## HASTINGS OLD TOWN PARISH 

One Modern Parish, Two Medieval Churches 


## Reports for Annual Parochial Church Meet ng 2023 

## TRUSTEES REPORT 2023 

## AIMS AND PURPOSES 

The  primary  aim  of  The  Parochial  Church  Council  of  the Ecclesiastical Parish of St Clement and All Saints Hastings is the  promotion  of  the  Gospel  of  Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ according to the doctrines and practices of the Church of England. 

The  PCC  has  the  responsibility  of  cooperating  with  the Incumbent or Priest-in-Charge 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 the two parish church buildings, St Clement’s and All Saints’, as well as All Saints’ Church Hall. 

## OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES 

The PCC is committed to maintaining a faithful, worshiping community at the heart of Hastings’ Old Town, particularly by: 




## HASTINGS OLD TOWN PARISH 

One Modern Parish, Two Medieval Churches 


- Nourishing  the  faith  of  Christians  in  prayer,  in  the sacraments and in the preaching of the Gospel, so that they are better equipped to live lives of transformative witness; 

- Warmly welcoming all to a wide range of services and events, and supporting those who want to grow in faith, especially those seeking baptism and confirmation; 

- Providing  pastoral  care  to  people  in  our  community, including  taking  Holy  Communion  to  those  unable  to attend  church,  and  ministering  to  the  dying  and  the bereaved; 

- Supporting All Saints Church of England Junior Academy, and continuing to build links with other schools in the parish; 

- Celebrating  significant  events  in  our  local  community, sharing  our  Christian  faith  and  promoting  the  church community as a place of welcome for all; 

- Encouraging visitors to enjoy the spiritual and architectural heritage of our churches, and providing for their  ongoing  use  by  maintaining  them  as  places  of worship. 

In the furtherance of these objectives, the PCC entered 2023 with the objective of appointing a half-time Priest-in-Charge as a successor to the Reverend Paul Hunt, who retired in September 2022.  At the beginning of the year, the role had been advertised for a second time as a shared role to include half-time chaplaincy at Ark Alexandra Academy. 




## HASTINGS OLD TOWN PARISH 

One Modern Parish, Two Medieval Churches 


When planning our activities for the year, we have considered the  Commission’s  guidance  on  public  benefit  and,  in particular, the supplementary guidance on charities for the advancement of religion. 

## GOVERNANCE AND LEADERSHIP 

The  Parish  of  St  Clement  and  All  Saints  Hastings  is  an ecclesiastical  parish  in  the  Deanery  of  Hastings,  in  the Archdeaconry of Hastings, in the Diocese of Chichester. 

The PCC is a body corporate (PCC Powers Measure 1956, Church Representation Rules 2011) and a charity registered with the Charity Commission. 

Membership of the PCC is  determined under the Church Representation Rules.  It includes the following  ex officio members: the Incumbent/Priest-in-Charge, any reader licensed to officiate in the parish, the churchwardens*, and any members of the Deanery, Diocesan or General Synod on the electoral roll of the parish.  In addition, there are 12 elected members of the PCC. (* St Clement’s and All Saints’ are both designated parish churches. There are 4 churchwardens in the parish). 

The role of Priest-in-Charge was vacant until 11 September 2023, when the Reverend Mathew Phipps was licensed by the Rt. Revd. Dr. Martin Warner, Lord Bishop of Chichester, at All Saints’ Church. 

Those whose names are on the Electoral Roll are warmly encouraged to prayerfully consider standing for election to the  PCC,  and  we  try  to  ensure  a  balance  of  skills  and experience where possible.  The full PCC met 4 times in 2023. 




## HASTINGS OLD TOWN PARISH 

One Modern Parish, Two Medieval Churches 


## ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE 

## Our Parish Context 

Together,  All  Saints’  and  St  Clement’s  are  now  the  two churches of the Old Town Parish.  The historic centre of Hastings is a lively and quirky place which is home to the UK’s largest land-launched fishing fleet, arcades and a funfair, the East Hill Cliff Lift (the UK’s steepest funicular railway), the Hastings Contemporary gallery, and a wide variety of unusual shops, pubs, bars and restaurants.  There are a little over 3,500 people resident in the parish, most in the Clive Vale area which sits in the valley between East Hill and West Hill. During the summer, the area attracts tens of thousands from inland to its beaches and other tourist attractions, and there is an exciting annual calendar of community events with wide appeal,  including:  Hastings  Jack-in-the-Green  Festival,  Old Town  Week,  Pirate  Day,  Hastings  Week  and  the  Hastings Bonfire. 

Though colourful, and popular with visitors, Hastings suffers from high levels of deprivation.  The ecclesiastical parish is the 1,951[st] most-deprived ecclesiastical parish out of 12,239 in England (top 15%).  The area served by the church includes LSOAs in the top 10% of those most deprived by crime and living environment,  and in the top 20% for  income deprivation affecting children.  The risk of social exclusion is most evident in the incidence of high levels of unemployment, mental health issues and homelessness. 

Worship and Mission 




## HASTINGS OLD TOWN PARISH 

One Modern Parish, Two Medieval Churches 


There  are  two  regular  Sunday  morning  services  of  Holy Communion (a traditional Book of Common Prayer service at 8am, and a sung Eucharist using Common Worship at 10am). There is also a monthly “1[st] Sunday@6” evening service, which varies from reflective Taize prayer and worship, to Songs of Praise or Choral Evensong.  Attendance at these services has continued  throughout  the  year,  with  around  60  people attending one of the two morning services each week, while the monthly 1[st] Sunday@6 service has drawn regular worshippers as well as others who do not attend morning services.  Major Christian festivals and special services attract significant numbers, with around 145 (mostly families with young children) at the Crib Service on Christmas Eve, and 120 at  Midnight  Mass.   Celebrating  these  events  with  the participation of so many members of our wider community is a significant factor in the achievement of our objectives. 

It is a testimony to the commitment of many members of the church community that attendance has remained at this level through a vacancy of 12 months, and that so many of the church’s special services and events were celebrated with enthusiasm.   This  included  not  only  the  major  Christian festivals, but especially the annual Good Friday Procession of Witness, the Morris Dancers’ Festival Eucharist, the Community  Service  attended  by  representatives  of  local charities and services, and the Blessing of the Sea held on the Stade  with  the  involvement  of  the  RNLI  and  fishing community.  These special services illustrate the achievement of our objective to place the church’s worshiping life at the heart of our community and provide wide public benefit. 




## HASTINGS OLD TOWN PARISH 

One Modern Parish, Two Medieval Churches 


Over the last year, monthly “Night Church” programme  the parish offer a warm space and hot food and drink for visitors, including homeless people and those attracted to the Old Town by its nightlife.  More recently the move has  shifted towards providing lunches for visitors and older people who appreciate a place to meet others, and cream teas for tourists exploring the area.  This hospitality has worked together with the already valuable ministry of making St Clement’s open almost every Saturday through the year, with visitors drawn especially to craft fairs and the “Rossettis in Love” exhibition which, opened in March 2022, is based on the Pre-Raphaelite artist and poet, Dante Gabriel Rossetti.  The church tower bells  and  handbells  groups  usually  practice  on  Saturday mornings and lunchtimes, providing an additional attraction and new experience for visitors.  Although there is a lot to see and enjoy when the churches are open, it is the constant experience of our volunteers that many people come to pray, to light a candle, or simply to imbibe the spiritual atmosphere of a place that has been prayed in for centuries.  Late night opening in the original “Night Church” format continues on special occasions, including for the Hastings Bonfire. 

Both St Clement’s and All Saints’ are sought after as places to get married of for the baptism of infants, often because of the longstanding family connection that many Hastings residents have with the Old Town. 

There is a Food Bank collection point at St Clement’s and donations are passed on regularly throughout the year. 

