ALL SAINTS with St JOHN THE BAPTIST, STAMFORD ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS OF THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024
The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastlcal Parish of Al Saint5 With St John the Baptist, Stamford Registered Charlty number 1138066 Annual Report 2024 Alms and Organisation The Parochlal Church Coijncll of All Salnts wlth St John the Baptlst alms to co-operate wlth the Rector In promotlng the vlslon of the church to be a Welcomln& Incluslve. Supportlve parlsh which seeks God in all things. The PCC meets several times per year to discuss and agree on matters of this Vision. The Councll Is a charlty reglstered with the Charity Commission. Rector Retlred Clergy Fr. Nell Shaw Fr. Nigel Glbson Rev'd Bob Mackrlll Associate Priest ReWd Matt Phlllps Asslstant Curate Revd Scott Gardlner Churchwardens Mrs Clare Camp Deputy Wardens Mrs Jean Asher Ms Katrina Mitchell Lay Representatives on Deanery Synod Mrs Catherine Barlow Mr Colln Henderson Elected Members Mr Len Marshall {until 2025) Mrs Fay Brooks ITreasurer) Co-opted Mrs Jo Wilson {Treasury Assistant) Mr Jeremy Hammant luntil 20251 Mr Wayne Hurst luntll 2026) Mrs Avril Kee (until 2026) Mr John Sutcllffe luntll 2026) MrTimothy Mackrill (until 2027) Mrs Ronnie Iveson {until 20271 Dr Viv Mitchell (until 2027) Mrs Sally Schelpe (Secretary- no voting rights) Electoral Roll: 136 members at the year end.
Uturgy and Worshlp Committee The Liturgy Group is just over a year into its work, having begun life soon after the appointment of the current Director of Music. Taking its steer from the Vision Document, 'Worship and Sacramental Life,, it began by considering what is meant by 'liturgy' in the parish context. Basing its discussion on public soundings and academic sources, the group emerged wlth the following definition: "An agreedform of publlc, communal, Christian worship to evoke a sense of awe ond wonder in Almlghty God." This definition has been used as a prism to examine our current services and future aspirations as we seek to serve both the present congregations and the wider town. A list of priorities has been compiled stretching from the architectural and financial challenges of reconstructin8 the organ to the minutiae of altar linen. The work of the sub-committee has hugely benefitted from the appointment of the new Director of Music who brings with him not just inspirational musical expertise but also a rigorous ability to research, summarize and critique the development of the current organ which is now 109 years old. This research has been invaluable in helping the group to understand and assess any future redevelopment. Mindful of Its obligations to the PCC, the liturgy group is about to hold a meeting with the Diocesan Organ Advisor in situ to discuss Its current conclusions before presenting its findin85 to the PCC. This painstaking and meticulous work has taken up the majority of a8enda time to date. Members of the congregatlon might be forgiven for wonderin8 what the practlcal results of the liturgy group's deliberations might bel They need look no further that the re-clothing of the choir with new assocks of the same colour and appropriate sizin& thanks to the single-handed and dedicated work of one of its members and l am very 8rateful for the donations by members of the parish to make this happen. l am grateful to the members of the Liturgy Sub-committee who approach their responsibilities with enthusiasm, humour and candid directness. Chrlstopher Armstron& Chair Cholr 2024 was my first year in post as Director of Music at All Saints,. Thls year saw both a general development of the muslcal life of our church, as well as many hlghli8hts in several special events. Having started in post on the 8 January, no tlme was lost in restartin8 rehearsals of the All Saints, Adult Cholr, along with the reintroduction of choral anthems at the Sunday Sun8 Eucharist. For a time, Friday choir practices moved to take place in Barn Hill Methodist Church for several months in the run-up to Easter. due to the lack of heating in All Saints,. An early choral highlight was the reintroduction of Choral Evensong to All Saints,, for which the Adult Choir sang on the 18 February (Ayleward Responses, Vaughan Williams in C and 'Lord, for thy tender mercrfs sake, by Richard Farrant), just after having also sung for the Ash Wednesday evening Eucharist earlier the same week. This was followed by another Evenson& sung for us on Palm Sunday (24 March) by the Chapel Choir of Stamford Endowed Schools, before the redesigned evening servlce rotation was introduced after Easter. A second and major highlight was being able to contrlbute choral music to all the servlces across Maundy Thursdayp Good Friday, the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday and the Festal Eucharist on Easter Day. This is, I gather, a larger commitment than in previous years, and a big ask of all our volunteer singers, who rose to the occasion superbly, singing a wide variety of muslc and enrichins our liturgical journey across the Triduum. Following a brief Choir Holiday (another reintroduction!). it was not only the Adults who came back to sing in the Summer term but also new members who had signed up to be part of our freshly re-formed Junior
Choir. After a recruitment drive at St Gilbert's school, our first Junior Choir rehearsal on 26 April saw five new choristers join us. Our Adult Choir rehearsals also moved to a slightly earlier time, to fit more conveniently with people's evenings. Having worked very hard at their first rehearsals. it was wonderful to have the Junior Choir join with the Adults to sing at their first Eucharist on Sunday 12 May, when the anthem was 'Day by day, by Martin How. From May onwards, Choral Evensong moved to the second Sunday of each month, with (from June) a second Evening Service joining it on the fourth Sunday. Over the year, we have enjoyed this fourth Sunday service taking a varlety of forms, Includin8 the new Healin8 Services. Desert Island Discs (with Canon Kenneth Court), and our very popular new Taizé Services, the latter accompanied and sung for by a nascent volunteer music group. In June, I was delighted to perform my first concert at All Saints'i playing both the organ and piano as part of an Art Sale & Recital celebrating the life of Irene Bailey. July saw us trial our first 'Come & sin