected in the Daily Office which is said corporately. The gathered community is encouraged to work at deepening spirituality and understanding by participating in study courses during the year and to share in the many opportunities to welcome others in to the church buildings, promote community, support for those in need and those of other faiths and traditions.

To support the ministry and mission of the Church, the PCC undertakes, promotes and supports a variety of commercial and fundraising activities throughout the year. It also promotes and provides opportunities for social engagement, well-being, interaction and support for vulnerable people in the parish and wider community. To further the work of the Gospel, the PCC works in collaboration with Trussell to provide, run and manage the Boston Foodbank, serving those experiencing poverty by providing food parcels and signposting to other support agencies. The parish has very close connections with Centrepoint Outreach in Boston, members of the parish being trustees, supporting the homeless, rough sleepers, and migrant members of the local community. The

Rector is an ex-officio trustee for local charitable trusts which seek to support the under-privilege and /or promote the Christian faith.

Based in St Thomas’ Church Hall, the PCC supports families and children with a weekly Toddler Group and those in isolation with weekly lunches and social activities.

Both church buildings, primarily for the worship of God, are also utilised as venues for social and cultural events, including concerts and recitals, festivals, award ceremonies, presentations, meetings, children’s activity sessions, heritage events and craft markets. The PCC promotes both church buildings as places of welcome and safety.

A set of approved minutes can be obtained by contacting me via pcc@parishofboston.co.uk.

Adam Kelk

PCC Secretary

Electoral Roll Report

The Church Electoral Roll is the basic list in every parish of all those entitled to vote on elections within the Church of England. Those entitled to have their names on this roll must be 16 years of age or more and they must reside in the relevant parish or be regular worshippers in church whose roll they wish to join. Joining the Electoral Roll opens the way for greater involvement in the life of your Church, at deanery, diocesan and national levels as well as being entitled to vote at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting.

The Electoral Roll stands at 117.

If you need to check to see if your name is on the Roll, or require an application form, please contact the Parish Office to obtain one. I would encourage all those who regularly worship in our parish to join.

Jayne Maddy

Electoral Roll Officer

Safeguarding Report

The PCC takes very seriously the requirement to safeguard children, young persons and potentially vulnerable adults who attend any activity organised by the church. Accordingly, it continues to actively monitor the application of the Dioceses Safe Church policies and procedures. The PCC have adopted the House of Bishop’s Safeguarding Policies and Practice Guidance, copies of which can be viewed in the Parish Offices. These documents are updated regularly and re-adopted by the PCC every year.

Part of this monitoring process involves an annual Diocesan self-audit. The audit goes through all sectors of parish life, ensuring that safeguarding principles are applied and best practice is used. The results are on based on Red (not compliant, will need actioning as soon as possible), Amber (partially compliant, need further work to get to green) & Green (fully compliant). I am pleased to report that we were Green throughout. This promotes good practice and also ensures that we are doing all we can to protect our most vulnerable in society.

All persons who have direct contact with groups who are identified as being vulnerable, and are classed as leaders, are required to obtain a clear Disclosure and Barring Scheme (DBS) report and these checks are renewed every 3 years. Detailed records are kept and confidential documents are filed in a locked facility. Risk assessments are completed when hosting activities and events which includes Safeguarding. Our volunteers are offered basic Safeguarding training which is provided by the National Church of England Safeguarding Team via the online portal. It is also a requirement for all members of the PCC to undergo an enhanced level DBS and undertake all relevant training in their role as trustees within 3 months of them being elected.

Most of the time at church we are like a big happy family. However, even in very happy families, people can have a bad day and even people we know and trust can upset us. We want to help everyone have good days all of the time. We try to make sure that people who have jobs in the church always behave well and in a way that is helpful to you. We never want anyone or anything in the church to frighten you, confuse you or worry you. It is important that you tell us if something is upsetting you or if you are feeling worried about something that’s happening or something somebody is doing. We have specially trained people who you can talk to and who you can ask for help. These people are good at safeguarding. This means they look after everyone’s safety. Caring for people is a very important part of our Christian life.

The people who can help you are our Rector or the Parish Safeguarding Officer. You can contact the safeguarding officer, Adam Kelk, via adam.kelk@parishofboston.co.uk or our Rector, Fr. David Stephenson, david.stephenson@parishofboston.co.uk. If you wish to speak to someone outside the church you can contact the diocesan safeguarding team – their contact details are safeguarding@lincoln.anglican.org. There is also information on the Diocesan website about other places where you can get help or advice.

2025 also saw the creation of a Parish Safeguarding network in our Deanery Partnership. I chair this network of Parish Safeguarding Officers (PSOs) which seeks to overcome barriers to DBS checks and training provisions. It is not an arena to discuss individual cases. Our network is the first in the Diocese and the Diocesan Safeguarding team are now trying to create a network in each Deanery Partnership.

Adam Kelk Safeguarding Officer

Deanery Synod Report

The elected representatives for the Parish of Boston are: Polly Tamberlin, Chris Ladner and Adam Kelk.

2026 will see the election of a new Deanery Synod. The Parish of Boston are permitted to elect 3 members to Deanery Synod for a 3 year term.

Deanery Synod met on 6[th] February (Fosdyke), 1[st] July (Wyberton) and September (St Nicholas).

Deanery Synod meets to receive report on Diocesan Synod, the Deanery Pastoral Committee and Standing Committee. For the fourth year running St Botolph’s hosted a Deanery Advent service.

It is important to note that Deanery Synod is the legal entity recognised by the Church of England and as such the Deanery remains as the Boston Deanery, including Society parishes.

Elections

June Orford was elected as Deanery Treasurer, Chris Ladner was elected as Lay Chair and Mike Sharp as Secretary.

Pastoral Committee

The Pastoral Committee met formally to discuss the vacancies at Holy Trinity and the Brothertoft & Sibsey Group.

Safeguarding

The Diocesan Safeguarding Team continue to review and strengthen existing procedures and all parishes should ensure they continue to be aware of all who require training. This has been enhanced through the Parish Safeguarding Officer network created within the Deanery.

Deanery Partnership Report

LMP SOUTH	LMP NORTH
Boston, St Botolph	Holy Trinity, Skirbeck	Key Mission
Wyberton	Fishtoft (St Nicholas)	Local Mission
Boston, St Thomas Frampton St Mary, Frampton St Michael & All Angels Donnington, Sutterton, Swineshead, Wigtoft	Butterwick, Freiston, Leverton, Friskney, Old Leake, Wrangle Sibsey Holland Fen, Kirton Holme	Community
Bicker Algarkirk	Brothertoft, Langrick, Wildmore Carrington, Frithville, New Bolingbroke	Festival

Pilgrim Local Mission Partnership (Society Parishes, under the care of the Bishop of Richborough)

Pilgrim Local Mission Partnership(Society Parishes, under the care of the Bishop of Richborough)	Pilgrim Local Mission Partnership(Society Parishes, under the care of the Bishop of Richborough)
St Nicholas, Skirbeck Kirton	Local Mission
Fosdyke	Community

Local Mission Partnership South :

Fr David Stephenson, Revd Mark Williams and Revd Canon Sudharshan Sarvananthan (Rural Dean & Assistant Archdeacon) make up the ministry provision for LMP South.

Local Mission Partnership North

Revd Andy Higginson, Revd Marc Cooper and Revd Aidrian Morton make up the ministry provision for LMP North.

Pilgrim Local Mission Partnership - Richborough (The Society) Local Mission Partnership

The Society churches within the Deanery Partnership are Kirton, Fosdyke and St Nicholas which form part of the wider Society LMP which covers the entire Diocese. Fr Paul’s licensing took place on 19[th] January 2025.

Other updates

In 2025 it was announced that the Deanery Partnerships would become our new Deaneries. In reality this makes no difference for our Deanery other than a change in name from ‘Holland’ to ‘Boston’. In other areas of the Diocese this process brings 3 or 4 Deaneries together.

The Diocese will be requesting all churches to look at their current Covenant Pledge and propose how much they will be able to give in the next 1-3 years. This exercise enables the Parish Support Office to budget against a realistic figure as well as helping to shape the deployment of ministry. The Diocese is also asking PCCs to look at their Church categorisation to see if they still fit within their original category. This process will begin in 2026.

Mission Enabler (volunteer post): David Acheson (Holy Trinity) continues in this role for the Boston DP.

DP Administrators: Carol Norwood and Jayne Maddy work together to share news, collate data and keep Deanery records for meetings etc. These roles do not replace administration arrangements in individual parishes, but it provides a more centralised administrative base across the two LMPs and support for all those involved in ministry both lay and ordained. Both Jayne and Carol are based in the Parish of Boston offices.

The Rector’s Report

During the last year the parish has moved forward into a new chapter of its story. With the conclusion of pastoral re-organisation and legal necessities, the Team Ministry was dissolved and I became Rector. This helps to cement all aspects of the parish into one – one body within the Body of Christ, sharing, learning, growing, worshipping and witnessing as one. The day-to-day activities of our churches and wider parish will have felt little difference although some may reflect on the reduction of clergy numbers even in the last few years. We are fortunate to have a strong lay leadership team in the parish and, not least, those licensed ministers who share, with me, in leading worship. As I have outlined below with a review of the offering of worship in the parish over the last year, this collaborative ministry should not be undervalued.

The pattern of worship has continued during the last year with St Botolph’s Sunday services being Eucharistic with Choral Evensong on two Sunday evenings each month. St Thomas’ has a more diverse rota of Sunday services shared between lay and ordained ministers. Celtic Morning Prayer has continued during Ordinary Time with seasonal and festival services of Morning Prayer replacing these. In addition to the established pattern of services there has been sung Compline led by the Chori Sancti Botolphi and Choral Weekday Evensong led by the Choral Scholars and B-16 Choir.

In 2025 we commissioned Welcomers , formerly Sides Men and Women , to the Ministry of Welcome. These volunteers from our congregations are often the first point of contact visitors and worshippers have with the church family. The value of a genuinely good welcome should not be underestimated. I am grateful to all the Welcomers who work with the Ministry Team to ensure that no one feels our churches are not a place for them to feel at home.

During the year we have held a number of special services to mark local and national events, including welcoming the Showmen’s Guild during May Fair week to the Sunday Eucharist, a service for Sea Sunday with a chaplain to the Port of Boston preaching, a service of remembrance on National Fishing Remembrance Day , services on Battle of Britain and Remembrance Sunday. Services for the Local Ecumenical Partnership and wider Deanery of Boston have included the Advent Carol Service with organ and brass ensemble, the Festival of Corpus Christi and Ash Wednesday. We have welcomed guest preachers and continued with our own special services for All Souls with a performance of the Faure Requiem accompanied by organ and string ensemble and the family Baptism Leaves Service. Services during Holy Week and Easter were ambitious and well-supported – a string of choral services during the week in powerfully emotional and dramatic liturgy.

It was very good to welcome the Lincoln Diocesan Guild of Bell Ringers for their first carol service during December which sat alongside the several other services for local groups and organisations. The number of services at St Thomas’ has once more been increased with the Eucharist being celebrated there on Christmas Eve and Easter Day. On 5[th] Sundays and Patronal Festivals, the parish has worshipped in one place together. It has been very good to welcome friends from the Boston Choral Society and members of our own Community Choir to help lead worship on these and other occasions. The work of our music department, including the children, teenagers and adults of the parish choirs is significant, bucking the trend in the vast majority of parish churches in the present age and ensuring that the rich Anglican Choral Tradition continues to flourish in the parish here. Several of our united services have included social time together with food involved. The concept of the parish lunch has certainly become well established once more.

These two paragraphs remind us that worship is the primary purpose of the life of our churches and of our congregations. In a parish such as this, I know that it might sometimes feel that events and commercial activities are dominant. These are certainly essential as well as part of our mission, but worship underpins all of our activities, equips us each for ministry in different ways, and allows the work and prompting of the Holy Spirit to guide us in all ways. Corporate Morning Prayer and the midweek Eucharists, along with our study courses during the year, all provide deep opportunities for those of us who make use of them to deepen our connectedness with God to understand God’s will for our community.

A key area of our missional work is through the Boston Food Bank. During 2025 both Bob Taylor and Alan Green retired from their posts as Manager and Deputy Manager. I am grateful to both Alan and Bob for their commitment to the food bank and for working with the parish to make it such an effective source of support in the community. During a few months of interregnum, the core team took on the day-to-day and strategic running of the food bank, and I was very pleased to be able to appoint Bob Wagstaff into the manager role in October 2025. Bob has already made huge inroads in adapting the work of the food bank to meet current needs in the community, working empathetically with our partner agencies, and the core team and volunteers, to ensure that we can keep running week to week despite huge shortages of food and supplies. Other staffing changes during the year saw Polly Tamberlin retiring from the post of Housekeeper at St Botolph’s. Polly had been an outstanding member of the team, working quietly and often in the background, to ensure that St Botolph’s was ready to receive its many visitors. Although we miss Polly on the staff, I am so grateful to her for her Church Warden role and as Sacristan at St Thomas’.

Volunteers are a further key aspect of our parish life and operations. Caz Harvey has, once again, given a huge amount of time and personal commitment to recruiting, training, retaining, supporting and championing the many volunteers who work across the parish operations. I am enormously grateful to Caz and to all our volunteers, regardless of their role or time commitment, because without them we simply could not function. Many come from our congregations but more still come from beyond the immediate worshipping community. Our volunteering ethos, valuing individuals, provides not only people to make church work , but the potential for people to make new connections, relationships, develop skills, combat isolation and promote mental wellbeing. Volunteering in the Parish of Boston is invaluable.

As a civic church, St Botolph’s has continued to play a part in the life of the wider community. As Rector, I have been pleased to act once more as Chaplain to the Mayor, and we have hosted a range of civic services here. We have continued to develop excellent relationships with the Borough Council, including the Market Team, and have been able to work with them to keep the Market Place open on Wednesdays. Several of the events held at St Botolph’s have been run in conjunction with the Borough Council including our now established Christmas Tree Festival, Dementia Awareness Day and Autumn Days coffee morning/marketplace days. February’s Celebrate Boston has been re-established by our own team and is one of several events run by the parish successful in building and celebrating community, bringing together people from all areas of the town and borough and people of all backgrounds.

These events have all contributed to the even greater footfall through St Botolph’s in 2025. More details will be found in the Activities Report with a review of Fun @ the Stump, Friday Night @ the Stump , craft markets, concerts, Boston College Graduation and Grammar School Charter Day. All who administer, steward and support events are to be thanked, most sincerely, including especially Adam Kelk, but also Jayne Maddy and the events volunteers.

Events and commercial activities are essential in helping us to meet the enormous costs of running and caring for historic buildings and in equipping our mission and ministry work. Many have been involved in fundraising across the parish in the past year and I am hugely grateful for the time and generosity of so many people. We are fortunate to work alongside the Boston Stump Restoration Trust and also to have received several grants, including from Boston Borough Councillors, Household Support Fund, the Mayor of Boston’s charity, Sainsbury’s, Boston NonMunicipal Education Trust, John Laughton Trust, The Meddlecott Trust, South Holland’s Community & Partnership Scheme , and the diocesan Transformation Fund , amongst others. The work of Willliam Culley alongside Chris Ladner and all who support the Resources Department, usually working in the background, are to be congratulated on their unending work to keep the parish financially afloat.

Despite a wealth of largescale events and fundraising, what might be considered ordinary parish life runs alongside all of these. The Rectory Coffee morning, parish quiz night, St Thomas’ Spring and Christmas Fairs, St Thomas’ Toddler Group, Tuesday Lunches, parish lunches and Warm Space have all continued throughout the year. Core parish life, alongside worship, is essential in helping us each to be an active part of the Church, supporting and encouraging each other and growing and learning together. It was good to spend time with many of St Thomas’ congregations in spring to focus on that part of the parish, planning and reviewing and trying to discern God’s will for our future. We look forward to the arrival of new noticeboards and, with the development of the Church Hall, more engagement with our neighbours and wider community.

As our finance report will highlight, income from planned giving through The Parish Giving Scheme is not yet at a level which reflects the gently growing worshipping community. Whilst we may look forward to a Stewardship Campaign in the future, none of us can underestimate the call to be generous financially to the work of God’s Church in proportion to the generosity we receive from God. Traditionally, each of us is asked to gift 5% of our net income. Once more, I commend this to you for both prayer and action.

Music ministry in the Parish of Boston has always been significant. John Lyon along with Anthony Baldery, have, once more, undertaken a huge amount of work to ensure that worship is offered and enhanced through music and that, through our outreach programme, we touch the lives of hundreds of children each week. This is a most wonderful way to share the gift of music with others and to do so from the context of our church community. As the Music Report will highlight, it has been a wonderful experience and achievement to award 4 Organ Scholarships this year in addition to the Choral Scholarships already in place. Once more, our parish work bucks a national trend but also goes some way to counteract the national underinvestment in music in education over the last several decades. The opportunities we now offer children and young people are not to be found anywhere else in the state education system. The Big Sing in 2025 saw a very full St Botolph’s for the culmination of a term’s programme of singing in schools, alongside performances from our partner schools during December. As we prepare to launch the wide-reaching Music Appeal in 2026 and another level of engagement and commitment through music, I am thankful to all who contribute and not least the Choir Librarian, Cheryl, the Choir Chaperone, Sian, and those who rehearse and sing in services week by week and the families who support them and make it possible for them to spend so much time with us.

to celebrate Harvest, Christmas and Easter. It was reassuring that school received both Outstanding for their most recent Ofsted inspection and a glowing report from SIAMS. In other opportunities for young people, we were delighted to be invited to host the diocesan heat of the Cranmer Awards for The Prayer Book Society at St Botolph’s in the Autumn, Young people, primarily from our own choir, competed by reciting passages from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer . Both the junior and senior winners will attend the national finals in February at Hampton Court Palace.

This is a very long report, but I make no apologies for it. It has been something of a snapshot of 2025. The parish has huge potential to grow further, to become even more embedded and reliant on the Gospel of Christ and the intoxication of the Holy Spirit. Annual returns show a modest but healthy growth in those attending services and our wider worshipping community. The parish regularly has over 30 in the congregation under the age of 18. As I said at the beginning of this report, we are underpinned and fuelled by being a worshipping Christian community. I am grateful to those in the new Pastoral Visiting Team who will help to keep as many people involved in our church family as we can. I am grateful to the Church Wardens, Polly Tamberlin, Andy Elms and Graham Stewart-Smith, who have supported and led throughout the year along with the PCC. I am thankful to those who clean, prepare and decorate churches for worship and events, including the Sanctuary Guild at St Botolph’s and to all who serve at the altar which must surely be one of the greatest privileges. I am thankful to all who have upheld me and the team in prayer, and to those who have felt able to affirm and encourage me in my ministry. I would ask from all of you more of the same as we journey onwards.

Fr David Stephenson Rector of Boston

St Thomas’ Church & Hall Report

During the last year church services have continued to follow the same pattern as previous years. Thank you to clergy, lay ministers, choir and music department for leading these services.

Our occasional offices have included 11 Baptisms, 2 Weddings and 10 Funerals/ashes internments. St Thomas School held Harvest and Christmas services.

We have welcomed both the community choir and Boston Choral Society to perform in Church.

The St George’s chapter of the Guild of Servers of the Sanctuary held 3 services and their AGM last year.

The Church continued to hold the Baptism preparation services for the parish. The Quinquennial inspection was conducted in May 2025. Items identified as urgent have been carried out, this included PAT testing, lighting inspection, fire fighting equipment testing and repair to window.

One tree on the north side of the church was reported to have fungus damage and has been removed.