Children, young people and adult discipleship 




## HASTINGS OLD TOWN PARISH 

One Modern Parish, Two Medieval Churches 


The Junior Choir, which has been running for nearly 3 years, admits children from 8 to 16 years of age and, through a midweek rehearsal and Sunday morning service, enables them to work through the Royal School of Church Music’s “Voice for Life” programme.  This is supported by the Batley-Hibbert Music  Fund,  administered  by  the  Magdalen  and  Lasher Charity. There are currently 5-6 young people between the ages of 10 and 15 in the Junior Choir. 

In addition, there are 3 younger members of our serving team.  Through the Junior Choir and serving team, children and young people are able to learn and take a full part in the church’s  worship.   The  whole  worshiping  community  is enriched by serving God together across generations. 

The Hastings Deanery confirmation service was hosted at All Saints’  in  June  2023,  presided  at  by  the  Rt.  Revd.  Will Hazlewood, Bishop of Lewes.  5 young people and 2 adults from the parish were confirmed, an amazing landmark for the parish and an indicator of its achievement in sharing faith and discipling believers. 

## Ecumenical Relationships 

The church community enjoys a warm relationship with our near neighbour’s, the (Roman Catholic) Parish of St Mary Starof-the-Sea.  Our Taize worship services have appealed to Christians of other traditions, and the Good Friday Procession of Witness is  organised with  wide  Christian  participation, especially from member of St Mary’s. 

Communication and administration 




## HASTINGS OLD TOWN PARISH 

One Modern Parish, Two Medieval Churches 


Parish  News  is  one  of  the  most  visible  elements  of  the church’s engagement with the wider community.  There are 10 issues a year (double issues over Christmas and in the summer),  and  these  are  delivered  to  every  home  and business in the parish by a team of volunteers.  A pastoral letter,  service  and  event  times,  articles  of  local  and educational interest, and advertisements from local businesses all feature.  Income from advertising defrays the costs of printing, with the balance being provided by the PCC with support from the Magdalen and Lasher Charity. 

The parish website has cemented its place as a source of information  for  visitors,  as  well  as  an  up-to-date  online calendar which is accessible to all.  PCC members and others contributed feedback to a minor update in the Autumn of 2023, which saw greater priority given to the much-used calendar, simplified the menus, and introduced updated logo and text.  The website still contains convenient links to the parish Facebook page and to an online donation portal. 

The online mailing tool continues to attract new subscribers at a gradual rate, with numbers around 100.  Pews News, Parish News and the weekly Sunday sermon are all made available to subscribers.  The Facebook page has around 50 subscribes, and publishes sermons, notices about services and events, and seasonal online campaigns like the Church of England’s Lent and Advent reflections. 

The parish office is staffed on Wednesday mornings, dealing with  enquiries  and  correspondence,  and  producing  Pews News and other printed material for services.  The office relies upon a mobile internet connection which is not always stable and this is something we want to improve in the future. 




## HASTINGS OLD TOWN PARISH 

One Modern Parish, Two Medieval Churches 


## Schools 

Although hindered by a 12 month vacancy, links with All Saints’  CE  Junior  Academy  have remained strong. A “link worker”  from  the  church  visits  as  often  as  weekly  and supports those involved in leading school worship, as well as with English and mathematics.  The school also has a PCCnominated governor.  Since the pandemic in 2020, the school has returned to making increased use of All Saints’ Church for nativity/carol services and the school leaver service.  The church prays for staff and pupils, prompted by a weekly note in Pew News. 

A  carol  service  for  Buckswood  School  was  hosted  in December.  Local schools are welcomed to use the churches as educational resources, and an annual visit was paid by students from Torfield School. 

Pastoral Care for people living in the Parish 

Pastoral visits, which may include Holy Communion, are made to sick parishioners. A weekly prayer list is maintained and included in Sunday services in Church and on the Pew Sheet. Regular visits are made to the two residential care homes in the parish, Old Hastings House (fortnightly) and The Laurels (monthly),  and  Holy  Communion  is  distributed  by  lay ministers authorised to do so.  The Honorary Assistant Priest in  the  parish,  Brother  Aelred  Partridge,  is  also  Honorary Chaplain to Old Hastings House. 

St. Clement and All Saints Church Buildings 

We have charge of two beautiful medieval churches and a church hall. The PCC is committed to the faithful stewardship 




## HASTINGS OLD TOWN PARISH 

One Modern Parish, Two Medieval Churches 


of this heritage, and to keeping these buildings well-used and well-maintained. 

The  Quinquennial  Inspection  of  St  Clement’s  Church  was undertaken in June 2023.  Work to the south porch roof at All Saints (which had been recommended in the QI undertaken in 2022) became urgent in September 2023 when stone tiles began to slide from the roof.  Emergency interim repairs were undertaken immediately, and the PCC stepped-up it fundraising for this project in anticipation of being able to progress this work in 2024.  By the end of 2023, over £10,000 had been raised, and additional funding pledged by the Two Towers  Trust  and  the  Hastings  Winkle  Club.   We  remain indebted to the local community for continuing to contribute with a generosity that reflects the iconic significance of these historic buildings for the local area. 

Severe storms in the late autumn also caused damage to the tower roof at All Saints, and repairs have been completed with the assistance of our insurers.  The weathervane, which was  damaged  in  these  storms,  has  been  removed  for restoration at a later date. 

We are grateful to local builder, David Cheal, for offering his substantial experience and providing prompt assistance when issues arise. 

All Saints’ Church Hall is usually rented out to various local groups. All Saints’ Upper Hall is used for community rental, the Hall is fully accessible for the disabled and has been decorated, insulated and gas heating installed, a commercial dishwasher and a small fridge have also been installed. 




## HASTINGS OLD TOWN PARISH 

One Modern Parish, Two Medieval Churches 


The Lower Hall is let as studio accommodation, with the adjacent garage also let to raise income. 

## THANKS 

The PCC extends its thanks to all who bear responsibility for the  Church’s  work  in  this  Parish,  both  employed  and volunteer, too numerous to mention by name in this report. However, special thanks are due to the churchwardens for their  weekly  commitment  to  the  practicalities  of  church community life.  During the vacancy, the church’s life was nurtured by a constant flow of visiting clergy, to whom we are also immensely grateful. 

Thank you also to all who have worked so tirelessly for the church, serving on committees, leading our house-groups, children’s work, running and taking part in services, social events, fundraising, flower arranging, brass cleaning, making marmalade and ensuring that the life of the church and its service to the community has continued throughout 2023. 

## Statement of Responsibilites of the PCC 

Membership of the PCC is  determined under the Church Representation  Rules  and  consists  of  certain  ex-officio members (the incumbent/priest-in-charge, readers licensed to officiate in the church), the churchwardens and 4 members of the Deanery, Diocesan or General Synods and 12 members of the church who are elected at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM). 

The full PCC met 4  times in 2023. 




## HASTINGS OLD TOWN PARISH 

One Modern Parish, Two Medieval Churches 


Members are warmly encouraged to stand for election to the PCC and we try to ensure a balance of skills and experience where possible. 

The PCC has adopted a Risk Register and this is reviewed each year. 

The law applicable to charities in England and Wales, which is also applicable to Parochial Church Councils, requires the members of the PCC to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the PCC’s financial activities during the year and of its financial position at  the  end  of  the  year.  In  preparing  those  financial statements, the members of the PCC are required to: 

- a) Select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently; 

- b) Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; 

- c) State whether applicable accounting standards and statements  of  recommended  practice  have  been followed  subject  to  any  departures  disclosed  and explained in the financial statements; 

- d) Prepare the financial statements on a going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the PCC will continue in operation. 

This report was approved by the members of the Parochial Church Council and signed on their behalf. 

