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2021-12-31-accounts

Friends of St Mary’s Church

Cerne Abbas

Inaugurated 2012

Charity No 1148416

TRUSTEES’ REPORT and ACCOUNTS

For the year ended 31 December 2021

and

THE AGENDA

For the AGM on Wednesday 21[st] September 2022

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FRIENDS OF ST MARY’S CHURCH, CERNE ABBAS 2021

Registered Charity no. 1148416

THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Chairman: Martin Reed

Honorary Treasurer: Angela Lowe 6 Duck Street Cerne Abbas, Dorset DT2 7JQ

Hon Membership Secretary: Richard Warren Dairy Cottage, 7 Barton Farm Cerne Abbas, Dorset DT2 7LF

Honorary Secretary: Peter J Smith 24 Barton Farm Cerne Abbas, Dorset DT2 7LF

Representative of the PCC: *Caroline Sykes

ELECTED MEMBERS

Alan Morrell Michael Fulford-Dobson John Champion

*Ex officio member

As Head of the PCC’s Property Group Duncan Ferguson attends meetings to inform Trustees on pertinent matters.

www.cernechurchfriends.org.uk

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FRIENDS OF ST MARY’S CHURCH, CERNE ABBAS ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2022

The 9th Annual General Meeting of the Friends of St Mary’s will take place on Wednesday, 21[st] September 2022 in St Mary’s Church starting promptly at 1800hrs .

PROGRAMME AGENDA

  1. Chairman’s welcoming remarks and report

  2. Apologies for absence

  3. Minutes of the 8[th] AGM as in this report & matters arising.

  4. Election of Officers and Council members

  5. a) all Trustees are required to stand down under the Constitutional review but all have indicated their willingness to continue on the Board of Trustees;

  6. b) the Secretary will stand down from his office but is willing to continue on the Board of Trustees;

  7. c) Jenny Paterson has been endorsed by the Board to become a Trustee and to become Secretary. AGM approval is required.

  8. d) the Secretary should be informed in advance of the AGM of any proposals for new Trustees.

  9. Any other business: this will be at the Chairman’s discretion unless previously raised through the Secretary

At the conclusion of business, wine and nibbles will be available for members

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THE CHAIRMAN’S REPORT

Last year 2021 was the year of slowly coming out of the COVID pandemic and returning towards a more normal situation. What this meant for The Friends, as for so many charities, was that it was a year of consolidation rather than project work. All was quiet on that front.

The accounts show there were only three items of expenditure in 2021: the cost of our first AGM for two years including refreshments for our loyal members in attendance; our traditional gift to the village of a Christmas tree in front of St Mary’s Church; and banking charges. The next project in which we are concerned is the long delayed lighting upgrade. The detailed and complicated plan is progressing well although the concern about possible light damage to the wall paintings expressed by the Church Buildings Council has now been satisfied. The PCC can now make formal application for faculty permission and it will go out for comment from the heritage protection organisations who will have a set time to respond. It is still hoped that work can start later this year.

In the meantime our accounts are in good order helped by the two generous and unexpected bequests received in 2021 totalling £85,000. No further fundraising events are scheduled for this year but 2023 sees our 10[th ] anniversary and I hope we can celebrate this milestone and thank our members at the same time in an appropriate manner.

The continuing presence of COVID meant that, apart from the AGM the minutes of which are included in this annual report as usual, the Trustees were only able to meet on two occasions last year (one a virtual meeting via Zoom). We were therefore extremely grateful to our Vicar, Jonathan Still, for attending the AGM and giving an important update on the progress of the PCC’s re-ordering project. To replace Bob Foulser (resigned) and Helen Hewitt (retired) we welcomed Angela Lowe as Treasurer and are particularly delighted that Jenny Paterson has agreed to rejoin the Board, having been one of the original Trustees in 2013 as the representative of the PCC.

Martin Reed, Chairman

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ST MARY’S PCC PROPERTY GROUP (PG) REPORT

On 15 June a delegation from the Salisbury Diocesan Advisory Committee (DAC) and representatives from the Church Buildings Council (CBC), Historic England (HE) and the Society for the Preservation of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) visited the church to review the ‘North Door’, ‘West Door’ and ‘Lighting/Rewiring’ projects. The 3 projects are at different stages of development and the visit made a positive contribution to the progress of each.

