2025-12-31-accounts

Building God’s House

Knowing Jesus and making Him known Transforming Lives and Communities

Annual Report 2025

Annual Report Booklet 2025. FINAL docx.docx

Page 1

Pages 1- 28

These pages represent our report to The Charity Commission in a format and with content as required for charities with an income greater than £100,000

Ecumenical Church Council and Parochial Church Council formally approved the report on 27th April 2026

Pages 29-37

These pages celebrate the mission and ministry of The Dorcan Church and are reports that have been offered by the Church family.

Annual Report Booklet 2025. FINAL docx.docx

Page 2

ANNUAL REPORT

and FINANCIAL STATEMENTS For the year ended 31[st] December 2025 Legal and Administrative information

Charity numbers

Dorcan Church Swindon (Single Congregation LEP) Dorcan Church PCC (Local Co-operative Scheme)

1143702 pending

Chair of ECC Vice chair of PCC Nathalie Marshall 6 Sutton Road Eldene Swindon. SN3 6BX

Chair of PCC Delegated to vice chair

Rev Trudie Wigley 23 Sedgebrook Liden Swindon. SN3 6EY

Churchwarden

Diane Killick 15, Popplechurch Drive Covingham Swindon. SN3 5DE

Churchwarden

Vacancy

ECC/PCC Secretary Vacant

ECC/PCC Treasurer Mr Anthony Prichard 1, Poltondale Covingham Swindon. SN3 5BN

Bankers

The Co-operative Bank, PO Box 250, Skelmersdale WN8 6WT

Independent Examiner

Mr Paul J Crowley FCA Derrick Newman Limited Chartered Accountants, 29 Bath Road, Swindon SN1 4AS

Church Address Details

St Pauls St Paul’s Drive Covingham Swindon SN3 5BY

St Timothy’s Grundys Liden Swindon SN3 6HP

Church office

At St Pauls: 01793 435987 [e-mail] www.dorcanchurch.org.uk

Annual Report Booklet 2025. FINAL docx.docx

Page 3

THE DORCAN CHURCH

Anl Ecumenical Partnership between The Church of England & the Methodist Church Serving the Swindon urban villages of Covingham, Nythe, Liden & Eldene.

Through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the world has been reconciled to God, and in Jesus Christ unity has been offered to all people. Through the Word, we are called into a relationship with God and with one another as the children of God – a relationship inaugurated by Baptism into Christ through the Holy Spirit, nurtured and deepened through the ministry of word and sacrament and expressed in a confession of one faith and a common life of loving service.

(From the Declaration of Intent of the Dorcan Church)

OUR PURPOSE

“Transforming lives and communities, Knowing Jesus, and making Him known”

OUR PICTURE OF CHURCH

“A growing and vibrant church, confident in its purpose and trusting in God”

A church which makes Jesus known A church of disciples A church in, and for, the community A church which cares

Annual Report Booklet 2025. FINAL docx.docx

Page 4

ROLE OF CHURCH COUNCIL

The Trustees of Dorcan Church are the Dorcan Ecumenical Church Council (ECC) and also the Dorcan Church Parochial Church Council (PCC). By the end of 2026, we expect the ECC to have been dissolved, in accordance with the various resolutions made in 2024 and 2025 (Please see “Structure, Governance and Management” report for more information.

Trustees of both ECC and PCC have the responsibility of co-operating with the Incumbents in promoting the activities of the Church in the community. Members of ECC and PCC are either ex-officio, elected at the Annual Church Meeting or coopted as follows: For ECC: in accordance with the Constitution Governing Document dated 10[th] April 2011, as amended from time to time thereafter; and for PCC, in accordance with the Church Representation Rules 2025.

Annual Report Booklet 2025. FINAL docx.docx

Page 5

Membership of Church Councils (2025-2026)

Membership of Ecumenical Church Council 2025-2026 Elected Members 13

Membership of Parochial Church Council 2025-2026 Elected Members 9

Nicki Clinch	2026
Nathalie Marshall	2026
Neil Marshall	2026
Sue Morgans	2026
Pete Mulcock*	2026
Jenny Poole*	2026
Janet Prichard	2028
Tony Prichard*	2028
Chris Rose	2026
Clare Rose	2026
Clare Smith	2027
Vacancy x2
Co-opted members (2)None
Churchwardens (2)
Diane Killick *	2026
Vacancy

Nicki Clinch	2028
Nigel Friend	2028
Neil Marshall	2026
Pete Mulcock*	2027
Jenny Poole*	2028
Janet Prichard	2026
Chris Rose	2027
Clare Rose	2027
Clare Smith	2026

Co-opted members (2)	None	Co-opted members (2)
		Deacon Stephen Roe*	2026
		Tony Prichard*	2026
Churchwardens (2)		Churchwardens (2)
Diane Killick *	2026	Diane Killick*	2026
Vacancy		Vacancy
		LLM members (2)
		Sue Morgans	2026
		Vacancy
Deanery Synod Reps		Deanery Synod Reps
Jenny Poole		Jenny Poole
Vacancy x2	2026	Vacancy x2	2026
Ex-officio		Ex-officio
Rev Stuart Fisher	Minister	Rev Stuart Fisher*	Licensed clergy
Deacon Stephen Roe*	Minister	Nathalie Marshall*	Diocesan synod rep
Rev Trudie Wigley	Minister	Rev Trudie Wigley*	Licensed clergy

Standing Committee Names marked * Quorate five members

Annual Report Booklet 2025. FINAL docx.docx

Page 6

Other Appointments

Church Stewards (Sidespeople): Appointed by PCC on an annual basis

Ruth Dartnell Angela Davidson Jo Hannigan Diane Killick Neil Marshall Nathalie Marshall Sarah Paterson Brenda Phillips Claire Rose Chris Rose

Representatives to the Circuit meeting Nathalie Marshall Tony Prichard

Additional Facts and Figures

Average Sunday Attendance 2025 average St Paul’s 50 adults 5 under 16s St Timothy’s 30 adults 4 under 16 Messy Church (monthly) 14 adults 22 under 16 Total 94 adults 31 under 16s Typical week-day attendance: 2025 average Tiny Tots St Paul’s 22 adults 20 children 6 volunteers Tiny Tots St Timothy’s 5 adults 6 children 4 volunteers Cid’s Café St Paul’s 36 adults 0 children 4 volunteers Cid’s Too St Tim’s 15 adults 0 children 2 volunteers Blaze 6 adults 10 children Youth Group 6 adults 20 children Something Different 2 adults 5 children Total 92 adults 61 children

Occasional offices

	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
Baptisms	4	2	3	3	1	0	12	10	15
Funerals	6	5	7	7	16	18	16	24	9
Confirmations	10	0	0	0	0	0	5	4	0
Weddings	0	0	1	0	1	0	1	0	2

Annual Report Booklet 2025. FINAL docx.docx

Page 7

CHANGES IN APPOINTMENTS OF AUTHORISED MINISTRIES

No changes to report this year

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT Year ending 31 December 2025

At a Special Congregational Meeting on 9[th] June 2024, we passed the following resolution regarding our governance, agreeing to “dissolve the Single Congregational Local Ecumenical Partnership (SCLEP) and to adopt the Local Ecumenical Co-operative Scheme with the Church of England as the Lead Partner” . Work has been continuing on the legal and practical aspects of affecting this change, which is expected to be concluded in the next few months, ahead of the end fo the calendar year.

In the meantime, the business and governance of the church is directed and overseen by both the Dorcan Church Ecumenical Church Council (ECC) and the Dorcan Church Parochial Church Council (PCC). Trustees for both councils are elected from the Electoral Roll which has served as the Membership list of the SCLEP for many years. The maximum number of elected members to ECC is 13, and the maximum number of elected members to PCC is 9.

Report on the Proceedings of the PCC and ECC.

Meetings of PCC and ECC are currently held jointly, until the ECC is dissolved. The trustees met nine times during 2025, all in person. We are grateful to everyone who serves on ECC/PCC, for their time, energy and wisdom, and for the discussions we have had this past year. A significant focus has been the continued journey of amending our governance from an SCLEP to a Local Ecumenical Co-operative Scheme (LECS) and this has not always been easy. We also rejoiced at a PCC away day, the first in many years, and enjoyed working together to start to define foundational values for the future. We have had some challenging conversations and have had to learn along the way, yet we have navigated through those challenges with grace and tolerance which is down to the love and grace of each member. Thank you.

Annual Report Booklet 2025. FINAL docx.docx

Page 8

The dates that the PCC and ECC met and the associated focus points are as follows:

• 11[th] February: Local Ecumenical Co-operative Scheme (LECS) focus introducing Nick Ormon (Wroughton) who had offered to assist us through the process of changing the governance and financial structures.

• 27[th] March: First meeting of the separate PCC within the ECC meeting and had a continued LECS focus, authorising transfers of both finance and governance between the ECC and the PCC. PCC officers were appointed and the PCC resolved to adopt existing policies of the ECC. There was an update on the recruitment of the parish safeguarding co-ordinator which completed before the following meeting.

• 29[th] April: Review of papers and structure before the annual meetings.

• 19[th] May: AGM day. Brief meeting following the AGM to appoint officers.

• 30[th] June: Focus on PCC structure and governance matters, plus a Safeguarding update from Vanessa Lee our Parish Safeguarding co-ordinator. Committee structure and membership, stewards, PCC members length of appointment, ability for church administrator to access the charity commission website on behalf of both ECC and PCC were all approved. The safeguarding policy was also approved in its new form, plus the policy statement and code of conduct.

• 22[nd] July: Focused on safeguarding with a review of many policies and procedures following work rewriting by Vanessa Lee who attended the meeting as a visitor. Safeguarding documentation and information that had been refreshed was reviewed and approved.

• 25[th] September: Focus was a half year finance update and away day planning. Discussion around the parish share and approval of the response to the diocese.

• Away Day 18[th] October: focus on re-establishing a set of values for Dorcan – led by Rosy Ashley (Advisor for Parish Development) and Chris Dobson Diocesan Advisor for Parish Discipleship and Evangelism.

• 24[th] November: A review of the away day was held and next steps were agreed. Various safeguarding changes were approved, and Finance budget for 2026 was reviewed and approved.

Each meeting starts with a sharing of reasons for joy, to ensure that we are focused on our values of Building God’s house here in Dorcan and the working out of our discussions as practical effects. There are always robust conversations, and every meeting will cover, in some regard, safeguarding, finance, worship and ministry, and Centre management.

Grateful thanks for all who serve in this way

Nathalie Marshall Chair ECC/Vice Chair PCC

Annual Report Booklet 2025. FINAL docx.docx

Page 9

Committees and working groups

The aims of the charity are effected through a number of committees and teams, as detailed below. We are immensely grateful for all that the committees do so diligently and prayerfully, without which our mission and ministry would be poorer. Thank you.