St Thomas Spring and Advent Fayre’s were well supported by the local community. Thank you to Trevor who organises the fayre’s and continues to keep the church building hall and grounds in good condition. Thank to all who take part in our big cleans and flower arranging.

St Thomas Church Hall

The hall is used by the community each day of the week, including martial arts, bingo, slimming world as well as our own toddler group, lunches, social and wives group.

The heaters in the Jubilee room and hall are waiting to be repaired, the fire exit door to the Jubilee room has been replaced.

Polly Tamberlin Churchwarden

St Botolph’s Church Report

St Botolph’s has seen yet another busy year, with an increase in activities and events, services and footfall. The figures are listed further on in this report, but it is important as ever to thank our incredible team of staff and volunteers who make all that we do possible. We have, as a team, worked incredibly hard to ensure that the message gets out that we are a Place of Hospitality: a Place to Belong + a Place to Believe. All that we do is for the mission of the Church to bring people closer to God.

Yet again our fantastic team of staff and volunteers have shown that, whatever the challenge may be, they can rise to the occasion and achieve an incredible level of quality, professionalism and hospitality. The Parish of Boston is known for being the ‘friendly church’ by our touring companies who hire our space, which we should be very proud of.

2025 saw St Botolph’s set yet another record-breaking year for the number of visitors we have welcomed through our doors. More about this can be found later in my report.

Our busy programme of events and activities are designed to attract different communities into our space to ensure that we serve everybody who lives in our town and borough.

When reviewing our year, it would be impossible to list every single activity or event which has taken place, but below are some of the highlights.

Families & Children

2025 saw the continuation of our Lego Club held on the first Saturday of each month throughout the year. We have been hosting our Lego Club for four years and it continues to be a popular activity in the diary. The concept is simple – thousands of Lego & Duplo bricks are on offer with a theme each month for children (and adults!) to let their imaginations go wild. Our sessions continue to attract anywhere between 10 – 40 children to each session.

Our Fun @ the Stump! events have become a firm favourite in our work with families and children. We host our family fun days on Thursdays through school holidays between 10.30am and 2pm. A special thanks to Julie Posey who has volunteered at every session throughout 2025. We have had fantastic feedback from those who attend, welcoming something free for children to do in the often long and expensive holidays. Our sessions consist of garden games, arts & crafts, trails and fun! We have started to track the number of children attending our sessions which can be found below.

20-Feb	10-Apr	29-May	31-Jul	07-Aug	14-Aug	21-Aug	28-Aug	30-Oct	Total
104	68	104	47	95	101	97	97	96	809

Our work within scouting has not been as busy in 2025 due to most groups in the District of Boston already visiting for their My Faith Badge. We have, however, hosted the District Cubs on two occasions. Firstly, we became the ‘base’ for the popular District Cub Hike in February. This involved the children starting at St Botolph’s and then going on a trail of Boston, answering questions as they go, and returning to St Botolph’s. The District Cubs returned in June for a sleep over camp in St Botolph’s – this involved them meeting in the Church for activities and then set their tents up to sleep in our iconic space. Our thanks go to the Programme Support Team Leader, Boston District Cubs, Jayne Maddy for organising these fantastic activities.

During the summer holidays, we partnered with the Boston Foodbank to deliver our “Kids Eat Free” initiative, enabling 826 children to collect a simple picnic lunch each day throughout August 2025 — a significant increase from the 200 lunches provided in 2024.

The response to the initiative was incredible, with many parents sharing how expensive the school holidays can be, particularly for families whose children are not eligible for free school meals.

We were grateful for the support of a local market trader, who generously donated all the fruit for the lunches, while the remaining costs were covered through a grant from the Boston Foodbank.

A lot of our events and activities aimed at families and children are free. We believe that all should be able to engage with them. They do, however, see an increase in footfall which results in an increase in sales via our Refectory, Lego Build, Tower Climb and Gift Shop, along with general donations and votives.

Schools & Colleges

We continue to engage with our local schools with several classes coming into St Botolph’s, both via organised tours and self-led tours. With the curriculum including faith, place and community, schools value being about to use our space to put their learning into practise – bringing their learning to life. Highlights have included welcoming 71 children from Park Academy and 68 children from Kirton Primary School for their full day visit that marked their 9[th] year with us. Kirton have booked in their 2026 date which will mark their 10[th] annual visit to St Botolph’s.

Boston College returned for their annual Graduation, for the fourth year running. The students from Boston College paraded from the Blenkin Memorial Hall this year, due to the weather, before processing into St Botolph’s’ for the formal ceremony. Following the graduation, the students, families and friends took photographs and enjoyed a drink in the grounds of St Botolph’s. It is an absolute privilege to host this incredible event for our town. The College also have the bells, an organist and this year paid for St Botolph’s Sanctuary Guild to arrange two pedestals. This has become a firm fixture for both the Boston College and St Botolph’s.

The performing arts and art & design students from Boston College brought their annual showcase back to St Botolph’s for the 5[th] year running from 9[th] – 13[th] June. The students exhibited their work in St Botolph’s, with an evening event on Tuesday 10[th] June for friends, family and our community able to celebrate the work the students have produced throughout their year.

Festivals and Markets

Over the last two years we have developed a series of regular marketplace style events. These events are Celebrate Boston, Dementia Outreach, Autumn Days, the Food Festival and our Craft Markets.

In 2023 we were approached by Boston Borough Council to partner on an event called Celebrate Boston. The concept was really very simple, bring together all those who are doing amazing work in our community to exhibit what they are doing within the community and perhaps recruit new volunteers. The Parish of Boston took this event on and now hosts it in February to encourage people to get out and help. This event has gone from strength to strength with more organisations getting involved each year. We have already scheduled this in for 2026 and 2027.

Our Craft Markets began in May 2023 with two markets taking place a year. Such was the popularity of these events that we now hold four a year with c.50 tables and 1,000 visitors. The Craft Markets now have their own dedicated email list of stall holders which means we rarely need

to advertise widely for new stall holders. We usually schedule these events to take place once a quarter, with the November market falling on the Christmas in Boston weekend.

In 2025 we were approached by the local Primary Care Network and Boston Borough Council to host a Dementia Outreach Day. The day was primarily aimed at those who are living with Dementia or supporting someone with Dementia. It also provided information on the 17 modifiable risk factors that can help to prevent the onset of Dementia. Over 30 stalls exhibited their services, free health checks were provided, and professionals were on hand to offer advice. Over 500 people visited over the course of the day with those who did attend giving great feedback. We are working together again to bring this event back in 2026.

2025 saw the introduction of Autumn Days. This event is aimed at our older community to try and alleviate loneliness and isolation. Working with Boston Borough Council, in particular with Cllr Helen Staples (portfolio holder for Communities), we came up with the idea of a large coffee morning where organisations could have a free stall to highlight what they can offer. Alongside this we also produced a map to identify where coffee mornings/groups met to create a directory. This event saw over 1,000 visitors and will be held annually.

The Boston Christmas Festival was held on the last weekend of November in 2025. Following the pattern of previous year's, the town held a large market throughout the town with entertainment. St Botolph’s hosted the Christmas Tree Festival for 2 weeks and the community stage on the Friday night. We also hosted a face painter and both St Thomas’ and St Botolph’s Sanctuary Guild had stalls to raise much needed funds. On Saturday we welcomed some of our Craft Market stall holders. The weekend was a great success with 4,204 visitors (slightly down on 2024). This level of activity all had a very positive impact on our Refectory, Lego Build, Gift Shop and Tower Climb.

Exhibitions and Demonstrations

St Botolph’s welcomed back the Boston Nurses League in 2025 for their exhibition of the work of the Nurses League in Boston. This fascinating insight into nursing in Boston was again well received by our community and we hope to work with them again in the future to bring the exhibition back annually.

We continued to work with the Lincolnshire Guild of Weavers, Spinners & Dyers through 2025. We welcomed the Guild to St Botolph’s during most of the school holidays, sitting within our Fun @ the Stump events. They have a fascinating exhibition, demonstration and kits available for people to have a go. Our thanks go to Jayne Porter, Anne Boggis, Barbara and Steve Kirby for their care and commitment to sharing their craft. Both Jayne and Anne also give their time each November to assist in putting our knitted poppy display up, something which never fails to attract people during the season of remembrance and provides a powerful backdrop to our commemorations.

Boston Art Group joined us once again for their summer exhibition and sale. This celebration of local artists is always well received by our community. The group also very kindly offer a 20% commission on all pictures sold during their exhibition.

Hire of the Building

St Botolph’s has started to be recognised as an event space by both local and national touring companies. This is a guaranteed income for the Parish and an important source of income.

The Health Walkers meet on a Tuesday morning in our space, meeting to register before their walks and coming back together afterwards for drinks, biscuits and fellowship afterwards. The Boston: St Botolph’s Group is the largest on their books throughout the Borough of Boston.

Our relationship with the Boston Sinfonia continues to hold strong with them hiring St Botolph’s 5 times a year for their performances. The orchestra rehearse on a Friday evening before their performance on either a Saturday evening or a Sunday afternoon. The Sinfonia regularly attract an audience of 150+ people with St Botolph’s offering refreshments preconcert and during the interval. This partnership has been in existence since 1996.

G4 came back for their fifth year as part of their Christmas tour in Cathedrals and historic spaces. St Botolph’s is the only Parish Church they have on their tour. We have a strong relationship with the members of G4 and their team, with them commenting that they look forward to the Boston date on their tour in particular. Not only do we hire the building, but we also offer a full bar service to the 680+ people in the audience. This is always a very busy event, but always enjoyable. As usual, our volunteers are not phased and meet the demand calmly and with professionalism.

2025 saw St Botolph’s welcome back the County Groups concert from the Lincolnshire Music Service. This concert is the finale of a week-long residential the children have in Repton.

St Botolph’s hosts a number of civic services each year. Working with the Mayor’s Office we have developed this partnership to include providing refreshments. This year we have provided refreshments for Mayor’s Thanksgiving, Mayor’s Sunday and St George’s Day Services.

Boston Choral Society, under the musical direction of Anthony Baldery, meet in the Blenkin Memorial each week. This year they hired St Botolph’s for their summer concert. Ticket sales were good and we look forward to welcoming them back again.

This year's highlight was the recognition by larger, national, touring companies. Kinda Dusty approached us to bring Bowie & Pink Floyd tribute acts by candlelight. Ticket sales were disappointing, but the hire charge was set with no loss to the Parish. Unfortunately we didn’t have the best experience with this company, however we have been approached by Xperience Events to bring similar tribute acts to St Botolph’s who have booked 3 concerts in 2026 and 6 in 2027.

In June Boston Borough Council approached us to hire St Botolph’s for their annual ‘Boston Hero Awards’. These awards are to highlight the fantastic work taking place in our community and to thanks individuals who are working so hard for our community. The evening was a great success.

St Botolph’s now has a standardised booking form that all external groups or organisations are required to complete. We have also standardised the hire fee of the building, although we continue to look at each hire on a case-by-case basis to ensure equity. St Botolph’s champions the use of live music, is committed to safeguarding procedures and good governance which is only possible via the processes we put in place. All groups from 2026 onwards shall be required to pay a fee to hire St Botolph’s, or indeed any of the buildings within the Parish of Boston. Organisations wishing to produce music or use music whilst hiring St Botolph’s will also be liable for the PPL PRS fee that we are required to pay.

Commercials

In 2025 our commercial operations, the Gift Shop and Refectory, have continued to be a good, and welcomed, source of income. We have developed our offering to encourage new custom and maintained prices where possible.

The Refectory has continued to go from strength to strength. The operational, day to day running, continues to be solely down to our volunteers. We operate two menus through the year -

Spring/Summer, Autumn/Winter. I oversee the menu, ordering and governance whilst Caz Harvey oversees the training of our volunteers.

The Refectory continues to hold a 5* Food Hygiene rating. My thanks go to our volunteers who work tirelessly to ensure that all processes and procedures are followed to maintain the high standards our customers expect. Our coffee is supplied by a local supplier who deals with fair trade coffee and most of our food offering comes from Pilgrim Foodservice & Tesco. Our menu remained popular throughout 2025 with a healthy number of regular customers meeting in our space. Our Refectory is one of our biggest sources of income, with an almost £60,000 turnover (not profit!).

The Stump Gift Shop remains the only shop in Boston to offer Boston Souvenirs and religious items. The Gift Shop also offers gifts and keepsakes. Like the Refectory, the Gift Shop is operated by volunteers and I oversee the buying and costings. Our online presence has seen a steady stream of sales over the last 12months, mainly Boston Monopoly games and Bo bundles.

St Botolph’s Tower Climb

The Tower Climb continues to be a popular tourist attraction with many climbers saying it is a priority visit when coming to Boston. The tower climb really depends upon the weather owing to the health and safety protocols. Our Gift Shop volunteers operate the Tower Climb process, signing them in, taking payment and explaining the rules in place to keep them safe. The process has enabled us to continue to keep people safe whilst allowing them to climb without a guide. We continue to receive visitors who have travelled, some great distances, just to climb our tower and take in the iconic Lincolnshire landscape views.

Big Lego Build

The Lego Build has seen a significant number of bricks added in 2025. With thanks to the dedicated volunteers who help; Rod, Jan, Graham, Nick & Mike. Our volunteers on our Lego are an asset to St Botolph’s, not only to help build the model but they are also a constant presence helping with enquiries and generally welcoming visitors. The Lego Model was purchased to help fundraise for our Children & Community Outreach.

Each brick costs just £1 to sponsor, so please do support our project. Bricks/modules of the model can be sponsored to celebrate or mark a special time. We have had very generous donations in previous years for wedding anniversaries, birthdays and memorials. Please speak with Rod if you are interested in helping us out to reach our final target of 100,000 bricks.

2025 saw the completion of the nave and chancel (except for the roof) and the start of the tower. We are grateful for those who return weekly, monthly or even yearly to see the progress and add more bricks.

Other events & Activities

May 2025 saw the Ingram Memorial space welcome the Boston Hanseatic League Group host their international Hanse Day. This incredibly important day highlights our shared history and the importance Boston had on international trade. We have also welcomed Transported into the Ingram Memorial space four times this year to host arts activities, free of charge, for our community to engage in their town’s history. In January Transported worked with the National Gallery to bring their touring bus to Boston which involved highlighting the work of the National Gallery and hosting activities for our community to engage with.

Transported also held several workshops in the Chancel as part of their project in creating faces to be put in the new space between the Mayflower Building and the Boston Leisure centre. The inspiration of this project coming from the many faces in carved in the choir canopies.

The Ingram also hosted the national Talkeoke in October. Talkaoke is a pop up talk show where anyone can sit down and air their views around the table of chat. A concept designed to get people talking to one another and have some fun. Sadly, the weather wasn’t great on the day they chose but those who did take part enjoyed the experience.

The Parish of Boston is always willing to work with partner agencies to help Boston and its community. In January we hosted UrbanForesight as they gathered information to produce a plan for the big Boston400 celebrations in 2030.

A big highlight of 2025 was the Boston Brilliance event. Spear headed by Boston College and supported by Boston Borough Council, Boston Brilliance saw an incredible light show brought to our town. Telling the stories of our town via light installations on some of our most iconic buildings in Boston saw thousands of people visit our town. St Botolph’s had light installations inside with a small creators market and street performers. Our Refectory sold its usual menu alongside hotdogs. 2,989 people visited St Botolph’s over the two days.

In March Jayne Porter and Ann Boggis, from the Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers approached us to ask whether they could set up a Craft & Company group. We were very grateful for their offer and on Monday 14 April the group began. Craft and Company meets on the second and fourth Monday of each month and encourages people to bring along their crafts, meet likeminded people and have a coffee. The group has grown to c.15 people now attending regularly.

Our popular Friday Night @ the Stump events returned twice in 2025. These nights attract hundreds of people into our space to dance the night away in the safety of our building. Our incredible team of staff and volunteers step up to assist with removing the pews, setting up the bar, working on the bar and then tidying up into the night and throughout the following Saturday. All this happens within the space of about 4 days with Sunday morning looking as if nothing ever happened. My thanks go to our incredible team who are a well-oiled machine and just get on with their duties.

We have built a relationship with Carlton Road through their participation in our annual Big Sing programme, with thanks to John Lyon. This has developed into St Botolph’s hosting their annual Christmas performance to parents and carers, alongside their end of year assembly too. These events are a real delight as we welcome hundreds of children with their loved ones to St Botolph’s.

We have hosted a number of musical events through 2025, which are covered in the Director of Music report. But these events are important in the life of St Botolph’s in promoting professional, high quality music to our community and offering something that is not readily available in the area. Other events have included the Ridgeman Striking Competition which can be found in our Tower Captains report later on.

As always, local organisations and community groups approached us to host Christmas events and services. These included; the Boston District Scout carol service and the David Ross Educational Trust service of lessons and carols, Framework carol service amongst others.

Our November and December in The Parish of Boston is always a hectic time of the year with thousands engaging with us and our buildings welcoming many new people through our doors.

Visitor Figures / Graph

Our Welcome Desk volunteer hand click each visitor in. The figures below do not include our events where there are restrictions in place i.e. ticketed events, nor does it include most of our services. Any services or events that have been counted are noted and included in the following years numbers. As you can see from the information below, we continue to see an increase in the number of people visiting St Botolph’s year-on-year.

----- Start of picture text -----
16000
14000
13,530
12000
11818
11285
10,467 10,681
10000 9898
8665 8484
8000 7302 7993 7728 78887604 7469 7392 7,928 7385
7059 6783 6870 6677 6905 6,735 6633 7092 6668
6000 6233 58035445 61475627 5972 5940 5916 6405
5059 5156
4646 4812 4811 4734 4687 4629
4362
4000
38183681
3114 3451 2969 3298 3121
2000 2158 2237 2431
1669 1546 1781
1169
851
0 31 250 439 267 558
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
----- End of picture text -----

	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025
Jan		31	2158	3681	3818	4646
Feb			3114	4812	5059	8665
Mar		250	4362	4811	6233	7059
Apr		851	5445	5803	6783	7302
May		1169	4734	6147	5627	7993
June		1669	4687	5972	6870	7728
July		439	5940	6677	7604	7888
Aug	1546	3451	6905	7469	13,530	10,467
Sept	2237	2969	7392	5916	6,735	8484
Oct	1781	3298	6405	6633	7,928	9898
Nov	267	3121	7092	11818	11285	10,681
Dec	558	2431	4629	5156	6668	7385
Total		19679	62863	74895	88140	98196

Increasefromprevious year			43184	12032	13245	10056
Percentageincreasefromprevious year's			219%	19%	18%	11%

Volunteers

The Parish is blessed with an incredible number of people who give freely of their time. Our volunteers are the heartbeat of our operations in St Botolph’s with us being unable to offer what we do without them. With over 17 different roles, our 100+ army of volunteers show up each day to offer their time to serve our community. One of our regular feedback comments is how welcoming our volunteers are, which just shows how important the ministry of welcome is.

Caz Harvey, as Volunteer Manager, leads our volunteers through inductions, training and reviews. We have a very robust volunteering procedure which ensures that, not only are we adhering to what we need to, but our volunteers feel valued. Caz is a real asset to our team and I know is very much valued throughout the Parish. In December 2025 Caz was involved in a Road Traffic Accident which meant she had to spend some time away from the Parish. I am happy to report that she returned in early 2026. Our thanks must go to our volunteers who supported with rota issues and helping to train new members of the team up. Our thanks should also go to Jayne Maddy for covering the role in Caz’s absence.

We have a very dedicated, loyal and committed group of people who turn up each week to help run our operations. As in previous years we have welcomed new volunteers to the team and said goodbye to those who have retired or have found employment.

