# **St Peter’s, Maney Sutton Coldfield**
# **Annual Report 2021**
St Peter’s APCM 2021
## **TABLE OF CONTENTS**
**ITEM .................................................................................................................PAGE** Agendas ................................................................................................................................................. 3 Minutes of 115[th] Annual Meeting of Parishioners of St Peter’s Church, Maney ................... 4 Minutes of the 101[st] Annual Parochial Church Meeting............................................................. 5 Vicar’s Report ...................................................................................................................................... 8 Electoral Roll...................................................................................................................................... 11 Annual Financial Report and Statements ..................................................................................... 12 Treasurer’s Report for year ending 31[st] December 2021 ....................................................... 13 St Peter’s Parochial Church Council Membership for 2020-21 ............................................. 34 Parish Reports ................................................................................................................................... 36 Church Wardens’ Report .................................................................................................... 36 Report on the Proceedings of the Parochial Church Council ..................................... 38 Safeguarding Co-ordinator’s Report .................................................................................. 39 Group Council ........................................................................................................................ 39 Churches Together in Central Sutton Coldfield ............................................................ 40 People and Places ................................................................................................................... 40 Aston and Sutton Coldfield Deanery Synod .................................................................... 40 Diocesan Synod ...................................................................................................................... 41 Parish Administrator ............................................................................................................. 41 Mission, Life & Worship Committee ................................................................................. 42 Music at Maney in 2021 ........................................................................................................ 43 Care Team ............................................................................................................................... 44 Social Committee 2021 ........................................................................................................ 44 Eco Maney ................................................................................................................................ 45 Cedar Group ........................................................................................................................... 46 Church Mission Society ........................................................................................................ 46 Christian Aid ........................................................................................................................... 47 Church Army Report ............................................................................................................ 47 Mothers’ Union ...................................................................................................................... 47 Church Fellowship ................................................................................................................. 48 Children’s Ministry ................................................................................................................. 49
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## **AGENDAS**
## **Annual Meetings Sunday 1[st] May 2022**
1. Opening Prayers
2. Apologies for absence
## **116[th] Annual Meeting of Parishioners**
1. Minutes of 115[th] Annual Meeting of Parishioners
2. Election of Churchwardens
## **102[nd] Annual Parochial Church Meeting**
1. Minutes of 101[st] Annual Meeting on 25[th] April 2021
2. Matters Arising from the Minutes
3. Presentation of the Electoral Roll
4. Treasurer’s Report and Financial Statement
5. Churchwardens’ report
6. Written reports circulated in advance of the meeting with questions
7. Appointment of Independent Examiner of the Accounts
8. Election of 4 people for 3 years and 1 person for 2 years
9. Election of Sides people
10. Vicar’s remarks
11. Any Other Business
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St Peter’s APCM 2021
## **Minutes of the 115[th] Annual Meeting of Parishioners of St Peter’s Church, Maney, at 12 noon on Sunday 25[th] April 2021, held on Zoom.**
## 1.Present: Revd Rebecca Stephens, Vicar in the Chair,
Revd Andrew Ball, Anne Ball, Neville Benyon, Owen Cain, Barbara Chappell, Sonia Clucas, Rosemary Coombes, Movita Dening, Phil Fox, Graham Gomm, Sheila Gomm, Elena Grant, David Griffiths, Hazel Hallas, Janet Harley, Malcolm Harley, Sheena Heaton, Frances Heywood, John Heywood, Michelle Holland, Jane Jenner, Paul Jenner, Naomi Johnson, Sheila Richmond, Eric Swindells, Sue Taylor, Tony Wells, Ann Willis, Christine White, Garth White.
The Vicar welcomed everyone and opened the meeting with Prayer.
2. The Minutes of the 114[th] Annual Meeting were accepted as a true record and signed by the Vicar.
3. There were no matters arising.
4. Retirement of Malcolm Harley as Churchwarden
Becky said a few words about the long and dedicated service Malcom had provided to the church over the years. Malcolm had extended his service at churchwarden for a further year to support Becky in her role and Paul as he took on the duty of churchwarden last year. Becky thanked Malcolm for his dedication to the role and also personally for the support he had offered to her in getting to know the church – both building and people. Becky expressed thanks on behalf of the whole congregation, however, since we were on zoom a presentation will be made at another time.
Malcolm thanked everyone and said how much he had enjoyed being churchwarden. We are delighted that Malcolm remains on PCC as PCC Secretary.
## 5. Election of Churchwarden
There was one nomination for the post vacated by Malcom – Rosemary Coombes, who was proposed by Malcolm Harley and seconded by Ann Willis. Those present then voted unanimously for Rosemary’s election. Paul Jenner was nominated by Hazel Hallas and seconded by Malcolm Harley. Those present voted unanimously for Paul’s election.
Becky thanked Paul and Malcolm for the huge support they had given her since she became Vicar and during some of the most difficult of times as a result of the Coronavirus. She also thanked Rosemary for taking on the role of churchwarden and said she was looking forward to working with Rosemary and Paul, hopeful that once we returned to church in May, we would begin to see a new normal without having to close the building again.
This concluded the meeting.
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St Peter’s APCM 2021
## **Minutes of the 101[st] Annual Parochial Church Meeting**
## **held on Sunday 25[th] April 2021 on Zoom.**
**Attendance** : Revd Rebecca Stephens, Vicar in the Chair,
Revd Andrew Ball, Anne Ball, Neville Benyon, Owen Cain, Barbara Chappell, Sonia Clucas, Rosemary Coombes, Movita Dening, Phil Fox, Graham Gomm, Sheila Gomm, Elena Grant, David Griffiths, Hazel Hallas, Janet Harley, Malcolm Harley, Sheena Heaton, Frances Heywood, John Heywood, Michelle Holland, Jane Jenner, Paul Jenner, Naomi Johnson, Sheila Richmond, Eric Swindells, Sue Taylor, Tony Wells, Ann Willis, Christine White, Garth White.
## **1.Minutes of the 101[st] Meeting**
These were agreed and signed as a correct record.
## **2.Matters arising from the Minutes**
There were none.
## **3.Presentation of the Electoral Roll**
Elena Grant reported that the Roll had been revised between 7[th] March and 4[th] April 2021. 6 members have been removed from the roll, 4 had died, 2 had moved away; 2 had been added. There was a total of 134 which was 4 less than the previous year. There is a trend of a slight increase in the number of residents. A copy of the Roll was available for inspection in the church porch.
Becky expressed her gratitude to Elena for all her work.
## **4.Treasurer’s Report and Financial Statement**
Paul gave a summary of the very difficult year 2020 turned out to be. We were affected by 2 lockdowns which meant that the church was closed much of the time and when it did open numbers attending were down. The hall was also closed for much of the year so that we lost a lot of revenue. This was offset to some degree by the successful application for local authority grants and the use of the furlough scheme together with a fall in expenditure due to this lower usage. The net result was an operating deficit of £3,432. We are so grateful for those who continue to donate to St Peter’s by standing order or direct debit, and to those who have changed their giving to one of these schemes. Without this continued and regular support the deficit would have been considerably higher, so thankyou to you all.
So far in 2021 things still look precarious and we won’t know until restrictions start to be lifted how the year will turn out.
Becky thanked Paul for his hard work and dedication.
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## **5.Churchwardens’ Report**
There were no questions. The Wardens were thanked for all they have done.
## **6.Written Reports**
As these had been printed and circulated to everyone, the Minutes will only refer to comments, questions or discussion arising.
Parish Administrator’s Report. Becky thanked Fay for her willingness to adapt to the way she worked during the continuing changes of guidelines during the pandemic.
Mission, Life and Worship. Becky thanked all of those who enabled the ministry and mission at St Peter’s. Particularly she gave thanks for Andrew Ball, Sheila Richmond and Ann Willis who have been willing to minister and lead worship in new ways in order to offer worship in lockdown. Cedar Group Mo Dening and Rosemary Coombes were thanked for all their efforts with Cedar Group. It was hard to keep in touch with everyone but they have managed to ensure everyone receives phone calls and the newsletter.
Mo, Sonia and Barbara Chappell were all thanked for their on-going work with Children and Young People.
Safeguarding Report – there were no questions or concerns. Becky thanked Ann Willis for her ministry as safeguarding coordinator.
## **7.Appointment of Independent Examiner.**
Thanks were given to Hannah Tipper for her considerable help as Independent Examiner for this year. She has requested that she retire from the post as her work commitments will be increasing and she feels that a fresh pair of eyes will be beneficial. Paul said that at this time a replacement had not been found and that nominations will be put to the PCC when they are obtained.
## **8.Election of Members of Parochial Church Council**
There were vacancies for 1 person (2 year term) and 2 people (3 year term). Nominations had been received from Malcolm Harley (2 year term) and Mo Dening (3 year term). Both were elected unanimously.
## **9.Election of Sides People**
Since no face to face services had taken place for some time, we did not have an up to date list of sidespeople who were willing to carry out restricted duties during the pandemic. It was proposed by Malcolm Harley that the current list of 12 volunteers should continue with their duties once services resumed. This was seconded by Paul Jenner and all voted in favour.
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## **10.Vicar’s Remarks**
Becky welcomed Malcolm and Mo as new members of the PCC, although both have previously served, their wisdom and gifts were of great value to the PCC.