Centre Management Committee: The Centre Management Committee meets to coordinate property-related matters across the Dorcan Church in support of the Church’s Vision and Mission. It forms a link between the ‘do-ers’ and the decisionmaking processes at Finance and ECC/PCC. It provides oversight to the Centre Administrator in the letting, maintenance and development of the premises at St Paul’s and St Timothy’s. The Centre Management Committee also sets out to balance the use of the centres both to help enable the mission of the church and also to provide facilities for the benefit of the community. The committee has close links with “The Roofers” who focus on fundraising for ongoing maintenance of our buildings, releasing general congregational giving for the funding of ministry and mission. The committee also delegates to other time-limited sub-groups, as needed.

Children and Young People: Our strong ministry to CYP continues through our schools work - assemblies, Christmas Unwrapped, Easter Cracked Open, festival services; missional outreach to young people and pre-schoolers in our community through Blaze/Youth group, “Something Different” (for older teens), Messy Church and Tiny Tots; as well as nurturing and caring for those children and young people who worship with us and are a part of The Dorcan Church. Currently each area of our CYP work meets independently and we do need to look at periodically coming together to support each other and look holistically at our CYP ministry.

Finance Committee: The team works under the delegated authority of the ECC/PCC and look after our financial resources, managing the day-to-day finances of income, giving and expenditure. It looks to prepare an annual budget and annual accounts for approval by the ECC/PCC. The committee has been particular busy this year working through the legal and practical changes flowing from our change in governance, and we are thankful for all their efforts – and patience!

“Nuts and Bolts” team: The team comprises the Church Warden(s), Senior Steward and Incumbents. The group meets every 2-3 weeks, focusing on the dayto-day running of the church, centre, and upcoming services. It also serves as a sharing and ideas forum to aid communication and smooth running, as well as being a place of support and accountability.

Preaching team: The team met three times together, studying the Bible and praying together. It also focuses on some of the practicalities of worship, as well as being a sounding board for exploring spiritual growth, discipleship, preaching styles and prayer ministry.

Annual Report Booklet 2025. FINAL docx.docx

Page 10

Safeguarding: Safeguarding practice is central to the mission and ministry of the church. The safeguarding team work to ensure that everyone, and especially children and vulnerable adults are safe in our churches, and that all those who are survivors of abuse are listened to, valued and supported. During 2025, we successfully recruited an overall Parish Safeguarding Co-ordination Officer (PSO) who has provided oversight and worked to review, update and ensure implementation of our processes and procedures. We are extremely grateful for the hard work of Vanessa Lee in this work. It should be noted that Safeguarding remains the legal responsibility of the ECC/PCC.

Standing Committee: The standing committee is authorised by the ECC/PCC. It has the power to transact the business of the church councils between meetings, subject to any direction from ECC/PCC. It comprises seven people, with a quorum of five from the Ministers (including Anglican and Methodist incumbents), Churchwarden, Treasurer and two others from ECC. If there is business to transact, it meets between council meetings to agree risk assessments, finances, attend to other day-to-day requirements and deal with urgent items that cannot wait until the next ECC/PCC. Standing Committee did not meet in person in 2025, but approved a number of urgent decisions by email.

2026 and beyond

In the summer of 2023, we began a journey to address three significant challenges we were facing as a Single Congregation Local Ecumenical Partnership (SCLEP), culminating in the signing of the Local Ecumenical Co-operative Scheme (LECS) in November 2024. 2025 has been a significant journey implementing the new governance framework with the Church of England as the lead partner, ensuring the continuation of our special and long-lasting Methodist-Anglican relationship and our ecumenical essence which is so important to our identity here at Dorcan Church. We had hoped that this work would have been completed by the end of 2025, however it has taken longer than anticipated. We are very grateful indeed to Nick Orman, from the parish of Wroughton and Wichelstowe, who has kindly agreed to project manage and oversee the transition, and to the finance team and many others who are working hard addressing all the required changes. We hope and expect for this to complete within 2026.

Nathalie Marshall, ECC chair and PCC vice-chair Rev Trudie Wigley, PCC chair

Annual Report Booklet 2025. FINAL docx.docx

Page 11

ELECTORAL ROLL Membership & Church Links

2026/27	2025/26	2024/25	2024/23	2023/22	2022/21	2021/20	2020/19*	2019/18	2018/17
118	111*	144	144	141	139	146	147*	162	161

*Full electoral roll revision

It’s that time of year when we take a closer look at our Electoral Roll/Membership List. It’s all very similar to my report of 2025. Currently there are 113 people who are officially registered on the Electoral Roll of the Dorcan Church. We do, however have quite a few folk who worship with us on a regular basis, but have not yet taken the plunge and filled in a form. If you’re one of those people, or you aren’t quite sure of what’s involved, please do speak to one of the Ministry Team.

Sadly, during the past 12 months, we’ve had to say ‘farewell’ to friends who have passed on to glory…Brenda Fisher and Rev Edward Pilkington. We remember them with great affection and gratitude for everything they meant to us, and for their lives devoted to God. May they rest in peace and rise in glory. However, by God’s grace, we also find that new people arrive occasionally, and if that’s you, then welcome. We would love to get to know you better, so please introduce yourself to any one of us.

This brings me on to the LINK system. LINK people are those who keep in contact with members of the congregation, either by phone or by other means, just to touch base with them if they haven’t been seen at church lately. It’s not an onerous task but many lovely friendships have developed because of it. It would be good if every person who worships with us could have a person they could LINK with, but sadly we need a few more people to offer to take on this role. If you think this is something God may be prompting you to do, please let one of the Ministry Team know.

As an end note…we will almost certainly be faced with more challenges and changes during the coming year, and I commend to you these words from Jeremiah 6:16

This is what the Lord says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Barbara Wilcox LLM Emeritus

==> picture [373 x 42] intentionally omitted <==

Annual Report Booklet 2025. FINAL docx.docx

Page 12

PASTORAL CARE

Pastoral Care at Dorcan is provided in a number of ways. Most informally, but perhaps also most frequently, it is shown by people simply caring for others, showing concern as we meet as we go about our daily lives, either at Church or as neighbours and friends. More formally, we have a system of Church Links, whose role is to keep in touch with those on their list, pray for them, make gentle enquiries if they have not been in contact for a while, and pass on any concerns. If you are not sure who your Church Link is, please speak to Barbara, Stephen or Trudie, and we will put you in touch. Equally, if this is a role you feel you may be being called to, please speak to one of us. More formally still, and partly in response to the reduction in ordained ministerial resources from September this year, the PCC has appointed some Pastoral Visitors, whose role is to visit those of our members who are unable to get to Church, or are in hospital or other care, whether that is for a short or longer period of time. However, we can only respond if we are aware of a need, so please let one of the Ministry Team know if you become aware that a member of our congregation has a pastoral need. Deacon Stephen Roe

CHURCHWARDEN REPORT

The thigh bone’s connected to the hip bone, the hip bone's connected to the backbone, the backbone's connected to the neck bone........... are you singing yet?

Get the picture, we are all connected, and support and rely on each other as church family. Life is constantly changing, sometimes good, sometimes not, but our church is the constant.

We are blessed by those who minister to us each Sunday, and they are supported by a wonderful team who enable our services to happen, our welcomers, sacristans, stewards, intercessors, readers, musicians, refreshments, cleaners, flower arrangers, but it does not end there. Throughout the week the love and support continues in various ways. Link people, home visits, youth groups, safeguarding, our administrator Maggie, and treasury to name a few.

Again we have had to say goodbye to loved ones, and have welcomed new faces. Numbers are fairly constant, and rise considerably for Christingle, and Christmas services. A confirmation service was held at St Pauls in June, and some of us attended Upham Road to support one of our candidates there. The 21st Swindon Scout group and their families joined us for Remembrance Sunday, and took an active part in the service.

So them bones, them bones, Hear the word of the Lord

Diane Killick, Churchwarden

Annual Report Booklet 2025. FINAL docx.docx

Page 13

FABRIC REPORT

Let’s start with the positive !!!

Both our buildings continue to be well used, for various church and community events. We were delighted to welcome Swindon Male Voice choir to St Tim’s as their rehearsal home. Messy Church is also thriving there, Cid’s Too and as a meeting place for small groups. At St Paul’s, it continues to be very popular for parties, and regular groups including Cid’s, Senior Citizens, dance and keep fit, bridge and yoga, amongst others. Maggie Johnson as administrator keeps tabs on them all, huge thanks to Maggie. St Pauls is also attracting some choirs for their concerts.

To safely accommodate parking at St Pauls, after very careful consideration, the entrance and exit were reversed, (It would appear to still be challenging for some) and we are now looking at how we could increase spaces. At the time of writing the spring bulbs are out and looking splendid, thank you to all that planted. In August the whole centre was closed to enable essential electrical work to be done, and after a period of no hot water in the kitchen, all is now satisfactory.

Now the other bit, we are back to leaking roof’s St Tim’s this time, so watch this space!

We have an incredible team who turn their hands to most things, always without complaint, and very generous with their time, thank you so much we are so blessed to have you. Diane Killick Churchwarden

SAFEGUARDING REPORT

Safeguarding practice is central to the mission and ministry of the church. The safeguarding team work to ensure that children and vulnerable adults are safe in our churches, and that all those who are survivors of abuse are listened to, valued and supported. Of note is that safeguarding remains the legal responsibility of the ECC/PCC.

The team met frequently during the year and we were delighted to welcome Vanessa Lee to the team as our Co-ordination Officer. With her guidance and work, we have made excellent progress on reviewing and updating our policies, procedures and training, and are very grateful that she said yes to joining the team! And we are very much a team. I would like to thank Dianne Lane, Sue Morgans, Jenny Poole, Deacon Stephen Roe, Maggie Johnson and Sandra Marshall for their commitment and dedication to this important aspect of our church life. Some of the things we deal with are not easy, and the paperwork often seems endless, yet the

Annual Report Booklet 2025. FINAL docx.docx

Page 14

heart of our work is that safeguarding is not just a policy requirement or a paper exercise, instead it is a theological imperative. It flows from our belief that every person is made in God’s image, that Jesus calls us to protect the vulnerable, that we are a body called to be safe and whole, and that love must be expressed in truth, justice, and accountability. Thank you awesome team.

Revd Trudie Wigley

Safeguarding Project

In May 2025 I started working for Dorcan Church on a fixed term contract,, being given the remit of reviewing and updating the Parish’s safeguarding policies and working procedures.

My previous experience in safeguarding was within an education setting, providing for children that were not in mainstream schools, where I was the Deputy Safeguarding Lead.

After initially spending time reading through the wealth of information on Safeguarding on the Bristol Diocese and CofE websites, to familiarise myself with the structure of responsibility within The Church Of England’s framework , I began the work of updating Dorcan Church’s policies.

The Dorcan safeguarding team, a team of wonderful and dedicated volunteers, gave up even more of their time to come to group meetings, meet with me individually and talk on the phone to respond to numerous emails and questions I was asking them. It struck me very early on that each person was hugely knowledgeable, within their respective safeguarding roles and evidenced really good working practice.