event, when we invited local singers to come and join with the All Saints, Adult Choir to 'Sing Stanford in Stamford, (celebratin8 the centenary of the death of the composer Charles Villiers Stanford). A good number of singers came to join us for this service, some of whom have subsequently returned to sing with the choir on a regular basis. Both Juniors & Adults contlnued singing in their new rotation, with the Junlor Chorlsters sin8in8 for the Eucharists on the second and fourth Sundays of the month, throu8hout the Summer term, with both choirs learning and performin8 lots of new music of increasin8 complexity. It was not all work and no play though; the Junior Choir term ended with a picnic on the Town Meadows after thelr last service In July, while the Adults 8athered in more comfort for Sunday lunch at The Crown after their final service of term a few weeks later. The All Saints, congregation rose to the challenge of choir-less Eucharists in Au8USt with aplomb (aided by choices of many classic and old favourite hymnsl). It was a150 very good to be able to contribute muslcal activities to All Saints, weekly children's hollday club, when we clapped, played, sang and even made some art while listenlng to music. The Adult and Junior Choirs returned in September and launched straight Into what was the busiest term of the year. A highlight of the first half of term was the joint evensong with singers from St Mlchael's, Uffington, to celebrate their patronal festival at Michaelmas. After half-term, special services and events came thick and fast, with the choirs contributin8 music to: the Confirmation Eucharist with Bishop Nicholas; the service for All Souls; slnging jolntly with Stamford School Chapel Choir for the Civic Remembrance Service on Broad Street; the Advent Carol service; Christingle Service; Carols by Candlelight; Crib Service; and Christmas Day Festal Eucharistl Notable amongst these were the Christingle Serlice, when the Junior Choir was joined by St Gilbert's School Choir and we hosted a 'Come & Be a Chori5terf open rehearsal (with two more choristers subsequently joining us), and especially our Carols by Candlelight service. Both choirs sang superbly (accompanied by organist Ivan Linford) at the latter, which included the Juniors, first ever performance on their own, and the whole serICe was broadcast on the local 'Stamford and Rutland Sounds, radio station. l am sure everyone felt they had really earned their post-christmas choir holidayl Across the whole year, it was wonderful to see both choirs grow and develop. Numbers of singers have increased in both groups. In the Adults, this includes both those who sing with us week-to-week and people who have regular weekly commitments in other churches but come to join us for special events which don't occur in those other places- our Choral Evensong is a particularly strong draw in this regard and is, I think, becoming known across the wider area. Both choirs have also developed musically; the Juniors are, under our guidance and tuition, becoming more and more confident vocally and in reading
music (many starting with this from scratch), while the Adults are increasingly happy to tackle new and unfamiliar repertoire and perform it to ever higher standards. All this music-making is supported by the use of our pianos (the Bechstein grand, and also a new digital rehearsal instrument, generously gifted by Revd Scott) and the organ. The latter has generally performed well over the year, albeit with some repairs, some planned but others unplanned/emergency. These emergency repairs are likely to continue to be periodically necessary to our a8ing {now over 100 years old) organ until a plan of larger works can be put in place; happily, our Liturgy Group are already exploring possibilities for this. For me, the main theme of my first year as Director of Music has been developing the musical side of all our church activities in All Saints,: expanding and extending those that we already had; re-starting those which had lapsed. and finding Other areas for music to contribute where it had not done so before. Looking to 2025,1 look forward to continuing this trajertory as we become more and more known within Stamford as the church for choral (and other) music, and as a flagship example of the best of what parish music can be across a wider area too. Benedict Todd, Director of Music Sldespersons report Over the past year 19 members of the congregatlon have acted as sidespeople at the Sunday parish Eucharist and occasionally at other services. 3 act each week and they operate on a rota basis with the responsibility coming round every 5-6 weeks. No new recruitment has taken place in 2024-2025 and there have been no changes to the personnel since the last report The sidespeople are: Margaret Mitchell John Sutcliffe Viv Mitchell Maureen Pring Anthony Biddle Judy Wilson Becky Henderson Janie Berry Ria Sutcliffe Catherine Barlow Pam Dixon Linda Blddle Ronnie Iveson Pam Baker John Mitchell Kay Bamford Mark Walmsley Jan Weatheritt Colin Henderson Vlv Mltchell. Or8aniser Pastoral and Dlsclpleship The Pastoral and Discipleship Group met three times during the year and It has been a pleasure to welcome a new member onto the team. Discussions cover the scope for supporting and 8rowing the Pastoral Visitors Team and exploring ways to encourage us all, as members of All Saints, in our journey with God. The Pastoral Vlsitors Team continues a vlsiting programme to offer support for those unable to attend church. Members of the team participated in training for understanding dementia and a discussion has been started with the parish safeguarding ofPicer about ensuring our best possible response where individuals are concerned. The daytime and evening Bible Study groups met throughout the year, enjoying thoughtful discussion and sharing ideas. This year an extended daytime study on the gospel of Matthew has seen stimulating open