NORTH DOOR The current plans comprising the creation of a doorway in the north wall, access groundworks in the Squibb Garden, and the building of a storeroom and lavatory in the garden have been sent to statutory bodies for comment in accordance with the faculty application. The timeframe for public consultation is unknown as it will depend on responses from the statutory bodies.

WEST DOOR This project embraces the fitting of handrails either side of the west door steps, repairing a broken flagstone, unwarping the outer oak doors, and glazing the inner doors. The plans should complete their formal statutory consultation on 10 Aug after which the DAC may decide on further consultation or approve submission to the local planning authority for its consideration (the latter because the bottom posts of the handrails will be sunk into the pavement).

LIGHTING/REWIRING The 28 day public notice petition will expire on 17 Aug and, depending if any objections are received by the Diocesan Registrar in Salisbury, the petition for award of a faculty may be forwarded to the Chancellor of the Consistory Court for her decision/judgement. Meanwhile the tendering for the installation work is being progressed and, at the time of writing, cost and church closure details are not yet known.

Duncan Fergusson Chairman, St Mary's Property Group

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INCOME & EXPENDITURE 2021 gL3f SY 24 Zo

The Trust’s Cumulative Contributions to PCC

Since the Trust’s inception £43,176 has now been contributed to help the PCC maintain the church fabric as outlined below:

2021
2020 Fabric Insurance Contribution £1,992
Weather vane restoration(C Tisdall sponsored) £3,856
Squibb Garden maintenance £81
Overhaul of Bells £13,947
2019 Fabric Insurance Contribution £2,043
Squibb Garden maintenance £79
2018 Fabric Insurance Contribution £2,006
2017 Tower Clock Refurbishment £950
Fabric Insurance Contribution £1,933
2016 Fabric Insurance Contribution £1,962
Squibb Garden maintenance £52
Contribution to new heatingsystem £2,000
2015 Fabric Insurance Contribution £1,892
2014 Fabric Insurance Contribution £1,847
2013 Fabric Insurance Contribution £1,636
Grants obtained for the preservation of wall paintings
£6,900

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FRIENDS OF ST MARY’S CHURCH, CERNE ABBAS

Annual General Meeting, St Mary’s Church, 1800hrs Wednesday

22[nd] September 2021

  1. The meeting started promptly with the Chairman extending a welcome to the 26 Members in attendance. He briefly explained that during these past months since the previous AGM, the Friends had helped the Church by providing funds for the renovation of the bells and the annual contribution of the Christmas tree. These were paid in full. (Also, our thanks to a personal donation from a Friend, a full repair was made to the weather vane.)

  2. 2.Apologies for absence were received from; Peter & Suzanne Smith, Richard & Jill Warren, Eugene & June Balbinski, Janet Bartlet, Marcus & Pamela Hunt, Ros Rawson, Richard Wilkin, Mike & Jane Clark, Elizabeth Mackenzie, Pauline Adams, Phillip Spray, Roy Burnham, Denise Reed.

  3. The accounts were presented and in the absence of a verbal presentation from the retiring Treasurer, the Chairman asked if there were any questions arising from the printed accounts in the programme. As there were no questions the Chairman asked the Members present to approve the accounts and they were accepted.

  4. The Chairman stated that the Trustees had agreed that the Constitution of the Friends needed changing/updating. To that end there needed to be a change from the existing policy of Trustees service (5 years & then 1 year out) which had proven difficult to operate. The recommendation from the Trustees, is, that Trustees are to be elected at the AGM for 1 year, retiring at the following AGM but, if they wish to, remaining eligible for re-

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election at the same AGM. The second recommendation is that the term Council throughout the Constitution be reached by the more explicit "Trustees" or "Board of Trustees". The amendments were accepted and carried forward.