To ensure the Church was working within the overarching CofE and Diocese framework and legislative boundaries, as new versions of policies and guidance were produced, we took the opportunity, as a team, to review each one and how the Church’s daily practice held up, from a safeguarding perspective. This was a beneficial approach to take, rather than just completing a paper exercise of producing policies for a folder, as we explored areas that sometimes required quite detailed clarification, to allow us to develop a consistent understanding that could then be applied more widely within individual areas of safeguarding responsibility.

The Dorcan Church is blessed to have a large team of volunteers and particularly the safeguarding team and PCC, that have welcomed me in to the Church now as a permanent employee, as part of their continued commitment to safeguarding

Vanessa Lee

Annual Report Booklet 2025. FINAL docx.docx

Page 15

Training and DBS checks: At present we have 57 volunteers working in various roles throughout the church. Most volunteers have done the required safeguarding training, but due to new guidelines everyone working with children is now required to complete domestic abuse awareness training. That amounted to 32 volunteers. Ten of those have completed on line and the other 22 are booked on a course on 7th February. Hopefully they will all be done by the time we read this report. Many of us were required to refresh basic awareness training last year. Only two are left to complete this. These are all refreshed every three years. This is a huge commitment for everyone and we are very grateful for the time and effort taken to keep up with training as well as the regular volunteering roles. Thank you.

As far as we are aware all those who need DBS clearance for their role have done so. Thank you again for responding and keeping up to date with this, especially as the requirement is every three years now. The organisation we use, Thirtyone:Eight, now informs the verifier three months before a DBS is due. This will prove helpful to keep everyone up to date.

Dianne Lane and Sue Morgans

Safeguarding Declaration from PCC: This annual statement is required under The Church Representation Rules 2025.

At their PCC meeting on 9[th] March 2026, “The PCC confirms that it has complied with the requirements imposed by the code under section 5A of the Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure 2016.”

PCC Trustees

Annual Report Booklet 2025. FINAL docx.docx

Page 16

CHARITY TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT

The Dorcan Church is an Anglican Church working with a Local Ecumenical Cooperative agreement with the Methodist Church, serving the Swindon urban villages of Covingham, Nythe, Liden and Eldene. The Parish includes the congregations worshipping at St Paul’s, Covingham and St Timothy’s, Liden. The Church continues to work to build the kingdom of God throughout the parish, both as a worshipping community and also as a serving community.

Though the governance of the charity continued to evolve following the dissolution of the formal LEP and signing of the LECS agreement, the day to day work of the church community continued unabated. The Cids and Cids Too coffee mornings continue to meet weekly, tackling loneliness in our communities, and building relationships. It’s particularly pleasing that those who can attend the Borough Council Supported bereavement group at St Paul’s for a limited period (so that the council can continue to support newly bereaved members of the community) are unofficially referred on to Cids, through which they find ongoing support and friendship.

Attendees on a Sunday morning may be disappointed in the lack of large number of young people week by week, and Tiny Tots has struggled with volunteers, pausing at St Tim’s for the time being. It should be noted however, that those that help at Messy Church on a monthly basis at St Tim’s, and the youth groups for 3 different age groups midweek at St Paul’s will know that our young people are both numerous and lively. In 2025 we were especially thrilled to launch “Something Different” for our 16 – 19 year olds, on a Wednesday evening, by special request of the young people themselves. We are glad to welcome them all as part of our worshiping community.

Our buildings continue to provide community space for a wide variety of groups from irregular parties and social events to the weekly meetings of Dance groups, Senior Citizens, and of course the life sustaining Blood Donation Service.

St Paul’s roof continues to be water tight following the large amount of work in 2024, however attention is now turning to St Tim’s, which it appears is not. So the Roofers’ work continues, working to fundraise and build community, and we thank God for them and all the fun that they bring, not to mention the cash that they bring in. May this report next year be reporting two water tight roofs, God willing!

Our work with local schools and education providers continues, and work is now starting on re aligning this towards the new staffing model which will be in place once Stephen retires in the summer. It is somewhat daunting to be in so much

Annual Report Booklet 2025. FINAL docx.docx

Page 17

demand, and yet what a joy to share with them the stories of Jesus. A new link was built this year with 21st Swindon (Covingham) Scouts attending Remembrance parade in large numbers.

2025 was less successful on the Eco Church front, though embedded practices have continued such as collecting food waste, and more and more bulbs have been planted. The challenge in 2026 will be to establish a small team working on this to enable us to complete the final actions for the Bronze award.

Behind the scenes, the finance committee are working hard to register a new charity and start to move the finances over. We hope and pray that this work can complete in 2026 with a single streamlined governance structure and a single set of accounts. Our thanks go to Nick Ormon from Wroughton Parish who has been assisting with this and guiding our finance team. Once this is completed we can legally close the old charity, and the ECC which governs it, moving fully over to the PCC structure.

2026 is already proving to be a year of turmoil across the world. We are grateful for the love of God as our firm foundations in this time.

Nathalie Marshall, Chair of Trustees

FINANCIAL REPORT FOR 2025

Background

Until November 2024, Dorcan Church existed as a Single Congregational Local Ecumenical Partnership (SCLEP) and all its financial affairs were conducted through the registered charity ‘Dorcan Church, Swindon’ (1143702).

Then, as many of you will recall, following a lengthy consultation and approval process, agreements were signed to dissolve the SCLEP and replace it with a Local Ecumenical Co-operative Scheme (LECS). This meant that the charity ‘Dorcan Church Swindon’ also needed to be dissolved and that the governance and finances of the Dorcan Church needed to move to standard arrangements for an Anglican parish, with the Parochial Church Council (PCC) becoming the principal controlling and decision-making body.

March 2025 saw the Ecumenical Church Council (ECC, the trustees of the ‘Dorcan Church Swindon’ charity) pass a resolution that authorised the transfer of its funds to the PCC. This then allowed the financial transition to begin.

Annual Report Booklet 2025. FINAL docx.docx

Page 18

However, the process of opening a bank account for Dorcan PCC proved to be long and protracted, and it wasn’t until October that certain selected transactions began to be processed through the newly opened PCC account.

The end of 2025 found us, therefore, very much in a state of transition. Three tables of figures are therefore included in this report.

(1) The ECC Table, documenting 2025 figures for the ‘Dorcan Church, Swindon’ charity.

(2) The PCC Table, documenting 2025 figures attributable to the Dorcan PCC (i.e. totals for the small subset of transactions that had passed through the PCC account).

(3) The combined ECC and PCC table (with charts) documenting 2025 figures for the Church as a whole.

Moving into 2026, the plan was to move the vast majority of financial activity from the ECC account to the PCC account as swiftly as possible, thus enabling the ECC account to be closed at some point during the year. (As we approach the Annual Meeting, most of the financial activity has now been transferred across).

Tables (See Below)

ECC
Income(£)			Expenditure(£)
Regular Giving	65,273		ParishShare	61,020
Lettings	38,558		Minister's and Staff	30,300
Tax recovered	16,051		MethodistAssessment	14,834
Othergiving	4,835		Utilities	15,684
Gift Days	4,759		Maintenance	12,905
Plate collections	2,623		Mission and Charitable Giving	2,657
Fetes etc.	2,846		Insurance	2,364
Bank Interest	2,077		Upkeep ofservices	2,285
Fees	1,619		Administration	1,525
Other	287		Fees	1,076
			Council Tax	1,073
			Cost of Stewardship campaign	74
	138,928			145,797

Annual Report Booklet 2025. FINAL docx.docx

Page 19

PCC
Income(£)			Expenditure(£)
Regular Giving	3,021		ParishShare	0
Lettings	829		Minister's and Staff	0
Tax recovered	0		MethodistAssessment	0
Othergiving	65		Utilities	0
Gift Days	0		Maintenance	0
Plate collections	729		Missionand Charitable Giving	0
Fetes etc.	40		Insurance	0
Bank Interest	0		Upkeep of services	50
Fees	0		Administration	0
Other	6		Fees	0
			Council Tax	0
			Cost ofStewardship campaign	0
	4,690			50

Combined(ECC & PCC, Dorcan Church as a whole)	Combined(ECC & PCC, Dorcan Church as a whole)	Combined(ECC & PCC, Dorcan Church as a whole)	Combined(ECC & PCC, Dorcan Church as a whole)
Income(£)			Expenditure(£)
Regular Giving 47.5%	68,294		ParishShare42%	61,020
Lettings 27.4%	39,387		Minister's and Staff 21%	30,300
Tax recovered 11%	16,051		MethodistAssessment10%	14,834
Othergiving3.5%	4,900		Utilities11%	15,684
Gift Days 3.3%	4,759		Maintenance 9%	12,905
Plate collections 2.4%	3,352		Mission and Charitable Giving 1.7%	2,657
Fetes etc. 2%	2,886		Insurance1.6%	2,364
Bank Interest 1.4%	2,077		Upkeep of services 1.5%	2,335
Fees 1.1%	1,619		Administration 1%	1,525
Other 0.2%	293		Fees 0.7%	1,076
			Council Tax0.7%	1,073
			Cost of Stewardship campaign 0.05%	74
	143,618			145,847

Annual Report Booklet 2025. FINAL docx.docx

Page 20

Dorcan Church Income

==> picture [174 x 161] intentionally omitted <==

Regular Giving 47.5% Lettings 27.4% Tax recovered 11% Other giving 3.5% Gift Days 3.3% Plate collections 2.4% Fetes etc. 2% Bank Interest 1.4% Fees 1.1% Other 0.2%

Dorcan Church Expenditure

==> picture [168 x 196] intentionally omitted <==

Parish Share 42% Minister's and Staff 21% Methodist Assessment 10% Utilities 11% Maintenance 9% Mission and Charitable Giving 1.7% Insurance 1.6% Upkeep of services 1.5% Administration 1% Fees 0.7% Council Tax 0.7% Cost of Stewardship campaign 0.05%

Annual Report Booklet 2025. FINAL docx.docx

Page 21

Overall Summary

God has once again been very good to us regarding our finances for 2025. Though we recorded a small deficit (£2,229) this was much less than anticipated by our 2025 budget (£11,946). So, as in 2024, our financial figures were significantly better than we anticipated, and we give thanks to God for this.

This does not mean that we have large amounts of money that we can spend freely. 2025 was unusual in that we had surplus funds carried over from 2024, which we then spent (as planned) during the year; therefore, a deficit was acceptable. Going forward, we need to be wise in managing the resources God has given us, especially ensuring that our day to day expenditure falls within budget.

However, though we face various financial challenges, especially regarding the upkeep of our buildings, we move forward in faith that God will continue to provide for us, as he has done in the past.

Income

So, how does God provide for us? Principally and most significantly, it is through your generosity, i.e. the donations of our congregation. Regular giving through direct debit, standing orders, and weekly envelopes rose from £64,349 in 2024 to £68,294. These gifts, along with the tax that we are able to reclaim on them, form the bedrock of our finances, and we give thanks to everyone who contributes in these ways.

However, we are also grateful to all who give in other ways, e.g. to those who put money into the collections at services, Cids Cafe, Messy Church etc., to those who contribute to our Gift Day, or who give one-off donations. Such giving amounted to around 9% of our income, an important contribution.