discussion and a welcome growth in the numbers attending. Particular thanks go to David Bond for hi5 leading and to Margarete and Katrina Mitchell for their generous hosting of the group. Bible reading notes have continued to be made available as a "swap-shop" throughout the year in church, enabling anyone to try out a new Style of daily bible reading and this year a further selection of material for Lent has been added, also well received by members of the Tuesday bible study group. During the year a day was held at the retreat centre at Little Gidding near Huntingdon. This was well supported and offered a quiet day, with time to share ideas, a meal together and relax in beautiful surroundings. The day concluded with a time of worship in the lovely church there. The monthly prayer group has continued throughout the year with a regular group meeting to share concerns and pray for our parish and people. Most recently a series of fellowship walks, the All Saints Strollers, has been inau8urated- gentle short walks in the local area, when anyone can enjoy a relaxing stroll with friends with the promise of a coffee {and cakel) at a halfway point. The re8ular Friday openings of the St John's churchyard as a Quiet Garden was very successful durin8 the summer months, attracting local residents and visitors to our town. It proved especially successful working in tandem with the coffee bar at All Saints, with visitors being encouraged in both dirertions. One annual event in the 8arden was again the welcome provided for children taking part in the Schools Festival in June. A dedicated team of helpers keeps the 8arden looking lovely throughout the year and warm thanks are recorded for their support and ideas. We are blessed as a church with a growing team of Intercessors who lead our Sunday intercessions, supported by several others who hold in prayer the people on our prayer Ilst. The prayer space in church has continued to be well used by church members and vlsitors. Prayer sllps left there are held in prayer durin8 the week and a8ain when they are taken away at the end of each week. Thanks are also due to the many who support the pastoral and discipleship work in our parish, hostin& plannin8 and praying. Whllst much of this work takes place In the background, it is so important. Let us pray that the Lord will continue to bless and grow our vision for our congregation and parish. Paul Middleton. Chalr Pastoral vlsltors The team continues to vlsit members of the congregation who cannot easlly get to church. These are mainly elderlyi housebound people with mobility issue5. We are sad to lose two of the team. Many thanks to Margaret Mitchell and Doreen Wisdom for their invaluable contributions over several years. On a brighter note. we welcome Becky Henderson to the team. Becky is a natural and a great asset. We are trying to obtain some more tralnlng concerning dementia. Sue Lamb has attended a training session given by the Evergreen Trust. Subsequent sessions are ea8erly awabted. We welcome any potential new visitors or referrals of any people who may require a visit. Helen Taylor, Chair Evangellsm and Outreach The Evangelism and Outreach committee drives forward this aspert of the church life. Much of thbs has quietly been going on by members of the parish in different ways and is often difficult to define. All Saints, continues to work with different organisations and groups as best we can to share the love of God with
them. This mainly includes Foodbank which is based at the Unity Centre. Many of our church community are involved with them and again, in 2024 we supported them with our Harvest Festival. We continue to have Foundation Governors from All Saints, who sit on the board at St Gilbert's School. Our involvement with the school is good and Fr. Neil goes in weekly to lead Collective Worship. with Niamh Holman leading Lego Bible Club each Wednesday. St Gilbert's also attended several services in church for the major feasts in 2024 which was brilliant. Churches Together Schools Festival is organised by Niamh Holman from All Saints,. which continues to be a great outreach to the children from our primary schools. There is a lot of work involved in this and Niamh has taken this on well. Our work with Stamford Churches Together has continued throughout 2024 with Fr. Neil sitting on the executive board. He is pleased that we have continued with Lent Lunches working with the other churches in this. Fr. Neil has remained Mayorfs Chaplain this year and supported the Town Council with monthly prayer5 and meetings with Mayor. This has also included a few civic services and events, which All Salnts. continues to be involved with. Our two in house projects have been Warm Space and Coffee Bar. These have developed and grown over 2024 and supported by many volunteers from the church. Warm Space continues to provide a weekly meal for those in need and the team has grown in strength and commitment over this year. Coffee bar, under Clare Camps leadershlp, has also grown, ensuring that all Health and Safety requirements are fulfilled while serving delicious cakel Tower Tours took place in the autumn of 2024 after the pere8rlnes had departed for their wlnter break. We saw a good number of people coming to view the town from our tower, which was open for a week this year, which was great and Fr. Neil 15 thankful for all the volunteers who made this happened. All Salnts, continues with our occasional offices, weddlngs, baptisms and funerals and we try to be as welcoming and supportive for those who come to us for these servlces. In 2024 we also had our Confirmation Service on All Saints, Day with Bishop Nicolas, which was brilliant as nine members of the parish were confirmed into the church of God. We are also looking at how we are welcoming and friendly here at All Saints, this has included developing the hlstory leaflets which are now at the back of church and a child friendly quiz for those visitlng the church. There are always challenges in thls area of evangellsm and outreach and we are always keen in this committee to do more and engage wlth the community better. Fr. Neil, Chair Coffee Bar The All Saints, Coffee Bar has been up and running for 2 years now. We are open at the back of All Salnt5' every Friday 10- 2. It is run by myself alongside Jan Weatheritt. Jan Marshall, Linda Biddle and Avril Kee. We offer tea, coffee, homemade cake and companionship. We increased the number of tables so we now have capacity for 25 seats and are regularly fvll. From 17th May we held Peregrine Watch Days for 6 weeks alongside the Friday Coffee Bar. Tim Mackrill and a team of conservationists were on hand to talk to our visitors about the nesting peregrines and let them watch them through binoculars, their telescope and the live feed. Stuart Wilson took some amazing photographs that are for sale at the back of church.