Becky gave thanks for how everyone had been devoted to ensuring everyone was cared for during this recent phase of the pandemic. We have seen a great deal of sadness throughout the year as we have lost some faithful members of the congregation through death and moving away. However, the church family has remained strong and faithful.
Becky also reminded us that we have now officially become an Inclusive Church, this means we are encouraged to offer a radical welcome to all people, no matter their gender, sexuality, ability or otherwise. We have agreed to move towards a church whereby all will be represented at the front, and all will see themselves as loved and valued as a member of the church, and of God’s family.
She thanked everyone who was making this possible, particularly Owen Cain who proposed the motion at the beginning of the year.
Finally, Becky hoped that when we return to the church building this would be a permanent way of worshipping. We will offer worship both on site and online, through livestreaming. She expressed her thanks to all those who continued to write and review risk assessments in order to make onsite worship as safe as possible.
## **11.Any Other Business**
There was no other business.
The meeting finished with the Inclusive Church prayer, followed by the Grace
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## **VICAR’S REPORT**
2021 was another unpredictable year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We began 2021 worshipping online whilst the building remained closed. We held a service on site for Easter Sunday and then had to close again due to essential building works. We were delighted to open the building again for worship in May 2021. The reports that follow pay particular tribute to so many of the challenges we have faced and the commitment of so many to navigate the pandemic, particularly recognizing the ever-changing risk assessments and guidelines. I am particularly grateful to the churchwardens, Rosemary and Paul, for their support throughout this year. They are both very gifted and generous in offering their time and gifts to St Peter’s.
## **Worship**
Throughout 2021, worship has been offered each Sunday. Until May, every service was prerecorded, to allow the voices of others. Once we were able to offer worship from the church building, we have offered a hybrid approach to worship. Every service is livestreamed from St Peter’s Church onto our Facebook page. In order for this to happen we have purchased a streaming camera and have installed Wi-Fi into the church building. This enables those of us who cannot get to church to be a part of the worshipping life of St Peter’s.
In addition to Sundays, we continued to offer Morning Prayer live on Facebook each Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Once we reinstated worship in the building, we brought back the Thursday morning BCP Communion service at 10.30am. This was reasonably well attended, at around 12 people. We kept this as a safe space for those who are particularly vulnerable.
Music continued to be challenge in lockdown. Once we were allowed to meet in groups of 6, the choir came together to produce music for our prerecorded services. It was a joy to all be able to sing again together when the restrictions were relaxed further, even if it was from behind face coverings. As is mentioned in the music report, we are very grateful to Logan Pritchard from Emanuel for taking the role of choir leader.
Pebbles continued for our younger children, and then in May we saw the return of Sunday Club. Sonia and the team have worked hard to ensure guidelines have been followed and that children and volunteers were kept safe. Some of our older children took on new roles and responsibilities in the church. Shini is now a Server and Gabby is a welcomer and helps to serve refreshments.
We have introduced a new monthly intergenerational service which replaces the 0-99 service simply called a Family Communion service. This service is a Communion service as the PCC recognize the sacramental ecclesiology of many of our congregation. The service uses the Additional Eucharistic Prayers and involves people of all ages.
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## **Mission and Outreach**
In March, we marked one year since the first national lockdown by offering a service of thanksgiving and remembering. This included the experiences of local people such as a funeral director and school teachers, as well as some of the congregation. During this service, we planted two trees – one in recognition of the key workers for all they have done during the pandemic, and one in memory of Maxine Hill, Parish Administrator, who died in 2020.
As well as offering services online, we continued to engage with our local community by offering ways to worship, reflect and pray outside. Again, we offered items for people to take from the steps, a net to tie ribbons on for Remembrance, a cross to fill at All Souls, and a nativity scene.
We introduced new ideas this year which included a prayer mound, the stations of the cross in Holy Week and an Easter Garden.
We lit the churchyard again at Christmas with lights donated by Maney Hill Road and held outdoor carol services. This year also saw the return of the popular Nativity play, which was held outside for safety reasons. The event was attended by around 70 people who came even though it was pouring with rain. My thanks to all who made this possible, especially Frances.
We also introduced a new Crib Service this year for younger children. This was a successful event, welcoming 20 children and 12 adults.
We have been delighted to have made connections with a new Care Home in Maney, Sutton Park Grange. Emily and I visit here each fortnight and lead a service of Holy Communion with hymns for around 15-20 people.
We continue to take Home Communion to those who are housebound.
To support our community, we have continued to collect items for the Foodbank. We also gathered a large amount of clothing and toiletries for Afghan refugees who arrived in Sutton Coldfield.
## **Roles and responsibilities**
This year we have seen some change among those who have roles within the church. Those who have handed on responsibilities are:
Malcolm Harley: Churchwarden Fay Moore: Parish Administrator Ian Moore: Caretaker Frances and John Heywood: Christian Aid Sonia Clucas: Mother’s Union Bunny Gasson: Flower Coordinator
My thanks to each of them for all they have offered.
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We have been delighted to welcome new members into the roles which have been made vacant.
Rosemary Coombes: Churchwarden Malcolm Harley: PCC Secretary Angela Bagshaw: Parish Administrator Paul Micklewright: Caretaker Ann Willis: Mother’s Union
A highlight of the year was when we welcomed a new Assistant Curate, Rev’d Emily RobottomScott. Emily comes to us following three years of training at Cuddesdon. We look forward to sharing in this stage of Emily’s training.
I was humbled and privileged to have been invited to be an Honorary Canon at Birmingham Cathedral in November.
It is always a joy to see the gifts of God’s people being used to build God’s Kingdom. We thank all those who have offered their time and gifts in the past and those who are now offering themselves in service to God at St Peter’s.
## **Occasional offices**
In 2021, we took 15 funerals. Among them were some beloved members of our church community. May they all rest in peace and rise in glory.
We took 2 weddings and 10 baptisms. It has been a real joy to be able to take weddings and baptisms in church again.
We were delighted that Lilly Taylor and Nicole Scott decided to be confirmed this year. It was a joyful celebration at Birmingham Cathedral with Bishop Anne.
## **Conclusion**
There is so much to share, much of which you will read throughout this report. There are so many people, who offer extraordinary gifts at St Peter’s, much of which happens behind the scenes. I am sorry I could not mention every name, but please know how grateful I am and that you are all often in my prayers.
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## **ELECTORAL ROLL**
The annual revision of the Electoral Roll was carried out between 7[th] March and 4[th ] April 2021. During 2021:
- 6 names were removed from the Electoral Roll – 4 were as a result of deaths and 2 people moved from the area
- 2 names were added to the Electoral Roll
- The number of names on the Electoral Roll on December 31[st] was 134*
- The trend for a small increase in the proportion of residents vs non-residents noted in the two previous years was maintained
- After the revision period, an inspection copy of the updated Electoral Roll was posted on the noticeboard in the main entrance porch prior to the APCM. During the rest of the year, an inspection copy can be found in the Tower porch. In keeping with the revised regulations, the inspection copy contains only the names of those on the Electoral Roll, whether or not they are resident within the parish and the date of addition to the Roll. Addresses are no longer included
- A verbal report was given at the APCM on 25[th ] April 2021
Current Electoral Roll cycle 2019 – 2025
|Year|Total on Electoral
Roll|Resident|Non-resident|
|---|---|---|---|
|2018- 2019|136|40 (29.4%)|96 (70.6%|
|2019-2020|138|45 (32.6%)|93 (67.4%|
|2020- 2021|134*|48 (35.5%)|87 (64.5%)|
*This figure will be updated after the annual revision in 2022 which takes place between 13[th] March and 10[th] April 2022.
Elena Grant - Electoral Roll Officer
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## **ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT AND STATEMENTS OF THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL**
**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] DECEMBER 2021**
**Charity Number: 1140021**
## **INCUMBENT**
**The Revd Canon Becky Stephens**
**St. Peter’s Vicarage Maney Hill Road Sutton Coldfield B72 1JJ**
**BANK**
**The Co-operative Bank PO Box 250 Delf House Southway Skelmersdale WN8 6WT**
## **INDEPENDENT EXAMINER**
**Mrs M Butterfield**
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Accounts Page 2 of 15
## **TREASURER’S REPORT FOR YEAR ENDING 31[ST] DECEMBER 2021**
At the start of 2021 we were again in lockdown due to the COVID pandemic. This didn’t start easing until April when the Hall started to be used again and the church reopened. Unlike 2020 we did not suffer further interruption and, while precautions remained in place, the forecast improvement in income took place in the second half of the year. This saw general giving (collections) increase from £1,129 to £1,777 and standing orders and donations increase from £42,700 to £43,614. With a switch away from white envelopes to standing orders, that dropped from £4,203 to £3,381. With Hall bookings increasing again in the second half, income increased from £9,766 to £15,166. Good housekeeping continued this year so that the Unrestricted expenditure fell by around £1,000. With further grants of £8,017 received, we managed an operational surplus of £3,836.
The Statement of Financial Activities (Income and Expenditure Account) on page 4 of the accounts shows the surplus on Unrestricted Funds of £3,836. Once again, our investments showed considerable growth which increased the surplus to £8,764. Income from donors, which includes the weekly envelope scheme, regular giving by standing orders and direct debits, general and special collections and the recovery of tax by Gift Aid, increased slightly this year by £700 to £60,232. Planned Giving also increased by £700 (or 1.6%) to £45,927 but this is still nearly £4,000 below 2019.