This is also true for the amounts raised through our fundraising events. This money goes towards vital maintenance and occasional improvements (when they can be afforded) to our buildings. Without this contribution, we would struggle. Our thanks goes very much to our dedicated fundraisers and everyone who supports their events.

The final key element of our income is the amount received from lettings; this was up by just over 3% on 2024, broadly in line with expectations. Late in 2025, Swindon Male Voice Choir began hiring St Tim’s as their regular rehearsal venue. This will help with our letting income going forward.

Annual Report Booklet 2025. FINAL docx.docx

Page 22

Expenditure

Overall, our expenditure was very close to budget (just a 0.5% variance), so a good outcome.

However, within this, there are a few points to note.

Parish Share (our contribution to the Anglican denomination) rose from £51,000 to £61,020. This was because, for the first time in years, we thought that we could afford to contribute the sort of amount requested of us, rather than underpaying. This prediction has been borne out by the financial results for 2025. We continue to contribute at a similar level in 2026.

Much of this increase is being funded by a decrease in Assessment (our contribution to the Methodist Denomination), down from £19,638 in 2024 to £14,834 in 2025. This is falling as a result of our change in ecumenical status and is agreed to reduce to an expected amount of £2,000pa from September 2026.

The ‘Ministers and Staff’ category (which includes salaries of admin and centre staff and expenses, but not salaries, for ministers) rose by £8k from 2024. £6k of this was spent on employing a specialist to complete a one-off exercise to bring our safeguarding processes and documentation up to date with current practice and requirements. This was funded from a special grant that we received from the Bristol Diocese and the Archdeacon in 2024. However, the specialist, Vanessa Lee, is remaining with us on a part-time basis of 20 hours per month to provide continuing support for our safeguarding function. This will result in an ongoing increase in staff costs but to a lesser extent than seen in 2025.

‘Maintenance’ (of our two centres) was relatively high in 2025, mainly due to a significant spend of almost £6k on St Paul’s electrical infrastructure in order to bring it in line with current safety standards. However, given the age of our buildings, we need to anticipate the same level of maintenance costs in the future.

Thankfully, though, utility costs at £15.6k were only slightly up on 2024. Unfortunately, though, we are now facing increases, possibly significant ones, in 2026.

Finally…..

Full details of our finances are contained in the two sets of accounts, one for the ECC and one for the PCC. Do ask for a copy if you would like one. Please also do ask if you have further questions about the Church Finances. Tony Prichard, Pete Mulcock and other members of our Finance Committee are all willing and available to provide answers.

Tony Prichard (Treasurer), Pete Mulcock and Finance Committee

Annual Report Booklet 2025. FINAL docx.docx

Page 23

SWINDON DEANERY SYNOD 2025 ANNUAL REPORT

Our Deanery Synod meetings took a slightly different form for much of 2025 as we were able to combine two of our meetings with Pioneering Parishes training provided by the Diocese of Bristol and delivered by Church Mission Society. This allowed Synod members to meet with others from across the Deanery to discuss ways of taking church more deliberately into our communities.

In February and October, we met at Pattern Church and were led by Tina Hodgett and Greg Bakker from Church Mission Society as part of the Pioneering Parishes initiative. In February, we engaged with the need for a culture shift, lamenting our losses to allow newness to emerge; emphasizing our values and how to discern them through honest conversations and developing an abundant mindset, through seeing our contexts differently. The presentations and discussions were fueled by an excellent buffet from Trenchers in Kembrey Park. In October, Tina and Greg led us in open conversations which encouraged us to discuss the questions we are grappling with around mission in our contexts and modelled ways of encouraging self-reflection through the help of perceptive questioning by others.

Each of these meetings was preceded by a short business meeting. In February we appointed Gill Leighburn and Tracy Mason as lay members of the Deanery Leadership Team and in October we elected Nick Orman from Wroughton and Wichelstowe as Lay Chair. In October we also heard from Stephen Sheridan, the Finance Director for the Diocese who is the member of senior staff in Diocesan Support Services (DSS) linked to our deanery.

The date set for the May meeting clashed with the end of the Pioneering Parishes course following on from the February meeting, so synod members were invited to come to Holy Trinity, Shaw and engage in prayer stations, focusing on Swindon, local schools, and peace among other topics.

July was our annual synod barbeque and as well as networking with other synod members, those attending this synod at The Well in Abbey Meads also had the opportunity to contribute to the consultation about the appointment of the new Bishop of Bristol by answering questions on flip charts.

Jenny Poole has been our lay Deanery Synod rep over the past year, please ask her or the clergy if you would like more information.

Jenny Poole Deanery Synod Representative

Annual Report Booklet 2025. FINAL docx.docx

Page 24

DIOCESAN SYNOD 2025 ANNUAL REPORT

Diocesan Synod is the largest and most representative governing body in the Diocese. It supports the bishop in shaping the strategic direction of diocesan life by providing a forum for engagement and debate, a sounding board for emerging priorities, and a setting in which formal decisions are taken through prayerful discernment and collaborative relationships. In summary, Diocesan Synod is the place all voices and wisdom come together to discern God’s calling focus and his kingdom is the Diocese. Below is an overview of the topics discussed and various motions approved during 2025.

Living in Love and Faith (LLF)

This remains a polarised debate at General Synod, which is replicated at Diocesan Synod, and in many parishes. LLF was discussed at every Synod meeting during 2025. In March, The Rt Revd Viv Faull, Bishop of Bristol, updated Synod on national discussions regarding the ordination and licensing of individuals seeking or in same-sex marriages. In June, The Very Revd Mandy Ford, Dean of Bristol Cathedral and a member of the National Programme Board overseeing the LLF process, updated Synod on recent developments. In September we held a dedicated LLF session of listening, engaging, and reflecting. In November, The Rt Revd Neil Warwick (Acting Bishop of Bristol) outlined the House of Bishops’ decisions, and also provided context, reaction, and an overview of next steps.

Carbon Net Zero (CNZ)

Synod received an update confirming greater clarity surrounding carbon measurement. Bristol continues to be recognised nationally for leadership in solar installations and environmental initiatives. A list of grants and schemes awarded was shared. We are grateful to the Centre Management Committee for their work, and also to our Eco champion, Neil Marshall, as he steers and encourages us in both our personal and corporate discipleship as we commit to the 5th mark of mission “to strive to safeguard the integrity of creation, and sustain and renew the life of the earth”.

Dissolution of DBAT

The transition of Diocesan Board of Academies Trust (DBAT) schools to other trusts concluded successfully, reinforcing long-term benefits for children, young people, schools, and communities. The Diocese of Bristol School Partnership ‐ Programme (DBSP), co constructed with trusts, launched in September 2025.

Transforming Church. Together (TC.T)

An update was provided, including a presentation from Holy Trinity Horfield on its use of Sharesy, which has increased bookings and improved efficiency. As part of the Priority Communities Network within the TC.T strategy, Synod approved becoming a formal partner of the Church Urban Fund (CUF) and joining the Together Network.

Annual Report Booklet 2025. FINAL docx.docx

Page 25

Here at Dorcan our short term priority is to complete all that we need to do to with our change of governance, however after this there will be capacity to start considering how we might engage with the strategy in our unique context as we also look to renew our vision moving forward. More details on the strategy can be found at https://www.bristol.anglican.org/visionandpriorities/transforming-church/ .

Safeguarding Annual Report

A comprehensive audit reflected exceptionally strong safeguarding practice across the Diocese. A new national framework now enables leadership training to be ‐ completed in a one day session. In Dorcan we are grateful that we have been able to use this as a springboard for our own safeguarding review, recognising that safeguarding is a Kingdom value, and a critical part of preaching the gospel.

All Saints Roof Repair

Following an overview of the proposed works, a presentation from the Racial Justice Team, and extended Q&A, Synod reaffirmed its previous decision to proceed with the roof repairs. All Saints is believed to be the burial place of Edward Colston, the enslaver, and has been closed to the public since 1984 however there is a legal duty on the diocese to repair the roof to protect public safety. In due course there are plans to re-open the church as a place of lament, learning and reconciliation in light of the Church’s past involvement in the slave trade.

Budget 2026

Synod reviewed the significant financial challenges facing the Diocese. After round-table discussion and Q&A, Synod authorised the Bristol Diocesan Board of ‐ Finance to expend the sums set out in the budget. A 10 year Financial Plan will be developed during 2026.

Synod is a place where the voice of parishes can be heard, and the national Church of England informed and challenged. Whilst there is invariably some tedious business to be transacted, it has become increasingly participative, engaging and diverse and if you would like to be a part of shaping the future of the Church of England, please do consider standing, or come along and see what happens (guests are always welcome). Do have a chat with Nathalie Marshall or Trudie Wigley.

Nathalie Marshall, Elected Member Diocesan House of Laity Rev Trudie Wigley, Co-Chair Diocesan Synod

BRISTOL METHODIST DISTRICT REPORT

Revd Dr Marcus Torchon is now in his second year as District Chair. He is continuing to get to know the District by making regular visits to Circuits, including leading a Study Day for Local Preachers and Worship Leaders in the North Wiltshire Circuit, and visiting the Pilgrim Centre in Swindon Town Centre. The September Synod approved, in principle, the establishment of a number of District

Annual Report Booklet 2025. FINAL docx.docx

Page 26

roles, including someone to encourage and co-ordinate work with children and young people, someone to facilitate churches in contributing to the commitment to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2030, and a half-time Faith Rooted Community Organiser. We continue to offer our prayers for Marcus and all the District officers.

Deacon Stephen Roe

NORTH WILTSHIRE CIRCUIT REPORT

Alongside the day-to-day aspects of managing the Circuit, two major issues have dominated the future planning for the Circuit this year. The first is staffing. As two ministers are leaving this year, two profiles were submitted for consideration by the stationing committees of the Church. We were pleased to be matched with a deacon, who will move into the Merlin Way manse sometime in August, and then work alongside the ministers with pastoral charge at the Pilgrim Centre on Regent Street, at Bath Road Methodist Church in Old Town, and at Rodbourne Methodist Centre, looking to build on existing mission and outreach activities, and develop new ones. We were not matched with a presbyter for the Marlborough section of the Circuit, and so the Circuit Leadership Team are currently considering how best to provide ministry for those churches.

Secondly, discussions are continuing about merging the North Wiltshire and Upper Thames Circuits. The original intention was to merge from September 2026, but as discussions progressed it became clear that this timescale was too ambitious, and so the intention currently is that the merger will take effect in September 2027.

The worshipping congregation at Rodbourne Methodist Church met for the last time at Easter 2025. The building is now the responsibility of the Circuit, which took the decision to invest some of the Circuit reserves into improving the building with a view to making it a faith-based Community Centre, suitable for use by community groups and for hire by individuals. This is still ongoing, but some new groups have started to make use of the facilities, and it is hoped that this will continue to increase.