## Chair to the PCC 




## HASTINGS OLD TOWN PARISH 

One Modern Parish, Two Medieval Churches 


## ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT 

This will be a verbal report at the meeting with formal figures to follow due to issues with auditing. 

## SAFEGUARDING 

During 2024, three referrals were made. 

Our Policies, Protocols and Guidance were increased, with the addition of: 

- A Lone Working Policy 

- A  Safeguarding  Protocol  for  Visiting  Groups  (e.g.  Bell Ringers) 

- Guidelines for Reporting Abuse (focused on children and adults) 

- A Safeguarding Complaints Protocol 

- Guidance on Social Media and Young People (to support the parish’s existing E-Safety Policy) 

- A Safeguarding Risk Assessment for Confirmation Classes 

## SAFER RECRUITMENT 

A key element in Safer Recruitment is the creation of Job (remunerated posts) and Role (volunteer roles) Descriptions. These establish the purpose, requirements and responsibilities of each role, and serve to indicate and justify the level of Disclosure and Barring Service check needed and the safeguarding and role-related training to be undertaken. In 2024, a draft Job Description and Person Specification were created for the post of Director of Music in consultation with the outgoing postholder, and a further eighteen draft Role Descriptions. 




## HASTINGS OLD TOWN PARISH 

One Modern Parish, Two Medieval Churches 


In support of the recruitment process, the following were added: 

- Employee/Volunteer Induction Checklist 

- Interview Assessment Framework 

- Personnel File Checklist 

## JUNIOR CHOIR 

On Easter Day, 2023, the five members of the Junior Choir said a sad farewell to Malcolm Lock, the Director of Music who had auditioned them and started them on their RSCM Voice for Life journey. At the beginning of June, along with the members of the Senior Choir, they were able to express their thanks to him with a meal at the Lamb Inn at Hooe. 

Although a successor to Malcolm was not found during the remainder of the year, the members  of the Junior  Choir remained committed and enthusiastic. Towards the end of October they were joined by another chorister, who proved to be equally committed and enthusiastic. 

Most of the choristers made steady progress towards their ‘Light Blue’ level award and, at the beginning of Advent, their ability and growing confidence was demonstrated when two of them sang solos in the Matin Responsary. 

The continuation of the Junior Choir would not have been possible without the wonderful support of the parents; and particular thanks are due to Mr Gamble, who has attended most of the rehearsals in this period to be present as a second adult, or has arranged for another member of his family to be there when he was unable to do so himself. 




## HASTINGS OLD TOWN PARISH 

One Modern Parish, Two Medieval Churches 


## CHURCH ACTIVITIES 

## BUILDINGS REPORT 

April 2024 St Clements The quinquennial inspection of St Clements was carried out in June last year. The inspecting architect, Mark Anderson, gave the following overall assessment - “The church building is generally well cared for and  in  good  condition  following  the  recent  repair  and restoration projects. There are, however, some maintenance and  repair  works  that  require  attention”.  Some  of  these works have been carried out, including electrical items and general maintenance of gully and gutters etc. We intend to ask Mark Anderson to prepare an updated schedule of works that are considered essential, and works we can prepare for, for both churches. New smoke and heat detectors have been installed and we have now achieved a “satisfactory” rating on our  Electrical  Inspection  Condition  Report,  following  the planned programme of improvements instigated by Gareth. All Saints The quinquennial inspection carried out in 2022 highlighted the poor condition of the gutters to both sides of the  South  Porch.  Following  closer  inspection  by  Mark Anderson,  it  became  apparent  that  the  timber  fixings securing the  Horsham stone tiles to the roof beams were failing. Mark recommended complete removal and refixing of the Horsham stone on new timber battens using stainless steel fixings. Shortly afterwards, a small area of stone fell to the ground. Swift action was taken to erect scaffolding to support the remaining roof and protect passers by. To enable continued use of the south porch entrance, a temporary protective structure has been put in place internally. We have appointed Clarke Roofing to carry to this work, as well as the 




## HASTINGS OLD TOWN PARISH 

One Modern Parish, Two Medieval Churches 


replacement lead work required to the knave roof. We hope to commence work in September, however, we are waiting for Clarke Roofing to confirm this. During November’s high winds, the weather vane became partially dislodged from its mounting and pierced the bell tower roof, causing damage to the tiles and felt and allowing access to rain. David Cheale carried out  speedy  repairs  to the  roof and  removed  the weather  vane  for  inspection.  This  was  covered  by  our insurers.  Advice  is  being  taken  on  the  condition  of  the weathervane,  prior  to  repair  or  replacement.  EICR  rated “satisfactory” Health and Safety Health and Safety and Fire Risk Assessments of both churches and the church hall have been completed recently by H & S Officer Keith Leech. Areas requiring improvement are being reviewed and any necessary works will be undertaken in due course. Church Hall No major issues  to  report.  Fire  Safety  Assessment,  EICR,  Health  & Safety inspection and Emergency Plan, all up to date. 

## CHURCH WARDENS REPORT 

A busy year as always 

We continued to be in the interregnum and not knowing if or when a new priest would arrive. During these months we were very grateful to our retired clergy friends who took all our services and we are very grateful to them. The services were able to continue as usual. 

We were happy to welcome Bishop Will of Lewis in June 2023 to Baptise 1 adult and  to Confirm  7 adults and children from the congregation, also 3 adults from Christ Church Ore. 

In September there was another Episcopal visitation from The Bishop of Chichester, Dr Martin Warner to License the new Priest in Charge Fr Mat Phipps. Together with his wife Ellie, who is an ordained priest and their two sons. This was a most 




## HASTINGS OLD TOWN PARISH 

One Modern Parish, Two Medieval Churches 


joyous occasion, with many members of the congregation and other friends & clergy. 

The church is still without an Organist and Director of Music. We have greatly appreciated the locum organists who have been very willing and happy to accompany the services. 

The church buildings particularly All Saints have been a major problem and still are. Much damage being done to the Lady Chapel roof and south porch, including the weather vane being blown down. [I might add that a lot of this happened after Fr Mat’s first or second service for us!!!!] 

A major fund raising project was commenced to wards the repairs, 

Buildings  Report  -----  Sadly  Gareth  Bendon  the  Buildings Officer had to step down due to ill health and we thank him greatly for all his hard work & effort he especially put into the refurbishment of St Clement Church. Ian Gallagher has now taken this office over and is now the Buildings Officer. 

## PARISH LIBRARY 

The main bulk of the books which make up the Parish Library are to be found in All Saints Church whilst a few are located in St Clements.  The library itself contains a large number of items related to such relevant themes as: Theology, Church History, Biography, Ethics and Mysticism.  There is also a large biography  section  devoted  to  a  number  of  prominent religious figures. Although largely Christian in nature there is also a small section devoted to other world faiths, including copies of The Koran, studies of Judaism, works by The Dalai Lama and Hindu texts. 

Historically the library has been used as a basis for study by interested members of the congregation and, occasionally, 




## HASTINGS OLD TOWN PARISH 

One Modern Parish, Two Medieval Churches 


reviews have been printed in the Parish News. As there is no longer a fund available to purchase new material many items have been kindly donated and some are on long term loan. The existence and future of the library has always been hotly debated. At present it remains as a substantial but underused resource.  It is our hope that all those who wish to investigate this rich and varied collection will continue to utilise it. 

## HOUSE GROUPS 

House  groups  were  able  to  meet  for  Lent  and  Advent, following  the  regular  pre  Covid  pattern.  The  Wednesday morning group met for further days for Bible study. 

