2022-12-31-accounts - The Parochial Church Council Of The Ecclesiastical Parish Of St Mary Hadleigh

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PARISH CHURCH OF ST MARY, HADLEIGH

ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING

SATURDAY 27 MAY 2023 AT 10AM IN ST MARY’S CHURCH

PARISH CHURCH OF ST MARY, HADLEIGH

THE ANNUAL MEETING OF PARISHIONERS TO BE HELD ON 27 MAY 2023 IN ST MARY’S CHURCH, HADLEIGH

AGENDA

Minutes of the previous Annual Meeting held on 14 May 2022
Election of Churchwardens

IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE MEETING OF PARISHIONERS

AGENDA

Apologies
Minutes of the previous Annual Parochial Church Meeting held
on 14 May 2022
Matters arising
Presentation and Revision of the Electoral Roll
Presentation of Annual Accounts
Appointment of the Independent Examiner
To receive the review of the year 2022 (page 13)
To receive 2022 Parish Reports (page 16 onwards)
Review of Safeguarding Policy
Election of Representatives to the Parochial Church Council
Election of representative to Deanery Synod
Election of Sidesmen / welcomers
Any other business (which should be notified to the chairman prior to the start of the meeting)

THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL MEETING TO BE HELD IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE ANNUAL MEETING

AGENDA

Minutes of the previous meeting of 30 March 2023 ( previously circulated)
Matters arising of an urgent nature only
Election of Officers:

i) Secretary

ii) Treasurer

iii) Lay Chairperson

iv) Deputy Churchwardens

4. Election of the Standing Committee

Any other business (which should be notified by Thursday 25 May)

FUNCTION & MEMBERSHIP OF THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL (PCC)

The Synodical Government Measure 1969 states clearly the purpose of the PCC:

It shall be the duty of the incumbent and the Parochial Church Council to consult together on matters of general concern and importance in the parish.

It then goes on to set out a number of functions of the PCC, of which perhaps the most important - and certainly the widest - is:

co-operation with the incumbent in promoting in the parish the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical.

The incumbent and the PCC each have their own particular rights and responsibilities in the life of the church but the important theme here is partnership and co-operation.

More specifically, the PCC is responsible for the maintenance of the church buildings and churchyard, and, with the incumbent, for deciding how the church's money is to be spent. The PCC has the right to be consulted about major changes to the forms of worship used in the parish and about the appointment of a new incumbent. It is also consulted about any pastoral scheme affecting the parish.

The PCC will have on it members of the Deanery Synod, who have an important role in linking the parish into the wider structures of the church. Lay Readers are ex officio members.

Given its wide responsibilities (pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical), the PCC should provide strategic direction. Membership of the PCC also provides active hands-on work for everyone.

PARISH CHURCH OF ST. MARY, HADLEIGH

Minutes of the annual meeting of parishioners held on 14 May 2022

The meeting commenced at 10am with prayer. The meetings were chaired by the Very Revd Jo Delfgou, Rector.

The minutes of the meeting of parishioners held on 24 April 2021 were approved unanimously.
Election of Churchwardens:

The following nominations had been received:

Jessica Janas Proposed: Graham Brook Seconded: Lesley Turner James Wilding Proposed: Maggie Quinlan Seconded: Aileen Ker There were no other nominations, so both were elected unanimously. Jim (James) spoke briefly to announce his intention not to stand again in 2023, and to outline his hopes for the future of St Mary’s.

ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING

Apologies: apologies were received from: Jill Bloomfield Graham Brook Sandra Brook Martin Cork Ian Dinwiddie Aileen Ker Mary Rye Pauline Scarff

2. Minutes: The minutes of the previous Annual Parochial Church Meeting held on 24 April were approved unanimously and signed, with one small correction.

3. Matters Arising: John Parry-Williams asked if a project manager had been appointed for the reordering project yet, and Jo explained that we are still not quite at that stage.

4. Presentation of the Electoral Roll: There were 125 names on the roll after its annual revision, complete at the end of March. A copy was available for members to see and is displayed in church. The meeting accepted the electoral roll.

5. Annual Accounts: There was a small correction to the report on page 12 in the APCM booklet; the TSB no longer has a branch in Hadleigh, so our nearest branch is now in Ipswich.

Brian Richardson asked for clarification about the ‘loan’ from the Marieschi fund which effectively enabled us to pay the parish share, and Jo explained that the PCC had decided that it was important that the share should be paid in full, and that therefore the money was not paid back.

Walter Wright accountants had seen and approved the accounts.

It was agreed unanimously that we should accept the accounts. John Perry was thanked for all his work during the year.

6. Appointment of the Independent Examiner:

It was proposed by Bill Martin and seconded by John Parry-Williams that Walter Wright be appointed the independent examiner for 2021.

The meeting agreed unanimously.

7. Incumbent’s Annual Report:

The Review of the Year appeared on pages 15-16, and was received by the meeting.

8. Parish Reports:

The reports appeared on pages 17-31 of the booklet.

Jo ran through the reports briefly, and thanked all who had contributed them. The following were raised:

There was a question about Eco Church status, and Jo explained that this seemed to be largely a box-ticking exercise. However, there are elements that we can usefully engage with, particularly relating to the reordering.
There was a plea for new choir members, especially men!
Bob Smith was thanked for his regular piano-playing during Cafe Church on Fridays.

