Christ Church Stamford
Annual Report & Accounts for the Year Ended 31[st] December 2024
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Contents
| GENERAL INFORMATION..................................................................................................3 |
|---|
| ANNUAL REPORT OF THE PCC.........................................................................................4 |
| Administrative information......................................................................................................4 |
| Structure, governance and management...................................................................................5 |
| Objectives and activities...........................................................................................................5 |
| Church Attendance...................................................................................................................5 |
| Financial review........................................................................................................................5 |
| Operations Report.....................................................................................................................6 |
| STATEMENT OF RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PCC........................................................8 |
| STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES.......................................................................9 |
| BALANCE SHEET 10 |
| FUND MOVEMENT BY TYPE………………………………………………..…………..11 |
| CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………………..………….12 |
| EXAMINER’S REPORT……………………………………………...…………………….13 |
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PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF CHRIST CHURCH, STAMFORD
GENERAL INFORMATION
Charity name The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Christ Church Stamford Charitable status The Parochial Church Council is a charity registered with the Charity Commission, registration number: 1139222 Principal address Christ Church, Green Lane, Stamford PE9 1HE Principal contact Rev Anthony Laotan, Vicar Telephone no. 01780 766446 Email vicar@christchurchstamford.com Website www.christchurchstamford.com Bankers Barclays Bank plc, Broad St, Stamford Independent Michelle Feasey, Stamford examiner
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PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF CHRIST CHURCH, STAMFORD
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE PCC
YEAR ENDED 31[ST] DECEMBER 2024
Administrative information
Christ Church Stamford is situated on Green Lane Stamford. It is part of the Diocese of Lincoln within the Church of England.
Parochial Church Council (PCC) Membership
Members of the PCC are either ex officio or elected by the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) in accordance with the Church Representation Rules.
PCC members who have served from / during 2023 are:
| Ex-Officio | Anthony Laotan | Vicar |
|---|---|---|
| Dawn Field | Warden | |
| Elected Members | Tina Bland | Member |
| Rachael Carter | Secretary, stepped down April 2024 |
|
| Jacqui Wells | Deputy Safeguarding Officer | |
| Carol MacBeath | Lead Safeguarding Officer | |
| Phiona Blake | Member | |
| Lorraine Davie (Lou) | Stepped down November 24 | |
Committees
The Ministry Team operates with the Vicar, Revd. Anthony Laotan, Children, Youth & Families Minister, Laura Mitchell, Jacqui Wells & Dawn Field the Churchwarden.
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Structure, governance and management
The method of appointment of PCC members is set out in the Church Representation Rules. All Church attendees are encouraged to register on the Electoral Roll. The full PCC met ten times over the course of the year whereas Ministry Team met monthly.
Objectives and activities
Christ Church PCC has the responsibility of promoting within the Ecclesiastical parish the whole mission of the Church – pastoral, evangelistic, social, and ecumenical. It also has maintenance responsibilities for the Christ Church building. The church operates social outreach projects covering newborn to elderly, vulnerable, disabled, and marginalized individuals.
Church Attendance
The church holds a weekly morning service at 10am. Our weekly attendance at services averages 30 per week.
There are 51 members on the Electoral Roll.
Financial review
Regular financial reports have been given to the PCC throughout the year.
For these 2024 accounts we have continued to use ExpensePlus, which was the financial software we employed in 2023, and this year’s accounts have been prepared on a Receipts and Payments basis.
The total income for Christ Church was £60,218 an increase of 4% on the previous year. Total expenditure was £57,072, a decrease in spending of 9% on the previous year. It should be noted that the increased income did include a large grant of £21,500 (2[nd] year allocation) from the Henry Smith Charity to employ our Children, Youth and Family Minister.
Open plate collections remained stable and whilst regular giving did dip towards the year end, it was compensated for by an increase in one-off gifts. We are receiving good regular income now from hall lettings and a regular hirer has increased the number of sessions which will further benefit the church and increase income in 2025. In May 2024, the Friends of Christ Church donated £50 towards obtaining a contactless device for collecting offerings and other donations from the Diocese of Lincoln Generosity Team and it has since been an additional income stream.
Utility bills remain high, our electricity was in line with budget but gas was much higher. The boilers are old and will require replacement in the short term. We had made a Covenant Pledge with the Diocese to pay £11,500 in 2023, £12,500 in 2024 (which was fully paid) rising to £15,000 by 2025.
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Christ Church Ministry
Our regular income has remained stable, and we have seen stability in the number of people attending church and our weekly activities. Church services are well attended and we still have new people join us even as we have had a few leave due to house moves, career changes etc. Our CATALYST Communities (Home groups) have expanded and shrunk over the course of the year. We increased to 5 earlier in the year and decreased to 3 by the latter part of the year as three smaller CCs morphed into 1. The highlight of the year was our own version of ‘Come Dine With Me’ in June. Each CATALYST Community took it in turn to host both church members and invited guests over 4 Wednesdays to explore the Christian faith using a video series called 3,2,1 by the Speak Life Charity. It was a success judging by the number of new people that attended and also the community feel it gave us as a Church. We decided, based on good feedback; to organize a similar event quarterly and in December, we held a Christmas Variety Night which had 45 people in attendance and a good cross section of members and people from the community. Our Annual fundraiser, the Christmas Fayre, also took place in December raising £750.