The Lent course was based on the booklet written by Lavinia Byrne  and  Jane  McBride,  inspired  by  the  2021  Steven Speilberg film of West Side Story. This is a love story, an updated  version  of  the  Romeo  and  Juliet  story  told  by Shakespeare. Leonard Bernstein composed the music and Stephen  Sondheim  wrote  the  lyrics.  First  produced  on Broadway in1957, this award winning stage musical became a ground breaking film in 1962. The Speilberg version is yet a further  update  of  this  well  known  story  of  a  divided community,  of  fear,  love,  betrayal,  violence,  death  and reconciliation. The course used film clips, discussion points, questions, Bible readings and poetry asking us to explore the place that god has prepared for us and the difference that can make in our lives. 

Advent used the Sheffield Diocese course “Travelling Light”. What could we learn from the Bible’s travellers? Mary and Joseph, an army of angels, a group of shepherds, wise men from the east, even a strange light in the sky. In the gospel accounts, they all converge on Bethlehem. Why this small, nondescript  town  rather  than  the  great  capital  city  of 




## HASTINGS OLD TOWN PARISH 

One Modern Parish, Two Medieval Churches 


Jerusalem?  The  God  who  surprises  and  subverts  our expectations is at work! We found that we had unexpected ideas, thoughts and emotions even in this so well known story, told through the bible readings. 

Yes we all enjoy the friendship, the time to talk and really get to know each other but the real strength of a house group is this finding something new and unexpected in well known stories and themes, a new way to think about and share our faith. All are welcome; you do not have to be a regular member of our congregation or commit to every session, come and try a group in 2024. 

Thank you to all who host and lead the meetings. We had 26 regular participants in 2023. 

## SATURDAYS AT ST CLEMENT’S 

St. Clement’s Church is easily accessible from the High Street and has a flexible space including the coffee area and small kitchen. We try to keep the church open during the late morning and early afternoon on most Saturdays in the year, welcoming all to visit the building, offering space for prayer and contemplation, shelter from the rain and a cool shady seat in the summer! The opening times often coincide with Handbell or “Big Bell” practice. 

We use this time to provide refreshments, for donation only, and we encourage all to use this as a regular meeting place. The menu changes with the seasons, soups, ploughman’s lunch, strawberry cream teas, always including coffee, tea and cake! In 2023 we raised £2,500 for church funds. The first Saturday in the month, is the Two Towers Trust day, providing the refreshments and a table sale or craft fair on summer Saturdays. The Two Towers Trust raise money for the maintenance of the two church buildings. 




## HASTINGS OLD TOWN PARISH 

One Modern Parish, Two Medieval Churches 


November saw the Christmas Fair which raised just over £1,500.Thank you to all who helped with the Fair, and all who came and supported the event with their purchases! A very big thank you to the Saturday teams of Church sitters, helpers and of course our customers, but the biggest “Thank You” must go to the Saturday kitchen team, Rosemary Pronger, Sue Phillips and our newest member Ian Gallagher (who has learnt the kitchen choreography!) 

## BELLRINGERS REPORT 

Saturday practices have continued on a regular basis during the year thanks to support from other local ringers. Because of a shortage of our own ringer’s, there are only three of us, regular  service  ringing  hasn’t  happened  but  we  have managed to get ringers for some special services. 

Once again, we opened All Saints Tower to visitors during Old Town  Week  and this event  was again  very  popular  with members of the public. 

We also rang for the HBBS procession as well as joining in behind our banner and collecting money for the Two Towers Trust. 

I have had offers of help with teaching and am looking into the necessary safeguarding measures required as well as the Dioecian courses I have already completed. I have produced a risk assessment for both towers too. 

I look forward to 2024 in the hope of recruiting new ringers and getting back to service ringing. 

## TWO TOWERS HANDBELLS REPORT 

We have had a good year and have finally started to perform concerts in local residential care homes again. 




## HASTINGS OLD TOWN PARISH 

One Modern Parish, Two Medieval Churches 


We have continued to practice in St Clements on Saturdays and regularly have an audience. 

We were invited to perform at The Reflection and were once again special guests at the Soundwaves Christmas Concert in December at All Saints. 

Many thanks to Ken, our musical director, for all his hard work and to the rest of the group for their commitment to practicing on a regular basis. Looking forward to an exciting year ahead. 

## HOME COMMUNION SERVICES REPORT 

Holy Communion via the Reserved Sacrament continues to be taken to OHH fortnightly. The service is from The Book of Common Prayer. Attendances have increased this past year and there are now between 8-10 residents who regularly join us . 

The Laurels have a monthly service as above and there are usually about 5-6 who regularly attend. 

Both these residences appreciate the services given and look forward to it. 

Home Communion services are taken when requested, with a shortened service used. 

## PARISH-SCHOOL (ALL SAINTS CE JUNIOR ACADEMY) LINK 

There are three aspects to this role. 

- In-class support 

- Collaborating with Mrs Martin in supporting the pupil Worship Group with the planning and delivery of studentled school worship. 

- Encouraging the participation of the school in church. 

## In-class support 




## HASTINGS OLD TOWN PARISH 

One Modern Parish, Two Medieval Churches 


In  the  period  from  January  to  July, the  first  half  of  the morning continued to be spent supporting in Mrs Hinxman’s Year 4 English lesson and the second half in assisting in Mrs Bolt’s Year 3 Maths lesson. 

Following the departure of Mrs Hinxman at the end of the summer term, this support has been focused on Mrs Martin’s Year 3 class. 

## Worship Group 

The Worship Group has continued to thrive and, over the course of 2024 numbered between twelve and twenty pupils. In June, they led School Worship on the theme of Resilience and, in October, on Generosity. 

## Partcipaton of the School in Church 

This was not possible this year because, for much of the year, the Church was without a priest-in-charge, and planning for the participation of the school in church during the academic year happens in a meeting at which the Head Teacher, the Incumbent and the Parish-School Link Worker are present. 

## SERVERS REPORT 

The serving team has grown and now includes the welcome addition of Zac, who had experience from his previous parish, so needed little in the way of training. We now have three young people on the team, Clem, Zac and Esmeralda. Jaqui, Paul and Keith also continue to act as servers. The enthusiasm of  the  team  is  clear,  and  often  in  the  vestry  there  are discussions about who will need to sit out that week and be disappointed.  It  would  be  fair  to  say  that  all  of  us  feel honoured to be serving at the altar and really enjoy what we do. Rarely do we see less than a full team of four servers, and 




## HASTINGS OLD TOWN PARISH 

One Modern Parish, Two Medieval Churches 


on feast days we provide additional people for the thurible and boat. We are expecting to train a new young person in June, bringing us to seven, which is a good position to be in, but will also mean more disappointment for all of us who will have to sit out more often. 



**of** 

## **Annual Financial Report** 

**The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of** 

## **St Clements with All Saints Hastings** 

**St Clement’s Church, Swan Terrace, Hastings, TN34 3HT** 

Registered Charity no. 1139491 

**For the year ended 31st December 2023** 

## **CONTENTS** 

|**Page**||
|---|---|
|**2**|**Statement of financial receipts and payments**|
|**3**|**Statement of assets and liabilities**|
|**4**|**Notes to the accounts**|
|**8**|**Report of the independent examiner**|





## **St Clements with All Saints, Hastings** _registered charity number 1139491_ **Summary of Financial Receipts and Payments** 