As is the case with most organisations who depend on a volunteer team, we are always in need of more volunteers, so if you can give any time, whether a regular slot or more ad hoc, please contact Caz Harvey via caz.harvey@parishofboston.co.uk or contact the Parish Office. Our key areas such as The Refectory continue to be an area where we need more help, so please do think about what you may be able to offer or perhaps when speaking with friends and family suggest they may like to help.

Thank you

I would like to finish my report by thanking all our dedicated and valued volunteers without whom we would not be able to offer any of what we have this year. Our volunteers are the backbone of our Parish and without them we wouldn’t be able to engage with our community. I would also like to thank Fr David and the entire staff team who are supportive of our programme of events and are always happy to help! A particular thank you to Jayne Maddy for the administration around our events, from the researching of new stall holders to our market events, completion of the booking forms right through to the return of the Performing Rights returns – all things which are crutial to our events programme running well. We hope that all our events enable our community to experience the love of God and encourage them to explore their faith.

Adam Kelk

Head Verger & Commercial Manager

Director of Music Report

We have enjoyed a positive year musically, continuing to serve the parish and provide good quality music in worship in both our churches and in our local community.

Music in Worship

Over the past year, we have worked hard to sustain high standards of music in worship. We have moved forward with a policy of exploring a range of hymns in services, including the inclusion of new hymn texts and tunes on a more regular basis, to help to broaden our parish repertoire. Organ voluntaries are published each week as part of the Pilgirm Progress Pew Sheet for St Botolph’s and also for St Thomas’ and it has been really positive to see our congregations sit to listen to the voluntary, recognising it as an integral part of our weekly worship.

This year, we have employed the services of additional musicians for key services. A small orchestral ensemble came together for All Souls’ to accompany the liturgical performance of the Requiem, by Gabriel Faure and later in the year, we were fortunate to have a brass trio join us for the Deanery Advent Carol Service. In both cases, being able to call upon skilled local musicians to support our worship provides us with something quite special for important occasions and also gives the choir a most valuable experience of performing with instrumental ensembles.

Midweek Choral Evensong services often feature music that is of a more reflective nature and provides our teens with the valuable experience of singing plainsong, music which has formed the backbone of sacred worship for centuries.

Dividing the choir into sub-sections (juniors, teens, adults etc) allows us to explore a very wide repertoire of music in worship, covering a range of styles and composers. I hope that this helps to provide variety in our musical offering and also allows our singers to benefit from the educational and spiritual elements of the music we prepare.

Parish Choir

The adult division of the choir has remained stable this year. We are a little low on male singers in this choir, partly due to retirements and also the challenge of finding capable men to fill the gaps left behind. It is a reality that male adult singers who can read well and have the skills to perform the style of music we offer are not abundant in our area. Fortunately, those who remain are extremely reliable and also capable, allowing us to service a wide repertoire of music successfully. I am most grateful to the adult members of our choir who give their time and talent willingly to support our choral tradition.

Chamber Choir

The chamber choir works very well as an occasional ensemble. The repertoire gives members a sense of challenge and also the opportunity to sing in a different ensemble, where the blend of voices is essential. The chamber choir have sung for morning services at St Botolph’s, mainly singing music of a polyphonic style. The chamber choir offers members an opportunity for stretch and challenge, which is as important for our adult members as our children and teens!

Junior Choir

Junor choir continue to grow in ability, confidence and number. We welcomed a small number of new choristers to the team, all of whom have shown great commitment and also, sound ability. It is wonderful to hear the children grow in confidence as they lead the music in our services. The choristers enjoy singing and learning together and gain a great deal from being in choir, not least

the development of their musical ability. Choir has a huge impact on social skills, interactions, speaking and literacy skills and also access to spirituality, which can promote positive well-being. Club continues to be a fun place for our choristers to interact and let off steam after focused rehearsal time. I am most grateful to Sian who continues to volunteer as Choir Matron. Moving forwards, it is going to be important for other volunteers to come on board to chaperone our children.

The Junior Choir participated in the Christmas Festival this year and were very well received. They also enjoyed a joint chorister day with Holbeach and Stamford All Saints choristers, here at St Botolph’s, where they took part in a rehearsal and then sang Choral Evensong. We hope for a reciprocal visit later in 2026. The junior choir also represented the parish at the Town Carol Service at Centenary Church in December. There were many favourable comments from those who attended, who were astonished by the sound and confidence of the children.

Junior choristers have now been offered the opportunity to learn how to play the melodica. This is a blown keyboard instrument. The first set of 11 melodicas have been provided thanks to a generous donation and the choristers are making great progress with them. The sessions teach breath control, keyboard skills and music reading all at the same time. Choristers who show good co-ordination and skill may go on to be offered piano lessons and the perhaps a route to our organ scholarship programme. Melodica sessions take place on Thursdays in term time as an afterschool slot and therefore are an addition to our regular rehearsal schedule.

B-16 Choir

Our teenage chamber choir have been amazing this year. It is sad for us that a large number of singers will leave us to go to university in 2026 but an exciting life step for them. We will be tasked with looking to recruit new members to join the choir in September 2026. The teenagers have developed their skills tremendously and the choir is having a massive impact on their musicianship. It is worthy of note that a number of the choir are hoping to either study music at university or continue their singing when they arrive at their new courses in September.

The challenge of recruiting from our local secondary schools remains an issue for us. We need to look for ways to break into the mindset of schools who simply direct children to the Pop Choir, run by Lincolnshire Music Service. Not all children wish to engage with their repertoire and there is certainly the space in the system for both choral offers to grow. Our strong links with Skegness Grammar School continue to provide a good source of keen singers.

The midweek Choral Evensong Service at St Botolph’s has been an excellent vehicle for our teens to learn the confidence and skill required to sing as a choir and lead formal worship. It is wonderful that the choir lead the whole service, reading the lessons, acting as psalm and response cantor and also exploring a range of music that we might not otherwise encounter. The choir for example, are improving their skills in the delivery of plainsong psalms, which provides a wonderful educational experience. I would welcome interest in this service and the amazing work of our teens from members of the church who have not yet been to hear them. It is lovely that members of our adult choir come along to the service to hear the young singers and give support.

Over the year, our teenagers have brought so much to the musical life of the parish, on their own as a chamber choir and together with the adults and juniors for large scale works. It was a delight to have teenagers sing the solos so beautifully and confidently in the Faure Requiem (All Souls’ service) in November. B-16 has been an amazing success story for our parish and represents something special in our engagement with teenagers in our community, something that is very necessary and an area of concern for the national church.

Choral Scholars

Our choral scholars have each received at least £400 for their commitment to choral singing in the parish. The scholarships are able to be given thanks to successful funding applications to the Ouseley Trust, Martin Pickering Fund. The scholars have each stated that the value of being able to sing here alongside skilled adult voices and receive financial support towards transport has really helped them. One of our choral scholars successfully passed an audition to be a Choral Scholar at Oxford University. Another has accepted a place at the Royal Northern College of Music as an undergraduate composer, and another is going to York to study Music as an undergraduate. These students demonstrate the huge impact that our programme is having in providing unique experiences for young people that shape and change lives. A parent of one of our scholars commented that her son had told her that joining choir and becoming a Choral Scholar had been the best decision he had ever made! Sourcing funding for the continuation of the scholarships is something that is in consideration for the year ahead.

Organ Scholarships

This year, we launched our first ever Wright Junior Organ Scholarships, an opportunity for state schooled students to learn to play the organ. There was much interest in the scholarships and a number of application packs were sent out. Our first batch of four Organ Scholars were selected after interview and audition and have been receiving tuition from Anthony and myself. They have each participated in a service, performing the opening or closing voluntary. Two of our scholars will finish this year (summer 2026) when it is hoped that we will recruit two new scholars to learn alongside our existing pair. The scholars are working towards the skills required to accompany other elements of the service. Most scholar tuition takes place at St Thomas’ Church, where the organ is more accessible and the building quieter. The organ scholarship offer is extremely important if we are to be able to inspire young people to learn to play one of the most complex but rewarding instruments and be in a position to provide organists in churches in the future.

Choral Bedes

There has been no personnel change in the line-up of Bedes this year, who continue to sing as a 4-part core of the choir, but also on their own as a standalone group. The Bedes have led worship, including choral evensong, providing opportunities to explore different repertoire and singing styles. I am extremely grateful for the Bedes, Sarah, Issy, Ed and Bob (and ex Bedes) who continue to provide St Botolph’s church with a core ensemble of reliable singers, a requirement of the role over the centuries since its founding. Their skills are a welcome addition to the core of our choir and a unique link to our choral heritage.

Community Choir

The community choir continues to enjoy strong membership, and Anthony keeps busy, teaching them new repertoire which covers a range of styles. The subscription model in place supports the choir and helps it to be self-sustaining. It has been good to welcome the community choir into church to help lead our worship on different occasions. They have sung for services at St Thomas’ Church and also came to St Botolph’s for Palm Sunday, leading the service and singing a new anthem by Malcolm Archer. The choir focuses on developing good singing technique and live accompaniment, rather than the use of backing tracks. The quality of singing in the community choir has improved over time, thanks to Anthony’s leadership, enthusiasm and encouragement.

St Thomas’

Anthony has continued to play at St Thomas’ Church, helping us to ensure that we are able to have live music for worship across all our parish. The choir at St Thomas’ have remained a loyal

lead for singing in church and have helped the church transition to their new hymn book and also to explore different eucharistic settings.

The pipe organ is now in poor repair and regrettably, is not a worthy instrument for restoration. A digital organ has been on loan to the church this year, which, being housed in a dark oak case, matches the fixtures and fittings very well. The digital organ has provided a reliable support to congregational singing and is a more engaging instrument to play than the ailing pipe organ. It is hoped that the pipe organ can be removed to clear the space in readiness to seek a suitable redundant organ of good quality, with which to lead worship and also to support our Organ Scholarship Programme. In the meantime, the digital organ will remain in service to support congregational singing. Communications have taken place with Paul Hale, our Diocesan Organ Adviser, who will support our intention to remove and replace the organ.

Project Funding

We were pleased to receive a grant from the Cathedral Music Trust of over £3000 to help support choristers who struggle with transport needs. We are in a unique position, being a church which offers such an important, historic choral tradition but being surrounded by a very large, rural catchment area, served by relatively poor and limited public transport services. This grant has helped us to support some of our junior choristers and teens who otherwise would not be able to access the rehearsals and services we sing. I am grateful for the Cathedral Music Trust and the support they have shown in helping us to remove barriers for our choristers.

Chorister Tuition Programme

Two choristers receive piano lessons currently and three teenage choral scholars receive free vocal tuition. The melodica programme, a new venture, has widened access to tuition as each class can accommodate up to 10 choristers at a time. It is currently impossible to widen the offer of tuition without additional staffing being in place due to the time demands that current workload places upon music staff.

Choral Resources

A very generous gift of over £10,000 has allowed our adult choir to be provided with new choir robes and surplices. All our singers, male or female now each wear the same type of robe, which is more inclusive and better economically too. We are grateful to J and M sewing for their work on supplying our new robes, which look excellent and which are very comfortable! J and M have asked to use a photo of our choir on their website.

Spring Big Sing

This event took place in March 2026 and was our fourth annual Spring Big Sing and our biggest yet, despite losing St George’s School due to its closure. Almost 900 people attended the event, with over 200 children performing for the concert. We enjoyed an attendance increase of 277 over the 2025 event. It was wonderful to welcome six primary schools to the project and also the Skegness Grammar School Choir, alongside our full Parish Choir to present a spectacular evening of music. We welcomed Kirton Primary School to the event for the first time this year and they were thrilled to participate in the event, bringing 80 pupils. This year’s programme featured music from around the world, including a song sung in Swahili! The weekly workshops provide a rich educational experience for the children (and staff) who participate in them, with everyone learning so much more than just the songs. A full programme of study was put in place this year, mapping the skills being delivered and with a focus on Italian terms and dynamic markings, which became a strong element of the workshops and slideshow resources. It is a tremendous effort to choose the repertoire, prepare the resources and also then deliver the sessions in school but the schools appreciate the quality of the programme, and the evening concert is always a wonderful showcase

of what children can achieve together with the right levels of support and guidance. The Spring Big Sing represents our largest single element of music mission work in our community and yields enormous dividends for us as a parish. Many who attend the event have never been in our church before and all leave feeling very positive. It was wonderful to welcome Bishop Nicholas to our concert this year and Miki Carey Slater, representing the diocese to witness the success of our developing work over the past four years.

Since this year’s big sing, other schools have been in contact to discuss how we may collaborate with them as partner schools. I hope this will help us to develop new relationships between church and community.

DRET Work

I continue to provide at least two days of teaching time each week to Skegness Grammar School through the Musician In Residence programme. I work with individual students and also train the Grammar School Choir, Magnus Sonus. The school is a very positive place to work and I have been able to support a number of students in their performance, listening and composition work. The students are perceptive and keen to improve their skills and knowledge, listening carefully to constructive comments. Colleagues in the department are very supportive and value my skills and experience in helping them to deliver their music curriculum and fill it with quality experiences for their students.

This year, I have supported over six school concerts, accompanying soloists and directing the school choir, prepared students for, and then musically directed the school show, Legally Blonde, attended staff training sessions in Loughborough and performed with the DRET staff choir. I also trained a group of students to perform a contemporary work for orchestra and tape at the Nevill Holt Festival in Rutland. I accompanied the DRET Schools’ Carol Service here at St Botolph’s and directed and accompanied the choir in performances in Nottingham Albert Hall, preparing pupils for a massed performance of 600 musicians. A new Consort of singers has been developed this year in school, to challenge and stretch the most able singers. They have explored a range of repertoire and have performed at two events this year. They have been congratulated on the quality of their singing at the schools’ festival and also in a school concert, where they reduced a member of staff to tears! The consort has provided an excellent platform for a student to explore his skills as a developing conductor.

I helped lead a Trust-wide composition day with the Berkley Ensemble in Loughborough, supporting students from across the trust to shape their compositional ideas with the professional musicians present. The work with DRET is intense and very demanding, due to the long hours and the range of skills and knowledge it requires to deliver it, but represents a huge bonus for the parish far beyond the income it brings in. The Trust value the links with us as a centre of excellence and also a place where children might access stretch, challenge, musical excellence and also a chance to find an experience of spirituality and the beauty of music in worship.

Lincolnshire Schools’ Festival – Lincolnshire Showground

In September, I led a series of workshops at the Lincolnshire Schools’ Festival at the Lincolnshire Showground. I worked with 16 school groups over two days, teaching children how to play the organ and the importance of collaborative skills, using a 13-player practical organ that I built for the event. Children had to collaborate to make the organ work and then listen to each other to play in order. We managed to play some simple music and learn how to co-ordinate and play in time. The project was well received by most schools who took part, especially where staff were fully engaged and supported their children with the focus and challenge in the task.

Concerts and Performances

The summer lunchtime concert series took place last summer and featured a wider range of instruments and voices that the previous year. The attendance at the concerts was stable, although yet again, it would be good to see the numbers increase. The musicians and singers who come to perform often donate their skills for free. The concerts are subject to charges from the PRS which limits income from them, however they represent an important part of our mission to promote live, quality music that is available without exclusion. The concerts also play a key role in the support of cultural and artistic experiences in our town. In November, I gave an annual Organ Fireworks concert and was pleased to see a good number in the audience for this evening event. Our Organ Prom attracted pupils from local primary schools, who came to hear Anthony and I demonstrate our instruments and play a selection of music. The prom hopefully exposes children to an experience that would not normally be available to them as state schooled children. Carlton Road School came to the harp recital and had the opportunity to hear and play this special instrument for themselves.

Maintaining quality in performance standards

Our in-house musicians and volunteer singers work hard to sustain and promote high standards of performance and musicianship. This takes many hours of preparation outside of working hours to achieve this and so I am grateful for the time that choristers set aside to commit to rehearsals and services and the time some spend in between to help learn the music and their specific part. There is a great deal of work which goes on behind the scenes each week to maintain a good level of performance and ensure our worship has access to the best quality music we can offer in our parish.

Instrumental resources

The organ in St Botolph’s has required some minor work again this year to maintain it. There remain issues with stops failing in the Swell organ due to the dry humidity in church when the heating has been run for a while. This is an indication that the organ requires restoration to help prevent such a dramatic response to atmospheric changes. A repair to a concussion bellow was carried out with a repair to the burst leather gussets that had reached the end of their functional life. Most of the leather work in the organ is way beyond its expected life span now, serving as one of the key reasons that a restoration is required soon. Our other two organs remain stable and in good order, although some work to wax stoppers in some pipes in our Cousans organ will be required to stabilise tuning and stop them dropping in. As this instrument would see us through a restoration timetable for the grand organ, it is important to keep it in good working order.

Leeds Visit – National Schools Singing Programme

In November, I visited Leeds Cathedral for two days to meet the music team there and also to explore the National Schools Singing Programme and its impact. Ben Saunders, the programme lead had learned about our work in the parish with children and young people and considered that we might be a place where the programme could work. Over the course of the visit, I witnessed the programme in action across inner city Leeds and Bradford and the positive impact it has had on the Cathedral Choir, who now support a number of children in different divisions (junior boys, junior girls, Senior Boys, Senior Girls and choral scholars). It was useful to spend time with the core team in Leeds, discussing aspect of the programme and seeing their delivery in action. I was made to feel extremely welcome in each school I visited and found the experience truly valuable. Since the visit, I have been in regular contact with Ben and we have been working to secure funding to allow the programme to establish here in our parish in the year ahead.

Music Appeal

The Music Appeal has been devised and launched to the parish at Candlemas 2026. The aim to raise £1.5 million is ambitious but essential if we are to secure the future of our ministry through music in the parish and maintain our Grand Organ (St Botolph’s). A steering group has been established to help support the aims of the appeal and to organise events and publicity materials. Four Appeal Patrons have also been appointed (Dr David Hill, Dr Carol Williams, Mr Simon Toyne and Mrs Pam Rhodes). Display materials have been created and initial draft versions displayed in church. It is hoped that we may secure additional funding from some large-scale donors, especially given the breadth of our current programme of activities and the impact it is already having in our community. I am extremely grateful to the members of our church who have already committed to the appeal through their generous donations.

Volunteers and Support

Our programme of activities has grown further this year and could not be sustained without the support of our volunteers in music, who do so much to keep things moving in the right direction. I would like to thank Tim Atkinson for his support with the preparation of music appeal literature, Cheryl Davis, for her huge commitment as choir librarian, a role that has yet again expanded as numbers and diversity have both grown. Sian Wenninger, who helps me to look after our junior choristers gives a tremendous amount of time to her role and our choir parents who commit to bringing their children to rehearsals and church.

Our choirs do a tremendous amount to enhance the life of our parish, through worship, through their roles as ambassadors and through their support of our youth ministry to the children and adults who sing in our choirs. I would like to thank all choir members for their continued support of our living choral heritage.

In conclusion

The ministry and mission work which takes place through music in the parish forms an important link between church and the community we serve. It is where we reach out to children, educators, schools, teenagers, adults who want to explore singing and those who are more experienced and require a platform to explore their musical and spiritual expression. Our programme of teaching in schools and through our scholarship programmes goes far deeper than simply delivering musical skills, it also offers those who engage (children and adults), a chance to find out about themselves, their skills and talents, their leadership potential, how to develop confidence and a sense of selfworth, all alongside the wonderful potential to feel drawn to a life where faith and the beauty of worship matter deeply. The confidence our choristers find from singing and the inspiration our teens gain from exposure to our choral tradition to continue their choral journey at university and beyond demonstrate that we are building upon our historic tradition and providing experiences which change lives. I am very grateful to Anthony for his support as Assistant Organist, leader of the Community Choir and co-deliverer of our school and scholarship programmes, and to Fr David for his continued support this year, helping and encouraging me to deliver our ambitious programme of music and for sharing the vision for our musical ministry and the incredible positives it can achieve.