It was agreed during the year that even though the Dorcan Church would no longer be paying an assessment to the Circuit from September 2026, a financial contribution would be made as part of the commitment of the Dorcan Church to an ongoing ecumenical relationship with the Methodist Church, as detailed in the Local Ecumenical Co-operative Scheme. The Methodist Circuit has committed to providing a minister to lead a Communion Service at Dorcan twice a year, also as a sign of the commitment to the ecumenical relationship. However, one consequence of the changes at Dorcan is that we no longer have automatic representation on the Circuit Meeting, but both the Circuit and the Dorcan Church are happy and willing for someone to be appointed as a non-voting representative,

Annual Report Booklet 2025. FINAL docx.docx

Page 27

in order to maintain a link. Please speak to either me or Nathalie if this is a role you feel called to consider. The meeting is four times a year, usually in an evening,

Deacon Stephen Roe

END OF CHARITIES COMMISSION REPORT

Annual Report Booklet 2025. FINAL docx.docx

Page 28

CELEBRATING THE MISSION AND MINISTRY OF THE DORCAN CHURCH

The following pages are reports that have been voluntarily offered from the Church family to mark and celebrate our mission and ministry. These are not allencompassing of all that we do, yet paint a wonderful picture of some of the ways we have been serving the community and sharing the Good News of Jesus. Well done amazing Church for all that you and all that you are. Thank you!

MINISTRY TO CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE

We have an extensive and strong ministry to children and young people in the parish. Thank you to everyone who supports and prays for this important ministry. Without this mission and ministry, we cannot nurture the next generation of disciples and grow God’s church to further his kingdom in this place.

Blaze | Youth Club | ”Something Different”

We are meeting, still, twice a month. Numbers are still variable but it is lovely to see the youngsters!! In the summer we went bowling and at Christmas we held a party with some "minute to win it games!” We always finish our sessions with hot chocolate (ice lolly in the summer term!) and a sharing of our faith. These last few weeks we have been looking at the Fruits of the Spirit which they are remembering which is good!

We were very excited to launch our 16 -18 group in September, called “Something Different”. These are the girls who became too old for the Youth Club! What a delight they are and some of them are now helping at Breakfast Club as well! We do appreciate prayers for the young people and the team! AND a big shout out to Chris, Clare, Pete, Becki, Matt and Caroline who selflessly give their time for this to happen. Deb Mulcock

Tiny Tots at St Paul’s

The group continues to average 15 to 20 children each week. Our register extends to over 33 families. Due to government funding for nurseries our age range has now dropped and we now have a lot more babies and 1 to 2 year olds. The sessions are lively and the little ones enjoy the story, singing and dancing time as well as playing with our many toys in the hall. They also enjoy the crafts each week and the dough table is always very popular. We enjoy the interaction we have with the parents, grandparents and carers. We have 8 helpers on our rota as well as 2 male church members who help to set up and clear away each week.

Annual Report Booklet 2025. FINAL docx.docx

Page 29

We often have positive feedback from the adults. We continue to share God’s love with the families and hope to do so for the foreseeable future.

Pam Wood

Tiny Tots at St Tim’s

Sadly, Tiny Tots at St Tim’s came to a close at the end of July 2025. This was due to health difficulties of volunteers and the considerable drop in the number of children attending. There was in the end a core group of 5 children attending, who we grew to love. We were sorry to have to close our lovely group.

We led the group with the much appreciated help of Hazel Merret, Marie Pottinger, Helena Burzinska, Sandra Marshall and Leslie Valat Desgranges. Hazel, Leslie and Sandra helped on a rota basis, while Helena and Marie attended each week, providing and preparing snacks and drinks.

Colin Parsons and Herman Boston very kindly came at the end of each session to move chairs and return the church to normal, which was an enormous help. We valued too the visits of Stephen, who often called in to chat to mums and join us for singing and story time. Hopefully “our children” will attend tiny tots at St Paul’s.

Covingham Park Primary School

We have maintained our links with Covingham Park Primary School in a variety of ways. I have led occasional assemblies at the school with the different year groups, and we once again welcomed the children and staff, along with parents, carers, and wider family and friends, for their Harvest Festival and Christmas celebrations at St Paul’s. We also welcomed the Year 4 classes to hear the Christmas story at ‘Christmas Unwrapped’, and the Year 5 classes to experience Easter at ‘Easter Cracked Open’. Both these activities are much appreciated by the school, and enjoyed by the children. As ever, we thank the many volunteers who supported any of these activities as we look to welcome the school into our building.

Deacon Stephen Roe

Covingham Roundabout Pre-school

During the year, we were contacted by Covingham Roundabout Pre-school (which meets on the Covingham Park Primary School site) to enquire about the possibility of visiting the Church. They have been on three occasions, for Harvest, Remembrance and Christmas, and it has been good to be able to extend a welcome to another community group to come to the Church and learn more about the Christian celebration and meaning of these seasons .

Deacon Stephen Roe

Annual Report Booklet 2025. FINAL docx.docx

Page 30

Liden Academy

We continue our strong relationship with Liden Academy and each half-term I am warmly invited to lead an assembly. They sing with gusto and it is a joy to see some of them also coming to Messy Church at St Timothy’s. I lead their school and parents Harvest service in the school hall, and at Christmas we welcome them over to St Tim’s. Both the church and the school are smaller spaces, so this means repeating the service up to 4 times in a day! It is well worth it though, and it is a privilege to be welcomed so warmly by the school. We also invite Liden for Christmas unwrapped and Easter cracked open at St Timothy’s and it’s a delight to

Rev Trudie Wigley

Dorcan Academy

Every term I am invited into the school to meet and pray with the Head Teacher, and it is a privilege to be asked to do so. Whenever I visit there is a sense of joy and energy and it is uplifting to be there. I also sit on the oversight governing board as a Member, whose role it is to be a “guardian of governance”. In summer 2026 the Headteacher, Sherryl Bareham, is retiring, so please do pray for the academy and the student as they adjust to new leadership and opportunities.

Rev Trudie Wigley

It’s Your Move

Going up to that big school can seem daunting, and not knowing who or what to believe. We have been going into our local primary schools to Year 6 to share 'It’s Your Move', a very helpful booklet from Scripture Union which address many of the questions students have. It is a fun session with games and sharing information, which is appreciated by students and teachers.

Diane Killick & Sue Morgans

Easter Cracked Open & Christmas Unwrapped

Christmas and Easter are such very special times in the church calendar, and we were once again delighted to welcome the pupils of Covingham, Nythe, Eldene and Liden, years 4 & 5 to discover the real reason we celebrate, through games, activities and crafts. A total of approximately 337 children attended these events. Feedback from the schools was positive, encouraging and appreciative. Comments were made that the children were motivated and engaged.

A huge thanks to everyone involved. We are blessed to have such a committed, flexible team so that we can continue to provide these wonderful experiences to the youngsters in our parish.

Sue Morgans & Diane Killick

Annual Report Booklet 2025. FINAL docx.docx

Page 31

Messy Church - a Year of Faith, Fun, and Fellowship

It has been a joy to see Messy Church continue to flourish at St. Tim’s over the past year. Our dedicated team of helpers creates a warm, encouraging space where families can gather for crafts, breakfast, and worship. This year, we’ve been blessed to deepen our friendships with our regulars while welcoming many new faces into our community. Together, we’ve explored what it means to follow Jesus and grow in faith.

One of our greatest highlights was celebrating the confirmation of several of our regular Messy Church helpers—a truly special milestone for our team! Our monthly themes have brought us everything from a summer breakfast BBQ with toasted marshmallows to the creation of beautiful Easter gardens. We also had the honour of welcoming the Mayor in October to explore the "clothes of faith."

Christmas was particularly memorable as we hosted an All-Age Messy Nativity across both St. Tim’s and St. Paul’s, bringing generations together in a wonderful celebration. As we look ahead, we are excited to continue reaching out to the Liden and Covingham communities.

Clare Smith

Christmas Toy Appeal

This was the fourth year that we hosted the Christmas toy/gift event at St Paul’s. Seventy families (181children) benefited from generous donations from The Dorcan Church and the wider parish/circuit. Children received three main presents, two stocking fillers, a soft toy and a book each. It was tight having enough this year as the numbers of families needing help had risen.

Again, this was staffed by volunteers, displaying the gifts attractively, after moving large boxes from one place to another (and less heavy ones back again at the end). We opened for three consecutive days for four to six hours each time. It was humbling to listen to their stories and hear how they coped with life’s blows and difficulties. It was a privilege to meet them and laugh and cry with them.

They were all so very grateful and touched by your generosity. Thank you all for your gifts that enabled them to give their children a happy Christmas. Thank you also to those who helped set up, moved chairs, helped parents choose and cleared up at the end of the week. An amazing Dorcan Church effort!

Dianne Lane and Sandra Marshall

GROUPS AND COURSES

There are a number of home groups meeting across the Dorcan Church and the fellowship, encouragement and learning are important as we journey on in our discipleship. Meeting together in the week is integral to our Christ-like living and

Annual Report Booklet 2025. FINAL docx.docx

Page 32

we have others who wish to join groups, and additionally we want to encourage as many of our church family as possible to be involved in a small group. However we simply do not have leaders to volunteer or groups who are able to invite others in, due to size or other reasons. Please do think whether you might be able to offer to lead a group, whether a new one or formed from an existing group, or if you are able to open your group to others and their new perspectives. We need each other to support our Christian life and discipleship. Revd Trudie Wigley

St Timothy’s Prayer Group

The number of Group member’s remains at 8, but throughout last year there was no occasion where everybody could attend. By October we accepted that we would find it difficult to meet together over the winter so we decided to meet ‘virtually’ instead. We drew up a list of prayers we would like to include and agreed that 1 person would collect any additional prayers from members and then message everyone. We now pray together every Tuesday afternoon between 2 & 3 pm. We did meet together at St Tim’s before Christmas and will meet again in the spring to discuss how we proceed. Brenda Phillips

M&M’s (formerly the Tuesday evening Group)

The group consists of 13 members who meet for prayer and Bible study. Members of the group now share responsibility for study and opening and closing prayer. Last year we experimented with meeting every other week instead of weekly, however, we decided that weekly meetings were better and so we now meet every Monday afternoon at 2pm. Angela Roe, Ann Murphy, Nicki Clinch and Angela Davidson share their homes for a month at a time.