  1. The Chairman moved on to the question of the existing Board of Trustees. He informed the meeting that Helen Hewitt wished to retire from the Board and that the Treasurer had resigned since the last AGM. He confirmed that the remaining members on the board wished to continue. He asked for Members approval for the re-election of the board including the appointment Angela Lowe’s appointment as Treasurer. The meeting duly gave their approval. The board would actively try to fill these two vacancies.

  2. The Chairman then introduced the Vicar, the Rev Jonathan Still, inviting him to address the meeting and give an update on the proposed reordering the PCC are pursuing for St Mary's. Jonathan outlined the proposals which currently include creating a new entrance to the Church by way of the existing boiler room and a new door through the North wall, this primarily to give a suitable access for the disabled. Also in the plan is a proposal to put a purpose built unit near to the existing shed in the Squibb garden to possibly facilitate a toilet, kitchen, flower room and general storage area. To a question on funding Jonathan was positive in his response that the Church through the PCC could presently meet the anticipated cost of this project from its funds. There was no further discussion on the scheme.

  3. The Chairman asked those present if there was AOB and as there were none he closed the meeting at 6.42pm and invited those present to join the Trustees for a glass of wine and some nibbles.

John Champion, Acting Secretary

15 October 2021

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CODICIL

I (full name of Testator/Testatrix*) _______

Of ( _Address) __________

DECLARE THIS to be a (First) Codicil to my Will dated The __ day of ___ 20

I GIVE to the Association known as FRIENDS OF St MARY’S CHURCH, CERNE ABBAS of Cerne Abbas, Dorset (Registered Charity Number 1148416) for its general purposes the sum of POUNDS (£ ) and I declare that the Treasurer or other proper Officer for the time being of the said Charity shall be a full and sufficient discharge to my Executors and Trustees for the same in all respects:-

IN ALL other respects I CONFIRM my said will :-

IN WITNESS I have hereto set my hand this day of 20 SIGNED by the above named ) Testator/Testatrix in our presence ) And attested by us in the presence ) Of the above named Testator/Testatrix ) And of each other:)

WITNESS___ WITNESS___ ADDRESS___ ADDRESS__ ___ ____ ___ __ ___ OCCUPATION OCCUPATION __ _______

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FRIENDS’ MEMBERSHIP LIST

As at July 2022

Eugene BALBINSKI Helen HEWITT Rosalyn RAWSON
Gordon BARTLET Maureen HITT Martin REED
Janet BARTLET Pamela HUNT Denise REED
Jennifer BEECHAM Marcus HUNT Ann ROBSON
Gordon BISHOP Caroline JONES Peter SMITH
Elizabeth BISHOP Diana KIMBER Suzanne SMITH
RoyBURNHAM John LEE Philip,SPRAY
John CHAMPION Marion LEE Cheryl SPRAY
Mike CLARK Angela LOWE Judith STEVEN
Jane CLARK Elizabeth MACKENZIE Jane STILL
Noreen DARBOURNE Aphra MACLAREN LucySUTHERLAND
Nigel de CANDOLE Richard MAISEY Priscilla TAPPENDEN
David DILLISTONE Doreen MAISEY Caroline TISDALL
Roger DOOR Tim MILLS Gen. Richard VICKERS
Mathilde EDWARD Alan MORRELL Richard WARREN
Madeline ELLIS JennyMORTIMER Luke WEST
MaryEVANS George MORTIMER Richard WILKIN
Shirley FRANCIS Paddy O’RIORDAN Willy WILLIAMSON
Michael FULFORD DOBSON Jane O’RIORDAN Arabella WILLIAMSON
AnthonyGARVEY John PATERSON James WILSON
Ghislaine GARVEY Jennifer PATERSON Myra WILSON
Richard HARTLEY-SHARPE LindsayPEDDER
Clover HARTLEY-SHARPE

We would also like to thank those who have kindly donated memorial gifts to the Trust:

George Trim (2021 legacy) Clive Fox (2021 legacy) Peter Powell (2018 memorial collection); James & Priscilla Robinson (2017 legacy); Gordon Proud (2016 memorial collection) June Proud (2015 Memorial collection) Joan Holmes (2015 Memorial collection)

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