We also ran the coffee Bar on the two Saturdays when we had the Tower Tours and we had a jigsaw bring and buy with craft table on a Friday in early December. We have built up a great Friday community of regular5 who are members of our congregation, regulars who are not and those visiting Stamford for the day or who are on coach trips. I have extended my repertoire of cake flavours, 50 please come along and sample them along with either a cafetiere of coffee, pot of tea or hot chocolate with all the trimmings. We always say, 'calories don't count on a Friday. Clare Camp, Coffee Bar Team Leader The Unlty Centre 2024 saw a bi8 change for us in that after many year5 Kate our cleaner/caretaker/manager retired. The Trustees are managing the centre themselves with the assistance of our new cleaner Poppy and pending appointment of a new manager/caretsker/handyman. We still have lots of support from our regular hirer groups alongside a couple of new ones (our range of groups now include- youth/craft/ employment support/ fitness/karate/men's support group/mlndfulnes5/community support/ healthcare information). We are, as always, gratefvl for their continued use of the centre. The PCC also use the building to extend the minlstry and mlssion of All Saints. with Warm Space, youth holiday sessions, toddler group, training 8roups such as safeguardin& prayer group and courses. In the past year we have re floored the top kitchen and re carpeted two of the rooms. We are still lookin8 at replacing the wlndows and putting in the disabled access but as with a lot of things involving an old bulldlng In a conservation town, it's never simple. Catherine Barlow, Trustee Children's Minlstry Report Sunday Salnts Sunday Saints contlnues to meet weekly each Sunday, 10am-10:45am at The Crown and welcomes an average of five children. The sessions cater to 0-6 year olds and feature a storyi craft activity, usin8 Scripture Unions 'Bubbles' resources. It is led by Niamh Holman, with support from Bob and Bev Mackrill, Gerry Armstron& and Sally Schelpe. In December, Sunday Saints received a generous donation of £52.07 from Church Lads, which was used to purchase Christmas gifts for the children. Le80 Bible club The Lego Bible Lunchtime Club at St Gilbert's continues to be very popular and meets every Wednesday lunchtime. An average of 20 children attend weekly. This is led by Niamh, with support from Fr Neil and Rev Scott. Each session features a Bible story, short discussion, and Le80 building related to the story. The Lego Bible Summer Holiday Club was a tremendous success, welcoming over 50 families and approximately 20 children each day across six days during the summer holidays. Each day ran from 9am to 4pm and featured a Bible story, discussions, Lego buildin& singing attivity, crafts, and wide games. This was led by Niamh with support from Fr Neil, Rev Scott, Clare Camp, and Benedict Todd. Feedback from families was overwhelmingly positive, and the holiday club will return in 2025 with additional sessions
planned over Easter. Funding from Church Lads has been instrumental in supporting the growth of Lego Bible and has received a total of £938.18 which was used in the following way: In May, £626.93 was received and used to purchase Lego, tough trays, and storage boxes. In November, an additional £311.25 was granted for children's lanyards, name tags, sticker5, and general craft materials. Stand-Alone Events & Workshops Our stand-alone events continued as in prevlous years, providin8 valuable opportunities for children to engage with the church. The Good Friday Workshop led collaboratively by Niamh and Clare saw an excellent turnout. Play and Stay sessions at St Gilbert's for potential new starters have been a great success. In 2024, we hosted three sessions, with more planned for 2025. A new children's display was Introduced in the church to showcase artwork from the children of St Gilbert's for various festivals throughout the year. This project was funded by Church Lads with a contribution of £437.68. Thank you to Avril for making theml In December, children from Malcolm Sargent Primary School visited the church to learn about the true meaning of Christmas. This visit was organised by Niamh and Rev Scott, who taught the children about Christingles. Each child had the opportunity to make their own Christingle, which added a hands-on learnlng experience to their visit. The Christingle and Crib Service saw an excellent turnout this year, with both services led by Fr Neil, bringin8 families together In joyful celebration. Church Lads also generously funded the following initlatives: • Leavers, Youth Bibles: Year 6 children from St Gllberfs received these as gifts, wlth full funding of £639.60. • Children's Confirmation Classes: Attended by six children, with confirmation gifts funded at £118.50. Children's Activity Leaflets: Designed by Nlamh, Sally, and Clare to engage children vlsltlng the church, costin8 £96.09. Concluslon Overall, the children's and youth services offered at our church have