9. Review of Safeguarding Policy:

This is required by law to be checked every year. Our policy was completely reviewed in 2019, and is currently in use throughout the Benefice as required by the Diocese. There have been no changes, and it is posted on the notice-board, and on the church website. There is a link from the front page of the website to basic information and contacts, and to the policy itself.

Jo thanked Trish Pitt and Gloria Powell for their work in the roles they fulfil, and reminded those present that Safeguarding is not about children, but is actually about everyone.

10. Election of Representatives to the Parochial Church Council:

Jo detailed the list of ex officio , Deanery Synod and elected members.

Trish Pitt, Gloria Powell and Sue Wells had completed their 3-year terms, and Brian Richardson had stood down in December; they were all thanked for their contributions.

1 nomination had been received:

Margaret James Proposed: Claire Woods Seconded: Jess Janas The meeting agreed unanimously to elect her for a period of 3 years. All Lay Readers are automatically ex officio members of the PCC.

PCC minutes are available to the public, with the exception of any confidential matters. PCC meetings are open to the public but only PCC members can vote.

As the total annual turnover of the church now exceeds £100,000 the church has to be, by law, a registered charity. PCC members are the trustees of the charity.

11. Election of Sidesmen:

Claire Woods had prepared a list of welcomers/sidesmen. It was proposed that these be re-elected en bloc . The meeting agreed. It has been good to welcome new names on the list this year.

All churchwardens and deputies are automatically sidesman, plus Jane Baston

Jill Bloomfield

Sid Cleaver

Rosemary Cleaver Yvonne Gladwell

Gloria Powell

Cathy Pryke Brian Richardson

Ann Smith

Lesley Turner

The following people remain on the list, but have not performed duties due to Covid preferences/ changes to routine:

Maureen Bell

Ian Dinwiddie (8am)

Roger Kennell (8am)

Ned Long (8am)

Barbara Tryon (8am)

Jane Baston explained that she, with the churchwardens, had been looking at emergency evacuation of the building, and the part that welcomers/sidesman would need to play in this. Volunteers need to be aware of this additional requirement. Two meetings were held recently for all welcomers, and a guide for all concerned is currently being produced. There will be practice evacuations in the coming weeks/months.

13. Any Other Business: Jo took this opportunity to briefly share a range of updates and thoughts:

We will no longer be receiving a curate this year. Various issue have arisen around the suitability of the placement for this particular person, and the mutual decision was made that it would not be appropriate for her

to come to Hadleigh. We still hope to have a curate at some time in the near future.

The established worship pattern continues, and things are now almost completely back to normal. Consideration will be given over the next few moths about the way forward with processions, servers etc. The Wednesday early morning service may also be developed, and more of a pattern for Thursday evening ‘Eucharists with incense’ will be established.
The reordering of the church is still very much on the agenda, although this has been a frustrating year when it feels like little real progress has been made. The committee has been expanded, and now includes people from outside the church community.
The deanery tower is another area for development, and work has been ongoing to discover how best we can maintain it, use it and ensure that it has life – now and in the future.

The meeting closed at 10.55am

Signed………………………………………………………………………

Date……………………………………………………………….

PARISH CHURCH OF ST MARY HADLEIGH PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL

Minutes of the Meeting held following the Annual Parochial Church Meeting on 14 May 2022

Present: Jo Delfgou, Hilary Ferry, Margaret James, Jess Janas, Sarah Nicholson, John Parry-Williams, John Perry, Trish Pitt, Stella Scanlon , Jim Wilding, Claire Woods, Jonathan Woods

Apologies had been received from Graham Brook

1. Minutes of the previous Meeting: The minutes of the meeting held on 31 March 2022 had been previously circulated and were received; they will be formally approved at the next full PCC meeting in July.

2. Matters arising of an urgent nature only: There was nothing that could not wait until the next meeting

3. Election of Officers: The following were unanimously agreed:

i. Secretary – Claire Woods was proposed by Stella Scanlon and seconded by Sarah Nicholson
ii. Treasurer – John Perry was proposed by Jess Janas and seconded by John Parry-Williams
iii. Lay Chair – Jim Wilding was proposed by Jess Janas and seconded by Hilary Ferry
iv. Deputy Churchwardens – Aileen Ker and John Parry Williams were proposed by Jim Wilding and seconded by Jonathan Woods; both were agreed unanimously.

4. Election of the Standing Committee: It was agreed that, as previously, this should comprise the Rector, Churchwardens, Treasurer and Secretary, together with Hilary Ferry as an additional elected representative. This was agreed unanimously and they were elected en bloc.

5. Any Other Business – there was none

The meeting closed with the grace at 11.10am

Signed…………………………………………………………

Date………………………………………

St. Mary's Church, Hadleigh

Annual Report

and

Financial Statements

of the

Parochial Church Council

for the year ended 31st December 2022

Rector: Very Rev Jo Delfgou

Bank:

TSB High Street Hadleigh

Independent Examiner:

Walter Wright High Street Hadleigh

Administrative Information

St. Mary's Church is situated in Church Street, Hadleigh. It is part of the Diocese of St. Edmundsbury & Ipswich within the Church of England. The correspondence address is The Deanery, Hadleigh, Suffolk, IP7 5DT.

Ministry Team: Rector: Rev Jo Delfgou

Readers: Elders: Mr Graham Brook Mrs Trish Pitt Mr Brian Hempstead Mrs Christine Coe

The Parochial Church Council (PCC) is a charity registered with the Charity Commission.