The Diocese Common Fund this year was £36,555, a drop of £12,825 on last year due to a lower minimum request. Because of continuing uncertainty during the year, the review found that we were not able to increase this. The PCC decided that any surplus that we made this year would be used to increase our contribution in 2022. With this drop our charitable giving increased to £4,500. The Fund ended the year at £117,341.
With the completion this year of the Quinquennial works and the installation of fire protection in the kitchen, Designated Funds have reduced. At the end of the year they were Church Emergency (£33,775), Hall Roof (£30,000), residue of Defibrillator (£239), Stone House, which funds our Youth work and Curate expenses, (£296,598), Organ Repairs (£10,621), residue of Computer equipment (£13) and Church Fabric (£2,142). There was a surplus in Designated accounts of £5,084 where the increase in investment values more than offset the capital expenditure. At the end of the year the Designated funds stood at £373,388.
The total of Restricted funds is now £3,042. Details of all funds can be seen in Note 11 on page 13.
For 2022 an assumption has been made that COVID restrictions will gradually be removed and more people will start to attend church. Costs, however, will rise substantially with inflation and the large increase in fuel bills. With the additional payment to the Diocese mentioned above another deficit budget has been set of over £5,000.
At the end of the year the accounts show total funds of £493,771. The Balance Sheet on page 5 and Note 8 (Investments) on page 12 show where those funds are held with £200,460 on deposit with the Central Board of Finance (CBF) and investments (£278,546) representing longer term funds which are all invested in funds of the CBF.
Paul Jenner Hon Treasurer
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Accounts Page 3 of 15
## **Independent Examiner’s Report**
## **To the Parochial Church Council of St. Peter’s, Maney**
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of St Peter’s Maney PCC for the year ended 31[st] December 2021 which are set out on pages 4 to 15. This examination took place on the 21[st] March 2022.
## Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity trustees of the Trust you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”).
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
## Independent examiner’s statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act; or
2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or
3. the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
## _**A signed copy of this statement is held in the accounts file.**_
## **Name:** Mrs M Butterfield
## **Relevant professional qualification of membership of professional bodies:**
Past Member of ICAEW, now retired
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## **PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF ST. PETER’S, MANEY**
## STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] DECEMBER 2021
Accounts Page 4 of 15
______________________________________________________________________________________________
||**Note**|**Unrestricted**|**Designated**|**Restricted**|**TOTAL**||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||**Funds**|**Funds**|**Funds**|**2021**|**2020**|
|||£|£|£|£|£|
|**INCOME from:**|||||||
|Donations|2,4|69251|5573|2987|77811|74785|
|Charitable Activities|2,4|17023|0|0|17023|10966|
|Other Trading Activities|2,4|3335|0|0|3335|3197|
|Investments|2,4|1102|7613|0|8715|9460|
|||______|_____|_____|______|______|
|**TOTAL INCOME**||90711|13186|2987|106884|98408|
|||=====|=====|====|=====|=====|
|**EXPENDITURE on:**|||||||
|Raising Funds|3,5|14421|11139|0|25560|16046|
|Charitable Activities|3,5|72454|21295|2953|96702|79398|
|||______|_____|____|______|______|
|**TOTAL EXPENDITURE**||86875|32434|2953|122262|95444|
|||=====|=====|====|=====|=====|
|**NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)**||3836|(19248)|34|(15378)|2964|
|**GAINS/(LOSSES) ON INVESTMENTS**|8|4928|29905|0|34833|6866|
|||______|______|______|______|______|
|**NET INCOME**||8764|10657|34|19455|9830|
|**TRANSFERS BETWEEN FUNDS**|12|0|0|0|0|0|
|||_______|______|______|______|______|
|**NET MOVEMENT IN FUNDS**||8764|10657|34|19455|9830|
|**TOTAL FUNDS AT 1ST JANUARY 2021**||108577|362731|3008|474316|464486|
|||______|______|_____|______|______|
|**TOTAL FUNDS AT 31ST DEC 2021**|11|117341|373388|3042|493771|474316|
|||=====|=====|=====|=====|=====|
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## **PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF ST. PETER’S, MANEY**
BALANCE SHEET AT 31[ST] DECEMBER 2021
Page 5 of 15
______________________________________________________________________________________________
||||**2021**|**2020**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||**Notes**|£|£|£|
|**FIXED ASSETS**|||||
|Church hall and equipment|7|1||1|
|Investments|8|278545||243712|
|||______||______|
||||278546|243713|
|||||______|
|**CURRENT ASSETS**|||||
|Debtors and payments in advance|9|8649||3979|
|Cash in Hand||0||0|
|Balance at bank||15110||13799|
|Short term deposits||200460||220451|
|||______||______|
|||224219||238229|
|**LIABILITIES: amounts falling due within one year**|10|8994||7626|
|||______|||
|**NET CURRENT ASSETS**|||215225|230603|
||||______|______|
|**NET ASSETS**|||493771|474316|
||||=====|=====|
|**REPRESENTED BY PARISH FUNDS**|11||||
|Unrestricted|||117341|108577|
|Designated|||373388|362731|
|Restricted|||3042|3008|
||||______|______|
||||493771|474316|
||||=====|=====|
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Approved by the Parochial Church Council on 15[th] March 2022, where, further to a review of the draft financial statements, the trustees agreed that there were no concerns over the ability to continue as a going concern. _**A signed copy of this SOFA is held in the accounts file.**_
………………………………………………………………………………………
Revd Becky Stephens (Chairman)
………………………………………………………………………………………
Miss Rosemary Coombes (Warden)
The notes on pages 6 to 15 form part of these accounts.
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## **PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF ST. PETER’S, MANEY**
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] DECEMBER 2021
Page 6 of 15
______________________________________________________________________________________________
## **1. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES**
The financial statements have been prepared under the Church Accounting Regulations 2006 in accordance with the current Statement of Recommended Practice, Accounting and Reporting by Charities and applicable accounting standard FRS102.
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention except for investment assets, which are shown at fair valuation. The financial statements include all transactions, assets and liabilities for which the PCC is responsible in law. They do not include the accounts of church groups that owe their main affiliation to another body, nor those that are informal gatherings of church members.
## **Funds**
Funds over which the PCC control is limited by statute or the terms of a trust deed, or which are restricted in their use have been defined as “restricted funds”. Funds which are controlled by the PCC and over which there are essentially no restrictions as to their use have been defined as “unrestricted funds”. Designated funds are unrestricted funds that have been set aside by the PCC for purposes designated by PCC policy. Such designations may be set aside from time to time according to policy decisions.
_Restricted Funds_ comprise (a) income from endowments which is to be expended only on the restricted purposes intended by the donor, and (b) revenue donations or grants for a specific PCC activity intended by the donor.
_Unrestricted Funds_ are income funds which are to be spent on the PCC’s general purposes.
_Designated Funds_ are general funds set aside by the PCC for use in the future. Project funds are designated for particular projects for administration purposes only. Funds designated as invested in fixed assets for the PCC’s own use are abated in line with those assets’ annual depreciation charges in the SOFA. Designated funds remain unrestricted and the PCC will move any surplus to other general funds.
## Funds Policy
The PCC have decided that, for 2022 onwards, the Unrestricted Funds are intended for short-term investment for income (up to £55,000) and 6 months operating expenditure (£45,000), and the remainder, surplus from legacies received in 2016, to be subject to PCC decisions for the time being.
In 2016 the PCC decided that the following will be designated: a buildings fund to allow items from the Quinquennial Report to be implemented together with emergency requirements (£140,000); a church fabric fund for items within the church (£5,000); a hall roof fund for the imminent repair (£30,000) and other small items (£1,100). The accounts show where spending has already taken place within these funds.
## **Income**
All income is included in the Statement of Financial Activities when the PCC is legally entitled to them as income or capital respectively, ultimate receipt is probable and the amount to be recognised can be quantified with reasonable accuracy.
Planned giving, collections and similar donations are recognised when received. Tax refunds are recognised when the income to which they are related is received.
Grants received which are subject to pre conditions for entitlements or use specified by the donor which have not been met at the year end are included in creditors to be carried forward to the following year. Dividends and rents are accounted for when declared receivable, interest as and when accrued by the payer.
All income is accounted for gross.
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St Peter’s APCM 2021
## **PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF ST. PETER’S, MANEY**
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] DECEMBER 2021
Page 7 of 15
______________________________________________________________________________________________
## **Expenditure**
Liabilities are recognised as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the PCC to pay out resources. Expenditure is included on an accruals basis under the following headings; all costs are allocated under a specific category:
## _Costs of raising funds_
These are the costs associated with the PCC’s fundraising activities such as parish magazine printing, summer fete and Christmas bazaar event costs and church hall running costs.
## _Charitable expenditure_
Charitable expenditure is analysed between ministry and mission expenditure. Ministry expenditure includes the direct costs of running the church such as the diocesan parish share, church building and service costs. The diocesan parish share expected to be paid over is accounted when due. Mission expenditure includes mission giving and donations, outreach in the community activities, messy church and associated staff costs.
