Parochial Church Council of St Mary's Saltford Registered Charity No. 1138407 Annual Report And Financial Statements For the year ended 31 December 2024 Incumbent Revd Nigel Williams The Rectory 12 Beech Rd Saltford BS313BE Independent Examiner Mr N Laycock 7 Bishopston MONTACUTE Somerset TA15 6UU Index to the Annual Report and Financial Statements For the year ended 31 December 2024 Item Annual Report Independent Examiners Report Receipts and Payments accounts Statements of Assets and Liabilities Notes to the Accounts Pages io 11 2024 Annual Report of the Parochial Church Council of St Mary's Church, Saltford Rector's Review 2024 Alm and Purposes In response to God's immense love for us we seek to be a church living and telling the story of Jesus. The PCC has the responsibility of cooperating with the incumbent, in promoting in the ecclesiastical parish, the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. The PCC is also specifically responsible for the maintenance of St Mary's Church and the Church Hall, Queen's Square, 5altford. Objectlves and Activitles The PCC is committed to bring the message of Jesus Christ to the community of Saltford through word and action, and to see people came to a saving faith in Him. We seek to enable people to live out their faith in practical ways which engage with the wider community. The PCC maintains an overview of worship throughout the parish and makes suggestions on how our services and activities can involve the many groups that live within our parish. Our services and worship put faith into practice through prayer, scripture, music, sacrament, encouraging discipleship, community engagement, and the provision of pastoral care. When planning our activities, we have considered the Commission's guidance on public benefit and the supplementary guidance on charities for the advancement of religion. Review of the year There is much to give thanks for at St Mary's Church. For centuries our Parish Church has been a spiritual home to generations of villagers, and our inspirational building helps to shape the character of our vlllage. St Mary's is very much at the heart of our community life, offering a haven of peace and reflection, support in times of joy and sorrow and a reminder of the presence of God in our daily lives. We celebrate all the different ways in which we have lived and told the story of Jesus. The year sadly began with the passing away of Dave O'Neill, our Church warden, who is much missed for who he was and all he gave to us. Throughout the last year we have journeyed with people through weddings, baptisms and funerals; shared 'Open the Book, Bible stories with many children and offered care to the sick, the bereaved and those in pastoral need. St Marys links with the village school have continued, with the Rector being a foundation governor. Two new foundation governors were appointed in Angela Trouton and Justine Buxton. The church's involvement with the school involves leading collective worship and school services, regular visits from the Open the Book team, year group visits to the church for services leading up to Easter, and reception classes Visiting the church to explore. As Churches we were ask to explore the Prayers of Love & Faith. We held these discussions as a Benefice with each PCC to make a decision for its own Parish. After its own discussion and vote, St Mary's made the decision to not opt in to the use of Prayers of Love and Faith, at this time. We held a variety of services styles over the year. Highlights included an outdoor service as part of the village Open Garden5 and through which we linked with Grow for Life. For the first time our usual Remembrance Day service, led by the scouts and guides, was enhanced by the use of live stream to an overflow venue in the church hall, thus enabling everyone including families with young children to be accommodated and join in. Over Christmas and after a break of several years, we reinstated a family Nativity service and were delighted to see it full with many families and children joining in, as was the carol service two weeks later. A weekly meeting of prayer for our village started every Tuesday in September. We also saw the beginning of regular services across the Benefice with Compline every Wednesday evening and a monthly Evensong. Pastoral care is an important aspect of the ministry of St Mar¢s. Our lay Pastoral team is responsible for Vislting people in their own homes and in hospital, checking on people we haven't seen in church for a while, supporting families who have been bereaved and those suffering with chronic illness. The team are willing to pray with people, assist at and be a supporting presence at services such as A Tirne to Remember, taking Home Communion to those who are unable to attend church and prayer. This is a ministry which has been continuing informally with a view to reviewing it in the year to come. I would like to thank everyone who has