John Lyon

Director of Music

Building Projects and Fabric Report

The Library continues to be in high demand both from local people and visitors, particularly from America and Northern Europe, with many organised tours booking this as part of their visit to Boston. We have had Boston College and several of the schools arrange visits and talks about the history of the library and its contents.

A paper was presented to Lincoln College Oxford on the Library and the positive impact that the project has had in opening the library and transforming it into a more accessible and environmentally controlled space which has not only preserved its precious collections but also opened new avenues for research and exploration. This has allowed scholars and enthusiasts alike to delve into the rich tapestry of history that the library holds. Contact has also recently been received from the University of Nottingham Special Collections Library who are keen to collaborate on projects including learning lessons from our own project and developing workshops to teach students. Since the project began, we have assisted in the learning of over five hundred pupils.

The new lighting scheme which will be completed in 2026 will add to the already significant potential for St Botolph’s to strengthen Boston’s visitor economy and secure a greater share of Lincolnshire’s tourism revenue and increase overall tourism revenue by attracting new visitors to Boston. In addition to this it will also ensure the churches legacy of financial sustainability and resilience for generations to come within the present intensely challenging economic environment. The new lighting scheme will also enhance the external lighting of the whole building allowing for outdoor displays and events to be arranged in conjunction with Arts based and community organisations. The new scheme will drastically reduce both maintenance and energy costs, which is part of our commitment to be carbon neutral by 2030.

With the appointment of a new caretaker in 2026 this will help alleviate the workload of our committed fabric volunteers particularly Trevor Baily and Peter Mills whose work and dedication is invaluable to the ongoing maintenance and upkeep of all our buildings.

The Restoration Trust continue to financially support the fabric of the buildings, and this has allowed us to ensure that all appropriate testing and maintenance has been carried out throughout the year. In 2025 we have started the first ever full fixed electrical installation testing of St Botolph’s, and this will conclude in early 2026. St Thomas’ has also had all its testing and maintenance carried out. The Restoration Trust has also financially supported the quarterly maintenance of the organ at St Botolph’s. Their support has allowed us to clean and pest proof the tower and the bell tower area.

The challenges that face us in 2026 will be addressing some roof repair works to The Blenkin Memorial Hall and the plaster work required on the walls of St Thomas. We will also be looking to improve the heating in both the church and the hall.

Chris Ladner Resources Manager

Boston Foodbank Report

General overview

The Foodbank continued to be busy during 2025, providing food parcels to feed 4,348 people of whom over a third were children. The year saw small reductions in both the amount of food distributed by the Foodbank and the amount of food donated to the Foodbank.

Overall donations to the foodbank fell by 4.5% over the year, to 24.5 tonnes. This was despite a single donation of pasta from one food supplier of over 3 tonnes. Donations from collection points at supermarkets, the largest source of donations, fell by over 15%, while donations from collection points at Churches within the area more than doubled.

There was a slight decrease in the demand for food parcels from people in need, with the total weight of food distributed falling by 2.5% over the year. Most referrals come from the Citizens Advice Bureau (either locally or via the national hotline) followed by Centrepoint. The reports of the Trussell Trust indicate that homelessness within Boston causes a significantly larger proportion of demand for food parcels than the national average.

The excess of demand for food over donations has resulted in a reduction in the levels of food stock held in the Foodbank. Alongside the large donations of pasta this has resulted in the stocks being held being imbalanced, with excess amounts of some foodstuffs and shortages or absences in other areas.

The Foodbank has continued to receive a number of financial donations. This has allowed the purchase of food stuffs cover for areas of shortage. There has been a significant reduction in the amount of food purchased in 2025.

Activities

The Foodbank has been involved in a number of activities to encourage donations, including food drives at both Asda and Tescos. These generate significant short term increases in donations. Additionally work was undertaken with schools through their harvest festivals. Similar work to a wider audience took place through the Christmas period.

The Foodbank has increased its Social Media presence on Facebook with some success at generating additional public involvement.

The Foodbank has sought to increase its involvement with schools and scouting organisations, to increase awareness of our work amongst families. As an example, 5[th] Boston Cubs, Beavers and Squirrels were involved in the annual Tesco Food Drive in November and significantly affected the success of the weekend.

The Foodbank has continued to be a part of the Financial Inclusion Partnership with Citizens Advice Bureau and Centrepoint. Additional funding for a further three years was secured during 2025. This allows the Foodbank to have a Citizens Advice Bureau advisor present during opening hours. It means we can offer a much more collaborative and holistic approach to the needs of our clients.

Referral agencies

Significant amounts of work have been undertaken to educate the referring agencies in the work of the Foodbank and the restrictions under which we operate. The number of people being referred

to the Foodbank multiple times and above the limits placed by Trussell Trust has significantly reduced as a result. A full induction process for new referral agencies has been introduced.

Staff and volunteers

During 2025, the Foodbank Managers retired and a new manager appointed. The Foodbank has continued to be resourced by volunteers. The Foodbank volunteers are often members of the Church congregation and many also volunteer at other local charities. During 2025 additional work within the Foodbank was undertaken by the volunteers that had previously been undertaken solely by the managers. In addition to individual volunteers, the work of the Foodbank has been supported by the local branch of HSBC which has allowed their staff to take time from work duties to volunteer at the Foodbank.

Bob Wagstaff Foodbank Manager

Tower Captain’s Report 2025

2025 has been a busy year for the bells and ringers at Boston. I started the year as interim Tower Captain, was appointed as TC in June. I was asked to try and increase the amount and profile of ringing in St Botolph’s. The 200 steps up to the ringing chamber and a shortage of ringers who can climb them does not make this easy!! We have tried to ring them around once a month and have rung for more services than previously and some practices and quarter peals. Sometimes ringers come from a wide area and sometimes the Boston area group. In the summer we held our first Boston area group (with a little help from some friends!) Thursday night practice and there are plans for some more in the future.

The highlight of the year was hosting the Ridgman Trophy in June. This is a regional (guilds bordering the Ely Diocese plus Cambridge University) 10 bell striking competition with teams from Lincoln, Cambridge University, Suffolk, Essex, Hertfordshire and Bedford entering on the day. The run up to the competition was busy. The Lincoln team had a couple of ‘home’ practices. We held a maintenance day where volunteers from the ringing community checked the bells and ropes were in good working order and a thorough clean of the ringing room. A sound feed was installed so that the judges could hear and judge the quality of the ringing. We had many meetings with Adam and Fr David, who couldn’t do enough to help us make the day run smoothly, which it did. A craft fayre on the same day added to the atmosphere. Unfortunately, Lincoln DG couldn’t turn home advantage into a win and the team from Essex took home the trophy.

On the day we encouraged our visitors to buy bricks for the Lego church- as we would like to be able to put the bells in in memory of Tom Freeston- the former TC who took great interest and volunteered with the Lego church.

We received many compliments about the organisation, atmosphere and facilities provided at Boston. The bonus was recruiting 3 new ringers- 2 complete learners and a returner- who are all now Guild Members with Boston as a home tower.

We rang for the Boston College Graduation ceremony. This involved a younger band- the majority being students at school/ Lincoln University and Boston College itself. It is great to involve young and talented ringers on special occasions.

Boston also hosted the LDG Eastern and Central branch carol service- with ringing before the service. Many of the ringers had not rung 10 bells before and it was great experience. We hope to return in 2026!

St Botolph’s featured on the cover of the Ringing World (international ringers journal) and is also the cover photo of this year’s Lincoln Guild Annual report. The Ringing World cover particularly received many positive comments- and hopefully some have us on their list to visit and ring. Historically ringers have held and raised funds to contribute towards the maintenance of bells and ropes. This year the Ringers’ fund was turned over to the PCC and is now as a protected fund. There is enough in the fund to buy some new ropes, which we may investigate soon.

Overall ringing at St Botolph’s is going well. In the Boston Area group we now have some more teachers and would like to see more join us so that we can ring in more towers, including Boston, more often. Practices are at Butterwick on Tuesdays and Sutterton/Swineshead on Thursdaysand occasionally elsewhere. Please email me for any information.

I’d like to thank Fr David, Adam and the whole team for making the ringers feel part of the church again- and I just know we’ll get that lift one day!!!!!!

Jo Pearson

St Botolph’s Tower Captain

St Botolph’s Church Sanctuary Guild Report

It was another busy year for the members of the Guild, providing a minimum of three fresh flower arrangements every month except during Lent and Advent. The arrangements were much admired and photographed by visitors and many stopped to chat while the members were working.

Two weeks before Easter we were advised that the wholesalers in Spalding had gone out of business and our order was cancelled. After much research on the internet (thank goodness for Google) and a few phone calls, a new supplier was found in Suffolk and the flowers couriered to Boston. However, this did involve extra cost of up to £16 per delivery and two separate deliveries were needed. The flowers were of very good quality and with proper conditioning after their journey gave a very good display for Easter. A local florist was used for the Christmas flowers to keep costs down, but the change was not entirely successful. The matter will be revisited for Easter 2026.

The summer months for the high altar arrangement proved very challenging due to the sun shining directly onto the pedestal causing the flowers to deteriorate very quickly creating an unpleasant smell. It was agreed with Father David that a new summer arrangement would be done in a large copper urn on the Font instead.

Arrangements of red, white and blue flowers were done at the Font and Pulpit to commemorate VE Day 80 in June. The usual arrangement was done for Battle of Britain in September and arrangements at the Font and Pulpit were done for Remembrance in November. The Guild was asked for a second year to arrange two pedestals with a white, black and gold theme for the Boston College Graduation in October.

The cost of flowers rose again in 2025 and the Guild worked hard to raise funds for Easter and Christmas flowers and ran a very successful tombola stall at the Christmas Market at the end of November.

The Guild arranges flowers to decorate the church and celebrate THE GLORY OF GOD. If anyone is interested in arranging (tuition given), helping to water or raising funds by donating gifts for the tombola stall during the year please contact Karen Lawson (Chairman) 07753377217 or contact the Parish Office.

Karen Lawson

Chair of the St Botolph’s Sanctuary Guild

Community Garden Report

2025 was a quieter year in the Community Garden, a bit of a peace before the storm you could say….but 2026 has started with a bang! (you will have to wait until next year’s APCM report to find out all about that!)

However, there was still an awful lot of work going on in the background. William Culley successfully applied for a grant from the BTAC Empowering Healthy Communities Award, and we were awarded £1000. We originally only applied for £920, but they decided to award us a higher amount. A big thank you to William, and also to BTAC. This money was used to buy garden equipment, including a much-needed new lawnmower, all kinds of spades, forks, chopping tools, and more excitingly, a BBQ and charcoal! These items have helped our wonderful volunteers so much, and their hard work is definitely paying off, the garden is looking so nice now.

If you would like to go and have a look, or sit and admire it, or even do a bit of ‘pottering about’ please have a word, you will be very welcome to pop over.

The wonderful greenhouse continues to be well used, with our main volunteer, Fay, often found in there, starting seeds off, potting up seedlings, watering and generally doing all types of ‘gardeny’ things. She keeps all the flower and vegetable beds dug over and weeded, and along with Richard and Peter, makes sure the garden looks the best that it can, in all weathers.

There are several groups who made use of the garden regularly in 2025. Local Cub Scouts absolutely love coming along and weeding the flower beds, looking at the mini beasts and bugs, and just playing games together. This will continue into 2026 as well. Centrepoint Outreach also continue to regularly use the garden as part of their wellbeing ‘ Along With Us’ activities for homeless adults, which has always been well attended.

In November, we partnered with the charity ‘Froglife’. Froglife is a national wildlife charity committed to the conservation of amphibians and reptiles – frogs, toads, newts, snakes and lizards. We now have a second pond dug out in the garden, specifically designed to try and attract all kinds of amphibians into the garden. Once it gets fully established, it will be a great asset in helping keep the pests under control, as well as being fascinating to look at and study. This is an ongoing partnership, which I am sure will be a great benefit to the garden and its wildlife.

Thank you to all who support this little haven of peace in a busy town centre, and please do pop over and have a look at this amazing treasure that we have as part of our church family.

Jayne Maddy Project Lead for the Community Garden

5[th] Boston (St Botolph’s) Scout Group Report

The link between Scouting in Boston and St Botolph’s remains strong, and in 2025 it was strengthened even more as we welcomed two new people from the church into our Scouting Family. Adam Kelk is now the District Scouting Chairman, with an overview of Scouting in Boston, and Fr David has joined the executive committee as a Trustee. Thank you to you both, Scouting is very lucky to have you.

The Scouting aim is to prepare young people from any background with skills for life, and the partnership with St Botolph’s helps to reinforce that aim.

In 2025 St Botolph’s hosted the Cubs District Hike, being the starting and finishing point for the hike. The hike had around 60 Cubs following directions to find answers to tricky clues around the town, and then being rewarded with a drink and snack at the church. Thank you to everyone who made our Cubs and parents welcome in the chaos that usually follows the start and finish of any scouting activity.

In June 2025, the church became a campsite for the Boston District Cubs for an overnight camp. There were some very excited 8–10-year-olds doing crafts and activities on the Friday evening, followed by tent erecting, and then, surprisingly, all sleeping! There were around 70 Cubs taking part in the camp, and all were really well behaved. By the time the church opened on the Saturday, all the tents had been taken down, kit bags packed, and breakfast finished. Thank you to everyone on duty on the Saturday that made us all so welcome, especially at collection time when there was a sudden influx of parents!

Scouting makes full use of the Community Garden, with Cub packs visiting it to learn about plants, insects, bugs and generally having fun pushing wheelbarrows round. We are very lucky to have this opportunity for the young people to appreciate where their food comes from, and what needs to be done to grow it – totally Skills For Life!

Scouting, and in particular, the 5th Boston (St Botolph’s group) look forward to another year of fun and adventure, in partnership with St Botolphs, thank you to all who make it possible.

Jayne Maddy Programme Support Team Leader, Boston District Cubs

PCC of the Parish of Boston (incorporating St Botlphs's, St Thomas' and St Christopher's)

CHARITY COMMISSION REGISTERED NO: 1138045

STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS

for the year ended

31st December 2025

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Contents Page

for the year ended 31st December 2025

INDEX

Reverend's Report
Legal and Administrative Information	1
Trustees' Annual Report	2 - 6
Auditors Report	7 - 10
Statement of Financial Activities	11
Statement of Financial Position	12
Statement of Cash Flows	13
Notes to the Accounts	14 - 32

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Reverend's Report

for the year ended 31st December 2025

Dear Friends,

Aim and Purpose

The Parochial Church Council (the PCC) of the Parish of Boston has the responsibility of cooperating with the Incumbent, Fr David Stephenson, in promoting in the ecclesiastical parish, the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. As well as the church buildings, the churches of St Botolph (Grade I listed) and St Thomas (Grade II listed), the PCC is also responsible for maintaining St Thomas’ Church Hall and the Blenkin Memorial Hall and the Old Rectory used as Boston Food Bank.

Objectives and Activities

The PCC seeks to offer opportunities for as many people as possible to share the worship of the Church within the traditions of the Church of England. As part of the Inclusive Church network of churches, the Anglican Society for the Welfare of Animals, the Prayer Book Society, and the Major Churches Network, the rich inclusivity and breadth of the Gospel is recognised, honoured and promoted through the priorities of welcome and hospitality. Worship is largely traditional in style, embracing the choral tradition of the Church of England, but also includes services of the World. The parish recognises, promotes and embraces the ministry and witness of authorised lay ministers who lead God's people in worship and prayer and who lead, as part of the Ministry Team, services of the Word and undertake share in the parish's funeral ministry. The PCC promotes an inclusive and accessible baptism policy welcoming families of all kinds, from all kinds of backgrounds, heritage and traditions. The worship of the Church is embedded in prayer, reflected in the Daily Office which is said corporately. The gathered community is encouraged to work at deepening spirituality and understanding by participating in study courses during the year and to share in the many opportunities to welcome oters into the church buildings, promote community, support for those in need and those of other faiths and traditions.

To support the ministry and mission of the Church, the PCC undertakes, promotes and supports a variety of commercial and fundraising activities throughout the year. It also promotes and provides opportunities for social engagement, well-being, interaction and support for vulnerable people in the parish and wider community. To further the work of the Gospel, the PCC works in collaboration with Trussell to provide, run and manage the Boston Foodbank, serving those experiencing poverty by providing food parcels and signposting to other support agencies. The parish has very close connections with Centrepoint Outreach in Boston, members of the parish being trustees, supporting the homeless, rough sleepers, and migrant members of the local community. The Rector is an ex-officio trustee for local charitable trusts which seek to support the under-privilege and promote the Christian faith.

Based in St Thomas’ Church Hall, the PCC supports families and children with a weekly Toddler Group and those in isolation with weekly lunches and social activities.

The Incumbent’s Report

During the last year the parish has moved forward into a new chapter of its story. With the conclusion of pastoral reorganisation and legal necessities, the Team Ministry was dissolved and I became Rector. This helps to cement all aspects of the parish into one – one body within the Body of Christ, sharing, learning, growing, worshipping and witnessing as one. The day-to-day activities of our churches and wider parish will have felt little difference although some may reflect on the reduction of clergy numbers even in the last few years. We are fortunate to have a strong lay leadership team in the parish and, not least, those licensed ministers who share, with me, in leading worship. As I have outlined below with a review of the offering of worship in the parish over the last year, this collaborative ministry should not be undervalued.

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Reverend's Report

for the year ended 31st December 2025

The pattern of worship has continued during the last year with St Botolph’s Sunday services being Eucharistic with Choral Evensong on two Sunday evenings each month. St Thomas’ has a more diverse rota of Sunday services shared between lay and ordained ministers. Celtic Morning Prayer has continued during Ordinary Time with seasonal and festival services of Morning Prayer replacing these. In addition to the established pattern of services there has been sung Compline led by the Chori Sancti Botolphi and Choral Weekday Evensong led by the Choral Scholars and B-16 Choir.

In 2025 we commissioned Welcomers, formerly Sides Men and Women, to the Ministry of Welcome. These volunteers from our congregations are often the first point of contact visitors and worshippers have with the church family. The value of a genuinely good welcome should not be underestimated. I am grateful to all the Welcomers who work with the Ministry Team to ensure that no one feels our churches are not a place for them to feel at home.

During the year we have held a number of special services to mark local and national events, including welcoming the Showmen’s Guild during May Fair week to the Sunday Eucharist, a service for Sea Sunday with a chaplain to the Port of Boston preaching, a service of remembrance on National Fishing Remembrance Day, services on Battle of Britain and Remembrance Sunday. Services for the Local Ecumenical Partnership and wider Deanery of Boston have included the Advent Carol Service with organ and brass ensemble, the Festival of Corpus Christi and Ash Wednesday. We have welcomed guest preachers and continued with our own special services for All Souls with a performance of the Faure Requiem accompanied by organ and string ensemble and the family Baptism Leaves Service. Services during Holy Week and Easter were ambitious and well-supported – a string of choral services during the week in powerfully emotional and dramatic liturgy.

It was very good to welcome the Lincoln Diocesan Guild of Bell Ringers for their first carol service during December which sat alongside the several other services for local groups and organisations. The number of services at St Thomas’ has once more been increased with the Eucharist being celebrated there on Christmas Eve and Easter Day. On 5th Sundays and Patronal Festivals, the parish has worshipped in one place together. It has been very good to welcome friends from the Boston Choral Society and members of our own Community Choir to help lead worship on these and other occasions. The work of our music department, including the children, teenagers and adults of the parish choirs is significant, bucking the trend in the vast majority of parish churches in the present age and ensuring that the rich Anglican Choral Tradition continues to flourish in the parish here. Several of our united services have included social time together with food involved. The concept of the parish lunch has certainly become well established once more.