Support costs consist of central management, administration and governance costs such as the independent examiner fees. These are costs which are directly attributable to a specific charitable activity.
Grants and donations payable are accounted for when authorized, when the award of the grant/donation has been specifically communicated to the recipient and when the PCC have agreed to pay the grant/donation without condition, or any condition attaching to the grant/donation is outside the control of the PCC. Grants/donations offered subject to certain conditions which have not been met at the year end are noted as a commitment, but not accrued as expenditure. Grants and donations are accounted for when paid over, or when awarded, if that award creates a binding or constructive obligation on the PCC.
Expenditure is accounted for gross.
## **Tangible Fixed Assets and Depreciation**
Movable church furnishings held by the vicar and churchwardens on special trust for the PCC and which require a faculty for disposal are inalienable property, listed in the church’s inventory, which can be inspected (at any reasonable time). For anything acquired prior to 2000 there is insufficient cost information available and therefore such assets are not valued in the financial statements. Subsequently no individual item has cost more than £1,000 so all such expenditure has been written off when incurred.
Land and buildings owned by the Church are depreciated on a straight line basis over 25 years.
Equipment used within the Church premises is written off when the asset is acquired.
## **Financial Instruments**
The PCC has elected to apply the provision of section 11 “Basic Financial Instruments” and section 12 “Other Financial Instruments” of FRS102 in full to all of its financial instruments.
Debtors which are receivable within one year and which do not constitute a financing transaction are initially measured at the transaction price. Debtors are subsequently measured at amortised cost being the transaction price less any amounts settled and any impairment losses.
Creditors payable within one year and which do not constitute a financing transaction are initially measured at the transaction price. Creditors are subsequently measured at amortised cost being the transaction price less any amounts settled.
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St Peter’s APCM 2021
## **PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF ST. PETER’S, MANEY**
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] DECEMBER 2021
Page 8 of 15
______________________________________________________________________________________________
## **2. INCOME**
**Unrestricted Designated Restricted TOTAL**
||**Funds**|**Funds**|**Funds**|**2021**|**2020**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||£|£|£|£|£|
|**Donations:**||||||
|Planned Giving|45927|0|0|45927|45200|
|Collections|1777|0|0|1777|1129|
|Sundry Donations|1068|0|2579|3647|6501|
|Legacies|0|0|0|0|0|
|Gift Aid Recovered|11461|0|408|11869|12494|
|VAT Reclaimed|1001|5573|0|6574|809|
|Grants|8017|0|0|8017|8652|
||______|_____|_____|______|______|
|Total Donations|69251|5573|2987|77811|74785|
||=====|=====|====|=====|=====|
|**Charitable Activities**||||||
|Fees for weddings and funerals|1857|0|0|1857|1105|
|Hall lettings|15166|0|0|15166|9766|
|Magazine Sales|0|0|0|0|95|
||_____|_____|____|_____|_____|
|Total Charitable Activities|17023|0|0|17023|10966|
||=====|=====|====|=====|=====|
|**Other Trading Activities**||||||
|Magazine Adverts|0|0|0|0|233|
|Christmas Craft Fayre|1495|0|0|1495|1022|
|Other Fund Raising Activities|272|0|0|272|351|
|Solar Panel Income|1568|0|0|1568|1591|
|Miscellaneous|0|0|0|0|0|
||_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|
|Total Other Trading Activities|3335|0|0|3335|3197|
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St Peter’s APCM 2021
||====|====|====|====|====|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Investments**||||||
|Dividends|999|7604|0|8603|8523|
|Interest|103|9|0|112|937|
||____|____|____|____|____|
|Total Investments|1102|7613|0|8715|9460|
||====|====|====|====|====|
|**TOTAL**|**90711**|**13186**|**2987**|**106884**|**98408**|
||=====|=====|====|=====|=====|
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St Peter’s APCM 2021
## **PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF ST. PETER’S, MANEY**
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] DECEMBER 2020
Page 9 of 15
______________________________________________________________________________________________
## **3. EXPENDITURE**
|**3.**
**EXPENDITURE**||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**Unrestricted**|**Designated**|**Restricted**|**TOTAL**||
||**Funds**|**Funds**|**Funds**|**2021**|**2020**|
||£|£|£|£|£|
|**Raising Funds**||||||
|Magazine Costs|0|0|0|0|30|
|Hall Costs|9734|11139|0|20873|12045|
|Fundraising Costs|255|0|0|255|0|
|Support for Raising Funds|4432|0|0|4432|3971|
||_____|____|_____|_____|_____|
|Total Raising Funds|14421|11139|0|25560|16046|
||=====|====|====|=====|=====|
|**Charitable Expenditure**||||||
|**_Resourcing Ministry_**||||||
|Diocesan Parish Share|36555|0|0|36555|49380|
|Clergy Expenses|3020|0|0|3020|571|
|Cost of Services|4068|0|43|4068|1984|
|Church Running Costs|11273|0|0|11273|10178|
|Church Repair & Maintenance|7768|21295|589|29652|3831|
|Support for Resourcing Ministry|4540|0|0|4540|4916|
|**_Resourcing Mission_**||||||
|Child Mission|337|0|0|337|217|
|Charitable Giving|4599|0|2321|6963|7781|
|Special Appeals|0|0|0|0|0|
|Youth Work|0|0|0|0|0|
|Miscellaneous|79|0|0|79|345|
|COVID Costs|215|0|0|215|195|
||_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|
|Total Charitable Expenditure|72454|21295|2953|96702|79398|
||=====|=====|=====|=====|=====|
|**TOTAL**|**86875**|**32434**|**2953**|**122262**|**95444**|
||**=====**|**=====**|**=====**|**=====**|**=====**|
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St Peter’s APCM 2021
## **PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF ST. PETER’S, MANEY**
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] DECEMBER 2021
Page 10 of 15
______________________________________________________________________________________________
## **4. INCOME for 2020**
|**4.**
**INCOME for 2020**||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**Unrestricted**|**Designated**|**Restricted**|**TOTAL**||
||**Funds**|**Funds**|**Funds**||**2020**|
||£|£|£||£|
|**Donations:**||||||
|Planned Giving|45200|0|0||45200|
|Collections|1129|0|0||1129|
|Sundry Donations|1703|0|4798||6501|
|Legacies|0|0|0||0|
|Gift Aid Recovered|11494|0|1000||12494|
|VAT Reclaimed|358|451|0||809|
|Grants|8652|0|0||8652|
||______|_____|_____||______|
|Total Donations|68536|451|5798||74785|
||=====|=====|====||=====|
|**Charitable Activities**||||||
|Fees for weddings and funerals|1105|0|0||1105|
|Hall lettings|9766|0|0||9766|
|Magazine Sales|95|0|0||95|
||_____|_____|____||_____|
|Total Charitable Activities|10966|0|0||10966|
||=====|=====|====||=====|
|**Other Trading Activities**||||||
|Magazine Adverts|233|0|0||233|
|Christmas Craft Fayre|1022|0|0||1022|
|Other Fund Raising Activities|351|0|0||351|
|Solar Panel Income|1591|0|0||1591|
|Miscellaneous|0|0|0||0|
||_____|_____|_____||_____|
|Total Other Trading Activities|3197|0|0||3197|
||====|====|====||====|
|**Investments**||||||
|Dividends|965|7558|0||8523|
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St Peter’s APCM 2021
|Interest|865|72|0|937|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||____|____|____|____|
|Total Investments|1830|7630|0|9460|
||====|====|====|====|
|**TOTAL**|**84529**|**8081**|**5798**|**98408**|
||=====|=====|====|=====|
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St Peter’s APCM 2021
## **PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF ST. PETER’S, MANEY**
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] DECEMBER 2021
Page 11 of 15
______________________________________________________________________________________________
## **5. EXPENDITURE for 2020**
||**Unrestricted**|**Designated**|**Restricted**|**TOTAL**||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**Funds**|**Funds**|**Funds**||**2020**|
||£|£|£||£|
|**Raising Funds**||||||
|Magazine Costs|30|0|0||30|
|Hall Costs|9341|2704|0||12045|
|Fundraising Costs|0|0|0||0|
|Support for Raising Funds|3971|0|0||3971|
||_____|____|_____||_____|
|Total Raising Funds|13342|2704|0||16046|
||=====|====|====||=====|
|**Charitable Expenditure**||||||
|**_Resourcing Ministry_**||||||
|Diocesan Parish Share|49380|0|0||49380|
|Clergy Expenses|571|0|0||571|
|Cost of Services|1964|0|20||1984|
|Church Running Costs|10178|0|0||10178|
|Church Repair & Maintenance|3274|0|557||3831|
|Support for Resourcing Ministry|4916|0|0||4916|
|**_Resourcing Mission_**||||||
|Child Mission|217|0|0||217|
|Charitable Giving|3579|0|4202||7781|
|Special Appeals|0|0|0||0|
|Youth Work|0|0|0||0|
|Miscellaneous|345|0|0||345|
|COVID Costs|195|0|0||195|
||_____|_____|_____||_____|
|Total Charitable Expenditure|74619|0|4779||79398|
||=====|=====|=====||=====|
|**TOTAL**|**87961**|**2704**|**4779**||**95444**|
||**=====**|**=====**|**=====**||**=====**|
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St Peter’s APCM 2021
## **PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF ST. PETER’S, MANEY**
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] DECEMBER 2021
Page 12 of 15
|______________________________________________________________________________________________|______________________________________________________________________________________________|______________________________________________________________________________________________|______________________________________________________________________________________________|
|---|---|---|---|
|||2021|2020|
|**6.**|**STAFF COSTS**|||
|||£|£|
||Wages and salaries|13988|12196|
|||=====|=====|
No member of the PCC received any remuneration or reimbursement of expenses other than the Vicar as shown in Note 3. 2021 includes Office Administrators and Caretakers.