continued to thrive, with consistent attendance and meaningful engagement. The allocated funding has been used effectively to enhance the experiences of participants through the purchase of necessary supplies, materials, and resources. Thank you to all who have supported the children and youth attivities during 2024. We look forward to continuing to support and enrich the spiritual growth and development of our youngest members in the year ahead. Niamh Holman, Chair Fabric The focus of the Fabric Committee has fallen on four main categories: Church heating system; Tower cleanliness: Quinquennial Inspection recommendatlons; and minor repair works. Heatin The demise of the church boiler, and discovery of asbestos in the boiler room, led to a complete reappraisal of the needs of the church and the replacement heating system. This work is being led by 10
Jeremy Hammant and his latest update for the congregation is shown below. This work has Diocesan approval and so a major fundraising plan is being developed. l am sure that every Sunday before the service, as you sit huddled under many layers of clothin& you are thinking "what is goin8 on with the heating?" The good news is that we have an agreed solution for the new heatin8 system, which we are hoping to install in the autumn. Following our ancient oil-fired boiler being condemned in late 2023 we commissioned a study from an independent advisory firm to explore a range of heating options. As part of this study, we had to take account of the C of E's strategy for net zero- which ruled out both a replacement oil-fired boiler and a new gas-fired boiler. The solution we have chosen is based on an electric radiant heating system from a UK cornpany called Herschel {website www.herschel-in rared.co.uk We chose the Herschel solution based on a number of criteria including: life-time costs; maintenance requirements. plannin8 requirements; and the C of E's net zero goal. The heaters that form the majority of the solution are in the form of "halos" that will be hung in the Nave, positioned where the existin8 chandelier light fittings are located. The halo heaters also include integral lightin& and our plan is to incorporate this into a new church lighting system that will include several pre-set scenes that can be programmed and selected for specific services and time of day. The new lighting will utilise the latest LED technolo8y that will use less than half the energy of our exlsting Ilghts and reduce the costs of chan8in8 bulbs (LED bulb life is around 25 yearsl). The next steps of the project are to: select our preferred Installer. following receiving final quotes for the heating and lighting installation. apply for a faculty to undertake the work5; and approach the Heritage Lottery Fund for fundin8. This is an excitlng project that wlll benefit con8regations for many years to come. So, this Sunday, whilst you sit wishing that you had put on an extra jumper, try to imagine thls tlme next year when you are slttin8 In a pleasantly warm and beautifully lit All Saints'1 Jez Hammant, Heating Project Chalr The uin uennial Ins ection In October 2024 our Church Architect, Stephanie Norris, undertook the Quinquennlal Inspection. The Fabric Committee has begun work on items needing attention either immedlately, or within the next two years. Those requiring immediate attention: l.Replace three lead gutter bays on North Isle to East of Tower and short bay at 90 degrees into maln parapet gutter. 2. Cut out and repoint cracked mortar around chimney on Nave Northeast. Of the nine items for the next two years, a CCTV survey of surface water drainage is required and Manley Drainage of Bourne was selected. and this process has been overtaken by SKDC beginning a clearance of the church surface water drains. Tower Report The bell ringer5 reported considerable guano and dead birds in the tower with the result of damaged louvres at the beginning of 2024, which highlighted a consequential health hazard. This resulted in the PCC removing the tower captain from post. The Tower wa5 shut and a firm engaged to clean the tower in the summer of 2024 so that bell ringin8 could resume. In September we appointed a new Tower Captain. Mark Webb on a temporary post who have improved the ringing room and volunteers have increased with the bells belng run regularly. 11