PCC members are: Rector: The Very Revd Jo Delfgou Wardens: Mrs Jess Janas Mr James Wilding

Representatives on the Deanery Synod: Mr Jeff Delves Elected 2020 for 3 years Mrs Jess Janas Elected 2020 for 3 years Mrs Claire Woods Elected 2021 for 2 years

Elected Members: Mrs Claire Woods (elected 2022: PCC Secretary) Mr John Perry (elected 2022: Treasurer) Miss Aileen Ker ( ex officio , Deputy Churchwarden) Mr John Parry-Williams ( ex officio , Deputy Churchwarden) Mrs Hilary Ferry (elected 2020) Mrs Sarah Nicholson (elected 2020) Mrs Stella Scanlon (elected 2021) Mr Jonathan Woods (elected 2021) Mrs Margaret James (elected 2022) Mrs Alison Crockett (co-opted 2022) Mrs Trish Pitt (co-opted 2022) David Hoyle in attendance (Friends of St Mary’s) Mr Graham Brook ( ex officio ) Mr Brian Hempstead ( ex officio )

Structure, Governance and Management

The method of appointment of PCC members is set out in the Church Representation Rules. All Church attendees are encouraged to register on the Electoral Roll and stand for election to the PCC.

Churchwardens are elected/re-elected yearly.

Deanery Synod members are elected to serve for three years.

PCC members are elected to serve for three years and under our current agreement, are encouraged to have one year's break before being re-elected.

: Standing Committee This is the only committee required by law. It has power to transact the business of the PCC between meetings, subject to any directions given by the Council.

Objectives and Activities

St. Mary's PCC has the responsibility of cooperating with the incumbent, in promoting in the ecclesiastical parish the whole mission of the Church, worship, pastoral, evangelistic, social, and ecumenical. It also has responsibilities for St Mary's Church, Hadleigh. There is also the Churchyard surrounding the Parish Church though this is closed and maintained by the Town Council.

Church Attendance

There are 127 parishioners on the Church Electoral Roll in March 2023 (compared to 125 at the 2022 APCM), nine of whom are not resident within the parish. Six names were removed during the year through death, two people moved away; ten new names were added.

The average Sunday attendance (for all services) based on typical Sundays in October 2021 was 78.

On Easter Day 2022, 137 people attended services, and there were 96 communicants. The Christmas Crib Service was attended by 72 adults and 30 children. At Midnight Mass 105 attended, and on Christmas Day there were 64 people.

On average 11 people attended the Friday morning Eucharist.

Between January and December 2022 there were 9 baptisms and 1 wedding. In the same period there were 30 funerals which took place either at St. Mary's Church or at a crematorium.

REVIEW OF THE YEAR 2022

Looking back through 2022, I realise how busy we have been as the Parish Church and all that we have managed is quite exhausting.

Amongst all of our busy-ness there are three major events that added to our year.

Our dear Joyce Willis died. There were so many people who played a part in her care and final journey, and it showed our community at its best as well as the deep and important part Joyce played in this parish and beyond. We have been blessed to have been able to share in her journey.

The Queen’s Jubilee took over a chunk of our time and we were fortunate to join with our Town Council in coordinating events.

However, this was overtaken later in the year by her Majesty’s death and the Proclamation of Charles as King. In both of these we are fortunate to have such a large space and the enthusiasm of our town community to see this as their Church.

Our work with families in the ‘Cost of Living Crisis’ saw Marylou Delfgou create a team to bring ‘Pop-Up’ into our vocabulary as we saw this a way that we as Church (with friends!) could directly meet the need of those who may be struggling. This then grew into a more regular meal and warm (ish) space over the autumn and winter. Many thanks to those involved.

Likewise we have been able to offer a space for our Ukrainian brothers and sisters to learn English. The offer of a space was added to by the team that grew to offer refreshments and loving welcome.

For FROGS and our other children’s work we thank Trish Pitt and the team for their creativity and care in fostering the children who attend. This has connected so well with the Sunday service and the Pop-Up events (as well welcoming the Ukrainian children). It is this flexibility and thoughtful care that has really helped us be able to meet the needs of those in our community.

Likewise our connections with the Church School and Hadleigh Primary School have seen the church used again and members of our congregation playing a role in their worship and governance. The wild end of the Deanery garden has become a Forest School for a HEAT (Hadleigh Environmental Action Team) led group. This prepared the way for 2023s regular Forest School. The garden was also used by the Leisure Centres ‘Wild Cooking’ sessions, again to help in this complex food crisis time.

The church building has welcomed so many different orchestras and choirs, a flower event (with an art show) and other town groups looking for our large space. The generous welcome they receive is what draws them back.

Our regular worship has seen a gentle growth in confidence too and our choir, musicians, readers, coffee-makers, flower arrangers, welcomers and brasscleaners have prepared and executed the worship so beautifully. Likewise we also thank our PTO priests, lay readers and elders for the part they have played. I thank you profoundly.

The Renewal Committee has seen some changes in personnel and focus. The group have been visiting and visited, wrangling out plans and looking at both essentials and desires. We have managed to step a long way last year that has bubbled into the creativity of 2023.

The Row Chapel, which comes under the care of the Grand Feoffment Charity, continues and we are very aware of the care that Monica Hardy gives to the building and Graham Brook offers in worship. There is a vibrant group of worshippers there. It was with sadness that we said farewell to both dear Barry Hardy and Bob Smith who died.

2022 was, financially, going to be a year of recovery and we thank John Perry for keeping us in order. At the end of the year we were overwhelmed by the generous response to our request for extra funds to pay our portion of the benefice share in full.