## **7. TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS**
|||£|£||
|---|---|---|---|---|
||Cost of Church Hall Building||23902|23902|
||Less accumulated depreciation||23901|23901|
||||______|______|
||||1|1|
||||=====|=====|
||Net Book Value at 31stDecember 2021||1||
||Net Book Value at 31stDecember 2020|||1|
|
**8.**|**INVESTMENTS**||||
||||£|£|
||Valuation as at 1stJanuary 2021||243712|236846|
||
Increase/(Decrease) in valuation||34833|6866|
||Investments/(Disposals)||---|---|
||||______|______|
||Valuation at 31stDecember 2021||278545|243712|
||||=====|=====|
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St Peter’s APCM 2021
||Government stocks||---|---|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||1,681 shares in CBF investment fund||39378|34450|
||Stone House – 6,525 shares in CBF investment fund||152822|133697|
||Stone House – 58,392 shares in CBF property fund||86345|75565|
||||______|______|
||||278545|243712|
||||======|======|
||||2021|2020|
|**9.**|**DEBTORS**||||
|||£|£||
||Gift Aid Recoverable||1928|2051|
||Solar Panel Feed-in-Tariff||147|151|
||VAT Reclaim||6574|809|
||Insurance Claim||------|968|
||||_____|_____|
||||8649|3979|
||||====|====|
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St Peter’s APCM 2021
## **PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF ST. PETER’S, MANEY**
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] DECEMBER 2021
Page 13 of 15
______________________________________________________________________________________________
## **10. CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR**
||2021|2020|
|---|---|---|
||£|£|
|Gas Accrued|1138|616|
|Electricity Accrued|292|236|
|BDBF Assigned Fees|137|1200|
|Copier Usage Charge|66|47|
|Committed Donations to Charities|4723|3664|
|Telephone & Internet|62|58|
|Vicar Expenses|892|659|
|Sundry Supplies|195|424|
|Repairs & Works|1133|722|
|Equipment from 2020|356|------|
||_____|_____|
||8994|7626|
||====|====|
## **11. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS**
||Balance||||Capital|Balance|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||1/1/2021|Income|Expenditure|Transfers|Movements|31/12/2021|
||£|£|£|£|£|£|
|**Restricted Funds**|||||||
|Memorial Book|51|50|0|0|0|101|
|Choir|667|335|0|0|0|1002|
|Discretionary Poor Fund|315|0|64|0|0|251|
|Hall Sound System|300|0|0|0|0|300|
|Church Sound System|21|0|0|0|0|21|
|Ministry|700|0|0|0|0|700|
|Eco Planters|50|0|26|0|0|24|
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St Peter’s APCM 2021
|Vestry Steps|68|0|0|0|0|68|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Charity Collections|273|2195|2257|0|0|211|
|LED Lighting|563|0|563|0|0|0|
|Flower Fund|0|357|43|0|0|314|
|Social Committee|0|50|0|0|0|50|
||_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|____|
||3008|2987|2953|0|0|3042|
||====|====|=====|====|====|====|
|**Unrestricted Funds**|||||||
|**_Designated Funds_**|||||||
|Sale of Stone House|259080|7613|0|0|29905|296598|
|Quinquennial Fund|6044|0|6044|0|0|0|
|Church Emergency Fund|43453|5573|15251|0|0|33775|
|Hall Roof|30000|0|0|0|0|30000|
|Defibrilator|239|0|0|0|0|239|
|Church Fabric|2142|0|0|0|0|2142|
|Computer|13|0|0|0|0|13|
|Fire Safety|11139|0|11139|0|0|0|
|Organ Repair|10621|0|0|0|0|10621|
||**________**|**______**|**_______**|**_______**|**______**|**_______**|
||362731|13186|32434|0|29905|373388|
|**_General Fund_**|108577|89711|86875|0|4928|116341|
||______|______|_______|_______|_____|______|
||474316|106884|122262|0|34833|493771|
||======|=====|======|======|====|=====|
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St Peter’s APCM 2021
## **PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF ST. PETER’S, MANEY**
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] DECEMBER 2021
Page 14 of 15
______________________________________________________________________________________________
The Discretionary Fund for the Poor is the result of anonymous donations for the Vicar to use at his/her discretion. The Flower and Social Committee Funds were added in the year. The Stone House fund continues to support the Youth work in the parish; in 2021 there was no Youth Worker and the increase in fund value was due to 12 months of vacancy. The Quinquennial and Fire Safety Funds were used up to support work done in 2021.
## **12. TRANSFERS BETWEEN FUNDS**
||**General**|**Designated**|**Restricted**|**Total**||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**Funds**|**Funds**|**Funds**|||
||£|£|£||£|
|
No Transfers were made.|-----|-----|---||0|
||_______|______|_____||_____|
|Total Raising Funds|-----|-----|-||0|
||======|=====|====||====|
## **13. ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS BY FUNDS**
||**Unrestricted**|**Designated**|**Restricted**|**TOTAL**||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**Funds**|**Funds**|**Funds**|**2021**|**2020**|
||£|£|£|£|£|
|Tangible Fixed Assets|1|0|0|1|1|
|Investments|39377|239168|0|278545|243712|
|Debtors due within one year|3076|5573|0|8649|3979|
|Short Term Deposits|68008|128647|3805|200460|220451|
|Cash|0|0|0|0|0|
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St Peter’s APCM 2021
|Bank|15110|0|0|15110|13799|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Creditors due within one year|(8231)|0|(763)|(8994)|(7626)|
||______|______|_____|______|______|
||117341|373388|3042|493771|474316|
||=====|=====|====|=====|=====|
## **14. ANALYSIS OF SUPPORT COSTS**
||Raising|Resourcing|TOTAL|Raising|Resourcing|TOTAL|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||Funds|Ministry|2021|Funds|Ministry|2020|
||£|£|£|£|£|£|
|Parish Administrator|4233|2822|7055|3699|2466|6165|
|Printing & Stationery|127|1068|1195|207|1862|2069|
|Telephone & IT|72|650|722|65|588|653|
|Governance|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||____|____|____|____|____|____|
||4432|4540|8972|3971|4916|8887|
||====|====|====|====|====|====|
The administrator’s time is split 60% managing hall lettings and 40% resourcing ministry; equipment and materials are split 10% raising funds and 90% on resourcing ministry.
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St Peter’s APCM 2021
## **PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF ST. PETER’S, MANEY**
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] DECEMBER 2021
Page 15 of 15
______________________________________________________________________________________________
## **15. DONATIONS TO CHARITIES 2021**
|Unrestricted Restricted
Funds
£
£
**Charitable Giving from PCC**
Mothers’ Union AFIA
750
Water Aid
750
Christian Aid
750
Church Army
750
Breast Friends
750
St Basil’s
750
Mothers’ Union (from Sunday Coffee)
59
______
4,559
=====
**Charitable Giving from Special Collections (including Gift Aid)**
CUF (in lieu of Lent Lunches)
381
Christian Aid (in lieu of envelopes)
1813
______
______
2,194
=====|Funds
Total
£
750
750
750
750
750
750
59
______
______
4,559
=====
=====
381
1813
______
2,194
=====
=====|
|---|---|
**Other Charities (not in accounts)**
|Children’s Society boxes|589|
|---|---|
|Royal British Legion (Remembrance)|64|
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St Peter’s APCM 2021
|CMS (Advent)|||129|
|---|---|---|---|
|Children’s Society (Christingle)|||63|
|Restore (Christmas Collections)|||142|
||______|______|______|
||||987|
||=====|=====|=====|
|**TOTAL**|4,559|2,194|7,740|
||=====|=====|=====|
The items in the Unrestricted fund represent the charities chosen by the PCC for the church's annual giving. This is determined from the formula of 10% of relevant net income. Relevant net income is calculated from total unrestricted general income, less apportionment, less VAT reclaimed, less grants for expenses, less legacies. In addition a proportion of Sunday coffee donations is given to Mothers’ Union.