Colin Henderson managed the project to have the tower cleaned and l am grateful for his lead on this. However, overhaul of the louvres will be necessary and costly with scaffolding required. There is still further work to be done which we will have to raise money for. Fr. Neil Electoral roll The Elettoral Roll ended the year with 137 members. We lost 3 members over the year-jean Brackenbury, Kathleen Kin8 and Renee Burt although we gained 4 new members. This year, April 2025, is the creation of a new electoral roll. The new roll closed on 25 April with 118 members. After the APCM the new roll will open again. Sally Schelpe, Electoral Roll Officer Stamford Deanery Synod Stamford Deanery Synod met twice in 2024. Both meetings were chaired by Reverend Canon Martyn Taylor, the Rural Dean. Lay representatives from the four churches in Stamford and four from outlyin8 towns attended. At the July meetin& lay and clergy representatives were eletted for the Dlocesan Synod. A report was also given on progress towards implementing the 'Yime to Change Togetherf, programme for the reorganisation of deaneries withln Lincoln Diocese. This will involve creating new "Deanery Partnerships" through merger and reduction in the number of existing deaneries, with a view to improved communication and streamlined administration. Stamford Deanery• itself evolvin8 to become a 'Local Mission Partnership" would fall within a new Deanery Partnershlp for South Kesteven. The main item of business at the December meeting was a presentation by the Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser. Amongst various helpful issues covered were the training resources avallable through the Church of England and a summary of the levels of training required by individuals accordin8 to thelr roles within the church. At both meetings there were the usual reports of business undertaken at the Dlocesan Synod and activitles at the individual churches within Stamford Deanery. Colln Henderson, All Saints, Representative Safe8uardin8 This report outlines safeguardlng activity within the parish for 2024. It covers both children's and adults, safe8uardin& Including trainin& pollcies, and any concerns raised or responded to. As a church, we stay committed to creating a safe environment for all who engage with us, especially children, young people, and vulnerable adults. Safeguarding Concerns- Number of safeguarding concerns in 2024 received: 2 All concerns were handled followin8 diocesan policy. Appropriate referrals were made and advlce sought from the Diocesan Safeguarding Team where necessary. Safeguarding Training- Number of people who completed safeguarding training: 32 Types of training delivered.. I group face to face session covering basic and foundation safeguarding 3 drop-in sessions coverin8 basic and foundation safeguarding Efforts have been made to ensure all volunteers and staff are compliant with diocesan safeguarding training standards. Policy Updates - New policies adopted: • Safer Recruitment of Ex-offenders Children's Ministry Policies 12
Safer Recruitment and DBS Checks- Number of DBS checks completed or renewed this year: 8 Incidents or Allegations- None Work with Children and Vulnerable Adults- Regular activities involving children: 4 Regular activities involving vulnerable adults: 2 Safeguarding procedures in place for each group: yes Niamh Holman, Parish Safeguarding Officer Treasury 2024 Summary Incomin8 resources 2024 É173.564 (£7.036 less than 2023 due to generous donations from stewardshlp campaign in 2023) Resources expended 2024 £166,286 (£61,362 more than 2023 due to repairs and maintenance, and wages) Surplus of receipts over payments 2024 £7.278 Total Funds £413,838 (although £229,146 In CBF funds that are not avallable to be spent by All Saints, though we receive dividends through the year from these investments) Planned Glving stayed at almost the same level from 2023 to 2024. Number of regular donors increased from 74 to 78 (January 2025 figures). This shows that the stewardship campai8n in 2023 had a lasting effect. We are extremely grateful for all donations but especially regular 8iving. As part of this, as well as one off donations, claiming Gift Aid is also a useful income. £17,739 was claimed this in Glft Aid last year. Thank you to everyone who started regular giving, increased their regular glvin& whlch helps to keep our outgoin8 Costs in line with inflation, or who 8ave us any donations. We also received some very generous donatlons durlng 2024; totalllng £17,485. Thank you for bequests we have received in the past year in memory of some of our parishioners. £14,700 has been 8lven to US. The Finance Subcommittee have tried to maxlmlse our funds by actively moving any exces5 money in the current account to savings accounts to make the most of higher interest rates, and claiming back VAT where possible on maintenance work carried out in the Church, as it is a listed building. We would like to take this opportunity to provide an update on the new heatin8 and li8htin8 project that will help preserve and enhance our place of worship. Approximately £10,000 has been spent to date on some consulting and essential survey costs. The Project is making good progress and is currently awaiting formal sign-off from the Lincoln Diocesan Advisory Committee (DAC) - they have agreed our proposals in principle. Once formally signed-off by the DAC the proposals move to the next Stage in the process for full Faculty approval. In parallel, on the basis that the DAC are supportive, we are about to go out to tender for the installation of the new heating and lighting systems (we have three contractors awaiting the tender) and we have started preliminary discussions with a number of potential sources of funding. The cost is expected to be in the region of £250,000. Once we have received quotations, we will be able to formally apply for funding and 8rants to support this endeavour. We hope to cover the majority of the cost through these avenues, but we would always welcome any financial support from our community to assist with the funding of this projert. Every contribution, big or small, will make a meaningful difference in bringing this vision to life. 13