Operations Report
Christ Church has at the heart of its outreach programmes - a desire to welcome people, meet their pastoral needs, and draw them into fellowship together. We aim to bring Christ Church Values and Vision to life by drawing people into fellowship and, ultimately, a relationship with Christ. Under the leadership of the Rev Anthony Laotan, we continue to respond to the opportunities and need around us under the umbrella of the Anchored project.
Anchored
This project incorporates StartaFresh, Communitea Plus & Bread & Butter. All the programmes are run by volunteers under the Leadership of Revd Anthony Laotan.
Communitea Plus
Communitea Plus is a group with a broad remit of not just the elderly but others within the Community who are isolated, lonely or new to Stamford. These people meet every Wednesday from 11am to 2pm (term-time) to socialize, enjoy a cooked two-course meal and some form of entertainment.
StartaFresh
This group continues to meet weekly on a Friday (term-time). StartaFresh offers vital confidence building and social support for the members. We continue to provide educational opportunities with Rutland Adult Learning to whom we are very grateful for their continued support.
Feeding Families
We still receive boxes of emergency food from the Rapid Relief Team and distribute these to those in need in our community. People do not need to be referred to or have any kind of assessment. These boxes are given to people known to us who are struggling and also through our local schools.
The Bread & Butter Thing
This food membership club provides food recovered from Farms, Factories and Supermarkets at affordable prices, about a third less than supermarket prices. This club runs weekly throughout the year and has already become popular within the community.
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Buildings
Our Quinquennial inspection took place in January 2024 and highlighted the basement stairlift needs replacement.
Children and Youth
Our work with children and young people through ‘Tots and Toast’ and the local schools continues to thrive. These groups are well attended and popular with local families. Our Children, Youth & Families Minister has continued working with children and youth in both Bluecoat School and Stamford Welland Academy one day a week supporting both children and young people through gardening activities and mentoring. She organized Rooted, a bible-themed holiday club in the summer which was very successful. At Halloween, she and her team helped to run a Light Party at Bluecoat School in October which was equally well attended. The Den, however, suffered a decline in numbers all year and had to be rested in December with a view to repurposing it in 2025. We remain grateful to all those who fund us to continue all this important work, thanks to funding from The Burghley Family Trust, Stamford Lads Club, and Henry Smith Charity.
Christ Church Grantors
Christ Church gives a huge thank you to the many people who so kindly donate to support the outreach programs. We have also received generous grants and donations from a range of organizations in 2024, including:
-
Burghley Family Trust
-
Stamford Lads Club
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Henry Smith Charity
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Friends of Christ Church
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STATEMENT OF RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PCC
Charity Law requires the members of the PCC to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the Charity’s financial transactions during the Charity year and of the disposition of the Charity’s assets and liabilities at the end of that year. In preparing those financial statements, the members of the PCC are required to:
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i. select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently
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ii. make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent
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iii. state whether the financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the guidelines set out in the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice (FRSSE) subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements.
The members of the PCC are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which enable them to prepare financial statements which comply with the Charities Act 2011. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
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Christ Church – 113922 Statement of Financial Activities For the period from 01 January 2024 to 31 December 2024
| Prior | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Total | Year | |
| Receipts | ||||
| Donations & Legacies | 17999 | 510 | 18509 | 21785 |
| Charitable Activities | 22045 | 19665 | 41710 | 35957 |
| Investments | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Trading Activities | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total receipts | 40043 | 20175 | 60218 | 57741 |
| Payments | ||||
| Charitable Activities | 36789 | 20283 | 57072 | 62827 |
| Raising Funds | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Governance Costs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Support | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total payments | 36789 | 20283 | 57072 | 62827 |
| Net Receipts / Payments (before transfers) | 3254 | -108 | 3146 | -5086 |
| Fund Transfers In | 120 | 0 | 120 | 3000 |
| Fund Transfers Out | 120 | 0 | 120 | 3000 |