We all appreciate the fellowship and friendship that studying and praying together brings, and have experienced the comfort of knowing our friends are praying and have had answers to prayer. Over the last year we completed the Bible Society’s Romans Course; and have studied The Wind of the Spirit, an Advent Course: Singing the Story and are currently studying A Lifetime Bible Study. (These courses are taken from the Faith and Worship website). We have also had a creative session to infill between ending one course and starting the Advent course, not limiting creativity to solely craft. This was enjoyed by all who were there and I’m sure will be repeated. We are looking forward to the 2026 Lent study by Lectio 365 The Desert Fathers and Mothers. Angela Roe

House Group

Tuesday Group continues to meet every two weeks at St Tim’s. We continue to learn together and are a great support to one another. We have just completed the Lord's Prayer course by J. John and none of us will say that prayer in the same way again! We once again co-ordinated and helped make the angels and doves which were hung out around the community at Christmas Deb Mulcock

Annual Report Booklet 2025. FINAL docx.docx

Page 33

Thursday evening group

We are a diverse group of 10 people who have been meeting on and off since 2023. In 2025 we finished off the Bible course, and then enjoyed looking at the book of Romans in more depth using material from the Bible Society, and were challenged to look for Hope in Hard places by Embrace the Middle East over Lent, and we rejoiced with 2 of our members as they were confirmed in their faith. We enjoy meeting together on a regular basis, growing in our faith and in our friendships Nathalie Marshall

Edgehill Care Home

Edgehill Care Home is situated in Liden quite close to St Tim’s. I go about once a month, usually on a Wednesday morning, and lead a half-hour service, some traditional hymns, prayers, and a reading and a reflection. We have now moved this to one of the smaller lounges rather than the Main Lounge, as there is less disturbance there. I also on occasions share Communion some of the residents, mainly those with a Church background. This is an important part of our seeking to be presence in the community, and if anyone feels that they can come along and support this, please let me know and I will speak to the Home about the possibility. Deacon Stephen Roe

The Avalon Centre

The Avalon Centre is a rehabilitation centre for patients with severe brain trauma, typically caused by an accident or a stroke. It is situated on Edison Park (opposite Morrison’s). I go for an hour about once every couple of weeks, at a time when there are no formal sessions taking place, and play Bingo and chat to some of the patients. I am also available if any of the patients or staff wish to talk about matters relating to faith, or any other subject, with someone independent from the system, but this happens very rarely. St Paul’s is also a designated Emergency Evacuation Centre for the Avalon Centre, in the unlikely event of a disaster meaning that the Centre has to be evacuated at extremely short notice. Again, this is a significant aspect of us showing that God has a concern for the community outside the Church. Deacon Stephen Roe

Knit and Chat

We continue with the same regular knitters. Small children’s clothes have been donated to the Salvation Army and charities overseas. Also hats gloves and scarves to both. Blankets and muffs have been gratefully received by Swindon care homes. We continue to knit and chat, enjoying good company too. Thank you to Dorcan Church for allowing us to meet at St Timothy’s, we look forward to continuing for many years. Brenda Phillips

Annual Report Booklet 2025. FINAL docx.docx

Page 34

CiD’S CAFÉ and CiD’S CAFÉ TOO (Café In Dorcan)

CiD’s Café

It always gives me a buzz when I arrive at St. Paul’s church on Tuesdays mornings; it is an amazing opportunity to meet friends both old and new and also to serve them in such a way that brings so much joy and happiness. We are still growing as a fellowship with some people coming in from the bereavement group meeting in the small hall; also others who have heard about CiD’s by word of mouth elsewhere. A small number are church members, but as far as I know, the majority have no connection with St. Paul’s church or any other church apart from the bereavement group. However, last November Armistice Day fell on a Tuesday. We invited everyone to join us in the chapel from 10.45 hrs for a short act of remembrance and nearly everyone did so.

I feel that Dorcan Church is providing a very balanced service here; facilities for the bereavement group to meet in the small hall, with a fellowship meeting in the large hall where people can meet friends both old and new and get further support if needed in a warm, safe and friendly environment. We are aware that people joining CiD’s from the bereavement group have most likely lived through one of the saddest, most difficult and upsetting part of their lives. I see it as part of my responsibilities here to give them some sense of normality. A listening ear and a friendly face is something that I can offer anyone without having to know anything about their personal lives. However, some people do open up telling me about their life’s experiences. This of course remains confidential but shows that we are trusted and appreciated.

During the last year, one of our most loved members Barbara passed away. We knew her as ‘knitting Barbara` because she was always knitting. She seemed to have a knack of taking balls of wool in different colours and turning them into any shape, garment, toy or whatever she wanted to make. Her family asked if they could have the wake at St. Paul’s because they said that was where her friends were. Of course, the CiD’s team served them and it was so nice to get to know her family just a little bit.

We have experienced steady growth over the 31/2 years we have been meeting and have now increased from using three sets of tables to four, which gives us an additional seating capacity of about 12 places so now seating around 36 people. God willing, may we continue to meet all these dear people and look forward to another year of fellowship together.

Colin Parsons

Annual Report Booklet 2025. FINAL docx.docx

Page 35

CiD’s Café Too

We continue to meet every Tuesday at St Timothy’s from 10am-12 noon. This is proving to be a valuable space providing support and company for a number of people of a variety of ages. Numbers vary, but are usually between 10-15. We do sometimes have children coming along during the school holidays, and open up the Church at those times to provide a space for them to play.

Some of our volunteers have had to ask to step down from the rota this year, and we are extremely grateful to those who have stepped up and agreed to be ‘on duty’ more frequently. However, we know that at least two more volunteers will be moving on this year, and we are reaching the stage where more volunteers are going to be needed if this activity is to continue. Please pray about this, and if you feel that this is something you could offer to help with, please speak to Stephen or Trudie. You need to be available for about three hours on a Tuesday morning approximately once a month, and have the ability to make tea and coffee, cut up cake, and chat.

Deacon Stephen Roe

THE FOOD COLLECTIVE

We opened the Distribution Centre at St Timothy's in July 2022 and started with 12 volunteers. We are now in the first two months of 2026 /27. Paul as team leader/manager, and Angela Roe as deputy team leader. Angela will be leaving with Stephen as he is retiring. I therefore will need someone to step up to the position of deputy team leader. I will give the necessary training, it is not arduous and it will only be once a month, so I can have a break. The number of referrals has been steady, although numbers shot up at the week before Christmas where we fed approximately 19 people (that is adults and children combined). Since the start of this year 2026 we are steady, with two to four referrals each week.

We have lost a few volunteers attending each week, so now we have three to each session including team leader or the deputy. Signs are showing we are beginning to see a slight increase, as the referrals are realising that we are actually here at Liden, and their clients don't have to go into town to get food, when they live this end of Dorcan.

We do receive clients from further afield, due to their need, and we are the only centre open Friday mornings. Numbers rise occasionally if a family is large in people, as many as six or seven. So, signs are encouraging going forward, with God's help. I, on behalf of Swindon Food Collective, wish to thank all our volunteers, the church council and the clergy for their continued support of their time and personage in the outreach to the community and wider Swindon area of those in need of support. Thank you .

Paul Tayler, Team Leader/Manager

Annual Report Booklet 2025. FINAL docx.docx

Page 36

REFLECTIONS FROM THE CHURCH ADMINISTRATOR AND COMMUNITY CENTRE OPERATIONAL MANAGER

Blink twice and 2025 disappeared in a flash! But what a mixed year. One of God's provision, kindness, joy, and mercy. Changes within the Church's Local Ecumenical Co-operative Scheme went more smoothly than anticipated. The loss of some dear friends and family, all of whom are deeply missed, and the changes with our financial governance, all added to this varied year.

Some particular highlights for me included the spring flowers around the front of the Church—these always make me smile. Another highlight was the start-up of a board games evening (yes, I’m a confirmed board games nut!!). Later in the year, the Autumn Show, the return of the Big Band, and the numerous fundraising events all stood out as memorable moments.

It is an honour and a pleasure to look after your administration and hall bookings. Handling these administrative tasks for individuals and groups within the Church allows them to dedicate more time to their own ministries and enhance their service to our community. And allows me to get creative with the posters!

Regular Hall bookings continue to grow, and we are now at full capacity. We have become a venue where groups such as the North Swindon Big Band, the Male Voice Choir, and the Choral Society are eager to hold their concerts. Children’s birthday parties are as popular as ever on the weekends. The NHS still holds monthly blood donation sessions, and the NHS also ran a diabetic prevention course.

However, as always, these bookings rely completely on a dedicated team of volunteers without whom none of these events could happen. A huge thank you to all of you who give up your free time to support our community centre. Your commitment is genuinely appreciated.

I look forward to seeing what God has in store for us this year. Blessings in abundance!

Maggie Johnson

Annual Report Booklet 2025. FINAL docx.docx

Page 37

The Dorcan Church 2015

==> picture [269 x 444] intentionally omitted <==

----- Start of picture text -----
2025 ECC Accounts
GFENCLAND The Methodist
Draft Copy
----- End of picture text -----

Contents

Accounting Policies	3
Basis of Financial Statements	3
Fund Accounting	3
Statement of Financial Activities	6
Receipts and Payments Acount	7
Statement of assets and liabilities	9
Centre accounts	10
Funds income and expenditure	11
Foot notes	12
Charts	13
ECC Approval	14
Examiner's report	15

Table of Contents

Page 2

Notes to the 2025 accounts

Accounting policies

Pending Dissolution of the Charity. (Dorcan Church Swindon, Registered Charity 1143702)

Until 24[th] November 2024 the Dorcan Church had been operating as a Single Congregational Local Ecumenical Partnership (SCLEP). On that date agreements were signed which approved the dissolution of this SCLEP and its replacement with a Local Ecumenical Co-operative Scheme (LECS). This meant that this charity (Dorcan Church Swindon, Registered Charity 1143702) would also need to be dissolved, since it underpinned the SCLEP. Governance of the Parish and Benefice of Dorcan, Swindon was also required to transition to standard arrangements for an Anglican parish, with the Parochial Church Council (PCC) becoming the principal decision-making and controlling body.

Consequently, on 27[th] March 2025 the trustees of Dorcan Church Swindon passed a resolution that:

• in accordance with para 57(b) of its Governing Document, on dissolution it will transfer its remaining funds to

• the Dorcan PCC subject to the PCC agreeing to honour the terms of existing restrictions on the use of any the funds transferred.

Note: para 57(b) allows the transfer of the remaining assets to “a charity or charities for purposes the same as, or similar to the purpose of the Charity”

• authorised the Treasurer to do that in stages to allow an orderly transfer of liabilities to the PCC.

Following an extended process to open a bank account for Dorcan PCC, this financial transition finally began in late 2025. By 31[st] December income of £4,690 and expenditure of £50 had been diverted from the Dorcan Church Swindon account to Dorcan PCC (and consequently is not included in these accounts) .

It is anticipated that the dissolution of the Dorcan Church Swindon charity will be completed at some point during 2026, with all funds having been transferred to Dorcan PCC prior to this.

Going concern accounting policy

These accounts have been prepared on the assumption that the charity is able to continue as a going concern until all funds are transferred to Dorcan PCC. The charity holds unrestricted, general reserves £35,700, also designated reserves that can be drawn down if necessary and a zero cash balance.

Basis of financial statements

The financial statements have been prepared under the Church Accounting Regulations 2006 in accordance with applicable accounting standards and the current Statement of Recommended Practice, Accounting and Reporting by Charities (FRS 102 SORP 2019).

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention. The financial statements include all transactions, assets and liabilities for which the ECC 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.

The Receipts and Payments method has been used to present the accounts.

Related Parties Transactions.

 Trustees’ remuneration and benefits. During the year no trustee received any remuneration or benefit.

 Trustees’ expenses. During the year trustees received expenses directly attributed to their agreed working expenses including but not restricted to: Telephone, travel, purchase of materials wholly and necessary to the running of the charity.