The financial effect of our activities during the year can be summarised as follows 

||**_Unrestricted_**|**_Unrestricted_**|**_Unrestricted_**|||||**_Total_**|_Total_<br>_All Funds_<br>_2022_|_Notes_|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**General**<br>**Fund**|**Designated**||**_Restricted_**||**_Endowed_**||**All Funds**|||
||||**Funds**||**Fund/s**||**Fund/s**|**2023**|||
|**Income and endowments from:**<br>Donations and legacies<br>Charitable activities<br>Trading activities<br>Investments<br>Other receipts<br> <br>Receipts from Sale of<br>investments|£<br>40,036<br>5,937<br>28,554<br>9,601<br>-||£<br>621<br>-<br>5,764<br>-<br>-||£<br>14,284<br>-<br>213<br>-<br>44||£<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-|**£**<br>**54,941**<br>**5,937**<br>**34,531**<br>**9,601**<br>**44**|_£_<br>_157,084_<br>_20,587_<br>_22,352_<br>_9,988_<br>_36,803_||
||84,128<br>10,000||6,385||14,541||-|105,054<br>**10,000**|_246,814_||
|**Total received**|**94,128**||**6,385**||**14,541**||-|**115,054**|_246,814_||
|**Expenditure on:**<br>Cost of raising funds<br>Charitable costs<br>Trading costs<br>Major Repairs<br>Other payments<br>Payments for purchase of<br>investments|<br>3,644<br>91,412<br>9,602<br>-<br>-||<br>5,659<br>814<br>-<br>-<br>-||<br>-<br>1,864<br>839<br>5,361<br>-||<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-|**9,303**<br>**94,090**<br>**10,441**<br>**5,361**<br>-|_7,724_ <br>_89,527_<br>_9,408_<br>_166,215_<br> -||
||104,658||6,473||8,064|||119,195|_272,874_||
||1,166|||||||**1,166**|_1,580_||
|**Totalpaid**|**105,824**||**6,473**||**8,064**||-|**120,361**|_274,454_||
|_Reconciliation of funds:_<br>Net income or (net expenditure)<br>Transfers between funds|(11,696)<br>**11,519**|(88)<br>**(5,042)**|||6,477<br>**(6477)**||-<br>-|**(5,307)**<br>**-**|_(27,640)_ <br>_-_||
|**Net movement in funds**<br>Bank accounts at 1 January|**(177)**<br>5,195|**(5,130)**<br>5,130|||-<br>-||-<br>-|**(5,307)**<br>**10,325**|**_(27,640)_**<br>_37,965_||
|**Bank accounts at 31 December**|**5,018**|**-**|||**-**||**-**|**5,018**|_10,325_||



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## **St Clements with All Saints, Hastings** _registered charity number 1139491_ **Statement of Assets and Liabilities** 

Our financial position at the year-end was 

|||**_Unrestricted_**|**_Unrestricted_**|**_Unrestricted_**|||||**_Total_**|_Total_<br>_All Funds_<br>_2022 _|<br>_Notes_<br>_6_|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||**General**<br>**Fund**|**Designated**||**_Restricted_**||**_Endowed_**||**All Funds**|||
|||||**Funds**||**Fund/s**||**Fund/s**|**2023**|||
|**Assets:**<br>Bank Current & Deposit Account||5,018||||||||_10,325_||
|||||-||-||-|**5,018**|||
|**Total Bank and Deposit Accounts**||**5,018**||**-**||**-**||**-**|**5,018**|_10,325_||
|Prepayments & Accrued Income<br>Gift Aid recoverable<br>Other Debtors||-<br>-||||||||_3,030_<br>_1,469_||
|||||-<br>-||-<br>-||-<br>-|**-**<br>**-**|||
|**Debtors**||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**|**-**|_4,499_||
|CCLA investment fund<br>All Saints organ fund<br>Diocese-held fund||280,868<br>**-**<br>**-**|14,944<br>12,886<br>-|||12,446<br>**-**<br>**-**||**-**<br>**-**<br>**46,848**|308,258<br>**12,886**<br>**46,848**|_291,508_<br>_10,322_<br>_42,849_||
|**Investment assets at market value 31/12/23**||**280,868**|**27,830**|||**12,446**||**46,848**|**357,992**|_344,679_||
|||||||||||||
|||||||||||||
|**Investment assets at cost**||**-**|**-**|||**-**||**-**|**-**|**-**||
|**Fixed Assets for Church use**||**300,403**|**-**|||**-**||**-**|**300,403**|_300,403_||
|**Total assets**||**586,289**|**27,830**|||**12,446**||**46,848**|**673,413**|_659,906_||
|**Liabilities:**<br>Creditors: Amounts falling due within one year||||||||||(6,444)||
||||||||||-|||
|**Total liabilities**|||||||||-|(6,444)||



## **Notes** 

6. No Account taken of Increase/decrease value of fixed Assets 

This Financial Report for the year ended 31st December 2023, including the notes following, was approved by the PCC and signed on its behalf by The Revd. Mat Phipps, PCC Chairman: 

……………………………………….……………………….. 

Date ………………………………………………………… 

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## **St Clements with All Saints, Hastings** _registered charity number 1139491_ **Notes to the Financial Report** 

Analysis of total received 

||**Unrestricted**|**Unrestricted**|**Unrestricted**|||||**Total**|_Total_<br>_All Funds_<br>_2022_|_Notes_<br>_1_<br>_2_|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**General**<br>**Fund**|**Designated**||**_Restricted_**||**_Endowed_**||**All Funds**|||
||||**Funds**||**Fund/s**||**Fund/s**|**2023**|||
|Planned giving (excl. tax<br>refunds)<br>Planned giving (no tax refunds)<br>One-off and adhoc donations<br>Special appeals<br>Gift Aid recovered<br>Legacies<br>Misc donations|£<br>19,193<br>876<br>7,387<br>3,093<br>7,467<br>0<br>2,020||£||£||£|**£**|_£_<br>_18,844_<br>_1,141_<br>_8,417_<br>_6,536_<br>_11,527_<br>_-_<br>_110,619_||
||||-||-||-|**19,193**|||
||||-||-||-|**876**|||
||||68||-||-|**7,455**|||
||||553||11,004||-|**14,650**|||
||||-||-||-|**7,467**|||
||||-||-||-|**-**|||
||||-||3,280||-|**5,300**|||
|**Donations and legacies**|**40,036**||**621**||**14,284**||**-**|**54,941**|_157,084_||
|Fees for weddings & funerals|5,937||-||-||-|**5,937**|_5,116_||
|**Total charitable activities**|**5,937**||**-**||**-**||**-**|**5,937**|_5,116_||
|Proceeds of events with<br>trading/sales<br>Concert income<br>Night church<br>Hire of churches<br>Other Fundraising|1,525<br> <br>990<br>4,093||-||-||-|**1,525**|_2,479_<br>_5,843_<br>_957_<br>_1,754_<br>_4,438_||
||||5,764||-||-|**5,764**|||
||||||213||-|**213**|||
||||-||-||-|**990**|||
||||-||-||-|**4,093**|||
|**Total trading activities**|**6,608**||5,764||213||-|**12,585**|_15,471_||
|Income from church hall<br>Income from Parish News|18,317<br>3,629||-||-||-|**18,317**|_16,854_<br>_5,498_||
||||-||-||-|**3,629**|||
|**Total other trading activities**|**21,946**||**-**||-||**-**|**21,946**|_22,352_||
|Bank interest<br>CBF investment fund dividends|46<br>9,555||-||-||-|**46**|_69_<br>_9,919_||
||||-||-||-|**9,555**|||
|**Total investments**|**9,601**||**-**||-||**-**|**9,601**|_9,988_||
|VAT Refunds<br>Insurance claims<br>Other Receipts|-<br>-<br>-||-||-||-|**-**|_35,245_<br>_1,025_<br>_533_||
||||-<br>-||-<br>44||-<br>-|**-**<br>**44**|||
|**Total received on all funds**|**84,128**||**6,385**||**14,541**||-|**105,054**|_246,814_||



Notes: 

1. The restricted figure was funds donated for the appeal for the repair of damage to the All Saints porch roof. 

2. We are grateful for the Two Towers Trust donations of £3,280 towards the All Saints porch temporary repairs. 

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## **St Clements with All Saints, Hastings** _registered charity number 1139491_ **Notes to the Financial Report** 