volunteered, read, sung, swept, welcomed, counted and served in so many ways to help St Mary's be Christ's church in our village. Fabric Review 2024 The updated documents for January- December 2024 have been completed and are presented at this AGM, namely the Church Log Book forthe period January- December 2024, and an update to or review of the Church Property Register (Terrier and Inventory) as of the end of 2024. Church Routine servicing of the boiler and heating system, PAT testing of portable equipment, organ tuning, mlnor repairs on the lighting, and other maintenance was carried out as normal. In addition, the high gutters were cleaned out by a specialist contractor using a vacuum suction machine (safer as no need for ladders}. The new Rector's name was added to the list of St. Mary's Rectors board in the nave. The Quinquennial Inspection by the Church Architect was carried out in November 2023, but the detailed report with photographs was not received until June 2024. The overall conclusion was that the church is generally in very good condition. Main points that need addressing over the next 5 years were given as {1) dealing with condensation issues and {2) finding a way to manage the trees close to chancel to reduce movement cracking. A number of minor actions arising from the inspection have been done. There will be a package of some work on the stonework, patch pointing, lead flashing, windows, and fascia boards to be done by a specialist contractor. The issue of some movement/cracking in the church at the chancel end was raised by the Church Architect who suggested that we should discuss tree management with the Parish Council. Some mould was observed on some of the inside walls of the church in 2023 and the Church Architect recommended mould removal and improving ventilation in the church as much as possible. Since then, the mould got much worse so an inspection was requested by the Diocese Church Building Adviser who made a preliminary inspection visit in December 2024. The PCC agreed that the mould should be removed from the inside walls and the church redecorated by a specialist contractor in 2025. Details of further inspections and the resulting contractor's work will be reported in the 2025 annual report. Churchyard The churchyard has been maintained by the Saltford Parish Council contractor, and the Quiet Garden by church volunteers. Some dead low branches were cut off the large oak tree by the north wall and the nearby churchyard wall repaired as necessary by Parish Council contractors. The importance of maintaining the churchyard walls, and removing the ivy from them was highlighted in the Quinquennial Report and will be raised as necessary with the Parish Council. The new Rector's name was added to the Churchyard noticeboard by the main path, and a new bench seat was installed in the Quiet Garden in memory of Lynne Mould and David Evans. Church Hall Routine servicing of the boiler, heating system, heaters and cooker, PAT testing of portable equipment, and other minor repairs and maintenance were carried out as normal, especially to various lights. Service of the fire alarm system is now carried out by a new contractor. The biannual servicing of the main hall clock was carried out. The overdue redecorating and rnaintenance of all the exterior of the Church Hall is still required but has been put on hold until funding has been raised- this has been referred to the Finance Committee. Car Park A pothole in the car park and some cracking in the concrete path need repair in due course. Health and Safety and Flre Risk Assessments These documents for the church and church hall have had their annual review, A number of minor actions arising have been completed or are in hand, and documents requiring amendments have been updated. One action was to purchase some portable LED lanterns as emergency lighting in the church in the event of lights failing at a night time service. Safe uardin Review 2024 The Benefice Safeguarding and Safe Recruitment Policy is reviewed annually, published on the web sites, and displayed in the churches. Safe recruitment procedures are in place. and volunteers working with children and vulnerable adults have job description5 and undertake the required online training. PCC members are a150 required to have completed the Basic and Foundation Safeguarding training plus Safeguarding Domestic Abuse training. Lav Pastoral Assistants, Lay Worship Assistants, Readers and the Safeguarding Officer have all completed their required training, The Parish is signed up to the Parish Dashboard and safeguarding Hub which contains all DBS and tralnlng records. The system produces reminders when training or DBS clearance need to be renewed. The Parish Dashboard also generate5 a Safeguarding Action plan for the PCC so that they can monitor safeguarding procedure5 and ensure that all guida nce is followed. In 2024 there were no Safeguarding causes for concern or i55ues raised. One of the re5ponsibilitie5 placed on