Fund accounting

Endowment Funds are funds, the capital of which must be retained either permanently or at the ECC's discretion; the income derived from the endowment is either to be used as restricted or unrestricted income funds depending upon the purpose for which the endowment was established in the first place.

Policies

Page 3

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 ECC activity intended by the donor.

Unrestricted Funds are income funds, which are to be spent on the ECC's general purposes.

Designated funds are general funds set aside by the ECC 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 ECC's own use are abated in line with those assets' annual depreciation charges in the SOFA. Designated funds remain unrestricted and the ECC will move any surplus to other general funds.

Incoming resources

Planned giving, collections and similar donations are recognised when received. Tax refunds are recognised when the incoming resource to which they relate is received. Grants and legacies are accounted for when the ECC is entitled to the use of the resources, their ultimate receipt is considered reasonably certain and the amounts due are readily quantifiable. Dividends are accounted for when declared receivable, interest as and when accrued by the payer. All incoming resources are accounted for gross.

Resources expended

Grants and donations are accounted for when paid over, or when awarded, if that award creates a binding or constructive obligation on the ECC. The Diocesan parish share and the Methodist quota are expected to be paid over and is accounted for when due. All other expenditure is generally recognised when it is incurred and is accounted for gross.

Reserves

Approximately three months' operating costs above our normal turnover are held in the general account as a reserve. At the moment this amounts to £35,700.

Fixed assets

Consecrated, benefice and circuit property is not included in the accounts in accordance with s10 (2) (a) and (c) of the Charities Act 2011.

Movable church furnishings held by the ministers and churchwardens/stewards on special trust for the ECC and which require a faculty for disposal are inalienable property, listed in the church's inventory, which can be inspected (at any reasonable time).

Equipment used within the church premises is depreciated on a straight-line basis of 20% over five years. Individual items of equipment with a purchase price of £500 or less are written off when the asset is acquired.

There are no investments to be valued at 31 December.

Funds

General Fund

The General Fund represents the amounts available to the ECC to meet its ongoing obligations, based on the assumption that restricted funds are not available for general use. The ECC aims to hold several months operating costs in general funds. At 31st December 2025 the balance represents around three months' costs.

Mission Fund

To be distributed at the discretion of the ECC

Holiday Club Fund

For the provision of a children’s Holiday Club.

Parish Weekend Fund

To assist those of limited means to attend Parish Weekends.

Centre Maintenance Fund.

A fund derived from the transfer from the General Fund as agreed by the Church Council for the maintenance of the two centres

St. Paul’s Fabric Fund ~~(D~~ esignated)

Monies raised by our fundraising team. These are used in agreement with this team and with the approval of the ECC, to fund specific maintenance and development projects related to our buildings. Originally the Church share of the proceeds from the sale of the vicarage. To be used at the discretion of the ECC.

St. Paul’s Fabric Fund (restricted)

Fund for donations used for Roof Repairs to St. Paul’s. Should there be any surplus this may be used for other repairs to both St. Paul’s and St. Timothy’s.

Policies

Page 4

Tiny Tot’s (St. Paul’s)

Funds held for St. Paul’s Tiny Tots to be used at their direction

Tiny Tot’s (St. Tim’s)

Funds held for St. Tim’s Tiny Tots to be used at their direction

Cid’s café too (Formerly Tea and Toast)

Funds held for Cid’s café Too at St. Timothy’s

Card Class

Funds raised by the Card Class to be used at their direction. This fund is now empty, the Card Class having closed in 2024.

Monday House Group (Formerly Monday Cell Group)

Funds held on behalf of the Monday House Group to be used at their discretion.

Uganda Link

Used to finance activities connected with the Diocesan Uganda Link.

Youth Club

Funds held for the church Youth Club to be used at their discretion

Carl Gase Legacy Fund

Fund from the estate of the late Carl Gase.

Viv Craig Legacy

Fund from the estate of the late Viv Craig

Archdeacon's Grant

Grant to assist with the structural transition from a Local Ecumenical Project (LEP) to Local Ecumenical Co-operative Scheme (LECS)

Agency Collections

Funds collected on behalf of another charity or organisation, which do not form part of the income of the Dorcan Church.

Various collections are held on behalf of other organisations and these are paid over as soon as practical.

Comment

Overall Summary

These accounts show a deficit of -£6,889 for 2025, but in the current state of ecumenical transition this reflects a positive, and better than anticipated, financial performance.

This is because:

a) A one-off grant of £7k was awarded to the Church in 2024 by the Archdeacon to assist with ecumenical transition. £6024 of this was carried over at the end of that year and then spent (as planned) during 2025. This was always going to be a significant amount of expenditure not matched with equivalent income during 2025, essentially an expected overspend.

b) Also, by 31[st] December 2025 a net surplus of £4,640 of Dorcan Church’s income and expenditure had been been transitioned from the Dorcan Church, Swindon charity to the Dorcan PCC charity.

So, combining the PCC surplus with the Dorcan Church, Swindon deficit leaves an overall net deficit of -£2,249 for the Church as a whole, which is smaller than the £6,024 overspend expected in connection with the Archdeacon’s grant.

Income

Income for 2025 was considerably down on 2024, but the 2024 figure included circa £30k raised through special fundraising activity for the major roof repair at St Paul’s and also the one-off £7k granted by the Archdeacon to support ecumenical transition. Compared with the more normal year of 2023, 2025 income was up by 1.9% (and by 6.3% when PCC income is also included).

2025 was a year of continued fund raising with rental income exceeding our budgeted amount. Our congregation continued with their offering which fell short of our budget expectations by £3K, but a successful Gift Day appeal raised over £4,700 (£1.7k above budget). Our day to day expenditure has largely been within budget. Despite the challenges of increased cost of water, gas and electricity we have ended the year largely within our expected budget.

Policies

Page 5

Expenditure

Comparing with 2023 (our most recent ‘normal’ year, see above), 2025 expenditure increased by 6.9%

However, 2025 included a special one-off spend of approximately £6k on overhauling the Church’s safeguarding policies and procedures. A specialist was employed to do this, so this accounts for the major portion of the increase in Staff wages. The funding for this work came from the Archdeacon’s grant, since this was considered ‘backfill’ activity, freeing up others to work on the ecumenical transition. If this item is ignored, 2025 expenditure was only up 2.5% on 2023.

2025 expenditure also includes another significant one-off amount, that being the £5912 spent on the repair and modernisation of the St Paul’s electrical infrastructure. This was required to bring it up to current standards.

Otherwise, during 2025 both our Parish Share and Methodist Assessment have been paid as they became due; our day to day expenditure was largely within budget, and, despite the challenges of increased cost of water, gas and electricity, overall we have ended the year largely within our expected budget.

Budget

As implied above, during 2025 we have been able to continue working to a budget built on previous years’ financial work. This makes the work of the Finance Committee a lot easier as we are able to monitor progress throughout the year.

Gift Aid / Parish Giving Scheme

Gift aid claims on donations made directly to the Church continue to be made quarterly. This maintains our cash flow, but we also continue with the Parish Giving Scheme whereby members can donate by direct debit. Donations and Tax recoverable from Gift Aid are received monthly from this scheme, reducing the work of the Treasurer and further improving our cash flow.

Church Fabric

In order to facilitate the work of the Church it is important that we maintain the fabric of both St. Timothy’s and St. Paul’s Church and Community Centre. Both are important to our work while bringing financial challenges.

The Future

In 2025 there were a number of challenges in the maintenance of our buildings. A number of items at St. Timothy’s still require addressing. It is vital that we do not lose sight of the ongoing day-to-day financial needs of our Church. If our general income drops our outreach and mission, or that of our parent denominations, will consequently suffer. Maintaining or, if possible, increasing our regular giving through direct debit, standing order or envelope scheme remains key in this regard.

Policies

Page 6

Statement of Financial Activities

Income and Endowments from: Donations and legacies Income from charitable activities Other trading activities Investments Other income Total income Expenditure on: Raising funds Expenditure on charitable activities Other Expenditure (Loan Repayments) Total expenditure Transfers Gross Transfers Between Funds - In Gross Transfers Between Funds - Out Net Movement in Funds Reconciliation of Funds Total Funds Brought Forward Net Movement in Funds Total Funds Carried Forward	Unrestricted Funds £ 89,650 2,034 38,259 2,077 599 132,619 74 131,777 - 131,851 2,000 (5,000) (3,000) (2,232) 46,266 (2,232) 44,034	Designated Funds £ 3,327 - 2,746 - - 6,073 - 13,703 - 13,703 5,000 (2,000) 3,000 (4,630) 23,273 (4,630) 18,643	Restricted Funds £ 505 330 - - - 835 - 842 - 842 - - - (7) 8,783 (7) 8,776	Total Funds 2025 £ 93,482 2,364 41,005 2,077 599 139,527 74 146,322 - 146,396 7,000 (7,000) - (6,869) 78,322 (6,869) 71,453	Total Funds 2024 £ 132,880 2,244 40,798 2,454 630
					179,006
					1,028 165,318 1,000
					167,346
					2,555 (2,555)
					-
					11,660
					78,322 11,660
					89,982

Financial Activities

Page 7

Receipts and Payments Account

Income Income from Donations and Legacies Gift Aid - Bank - SO St.Paul's Gift Aid - Bank - SO St.Tim's Gift Aid - Envelopes - St. Paul's Gift Aid - Envelopes - St. Tim's Other planned giving - St. Paul's Other planned giving - St. Tim's Plate collections - St. Paul's Plate collections - St. Timothy's Regular gift days One-off Gift Aid gifts Donations appeals etc Tax recoverable on Gift Aid Non-recurring one-off grants Other funds generated Income from Charitable Activities Youth Club Fees for weddings, funerals etc. Bookstall sales to promote objectives Church hall lettings-objectives - St.T Other Trading Activities Fetes, Bazaars and Rummage sales etc Bookstall Sales - Fund raising Church hall lettings-fund raising - St.P Investments Bank and building society interest Other Income Income for events Total Income	Unrestricted Funds £ 43,249 7,467 4,066 1,074 8,600 817 1,375 448 4,759 - 1,473 16,051 - 271 89,650 - 1,619 - 415 2,034 100 16 38,143 38,259 2,077 2,077 599 599 132,619	Designated Funds £ - - - - - - - - - - 827 - 2,500 - 3,327 - - - - - 2,746 - - 2,746 - - - - 6,073	Restricted Funds £ - - - - - - 145 325 - - 35 - - - 505 330 - - - 330 - - - - - - - - 835	Total Funds 2025 £ 43,249 7,467 4,066 1,074 8,600 817 1,520 773 4,759 - 2,335 16,051 2,500 271 93,482 330 1,619 - 415 2,364 2,846 16 38,143 41,005 2,077 2,077 599 599 139,527	Total Funds 2024 £ 47,987 7,502 4,535 3,258 8,691 1,066 4,295 1,477 2,618 20 21,689 17,747 11,587 408
					132,880
					393 1,408 2 441
					2,244
					3,135 1 37,662
					40,798
					2,454
					2,454
					630
					630
					179,006