These two paragraphs remind us that worship is the primary purpose of the life of our churches and of our congregations. In a parish such as this, I know that it might sometimes feel that events and commercial activities are dominant. These are certainly essential as well as part of our mission, but worship underpins all of our activities, equips us each for ministry in different ways, and allows the work and prompting of the Holy Spirit to guide us in all ways. Corporate Morning Prayer and the midweek Eucharists, along with our study courses during the year, all provide deep opportunities for those of us who make us of them to deepen our connectedness with God to understand God’s will for our community.

Other staffing changes during the year saw Polly Tamberlin retiring from the post of Housekeeper at St Botolph’s. Polly had been an outstanding member of the team, working quietly and often in the background, to ensure that St Botolph’s was ready to receive its many visitors. Although we miss Polly on the staff, I am so grateful to her for her Church Warden role and as Sacristan at St Thomas’.

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Reverend's Report

for the year ended 31st December 2025

Volunteers are a further key aspect of our parish life and operations. Caz Harvey has, once again, given a huge amount of time and personal commitment to recruiting, training, retaining, supporting and championing the many volunteers who work across the parish operations. I am enormously grateful to Caz and to all our volunteers, regardless of their role or time commitment, because without them we simply could not function. Many come from our congregations but more still come from beyond the immediate worshipping community. Our volunteering ethos, valuing individuals, provides not only people to make church work, but the potential for people to make new connections, relationships, develop skills, combat isolation and promote mental wellbeing. Volunteering in the Parish of Boston is invaluable.

As a civic church, St Botolph’s has continued to play a part in the life of the wider community. As Rector, I have been pleased to act once more as Chaplain to the Mayor, and we have hosted a range of civic services here. We have continued to develop excellent relationships with the Borough Council, including the Market Team, and have been able to work with them to keep the Market Place open on Wednesdays. Several of the events held at St Botolph’s have been run in conjunction with the Borough Council including our now established Christmas Tree Festival, Dementia Awareness Day and Autumn Days coffee morning/marketplace days. February’s Celebrate Boston has been re-established by our own team and is one of several events run by the parish successful in building and celebrating community, bringing together people from all areas of the town and borough and people of all backgrounds.

These events have all contributed to the even greater footfall through St Botolph’s in 2025. More details will be found in the Activities Report with a review of Fun @ the Stump, Friday Night @ the Stump, craft markets, concerts, Boston College Graduation and Grammar School Charter Day. All who administer, steward and support events are to be thanked, most sincerely, including especially Adam Kelk, but also Jayne Maddy and the events volunteers.

Events and commercial activities are essential in helping us to meet the enormous costs of running and caring for historic buildings and in equipping our mission and ministry work. Many have been involved in fundraising across the parish in the past year and I am hugely grateful for the time and generosity of so many people. We are fortunate to work alongside the Boston Stump Restoration Trust and also to have received several grants, including from Boston Borough Councillors, Household Support Fund, the Mayor of Boston’s charity, Sainsbury’s, Boston NonMunicipal Education Trust, John Laughton Trust, The Meddlecott Trust, South Holland’s Community & Partnership Scheme, and the diocesan Transformation Fund, amongst others. The work of Willliam Culley alongside Chris Ladner and all who support the Resources Department, usually working in the background, are to be congratulated on their unending work to keep the parish financially afloat.

Despite a wealth of largescale events and fundraising, what might be considered ordinary parish life runs alongside all of these. The Rectory Coffee morning, parish quiz night, St Thomas’ Spring and Christmas Fairs, St Thomas’ Toddler Group, Tuesday Lunches, parish lunches and Warm Space have all continued throughout the year. Core parish life, alongside worship, is essential in helping us each to be an active part of the Church, supporting and encouraging each other and growing and learning together. It was good to spend time with many of St Thomas’ congregations in Spring to focus on that part of the parish, planning and reviewing and trying to discern God’s will for our future. We look forward to the arrival of new noticeboards and, with the development of the Church Hall, more engagement with our neighbours and wider community.

As our finance report will highlight, income from planned giving through The Parish Giving Scheme is not yet at a level which reflects the gently growing worshipping community. Whilst we may look forward to a Stewardship Campaign in the future, none of us can underestimate the call to be generous financially to the work of God’s Church in proportion to the generosity we receive from God. Traditionally, each of us is asked to gift 5% of our net income. Once more, I commend this to you for both prayer and action.

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Reverend's Report

for the year ended 31st December 2025

As the Music Report will highlight, it has been a wonderful experience and achievement to award 4 Organ Scholarships this year in addition to the Choral Scholarships already in place. Once more, our parish work bucks a national trend but also goes some way to counteract the national underinvestment in music in education over the last several decades. The opportunities we now offer children and young people are not to be found anywhere else in the state education system. The Big Sing in 2025 saw a very full St Botolph’s for the culmination of a term’s programme of singing in schools, alongside performances from our partner schools during December. As we prepare to launch the wide-reaching Music Appeal in 2026 and another level of engagement and commitment through music, I am thankful to all who contribute and not least the Choir Librarian, Cheryl, the Choir Chaperone, Sian, and those who rehearse and sing in services week by week and the families who support them and make it possible for them to spend so much time with us.

I have been pleased to re-establish a regular pattern of leading collective worship in St Thomas’ CE Primary School, now part of the Infinity Academy Trust. As well as leading worship, I have offered chaplaincy to staff and families and spent time with some classes both in school and welcoming them for focussed visits to St Thomas’ church. Key Stage groups have come to church to celebrate Harvest, Christmas and Easter. It was reassuring that school received both Outstanding for their most recent Ofsted inspection and a glowing report from SIAMS.

In other opportunities for young people, we were delighted to be invited to host the diocesan heat of the Cranmer Awards for The Prayer Book Society at St Botolph’s in the Autumn, Young people, primarily from our own choir, competed by reciting passages from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. Both the junior and senior winners will attend the national finals in February at Hampton Court Palace.

Rev. David Stephenson Rector of Boston Trustee

Date: 26 April 2026

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Legal and Administrative Information for the year ended 31st December 2025

Rev. David Stephenson - Chair Jayne Elizabeth Morris Andrew Nicholas Jordan Elms Chris Ladner Marion Rose Forster Parish John Lyon Kathleen Florence Davey Isobel Thomas (Resigned 18 May 2025) Ashley Cooper Granville R Paul Graham Stewart Smith Robert William Tamberlin Adam Kelk Paula Tamberlin Sue Kirk MBE MIHM Trevor Baily David Scoot Jean Stewart-Smith (Appointed 18 May 2025)

Registered Office

1 Wormgate Boston Lincolnshire PE21 6NP

Auditors

Sumer Audit Bank House Broad Street Spalding Lincolnshire PE11 1TB

Bankers

Lloyds Bank 51 Market Place Boston PE21 6NQ

Page 1

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Trustees' Annual Report

for the year ended 31st December 2025

The Trustees present their report and financial statements for the year ended 31st December 2025.

The Trustees have adopted the provisions of the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) "Accounting and Reporting by Charities" issued in 2015 in preparing the annual report and financial statements of the charity.

Structure, Governance and Management

The PCC of the Parish of Boston (hereinafter - the PCC) is a registered charity (charity registration number 1138045) which provides the Church of England religious services to the community within its parish boundaries.

The charity was registered with the Charity Commission on 15th September 2010.

The PCC is controlled by its governing document, the Parochial Church Council powers measure (1956) as amended and church representation rules.

The Trustees who served during the year and detailed on the charity information on page 1.

Recruitment and Appointment of New Trustees

New Trustees are recruited by advertising and recommendation. Current Trustees vote on the new Trustee applications at Board Meetings. Ideally the Trustees would like to keep a balance of skills and experience on the Board.

New Trustees are encouraged to familiarise themselves with charity laws, the financial reports of the PCC and to attend Trustee meetings and other events.

Organisational Structure

The PCC is managed by a Board of Trustees which is responsible for overseeing the financial and operation direction of the PCC. The Board is responsible for ensuring that all recommended financial controls have been considered and introduced and they meet on a regular basis.

Objectives and Activities and Public Benefit

The main objective of the PCC is to provide Church of England religious services to the community within the Parish of Boston as well as promoting in the ecclesiastical Parish the whole mission of the Church.

The objectives are set to reflect the Church's faith and community aims. Each year the Trustees review the objectives and activities to ensure they continue to reflect the aims of the Church. In carrying out this review the Trustees have considered the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit and in particular its supplementary public guidance on the advancement of religion for the public benefit.

The Trustees are highly conscious of the need to provide the best possible public benefit in line with Charity Commission guidance and consider that the charity does this.

The charity has undertaken various activities described in the sections below during the year to implement these objects in line with the PCC's current development path. These activities also provide support for the public benefits that the charity provides.

Related Parties

Transactions during the period with trustees and any other related parties are detailed on note 15 of these financial statements.

Risk Management

The Trustees have a duty to identify and review the risks to which the PCC is exposed and to ensure appropriate

Page 2

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Trustees' Annual Report

for the year ended 31st December 2025

Fundraising

The charity does not carry out significant fundraising activities.

Achievements and Highlights for 2025

Through consultation our congregations have agreed that The Parish of Boston hopes to be known as a significant Place of Hospitality. A place where the hospitality of God can be encountered by all; for people who visit every day, people who may visit once in their lives, for the young and old, worshippers and pilgrims, historians and tourists. We are a united parish which includes St. Botolph's, St. Thomas' and St. Christopher's.

Visitor Numbers

St Botolph’s has seen a steady increase in visitors, year on year. 2025 saw 98,186 people visit, an increase of 13,245 (11%) when compared with 2024, this resulted in giving through boxes being up 13%. This figure excludes services and other large-scale events. The increase in visitor numbers also produced a 7% increase in Tower revenue.

The Library

The library continues to attract visitors and scholars from the UK, Europe and the Americas. We are also now part of a network sharing information and support throughout the Midlands with other Parish and University Libraries.

The Foodbank

The Foodbank continues to be an important part of our mission and outreach service, The services provided which include professional advisors for debt and housing are exceptionally important with the continuing cost of living crisis by providing those in need in the local community three days' nutritionally balanced emergency food and support to local people who are referred to us in crisis. We remain committed to being part of the nationwide network of foodbanks working to combat poverty and hunger across the UK.

Community Garden

There has been lots of work carried out since the inception of the garden. The large willow tree has been taken down, which is letting lots of light in the children’s corner now. The back fence has been painted by National Grid employees under their Day to Make a Difference initiative. We have collaborated with Froglife, a national charity with the aim of increasing amphibians in the wild. Local Scouting groups are visiting regularly and do lots of little tasks around the garden to help maintain it. Centrepoint Outreach, the homeless charity, visits the garden during the summer months . We have had open days coinciding with the Stump Lego Club, where various children’s crafts and activities have been available in the garden, which has been well attended.

Blenkin Memorial Hall

The BMH continues to be used by companies and organizations as well as private individuals. We have recently hosted East Midlands Railway, and the Lincolnshire co-op are using it as a training facility.

The Song School Is now home to five choirs of all age ranges and abilities and has recently become the base for the Boston Choral Society.

Financial Report

The financial performance of the PCC for the year ended 31st December 2025 is detailed on pages 11 to 32 of these financial statements and the Trustees are pleased with the performance during the year.

Page 3

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Trustees' Annual Report

for the year ended 31st December 2025

Financial Report continued

Continued high costs for utilities continued to impact on our expenditure. Revenue from visitors through donations and votives is continuing to recover to pre covid levels. The commercial activities and events showed a strong recovery and have given a good base to build upon for 2025 and allow us to build a sustainable future.

Recruitment and retention of volunteers continues to be a challenge as it does throughout the charity sector but plans are being put in place for a recruitment drive which is already showing signs of success. We have continued to receive funding for key staff from the Restoration Trust, the Bishops Transformation Fund and the Boston Municipal Non-Educational Charities.

A stewardship campaign is planned that will hopefully increase giving from both visitors and worshippers as well as more long-term giving through legacies.

Reserves Policy

It is the policy of the PCC that it will hold in unrestricted reserves the equivalent of half year's Diocesan Quota plus six months costs of insurance, utilities and salary costs, which for 2025 was approximately £120,000.

Following the injection of the £151,000 "restore reserves" funding from the Cultural Recovery Fund in 2021 the PCC continues to hold sufficient unrestricted reserves to cover this policy requirement.

Total closing reserves as at 31st December 2025 were £812,599 comprising of carried forward unrestricted funds of £365,915 plus carried forward restricted funds of £354,756 and endowment funds of £91,928.

Investment Policy

The investment objective set by the PCC is for the Investment Manager to invest in low risk areas in order to safeguard the initial capital invested. The Trustees are willing to accept levels of return commensurate with a low risk strategy.

The majority of the PCC's investments are maintained by the Lincoln Diocesan Trust Board of Finance and are held within low risk CCLA accounts.

Volunteers

The PCC continues to be grateful for the support of our volunteers who play a very important role across the PCC from the Board of Trustees, gift shop and coffee shop assistants, fundraisers and general volunteer workers and assistants to the PCC.

Plans For The Future

The hope is that these plans will help the PCC further achieve it's current and long-term objectives as follows:

The Open Door Project

The aim is to develop our ministry of hospitality and welcome and to raise the funds needed to keep our doors

Worship, prayer, discipleship and pastural care to love God with all our mind, body and strength and to love our neighbour as ourselves.
By our decisions being guided by the purpose and value of Christian hospitality
By developing ongoing community projects which will both reach and raise funds
By trying to meet expressed and unexpressed needs of the community
By developing a profitable shop and coffee shop to help with the Open Door running costs
Continue to raise our profile so we are known as a venue and a place that welcomes art and exhibitions
To be creative and good stewards of all God's gifts to us so the Parish has a self-sustaining future

Page 4

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Trustees' Annual Report

for the year ended 31st December 2025

Lighting

2026 should see the completion of the external lighting which will allow us to change the colour of the lights and control them remotely. The new energy saving system will also help to reduce our electricity consumption and our carbon impact.

Events

An extensive diary of events is planned for 2026 which will capitalize on the development of previous years. This will see an increased use of St Botolph and increase the revenue steam for use of the building and our commercial activities which saw an increase in turnover in 2025 of 11%. and an increase of 10% in our events hire income. There is already a well-established calendar of regular events, such as Craft Markets, Friday Night @ the Stump and Fun @ the Stump events, to name just a few. 2025 has seen the introduction of more external hires with more planned for 2026.

Commercial Activities

Income from our commercial activities continued to be strong in 2025 with the coffee shop seeing a 16% increase in turnover. Income from the Tower and the Sponsorship of the lights remains a vital part of our income stream. Plans for 2026 will see an increase in all this revenue as we seek to become more sustainable.

Giving

An increase in visitor income was unfortunately offset by a decrease in planned-giving by the congregation. This is particularly disappointing in a year that has seen an increase in the number of services offered and congregational growth. Hopefully 2026 will see an increase in those giving via the Parish Giving Scheme.

Future Projects

All our future projects will be severely affected by the Government’s decision to withdraw the Listed Places of Worship Scheme which allowed us to claim the VAT back on our repairs, maintenance and restoration. This will in effect mean that our costs will have risen by 20% on any future work.

Auditors

It is proposed that Sumer Audit be re-appointed as auditors for the next financial year - to be ratified at the Annual General Meeting on 28 April 2025.

Trustees Responsibilities Statement

The trustees are responsible for preparing the trustees report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

The Trustees are required to prepare financial statements for each financial year. The Trustees have elected to prepare the financial statements in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (United Kingdom Accounting Standards and applicable law). The Trustees must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the PCC and the surplus or deficit of the PCC for that period.

In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:

select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
make judgements and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the PCC will continue running.

Page 5

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Trustees' Annual Report

for the year ended 31st December 2025

Trustees Responsibilities Statement continued

The Trustees are responsibly for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the PCC’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the PCC and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the PCC and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

This report was approved by the board of Trustees on 24 April 2026 and signed on behalf of the board by:

Graham Stewart-Smith Trustee

Page 6

Independent Auditor's Report to the Trustees of

PCC of the Parish of Boston

for the year ended 31st December 2025

Opinion

We have audited the financial statements of the Parochial Church Council of the Parish of Boston (the ‘PCC’) for the year ended 31st December 2025, which comprise of the Statement of Financial Activity, Statement of Financial Position, Statement of Cash Flows and notes to the financial statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

In our opinion the financial statements:

give a true and fair view of the state of the charity’s affairs as at 31st December 2025, and of its
· incoming resources and application of resources, for the year then ended;
have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting
· Practice; and
have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011.

Basis for opinion

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the charity in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

Conclusions relating to going concern

In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the trustees' use of going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.

Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertanties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charity's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for

Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.

Other information

The trustees are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the trustees’ annual report, other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.

Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the course of the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.

We have nothing to report in this regard.

Page 7

Independent Auditor's Report to the Trustees of PCC of the Parish of Boston

for the year ended 31st December 2025

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 require us to report to you if, in our opinion:

the information given in the financial statements is inconsistent in any material respect with the trustees’
· report; or
the charity has not kept adequate accounting records; or
the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records; or
we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit

Responsibilities of trustees

As explained more fully in the trustees’ responsibilities statement, the trustees are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are responsible for assessing the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the charity or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

We have been appointed as auditor under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 and report in accordance with regulations made under section 154 of that Act.

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.

Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in lines with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material mistatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The specific procedures for this engagement and the extent to which these are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below:

Our approach to identifying and assessing the risks of material mistatement in respect of irregularities, including fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations, was as follows:

[the engagement partner ensured that the engagement team collectively had the appropriate ] competence, capabilities and skills to identify or recognise non-compliance with applicable laws and
[we identified the laws and regulations applicable to the charity through discussions with trustees and ] other management, and from our knowledge of the charity sector and experience of the client. we focused on specific laws and regulations which we considered may have a direct material effect on
· the financial statements or the operations of the charity.
we assessed the extent of compliance with the laws and regulations identified above through making
· enquiries of management and inspecting legal correspondence; and

Page 8

Independent Auditor's Report to the Trustees of

PCC of the Parish of Boston

for the year ended 31st December 2025

identified laws and regulations were communicated within the audit team regularly and the team
· remained alert to instances of non-compliance throughout the audit.

We assessed the susceptability of the charity's financial statements to material mistatement, including obtaining an understanding of how fraud might occur, by;

making enquiries of management as to where they considered there was susceptability to fraud, their
· knowledge of actual, suspected and alleged fraud;
considering the internal controls in place to mititage risks of fraud and non-compliance with laws and
· regulations.

To address the risk of fraud through management bias and override of controls, we:

performed analytical procedures to identify any unusual or unexpected relationships;
tested journal entries to identify unusual transactions;
investigated the rationale behind significant or unusual transactions.

Because of the inherent limitations of this audit, there is a risk that we will not detect all irregularities, including those leading to a material mistatement in the financial statements or non-compliance with regulation. This risk increases the more that compliance with a law or regulation is removed from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, as we will be less likely to become aware of instances of non-compliance. The risk is also greater regarding irregularities occuring due to fraud rather than error, as fraud involves intentional concealment, forgery, collusion, omission or misrepresentation.