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St Peter’s APCM 2021
## **ST. PETER’S PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL; - MEMBERSHIP FOR 2021 22 as at April 2021**
|**Name**|**Role**|**Year to retire/re-elect**|
|---|---|---|
|Paul Jenner|Churchwarden / Treasurer||
|Rosemary Coombes|Churchwarden|2023(Deanery Syn.)|
|Sheena Heaton|Vice Chairperson|2024(Diocesan Syn.)|
|Neville Benyon||2022|
|Owen Cain|Deputy Churchwarden|2022|
|Eric Swindells||2022|
|Tony Wells||2022|
|Sonia Clucas||2023|
|Malcolm Harley|PCC Secretary|2023|
|Michelle Holland||2023|
|Solomon Salawu||2023|
|Mo Dening||2024|
|Janet Harley|Deputy Churchwarden|2024|
|Naomi Johnson||2024|
|John Heywood||2024(Diocesan Syn.)|
|Sheila Richmond||2023(Deanery Syn.)|
|Suprabha Taylor||2023(Deanery Syn.)|
|Ann Willis||2023(Deanery Syn.)|
|Hazel Hallas|Deputy Churchwarden||
|Philip Fox|Deputy Churchwarden||
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St Peter’s APCM 2021
## **St Peter’s Church, Maney.**
## **Summary of Office appointments and representation for the year to 2021**
Vice Chairman
Secretary Treasurer Deputy Wardens Committee Chairs
Electoral Roll Officer Director of Music Children’s Ministry
Safeguarding Officer Children’s Advocate Vulnerable Adults Care Team Health and Safety Officer
Sheena Heaton Vacant Paul Jenner Phil Fox, Owen Cain, Hazel Hallas
B&G – Becky Stephens F&S – Becky Stephens Worship & Planning – Becky Stephens Mission & Outreach - Becky Stephens Eco Maney – John Heywood Social – Sonia Clucas
Elena Grant Eric Swindells Sonia Clucas
Ann Willis Sonia Clucas Rosemary Coombes Rosemary Coombes
Solomon Salawu
Christian Aid Children’s Society CMS Church Army Weekly Planned Giving Envelopes Bible Reading Fellowship Bible Society
John and Frances Heywood Joan Bradley Garth White Su Taylor
Hazel Hallas Sheila Richmond
Vacant
Mother’s Union Church Fellowship Cedar Group Flower Guild Servers Guild Sacristan Verger Carpenter’s Arms
Sonia Clucas Sheila Richmond Rosemary Coombes / Phil Fox Bunny Gasson Lorna Scully Naomi Johnson Michelle Holland Neville Benyon
01 May 2022
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St Peter’s APCM 2021
## **PARISH REPORTS**
## **Church Wardens’ Report**
In July 2021, Paul Jenner and Rosemary Coombes were admitted as churchwardens (via Zoom!).
We are gradually learning more about the role and are grateful to recent churchwardens Malcolm and Graham for their help and wise counsel and everyone else for their patience.
All of the outstanding recommended work from the Quinquennial Report has been completed. The internal church walls were cleaned to remove the efflorescence (though this has returned in some places). At the same time, the Sanctuary was repainted. Pointing on the roof and guttering was renewed and the steps to the vestry and the cellar were repaired. Doors have been replaced in the Hall kitchen with fire safety ones. as has the hatch to the hall (which is now electrically powered). A new, taller fire escape door was installed at the back of the Hall to avoid people having to crouch to exit. Light fittings in the Hall have been changed to LED and those in the link block, corridor and toilets operate on a timed setting. Emergency lighting is now installed throughout the Hall. External lighting of church and Hall is now LED too and operates on a timer. The 5-year Electrical Survey and PAT testing has been done and remedial work completed.
We now have wonderful bins for disposal of Household Waste, Paper and Card and Mixed Materials which are put out for regular collection by the Caretaker.
The testing of the Lightning Conductor has been done and repaired.
A number of small but longstanding repair jobs have been completed, for example fixing shelf supports to kitchen cupboards, repairing electric sockets, and fixing the Hall doorbell. We have a group of reliable tradespeople on whom we can call as needed.
Two memorial trees, to Maxine and to the victims of the Pandemic, were planted in the church grounds to replace two dead horse chestnut trees. A regular mowing service has been engaged to maintain the grassed areas, clear leaves etc.
The Church Garden Party continues to meet one morning each month, tending the planters, Tower Walk and other areas and even doing some drain maintenance. We are most appreciative of their efforts as are the many passersby.
The Cleaning Team meets on the third Friday of every month with the objective of keeping the church clean and tidy at minimum cost. We have addressed the stripping effect of cleaning and disinfection of pews during the pandemic by regular application of orange oil which is beneficial to the wood and leaves a pleasant odour. We are grateful to both Garden Party and Cleaning Team groups and would welcome new volunteers if anyone has a spare hour once a month.
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Our new Caretaker, Paul and Parish Administrator, Angela are valued members of our church community at St Peter’s. They both take a keen interest in their jobs and present a warm and welcoming presence to both regular and occasional Hall users.
The Building and Grounds committee meets every 2 months to review progress and set priorities. Minutes of meetings are sent to PCC. Amongst our latest actions is looking at Disability Access within the church and Hall.
A thorough check of the inventory and the condition of the contents of the church is underway and the result will be reported to the meeting.
Work still outstanding includes the installation of a fire alarm system in the Hall and a survey into enlarging the front car park. We will also be looking at upgrading the rest of the church lighting to LED if funds allow.
Rosemary Coombes and Paul Jenner – Church Wardens
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## **Report on the Proceedings of the Parochial Church Council**
The Council met 6 times during the year, with an average attendance of 82%. All meetings, including the Annual Parochial Church Meeting for 2020, have been held on Zoom. There are currently 22 members, including 4 elected members of Deanery Synod, 2 elected members of Diocesan Synod, Churchwardens and deputies. Our new curate, Rev’d Emily, joined the Council in July.
The Council operates through sub committees covering six main areas, namely:
|Standing Committee|Mission|
|---|---|
|Worship|Buildings and Grounds|
|Eco Maney|Social|
Due to Covid restrictions early in the year, the Council agreed that the church would not open for regular services until May. A church service took place on Easter Day, but with special a special risk assessment in place. The Council approved the risk assessments surrounding the gradual relaxation of Covid restrictions through the year.
During the year, the Council considered and dealt with a range of issues relating to the church, hall and grounds, including:
- Approval of spending to complete the outstanding Quinquennial Inspection work which included outside repairs and internal cleaning and decorating
- Approval of spending to improve fire safety in the hall
- Approval of spending for conversion to LED lighting in the hall and outside the church building
- Presentation by Ann Richardson, Area Dean, on how the People and Places Initiative is progressing and impacts on us locally
- Approval for Breakfast Church to start, initially in October but later delayed due to an increase in Covid restrictions
- Approval of several policies – revised Safeguarding Policy, Data Privacy Policy, Photography and Film Policy, Recruitment of Offenders Policy
- Approval of a formal policy on Baptism Procedure
- Formal launch of our being part of Inclusive Church
Malcolm Harley - Secretary to the Parochial Church Council
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## **Safeguarding Co-ordinator’s Report**
St Peter’s church and PCC are committed to;
1. Promoting a safer environment and culture
2. Safely recruiting and supporting all those with any responsibility
3. Responding promptly to every safeguarding concern or allegation
4. Caring pastorally for victims/survivors of abuse
5. Responding to those who may pose a present risk to others
## **The Parish will create a safe and caring place for all.**
Mrs Ann Willis is the safeguarding officer and the Children’s Advocate is Mrs Sonia Clucas. We work with the Diocese Office and our PCC at St Peter’s to ensure that the church is a safe, comfortable place for all people. This involves ensuring that all policies are adhered to and the necessary checks have been carried out.
The Parish Safeguarding policy has been updated. The co-ordinator works with the team at the Diocesan Office Support Team and refers to them for advice when necessary. The Diocesan Team produce new policies which the co-ordinator reads and assures that all Volunteers are aware of.
There is a new policy for training of all volunteers and the Co-ordinator is working to assure that all volunteers have up to date Disclosure and Barring Checks and training. The training is important to ensure that all volunteers are working together and adhering to the policy. This requires updating every three years. Volunteers include members of the Care Team, the Children’s Team, members of PCC, Church officers and all who are on a church rota. Help in completing the training is being offered and people are responding to this.
Ann Willis
## **Group Council**
The clergy in the Group of Anglican Churches in Sutton Coldfield continue to meet and work together. Currently, there are 5 licensed clergy: John Routh (HT), Jonathan Nicholas (SC), Becky Stephens (SP), Leanne Carr (Curate at HT) and Emily Robottom-Scott (who joined as curate of SP in June 2021). During 2021, a decision was made to not continue with the tradition of pulpit swaps until there was greater stability. However, St Peter’s hosted a Group Ash Wednesday Service as a prerecorded service, including all three churches. Becky, Jonathan and Leanne led a joint Lent Bible Study on Zoom which was well attended.
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## **Churches Together in Central Sutton Coldfield**
The churches in central Sutton have met monthly on zoom for support, encouragement and sharing of mission throughout the pandemic. At St Peter’s we have continued to support the Foodbank at Sutton Baptist Church throughout the year. In January 2021, we held a joint service during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Again, this was a pre-recorded service and could be viewed online.
## **People and Places**
As is mentioned in the PCC report, Revd Ann Richardson attended a PCC meeting to update members regarding the current People and Places aims, objectives and processes. Geographical areas are currently being considering in order to divide the Deanery into oversight areas. Each oversight area will have an oversight minister who will work alongside the other incumbents, schools, etc to enable sharing resources and facilitate mission across the area.
When Becky was licensed at St Peter’s, it was noted that eventually another parish would be included as a part of her ministry. This has not yet happened due to the Covid pandemic, however it is likely to occur in 2022.
Revd Becky Stephens
## **Aston and Sutton Coldfield Deanery Synod**
There have been 3 meetings this year. The meetings are chaired by the Area Dean, Revd Ann Richardson. Meetings are now held on Zoom and/or at one of the churches in the Deanery.