We are grateful for all the support All Saints receives and hope we can continue to help the church financially in 2025. Catherine Barlow, Fay Brooks, Jez Hammant, Colin Henderson, Neil Shaw, John Sutcliffe, Jo Wilson, The Treasury Team 14
ALL SAINTS with St JOHN THE BAPTIST. STAMFORD STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THEYEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024 Nots UnMtrf¢tsd Ro8trlctod Endowment Fund8 Fund• Fund8 Total Funds 2024 2023 Incomlng Re•ourco8 Voluntary Incomo 138,795 384 139,179 150.695 Advlll88 for generallng fund8 2b 14,012 14,012 14.013 Inv88tment Income 2c 12,828 1,387 14.193 8,986 Church athltbs 2d 5,833 6,e33 171,888 1,751 173,817 180,61M) R••ourc08 Expgndad Grant8 and donaUon8 1,828 Church acifvllb8 3b 185.442 -00 165,442 102,6S3 Govemanc? ¢08ts 480 480 445 185.902 168,286 104,924 Net In¢omlng R••ourc•• B•for• Oth•r R•eognlz•d Galn• And Lo•••• 6.984 1.387 7,331 75,878 Galn8 on InveBtment 0889ts on revaluallon 4,789 6,128 19.264 Not Movem•nt In Fund• 5.969 1.701 4,789 12,459 94,940 Totsl Fund• at 1 January 2024 158,874 33,389 209.189 401,432 308,492 Total Fund• at 31 Dge•mber 2024 184,843 213.978 413.891 401432
ALL SAINTS with St JOHN THE BAPTIST, STAMFORD BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2023 Total Funds 2024 2023 Note8 4. Fix8d assets Investments 229,146 224,018 Current Assets Debtors Bank current account CBF deposit fund accounts Cash in hand 15,187 19,473 154,739 439 19,555 4,642 151,361 3,292 189,838 178,850 Liabilities Creditors - amounts falllng due wlthin one year 5093 1436 Net Current Assets 184,745 177,414 Total Net A880ts 413,891 401,432 Parish Funds Unrestricted Restricted Endowment 164,843 158,874 35,070 33,369 213,978 209,189 413,891 401,432 The notes on pages 3 to 8 fonn part of the financial statements. Approved by the Parochial Church Council on 4 May 2025 and signed on its behalf by . Fr Neil Shaw Rector Mrs Fay Brooks Treasurer hLI-, 2S IKI
ALL SAINTS with St JOHN THE BAPTIST, STAMFORD NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024 Accountlng Pollcles Ba818 of Accountlng The flnancial 8tatements have been prepared In accordance with the Church Accounting Regulations 20ce, together wth applicabl8 accounting standards and the SORP 2005. The financial statements have been prepared under the hl8torlcal c08t conventlon except for the valuatlon of inv8Stment assets, which are shown 8t mark8t valu8. The financial 8talements indude all tran88¢tlons, a88ets and Ilabllltles for which the PCC Is responsible In law. They do not Include the accounts of other Church groups that owe thelr maln afflllation to another body, nor those that are Infomial gatherlngs of Church members. Fund• Unrestrfcted fund8 are general funds wthlch can be u8ed for PCC ordinary purp08e8. Restricted funds repre8ent th088 fund8 that the PCC are obliged to spend only on parttcular purpD888, Endowment funds ar8 funds, the capltal of whlch mu8t be malntalned. Incomlng re•ourco8 Planned giving, collectlons and donatlon8 are recognlzed when recelved. Tax refunds are recognlzed when the Incomlng resource to whi¢h they relate Is received. Grants and beque8ts are accounted for when the PCC Is legally entitled to the amounts ¢Jue. Dlvldends are accounted for when recelvable, Intorest18 accrued. Al other Income18 recagnLzed when It18 recelvable, All Incomlng resources are accounted for gro89. Ro•our¢ gxpend•d Grant8 and donatlons are accounted for when pald over, or vthen awarded, If that award create8 a blndlng or constructlve obIlgaOn on the PCC. The dloce8an parfsh share18 accounted for when due. Amounts received 8pecifically for misslon ara dealt wlth 88 restrictsd funds. All other expendltur818 generally recognized when it is incurred and is accounted for gr088. Flxed a88etg The origlnal Church Land and Bulldlng8 are not Induded In the Ststement of A88ets a8 there18 In8uffid8nt ost Information avallable end therefore these asset8 are not valued In these accounts. Movable church fum18hlngs held by the vlcar and thurchw8rden$ on spedal bv8t for the PCC and whlch require a f8cuIty for disposal are inalienable property, listed in the church's inventory, whlch can be inspected {at any reasonable time). For anything aUired prior to 2000 there18 insufficient cost Infom)atlon avallable ond therefore 8uth a88ets arè not valued in the finanual statements. Subsequ8ntly no Indivldual item has cost more than £1,000 80 8118uch expendlture ha8 been written off when Incurred. Investments are valued at market value at 31 December.