I am ever thankful of the support of so many, in so many ways. However, I will single out our wardens, Jess Janas and Jim Wilding, along with our dedicated administrator, Claire Woods, for their thoughtfulness, commitment and kindness.

2022 has been a year of growth – most evident in our confidence in who we are and in our generosity to one another and beyond. I would wish to thank you all for your part in this.

Very Rev Jo Delfgou - Rector

TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT

FINANCIAL REVIEW 2022

Total receipts on unrestricted funds totalled £98,459, which was a massive increase of £11,549 over the comparable figure for 2021 of £86,910. There were increases totalling £5,758 in planned giving through banker’s standing orders, envelopes and loose plate collections, helped by a generous response to the letter asking for help to ensure that the parish share was paid in full. The major change in 2022 came from increases in income from church activities (i.e. weddings, funerals, cards, magazines votive candles, lettings, cafe church etc.) of £8,782 and from fund raising events of £6,849.

The contribution to the diocesan share that mainly provides the stipends and housing for the clergy totalled £49,474 and was fully paid for the year from unrestricted funds, as a result of the response to the letter.

Payments on unrestricted funds totalled £97,398 and this was an increase of £11,204 over the comparable figure for 2021 of £86,194. The increase in church activity, which produced extra income, also incurred additional expenditure as follows: benefice office £2,843, gas / electricity £4,077 and fund raising £3,819.

Given the above, the net result for the year was very pleasing in that a small excess of receipts over payments of £1,061 on unrestricted funds resulted and the balance carried forward at 31st December 2022 increased to £8,184.

The Unrestricted Designated Fund has been created for the income from the sale of the Marieschi painting. Total receipts for the year were £36,046 and expenditure in respect of maintenance was £97,637. The balance in hand at 31st December 2022 had reduced during the year to £118,334.

Restricted Funds totalled £10,896 at 31st December, 2022 and this was a decrease of £735 over the corresponding figure for 2021.

RESERVES POLICY

It is the PCC policy to try and maintain a balance on unrestricted funds of at least £5,000 to cover emergency situations that may arise from time to time. This position is proving increasingly difficult to achieve on an ongoing basis but it was as at 31 December 2022. It is the policy to invest our fund balances with CBF Church of England Deposit Fund.

John Perry (Treasurer)

PCC SECRETARY'S REPORT

The PCC met 6 times during 2022, including the APCM, and the average attendance was around 83%. Up to 2 members will need to be elected at the APCM. There is a list of current PCC members on page 11 of this report.

Claire Woods, PCC Secretary

CHURCHWARDENS' REPORT

Works to the Church: We started the year with cleaned out guttering and hoppers before the scaffolding finally came down in February, completing the major part of the quinquennial repairs. Amongst other work, the Tower now has a gutter for removal of rainwater for the first time in its history and this will stop water ingress and the need for further work. A job well done. All manner of maintenance, minor repairs and improvements have happened throughout the year:

New windows and decorative security bars are in place in the Vestry & Sacristy. Safety rails and a gate were installed in the Sacristy, which is acting as our strong room, and we have been able to hook up a camera linked to a computer in the Vestry, to enable those who cannot manage the spiral staircase, to see the beautiful new display cabinet which houses the church silver and some finds unearthed from the Deanery Gardens. We now have WiFi up there too. A faculty application was put in for full restoration and refurbishment but sadly, by the end of the year, this had still not been approved. The wheels grind exceeding slow!

Lightning rods have been tested, fire equipment inspected; gas heaters serviced, gutters cleared again and high-level cleaning inside church. Tables have been sanded and refurbished and some items treated for woodworm. Spent bulbs are all being changed to LEDs and, apart from the main sodium lighting, we have now changed almost all to LEDs. A full fire risk assessment was carried out in July and all matters raised have been carefully considered and dealt with appropriately. Our first full evacuation drill took place in October. Vents have been installed in the ringing chamber to improve airflow, along with access to the roof for emergencies and a new lock put on the belfry door for easier access/egress.

Thanks to the monies raised by the Hidden Gardens of Hadleigh we have been able to have all the broken and missing stained glass repaired and replaced and powder-coated stainless steel window guards repaired or replaced. The Betton Window safety grille was installed.

Renewal: The new secretary to the DAC is in post and following several very positive meetings with him and our architects, the renewal committee finally feel

it is being supported by them with our ambitious renewal plans. Discussions over options for heating and lighting continue to exercise us all but it has been agreed that heating, lighting and a new floor will be the first phase of the renewal journey towards the extension that would serve us so well. The renewal team now has members from the wider community among its number and positivity is high.

Community : We are delighted that our beautiful church has been well used for musical concerts, a Murder Mystery, a Festival of Music & Flowers with a small art exhibition, an Old Time Music Hall evening, regular rehearsal space for Boudicca Border Morris and St Mary’s Christmas Fayre in November. Cooking Outdoors in partnership with the Leisure Centre has taken place in the Deanery Gardens. In celebration of the Jubilee, the Big Lunch was held in the Deanery Gardens, organised by Hadleigh Town Council. Pop Up Picnics, Pop Up Pasta & Pop Up Pizza events - free for everyone – started in the school holidays and due to their popularity and obvious community need, carried on through the year. Weekly lunchtime Music Recitals started in August, as did weekly English lessons for Ukrainians. On the sad death of Queen Elizabeth II, special services were held, as they were for the accession of King Charles III.

Thank you all for your help and support of us throughout 2022 and your unfailing encouragement.