There have been presentations on Environmental Updates (Revd Canon Douglas Machiridza, Area Dean, Handsworth,); a Parish Update (Revd Noel Phillips, Vicar of Curdworth, Middleton and Wishaw) and the Diocesan Response to Housing, Church and Community Commission (Revd Jane Newsome). The diocese has appointed Bishop Anne Hollinghurst as our ‘Housing Bishop’ to help to address the problem of inadequate housing.
At the most recent meeting, members shared their individual church’s progress in Transforming Church Action Plans (TCAP). The discussion highlighted the many different and varied contexts within which the churches in our deanery are working for their communities. A copy of our TCAP is available on our website St Peter's Church, Maney | Information (stpetersmaney.org.uk), click on ‘Mission Plan’.
Deanery Synod members: Rosemary Coombes, Sheena Heaton, John Heywood, Sheila Richmond, Sue Taylor, Ann Willis
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## **Diocesan Synod**
The Synod will have met three times by the date of the Annual Meeting. However at the time of writing there have only been two meetings to report on. The first in July was conducted on Zoom and mainly taken up with financial matters. Karen Preece, Director of Finance reported that the financial situation was better than expected and that parishes had been very generous in the donations to the Common Fund in spite of the difficulties caused by the pandemic. There had been little call made on a £1 million grant from central funds. Updates were provided on Safeguarding matters and Living in Love and Faith.
This was the last meeting of the Triennium and elections were held for Diocesan Synod in July. Becky Stephens, John Heywood and Sheena Heaton were re-elected for the next three year period.
The meeting in November took place in person at the new Church of England Secondary School in South Yardley. There were excellent reports from Dan Mayes, Director of Property on the progress towards net zero by 2030 and from Karen Preece on the budget for 2022. Karen was quite optimistic about the finances and hoped individual churches would be gradually able to return their giving to the Common Fund to before the pandemic levels. The budget allows for 110 stipendiary clergy and an average of 12 vacancies at any one time. There are 23 curates in training whose stipends are met from central funding.
Canon Douglas Machiridza and Ann Richardson, our Area Dean, spoke about racial justice and in particular the decision by General Synod not to fund a Racial Justice Officer in each diocese. Ann proposed a motion asking General Synod to rescind its previous decision. Bishop David said he had been dismayed by the General Synod decision. He could understand that there were financial restraints but was concerned that no further suggestions such as sharing between dioceses or appointing people part time had been considered. He felt this matter was extremely important for a diocese as diverse as Birmingham and pointed out that Birmingham still had an allocation of half of a post for the appointment of a Racial Justice officer.
The key issue for the meeting which will take place on 26 March 2022 will be a motion presented by John Heywood and Caroline Egan (on behalf of BACA - Birmingham Christians for Climate Action) calling on Synod to divest from investment in fossil fuels. A verbal update can be provided at the APCM
Sheena Heaton
## **Parish Administrator**
I joined St Peter’s as Parish Administrator in September 2021 just as the easing of restrictions meant that some sort of “normality” could resume. I am in the office every morning although this may vary in school holidays so that I can spend some time with my children.
The hall has re-opened in full and we have seen familiar and regular users return as well as welcoming some new users. Ad-hoc events such as children’s parties have resumed and the hall has been used for other events such as baptism parties and funeral refreshments. I work hard to
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keep on top of invoicing and payments to make sure that these are received in a timely manner. I have implemented an online calendar for office use which makes the bookings and available time easier to manage.
In October our new caretaker, Paul, started at St Peter’s and he has been a welcome addition. His flexible working pattern means that the hall is clean and tidy, floors are mopped regularly and the kitchen and toilets are cleaned on a regular basis. He has also carried out some minor repairs to keep everything in working order. Many users have commented on his friendly, easy going manner and appreciate his hard work.
Since September we have had a range of other services such as All Souls, Remembrance Sunday and Christmas services. For some of these services a booking system was put in place to help everyone feel safe in church. Weekly notice sheets continue to be emailed out to maintain regular contact.
Several baptisms took place during the autumn and a variety of weddings and baptisms are booked for the coming months. I have been working with Becky to keep documents and records updated.
It has been good to meet many of you in person and I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for welcoming me with your kind phone calls and emails.
Angela Bagshaw – Parish Administrator
## **Mission, Life & Worship Committee**
## **Mission, Life & Worship Committee**
In September 2020 a decision was made to divide into two smaller groups. One would be concerned with the planning of worship, being known as the Ministry Group, and would include the clergy and readers, organist, sacristan and vice-chair of the PCC; the other would deal with Mission and Outreach, and include the churchwardens and others with a particular interest in the topics for discussion. The two groups would still come under the name of Mission, Life & Worship.
## **Ministry Group**
This has discussed services, considering each season of the Churches’ calendar well in advance, so that special events could be planned carefully. We have also discussed children’s ministry, a change from 0-99 to Family Communion, training for intercessors, the organisation of music matters, and the encouragement among the congregation of vocations to preach or lead worship occasionally.
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## Sheila Richmond
## **Mission and Outreach**
In this committee we have spoken about how we might become more Inclusive, in recognition of our joining Inclusive Church in January 2021. We have considered our liturgy and hymns, as well as making the church more accessible. We have also adapted baptism booking forms to use the title ‘parent’ as opposed to ‘mother’ and ‘father’.
The committee developed a plan to offer outdoor worshipping opportunities such as outdoor carols, and outdoor engagement activities which included stations of the cross using knitted characters and QR codes to discover more.
We are delighted that Lorna Cain has offered to be the secretary for this group for 2022.
Revd Becky Stephens
## **Music at Maney in 2021**
It was good that the friendship across the choir meant that members kept in touch with one another as waited for the opportunity to sing together and enhance worship in church. Initially it gave us a few logistical problems sorting out social distancing. Gradually this has been made easier by relaxation of Covid restrictions as we have moved from a maximum of six singers to a possible twelve. It is a shame that we haven’t got enough choristers to fill all the spaces. Sadly, we lost Kate during the year as she lost her battle with cancer. Tony is now moving to Bristol to be near his daughters and we miss his great bass voice. He has been a dedicated, loyal member of the choir for many years and we thank him for his valuable service.
Hymns for services were chosen from the online library created by the choristers and organists of St. Martin’s in the Field to match up with the liturgy and readings for the day until we were able to worship live in church from May. Organ accompaniment, sometimes with soloists from the choir, was provided for live services broadcast on Facebook. As Covid rules relaxed help was provided by the team at Emmanuel led by Richard Mason. Logan Pritchard has been wonderful help taking many choir rehearsals, endearing himself to our choristers in the process. James Burke has also played for services. St. Peter’s choristers took part in the Advent Procession at Emmanuel church. We held a lovely Nine Lessons and Carols Service at St. Peter’s aided by some guest singers from Emmanuel.
It was great to welcome the band playing in October although somewhat smaller than preCovid due to players having moved on. We are grateful to Owen for getting them together again. We have enjoyed some delightful duets from Owen and Naomi at the beginning and end of services. Many thanks to Owen and band for their splendid work.
As I type this report – actually on the day after the relaxation of all Covid legal rules - I look forward to the day when more people are prepared to join our small dedicated and loyal group
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of choristers. Attendance at every service and rehearsal is not expected. Both adults and children will be welcome and the children will be paid.
Eric Swindells
## **Care Team**
The Care Team continues to show the love and care of God through its network of support. We offer phone calls, texts, emails, letters and practical help where possible to members of the congregation and community. This was even more important in maintaining links during the pandemic where face to face contact was not possible.
We had 5 meetings this year where we reviewed ongoing needs under the chairship of Becky.
Safeguarding Training and DBS checks are well underway, ensuring that every member of the team is updated.
Home Communions continue to be offered where requested. There has been an increase in the uptake of these at a local Care Home which is a pleasing development.
The rest of the team comprises Anne Ball, Rosemary Coombes, Mo Dening, Elena Grant, David Griffiths, Sheila Richmond, Emily Rowbotham-Scott, Christine White, Hazel Hallas and Ann Willis. The help of many church members who regularly contact others is gratefully acknowledged. Please contact any of us if you know of members of the congregation who are unwell or need assistance so that we can be in touch, if desired.
Thanks to all for their valuable contributions.
Rosemary Coombes
## **Social Committee 2020**
Committee: Janet Harley, Sonia Clucas, Frances Heywood, Sue Griffiths, Fiona Baker and Simon Baker
Sad to report, we were not able to hold any social events in 2021. We had hoped to serve mulled wine and mince pies after the Carol Service, but it was decided to cancel in order to keep everyone Covid safe. Everyone has worked very hard to keep our services Covid safe so we didn’t want to risk anyone’s health especially just before Christmas.
It was very good that the Nativity Play was able to go ahead even if it had to be held outdoors. The actors worked very hard despite the weather and it was very well attended. The outdoor nativity scene was displayed again. Thank you, John for this. We did manage to have carols in the church grounds as we turned on the lights.
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The newsletter continues to keep us all informed with contributions from many of the church family. Thanks to all who help with this.
We do hope to have lots of social events and gatherings in 2022. We made a good start recently with a Fish and Chips evening. Thanks to Simon for his amusing quiz. Who knew there was so much to know about fish and chips! So, look out for some more events soon.