churches in connection with Safeguarding is to promote, prevent, protect and respond. There is a message on our weel and that an 1rKl8Fw￿ant examlnation 18 n8ed8d. trhe charlty'8 gr088 incom8 8xceed6d £250,(]00 and l am qualified to undertake the examinall(m by being a quallfied member ol Inamed bodyll. Delete [ l if not appllcable. It18 my r88pon8lbllily lo: examlne the 8c¢ounts under Section 145 of th8 Ch8rili88 Ad, to follow the wocedure8 laid do￿ in the ganeral Direcllons g5ven by Ihe Charlty Commlsslon (under section 145(5)(b) of the Charllles Act, and 10 8tate whether partlcular mattern hav• come lo my attgntlon Bas18 of Independent My 8x8mlnatlon was carrfed oul In occordance wlth general Dire¢llon$ glven •xamln•f$ stst•mont by the Charty Comml88iM. An examinatSon Indudes a r8vlew of the 8ccountlng record8 kept by the charmy and a Mmparfson of the aeeount8 pr88•ntsd whh th08e records. It a180 Include8 con8ld8ralion of any unu8ual ttems or di8c108ure8 in the accounts, and 8eeking explanatlons from the tru8tees concemlng any such matter¥. The procedure$ undertaken do nol provld8 all the evldence that woukl be requlrod In an audit, and consequently no oplnion Is gfven as to whether the accounts pre8ent a In and faif view and tho report18 limited to those matters Get out In Ihe statement below. Ind•pendent In conn8Ctlon with my examlnallon, no material matter8 have com8 to my oxamlnefs statsment allention (other than that di8ck)6ed below ') whld) gAves rne cause to believe that in, any materfal resF¢Ct: the accounting records were not kept in accordance wlth Sectlon 130 of the Charrtie8 Act; or the accounts dld not accord wlth tth8 ac￿Unting rncord8: or thè accounts did not compty with the applicable requirement8 cOn￿MIng Ihe fomi and content of account8 set out in the Charittes (Accounts and Reports) Regulatlon8 2008 0th8r ihan any requirement that the aGcourrt6 give a 'true and falrf vlew whlch is not a matter consldered 88 part of an Inde[￿ent oxamknatlon. I have come acro88 no other matter8 In conneLalon wtth the examination to wh￿￿ attentlon should ￿drawn in this repDrt In order lo enab proper undorstandlng of the account8 to be reach8d. ' H6880 delet8 Ihe words in the br8ckets rfthey do not appty. 81gn•d: Ib R•l•vant prolemlonal quallfi¢atlon(4) or body (W anyl: Addr••8: l GI￿0pro￿j MO fvJfVLUE (Aif Soclioii B DisLlci%Lirc Only complete If the examlner needs to hi8hll8ht mater131 matters of concern (See CC32, Independent examlnatlon of charlty accounts: dlrertlon5 and guldance ft>r examiners). RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS For the year ended 31 December 2024 Unrestricted Funds General Designated Restricted Funds TOTAL RECEIPTS 2024 2023 RECEIPTS Donatlons and Legacies: Planned Giving Collection5, donations and other Biving Legacies Gift Aid Tax Recovered 43,282 7,904 43,282 7,904 42,264 9,715 11,332 11,332 10,348 other Tradlng Activities: Bookstall, hall lettings Income from other properties Other church events 5.382 49 699 5,382 49 699 5,323 60 203 Recelpts from Investments". Interest & dividends 725 725 608 Recelpts from Charltable actlvStles: Parochlal fees 3,316 3,316 3,518 Other recelpts,, Other 9,614 TOTAL RECEIPTS PAYM ENTS Charltable actlvltles: Donations to charities Mission & Evangelism Parish Share Clergy expenses Church running expenses Churchyard malntenance C05t of raising fund5 Support costs Administration costs (incl staff c05tsl Governance costs Other Major expendlture Repairs to church building Repairs to church hall 20 1,934 49,tXIO 1.944 4,827 20 1,934 49.000 1,944 4,827 530 1,232 42,000 930 6,585 9,291 61 22,659 9,291 61 22,659 9,150 1,433 21,528 771 771 608 899 899 TOTAL PAYMENTS 40 Surplus/lDeficit) of Receipt5 over Payment5 Transfers between Funds 18,246) {8,Z46) (2,343) {8,246} 18,2461 12,3431 Cash at bank and in hand at l Jan Cash at bank and in hand at 31 Dec 22 STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES Unrestricted Funds General Designated Restricted Funds Total 2024 Total 2023 Cash Funds Bank Current Accounts Deposit Accounts 5,408 26,826 5,408 30,748 2,339 39,399 3,922 922 156 Other Monetary A55ets Income Tax Recoverable Shared Benefice costs- Corston Shared Benefice costs- Newton St Loe 2,200 1,264 2,200 1,264 2,200 1,004 Llabllltles Purchase Ledger 1,377 Approved by the Parochial Church Council by email on I, May 2025 and signed on its behalf by:" Revd Nigel Williams Mr5 Pamela Faulkner (Treasurer) (signed on I" May 2025) (signed on I" May 2025) The notes on page 10 form part of these accounts 10 NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS For the year ended 31 December 2024 ACCOUNTING BASIS The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Church Accounting Regulations 2006 using the Receipts and Payments basis. TRUSTEES AND CONNEcfED PERSONS The expenses paid to clergy may contain a small immaterial proportion, which relates to their function as PCC members. No other such payments were made to PCC members. 11