Analysis of total paid 

||**Unrestricted**|**Unrestricted**|**Unrestricted**|||||**Total**|_Total_<br>_All Funds_<br>_2022_|_Notes_<br>_3_<br>4|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**General**<br>**Fund**|**Designated**||**_Restricted_**||**_Endowed_**||**All Funds**|||
||||**Funds**||**Fund/s**||**Fund/s**|**2023**|||
|Weddings & funerals<br>Fundraising expenses<br>Concerts & AS organ maintenance|£<br>3,644<br>-<br>-||£||£||£|**£**|_£_<br>_2,253_<br>_135_<br>_5,336_||
||||-||-||-|**3,644**|||
||||-||-||-|-|||
||||5,659||-||-|**5,659**|||
|**Cost of raising funds**|**3,644**||**5,659**||-||**-**|**9,303**|_7,724_||
|Charitable grants and donations<br>Parish share to Chichester Diocese<br>Salaries and honoraria incl NI<br>Clergy and other people’s expenses<br>Insurance<br>Utilities<br>Administration<br>Children’s Choir<br>Night church<br>Bells Fund<br>Other regular church running costs<br>Accounting and Examiner’s fees<br>Rossetti Exhibition<br>Church maintenance|-<br>30,000<br>9,830<br>196<br>9,647<br>26,262<br>1,661<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>3,495<br>1,800<br>-<br>8,521||814||-||-|**814**|_577_<br>_30,000_<br>_16,875_<br>_497_<br>_8.209_<br>_9,623_<br>_3,734_<br>_2,674_<br>_97_<br>_150_<br>_2,522_<br>_1,800_<br>_266_<br>_12,503_||
||||-||-||-|**30,000**|||
||||-||-||-|**9,830**|||
||||-||-||-|**196**|||
||||-||-||-|**9,647**|||
||||-||-||-|**26,262**|||
||||-||-||-|**1,661**|||
||||-||1,864||-|**1,864**|||
||||-||-||-|-|||
||||-||-||-|-|||
||||-||-||-|**3,495**|||
||||-||-||-|**1,800**|||
||||-||-||-|-|||
||||-||-||-|**8,521**|||
|**Charitable costs**|**91,412**||**814**||**1,864**||-|**94,090**|_89,527_||
|Hall – insurance<br>Hall maintenance<br>Hall – utilities<br>Parish News costs|1,124<br>-<br>1,951<br>6,527||-||-||-|**1,124**|_993_<br>_870_<br>_1,156_<br>_6,389_||
||||-||839||-|**839**|||
||||-||-||-|**1,951**|||
||||-||-||-|**6,527**|||
|**Trading costs**|**9,602**||**-**||**839**||**-**|**10,441**|_9,408_||
|Major repairs|-||-||5,361||-|**5,361**|_166,215_||
|**Total paid on all funds**|**104,658**||**6,473**||**8,064**||-|**119,195**|_272,874_||



## **Notes** 

3. The PCC arranged a change of provider for gas and electricity from October 2023 in order to try to mitigate the massive increase in costs. 

4. All Saints porch roof costs to end 2023. 

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**St Clements with All Saints, Hastings** _registered charity number 1139491_ **Notes to the Financial Report** 

Payments to PCC employees: 

|ayments to PCC employees:|||
|---|---|---|
|Wages, salaries and honoraria<br>Employer National Insurance<br>Employer pension<br>contributions|**2023**|_2022_|
||**£**<br>**9,830**<br>**-**<br>**-**|_£_<br>_16,875_<br>_-_<br>_-_|
||**9,830**|_16,875_|



Our organist and choirmaster, Malcolm Lock, resigned after Easter. We continue to pay a cleaner for churches and hall, and for a parish administrator. Amounts paid and employees' circumstances mean that no NI payments are required, or pension contributions 

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## **Notes to the Financial Report** 

## Statement of Funds 

||**Balances**<br>**b/fwd**<br>**1 Jan 2023**|**Income**|**Expenditure**|**Transfers,**<br>**other gains**<br>**and losses**|**Balances**<br>**c/fwd**<br>**31 Dec 2023**|**5**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|All Saints churchyard<br>St Clements churchyard<br>Diocese-held funds|£<br>265<br>1,387<br>41,197|£<br>-<br>-<br>-|£<br>-<br>-<br>-|£<br>-<br>-<br>3,999|**£**<br>**265**<br>**1,387**<br>**45,196**||
|**Total of all endowed funds**|**42,849**|**-**|-|**3,999**|**46,848**||
|Night church<br>Jenga<br>All Saints Porch Roof<br>Children's choir<br>Donations Two Towers Trust|1,209<br>24<br>-<br>3,897<br>-|213<br>44<br>11,004<br>-<br>3,280|-<br>-<br>(2,081)<br>(1,864)<br>(3,280)|-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-|**1,422**<br>**68**<br>**8,923**<br>**2,033**<br>-||
|Total of all Restricted Funds|5,130|14,541|(7,225)|-|**12,446**||
|All Saints organ inv. fund<br>All Saints organ<br>All Saints Hall<br>St Clements bells<br>Designated collections|10,322<br>1,904<br>14,156<br>716<br>(68)|-<br>5,764<br>-<br>68<br>553|-<br>(5,659)<br>(839)<br>-<br>(814)|2,564<br>(1,166)<br>-<br>-<br>329|**12,886**<br>**843**<br>**13,317**<br>**784**<br>**-**||
|**Total of all designated funds**|**27,030**|**6,385**|**(7,312)**|**1,727**|**27,830**||
|General fund (bank &<br>investments)<br>Assets held|278,050<br>300,403|84,128<br>-|(104,658)<br>-|28,366<br>-|**285,886**<br>**300,403**||
|**Total of all unrestricted funds**|**605,483**|**90,513**|**(111,970)**|**30,093**|**614,119**||
||||||||
|**Total funds**|**653,462**|**105,054**|**(119,195)**|**34,092**|**673,413**||



5. We remain grateful for the Battley Hibbert Trust funding provided for the junior choir: £2,033 remains. 

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## **Independent Examiner’s Report to the PCC of All Saints with St Clement, Hastings for the Year Ended 31[st] December 2023** 

This is my report to the Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish (PCC) of All Saints with St Clement, Hastings, on the annual report for the year ended 31[st] December 2023 set out on pages 2 to 7. 

**Respective** The PCC members are responsible for the preparation of the annual reports. The PCC **responsibilities of** members consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the **trustees and examiner** Charities Act 2011 (“the Charities Act”) and that an independent examination is needed. 

It is my responsibility to: 

1. examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act, 

2. to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act, and 

3. to state whether particular matters have come to my attention. 

**Basis of independent examiner’s statement** 

My examination was carried out in accordance with general Directions given by the Charity Commission.  An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters.  The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair’ view, and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below. 

In connection with my examination, no material matters have come to my attention **Independent** which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect: **examiner's statement** 

- accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act or 

- the accounts do not accord with the accounting records 

I have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. 