We were sad to lose Ruth Dineley from the committee due to ill health. She has been a valued member of the social committee for many years. It is good to welcome Jane and Glenys to our happy band.
Sonia Clucas
## **Eco Maney**
The main subjects that Eco Maney has worked on in the year 2021 were the preparations for the UN Conference COP 26 and devising a draft strategy for the parish to implement the General Synod decision that the Church of England would move to Net Zero Carbon Emissions by 2030.
In preparing for COP 26, we worked with other Sutton churches to talk to our MP about the importance of saving God’s Earth and that the church is in the forefront of taking action to address this concern. At St Peter’s we held our Climate Sunday service in June and for Creationtide Eco Maney produced four handouts that expanded on the issues raised in the sermons. These handouts were published on the parish website.
Also, for Climate Sunday Eco Maney members gave talks at 2 churches in Solihull Parish.
Due to the lockdown restrictions we have not been providing the monthly Fairtrade stall; but we will be looking at ways of starting that in 2022.
In working with Building & Grounds Committee we have been measuring the temperature and humidity in the church over the past year; and in the provision of the new LED lighting, which has reduced our electricity usage.
We meet monthly to do gardening in the church grounds and built the Easter Garden. We write monthly pieces for the Newsletter.
In October we helped with the running of the Deanery Eco Festival at St Chad’s.
St Peter’s has had a Mission Action Plan on reducing carbon emissions since 2009 and is thus able to share our insights across the diocese. This is done mainly through contributing a member to the Diocesan Advisory Committee (DAC), our participation in Birmingham Anglicans for Climate Action (BACA) and our co-operation with other Eco Churches across Sutton.
BACA ran a 4 week course in May for over 80 participants to learn about the theology and practice of Eco Church. Two of the speakers were from the Eco Maney Team. The Bishop’s Environment Board has co-opted BACA members onto its Net Zero Group; and that is the way that we are contributing to the diocesan planning and implementation. BACA is also
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presenting a motion on divestment from fossil fuels to diocesan synod; and Eco Maney have been asked to speak to that because we began the first such motion in 2015.
Eco Maney provides the Parish Environment Contacts for the Deanery, and we work with the Deanery Environment Champions on developing Net Zero plans for all the parishes in the Aston & Sutton Deanery.
As befits an eco-church we have made ecumenical links with other churches across Sutton Coldfield and together lobbied our MP regularly on what we expected from COP 26 and other national environment policies like sustainable new-build housing and preventing pollution in streams and rivers. For these meeting there have been representatives from 9 other churches.
The Eco Churches welcomed the Young Christian Climate Network relay walkers when they came through Sutton Coldfield on their way to COP 26 in Glasgow. We have started a programme of street stalls to inform the general public about the churches’ concern for the climate crisis.
Andrew & Anne Ball, Sue Fenoughty, Sheena Heaton, Jim McAvan, Sarah Riggall.
## **Cedar Group**
During the lockdown, we have kept in contact with members via phone calls, birthday cards, notes, letters and the occasional face to face chance encounter. We resumed meetings in person in September and continue to gather on the first and third Tuesdays from 2-4pm in the Hall. We enjoy the company, informal chat, tea and cake and a gentle quiz.
We were very sad to lose three of our longstanding members all of whom are fondly remembered: Beryl, Frank and Jeanne.
We have seen a small increase in numbers recently, which is most pleasing.
Movita Dening, Phil Fox, Rosemary Coombes
## **Church Mission Society**
We have continued to receive regular reports from Dr Nicci Maxwell - she really is an excellent correspondent. If you have not had sight of them, please let Garth or Christine White know. The great excitement is, of course, Nicci's visit to St Peter's - we do hope that you were there.
Garth White
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## **Christian Aid**
The Covid restrictions in England in May 2021 meant that, once again, we were not able to go out knocking on doors to ask for donations. Two collectors who had established rounds in their home streets did drop envelopes, inviting their neighbours to put in a donation and return them. They raised £100 each. For the rest we received generous donations from the congregation amounting to £1441.25. To top this up we held a sponsored sports event for our young people, as devised by Eri. We were incredibly blessed to choose the only fine 2-hour stretch in a month of what seemed like unending rain. It was great fun and £411.25 was raised. These efforts brought the St Peter’s total for Christian Aid week to £2053.23.
Going forward, we are looking for new Christian Aid reps for 2022. We offer our heartfelt thanks to Frances and John Heywood for their organisation and leadership until now.
## **Church Army Report**
The Church Army is, as ever, grateful to the family of St Peter’s for its continued support of their work with vulnerable members of society. Although it has been a fallow year for the usual St Peter’s fundraising activities, such as singing Christmas carols in Tesco (due to Covid), we have received an update about how the money raised from the sponsored walk last year has been put to good use. The kitchen at the Marylebone Project homeless women’s shelter has been refurbished with the money raised.
The hope for future activities is to be able to support more of the Church Army’s work in Birmingham, for example, the Langley Centre in Oldbury, where they are providing vital support to help young offenders back into work, working with older members of the community to enable them to worship regularly and setting-up a toddlers group.
Our ongoing support of the Church Army’s valuable work is much appreciated
Sue Taylor
## **Mothers’ Union**
Mothers’ Union is a global Christian movement helping the world’s hardest to reach communities to transform their lives. There are 4 million members active in 84 countries committed to supporting marriage, children and family life.
Mothers’ Union are committed to stopping gender-based violence, poverty and injustice and fighting inequality through activism, advocacy and practical action. Mothers’ Union promote peace, safety and self-reliance.
There has been a Mothers’ Union branch meeting at St Peter’s church for many years. (You may have seen the recent article on Facebook or the church newsletter.) In 2021 after a long break due to Covid restrictions, we restarted our meetings in September with a time of prayer and catch-up. We have also been praying and considering the future of our branch. There have been problems with running the branch and dealing with finances. Having met with the clergy and the Diocesan President these discussions were shared with members at our December
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meeting and it was decided that members would choose to be diocesan members and pay subs directly to Birmingham MU. Members are to continue to meet monthly at St Peter’s.
Since the Group began meeting in October we have had a visit from Rita Evans who talked about the MU prisons work. We collected gifts for the prisoners’ children and wrote Christmas cards for the prisoners.
In November we looked at the Mothers’ Union information about Gender-Based Violence and some thoughts about what the bible says about this.
During the year members have attended 10 Baptisms at St Peter’s and given cards and teddies which members had knitted. We also gave Bibles to two young people who were confirmed. Members keep in touch with, and visit when possible, members who are now housebound or in care homes.
The Group will continue to meet each in the Church Hall at St Peter’s on the second Tuesday. Do join us for a chat, cake and tea. Everyone is welcome.
Ann Willis
## **Church Fellowship**
Since 2020, when Sylvia Cotgreave resigned as Leader and I was elected in her place, much has changed. Sylvia, and also Ruth our Secretary, have moved into residential homes, and Molly Cooper needs permanent care, leaving only Joan Bradley, our Treasurer, and myself on the committee. Other members are also in care, or have moved away, and three have died, so our numbers are small. On Shrove Tuesday in 2020 we had a lively Pancake Party and Beetle Drive, but a few days later we were in lockdown, and in spite of plans were not to meet for many months. During that time, I had an accident, and felt I could not continue to lead; as there was no one else who felt able to, we took the sad decision to close an organisation which had meant a lot to many of us and drawn new members into the church since 1964. I hope that something else will take its place eventually.
Sheila Richmond
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## **Children’s Ministry**
Children’s Team: Sonia Clucas, Mo Dening, Barbara Chappell, Katy Stephens and Rosemary Combes supported by Rev Becky and Rev Emily.
2021 was, of course, another unusual year. During the time when we were unable to meet together, Becky provided services online including all age celebrations for Epiphany and St Valentine. Sonia continued to send out materials from Roots to families each week. When Sunday morning services resumed, we gave out simple activities for children to use in the pews. We held Pebbles services for families with younger children. Themes included Easter, Resurrection, prayer and St Peter. The Easter Pebbles was held outdoors and families made their own Easter gardens.
As soon as it was felt safe to do so, we reopened the children’s corner. Initially families brought their own toys but gradually we reintroduced a few toys, books and a simple craft activity. The corner provides a safe space for young children.
From September we restarted Sunday Club for children aged 4 plus. It has been so good to get together again. We have been very pleased to welcome Katy as a helper both in Sunday Club and the children’s corner. Emily has also helped in Sunday Club sometimes.
On Christmas Eve Becky led us in a Crib service for families with very young children and we enjoyed hearing the Nativity story with actions, songs and some costumes. We even got the donkey out of storage!
It was lovely to see our young people taking part in the wonderful outdoor Nativity. Despite the weather it was well attended and enjoyed by all. Well done, Frances!
There were quite a few baptisms during the year and families were given information about our children’s ministry activities. We also gave teddies and cards provide by our MU group. We were very happy that two of our young people were confirmed during 2021. It is good to know that they have chosen to move on in their Christian journey.
The second Sunday in the month is now Family Communion which is a great opportunity for all the family to worship together.
So, once again a busy year when the children’s team have worked hard to adapt to the changing restrictions. Let’s pray for all our children as they continue to grow in faith and love.
Sonia Clucas
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