| Net Movement of Cash Funds | 3254 | -108 | 3146 | -5086 |
| Total Cash Funds Brought Forward | 33261 | 12781 | 46043 | 50773 |
| Total Cash Funds Carried Forward | 36515 | 12674 | 49189 | 45687 |
Christ Church – 1139222 Balance Sheet (Church of England) As at 31 December 2024
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| Prior | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Total | Year | |
| Current Assets | ||||
| Cash | 36,515 | 12,674 | 49,189 | 45,687 |
| Total Net Assets(Assets Minus Liabilities) | 36,515 | 12,674 | 49,189 | 45,687 |
| Represented By | ||||
| Unrestricted | ||||
| General (Unrestricted) | 15,612 | 15,612 | 14,762 | |
| Designated | ||||
| Children and Youth Refreshments (Des) | 303 | 303 | 512 | |
| Mission Refreshments (Des) | 230 | 230 | 409 | |
| Anchored D (Des) | 13,665 | 13,665 | 10,846 | |
| Day Centre D (Des) | 255 | 255 | 255 | |
| Garden Project (Des) | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Toddlers (Des) | 530 | 530 | 530 | |
| Fabric (Des) | 358 | 358 | 358 | |
| Audio Visual (Des) | 639 | 639 | 639 | |
| Hardship (Des) | 2,100 | 2,100 | 2,255 | |
| Outreach (Des) | 1,458 | 1,458 | 1,458 | |
| StartaFresh (Des) | 800 | 800 | 680 | |
| Wheelchair Car (Des) | 563 | 563 | 201 | |
| Transport Scheme (Des) | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Restricted | ||||
| Children and Youth Minister (Res) | 10,945 | 10,945 | 10,597 | |
| Children and Youth Projects (Res) | 593 | 593 | 1,197 | |
| Anchored R (Res) | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Children’s Church (Res) | 344 | 344 | 459 | |
| Day Centre R (Res) | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Garden Project R (Res) | 113 | 113 | 148 | |
| Mission Fund (Res) | 157 | 157 | 367 | |
| StartaFresh R (Res) | 507 | 507 | 0 | |
| Minibus Transport Scheme (Res) | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| AED (Res) | 14 | 14 | 14 | |
| Agency Collections (Res) | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Funds of the Church | 36,515 | 12,674 | 49,189 | 45,687 |
There may be minor discrepancies in the totals as the pence are not being shown
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Christ Church – 1139222 Fund Movement by Type For the Period 01 January 2024 to 31 December 2024
| Opening | Fund | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fund Name | Balance | Income | Expenditure | Transfers | Closing Balance |
| Unrestricted | |||||
| General (Unrestricted) | 15118 | 33532 | 33158 | 120 | 15612 |
| Total | 15118 | 33532 | 33158 | 120 | 15612 |
| Designated | |||||
| Children and Youth | |||||
| Refreshments (Designated) | 512 | 606 | 815 | 0 | 303 |
| Mission Refreshments | |||||
| (Designated) | 409 | 0 | 179 | 0 | 230 |
| Anchored D (Designated) | 10846 | 4295 | 1476 | 0 | 13665 |
| Day Centre D (Designated) | 255 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 255 |
| Garden Project | |||||
| (Designated) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Toddlers (Designated) | 530 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 530 |
| Fabric (Designated) | 358 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 358 |
| Audio Visual (Designated) | 639 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 639 |
| Hardship (Designated) | 2255 | 0 | 35 | -120 | 2100 |
| Outreach (Designated) | 1458 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1458 |
| StartaFresh (Designated) | 680 | 125 | 4 | 0 | 800 |
| Wheelchair Car | |||||
| (Designated) | 201 | 1486 | 1123 | 0 | 563 |
| Total | 18144 | 6511 | 3631 | -120 | 20904 |
| Unrestricted Total | 33261 | 40043 | 36789 | 0 | 36515 |
| Restricted | |||||
| Children and Youth Minister | |||||
| (Restricted) | 10597 | 17230 | 16882 | 0 | 10945 |
| Children and Youth Projects | |||||
| (Restricted) | 1197 | 2305 | 2909 | 0 | 593 |
| Anchored R (Restricted) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Childrens Church | |||||
| (Restricted) | 459 | 0 | 114 | 0 | 344 |
| Day Centre R (Restricted) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Garden Project R | |||||
| (Restricted) | 148 | 0 | 34 | 0 | 113 |
| Mission Fund (Restricted) | 367 | 133 | 343 | 0 | 157 |
| StartaFresh R (Restricted) | 0 | 507 | 0 | 0 | 507 |
| Minibus Transport Scheme | |||||
| (Restricted) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AED (Restricted) | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Agency Collections | |||||
| (Restricted) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 12781 | 20175 | 20283 | 0 | 12674 |
| Restricted Total | 12781 | 20175 | 20283 | 0 | 12674 |
| TOTAL | 46043 | 60218 | 57072 | 0 | 49189 |
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CONCLUSION
Before closing it is appropriate to thank most sincerely our staff and all the volunteers who give so much of their time and energy to ensure the efficient running of our services, projects and community activities. We are very grateful for the financial support we receive from sponsors, grantors and charitable organizations, trusts and businesses - and the people who just give, even when they themselves struggle to make ends meet. We also thank the many other groups and partners who collaborate closely with us in a multitude of ways.
This report dated:
Signed:
------------------------------------------ x
Anthony Laotan (Vicar)
------------------------------------------ x
Dawn Field (Church Warden)
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INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE PCC OF CHRIST CHURCH, STAMFORD
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