Jess Janas and James Wilding, Churchwardens

DEANERY SYNOD REPORT

There were three Deanery Synod meetings in 2022: 24 March at Nedging, 23 June at Wiston (Wissington) and 10 November at Layham. Following the APCMs, Synod has welcomed new members, both lay and clergy.

Speakers:

March (Nedging): Jill Taylor, churchwarden, gave a short historical introduction to St Mary’s Nedging: a brick and rubble structure with parts likely dating back to the 12[th] century with Norman doorways, a 14[th] century Dawe Bell, 15[th] century font with Jacobean wooden cover and 17[th] century porch. The church is considered, by the County Architect, “attractive, but otherwise unprepossessing; unusual and a rare survival”.

Jane Addis, Deanery Safeguarding Officer, updated Synod on the importance of safeguarding and the updated requirements of the Diocese. It is a high priority and all relevant training must be undertaken either online or face-to-face. In addition, the new rules mean Level 1 (Basic) must be undertaken by all volunteers, flower arrangers, cleaners etc. Churchwardens and PCC members should take Level 2 (Foundations) and Churchwardens need only take the Level 3 course (which clergy/readers/elders need to take) if their parish is in interregnum or if they regularly lead worship. Assistance is always available

from the Diocese – (numbers available from the website). Training must be updated every three years. Any questions: our Safeguarding officers are Trish Pitt & Gloria Powell.

June (Wiston): John Branfield, churchwarden gave a short history of the C11[th] Century Norman church, with its C15[th] font and late C13th wall paintings – the earliest known depiction of St Francis of Assisi.

John French, Modern Slavery & Vulnerable Communities Advisor to Suffolk Constabulary. There are c.73 million slaves today, worldwide. 5,000 current investigations in the UK with 17,000 being investigated as victims – some 700 in our region. Slavery is when someone is exploited for the personal or professional gain of someone else. John explained all the ways modern slavery is perpetrated and all the signs to look for in victims. “Rescued” victims are helped by the Salvation Army. He recommended the work the Clewer Institute is doing.

November (Layham): Fr Jo gave a short history of St Andrews and the challenges with its diverse parish, of five distinct areas. The church was built in the 15/16[th] Century for Layham and Shelley. All Saints Shelley was then a private chapel for the Hall. Tower is 18[th] and Porch 19[th] Century.

Rev Canon Dave Gardener, Diocesan Director of Mission & Ministry. He gave a talk aimed at encouraging people into ministry and specifying how varied ministry can be. He brought Rev Will Abbott, Lead Evangelist for the Suffolk Centre of Mission into the talk for his personal journey through faith into ministry.

Deanery Organiser’s Report

Deanery Parish Share 2022: £295,226 – a very small uplift of 0.79% for the Hadleigh benefice. There is a benefice under-allocation for Elmsett of £6,400. Help from other benefices was requested. Any such contributions would not be expected to take this on as a regular payment. It would be strictly a one-off. Where a parish has difficulty raising their parish share, the benefice they are in should be approached for assistance, then the deanery and only then, the Diocese. It is called a Parish Share but is really a Benefice Share and is a bill (like our energy bills) that needs to be paid. It is not a “donation” to the Diocese.

Diocesan Synod

Synod has met three times with presentations on work taking place on policy concerning social media and disability inclusion, using church buildings more for communities; the Learning & Development Hub and, of course, all budget decisions. Rev Canon Sharon Potter is championing Living in Love and Faith which is important in our Diocese, looking at sexual and gender identity, aiming to be more inclusive. Tony Allwood who sits on General Synod, and is Lay Chair of Diocesan Synod, has been given a grant to trial heated cushions for churches rather than using overhead heating. People should be encouraged to

attend Diocesan meetings as an observer in the hope more people will put themselves forward to become a representative.

Notices

Archdeacon’s Inspections: The Archdeacon and Lay Chair performed the Hadleigh benefice’s inspection on 23 March 2022. Other inspections in the Deanery also took place.

Archdeacon’s Visitation: 8 June 2022 at Stratford St Mary for the Swearing in of Church Wardens.

A new Deanery Organiser is still needed to take over from Jeff Delves.

The Deanery Plan needs reviewing following Covid and addition of new Clergy.

Rev Stephane Javelle has been appointed as a police chaplain in Sudbury.

Following the suspension of the living, Rev Manette Crossman will now be licenced as Rector.

Bishop Martin has many saplings (hornbeam, maple and holm oak) and is encouraging all parishes to apply for one and plant it in their churchyard. (No faculty needed!)

News from the Parishes

All churches enjoyed celebrations for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee followed, sadly, by “Operation London Bridge” which had to be put into action in September on the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Hadleigh held a formal Proclamation Service for the ascension of King Charles III attended by the Mayor, councillors, other dignitaries, the police and the community.

A very successful Hidden Gardens of Hadleigh took place on 11 June with a photographic competition running alongside. Profit was £8.5k which was used for repair of St Mary’s windows and stained glass.

Nedging Vintage Fete took place in June with vintage cars, engines etc.

Higham has been collecting tools for TWAM (Tools with a Mission).

Rev Manette Crossman (Bildeston Benefice) held confirmation services on 14 August & 18 September with two further candidates being prepared.

The Midsummer Flowers, Music & Art Festival was held at St Mary’s in June and was very well attended as was The Old Time Music Hall event and the Christmas Fayre in November.

All Parishes have been involved in a variety of prayer vigils, appeals & collections for Ukraine and other troubled areas throughout the year. Hospitality sessions and English lessons take place in St Mary’s for displaced Ukrainians.