**Examiner’s signature Examiner’s name** _CAPITAL_ Mrs LAURA DAWSON **Date** 17[th] May 2024 

**Relevant professional qualification(s) or body** 

> _if any_ Hastings Voluntary Action, Jackson Hall, Portland Place, Hastings, TN34 1QN **Examiner’s address** 

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**of** 

## **Annual Financial Report** 

**The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of** 

## **St Clements with All Saints Hastings** 

**St Clement’s Church, Swan Terrace, Hastings, TN34 3HT** 

Registered Charity no. 1139491 

**For the year ended 31st December 2023** 

## **CONTENTS** 

|**Page**||
|---|---|
|**2**|**Statement of financial receipts and payments**|
|**3**|**Statement of assets and liabilities**|
|**4**|**Notes to the accounts**|
|**8**|**Report of the independent examiner**|





## **St Clements with All Saints, Hastings** _registered charity number 1139491_ **Summary of Financial Receipts and Payments** 

The financial effect of our activities during the year can be summarised as follows 

||**_Unrestricted_**|**_Unrestricted_**|**_Unrestricted_**|||||**_Total_**|_Total_<br>_All Funds_<br>_2022_|_Notes_|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**General**<br>**Fund**|**Designated**||**_Restricted_**||**_Endowed_**||**All Funds**|||
||||**Funds**||**Fund/s**||**Fund/s**|**2023**|||
|**Income and endowments from:**<br>Donations and legacies<br>Charitable activities<br>Trading activities<br>Investments<br>Other receipts<br> <br>Receipts from Sale of<br>investments|£<br>40,036<br>5,937<br>28,554<br>9,601<br>-||£<br>621<br>-<br>5,764<br>-<br>-||£<br>14,284<br>-<br>213<br>-<br>44||£<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-|**£**<br>**54,941**<br>**5,937**<br>**34,531**<br>**9,601**<br>**44**|_£_<br>_157,084_<br>_20,587_<br>_22,352_<br>_9,988_<br>_36,803_||
||84,128<br>10,000||6,385||14,541||-|105,054<br>**10,000**|_246,814_||
|**Total received**|**94,128**||**6,385**||**14,541**||-|**115,054**|_246,814_||
|**Expenditure on:**<br>Cost of raising funds<br>Charitable costs<br>Trading costs<br>Major Repairs<br>Other payments<br>Payments for purchase of<br>investments|<br>3,644<br>91,412<br>9,602<br>-<br>-||<br>5,659<br>814<br>-<br>-<br>-||<br>-<br>1,864<br>839<br>5,361<br>-||<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-|**9,303**<br>**94,090**<br>**10,441**<br>**5,361**<br>-|_7,724_ <br>_89,527_<br>_9,408_<br>_166,215_<br> -||
||104,658||6,473||8,064|||119,195|_272,874_||
||1,166|||||||**1,166**|_1,580_||
|**Totalpaid**|**105,824**||**6,473**||**8,064**||-|**120,361**|_274,454_||
|_Reconciliation of funds:_<br>Net income or (net expenditure)<br>Transfers between funds|(11,696)<br>**11,519**|(88)<br>**(5,042)**|||6,477<br>**(6477)**||-<br>-|**(5,307)**<br>**-**|_(27,640)_ <br>_-_||
|**Net movement in funds**<br>Bank accounts at 1 January|**(177)**<br>5,195|**(5,130)**<br>5,130|||-<br>-||-<br>-|**(5,307)**<br>**10,325**|**_(27,640)_**<br>_37,965_||
|**Bank accounts at 31 December**|**5,018**|**-**|||**-**||**-**|**5,018**|_10,325_||



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## **St Clements with All Saints, Hastings** _registered charity number 1139491_ **Statement of Assets and Liabilities** 

Our financial position at the year-end was 

|||**_Unrestricted_**|**_Unrestricted_**|**_Unrestricted_**|||||**_Total_**|_Total_<br>_All Funds_<br>_2022 _|<br>_Notes_<br>_6_|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||**General**<br>**Fund**|**Designated**||**_Restricted_**||**_Endowed_**||**All Funds**|||
|||||**Funds**||**Fund/s**||**Fund/s**|**2023**|||
|**Assets:**<br>Bank Current & Deposit Account||5,018||||||||_10,325_||
|||||-||-||-|**5,018**|||
|**Total Bank and Deposit Accounts**||**5,018**||**-**||**-**||**-**|**5,018**|_10,325_||
|Prepayments & Accrued Income<br>Gift Aid recoverable<br>Other Debtors||-<br>-||||||||_3,030_<br>_1,469_||
|||||-<br>-||-<br>-||-<br>-|**-**<br>**-**|||
|**Debtors**||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**|**-**|_4,499_||
|CCLA investment fund<br>All Saints organ fund<br>Diocese-held fund||280,868<br>**-**<br>**-**|14,944<br>12,886<br>-|||12,446<br>**-**<br>**-**||**-**<br>**-**<br>**46,848**|308,258<br>**12,886**<br>**46,848**|_291,508_<br>_10,322_<br>_42,849_||
|**Investment assets at market value 31/12/23**||**280,868**|**27,830**|||**12,446**||**46,848**|**357,992**|_344,679_||
|||||||||||||
|||||||||||||
|**Investment assets at cost**||**-**|**-**|||**-**||**-**|**-**|**-**||
|**Fixed Assets for Church use**||**300,403**|**-**|||**-**||**-**|**300,403**|_300,403_||
|**Total assets**||**586,289**|**27,830**|||**12,446**||**46,848**|**673,413**|_659,906_||
|**Liabilities:**<br>Creditors: Amounts falling due within one year||||||||||(6,444)||
||||||||||-|||
|**Total liabilities**|||||||||-|(6,444)||



## **Notes** 

6. No Account taken of Increase/decrease value of fixed Assets 

This Financial Report for the year ended 31st December 2023, including the notes following, was approved by the PCC and signed on its behalf by The Revd. Mat Phipps, PCC Chairman: 

……………………………………….……………………….. 

Date ………………………………………………………… 

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## **St Clements with All Saints, Hastings** _registered charity number 1139491_ **Notes to the Financial Report** 

Analysis of total received 

||**Unrestricted**|**Unrestricted**|**Unrestricted**|||||**Total**|_Total_<br>_All Funds_<br>_2022_|_Notes_<br>_1_<br>_2_|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**General**<br>**Fund**|**Designated**||**_Restricted_**||**_Endowed_**||**All Funds**|||
||||**Funds**||**Fund/s**||**Fund/s**|**2023**|||
|Planned giving (excl. tax<br>refunds)<br>Planned giving (no tax refunds)<br>One-off and adhoc donations<br>Special appeals<br>Gift Aid recovered<br>Legacies<br>Misc donations|£<br>19,193<br>876<br>7,387<br>3,093<br>7,467<br>0<br>2,020||£||£||£|**£**|_£_<br>_18,844_<br>_1,141_<br>_8,417_<br>_6,536_<br>_11,527_<br>_-_<br>_110,619_||
||||-||-||-|**19,193**|||
||||-||-||-|**876**|||
||||68||-||-|**7,455**|||
||||553||11,004||-|**14,650**|||
||||-||-||-|**7,467**|||
||||-||-||-|**-**|||
||||-||3,280||-|**5,300**|||
|**Donations and legacies**|**40,036**||**621**||**14,284**||**-**|**54,941**|_157,084_||
|Fees for weddings & funerals|5,937||-||-||-|**5,937**|_5,116_||
|**Total charitable activities**|**5,937**||**-**||**-**||**-**|**5,937**|_5,116_||
|Proceeds of events with<br>trading/sales<br>Concert income<br>Night church<br>Hire of churches<br>Other Fundraising|1,525<br> <br>990<br>4,093||-||-||-|**1,525**|_2,479_<br>_5,843_<br>_957_<br>_1,754_<br>_4,438_||
||||5,764||-||-|**5,764**|||
||||||213||-|**213**|||
||||-||-||-|**990**|||
||||-||-||-|**4,093**|||
|**Total trading activities**|**6,608**||5,764||213||-|**12,585**|_15,471_||
|Income from church hall<br>Income from Parish News|18,317<br>3,629||-||-||-|**18,317**|_16,854_<br>_5,498_||
||||-||-||-|**3,629**|||
|**Total other trading activities**|**21,946**||**-**||-||**-**|**21,946**|_22,352_||
|Bank interest<br>CBF investment fund dividends|46<br>9,555||-||-||-|**46**|_69_<br>_9,919_||
||||-||-||-|**9,555**|||
|**Total investments**|**9,601**||**-**||-||**-**|**9,601**|_9,988_||
|VAT Refunds<br>Insurance claims<br>Other Receipts|-<br>-<br>-||-||-||-|**-**|_35,245_<br>_1,025_<br>_533_||
||||-<br>-||-<br>44||-<br>-|**-**<br>**44**|||
|**Total received on all funds**|**84,128**||**6,385**||**14,541**||-|**105,054**|_246,814_||