As part of an audit in accordance with ISAs (UK), we exercise professional judgment and maintain professional scepticism throughout the audit. We also:

Identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud
· or error, design and perform audit procedures responsive to those risks, and obtain audit evidence that is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. The risk of not detecting a material misstatement resulting from fraud is higher than for one resulting from error, as fraud may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal control.
[Obtain an understanding of internal control relevant to the audit in order to design audit procedures that ] are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the charity’s internal control.
[Evaluate the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting ] estimates and related disclosures made by the trustees.
Conclude on the appropriateness of the trustees’ use of the going concern basis of accounting and,
· based on the audit evidence obtained, whether a material uncertainty exists related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt on the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern. If we conclude that a material uncertainty exists, we are required to draw attention in our auditor’s report to the related disclosures in the financial statements or, if such disclosures are inadequate, to modify our opinion. Our conclusions are based on the audit evidence obtained up to the date of our auditor’s report. However, future events or conditions may cause the charity to cease to continue as a going
[Evaluate the overall presentation, structure and content of the financial statements, including the ] disclosures, and whether the financial statements represent the underlying transactions and events in a manner that achieves fair presentation.

We communicate with those charged with governance regarding, among other matters, the planned scope and timing of the audit and significant audit findings, including any significant deficiencies in internal control that we identify during our audit.

Page 9

Independent Auditor's Report to the Trustees of PCC of the Parish of Boston

for the year ended 31st December 2025

Use of our report

This report is made solely to the charity’s trustees, as a body, in accordance with Part 4 of the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charity’s trustees those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charity and the charity’s trustees as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have

Sumer Audit, Statutory Auditor Bank House Broad Street Spalding PE11 1TB

Dated: 24 June 2026

Sumer Audit is eligible to act as an auditor in terms of section 1212 of the Companies Act 2006.

Page 10

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Statement of Financial Activities

for the year ended 31st December 2025

----- Start of picture text -----
Notes 2025 2024
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
funds funds funds Total Total
£ £ £ £
Income from:
Donations and legacies 93,056 - - 93,056 100,263
Grants - 14,100 - 14,100 154,765
Charitable activities 116,766 - - 116,766 105,910
Trading activities 69,548 68,375 - 137,923 78,343
Investments 13,321 1,345 2,731 17,397 16,290
Other 28,201 2,000 - 30,201 23,733
Total incoming resources 2 320,892 85,820 2,731 409,443 479,304
Expenditure on:
Raising funds 1,740 - - 1,740 1,345
Charitable activities 331,834 163,358 - 495,192 531,578
Total expended resources 3 333,574 163,358 - 496,932 532,923
Net gains / (losses) on investments 52,195 (1,936) (4,290) 45,969 31,366
Gain / (losses) on revaluation of fixed - - - - 228,000
assets
52,195 (1,936) (4,290) 45,969 259,366
Net (expenditure) / income 39,513 (79,474) (1,559) (41,520) 205,747
Net movement in funds 39,513 (79,474) (1,559) (41,520) 205,747
Transfers between funds 12 3,745 (1,014) (2,731) - -
Net movement in funds 43,258 (80,488) (4,290) (41,520) 205,747
Reconciliation of funds:
Total funds brought forward 17 322,657 435,244 96,218 854,119 648,372
Total funds carried forward 12 365,915 354,756 91,928 812,599 854,119
----- End of picture text -----

All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.

The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised during the year.

The notes on pages 14 to 32 form part of these financial statements

Page 11

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Statement of Financial Position

at 31st December 2025

----- Start of picture text -----
2025 2024
NoteUnrestricted Restricted Endowment
Funds Funds Funds Total Total
£ £ £ £ £
Fixed assets
Tangible assets 6 298,166 19,762 - 317,928 331,903
Heritage assets 7 13,000 - - 13,000 13,000
Investments 8 - 184,734 91,928 276,662 230,693
311,166 204,496 91,928 607,590 575,596
Current assets
Stock 2,662 - - 2,662 2,317
Debtors and prepayments 9 21,235 90,420 - 111,655 18,636
Cash at bank and in hand 10 (73,958) 291,283 - 217,325 302,476
(50,061) 381,703 - 331,642 323,429
Creditors:
Amounts falling due within one 11 (33,441) (93,192) - (126,633) (44,906)
Net current assets (83,502) 288,511 - 205,009 278,523
Total assets less current liabilities 227,664 493,007 91,928 812,599 854,119
Net Assets 227,664 493,007 91,928 812,599 854,119
Charity Funds 12
Unrestricted 365,915 - - 365,915 322,657
Restricted - 354,756 - 354,756 435,244
Endowment - - 91,928 91,928 96,218
365,915 354,756 91,928 812,599 854,119
----- End of picture text -----

These financial statements were approved by the Trustees on 16 May 2026 and are signed on their behalf by:

Rev. David Stephenson Trustee Date: 16 May 2026

Graham Stewart-Smith Trustee Date: 16 May 2026

Pages 14 to 32 form part of these financial statements

Page 12

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Statement of Cash Flows

at 31st December 2025

----- Start of picture text -----
2025 2024
Note £ £ £ £
Cash flow from operating activities
Surplus/(Deficit) for the year (41,520) 205,747
Adjustments for:
Interest and dividends received (17,397) (16,290)
Depreciation of tangible fixed assets 6 13,975 10,635
(Gain)/losses on investments (45,969) (259,366)
Movements in working capital:
(Increase)/Decrease in debtors and stock (93,364) 3,946
(Decrease)/Increase in creditors 81,727 (11,238)
(102,548) (66,566)
Cash flows from investing activities
Loss of disposal of fixed assets - 2,500
Purchase of tangible fixed assets - (4,380)
Interest and dividends received 2 17,397 16,290
17,397 14,410
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents (85,151) (52,156)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year 302,476 354,632
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year 10 217,325 302,476
Cash and cash equivalents consists of:
Cash at bank and in hand 10 217,325 302,476
----- End of picture text -----

Page 13

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Notes to the Financial Statements

for the year ended 31st December 2025

1. Accounting policies

The address of the registered office is 1 Wormgate, Boston, Lincolnshire, PE21 6NP.

The nature of the charity's operations and principal activities is the provision of the Church of England religious services to the community within its parish boundaries.

Statement of compliance and basis of preparation

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with:

• Charities SORP (FRS 102) - Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing the accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (issued October 2019)).

• FRS 102 - The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland.

The Charities Act 2011.

The charity meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102.

The financial statements are prepared on a going concern basis under the historical cost convention, modified to include certain items at fair value. The financial statements are presented in sterling which is the functional currency of the charity.

The significant accounting policies applied in the preparation of these financial statements are set out below. These policies have been consistently applied to all years presented unless otherwise stated.

Income recognition

All incoming resources are included in the Statement of Financial Activities (SoFA) when the charity is legally entitled to the income after any performance conditions have been met, the amount can be measured reliably and it is probable that the income will be received.

For donations to be recognised the charity will have been notified of the amounts and the settlement date in writing. If there are conditions attached to the donation and this requires a level of performance before entitlement can be obtained then income is deferred until those conditions are fully met or the fulfilment of those conditions is within the control of the charity and it is probable that they will be fulfilled.

For grants to be recognised the charity will have been notified of the amounts and the settlement date in writing. If there are conditions attached to the grant and this requires a level of performance before entitlement can be obtained then income is deferred until those conditions are fully met or the fulfilment of those conditions is within the control of the charity and it is probable that they will be fulfilled.

Donated facilities and donated professional services are recognised in income at their fair value when their economic benefit is probable, it can be measured reliably and the charity has control over the item. Fair value is determined on the basis of the value of the gift to the charity. For example the amount the charity would be willing to pay in the open market for such facilities and services. A corresponding amount is recognised in expenditure.

No amount is included in the financial statements for volunteer time in line with the SORP (FRS 102). Further detail is given in the Trustees’ Annual Report.

Where practicable, gifts in kind donated for distribution to the beneficiaries of the charity are included in stock and donations in the financial statements upon receipt. If it is impracticable to assess the fair value at receipt or if the costs to undertake such a valuation outweigh any benefits, then the fair value is recognised as a component of donations when it is distributed and an equivalent amount recognised as charitable expenditure.

Fixed asset gifts in kind are recognised when receivable and are included at fair value. They are not deferred over the life of the asset.

Page 14

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued)

for the year ended 31st December 2025

1. Accounting policies (continued)

Income recognition (continued)

For legacies, entitlement is the earlier of the charity being notified of an impending distribution or the legacy being received. At this point income is recognised. On occasion legacies will be notified to the charity however it is not possible to measure the amount expected to be distributed. On these occasions, the legacy is treated as a contingent asset and disclosed.

Investment income is earned through holding assets for investment purposes such as shares and property. It includes dividends, interest and rent. Where it is not practicable to identify investment management costs incurred within a scheme with reasonable accuracy the investment income is reported net of these costs. It is included when the amount can be measured reliably. Interest income is recognised using the effective interest method and dividend and rent income is recognised as the charity’s right to receive payment is established.

Expenditure recognition

All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all costs related to the category. Expenditure is recognised where there is a legal or constructive obligation to make payments to third parties, it is probable that the settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.

Grants payable to third parties are within the charitable objectives. Where unconditional grants are offered, this is accrued as soon as the recipient is notified of the grant, as this gives rise to a reasonable expectation that the recipient will receive the grants. Where grants are conditional relating to performance then the grant is only accrued when any unfulfilled conditions are outside of the control of the charity.

Support cost allocation

Charitable expenditure comprises those costs incurred by the charity in the delivery of it's activities and services for its beneficiaries.

Governance costs include those costs associated with meeting the constitutional and statutory requirements of the charity and include the audit fees and costs linked to the strategic management of the charity.

Support costs include all those overhead costs for utility services, and other services and costs, which are in support of the activity. They have been allocated to activity cost categories on a basis consistent with the use of resources.

Leases

Rentals applicable to operating leases where substantially all of the benefits and risks of ownership remain with the lessor are charged against or credited to profits on a straight line basis over the period of the lease.

Going concern

The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis as the trustees believe that no material uncertainties exist. The trustees have considered the level of funds held and the expected level of income and expenditure for 12 months from authorising these financial statements. The budgeted income and expenditure is sufficient with the level of reserves for the charity to be able to continue as a going concern.

Page 15

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued)

for the year ended 31st December 2025

1. Accounting policies (continued)

Tangible fixed assets

All tangible fixed assets are initially recorded at cost.

Depreciation is calculated so as to write off the cost of an asset, less its estimated residual value, over the

Memorial Hall Straight line over 50 years Memorial Hall contents Straight line over 10 years IT equipment 25% reducing balance Fixtures and fittings 25% reducing balance

Impairment

Assets not measured at fair value are reviewed for any indication that the asset may be impaired at each balance sheet date. If such an indication exists, the recoverable amount of the asset, or the asset's cash generating unit, is estimated and compared to the carrying amount. Where the carrying amount exceeds its recoverable amount, an impairment loss is recognised in profit or loss unless the asset is carried at a revalued amount where the impairment loss is a revaluation decrease.

Heritage assets

Heritage assets are recognised on the balance sheet and initially measured at cost when purchased or if donated, their valuation. Assets are subsequently stated at cost or valuation less accumulated depreciation and accumulated impairment losses. Fair values for donated assets are estimated by reference to market prices.

Where information on the cost or valuation of heritage assets is not available or the cost of providing such information significantly outweighs any benefit to the users of the accounts then heritage assets are not recognised on the balance sheet.

These assets only arise when donated to the charity or, if on acquisition, it is believed that they will further the charity’s objectives. Once acquired they will be preserved by the charity in order to keep their historical, artistic, scientific, technological, geophysical or environmental qualities to such a high level as to contribute to knowledge and culture. Heritage assets are to be held for the foreseeable future.

Depreciation is calculated so as to write off the cost of a heritage asset, less its estimated residual value, over the useful economic life of that heritage asset as follows:

Hand bells Straight line over 50 years Grand piano Straight line over 50 years

Fixed asset investments

Investmentments are a form of basic financial instrument. Fixed asset investments are initially recognised at their transaction value and are subsequently measured at their fair value (market value) as at the balance sheet date. The Statement of Financial Activities includes the net gains and losses arising on revaluation and disposals throughout the year. Quoted stocks and shares are included in the Balance Sheet at the current market value quoted by the investment analyst, excluding dividend. Other investments are included at the trustee's best estimate of market value.

The main form of financial risk faced by the charity is that of volatility in equity markets and investment markets due to wider economic conditions, the attitude of investors to investment risk can be found in the Trustees Report (page 4).

Stocks

Stocks are stated at the lower of cost and estimated selling price less costs to complete and sell.

Page 16

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued)

for the year ended 31st December 2025

1. Accounting policies (continued)

Debtors and creditors receivable / payable within one year

Debtors and creditors with no stated interest rate and receivable or payable within one year are recorded at transaction price. Any losses arising from impairment are recognised in expenditure.

Fund accounting

Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity and which have not been designated for other purposes.

Restricted funds are funds which are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors or which have been raised by the charity for particular purposes. The cost of raising and administering such funds are charged against the specific fund. The aim and use of each restricted fund is set out in the notes to the financial statements.

Endowment funds represent those assets which must be held permanently by the Charity, these are principally by investments. Any capital gains or losses arising on the investments fall to be treated as part of the fund of which they form part of. Endowment fund income can be used in furtherence of the general objectives of the Charity and is included as unrestricted income.

Employee benefits

The charity operates a defined contribution plan for the benefit of its employees. Contributions are expensed as they become payable. The charity also pays for life insurance for all employees.

Provisions

Provisions are recognised when the charity has an obligation at the balance sheet date as a result of a past event, it is probable that an outflow of economic benefits will be required in settlement and the amount can be reliably estimated.

Page 17

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued)

for the year ended 31st December 2025

----- Start of picture text -----
2. Analysis of income 2025 2024
2025 Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
Funds Funds Funds Total Total
Donations and Legacies £ £ £ £ £
Gift Aid 25,624 - - 25,624 26,376
Collections 11,083 - - 11,083 8,213
Giving - Boxes & votive stands 20,711 - - 20,711 20,525
Gift Aid recovered 9,335 - - 9,335 11,654
Donations 8,005 - - 8,005 12,197
Donations - Lego project 10,010 - - 10,010 9,622
Donations - Stump Souvenirs Ltd 8,172 - - 8,172 8,501
Legacies 116 - - 116 3,175
93,056 - - 93,056 100,263
Grants
Other project grants - 14,100 - 14,100 139,809
Inspire Project - - - - 625
Library Project - - - - 14,331
- 14,100 - 14,100 154,765
Charitable Activities
Fees for weddings and funerals 10,238 - - 10,238 15,897
Hall lettings 2,322 - - 2,322 1,245
Coffee shop - sales 59,443 - - 59,443 50,759
Church lettings 18,182 - - 18,182 16,437
Guided tours / tower admissions 16,978 - - 16,978 15,960
Miscellaneous 9,603 - - 9,603 5,612
116,766 - - 116,766 105,910
Trading Activities
Fundraising 3,301 - - 3,301 1,292
Floodlights 5,676 - - 5,676 5,678
Bells 45 - - 45 55
Blenkin Memorial Hall - Hire 4,280 - - 4,280 2,581
Music and children 6,737 - - 6,737 5,315
Music director tuition 49,509 - - 49,509 35,179
Foodbank - 68,375 - 68,375 28,243
69,548 68,375 - 137,923 78,343
Investment Income
Rent 3,614 - - 3,614 3,545
Bank interest 8,160 - - 8,160 7,475
Dividends 1,547 1,345 2,731 5,623 5,270
13,321 1,345 2,731 17,397 16,290
Other income
St Thomas' PCC income Note 16 28,201 2,000 - 30,201 23,733
28,201 2,000 - 30,201 23,733
320,892 85,820 2,731 409,443 479,304
----- End of picture text -----

Page 18

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued)

for the year ended 31st December 2025

3. Analysis of Expenditure

2025 Raising funds Events Charitable activites Diocesan quota Wages Note 3a Coffee shop expenses Insurance Organ tuning Organist fees Music and choir costs Candles and Oil Church repairs and maintenance Inspire project repairs Note 3b Cleaning Office costs Administration Information technology costs Miscellaneous expenses Library - Restoration costs Note 3c Church and hall electric Memorial hall overheads Delivery Stage (HLF) Marketing Accountancy Audit Foodbank - Running costs Foodbank - Outside adviser costs Depreciation charges Loss of disposal of fixed assets Bank interest and charges St Thomas' expenditure Note 16	Unrestricted Funds £ 1,740 49,000 83,381 28,731 47,656 138 1,285 3,220 5,915 - - 985 5,398 2,489 4,375 6,909 - 46,441 5,190 - 1,365 6,372 3,750 - - 7,388 - 205 21,641 331,834 333,574	Restricted Funds £ - - 70,502 - - - - - - 7,357 - - - - - - 4,891 - - - - - - 39,794 30,523 6,587 - - 3,704 163,358 163,358 2025	Total £ 1,740 49,000 153,883 28,731 47,656 138 1,285 3,220 5,915 7,357 - 985 5,398 2,489 4,375 6,909 4,891 46,441 5,190 - 1,365 6,372 3,750 39,794 30,523 13,975 - 205 25,345 495,192 496,932	2024 Total £ 1,345 47,000 156,197 21,058 41,299 4,267 2,561 3,520 4,064 9,912 41,976 1,288 3,889 4,061 3,673 7,425 8,225 39,158 11,148 (3,049) 1,229 5,753 3,625 47,654 23,575 10,635 2,500 - 28,935 531,578 532,923

Page 19

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued)

for the year ended 31st December 2025

----- Start of picture text -----
3a. Analysis of restricted wages 2025 2024
£ £
HLF Project 27,718 26,246
Boston Foodbank 36,521 47,704
Boston Foodbank (TNCF) 1,415 -
Bishops Transformation Fund re Music Director Wages 4,848 13,368
70,502 87,318
3b. Breakdown of Inspire project costs 2025 2024
£ £
Repair and conservation works - 29,466
Professional fees - 1,128
Equipment purchases - 11,382
Administration costs - -
- 41,976
3c. Breakdown of Library restoration costs 2025 2024
£ £
Repair and conservation works 4,891 8,225
4,891 8,225
4. Employee Emoluments
2025 2024
£ £
Salaries (Inc. life insurance) 136,662 142,560
Social security costs 13,624 10,272
Pension costs 3,597 3,365
153,883 156,197
There are no employees who received emoluments exceeding £60,000
2025 2024
Average number of part-time employees during the year 9 10
----- End of picture text -----

5. Trustees remuneration and expenses

There were 3 trustees who received remuneration for the year ended 31st December 2025 (2024 - 2). However, this was in their capacity as employees of the charity and not as trustees.

Reimbursements of £1,349 (2024 -£671l) were made to trustees for trustee work related expenses incurred during the year.

Page 20

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued)

for the year ended 31st December 2025

6. Tangible fixed assets

Cost Brought f/wd at 1st Jan 2025 Carried f/wd at 31st Dec 2025 Depreciation Brought f/wd at 1st Jan 2025 Charge for the year Carried f/wd at 31st Dec 2025 Net book value At 31st Dec 2025 At 31st Dec 2024	Land and Buildings £ 300,000 300,000 - 6,000 6,000 294,000 300,000	Equipment and IT £ 27,675 27,675 18,753 2,230 20,983 6,692 8,922	Fixtures and Fittings Total £ 72,633 400,308 72,633 400,308 49,652 68,405 5,745 13,975 55,397 82,380 17,236 317,928 22,981 331,903

Within tangible fixed assets is £19,762 net book value of restricted fund assets (2024 = £26,350).

7. Heritage assets

Net book value Brought f/wd and carried f/wd at 31st December 2025	Hand bells £ 2,500	Grand piano £ 10,500	Total £ 13,000

The hand bells and grand piano have been considered by the trustees to have a useful life at 31st December 2025 in excess of 50 years and therefore have not been depreciated.