Jess Janas (Deanery Synod Representative)

OTHER REPORTS OF PAROCHIAL INTEREST

BELLRINGERS’ TOWER REPORT

Thankfully, we have now come out the far side of Covid-19 and its restrictions, which means we have managed to have a more normal bell ringing year.

Sunday service ringing has continued throughout the year with excellent numbers and we regularly have more ringers turning up than bells available (8). As before, this has meant that we have had two shorter rings so that all those attending are able to ring. We are very fortunate to be so well supported and are the envy of most other towers locally.

Bellringing practice on a Wednesday is also well attended and is a combined event with the ringers from Boxford and alternates weekly between the two towers.

Richard Finch continues in his role teaching our learners. He currently has 3 learners at different stages of progress and 1 more waiting to start learning. Richard has attended his ART2 (Association of Ringing Teachers) course during the year and has come back with lots of new ideas to incorporate into his teaching.

Early in the year we had a most enjoyable (but belated) ‘Christmas’ meal at the Groton Fox with our fellow ringers from Boxford. Approx 24 attended and it was nice to all get together socially without necessarily having to talk about bells or bellringing.

Our annual bellring tour reverted to its traditional date in August and we again took advantage of the Hadleigh Community minibus for our transport. We shared the event with the Boxford ringers and approximately 22 ringers came along for the day. The towers we visited were: Hollesley, Orford, Tunstall, Campsea Ashe and Ufford.

The death of HM Queen Elizabeth II was greeted with great sadness on 8[th] September. Within 30 minutes of the official announcement, we had 8 ringers at the church ready to toll the tenor bell as a mark of respect. The death of a monarch is the only time that bells are rung fully muffled (a leather pad on each side of the clapper to mute the sound) and so none of us had had the opportunity to ring in this way previously. We rung the tenor bell 96 times as is tradition, one ring for each year of the monarch’s life. We are now looking forward to ringing for the coronation of King Charles III in May as again, none of us have had the chance to ring for this happier occasion before.

As the year progressed we practiced carols on our handbells and played for two of the coffee and cake events in church just before Christmas. The ringers certainly enjoyed the experience and from the reaction we received, the bells were appreciated by those in the church.

Kevin Ward (Tower Captain)

BENEFICE OFFICE

2022 was again a relatively stable year in the Benefice Office.

The role of administrator continually evolves in various ways, meeting the diverse needs of clergy, lay ministers, members of the PCC and congregation, those who run fund raising events, those who work with children, visitors, funeral directors, those who wish to be married or baptised, or hire the building, and so on…! New initiatives and responsibilities often emerge – for example, last year saw the lunchtime recital series, which I organised and coordinated. My main purpose though continues to be to assure Jo of the practical and administrative support he needs. There is always work to be done, and I am forever mindful that there are always things we could improve.

As ever, I’m very grateful for the support and commitment of the small number of volunteers – and most particularly to Aileen – who do so many jobs that most people know nothing about, but that underpin the smooth running of the office.

Claire Woods (Benefice Administrator)

BEREAVEMENT FRIENDS

This group began after a small number of friends realised how much we valued support of others after we had experienced loss of a loved one. We have steadily increased in number and are now in contact with over 30 people. We aim to provide friendship and a listening ear to one another, though we do stress that we can’t find easy answers, but we do gain support from meeting one another. We meet regularly for coffee at the Kings Head at 10 am on the first Monday of every month, and we are very grateful to Tara for her welcome.

We also have a book club, meeting regularly to discuss the current book as chosen by one of the group, and thanks to Jane we have a cuppa and catch up with all our news. We have occasional meals out together, although we have fewer drivers now so we are limited to eating very locally, but that has been enjoyable too.

The sad news of course is that if anyone was in need of help and support, dear Joyce was always available to support, so we do miss her friendly advice.

Looking to the future, we are planning to update our information leaflet, and would like to know if anyone is willing or able to coordinate any interest /hobby group which others might enjoy? We also need to update our list of helpful trades folk which we can recommend from our own experiences.

Although several of the group are church members, that is not a requirement to belong, we are looking to help and support anyone who has suffered a bereavement and would value friendship with others who have similar experiences.

Lesley Turner Jane Harrison

CAFÉ CHURCH

Well, what a year 2022 has been! After only being able to open again halfway through 2021, this has been the first full year in operation since before the start of the pandemic. What has been hugely apparent is the great need for regular fellowship within our church community and the wider community of Hadleigh; both so important to our wellbeing. If Rushka (fondly tagged as “the church dog”) is unable to be there, she is very much missed as she welcomes everyone who comes in and goes from table to table on the off-chance of a dropped morsel.

Special thanks must, of course, go to our indefatigable volunteer team, without whom none of this would be possible. Café Church has benefitted hugely from Chef Andy who now cooks and produces everything from a full English breakfast, down through all the possible lighter options every week, to homemade scones and muffins as well on Craft Market days.

I am delighted to say we were able to give John Perry £4,997 profit for the year after all expenses and we raised £119.33 in October at our MIND fundraiser. The Craft Market on the first Friday has gone from strength to strength. During the spring and summer, it was clear that attendance was dropping off, so it was completely revamped and brought inhouse to manage. For the last quarter we raised almost £300 from “selling” the tables and, more importantly, secured a number of loyal and willing crafters which has set us up well for next year. The excellent Second Hand Stall, masterminded by Patsy and her team, also attracts shoppers and raises much needed money for church funds. Watch this space!