Notes: 

1. The restricted figure was funds donated for the appeal for the repair of damage to the All Saints porch roof. 

2. We are grateful for the Two Towers Trust donations of £3,280 towards the All Saints porch temporary repairs. 

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## **St Clements with All Saints, Hastings** _registered charity number 1139491_ **Notes to the Financial Report** 

Analysis of total paid 

||**Unrestricted**|**Unrestricted**|**Unrestricted**|||||**Total**|_Total_<br>_All Funds_<br>_2022_|_Notes_<br>_3_<br>4|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**General**<br>**Fund**|**Designated**||**_Restricted_**||**_Endowed_**||**All Funds**|||
||||**Funds**||**Fund/s**||**Fund/s**|**2023**|||
|Weddings & funerals<br>Fundraising expenses<br>Concerts & AS organ maintenance|£<br>3,644<br>-<br>-||£||£||£|**£**|_£_<br>_2,253_<br>_135_<br>_5,336_||
||||-||-||-|**3,644**|||
||||-||-||-|-|||
||||5,659||-||-|**5,659**|||
|**Cost of raising funds**|**3,644**||**5,659**||-||**-**|**9,303**|_7,724_||
|Charitable grants and donations<br>Parish share to Chichester Diocese<br>Salaries and honoraria incl NI<br>Clergy and other people’s expenses<br>Insurance<br>Utilities<br>Administration<br>Children’s Choir<br>Night church<br>Bells Fund<br>Other regular church running costs<br>Accounting and Examiner’s fees<br>Rossetti Exhibition<br>Church maintenance|-<br>30,000<br>9,830<br>196<br>9,647<br>26,262<br>1,661<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>3,495<br>1,800<br>-<br>8,521||814||-||-|**814**|_577_<br>_30,000_<br>_16,875_<br>_497_<br>_8.209_<br>_9,623_<br>_3,734_<br>_2,674_<br>_97_<br>_150_<br>_2,522_<br>_1,800_<br>_266_<br>_12,503_||
||||-||-||-|**30,000**|||
||||-||-||-|**9,830**|||
||||-||-||-|**196**|||
||||-||-||-|**9,647**|||
||||-||-||-|**26,262**|||
||||-||-||-|**1,661**|||
||||-||1,864||-|**1,864**|||
||||-||-||-|-|||
||||-||-||-|-|||
||||-||-||-|**3,495**|||
||||-||-||-|**1,800**|||
||||-||-||-|-|||
||||-||-||-|**8,521**|||
|**Charitable costs**|**91,412**||**814**||**1,864**||-|**94,090**|_89,527_||
|Hall – insurance<br>Hall maintenance<br>Hall – utilities<br>Parish News costs|1,124<br>-<br>1,951<br>6,527||-||-||-|**1,124**|_993_<br>_870_<br>_1,156_<br>_6,389_||
||||-||839||-|**839**|||
||||-||-||-|**1,951**|||
||||-||-||-|**6,527**|||
|**Trading costs**|**9,602**||**-**||**839**||**-**|**10,441**|_9,408_||
|Major repairs|-||-||5,361||-|**5,361**|_166,215_||
|**Total paid on all funds**|**104,658**||**6,473**||**8,064**||-|**119,195**|_272,874_||



## **Notes** 

3. The PCC arranged a change of provider for gas and electricity from October 2023 in order to try to mitigate the massive increase in costs. 

4. All Saints porch roof costs to end 2023. 

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**St Clements with All Saints, Hastings** _registered charity number 1139491_ **Notes to the Financial Report** 

Payments to PCC employees: 

|ayments to PCC employees:|||
|---|---|---|
|Wages, salaries and honoraria<br>Employer National Insurance<br>Employer pension<br>contributions|**2023**|_2022_|
||**£**<br>**9,830**<br>**-**<br>**-**|_£_<br>_16,875_<br>_-_<br>_-_|
||**9,830**|_16,875_|



Our organist and choirmaster, Malcolm Lock, resigned after Easter. We continue to pay a cleaner for churches and hall, and for a parish administrator. Amounts paid and employees' circumstances mean that no NI payments are required, or pension contributions 

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## **Notes to the Financial Report** 

## Statement of Funds 

||**Balances**<br>**b/fwd**<br>**1 Jan 2023**|**Income**|**Expenditure**|**Transfers,**<br>**other gains**<br>**and losses**|**Balances**<br>**c/fwd**<br>**31 Dec 2023**|**5**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|All Saints churchyard<br>St Clements churchyard<br>Diocese-held funds|£<br>265<br>1,387<br>41,197|£<br>-<br>-<br>-|£<br>-<br>-<br>-|£<br>-<br>-<br>3,999|**£**<br>**265**<br>**1,387**<br>**45,196**||
|**Total of all endowed funds**|**42,849**|**-**|-|**3,999**|**46,848**||
|Night church<br>Jenga<br>All Saints Porch Roof<br>Children's choir<br>Donations Two Towers Trust|1,209<br>24<br>-<br>3,897<br>-|213<br>44<br>11,004<br>-<br>3,280|-<br>-<br>(2,081)<br>(1,864)<br>(3,280)|-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-|**1,422**<br>**68**<br>**8,923**<br>**2,033**<br>-||
|Total of all Restricted Funds|5,130|14,541|(7,225)|-|**12,446**||
|All Saints organ inv. fund<br>All Saints organ<br>All Saints Hall<br>St Clements bells<br>Designated collections|10,322<br>1,904<br>14,156<br>716<br>(68)|-<br>5,764<br>-<br>68<br>553|-<br>(5,659)<br>(839)<br>-<br>(814)|2,564<br>(1,166)<br>-<br>-<br>329|**12,886**<br>**843**<br>**13,317**<br>**784**<br>**-**||
|**Total of all designated funds**|**27,030**|**6,385**|**(7,312)**|**1,727**|**27,830**||
|General fund (bank &<br>investments)<br>Assets held|278,050<br>300,403|84,128<br>-|(104,658)<br>-|28,366<br>-|**285,886**<br>**300,403**||
|**Total of all unrestricted funds**|**605,483**|**90,513**|**(111,970)**|**30,093**|**614,119**||
||||||||
|**Total funds**|**653,462**|**105,054**|**(119,195)**|**34,092**|**673,413**||



5. We remain grateful for the Battley Hibbert Trust funding provided for the junior choir: £2,033 remains. 

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## **Independent Examiner’s Report to the PCC of All Saints with St Clement, Hastings for the Year Ended 31[st] December 2023** 

This is my report to the Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish (PCC) of All Saints with St Clement, Hastings, on the annual report for the year ended 31[st] December 2023 set out on pages 2 to 7. 

**Respective** The PCC members are responsible for the preparation of the annual reports. The PCC **responsibilities of** members consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the **trustees and examiner** Charities Act 2011 (“the Charities Act”) and that an independent examination is needed. 

It is my responsibility to: 

1. examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act, 

2. to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act, and 

3. to state whether particular matters have come to my attention. 

**Basis of independent examiner’s statement** 

My examination was carried out in accordance with general Directions given by the Charity Commission.  An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters.  The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair’ view, and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below. 

In connection with my examination, no material matters have come to my attention **Independent** which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect: **examiner's statement** 

- accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act or 

- the accounts do not accord with the accounting records 

I have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. 

**Examiner’s signature Examiner’s name** _CAPITAL_ Mrs LAURA DAWSON **Date** 17[th] May 2024 

**Relevant professional qualification(s) or body** 

> _if any_ Hastings Voluntary Action, Jackson Hall, Portland Place, Hastings, TN34 1QN **Examiner’s address** 

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