ALL SAINTS with St JOHN THE BAPTIST, STAMFORD NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ( continued) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024 Unrestrlcted Rgstrlcted Endowment Funds Funds Funds Total Funds 2024 2023 2. Incomlng Resourc88 a. Voluntary recelpts Planned giving Collectlons and other glvlng Income tsx recovered 47,927 8,148 17,739 47,927 8.148 17,739 47,938 12,373 13,184 73,814 73,814 73,493 DOneOn Grant8 Bequ88ts 17,153 33,128 14.700 384 17,537 33,128 14,700 30,386 41,736 5,100 138 795 139,179 150 695 b. ActIvItl for generatlng funds Fund ralslng events Other Income 8,132 8,480 8,132 8,480 9,067 4,946 14,013 c. Invostment Incomè Interest recelved and trust fund income 8,986 d. Church actlvltles Wedding & funeral fees 5,833 6,906 Total Incomlng resource8 171.868 1,751 173,617 180,800
ALL SAINTS with St JOHN THE BAPTIST, STAMFORD NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ( contlnued) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024 Unre8trlctsd Restricted End¢>wment Fund8 Fund8 Funds Totsl Funds 2024 2023 3. Re$ource8 expended a. Grants and donatlons charft8b donations 1,826 1,826 b. Church actlvltl•8 P•rfBh $har• Wages Church runnlng expen888 Insuran Llghl, heallng and power Repalrs and malntenance Clergy expen8e• chIren' MS86lon C081 of services Upkeep of seNI¢88 Organist choir And mu81c oxpen808 Printing and Ststlonery Other exponses Expèn8aS transferred to Fabrfc Fund 55,000 7,709 55,000 7.709 65,000 7.019 5,711 0,078 38,033 1,250 22,099 5,711 5,078 36,033 1,250 22,099 7,250 5,385 4,134 1,094 5,490 1,682 23.354 954 e,572 1,882 23,354 954 e,572 1,283 8,496 742 8,780 165,442 165.442 102.653 . Governanco co8t• Independent examlnation fee 460 460 445 Total re8oufGes expended 165,902 384 166,286 104,924
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ALL SAINTS with St JOHN THE BAPTIST, STAMFORD NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ( continued) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024 4. Fixed assets Investments - contlnued 2024 2023 Market value at 1 January 2024 224,018 204,754 Revaluation {1088)Igain 5,128 19,264 Market value at 31 December 2024 229,146 224,018 5. Debtor8 2024 2023 Tax recoverable Other debtors 2,847 12,340 15,187 10365 9190 19,555 6. Llabllltles Amounts falling due within one year 2024 2023 Accruals for utilities and other cost8 Other creditors 1,164 3,929 5,093 1,039 397 1,436
ALL SAINTS with St JOHN THE BAPTIST, STAMFORD NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS { contlnued) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024 7. Funds The restricted funds comprfse th8 Fabric Fund, the Organ FurKI and Charity Collections. The latter represent funeral and other coll&ctions specifically for varlous charitles. Fund movoments Total Fabrlc Organ Charlty Fund Colloctlon• Balance at 1 January 2024 Incoming r8sourc88 ResourcA88 expended Investsnent gain 33.389 1,751 -384 334 28,462 1,142 4907 225 384 334 Balance at 31 December 2024 35,070 29,938 5,132 8. Analy819 of Not A•8•t• Unr••trfct•d Ro•trfctod Endowm•nt Total Funds Fund8 Fund• Inveskn•nt flxed ajséts 231 14,937 213,978 229,148 Current a$6ets Dobtors Bank current account CBF deposit fund accounts Ca8h in hand 15,187 18,700 135,379 439 15,187 19,473 154,739 439 773 19,380 Curront Ilablllt108- creditorn -5,093 ,093 184,843 35,070 213,978 413,891
ALL SAINTS with St JOHN THE BAPTIST, STAMFORD INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF ALL SAINTS wlth St JOHN THE BAPTIST, STAMFORD PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL I report on the accounts of the PCC for the yaar ended 31 December 2024 whlch are Set out on pag88 1 to 8. Rospecllve Responslbllltl89 of Trustou and Indopond•nt Examlnor A8 trustees of the charity, The members of the PCC are responslble for the preparatlon of tha accounts. They consider that an audit is not requlred for this year under 88ction 144(2) of tha Charitles Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an Independent Examlnation is needed. It Is my responsibillty to: - examin8 the account8 under Sectlon 145 of the 2011 Act., - to follow procedures lald down In the General Dlrectlon8 glven by the Charlty Comml88lon under sedon 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act., and - to state whether partlcular matters have come to my attentlon. Bas1• of Independent Examlner'8 Statement My examlnatlon was carrled out In accordanee wlth General Dlrectlon8 glv8n by the Chadty Comml8810n. An examlnatlon Includ88 a revlew of the accountlng record8 kept by the charlty and a comparlson of the accounts presented wlth tho8a records. It also Sncludes con8lderatlon of any unusual Items or di8cIo8ure8 In the accounts, and 8eeklng explanatlon8 from you 88 Tru8te08 concornlng any 8uch matters. The procedur•8 undértaken do not provlde all the evldence that would bè required In a full audit, and con88quently no oplnlon18 glven as to whether the accounts pre88nt a 'lrue and falr vlevl, and tho r•port18 limlted to , out In the 8tatement balow. Indopendent Examln•e8 Statement In conneGtlon wlth my examlnatlon. No matters have come to my att•ntlon: whlch glv• ma rea80nable cau88 to b•llve that, Sn any materlal r88PaCt, the requlrements: to keep accountlng records In accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act., or to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and to comply with the accountlng r8qulrements of the 2011 Act; have not been met,, or to which, in my oplnlon, attentlon should be drawn In order to enable a proper understandlng of the accounts to be regched. Slgned S E Mar8hall 135C Eastgate Deeplng St Jame8 Peterborough PE6 8RB