The charity also holds several other heritage assets including a brass eagle lecturn, 2 bishops chairs, 1,500 catalogued library books and other items with historical qualities that are held and maintained principally for their contribution to knowledge and culture. Due to information on the cost or valuation of these items not being available nor able to be obtained at a cost commensurate with the benefit to the users of the accounts and to the charity for its own stewardship purposes the assets are purely disclosed in the accounts with no values attributed to them.

Page 21

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued)

for the year ended 31st December 2025

8. Investments

Units Held Unit Cost Restricted funds Charinco investment fund (Sayer) Bequest 1637.00 10,690 Barclays Plc (Sayer) Bequest 23108.00 6,144 St Botolph Church Fabric (Sayer) Bequest 2094.00 16,112 Endowment funds Boston Chapel of Ease Trust 212.00 233 St Botolph Curates (Gee) Trust 2769.00 2,769 Parsonage HSE (Gee) Trust 362.00 288 Boston Middle Class Girls School (Gee) Trust 1157.00 1,157	2025 £ 28,280 109,971 46,483 184,734 4,706 53,502 8,036 25,684 91,928 276,662	2024 £ 24,103 61,953 48,419 134,475 4,902 56,192 8,370 26,754 96,218 230,693

All of the above investments are held by the St. Botolphs branch of the PCC Parish of Boston and correctly split between, General, Restricted and Endowment funds.

The PCC Parish of Boston also owns land at Cowgate, Boston for which it receives rent of £3,614 per annum (2024 - £3,545). No value is included in these accounts in relation to this parcel of land.

9. Debtors

Trade debtors Prepayments Stump Souvenirs Limited donation debtor	Unrestricted Funds £ 12,632 - 8,603 21,235	Restricted Funds £ - 90,420 - 90,420 2025	Total £ 12,632 90,420 8,603 111,655	2024 Total £ 9,199 - 9,437 18,636

Page 22

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued)

for the year ended 31st December 2025

10. Bank and cash

Treasurers Account St Botolphs Gift Aid Account General Reserve Fund Chancel Fund Vicar and Church Wardens Boston Chapel of Ease Trust MSL Deposit Account Petty Cash *St Thomas'* Current Account - St Thomas St Thomas General Fund St Thomas Designated Funds Cash Account - St Thomas *St Christopher's* Deposit Account - St Christophers	Unrestricted Funds £ (280,977) 4,263 155,661 751 5 1,241 10,572 200 8,365 9,941 7,266 31 8,723 (73,958)	Restricted Funds £ 291,283 - - - - - - - - - - - - 291,283 2025	Total £ 10,306 4,263 155,661 751 5 1,241 10,572 200 8,365 9,941 7,266 31 8,723 217,325	2024 Total £ 73,955 21,053 166,288 718 5 1,056 10,138 200 4,253 9,511 6,952 31 8,316 302,476

11. Creditors: falling due within one year

Trade creditors Other creditors Accruals and deferred income	Unrestricted Funds £ 7,688 15,363 10,390 33,441	Restricted Funds £ 93,192 - - 93,192 2025	Total £ 100,880 15,363 10,390 126,633	2024 Total £ 9,273 25,373 10,260 44,906

11a. Deferred income

Weddings	Unrestricted Funds £ - -	Restricted Funds £ - - 2025	Total £ - -	2024 Total £ 900 900

Page 23

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued)

for the year ended 31st December 2025

----- Start of picture text -----
12. Funds
2025 At 1 Jan Incoming Outgoing At 31 Dec
2025 Resources Resources Transfers 2025
£ £ £ £ £
Unrestricted funds
General fund 322,657 320,892 (281,379) 3,745 365,915
Restricted funds
Heritage Lottery Fund 151,982 - (34,305) - 117,677
St Botolphs Church Fabric (Sayer)
48,419 1,345 (1,936) (1,345) 46,483
Bequest Fund
Church Fabric Legacy Donations 98,292 - (5,130) - 93,162
Boston Foodbank 88,364 36,923 (93,731) - 31,556
Bishop Social Justice Fund 4,670 - - - 4,670
Typmanum Repairs (St Thomas') 10,000 - - - 10,000
Library Project 28,669 - (4,891) - 23,778
TNCLG - 41,952 (14,522) 27,430
Bishops Transformation/Music
Directors Fund 4,848 - (4,848) - -
St Botolph Visitor Offer Partnership
Fund - 3,600 (3,600) - -
Noticeboard legacy - 2,000 (2,331) 331 -
435,244 85,820 (165,294) (1,014) 354,756
Endowment funds
Boston Chapel of Ease Trust Fund 4,902 - (196) - 4,706
St Botolph Curates (Gee) Trust Fund 56,192 1,571 (2,690) (1,571) 53,502
Parsonage HSE (Gee) Trust Fund 8,370 233 (335) (233) 8,035
Boston Middle Class Girls School
26,754 927 (1,069) (927) 25,685
(Gee) Trust Fund
96,218 2,731 (4,290) (2,731) 91,928
Total funds 854,119 409,443 (450,963) - 812,599
The funds are constituted as follows: 2025 2024
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment Total Total
Funds Funds Funds
£ £ £ £ £
Fixed assets 449,417 66,245 91,928 607,590 575,596
Stock 2,662 - - 2,662 2,317
Debtors 21,235 90,420 - 111,655 18,636
Cash at bank and in hand (73,958) 291,283 - 217,325 302,476
Creditors (33,441) (93,192) - (126,633) (44,906)
365,915 354,756 91,928 812,599 854,119
----- End of picture text -----

Page 24

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued)

for the year ended 31st December 2025

13. Restricted funds

Heritage Lottery Fund - This fund is for the renovation work required to Boston Stump which completed in 2022, along with the costs of increased management and maintenance costs of the site for a further 5 years post completion of the renovation work.

St Botolph Church Fabric (Sayer) Bequest - A restricted investment fund where both the capital and income can only be expended for Church Fabric purposes.

Church Fabric (Legacy Donations) Fund - A fund of legacy donations received where the income can only be expended on Church Fabric purposes.

Boston Foodbank - This fund is for the running of the Boston Foodbank to help feed locals in crisis.

Bishops Social Justice Fund - Funds to be used as part of the Boston Parish Homeless Project.

Tympanum Repairs (St Thomas') Fund - This fund is for the restoration and clearning of the Tympanum at St Thomas'

Library Project - This fund is for the restoration and conservation of the Medieval Library.

TNCLG - Restricted grant funding to provide additional assisted funding for the running of the Boston Foodbank.

Bishops Transformation/Music Directors Fund - This fund is to provide specific funding towards the St Botolph Visitor Offer Partnership Fund - Restricted fund to help use funds to increase visiting to the church.

Noticeboard legacy - A restricted legacy received in the year with the restriction to be spent towards the repair of the St Thomas Noticeboard

Endowment funds

Boston Chapel of Ease Trust - P ermanent endowment fund whereby the capital cannot be expended only the income can be spent.

St Botolph Curates (Gee) Trust - Permanent endowment fund whereby the capital cannot be expended only the income can be spent.

Parsonage HSE (Gee) Trust - Permanent endowment fund whereby the capital cannot be expended only the income can be spent.

Boston Middle Class Girls School (Gee) Trust - Permanent endowment fund whereby the capital cannot be expended only the income can be spent.

14. Operating leases

At 31 December the charity had total future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases as set out below:

Not more than one year Later than one and not more than five years	2025 £ 1,152 192	2024 £ 1,152 1,344

Page 25

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued)

for the year ended 31st December 2025

15. Related parties

During the year donations of £8,172 (2024 - £8,501) were received from the related company Stump Souvenirs Limited, the shareholders of which are the Churchwardens of the Parish of Boston PCC.

The charity is also associated with The Boston Stump Restoration Trust (Charity No. 507699) with the Rev. David Stephenson sitting on The Trustees Board of both charities. The charities work closely together in relation to any renovation work required at The Parish Church of St Botolph, Boston.

During the year £Nil (2024 - £nil) funds, set aside by The Boston Stump Restoration Trust to help fund the redevelopment of the Blenkin Memorial Hall by the PCC of the Parish of Boston, were paid over.

Also, as under the terms of the Trust Deed of The Boston Stump Restoration Trust, in 2025 the charity spent £17,265 (2024: £5,205) directly covering ongoing costs of repairs to the fabric within the Boston Stump as part of the Parish of Boston PCC ongoing maintenance programme .

The trustees consider that there are no other related parties to the charity requiring disclosure.

16. Post balance sheet events

During 2024 it was brought to the attention of the Trustees that the Parish has a claim over the ownership of St Christopher's Church, Fenside Road, Boston, Lincolnshire, PE21 8HY.

The Trustees have been advised by The Lincoln Diocesan Trust and Board of Finance that the church building was Blessed by the Bishop however it had never been consecrated and as a result the building is not officially a church but is instead held on an Ecclesiastical Purposes Trust for the benefit of the Parish of Boston rather than the Lincoln Diocese.

As the actual ownership of the property was not confirmed but instead sold by the Lincoln Diocesan trust and a donation received from them following the sale in March 2026, no amounts have been included in thse accounts.

The benefit of this (circa £233,000) will be introduced into the December 2026 financial statements as an exceptional income item providing substantial additional unrestricted reseves.

Page 26

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

for the year ended 31st December 2025

16. Detailed Income and Expenditure Account - St Thomas' Church PCC

Income from: Donations and Gift Aid Legacies Teas Candles Fundraising Fees for funerals, baptisms and weddings Church Hall Miscellaneous Interest Total incoming resources Expenditure on: Parish Share Licences Heat, light and cleaning Repairs and maintenance Music and choir costs Total expended resources Net (expenditure)/income Transfers between funds Net movement in funds Reconciliation of funds: Total bank and cash balances b/fwd Total bank and cash balances c/fwd Note 10	2025 Total £ 8,104 3,000 329 291 5,588 160 11,308 678 743 30,201 17,000 351 3,422 4,175 397 25,345 4,856 - 4,856 20,747 25,603	2024 Total £ 6,897 - 537 379 5,469 288 8,427 1,116 620 23,733 18,000 351 3,719 6,173 692 28,935 (5,202) - (5,202) 25,949 20,747

Page 27

Pages 29 to 32 also form part of these financial statements

and show the comparative 2024 figures.

Page 28

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued)

for the year ended 31st December 2025

17. Fund comparatives

Statement of Financial Activities

*Income from:* Donations and legacies Grants Charitable activities Trading activities Investments Other *Total incoming resources* *Expenditure on:* Raising Funds Charitable Activities *Total expended resources* *Net gain / (losses) on investments* *Gain / (losses) on revaluation of fixed assets* *Total expended resources* *Net (expenditure) / income* Transfers between funds *Net movement in funds* *Reconciliation of funds:* Total funds brought forward *Total funds carried forward*	*Unrestricted* *funds* £ 90,263 - 105,910 50,100 12,493 23,733 282,499 1,345 307,184 308,529 28,146 228,000 256,146 *230,116* (57,915) 172,201 150,456 322,657	*Restricted* *funds* £ 10,000 154,765 - 28,243 1,314 - 194,322 - 224,394 224,394 1,083 - 1,083 *(28,989)* 60,398 31,409 403,835 435,244 *2024*	*Endowment* *funds* £ - - - - 2,483 - 2,483 - - - 2,137 - 2,137 *4,620* (2,483) 2,137 94,081 96,218	*Total* £ 100,263 154,765 105,910 78,343 16,290 23,733 479,304 1,345 531,578 532,923 31,366 228,000 259,366 *205,747* - 205,747 648,372 854,119

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Page 29

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued)

for the year ended 31st December 2025

17. Fund comparatives (continued)

Analysis of income

*2024* *Donations and Legacies* Gift Aid Collections Giving through boxes and votive stands Gift Aid recovered Donations Donations - Lego project Donations from Stump Souvenirs Legacies *Grants* Other project grants Inspire Project Library Project *Charitable Activities* Fees for weddings and funerals Hall lettings Coffee shop sales Church lettings Guided tours/Tower admissions Miscellaneous *Trading Activities* Fundraising Floodlights Bells Blenkin Memorial Hall - Hire Music and children Music tuition Foodbank *Investment Income* Rent Bank interest Dividends *Other income* St Thomas' PCC Income	*Unrestricted* *Funds* £ 26,376 8,213 20,525 11,654 2,197 9,622 8,501 3,175 90,263 - - - - 15,897 1,245 50,759 16,437 15,960 5,612 105,910 1,292 5,678 55 2,581 5,315 35,179 - 50,100 3,545 7,475 1,473 12,493 23,733 23,733 282,499	*Restricted* *Funds* £ - - - - 10,000 - - - 10,000 139,809 625 14,331 154,765 - - - - - - - - - - - - - 28,243 28,243 - - 1,314 1,314 - - 194,322	*Endowment* *Funds* £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2,483 2,483 - - 2,483	*Total* £ 26,376 8,213 20,525 11,654 12,197 9,622 8,501 3,175 100,263 139,809 625 14,331 154,765 15,897 1,245 50,759 16,437 15,960 5,612 105,910 1,292 5,678 55 2,581 5,315 35,179 28,243 78,343 3,545 7,475 5,270 16,290 23,733 23,733 479,304

Page 30

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued)

PCC of the Parish of Boston

for the year ended 31st December 2025

17. Fund comparatives (continued)

*Analysis of Expenditure* *2024* *Raising funds* Events *Charitable activites* Diocesan quota Wages Coffee shop expenses Insurance Organ tuning Organist fees Music and choir costs Candles and Oil Church repairs and maintenance Inspire project repairs Cleaning Office costs Administration Information technology costs Miscellaneous expenses Library - Restoration costs Church and hall electric Memorial hall overheads Delivery stage (HLF) Marketing Accountancy Audit Foodbank - Running costs Foodbank - Finance advice costs Depreciation charges Loss on disposal of fixed assets St Christopher refurbishment	*Unrestricted* *Funds* £ 1,345 47,000 68,879 21,058 41,299 4,267 2,561 3,520 4,064 - - 1,288 3,889 4,061 3,673 7,425 - 39,158 11,148 - 1,229 5,753 3,625 - - 1,852 2,500 28,935 307,184 308,529	*Restricted* *Funds* £ - - 87,318 - - - - - - 9,912 41,976 - - - - - 8,225 - - (3,049) - - - 47,654 23,575 8,783 - - 224,394 224,394 *2024*	*Endowment* *Funds* £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -	*Total* £ 1,345 47,000 156,197 21,058 41,299 4,267 2,561 3,520 4,064 9,912 41,976 1,288 3,889 4,061 3,673 7,425 8,225 39,158 11,148 (3,049) 1,229 5,753 3,625 47,654 23,575 10,635 2,500 28,935 531,578 532,923

Page 31

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued)

for the year ended 31st December 2025

17. Fund comparatives (continued)

*Funds* *2024* *At 1 Jan* *2024* £ *Unrestricted funds* General fund 150,456 *Restricted funds* Heritage Lottery Fund 183,963 St Botolphs Church Fabric (Sayer) Bequest Fund 53,539 Church Fabric Legacy Donations 108,204 Boston Foodbank 39,244 Inspire Project Fund (26,564) Bishop Social Justice Fund 4,670 Typmanum Repairs (St Thomas') 10,000 Library Project 22,563 Bishops Transformation/Music 8,216 Directors Fund 403,835 *Endowment funds* Boston Chapel of East Trust Fund 4,792 St Botolph Curates (Gee) Trust Fund 54,951 Parsonage HSE (Gee) Trust Fund 8,183 Boston Middle Class Girls School (Gee) Trust Fund 26,155 94,081 *Total funds* 648,372	*Incoming* *Resources* *Restated* £ 282,499 - 2,397 - 168,052 625 - - 14,331 10,000 195,405 110 2,771 414 1,325 4,620 482,524	*Outgoing* *Resources* *Restated* £ (52,383) (31,981) - (9,912) (118,932) (41,976) - - (8,225) (13,368) (224,394) - - - - - (276,777)	*Transfers* *Restated* £ (57,915) - (7,517) - - 67,915 - - - - 60,398 - (1,530) (227) (726) (2,483) -	*At 31 Dec* *2024* £ 322,657 151,982 48,419 98,292 88,364 - 4,670 10,000 28,669 4,848 435,244 4,902 56,192 8,370 26,754 96,218 854,119

The funds are constituted as follows:

Fixed assets Stock Debtors Cash at bank and in hand Creditors	*Unrestricted* *Funds* £ 268,294 2,317 18,636 75,009 (41,599) 322,657	*Restricted* *Endowment* *Funds* *Funds* £ £ 211,084 96,218 - - - - 227,467 - (3,307) - 435,244 96,218 *2024*	*Total* £ 575,596 2,317 18,636 302,476 (44,906) 854,119

Page 32

PCC of the Parish of Boston (incorporating St Botlphs's, St Thomas' and St Christopher's)

CHARITY COMMISSION REGISTERED NO: 1138045

STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS

for the year ended

31st December 2025

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Contents Page

for the year ended 31st December 2025

INDEX

Reverend's Report
Legal and Administrative Information	1
Trustees' Annual Report	2 - 6
Auditors Report	7 - 10
Statement of Financial Activities	11
Statement of Financial Position	12
Statement of Cash Flows	13
Notes to the Accounts	14 - 32

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Reverend's Report

for the year ended 31st December 2025

Dear Friends,

Aim and Purpose

The Parochial Church Council (the PCC) of the Parish of Boston has the responsibility of cooperating with the Incumbent, Fr David Stephenson, in promoting in the ecclesiastical parish, the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. As well as the church buildings, the churches of St Botolph (Grade I listed) and St Thomas (Grade II listed), the PCC is also responsible for maintaining St Thomas’ Church Hall and the Blenkin Memorial Hall and the Old Rectory used as Boston Food Bank.

Objectives and Activities

The PCC seeks to offer opportunities for as many people as possible to share the worship of the Church within the traditions of the Church of England. As part of the Inclusive Church network of churches, the Anglican Society for the Welfare of Animals, the Prayer Book Society, and the Major Churches Network, the rich inclusivity and breadth of the Gospel is recognised, honoured and promoted through the priorities of welcome and hospitality. Worship is largely traditional in style, embracing the choral tradition of the Church of England, but also includes services of the World. The parish recognises, promotes and embraces the ministry and witness of authorised lay ministers who lead God's people in worship and prayer and who lead, as part of the Ministry Team, services of the Word and undertake share in the parish's funeral ministry. The PCC promotes an inclusive and accessible baptism policy welcoming families of all kinds, from all kinds of backgrounds, heritage and traditions. The worship of the Church is embedded in prayer, reflected in the Daily Office which is said corporately. The gathered community is encouraged to work at deepening spirituality and understanding by participating in study courses during the year and to share in the many opportunities to welcome oters into the church buildings, promote community, support for those in need and those of other faiths and traditions.

To support the ministry and mission of the Church, the PCC undertakes, promotes and supports a variety of commercial and fundraising activities throughout the year. It also promotes and provides opportunities for social engagement, well-being, interaction and support for vulnerable people in the parish and wider community. To further the work of the Gospel, the PCC works in collaboration with Trussell to provide, run and manage the Boston Foodbank, serving those experiencing poverty by providing food parcels and signposting to other support agencies. The parish has very close connections with Centrepoint Outreach in Boston, members of the parish being trustees, supporting the homeless, rough sleepers, and migrant members of the local community. The Rector is an ex-officio trustee for local charitable trusts which seek to support the under-privilege and promote the Christian faith.

Based in St Thomas’ Church Hall, the PCC supports families and children with a weekly Toddler Group and those in isolation with weekly lunches and social activities.