Page 8

Income

Receipts and Payments Account

Expenditure

Expenditure on Stewardship and Fund Raising Fees paid to fund raisers Costs of stewardship campaign Expenditure on Charitable Activities Event Expenses Mission & Evangelism Nominated Charities Secular Charities Fees due to Diocesan Board of Finance Ministry parish share etc Methodist Assessment Assistant staff costs Staff wages Working expenses of ministers Council tax Water rates - St. Paul's Vicar's telephone Training Church running - insurance - St.P Church Running - Insurance - St.T Church office - telephone Organ / piano tuning Upkeep of services-Adult Upkeep of services - Children & Youth Messy Church Youth Club Upkeep of churchyard Administration Hospitality-Visiting speakers / locums Church Family - Acts of Kindness Church running - Electric - ST.P Church running - Electricity - ST.T Church running - gas - ST.P Church running - gas ST.T Hall running - electric - St.Pauls Hall running - gas - St.P Hall running - maintenance - ST.P Hall running - Maintenance - ST.T Hall running - telephone Governance costs - Examination/Audit fee Hall + major repairs - installation SP Church Major RepairsStructure Other Expenditure Loan repayments Total Expenditure Excess/(Deficit) of Income Over Expenditure	Unrestricted Funds £ - 74 74 599 1,210 505 - 1,076 61,020 14,834 34 23,647 583 1,073 1,358 152 - 1,784 580 751 237 1,861 118 34 - 374 1,525 35 100 494 589 1,047 2,430 2,775 5,936 4,260 604 152 - - - 131,777 - - 131,851 768	Designated Funds £ - - - - - - - - - - - 6,036 - - - - - - - - - - - - - 143 - - - - - - - - - 7,524 - - - - - 13,703 - - 13,703 (7,630)	Restricted Funds £ - - - - 442 - 200 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 200 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 842 - - 842 (7)	Total Funds 2025 £ - 74 74 599 1,652 505 200 1,076 61,020 14,834 34 29,683 583 1,073 1,358 152 - 1,784 580 751 237 1,861 118 34 200 517 1,525 35 100 494 589 1,047 2,430 2,775 5,936 11,784 604 152 - - - 146,322 - - 146,396 (6,869)	Total Funds 2024 £ 964 64
					1,028
					630 2,664 425 - 870 51,000 19,638 15 21,788 380 1,069 1,127 160 19 1,792 537 719 186 1,661 - 29 414 32 6,147 - 93 389 607 1,196 2,028 2,204 6,570 5,170 835 161 794 3,160 30,810
					165,319
					1,000
					1,000
					167,347
					11,659

Expenditure

Page 9

Centre Accounts

St. Paul's Centre

Income Church Hall - Fund raising - St. Paul's Expenditure Staff Wages (80%) Manager & Cleaning Council Tax Water Rates - St. Paul's Hall Running - electric - St. Paul's Hall Running - gas - St. Paul's Hall Running - maintenance - St. Paul's Hall Running - telephone Administration (80%) Excess/(Deficit) of Income Over Expenditure St. Tim's Income Church hall lettings- objectives - St. Tim's Expenditure Staff Wages (20%) Manager & Cleaning Church running - Electricity - St. Tim's Church running - Gas - St. Tim's Hall running - maintenance - St. Tim's Administration Charge (20%) Excess/(Deficit) of Income Over Expenditure	2025 £ 38,143 38,143 10,940 1,073 1,358 2,775 5,936 11,784 152 1,220 35,238 2,905 415 415 2,735 589 2,430 604 305 6,663 (6,248)	2024 £ 37,662
		37,662
		11,528 1,176 1,127 2,204 6,570 5,170 161 944
		28,880
		8,782
		441
		441
		2,882 607 2,028 835 1,225
		7,577
		(7,136)

Page 10

Centre Accounts

Statement of Assets and Liabilities

Cash at Bank and In Hand Bank Current Account - Co-operative Bank General Fund Tiny Tots - St.Paul's Tiny Tots - St. Tim's Youth Club Centre Maintenance St. Paul's Fabric Fund Monday House Group Tea & Toast (Cid's Café 2) Archdeacons Grant Bank Deposit Account - Methodist CFB General fund Centre Maintenance Mission Fund Carl Gase Legacy Fund Uganda Link Viv Craig Legacy Holiday Club Parish weekend Total Cash at Bank and In Hand Fixed Assets Ricoh Photocopier (£3.360 Initial cost) Debtors (Footnotes) Accounts Receivable General Fund Creditors (Footnotes) Accounts payable General Fund	Unrestricted Funds £ 8,243 - - - - - - - - 8,243 35,791 - - - - - - - 35,791 44,034 2,688 2,688 430 430 3,536 3,536	Designated Funds £ - - - - - 6,143 - - - 6,143 - 2,000 500 10,000 - - - - 12,500 18,643 - - - - - -	Restricted Funds £ - 396 566 420 - - 12 677 - 2,071 - - - - 142 5,528 535 500 6,705 8,776 - - - - - -	Total Funds 2025 £ 8,243 396 566 420 - 6,143 12 677 - 16,457 35,791 2,000 500 10,000 142 5,528 535 500 54,996 71,453 2,688 2,688 430 430 3,536 3,536	Total Funds 2024 £ 10,553 371 462 573 4,767 1,970 212 460 6,036
					25,404
					35,713 - 500 10,000 142 5,528 535 500
					52,918
					78,322
					3,360
					3,360
					2,736
					2,736
					2,941
					2,941

Assets & Liabilities

Page 11

Funds income and expenditure

Restricted/ Designated Tiny Tots - St.Paul's R Tiny Tots - St. Tim's R Youth Club R Uganda Link R Mission Fund D Centre Maintenance D St. Paul's Fabric Fund Designated D Carl Gase Legacy Fund D Viv Craig Legacy Fund R Monday House Group R Holiday Club R Parish Weekend R Tea & Toast (Cid's Café 2) R Archdeacon's Grant D	Opening Balance 2024 £ 371 462 573 142 500 4,767 1,970 10,000 5,528 212 535 500 460 6,036 32,056	Income £ 145 143 330 - - - 6,073 - - - - - 217 - 6,908	Expenditure £ (120) (39) (483) - - (5,767) (1,900) - - (200) - - - (6,036) (14,546)	Transfers £ - - - - - 3,000 - - - - - - - - 3,000	Closing Balance 2025 £ 396 566 420 142 500 2,000 6,143 10,000 5,528 12 535 500 677 -
					27,418

Foot Notes

Debtors Hall rents - December HMRC - Gift Aid Tax recovered Q4 BusinessPaye - Payroll support Creditors Hills Waste Daisy Communications - Dec. Mobile phones Daisy Communications - Dec. Broadband Children’s Society Action for Children – Formerly NCH British Gas – Electricity (St. Paul’s) British Gas – Gas (St. Paul’s) British Gas - Gas (St. Tim's) British Gas - Electricity (St. Tim's) Advance Hall Bookings Renelec-Hennion Aldbourne Methodist Church	2025 £ 430 - - - 430 - 26 80 250 250 371 1,742 235 60 323 139 60 3,536	2024 £ - 2,009 163 564
		2,736
		74 24 57 235 235 - 1,013 - - 1,302 - -
		2,941

Page 13

Footnotes

Dorcan Church Income 2025

==> picture [282 x 289] intentionally omitted <==

==> picture [66 x 273] intentionally omitted <==

----- Start of picture text -----
Regular Giving 40%
Lettings 28%
Tax recovered 11%
Other giving 11%
Fetes etc. 2%
Other 2.4%
Plate collections 1.8%
Bank Interest 1.4%
Fees 1%
Youth Club 0.2%
----- End of picture text -----

Dorcan Church Expenditure 2025

==> picture [281 x 306] intentionally omitted <==

Parish Share 42% Minister's and Staff 21% Utilities 11% Methodist Assessment 10% Repairs 8.5%

Mission and Charitable Giving 1.7% Insurance 1.6% Upkeep of services 1.5% Administration 1% Fees 0.7% Council Tax 0.7% Maintenance 0.5% Cost of events 0.4% Stewardship Campaign 0.1%

Charts

Page 14

2025 accounts

Approved at a meeting of the Dorcan Church Ecumenical Church Council

Nathalie Marshall

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Nathalie Marshall Date 9th. March 2026 Chair Dorcan Ecumenical Church Council

ECC Approval

Page 15

INDEPENDENT EXAMINERS REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES/MEMBERS OF DORCAN ECUMENICAL CHURCH COUNCIL FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Dorcan Ecumenical Church Council (the ECC) for the year ended 31 December 2025.

Responsibilities and Basis of Report

As the charity trustees of the ECC 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 ECC'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.

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

P J Crowley

10 April 2026

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Date

P J crowley

Ind Exam Report

Page 16

DORCAN ECUMENICAL CHURCH COUNCIL

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025

• 1) The financial statements of Dorcan Ecumenical Church Council (the ECC) have been prepared in accordance with the Church Accounting Regulations 2016 using the Receipts and Payments basis.

• 2) The following assets are recognised but not necessarily valued in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities :

• moveable church furnishings held by the church wardens on special trust for the ECC and which require a faculty for disposal.

• land and buildings held on behalf of the ECC.

• other fixtures, fittings and office equipment where the ECC is free to dispose of such assets without faculty.

• 3) The following assets are recognised and a monetary value given as part of the description in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities :

• amounts owing from H M Revenue & Customs.

• any other amounts owing to the ECC including church hall lettings.

• 4) Closing bank balances are recognised in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities.

• 5) The following liabilities are recognised in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities

• any arrears of the Diocesan Parish Share.

• creditors for goods or services where the supply has been received and invoiced by 31 December 2025.

Page 17

Notes

INDEPENDENT EXAMINERS REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES/MEMBERS OF DORCAN ECUMENICAL CHURCH COUNCIL FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Dorcan Ecumenical Church Council (the ECC) for the year ended 31 December 2025.

Responsibilities and Basis of Report

As the charity trustees of the ECC 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 ECC'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.

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

P J Crowley

10 April 2026

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------P J crowley Date

DORCAN ECUMENICAL CHURCH COUNCIL

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025

• 1) The financial statements of Dorcan Ecumenical Church Council (the ECC) have been prepared in accordance with the Church Accounting Regulations 2016 using the Receipts and Payments basis.

• 2) The following assets are recognised but not necessarily valued in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities :

• moveable church furnishings held by the church wardens on special trust for the ECC and which require a faculty for disposal.

• land and buildings held on behalf of the ECC.

• other fixtures, fittings and office equipment where the ECC is free to dispose of such assets without faculty.

• 3) The following assets are recognised and a monetary value given as part of the description in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities :

• amounts owing from H M Revenue & Customs.

• any other amounts owing to the ECC including church hall lettings.

• 4) Closing bank balances are recognised in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities.

• 5) The following liabilities are recognised in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities

• any arrears of the Diocesan Parish Share.

• creditors for goods or services where the supply has been received and invoiced by 31 December 2025.

Page 2

Notes