Jess Janas and the Café Church Team

CARD SALES

It is no longer possible to establish how much card sales contribute to church funds. This is because some people pay using the card reader rather than by cash.

However, we can report that we are selling more cards than in previous years and are kept very busy replenishing the stock.

Our thanks to everyone who supports our fundraising.

Jane Baston and Jane Harrison

CARE HOMES

Residential Care Homes: Canterbury House, Hadleigh Hall Nursing Home, Magdalen House, Waterfield House, Sydney Brown Court.

Janice White has been going regularly to Hadleigh Hall, and Brian Hempstead

visits Sydney Brown Court and Waterfield House. Jill Bloomfield is in regular contact with Canterbury House.

CHARITABLE GIVING

1 : Cafe church charity fundraising Trefoil Guild Coffee Morning and Stall for MIND (14 October)
2 Nominated charities: The PCC charities from 2020 (to be reviewed after the 2023 APCM) are Suffolk MIND and Médecins Sans Frontières

MSF: no money donated in 2022

Suffolk MIND: £320 from August lunchtime recitals

3 Other charitable activities / giving
- Other fundraising for specific charities and causes continued, and we supported the following:
Children’s Society - amounts from individual collecting boxes
Christian Aid Week
Suffolk Historic Churches Sponsored Bike Ride
FIND Food bank, weekly and at Harvest, plus an additional £325 from the CLO retiring collection after their concert in May
Toiletries etc for Porch Project
DEC for Ukraine Approx. £360
We were a collection point for major donations of goods for Ukrainian refugees at the start of the conflict
Pop-up picnics during school holidays, providing free food and drink
Deanery garden used by cooking people over summer, no charge
Deanery garden used by ‘Forest School’ initiative in the autumn
Church used for English lessons for Ukrainians.
Various other local charities have also used the building / deanery garden for free / reduced rates

CHILDREN AND YOUTH

FROGS (Friends of God)

We started 2022 with a Christmas party which had had to be cancelled in December because of Covid. It was lovely to be back with the children once again but still be very cautious for everyone's sake.

On Mondays during the summer holidays we welcomed up to 30 children (some familiar faces along with some new friends to get to know) to the Adventure Cruise holiday club. Each week we sailed a different C – Choice, Change, Call, Courage, Commitment and Challenge. Just like the people we meet in the Bible stories about Jesus, we have choices to make, many of which require courage. As Christians we believe that Jesus calls us and we can choose to follow him and allow our lives to be changed; this requires commitment and courage.

We continued our weekly meetings in September and have had up to 16 children attending and having fun together whilst learning about Jesus through prayer, songs, stories, craft activities and games. We feel privileged to work with the children and see the stories open their eyes and hearts as they learn to live out their lives knowing that Jesus is with them at all times.

We have tried to keep the display board up to date to share our stories with the wider church community; we did a sheep display and everyone was encouraged to add a fingerprint to be in God's flock, and a poppy wreath for Remembrance.

Sarah Nicholson, Alison Crockett, Brian Hempstead, Trish Pitt

Open the Book

The beginning of the year saw us continuing to record the stories so that the children from St Mary's and Hadleigh C P schools were able to watch them as part of their worship.

We were really pleased that when September arrived the risk of Covid had lowered enough for us to start going into both schools. It was lovely to be back at HCPS and to start what we hope will be a long relationship with St Mary's school.

We have a new member who has joined our team - Anna McCrae from the Roman Catholic church. Together with our original members we are truly an ecumenical team and it is lovely to learn from different churches’ traditions.

The children from both schools enjoy our visits and will often ask us when we are coming next when they see us in the town or in the local shops. We are often greeted with 'You're Open the Book aren't you?'

it is amazing how quickly the children take on board what they see. After our first visit to St Mary's School, I was told that one little girl in the Reception class had put on their 'Mary's' dress and sat down with a book. When asked what she was doing she said that she was Open the Book and reading to the children.

The ‘Open the Book’ Team

CHURCH MUSIC

It has quickly come round to that time again - the chance to use the APCM music report to thank everyone who has contributed to the musical life of St Mary's! In particular, Sandra Brook for organising and leading the choir, Margaret for the care she has shown in welcoming new choir members, Linda for championing the idea of singing more descants, Marylou for her exquisite flute-playing - and of course Fr Jo for putting the work in to choose service music in the first place. (This used to be the responsibility of a group of people - maybe in 2023 we can re-establish some similar arrangement and lighten Fr Jo's load.)

I mentioned that there were new choir members. It's great to see the numbers growing, reinforcing the fact that the choir isn't some kind of closed club, and new joiners are getting so much from the experience of singing together.

The organ was reduced to a third of its normal self for the latter part of 2022, including Christmas, thanks to wear and tear on the small pieces of leather responsible for the introduction of air into the pipes. But we managed! We are looking forward to the instrument's return to full power in 2023, once our organ maintainer Mike Osborne has a chance to get his hands on it.

Claire organised several well-attended midweek lunchtime recitals - Gwyneth Mercer playing piano, Brian Hempstead on piano and violin, Ollie Woods singing bass-baritone and Bob Smith on piano. Because these worked out so well, the plan is to host such recitals more regularly in 2023. Apart from the experience of the music itself, in a wonderful setting, these bring in people who don't frequent St Mary's.

I mentioned Bob Smith. We were all deeply saddened by his death in November, but we can give thanks for all that he contributed to music at St Mary's - whether it was as organist with Michael Colleer or solo pianist on countless occasions. At the piano and organ, Bob provided a wonderfully serene counterpoint to so many exhibitions and events. Perhaps the most unlikely was the Hadleigh-wide COVID-19 vaccination session in church, when hundreds of people must have lost their fear of needles thanks to Bob's welljudged background organ-playing!