The Incumbent’s Report

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Reverend's Report

for the year ended 31st December 2025

The pattern of worship has continued during the last year with St Botolph’s Sunday services being Eucharistic with Choral Evensong on two Sunday evenings each month. St Thomas’ has a more diverse rota of Sunday services shared between lay and ordained ministers. Celtic Morning Prayer has continued during Ordinary Time with seasonal and festival services of Morning Prayer replacing these. In addition to the established pattern of services there has been sung Compline led by the Chori Sancti Botolphi and Choral Weekday Evensong led by the Choral Scholars and B-16 Choir.

It was very good to welcome the Lincoln Diocesan Guild of Bell Ringers for their first carol service during December which sat alongside the several other services for local groups and organisations. The number of services at St Thomas’ has once more been increased with the Eucharist being celebrated there on Christmas Eve and Easter Day. On 5th Sundays and Patronal Festivals, the parish has worshipped in one place together. It has been very good to welcome friends from the Boston Choral Society and members of our own Community Choir to help lead worship on these and other occasions. The work of our music department, including the children, teenagers and adults of the parish choirs is significant, bucking the trend in the vast majority of parish churches in the present age and ensuring that the rich Anglican Choral Tradition continues to flourish in the parish here. Several of our united services have included social time together with food involved. The concept of the parish lunch has certainly become well established once more.

These two paragraphs remind us that worship is the primary purpose of the life of our churches and of our congregations. In a parish such as this, I know that it might sometimes feel that events and commercial activities are dominant. These are certainly essential as well as part of our mission, but worship underpins all of our activities, equips us each for ministry in different ways, and allows the work and prompting of the Holy Spirit to guide us in all ways. Corporate Morning Prayer and the midweek Eucharists, along with our study courses during the year, all provide deep opportunities for those of us who make us of them to deepen our connectedness with God to understand God’s will for our community.

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Reverend's Report

for the year ended 31st December 2025

Volunteers are a further key aspect of our parish life and operations. Caz Harvey has, once again, given a huge amount of time and personal commitment to recruiting, training, retaining, supporting and championing the many volunteers who work across the parish operations. I am enormously grateful to Caz and to all our volunteers, regardless of their role or time commitment, because without them we simply could not function. Many come from our congregations but more still come from beyond the immediate worshipping community. Our volunteering ethos, valuing individuals, provides not only people to make church work, but the potential for people to make new connections, relationships, develop skills, combat isolation and promote mental wellbeing. Volunteering in the Parish of Boston is invaluable.

As a civic church, St Botolph’s has continued to play a part in the life of the wider community. As Rector, I have been pleased to act once more as Chaplain to the Mayor, and we have hosted a range of civic services here. We have continued to develop excellent relationships with the Borough Council, including the Market Team, and have been able to work with them to keep the Market Place open on Wednesdays. Several of the events held at St Botolph’s have been run in conjunction with the Borough Council including our now established Christmas Tree Festival, Dementia Awareness Day and Autumn Days coffee morning/marketplace days. February’s Celebrate Boston has been re-established by our own team and is one of several events run by the parish successful in building and celebrating community, bringing together people from all areas of the town and borough and people of all backgrounds.

Events and commercial activities are essential in helping us to meet the enormous costs of running and caring for historic buildings and in equipping our mission and ministry work. Many have been involved in fundraising across the parish in the past year and I am hugely grateful for the time and generosity of so many people. We are fortunate to work alongside the Boston Stump Restoration Trust and also to have received several grants, including from Boston Borough Councillors, Household Support Fund, the Mayor of Boston’s charity, Sainsbury’s, Boston NonMunicipal Education Trust, John Laughton Trust, The Meddlecott Trust, South Holland’s Community & Partnership Scheme, and the diocesan Transformation Fund, amongst others. The work of Willliam Culley alongside Chris Ladner and all who support the Resources Department, usually working in the background, are to be congratulated on their unending work to keep the parish financially afloat.

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Reverend's Report

for the year ended 31st December 2025

Rev. David Stephenson Rector of Boston Trustee

Date: 26 April 2026

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Legal and Administrative Information for the year ended 31st December 2025

Registered Office

1 Wormgate Boston Lincolnshire PE21 6NP

Auditors

Sumer Audit Bank House Broad Street Spalding Lincolnshire PE11 1TB

Bankers

Lloyds Bank 51 Market Place Boston PE21 6NQ

Page 1

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Trustees' Annual Report

for the year ended 31st December 2025

The Trustees present their report and financial statements for the year ended 31st December 2025.

Structure, Governance and Management

The charity was registered with the Charity Commission on 15th September 2010.

The PCC is controlled by its governing document, the Parochial Church Council powers measure (1956) as amended and church representation rules.

The Trustees who served during the year and detailed on the charity information on page 1.

Recruitment and Appointment of New Trustees

New Trustees are encouraged to familiarise themselves with charity laws, the financial reports of the PCC and to attend Trustee meetings and other events.

Organisational Structure

Objectives and Activities and Public Benefit

The Trustees are highly conscious of the need to provide the best possible public benefit in line with Charity Commission guidance and consider that the charity does this.

Related Parties

Transactions during the period with trustees and any other related parties are detailed on note 15 of these financial statements.

Risk Management

The Trustees have a duty to identify and review the risks to which the PCC is exposed and to ensure appropriate

Page 2

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Trustees' Annual Report

for the year ended 31st December 2025

Fundraising

The charity does not carry out significant fundraising activities.

Achievements and Highlights for 2025

Visitor Numbers

The Library

The Foodbank

Community Garden

Blenkin Memorial Hall

The Song School Is now home to five choirs of all age ranges and abilities and has recently become the base for the Boston Choral Society.

Financial Report

Page 3

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Trustees' Annual Report

for the year ended 31st December 2025

Financial Report continued

A stewardship campaign is planned that will hopefully increase giving from both visitors and worshippers as well as more long-term giving through legacies.

Reserves Policy

Investment Policy

The majority of the PCC's investments are maintained by the Lincoln Diocesan Trust Board of Finance and are held within low risk CCLA accounts.

Volunteers

Plans For The Future

The hope is that these plans will help the PCC further achieve it's current and long-term objectives as follows:

The Open Door Project

The aim is to develop our ministry of hospitality and welcome and to raise the funds needed to keep our doors

Worship, prayer, discipleship and pastural care to love God with all our mind, body and strength and to love our neighbour as ourselves.
By our decisions being guided by the purpose and value of Christian hospitality
By developing ongoing community projects which will both reach and raise funds
By trying to meet expressed and unexpressed needs of the community
By developing a profitable shop and coffee shop to help with the Open Door running costs
Continue to raise our profile so we are known as a venue and a place that welcomes art and exhibitions
To be creative and good stewards of all God's gifts to us so the Parish has a self-sustaining future

Page 4

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Trustees' Annual Report

for the year ended 31st December 2025

Lighting

Events

Commercial Activities

Giving

Future Projects

Auditors

It is proposed that Sumer Audit be re-appointed as auditors for the next financial year - to be ratified at the Annual General Meeting on 28 April 2025.

Trustees Responsibilities Statement

The trustees are responsible for preparing the trustees report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:

select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
make judgements and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the PCC will continue running.

Page 5

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Trustees' Annual Report

for the year ended 31st December 2025

Trustees Responsibilities Statement continued

This report was approved by the board of Trustees on 24 April 2026 and signed on behalf of the board by:

Graham Stewart-Smith Trustee

Page 6

Independent Auditor's Report to the Trustees of

PCC of the Parish of Boston

for the year ended 31st December 2025

Opinion

In our opinion the financial statements:

give a true and fair view of the state of the charity’s affairs as at 31st December 2025, and of its
· incoming resources and application of resources, for the year then ended;
have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting
· Practice; and
have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011.

Basis for opinion

Conclusions relating to going concern

In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the trustees' use of going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.

Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.

Other information

We have nothing to report in this regard.

Page 7

Independent Auditor's Report to the Trustees of PCC of the Parish of Boston

for the year ended 31st December 2025

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 require us to report to you if, in our opinion:

the information given in the financial statements is inconsistent in any material respect with the trustees’
· report; or
the charity has not kept adequate accounting records; or
the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records; or
we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit

Responsibilities of trustees

Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

We have been appointed as auditor under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 and report in accordance with regulations made under section 154 of that Act.

Our approach to identifying and assessing the risks of material mistatement in respect of irregularities, including fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations, was as follows:

[the engagement partner ensured that the engagement team collectively had the appropriate ] competence, capabilities and skills to identify or recognise non-compliance with applicable laws and
[we identified the laws and regulations applicable to the charity through discussions with trustees and ] other management, and from our knowledge of the charity sector and experience of the client. we focused on specific laws and regulations which we considered may have a direct material effect on
· the financial statements or the operations of the charity.
we assessed the extent of compliance with the laws and regulations identified above through making
· enquiries of management and inspecting legal correspondence; and

Page 8

Independent Auditor's Report to the Trustees of

PCC of the Parish of Boston

for the year ended 31st December 2025

identified laws and regulations were communicated within the audit team regularly and the team
· remained alert to instances of non-compliance throughout the audit.

We assessed the susceptability of the charity's financial statements to material mistatement, including obtaining an understanding of how fraud might occur, by;

making enquiries of management as to where they considered there was susceptability to fraud, their
· knowledge of actual, suspected and alleged fraud;
considering the internal controls in place to mititage risks of fraud and non-compliance with laws and
· regulations.

To address the risk of fraud through management bias and override of controls, we:

performed analytical procedures to identify any unusual or unexpected relationships;
tested journal entries to identify unusual transactions;
investigated the rationale behind significant or unusual transactions.

As part of an audit in accordance with ISAs (UK), we exercise professional judgment and maintain professional scepticism throughout the audit. We also:

Identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud
· or error, design and perform audit procedures responsive to those risks, and obtain audit evidence that is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. The risk of not detecting a material misstatement resulting from fraud is higher than for one resulting from error, as fraud may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal control.
[Obtain an understanding of internal control relevant to the audit in order to design audit procedures that ] are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the charity’s internal control.
[Evaluate the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting ] estimates and related disclosures made by the trustees.
Conclude on the appropriateness of the trustees’ use of the going concern basis of accounting and,
· based on the audit evidence obtained, whether a material uncertainty exists related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt on the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern. If we conclude that a material uncertainty exists, we are required to draw attention in our auditor’s report to the related disclosures in the financial statements or, if such disclosures are inadequate, to modify our opinion. Our conclusions are based on the audit evidence obtained up to the date of our auditor’s report. However, future events or conditions may cause the charity to cease to continue as a going
[Evaluate the overall presentation, structure and content of the financial statements, including the ] disclosures, and whether the financial statements represent the underlying transactions and events in a manner that achieves fair presentation.

Page 9

Independent Auditor's Report to the Trustees of PCC of the Parish of Boston

for the year ended 31st December 2025

Use of our report

Sumer Audit, Statutory Auditor Bank House Broad Street Spalding PE11 1TB

Dated: 24 June 2026

Sumer Audit is eligible to act as an auditor in terms of section 1212 of the Companies Act 2006.

Page 10

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Statement of Financial Activities

for the year ended 31st December 2025

All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.

The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised during the year.

The notes on pages 14 to 32 form part of these financial statements

Page 11

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Statement of Financial Position

at 31st December 2025

These financial statements were approved by the Trustees on 16 May 2026 and are signed on their behalf by:

Rev. David Stephenson Trustee Date: 16 May 2026

Graham Stewart-Smith Trustee Date: 16 May 2026

Pages 14 to 32 form part of these financial statements

Page 12

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Statement of Cash Flows

at 31st December 2025

Page 13

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Notes to the Financial Statements

for the year ended 31st December 2025

1. Accounting policies

The address of the registered office is 1 Wormgate, Boston, Lincolnshire, PE21 6NP.

The nature of the charity's operations and principal activities is the provision of the Church of England religious services to the community within its parish boundaries.

Statement of compliance and basis of preparation

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with:

• FRS 102 - The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland.

The Charities Act 2011.

The charity meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102.

Income recognition

No amount is included in the financial statements for volunteer time in line with the SORP (FRS 102). Further detail is given in the Trustees’ Annual Report.

Fixed asset gifts in kind are recognised when receivable and are included at fair value. They are not deferred over the life of the asset.

Page 14

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued)

for the year ended 31st December 2025

1. Accounting policies (continued)

Income recognition (continued)

Expenditure recognition

Support cost allocation

Charitable expenditure comprises those costs incurred by the charity in the delivery of it's activities and services for its beneficiaries.

Leases

Going concern

Page 15

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued)

for the year ended 31st December 2025

1. Accounting policies (continued)

Tangible fixed assets

All tangible fixed assets are initially recorded at cost.

Depreciation is calculated so as to write off the cost of an asset, less its estimated residual value, over the

Memorial Hall Straight line over 50 years Memorial Hall contents Straight line over 10 years IT equipment 25% reducing balance Fixtures and fittings 25% reducing balance

Impairment

Heritage assets

Depreciation is calculated so as to write off the cost of a heritage asset, less its estimated residual value, over the useful economic life of that heritage asset as follows:

Hand bells Straight line over 50 years Grand piano Straight line over 50 years

Fixed asset investments

Stocks

Stocks are stated at the lower of cost and estimated selling price less costs to complete and sell.

Page 16

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued)

for the year ended 31st December 2025

1. Accounting policies (continued)

Debtors and creditors receivable / payable within one year

Debtors and creditors with no stated interest rate and receivable or payable within one year are recorded at transaction price. Any losses arising from impairment are recognised in expenditure.

Fund accounting

Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity and which have not been designated for other purposes.

Employee benefits

The charity operates a defined contribution plan for the benefit of its employees. Contributions are expensed as they become payable. The charity also pays for life insurance for all employees.

Provisions

Page 17

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued)

for the year ended 31st December 2025

Page 18

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued)

for the year ended 31st December 2025

3. Analysis of Expenditure

2025 Raising funds Events Charitable activites Diocesan quota Wages Note 3a Coffee shop expenses Insurance Organ tuning Organist fees Music and choir costs Candles and Oil Church repairs and maintenance Inspire project repairs Note 3b Cleaning Office costs Administration Information technology costs Miscellaneous expenses Library - Restoration costs Note 3c Church and hall electric Memorial hall overheads Delivery Stage (HLF) Marketing Accountancy Audit Foodbank - Running costs Foodbank - Outside adviser costs Depreciation charges Loss of disposal of fixed assets Bank interest and charges St Thomas' expenditure Note 16	Unrestricted Funds £ 1,740 49,000 83,381 28,731 47,656 138 1,285 3,220 5,915 - - 985 5,398 2,489 4,375 6,909 - 46,441 5,190 - 1,365 6,372 3,750 - - 7,388 - 205 21,641 331,834 333,574	Restricted Funds £ - - 70,502 - - - - - - 7,357 - - - - - - 4,891 - - - - - - 39,794 30,523 6,587 - - 3,704 163,358 163,358 2025	Total £ 1,740 49,000 153,883 28,731 47,656 138 1,285 3,220 5,915 7,357 - 985 5,398 2,489 4,375 6,909 4,891 46,441 5,190 - 1,365 6,372 3,750 39,794 30,523 13,975 - 205 25,345 495,192 496,932	2024 Total £ 1,345 47,000 156,197 21,058 41,299 4,267 2,561 3,520 4,064 9,912 41,976 1,288 3,889 4,061 3,673 7,425 8,225 39,158 11,148 (3,049) 1,229 5,753 3,625 47,654 23,575 10,635 2,500 - 28,935 531,578 532,923

Page 19

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued)

for the year ended 31st December 2025

5. Trustees remuneration and expenses

There were 3 trustees who received remuneration for the year ended 31st December 2025 (2024 - 2). However, this was in their capacity as employees of the charity and not as trustees.

Reimbursements of £1,349 (2024 -£671l) were made to trustees for trustee work related expenses incurred during the year.

Page 20

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued)

for the year ended 31st December 2025

6. Tangible fixed assets

Cost Brought f/wd at 1st Jan 2025 Carried f/wd at 31st Dec 2025 Depreciation Brought f/wd at 1st Jan 2025 Charge for the year Carried f/wd at 31st Dec 2025 Net book value At 31st Dec 2025 At 31st Dec 2024	Land and Buildings £ 300,000 300,000 - 6,000 6,000 294,000 300,000	Equipment and IT £ 27,675 27,675 18,753 2,230 20,983 6,692 8,922	Fixtures and Fittings Total £ 72,633 400,308 72,633 400,308 49,652 68,405 5,745 13,975 55,397 82,380 17,236 317,928 22,981 331,903

Within tangible fixed assets is £19,762 net book value of restricted fund assets (2024 = £26,350).

7. Heritage assets

Net book value Brought f/wd and carried f/wd at 31st December 2025	Hand bells £ 2,500	Grand piano £ 10,500	Total £ 13,000

The hand bells and grand piano have been considered by the trustees to have a useful life at 31st December 2025 in excess of 50 years and therefore have not been depreciated.

Page 21

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued)

for the year ended 31st December 2025

8. Investments

Units Held Unit Cost Restricted funds Charinco investment fund (Sayer) Bequest 1637.00 10,690 Barclays Plc (Sayer) Bequest 23108.00 6,144 St Botolph Church Fabric (Sayer) Bequest 2094.00 16,112 Endowment funds Boston Chapel of Ease Trust 212.00 233 St Botolph Curates (Gee) Trust 2769.00 2,769 Parsonage HSE (Gee) Trust 362.00 288 Boston Middle Class Girls School (Gee) Trust 1157.00 1,157	2025 £ 28,280 109,971 46,483 184,734 4,706 53,502 8,036 25,684 91,928 276,662	2024 £ 24,103 61,953 48,419 134,475 4,902 56,192 8,370 26,754 96,218 230,693

All of the above investments are held by the St. Botolphs branch of the PCC Parish of Boston and correctly split between, General, Restricted and Endowment funds.

The PCC Parish of Boston also owns land at Cowgate, Boston for which it receives rent of £3,614 per annum (2024 - £3,545). No value is included in these accounts in relation to this parcel of land.

9. Debtors

Trade debtors Prepayments Stump Souvenirs Limited donation debtor	Unrestricted Funds £ 12,632 - 8,603 21,235	Restricted Funds £ - 90,420 - 90,420 2025	Total £ 12,632 90,420 8,603 111,655	2024 Total £ 9,199 - 9,437 18,636

Page 22

PCC of the Parish of Boston

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued)

for the year ended 31st December 2025

10. Bank and cash

Treasurers Account St Botolphs Gift Aid Account General Reserve Fund Chancel Fund Vicar and Church Wardens Boston Chapel of Ease Trust MSL Deposit Account Petty Cash *St Thomas'* Current Account - St Thomas St Thomas General Fund St Thomas Designated Funds Cash Account - St Thomas *St Christopher's* Deposit Account - St Christophers	Unrestricted Funds £ (280,977) 4,263 155,661 751 5 1,241 10,572 200 8,365 9,941 7,266 31 8,723 (73,958)	Restricted Funds £ 291,283 - - - - - - - - - - - - 291,283 2025	Total £ 10,306 4,263 155,661 751 5 1,241 10,572 200 8,365 9,941 7,266 31 8,723 217,325	2024 Total £ 73,955 21,053 166,288 718 5 1,056 10,138 200 4,253 9,511 6,952 31 8,316 302,476

11. Creditors: falling due within one year

Trade creditors Other creditors Accruals and deferred income	Unrestricted Funds £ 7,688 15,363 10,390 33,441	Restricted Funds £ 93,192 - - 93,192 2025	Total £ 100,880 15,363 10,390 126,633	2024 Total £ 9,273 25,373 10,260 44,906

11a. Deferred income

Weddings	Unrestricted Funds £ - -	Restricted Funds £ - - 2025	Total £ - -	2024 Total £ 900 900