Other more traditional musical treats included the Midsummer Festival of Flowers, Art and Music in June; Suffolk Philharmonic's 'Lark Ascending' concert in July; and the fabulous and crazily-varied Old Time Music Hall in October, masterminded with such energy by Patsy Forsyth.

Long may music at St Mary's help us celebrate the gift of so much art, talent, creativity, generosity and beauty.

Jonathan Woods (Organist)

CHURCHES TOGETHER IN HADLEIGH (CTiH)

Churches together is made up mainly from representatives from the Salvation Army, who also kindly let us use their Hall for the meetings, the URC, the Church of England (St Mary’s and St Andrew’s, Layham) and the Roman Catholic church (St Joseph’s). We also welcome all other traditions.

The standard Agenda items cover Praying the Streets of Hadleigh, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Christian Aid Week, Lent courses and Open the Book. Other items are discussed as the need arises eg. Good Friday Walk of Witness and a possible annual Joint Churches service. Care Homes was put back on the agenda after the covid closures. The Encounter group was put on hold with a small balance of £432 and it was decided to discuss how some of this could best be used in memory of Joyce Willis

The bank balance hovers around the £2.5k mark with virtually no call on funds and very little coming in from subscriptions. At the 2022 AGM, David Atkins stood down as Chair and Moderator and it was agreed to have a rotating Chair going forwards. The Treasurer, Eric Fisher decided to stand down in October and Trish Pitt kindly stepped into the breach in November.

Jess Janas (Secretary)

HADLEIGH RANGERS, GUIDES, BROWNIES AND RAINBOWS

We are really pleased that our membership is now rising after the effects of Covid.

All sections have got back on track with Guiding and are enjoying many activates including fun days – Pack Holidays and Guide camps. The Guides had a weekend at Hautbois a Guide Centre in Norwich enjoying lots of outdoor activities.

Rainbow and Brownies have been busy catching up on completing Skill Builders and badges – some gaining their Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards.

Well done to all the Leaders for going the extra miles to make it safe and fun for the girls to enjoy Guiding over the last year.

A short report this year but the activities and awards the girls have achieved are things to be proud of.

Gloria Powell - District Administrator to Hadleigh Guiding.

LEARNING & GROWING

The Learning and Growing Group members representing the three parishes in the benefice under Jo’s guidance arranged three activities during 2022.

The first were six Lenten stations on Fridays at 6pm from March 4th – April 8th led by members of the L&G group with prayers, Bible reading, poem and

reflection. For the first time instead of all these taking place at St Mary’s two were held in each of the parish churches of St Mary’s, St Andrew’s and All Saints in what was felt as a more inclusive approach.

The second was ‘The Still Point’ quiet day held at St Mary’s on Saturday, 17[th] September, from 9.30 - 1pm. This was introduced by Jo with an explanation of mindfulness and an exercise in it led by Marylou. There were 4 half-hours of quietness introduced by poems. There were various alternative activities to help us in the process of centring ourselves, including a maze. The morning ended with the hymn ‘Be still and know that I am God’, followed by lunch. About 30 people attended.

The third were three Reflections in Advent on Peace, Hope and Light on Wednesdays from Nov. 30th - 14th Dec. on a similar format to that for Lent. These also were held successively in each of the three parish churches. A fourth service in this series was planned for Epiphany in 2023.

John Parry-Williams for the L&G planning group

MOTHERS’ UNION

We began as usual, at the beginning of the year with our A.G.M. It was an occasion to say goodbye to Sandra Smithson and Ann Smith who had both served for many years on the committee, and as stalwart members. We thanked them most sincerely. Ann was presented with flowers and a card and the same was later given to Sandra.

During the year we had many lovely meetings including a most inspiring talk from Charlotte Bowden who writes an article for our church magazine every month and whom we support through prayer. In June we enjoyed a cream tea for the Queen’s Jubilee. Chris Coe came along to share her sources of inspiration with us and to show us some of her paintings and sculpture. Janice led us in a Wave of Prayer service, and we made cards again later in the year to send to prisoners for Christmas. We ended the year with our Christmas Party which was most enjoyable.

Once again we supported each other through both good times and those a lot harder, through practical activities and through prayer. Thank you everyone for your continuing commitment.

Alison Crockett (Branch Secretary)

ROW CHAPEL

2022 marked the start of a return to some sort of normality after the covid pandemic emergency. The main features of the year were the Harvest Festival service, the Remembrance service and the traditional Nine Lessons and Carols. Those services were, indeed, well attended, with numbers starting to get back to pre-covid levels.

A sad event which occurred during the year was the sad death of Barry Hardy in October - he and Monica have done so much good work through the years in maintaining and looking after the Chapel, we held a memorial service for him in November. Then, as a double blow, Bob Smith, our long-standing organist died in November, with a funeral service held in December.

After this, we have indeed been fortunate in that Andrew has stepped up to help Monica with looking after the Chapel and Daphne has taken on the role as our organist.

All in all, an eventful year.

Graham Brook (Lay Reader)

SILENT PRAYER MEETINGS

These continued throughout the year at St Mary’s every Tuesday at 4.30pm. They start with music, and after 25 minutes end with music. We usually number 6-7 people. We are open to anyone who wishes to be still and silent and open to the presence of the Divine.

John Parry-Williams

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